(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana is changing the way public schools receive their A-through-F grades.
The state's new school accountability system has cleared its final approvals and will take effect for the 2026-27 school year. The rule was signed off on this month by Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita.
The new system changes how schools are rated by placing more focus on individual student measures instead of relying mostly on schoolwide averages and standardized test scores.
Under the new model, students are assigned points based on academic proficiency, growth and other success indicators. Those scores are then averaged within elementary, middle and high school grade bands and used to determine each school's overall letter grade.
State education officials have said the system is designed to better reflect student progress, literacy and readiness after graduation.
For high schools, graduation rates and SAT performance will each count for 10% of a school's score. Other measures include coursework, credentials, work-based learning and student engagement.
The state will calculate and release school letter grades under the new model for the 2025-26 school year, but officials will not take action against lower-rated schools during that transition year.
The change is moving forward despite objections from Attorney General Rokita, who raised concerns that the new model could reduce the weight of academic proficiency in school ratings.
Rokita cited state data showing 33% of Indiana students in grades three through eight are proficient in both English language arts and math on state exams, while fewer than one in four high school students meet SAT proficiency benchmarks. He argued those numbers should produce more low-rated schools under a system focused on academic performance.
Rokita also warned the new ratings could make some struggling schools appear stronger than they are.
Governor Braun defended the final rule Wednesday, saying he would trust the state's education secretary and board while favoring accountability.