IDOE Seeking Public Comment on Indicators to Holistically Measure Student Performance
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Holly Lawson
Deputy Director of Communications
(317) 232-0536
INDIANAPOLIS -- At today’s State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) presented the next phase of the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (Indiana GPS) school performance dashboard development. IDOE is now accepting public feedback on a draft set of Indiana GPS indicator examples that would illustrate a school’s performance over a range of student-focused, data-informed measures.
“As we work to develop this new dashboard, Indiana has an opportunity to re-envision how we are measuring school and student performance,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Understanding that our students are so much more than a single test score or data point, these measures must be holistic and transparent, placing a focus on the knowledge and skills our students build across all grades as they prepare for their next steps after graduation, whether that’s enrollment, employment or enlistment leading to service.”
Following the passage of House Enrolled Act 1514, IDOE launched the Indiana GPS initiative to re-envision how the state defines and measures success — for individual students, starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school, and for schools and districts. IDOE, in collaboration with stakeholders statewide, first defined a focused set of characteristics, which best display a student’s preparation for success after high school. The characteristics are:
- Academic mastery;
- Career and postsecondary readiness: credentials and experiences;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Work ethic; and
- Civic, financial and digital literacy.
These characteristics were first presented to the SBOE in September, and, following extensive public feedback, were certified by the SBOE in October. The draft indicators shared today serve as a measure for how schools, districts and students are building knowledge and skills aligned with the above characteristics. Hoosiers are encouraged to review the draft indicators here and provide feedback here by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30.
“As we consider these draft indicator examples, we welcome all families, educators and community members to share their thoughts on how we can best illustrate our progress and our performance,” said Jenner.
Following the public comment period, a finalized set of prioritized indicators will be submitted to the SBOE in December.