The board voted 7-4 to adopt recommendations by The New Teacher Project (TNTP), an out-of-state consulting company the board contracted to propose changes to Indiana’s teacher evaluation system. Board members Andrea Neal, Glenda Ritz, Troy Albert and Cari Whicker voted against those recommendations.

It should be clear that the board did NOT pass any specific ranges on objective student measures to significantly inform evaluations. Even TNTP recommended a pause until 2016-17 to allow time for the implementation of new state assessments and standards, as well as baseline data. However, pending legislation in the General Assembly (HB 1486) could give the State Board authority to tweak these ranges at a later date (removing local control).

HB 1486, if passed, could also require the board to monitor locally-adopted plans (289 in total) and approve modifications. This is currently under the Department of Education’s (DOE) authority.

ISTA spoke before the board to oppose TNTP’s recommended changes, specifically the component on objective student data that could mandate ranges anywhere from 31 to 50 percent toward evaluations.

ISTA emphasized to the board that the process, by which TNTP obtained input from educators on such drastic changes, was not properly vetted and lacked transparency. TNTP has been working with the board for months on these recommendations. Yet, the “stakeholder meetings” that took place across the state were not clearly publicized so educators could attend for comment. Additionally, the online survey put out by the board (ISTA also shared this survey last week when it became available), was released just days before yesterday’s meeting.

Board member Gordon Hendry acknowledged ISTA’s concerns and expressed similar hopes that more time should have been allocated for input. Board member Cari Whicker also shared these concerns.

A number of educators spoke passionately against the teacher evaluation system, including Ryan Russell of MSD Warren, who declared that everything a teacher does for a child could not be quantified.

The other topic of contention, yesterday, was the issue of excessive testing. While the board voted specifically on ISTEP testing windows (which were extended), the meeting provided a venue for the public to comment on related testing concerns – and there were several.

The issue of testing in Indiana currently has a lot of moving parts. Legislation passed last year requires Indiana to develop a new assessment that aligns the new college- and career-readiness standards (DOE is currently in the RFP process). Federal law, through the U.S. Department of Education, also requires that the current changes made to ISTEP comply with college and career-readiness standards, while the transition to a new assessment occurs. Adding to this even further, a bill in the Senate (SB 566) would replace ISTEP with the BEST Test and is being pushed by some senators as a more cost-effective, non-state specific test than ISTEP.

Superintendent Ritz made it clear that much of the difficulty stems from federal requirements and urged members of the audience to contact congress.

Members of the board expressed appreciation for everyone who patiently waited to speak. ISTA thanks all educators who came out to support Indiana’s students by bringing attention to the negative impact that overly excessive testing can have on children
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