Tagged: Tony Bennett

A state panel has voted to make it easier for non-education majors who earn Bachelor’s degrees to get teaching jobs.  That’s one part of a broad package of changes to Indiana’s rules for teacher licensing the State Board of Education approved Wednesday. But opponents fear the new standards sets the bar too low.

The State Board’s final 9-2 vote ends months of debate on the proposal known as “REPA II.”  State education officials say the new guidelines give schools more flexibility in the teacher hiring process. 

State education officials announced Wednesday morning fewer Indiana schools received the state’s highest letter grade rating in 2012.  But three out of five schools still received an A or a B.  State superintendent Tony Bennett unveiled the letter grades and said the grades are “positive news” overall for Indiana schools. 

This year is the first time state officials have calculating A-to-F school ratings using their new growth model.  The model places greater weight on individual students’ test score performance, rather than a school’s overall passing rate on statewide tests.