Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Accountability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Avon officials outline how Indiana's new accountability model will count every student
Summary
District presenter Dr. Windham explained Indiana's HGA 1498 accountability model, how 18 indicators across four grade bands will be scored, and practical effects for Avon: attendance thresholds, transfer rules and a year-zero implementation window for letter grades.
Dr. Windham, presenter for Avon Community School Corp, briefed the school board on Indiana's new school accountability model, explaining how the state's HGA 1498 (2025) and a finalized framework in March 2025 will change how individual student results roll up into school and district letter grades.
The state's model centers on five student characteristics'academic mastery; career and post-secondary readiness; communication and collaboration; work ethic; and civic, financial and digital literacy'measured through 18 indicators across four grade bands (Pre-K'K, grades 3'8, grades 9'12, and college/beyond). "The whole goal is about every student being successful through unique pathways," Dr. Windham said, stressing that the district's strategic plan aligns with the model.
Dr. Windham walked the board through scoring examples used by the state: students begin with a base academic score (for example, an "approaching" ILEARN performance may start at 65) and can move up by meeting success indicators such as passing I-READ, meeting growth targets on WIDA, attendance, or credential attainment. "This child passed I read and because they had another success indicator'attendance'we're going to say it's 95," she said to illustrate how an individual outcome affects a school's average.
Attendance is a notable operational change: the success indicator is earned by attending at least 94% of school days (about 162 of 180). Dr. Windham told the board the state does not distinguish excused from unexcused absences for that indicator. She also said that incoming transfer students'while their raw scores appear in state reporting'do not count toward a school's earned success indicator until they are enrolled locally for 162 days.
Board members pressed for details on partial-day rules and exemptions. Dr. Windham said partial/half-day definitions are local decisions and that certain state-determined absences (for example, approved pages or specified FFA activities) are exempt from the absence calculation. She acknowledged the model's complexity and said the district will communicate more to families about how attendance affects school letter grades.
At the high school level, Dr. Windham noted two pieces that directly affect school scores: 10% of a high school's grade will come from SAT results and another 10% from graduation rate, with the remaining 80% drawn from band-specific indicators tied to diplomas and success indicators. Ninth-grade on-track status is measured by a 10-credit threshold including specified course types, she said.
On timing: Dr. Windham said the district should receive scale scores in August and that the public-letter-grade release is expected later in fall 2026 after the state sets cut scores and the state board approves release. The state has designated the 2025'26 year as a "year zero," meaning no formal corrective consequences will be applied initially, though she warned that community reactions to published grades could still have local impact.
Dr. Windham also described career-readiness measures (diploma seals, credentials of value) and said several components are still being piloted; many rely on programs such as Area 31, which currently has capacity limits. "Any pressure we can put toward opening up opportunities for students to earn their own points in those arenas would be welcome," a board member said, and Dr. Windham said the district is studying options to expand access.
The board asked about data embargoes and communication plans. Dr. Windham said the district will receive raw scale scores ahead of public release and will embargo data until state board approval; she described ongoing work to ensure school leaders and parents understand the new model before final grades are issued.
What's next: the model will take effect in reporting for 2025'26 with a state-provided year zero. The district will continue to analyze how individual indicators and local practices (attendance, credit tracking, credential access) affect local outcomes and will update the board as more state guidance and cut scores are released.
