Sen. Deery: Holding Indiana Schools Accountable

Readers of this newsletter know I strongly believe that the educational outcomes of the next generation of Hoosiers will shape Indiana’s future — both economically and civically.

Our state budget reflects this reality: over $10 billion each year — nearly half of the entire budget — is dedicated to K-12 education.

But any public investment of this size should come with meaningful transparency and accountability. That’s why, in the last legislative session, I was the lead Senate sponsor of a bill drafted to strengthen Indiana’s A–F school grading system.

You may recall that from 2011 to 2018, schools received A–F grades, but that practice was paused for various reasons and hasn’t been used in the past seven years.

House Enrolled Act 1498 updates and builds on the previous accountability system to help improve educational outcomes statewide.

The new law directs the Indiana State Board of Education to revise the grading methodology so that parents can better understand how schools are performing — and which school might best fit their child’s needs. Both public and accredited private schools will be graded.

Required factors include ILEARN and IREAD-3 pass rates, as well as graduation rates that include advanced coursework and vocational experience. The Board may also include other measures, such as individual student growth and unique challenges that affect school performance.

The development of this new system is already underway and the state recently released a first draft. Click here to learn more about how the new system is being developed.

I will continue to focus on building our state’s future by making sure our students have every opportunity to succeed, and our tax dollars are wisely invested. If you have thoughts on what other actions may be needed, please share them here