Department of Education notifies schools of testing changes
Indiana schools are receiving official word about the steps being taken to shorten the state's standardized tests.
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Bill that trims funding to shrinking districts advances
The changes, combined with declining enrollments in a number of schools, mean that 91 of the state’s 289 traditional districts would receive less overall funding in 2016 than this year.
Senate OKs bill allowing board to vote for leader
The move most likely would result in Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, a Democrat, being removed from the position.
House panel backs moves to shorten student testing time
The House Education Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance a bill permitting some steps that Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz proposed last week.
State budget proposal shifts aid toward wealthy schools
IPS would see a 6-percent reduction in state tuition aid by 2017 despite being one of the state’s poorest districts, with more than 75 percent of children coming from families that are poor enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
House GOP budget plan calls for school spending boost
The planned school spending increase is more than double the $201 million hike that Republican Gov. Mike Pence proposed in January.
Ritz supporters plan Statehouse rally Monday afternoon
Organizers of the rally are targeting bills moving through the Statehouse that would shift some authority from state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz.
Budget proposal to push school funding past Pence’s pitch
The leader of the Indiana House says a state budget proposal set for release Monday will include a larger funding increase for public schools than Gov. Mike Pence sought in his spending plan.
Ritz says ISTEP testing time can be cut by 3 hours
Indiana’s schools superintendent says a plan is in the works to cut about three hours from the maximum time that students will take the state’s standardized tests.
Long, Bosma say they’ll do what’s needed to shorten ISTEP
Indiana legislative leaders said they’re prepared to ram through legislation to make the state’s ISTEP test shorter, but they won’t consider Superintendent Glenda Ritz’s proposal to pause the school grading system for one year.
ISTEP stress test called ‘complete disaster’
“A number of schools” reported freezing issues Thursday during the test run, which was designed to ensure that the system worked smoothly when the online portion of the standardized test is given to 470,000 Indiana students in the coming weeks.
Ritz proposes 1-year freeze on school accountability grades
The State Board of Education will consider a proposal to suspend accountability grades and scrap portions of the ISTEP+ exam as it grapples with concerns about increased testing time for students.
Schools being told to be ready for longer ISTEP exam
Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Danielle Shockey said it wasn’t clear what changes could be made before the first possible day of the testing period arrives on Feb. 25.
UPDATE: Senate panel OKs bill to let education board elect leader
The legislation would overturn the current law in which the state's elected superintendent of public instruction – now Democrat Glenda Ritz – automatically chairs the board.
Pence orders shorter ISTEP+ exams after Ritz raises concerns
The governor announced Monday he would look for ways to curtail Indiana's revamped statewide assessment test from the up to 12½ hours it's been projected to take.
Ritz requests special meeting on length of ISTEP test
Department of Education data show the total time for administering the ISTEP+ test will more than double for all grades, topping out at 12 hours, 30 minutes for third-graders.
House, Senate continue push to revamp education governance
Majority Republicans in the House and Senate are pushing forward with bills to revamp the Indiana Board of Education and strip power from the state superintendent even as Democrats complain the GOP is only playing politics.
Lawmakers consider national test to replace ISTEP
Senate Bill 566, authored by Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, and Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Bremen, would halt an effort to create a new ISTEP, instead directing the state to use a national test beginning in the 2016-17 school year.
Bill to revamp State Board of Education advances
Tensions continued to flare Monday as the Senate Rules Committee debated and then passed legislation to alter the composition of the Indiana State Board of Education and demote the superintendent as its chair.
Republicans marching toward curbs on Ritz’s authority
Glenda Ritz's supporters protest that Republicans are disenfranchising a state electorate that gave Ritz 57,000 more votes than GOP Gov. Mike Pence received in the same election.