Indiana education agency is changing school grades

What happened

The Indiana Department of Education is changing the way schools are graded. The change affects the state’s system for assigning grades to schools.

What remains to be confirmed

The timing of the change and the specific grading rules are not established here. That includes whether the change will alter the measures used, the way scores are combined or the labels schools receive.

Why the grading system matters

School grades are used to present information about school performance in a format that families and the public can review. A change in the grading method can affect how those results are shown and compared.

The Indiana Department of Education is the state agency responsible for the change. Additional information is needed to explain when the new system will begin and how schools, families and communities will see the results.

What to watch

The next useful step is the department’s formal explanation of the revised grading method. That announcement would clarify the effective date, the measures included and how the change will apply to Indiana schools.