ISTEP+ gains come amid increasing accountability
Indiana students made improvements across the board on the state's standardized test this year amid a push for more school accountability and the first state takeovers of failing schools.
Standardized test scores
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Indiana students do slightly better on ISTEP tests
Scores released Tuesday by the state education department show that of the 500,000 students taking the standardized tests, 71 percent passed both the language arts and math sections. That's up one percentage point from last year.
Bennett to release annual school test scores
Indiana Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett is rolling out the latest statewide school test scores.
One teacher quits, 5 suspended in Indy district
An Indianapolis school district said Friday it suspended five teachers and another resigned amid an investigation into cheating on a state standardized biology exam at one of Indiana's largest high schools.
Mind Trust awards $1M to two charters to expand school models
The Indianapolis-based education reform group The Mind Trust will announce June 25 that it is awarding $1 million apiece to Indianapolis-based Christel House Academy and Boston-based Phalen Leadership Academies to launch new charter schools in Indianapolis.
New statewide exam to test students’ critical thinking
The test will replace the ISTEP exam currently taken by Indiana students in grades 3 through 11 and end-of-course assessments taken at the end of algebra 1 and English 10 classes.
New standardized test could be tougher than ISTEP
State Superintendent Tony Bennett said the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, test in the 2014-2015 school year will be more difficult than the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus exam.
National, state SAT scores tumble as participation rises
Average scores dropped in the United States and in Indiana, where a record number of students took the college-assessment test.
Test scores, attitudes improving at Indianapolis magnet school
High expectations set tone for Indianapolis Public School’s Harshman Middle School overhaul.
Charter school trying to build on test-score progress
Indy Met’s structured approach helped more students pass algebra, English exams. Now many say the school should work on solidifying its gains.
Indy Met’s messy year offers education-reform lessons
Indianapolis Metropolitan High School overhauled its academic program halfway through the school year, and students responded with significantly better performance on state tests. The lesson learned: Flexibility can produce academically superior outcomes.
Did Mayor Ballard jump gun on charter closure?
An Indianapolis charter school marked for closure by Mayor Greg Ballard posted huge gains in ISTEP scores this year, and school leaders plan to ask Ballard to reconsider his decision.
Bennett campaign for school changes not done
Hoosier schools chief Tony Bennett is embracing the role of pitchman as the Department of Education makes the changes he campaigned so hard for over the last few years real.
Indiana edges toward education guarantees
The state is moving to adopt a system that ensures more high school graduates can perform in college or on the job.
Ballard to ask for control of IPS schools facing state takeover
But Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard also reiterated his opposition to mayoral control over all of IPS, which some local leaders have pushed for recently. He called that idea “premature.”
ISTEP breaches spur closer look at testing
Rising concerns about cheating on Indiana's standardized tests have prompted the state Department of Education to keep closer tabs on how the test is administered.
Advocates: Indiana can lead U.S. in schools overhaul
Education advocates told hundreds of cheering supporters at a Statehouse rally Wednesday that Indiana could lead the nation in overhauling schools.
State reports big gains in percent passing AP exams
About 10 percent of 2009 graduates earned a passing score on an AP exam, but that number jumped to 12 percent for 2010 graduates.
Indiana’s average SAT scores drop slightly
Indiana’s combined score on the three portions of the exam was 1,482 out of a possible 2,400 points. Nationally, the average was 1,509.
More Indiana students pass state ISTEP exams
About 75 percent of Indiana students passed this year's statewide English and math exams—a significant improvement
over the 2009 test results.