All Dubois County and North Spencer schools received either an A or B for the 2015 A-F performance grades recently released by the Indiana Department of Education.
The State Board of Education voted earlier this week to approve the ratings for more than 2,000 public and private schools after months of discord surrounding the spring 2015 ISTEP test that saw scores drop an average of 20 percent across the state because of new, more rigorous Indiana College and Career Readiness standards.
Now usually, lower ISTEP scores mean a lower accountability grade; however, the Indiana Legislature passed a bill last week that would hold schools harmless for last year’s ISTEP scores, instead using the test to provide a new baseline for expectations with the new standards.
Under the law, no school or corporation could receive an accountability grade lower than the one received last year. Schools could improve their grade.
All Greater Jasper, Southeast Dubois, Northeast Dubois and North Spencer schools received an A.
Holy Family and Precious Blood Catholic schools in Jasper that have since merged to form Holy Trinity, both earned an A in their final year as independent institutions.
In the Southwest Dubois district, Southridge High School received a B and all other schools received an A.
In Pike County, only Otwell Elementary, which will be closed after this school year because of corporation budget shortfalls, received an A; Pike Central High School received a B, Petersburg and Winslow elementary schools were each given a C and Pike Central Middle School was graded as a D.
