Indiana ranks first in nation for standards, assessments,
accountability on Education Week’s Quality Counts Report

Report ranks Indiana 12th overall for key factors measured

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Media Contacts:
Avon Waters, 317.234.4703, awaters@doe.in.gov
Lynelle A. Miller, 317.232.6614, lamiller@doe.in.gov

For the second consecutive year Indiana ranked first nationally for its high academic, testing and accountability standards. The rankings for K-12 students and schools are part of the annual Quality Counts report by Education Week, a national weekly magazine devoted to education matters. Overall, Indiana received a B- which ranks above the nation’s grade of a C. No state received higher than a B.

“The report reflects our relentless push to set the right expectation for Indiana’s students and schools through high academic and accountability standards,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed. “We look forward to improving our rankings further in other areas through recent steps such as the expansion of full-day kindergarten and offering new computer-based teaching tools to local schools.”

The annual Quality Counts report provides report cards on state efforts to successfully address the key factors for ensuring student success as determined by Education Week’s editorial staff. The following are Indiana’s rankings in each of the categories evaluated this year:

Indiana achieved the highest rating of all states for its academic standards, assessments and accountability system. Indiana has consistently received national recognition in these areas since revising state standards in 2000 and aligning its assessments and accountability system with these rigorous expectations.

This area ranked how well states allocate money based on the value of property, district funding equity and spending per pupil. Improving Indiana’s standing in this area would require more money being spent on education, higher wealth per capita or both. According to the report, Indiana would need to spend an estimated 11 percent more on education to bring students to the national median in academic achievement and raise property values.

The report’s “Chance-for-Success” index ranked states on 13 indicators. Indiana received points in the categories of family income, parent employment, kindergarten enrollment, preschool enrollment, reading levels, math, graduation rates and adult education opportunities. This ranking resembles an economic status report in large part since states faring the best in the category had higher levels of income and educational attainment among parents/adults.

State rankings in this area were determined using nine indicators that included areas such as student scores on Advance Placement (AP) tests, high school graduation rates, changes in the poverty gap and how well students did in reading and math with National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP).

The report ranked Indiana 28th for factors related to teaching as a profession. It gave higher scores to states that tied teacher evaluation to student performance, provided financial incentives to teachers and principals to work in high needs schools, and had a state requirement that all teachers be evaluated on an annual basis. Currently, these issues are handled by local Indiana school boards.

Indiana tied with seven other states in this category which measures how well early-childhood education is aligned with what children need to know entering school and how schools prepare students for entering higher education. Indiana’s move to require Core 40 as the expected high school curriculum for all students graduating by 2011 is not reflected in this year’s report.

To view the Quality Counts 2008 report in its entirety, visit www.edweek.org.