Indiana leaders continue to gather feedback from Hoosier stakeholders to refocus the future of K-12 accountability in Indiana. The first draft, presented in June, seeks to provide a transparent A-F accountability model focused on preparing students for the future. The draft rule will continue to be refined and updated over the next several months.
“The first draft of the accountability rule reflects Indiana’s shared commitment to preparing students for lifelong success, regardless of their path ahead,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “As the accountability rulemaking process continues, we are committed to listening and making improvements. The specifics will undoubtedly iterate along the way, yet, our primary goal will remain the same: to ensure that our future model values all of the key characteristics essential to student success, as well as every student’s unique pathway. Thank you to the many parents, educators, industry partners, community members, and more who continue to share valuable feedback to help shape Indiana’s future accountability model.”
On Wednesday, the first draft of the accountability rule was published in the Indiana Register, which initiates the first of two statutorily-required public comment periods. Parents, educators, industry partners, community members, and other stakeholders are invited to provide feedback via Jotform through Friday, August 22. In addition to the required one-month window, Indiana leaders have encouraged and listened to stakeholder feedback since early June to ensure the first draft rule best prepares students for lifelong success. Comments on the first draft will close on Friday, August 22, to ensure all feedback is reviewed prior to the publication of the second draft.
In addition to the online Jotform option above, for anyone who prefers to share feedback in-person, Indiana Department of Education (IDOE)/State Board of Education (SBOE) staff will also hold a public hearing on Friday, August 22, at 10 a.m. in the Indiana Government Center South, Conference Room C. The purpose of this hearing is to provide any member of the public an opportunity to share solution-based ideas to inform future iterations of the accountability rule. All public comments, including those submitted via the Jotform above, those shared at the public hearing, as well as those previously shared with IDOE and SBOE will be recorded and provided to SBOE members as part of the rulemaking process. Anyone may attend the public hearing in person or view and provide comments online.
The first draft of the proposed new accountability model is strategically aligned with Indiana’s Profile of a Graduate, which was developed based on extensive input about what Hoosiers value most. This Profile of a Graduate is the framework for Indiana’s Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard, which helps drive the good work happening in schools by measuring multiple indicators across five key characteristics:
Academic Mastery
Career & Postsecondary Readiness: Credentials & Experiences
Communication & Collaboration
Work Ethic
Civic, Financial, & Digital Literacy
Based on these characteristics, Indiana’s new accountability model elevates both traditional academic outcomes, as well as skill development. In the proposed model, success is measured at key milestones in a student’s K-12 journey: grade three, grades four through eight, grade 10, and grade 12. At each of these milestones, stakeholders have helped to identify multiple ways that students may demonstrate success, including both test scores, as well as skills and experiences.
As students progress through their K-12 education, the number of ways to demonstrate success naturally grows as well, shifting from an intense focus on reading and math fundamentals in early grades to prioritizing skill development through opportunities such as work-based learning and earning credentials of value in high school. This approach encourages schools to focus on improvement for all students, at all levels of proficiency, and ensures that each student’s knowledge, skills, and experiences are transparently reflected in a school’s accountability grade.
A second, refined draft of the accountability rule will be shared later this summer, which will begin a second round of public comment. The final draft is anticipated to be adopted in late 2025. Per statute, SBOE must adopt a final draft of the accountability rule utilizing an A-F grading scale by December 31, 2025.
To learn more about the first draft of Indiana’s new K-12 accountability model, click below