Ind. Code ch. 20-31-8

Ind. Code ch. 20-31-8
in effect

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-1 Repealed

[Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.2-5-1.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.268-2013, SEC.4; P.L.213-2015, SEC.195; P.L.242-2017, SEC.29; P.L.192-2018, SEC.23; P.L.211-2021, SEC.21; P.L.150-2024, SEC.37. Repealed by P.L.231-2025, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-2 Repealed

[Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.2-5-2.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.286-2013, SEC.102; P.L.213-2015, SEC.196; P.L.242-2017, SEC.30; P.L.250-2023, SEC.35. Repealed by P.L.231-2025, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-3 Establishment of categories of performance

Sec. 3. (a) The state board shall establish a number of categories, using an "A" through "F" grading scale, to designate school performance. In addition, the state board may assign each domain, indicator, or measure used to assess school performance a separate and distinct category or designation. (b) The state board, in consultation with the department, shall define "low population schools" and shall determine the criteria for placing low population schools in categories established under subsection (a). In setting the definition and criteria for low population schools, the state board shall not penalize schools based on population. The state board's definition and criteria may include the placement of a school that fits the state board's definition in a "null" or "no letter grade" category. (c) In developing metrics for the categories established under subsection (a), the state board, in consultation with the department, to the extent not inconsistent with federal law, shall consider the severity of tested students' disabilities when using statewide assessment scores as a means of assessing school performance. (d) In developing metrics for the categories established under subsection (a), the state board shall consider the mobility of high school students who are credit deficient and whether any high school should be rewarded for enrolling credit deficient students or penalized for transferring out credit deficient students. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.2-5-3.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.286-2013, SEC.103; P.L.239-2015, SEC.12; P.L.242-2017, SEC.31; P.L.251-2017, SEC.11; P.L.86-2018, SEC.181; P.L.211-2021, SEC.22.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-4 Placement of school in category or designation of school performance

Sec. 4. (a) The state board shall place each school in a category or designation of school performance once annually based on the methodology developed under section 11 of this chapter. (b) The state board may place a school in a category or designation of school performance only if: (1) the department has provided each school the opportunity to review, add to, or supplement the data, and to correct any errors in the data; and (2) the state board's staff has had an opportunity to review and analyze the school corporation, school, and student level data. (c) Based on procedures adopted by the state board, a school corporation or school that focuses primarily on providing an academic program for students with developmental, intellectual, or behavioral challenges may petition the state board for review of the school corporation's or school's category or designation of school performance placement based on objective factors that the school corporation or school considers relevant because the annual assessment data does not accurately reflect, as applicable, school performance, growth, or multiple measures. Objective factors include: (1) significant demographic changes in the student population; (2) errors in data; or (3) other significant issues. After considering the petition for review, the state board may direct the department to revise the category or designation assigned to the school corporation or school, including assigning a "null" or "no letter grade" category or designation to the school corporation or school. The state board may grant the "null" designation for multiple years. (d) The state board may obtain assistance from another entity or, with the approval of the legislative council, the legislative services agency, to ensure the validity and reliability of the performance category or designation placements calculated by the department using the methodology developed under section 11 of this chapter. The department shall provide all the data necessary to complete those calculations to the legislative services agency or to an entity designated by the state board. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.2-5-4.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.286-2013, SEC.104; P.L.213-2015, SEC.197; P.L.287-2019, SEC.8; P.L.231-2025, SEC.4.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-4.5 Alternative assessment methodology for schools focused exclusively on students with developmental, intellectual, or behavioral challenges

Sec. 4.5. In addition to other benchmarks, performance indicators, and accountability standards developed under this article, the state board shall develop alternative benchmarks, performance indicators, and accountability standards to be used in the assessment of schools that focus primarily on providing an academic program for students with developmental, intellectual, or behavioral challenges. As added by P.L.205-2013, SEC.255. Amended by P.L.287-2019, SEC.9.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-4.6 Certain at-risk students not included in public school calculation of school performance or graduation rate; included in eligible school graduate rate calculation

Sec. 4.6. (a) If a school corporation or a charter school enters into an agreement with an eligible school (as defined in IC 20-51-1-4.7) to provide dropout recovery educational services for an at-risk student who is enrolled at a public school, the student: (1) may not be included in the calculation of the public school's: (A) category or designation of school performance; and (B) graduation rate; and (2) shall be included in the eligible school's graduation rate calculation. (b) The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 and any guidelines necessary to carry out this section. As added by P.L.217-2017, SEC.105. Amended by P.L.246-2023, SEC.38; P.L.9-2024, SEC.394.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-5 Repealed

As added by P.L.286-2013, SEC.105 and P.L.205-2013, SEC.256. Repealed by P.L.2-2014, SEC.85; P.L.2-2014, SEC.86.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-5.2 Alternative accountability system for adult high schools

Sec. 5.2. (a) The state board shall establish an alternative accountability system to assess the performance of an adult high school. The system shall: (1) establish rigorous academic outcomes criteria; (2) measure college and career readiness outcomes for each graduate; (3) measure student accomplishments and success after graduation for a period of time as determined by the state board; and (4) require that a substantial majority of graduates who receive waiver diplomas must also be on track to receive or have already received an industry certification that aligns with career pathways as recommended by the Indiana career council established by IC 22-4.5-9-3. (b) An adult high school is subject to the alternative accountability system developed by the state board under subsection (a). (c) All students, regardless of age, enrolled in an adult high school (as defined in IC 20-24-1-2.3) must be included and calculated under the same requirements, metrics, and goals established under the system developed by the board under subsection (a). As added by P.L.2-2014, SEC.87. Amended by P.L.47-2014, SEC.8; P.L.251-2017, SEC.12.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-5.4 Rules; report to general assembly

Sec. 5.4. (a) The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to implement this chapter. (b) Before beginning any rulemaking process to establish new categories or designations of school improvement, the state board shall report to the general assembly the proposed new categories or designations in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6. As added by P.L.2-2014, SEC.88. Amended by P.L.93-2024, SEC.146; P.L.214-2025, SEC.172; P.L.231-2025, SEC.5.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-5.5 Establish compilation of longitudinal data; Internet dashboard; publication on website

Sec. 5.5. (a) Not later than July 1, 2024, the state board shall do the following: (1) Establish a compilation of longitudinal data indicating school performance success in various selected and enumerated program areas. (2) Present the data described in subdivision (1) for each school in a manner that: (A) can be conveniently and easily accessed from a single web page on the state board's website; and (B) is commonly known as an Internet dashboard. (b) The dashboard must include the following: (1) Indicators of student performance in elementary school, including schools for grades 6 through 8, and high school. (2) The school's graduation rate, as applicable. (3) The percentage of high school graduates who earned college credit before graduating, as applicable. (4) The pass rate of the statewide assessment program tests (as defined in IC 20-32-2-2.3), as applicable. (5) The growth data of the statewide assessment program tests (as defined in IC 20-32-2-2.3), as applicable. (6) The attendance rate. (7) State, national, and international comparisons for the indicators, if applicable. (8) The school's grade 3 reading proficiency rate, as applicable. (9) The school's disciplinary incident data. (10) Data regarding the school's socioeconomic status and poverty rate. (11) The school's proportion of fully licensed teachers. (c) The dashboard may include any other data indicating school performance success that the state board determines is relevant. (d) Each school shall post conspicuously on a web page maintained on the school's website the link to the school's web page on the Internet dashboard. As added by P.L.211-2021, SEC.23. Amended by P.L.201-2023, SEC.170; P.L.171-2023, SEC.4; P.L.9-2024, SEC.395; P.L.74-2026, SEC.120.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-6 Change in category or designation of school performance; duty of department

Sec. 6. (a) This section applies to a school that has appealed the school's placement in a category or designation under section 4 of this chapter. (b) If as a result of an appeal a school's placement in a category or designation under section 4 of this chapter changes, the department shall: (1) change the category or designation in the department's records; (2) notify the school of the change; and (3) disseminate information concerning the change in the school's placement in the same manner as information concerning the school's original placement was disseminated. As added by P.L.286-2013, SEC.106.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-7 School improvement designation for charter school organizer

Sec. 7. If the state board adopts a rule to assign a category or designation of school improvement to a school corporation, the state board shall also adopt a rule to assign a category or designation of school improvement to a charter school organizer. As added by P.L.35-2014, SEC.4.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-8 High mobility school report

Sec. 8. For each school year, the department shall make a report regarding the performance of high mobility schools, as defined by the state board. The report shall be posted on the department's website each year on a date determined by the department. As added by P.L.251-2017, SEC.13. Amended by P.L.23-2026, SEC.196; P.L.74-2026, SEC.121.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-9 Student growth as exclusive means prohibited

Sec. 9. After June 30, 2019, the state board may not use student growth as the exclusive means used in determining a school's final accountability category. As added by P.L.269-2019, SEC.6.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-10 "Null" or "no letter grade" category request; posting of proficiency of growth scores

Sec. 10. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, if requested by a school, the department may place the school in a "null" or "no letter grade" category for purposes of this chapter for the first three (3) consecutive years of operation of the school. (b) Subject to subsection (c), an innovation network school that reconfigures an existing school must apply to the state board, in a manner prescribed by the state board, to request to receive a "null" or "no letter grade" for the reconfigured school during the school's first three (3) consecutive years of operation by an innovation network team. (c) In order to qualify for a "null" or "no letter grade" under subsection (b), an innovation network school must clearly demonstrate: (1) a significant change in educational philosophy from the existing school and that the reconfiguration of the school is not being made to avoid accountability; or (2) any other item that the state board finds appropriate. The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to establish criteria that the state board may consider in determining whether to grant an innovation network school's request under subsection (b) and this subsection. (d) The department shall post the proficiency and growth scores of an innovation network school, an innovation network charter school, or a school described in subsection (a) on the department's website for each year the innovation network school, innovation network charter school, or school receives a "null" or "no letter grade" under this section. As added by P.L.269-2019, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.214-2025, SEC.173; P.L.231-2025, SEC.6.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-11 Establishment of designation methodology of school performance; basis for designations

Sec. 11. (a) Not later than December 31, 2025, the state board shall establish a new methodology for designating school performance under section 3 of this chapter. The methodology developed under this section must do the following: (1) Be based on data available in the department's Internet dashboard established under section 5.5 of this chapter. (2) Include proficiency rates from the determinant evaluation of reading skills approved by the state board for schools that contain grade 3. (3) Include proficiency rates from the statewide summative assessment. (4) Prioritize the attainment of a diploma seal described in 511 IAC 6-7.2-8. (5) Consider other factors the state board considers relevant. (b) The performance of a school's students on the statewide assessment program test and other criterion referenced benchmark assessments recommended by the department and approved by the state board are the primary means of assessing an elementary school's improvement. (c) The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to implement this chapter. (d) 511 IAC 6.2-10 shall become void on the date the rules concerning subsection (a) are adopted by the state board. At that time, the publisher of the Indiana Administrative Code and the Indiana Register shall remove this provision from the Indiana Administrative Code. As added by P.L.231-2025, SEC.7.

Ind. Code § 20-31-8-11.1 Category or designation of school performance

Sec. 11.1. (a) Not later than December 31, 2026, the state board shall place each school in a category, using an "A" through "F" scale, to designate school performance as described in section 3 of this chapter using the methodology developed under section 11 of this chapter. (b) This section expires July 1, 2027. As added by P.L.231-2025, SEC.8.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/20Fetched: 10/17/2026

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