THE RAATZ ROUNDUP
Submitted for use on Oct. 22, 2025
Word Count: 304
Back in June, the Indiana State Board of Education unveiled their first draft of a new system to grade Indiana schools. This decision to revamp our grading system came in part because of a law I sponsored this session that directs the Indiana State Board of Education to update the school grading system to better represent students' individual needs. This new grading scale is meant to provide a review of a school’s performance so parents can make informed decisions about where they want to send their children to school.
After receiving feedback from teachers, stakeholders and parents, SBOE has unveiled their second draft of the grading system.
From the feedback SBOE received, respondents voiced strong support for how the new system focuses on a variety of knowledge and skills, not just test scores. The respondents also highlighted the importance of having a transparent and simple accountability model that teachers and parents can understand.
Because of this, the second draft of the grading system tweaks the grading system to increase simplicity of the model. Changes were also made to ensure the system aligns with Indiana's new diploma seals and to prioritize the importance of learning to read in younger students.
As SBOE continues to fine-tune this new grading system, it is important for parents, teachers, community members and stakeholders to provide feedback on the final version of the grading system comes into focus.
I encourage everyone to take the time to provide feedback at in.gov/doe/accountability to ensure our new school grading system fits the needs of our students and teachers.
Constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns they may have by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
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