New ratings show more Indiana schools received failing marks this year after artificially high ratings were issued last year. However most local school districts fared very well last year.
The Indiana Department of Education released the 2015-2016 ratings on Tuesday. This year for the first time the department used a new accountability system that had more rigorous standards and assessments.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz says the new system “establishes a new baseline for school accountability grades.”
The grades became public after the Indiana State Board of Education approved the placement of schools into their respective categories.
The department is using a new accountability grading system that weighs the performance, growth and other measures, such as the percentage of seniors who graduate at high schools and have taken steps to be college- and career-ready to calculate the final score.
Locally schools in Dubois County fared very well:
Jasper High School, Ireland Elementary, Holy Trinity, Dubois Middle School, Celestine and Dubois Elementary, Cedar Crest Intermediate, Pine Ridge Elementary and Ferdinand Elementary all earned an A grade.
Jasper Middle School as well as Fifth Street and Tenth Street Elementary, plus Northeast Dubois High School, Forest Park Junior-Senior High School, Southridge High School, Southridge Middle School and Huntingburg Elementary School all received a B. Holland Elementary picked up a C grade.
In Spencer County:
Heritage Hills High School and Middle School, as well as Chrisney Elementary School, David Turnham Educational Center and Lincoln Trail all received an A.
Nancy Hanks Elementary School, South Spencer High School and Middle School as well as Rockport-Ohio Elementary School all earned a B grade.
Luce Elementary School was given a letter grade of C.
In Perry County:
Perry Central Elementary School picked up an A grade while Perry Central Jr-Sr High School, Cannelton Elementary & High School, Tell City Jr-Sr High School and William Tell Elementary School all received a B grade.
In Pike County:
Otwell Elementary School garnered an A grade.
Pike Central High School and Petersburg Elementary School a B. Pike Central Middle School and Winslow Elementary School each received a C grade.
More schools received failing marks this year and fewer schools earned A grades. The number of F-rated schools climbed to 6 percent or 130 schools.
That’s about double from the previous school year. The number of schools earning the highest ratings fell to 24 percent, or a double-digit percentage point decline.
