State Senator Randy Head informed constituents on two bills that respond to the 2015 ISTEP problems. He said, “They bills are being fast-tracked through the Indiana General Assembly to provide relief to schools and teachers.”
The ISTEP scores for the 2014-2015 school year were much lower than usual because the state used the same grading scale for a more difficult test. Lawmakers are cognizant of the fact that ISTEP scores affect both teachers’ pay and schools’ ratings.
Senator Head said, “The Senate, House of Representatives, Governor’s Office, Indiana Department of Education and State Board of Education have been working together to find a solution to these issues.”
Last week, Senate Bill 200 passed the Senate by a vote of 48-1, and House Bill 1003 passed the House by a vote of 95-1.
SB 200 would provide that a school or school corporation’s A-F performance rating for the 2014-2015 school year cannot be lower than the assigned performance grade for the 2013-2014 school year.
HB 1003 would prevent 2014-2015 ISTEP scores from being used as part of annual teacher performance evaluations unless using the ISTEP scores would improve the teacher’s performance rating.
The senator said, “These bills provide fairness for students, teachers and schools that had to deal with the problem-plagued 2015 ISTEP test. I believe enacting this legislation is in the best interest of our state.”
Both bills will now move to the opposite chamber for further consideration.
You can track their progress at www.in.gov/iga
