More than twice as many Indiana school districts received A grades this year than last year — up to 48 from 23 — according to state data released on Wednesday.
Overall, many districts’ grades stayed the same as last year, with most districts rated B and C, and just a handful given Ds and Fs.
The district grades were released at a meeting of the Indiana State Board of Education.
The small changes aren’t surprising — individual school grades, too, which were released in October, stayed mostly the same, as did state ISTEP test scores. Tests are major factors in the state accountability grades.
Find your school’s 2017 A-F grade here.
Individual school grades are considered far more important than district grades because a pattern of F grades can eventually bring consequences to a school, such as state intervention or takeover. District grades carry no threat of state sanctions.
State officials are required by law to give district grades, which are essentially an aggregate of school grades. Districts tend to use the grades for promotional purposes.
Overall for 2017, 16.6 percent of Indiana’s 289 school districts received As, 51.6 percent received Bs, 21.8 received Cs, 2.1 percent received Ds and 0.3 percent received Fs.
A little more than 7 percent of districts were not assigned a grade because they include a school that is appealing its individual 2017 grade.
In Marion County, Speedway Schools was the only district rated an A, but none were rated F. All except one had the same grade as last year.