Courtesy-Indiana SBOE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Board of Education is moving forward with a plan that “streamlines” K-12 education standards and makes it easier for teachers to craft individualized lesson plans.
Board members approved the early stages of the policy rollout during a monthly meeting on Wednesday. Paramount to the plan is a 25% reduction of statewide standards compared to what is currently in place. Only a third of the standards that will remain have been identified as “essential.”
House Enrolled Act 1251, an omnibus measure passed in the 2022 legislative session, tasked the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to narrow education standards and change the frequency of state standardized testing.
That streamlining of standards within the new law seeks to help students establish essential skills necessary to be successful after high school graduation. It also gives educators the flexibility to help students meet those standards, including a greater ability to dive into more interesting topics in the classroom.
In response to the legislation, the state board of education launched a comprehensive research effort to determine which skills and concepts are most important for Hoosier kids to master.
During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers moved up the new standards deadline to July 1. Those standards will now take effect this fall for the 2023-24 school year.
See the full Indiana Capital Chronicle story here.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy, and elections.
