Friday, September 9, 2016

Both Indiana State Superintendent Candidates Oppose A-F Grading System for Schools

The Indiana Business Journal reports:

Opponents of assigning A-F letter grades to Indiana schools have reason to be optimistic: When voters go to the polls this fall to decide who should run the state’s top education office, both candidates will be people who believe that one grade isn’t enough to reflect
Jennifer McCormick
the work of an entire school or district.
 
The current superintendent of public instruction, Democrat Glenda Ritz, and her Republican challenger, Jennifer McCormick, a superintendent in Yorktown, both say they think slapping a school with an A or an F is overly harsh—and far too simplistic at a time when educating children is a complex task, affected by many variables. 
“I want to eliminate the A, B, C, D, F, and have a category assignment in our accountability system that actually reflects school improvement,” Ritz said, although she can’t make that decision unilaterally without state board or lawmakers’ approval. 
...
I have always thought there needed to be two grades, one for performance and one for improvement.  But to eliminate the grading system entirely...well that would be a step too far and hopefully one our lawmakers won't take.   Parents are entitled to information about the quality of the school to which they send their children.  An A-F grade provides that information in an easily understandable format.

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