WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Indiana has released accountability grades for schools within the state, but more than half of the schools within the Monroe County Community School Corporation don’t yet have grades. Neither does the overall school district.
That’s because MCCSC is appealing grades for 13 out of its 21 schools. Until those appeals are voted on by the state board, those schools and the district will go without grades.
A school’s accountability grades are based on student performance on ISTEP and ISTAR assessment tests, along with attendance data, graduation rates, and other data. Dr Winston explained the basis for the appeals.
MCCSC has filed more appeals for its schools than in any other district in the state. Of 49 schools with appeals filed, 13 of those are MCCSC schools. Only three of Indiana’s 289 districts submitted appeals for multiple schools.
This is the first year that Indiana schools are receiving both state and federal accountability grades. Even though the state accountability grades for the 13 MCCSC schools with appeals filed are embargoed, the federal grades aren’t.
While the state gave As to 29 percent of its schools, only 11 percent of schools were given A grades by the federal model.
