ISTEP & Accountability Call to Action

Colleagues,

By working together on this, we CAN and WILL make a difference for our children, our colleagues, our communities, and our state.

Step 1: Find your legislators at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/

Step 2: Email your legislators and tell them to suspend the A-F Accountability Model until the new test and accountability metrics are firmly established. This can be done through another Executive Order by Governor Pence or through SB 566 (https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/566) authored by Sen. Ryan Mishler and Sen. Luke Kenley while co-authored by Sen. Ed Charbonneau, Sen. Douglas Eckerty, Sen. Patricia Miller, Sen. Scott Schneider, Sen. Dennis Kruse, and Sen. Rodric Bray.

I was recently reminded of the wise words of Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. Mayor Emanuel said "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." With that in mind, I believe the current state of the ISTEP+ examination, uncertainty over next year's assessment, and the undetermined direction of the future A-F metrics, we have an opportunity that we may not have thought we previously had.

In Indiana, this crisis provides a great opportunity for Governor Pence to work with Superintendent Ritz and the State Board to mend that relationship as they consider solutions to the testing issues and accountability. Continuing down this pathway will result in an increase in D and F schools from this year's testing with the more rigorous test. Further, 3-4 times as many schools will face state and federal sanctions and be burdened with a significant increase in paperwork and mandatory meetings to address these letter grades. Once a school is branded with a D or F, it takes at least a 2 year period to demonstrate improvement by earning a C or higher. None of these results will be favorable for our state or our economy.

Please act swiftly to complete step 2 while the conditions are optimal and we have a true opportunity to impact change that will greatly benefit our children.

A few recent media stories that may also provide some context include:

Indiana is a Mess http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/10/its-a-mess-in-indiana/

North Montgomery Superintendent, Colleen Moran, shared with me a link 1/19/15 from the District Administrator Daily Newsletter about Arizona considering the suspension of letter grades for 1-2 years due to a new more rigorous test. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2015/01/14/arizona-may-suspend-school-letter-grades/21758295/

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2015/02/12/istep-freezing-problems-return/23290657/

http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/matthew-tully/2015/02/11/tully-gops-glenda-ritz-power-grab-making-things-worse/23247427/

Thank you in advance.

Jeff

Dr. Jeffrey K. Butts, Superintendent
M.S.D. of Wayne Township
Indianapolis, IN 46241