Making Good Schools Great: State Offers New Tools for Educators

By Dr. Suellen Reed,
Superintendent of Public Instruction

More than 1 million students across Indiana head back to school this month to begin another year of their K-12 education. Some will be going to school for the first time while others will be anxiously looking forward to graduating this spring and heading off to college next year.

At the same time, far too many Hoosiers will start school already trailing behind their peers. Many will find themselves struggling to catch up and some will become so frustrated with their perceived inability to succeed that they will drop out before earning a high school diploma.

The challenges we face in education today are as numerous as they are apparent: rising poverty, increased language barriers, scarce resources and limited access to technology in many homes and classrooms, to name but a few. Though we can not underestimate these obstacles, we are not helpless in overcoming them either.

With that in mind, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) continues to press hard to meet these challenges head on. To support efforts at the local level, we are putting several new initiatives in place this fall that help teachers prioritize their efforts in the classroom, pinpoint exactly when and where students are falling behind and focus our reform efforts around those schools that consistently struggle to perform.

Teaching what’s most important

Indiana’s Academic Standards for English/language arts, math, science and social studies are widely recognized as among the best in the nation for setting rigorous and clear expectations for student learning. However, Indiana teachers have expressed a need for a more manageable set of concepts that emphasize the “big ideas” in each content area and grade level. We responded by developing Indiana’s Core Standards (www.doe.in.gov/standards). The Core Standards highlight the essential skills, so teachers can focus their efforts on ensuring students are prepared to advance to the next grade level.

Identifying student needs early

Since the introduction of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+), we have advocated for a comprehensive assessment system that not only tests what students know, but offers opportunities to check student progress before the high-stakes ISTEP+. This year, through advances in technology and a new state-negotiated testing contract, we are finally in a position to make that happen.

Starting with approximately 240,000 Hoosier students at nearly 600 local schools this fall, new computer-based teaching tools will give students in grades K-8 mini learning checkups as subjects are taught. By offering instant feedback on student progress, these resources can predict whether students are on track to pass ISTEP+ and potentially save taxpayers millions of dollars through reduced remediation costs and special education referrals. The new tools are part of a comprehensive testing plan for Indiana that also includes moving ISTEP+ from the fall to the spring (grades 3-8) and replacing the current Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) with Algebra I and English 10 exams taken by students when they complete the corresponding course.

Supporting struggling schools

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, states are required to evaluate whether schools are making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) based largely on student test results. Public Title I schools that consistently fail to make AYP face a series of progressive consequences depending on the number of consecutive years improvement does not occur. However, states have been required to provide the same level of interventions to these schools regardless of how far they fell short of meeting their performance goals. In a world of limited time and resources, that just simply is not the best approach.

That’s why we were so pleased that Indiana was selected as one of six states to pilot a new Differentiated Accountability Program that targets assistance to under-performing schools based on their level of need. Under the new federal pilot, we will provide those Title I schools in most need of major reform with more help sooner, such as hiring full-time literacy and math coaches, participating in the state’s reading and math academies, working with state support teams and training on how to use our new computer-based diagnostic assessment tools. Those schools that still do not improve will face significant restructuring actions that include such steps as replacing the school principal or other staff, extending the school day or year, closing the school and reopening as a charter school and contracting with a private management company to run the school.

Connecting communities and schools

While we are optimistic about the impact these steps will make in Indiana schools, we recognize that truly meaningful change only takes place when local community members get involved. Having children in school now is not a requirement for doing your part.

Every Hoosier should visit a school and offer to volunteer to read to a class, ask teachers about their classroom needs or just talk to students about how they are doing in school. One can never underestimate the incredible difference even a single committed adult can make in a young person’s life. That is what it will take to make our students, our schools and our state not just good – but great.