The following is a statement from State Sen. Jean Leising regarding the Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 2, which would hold K-12 schools harmless for the 2019 and 2020 test scores:
Indianapolis, IN— “Last fall the Indiana Department of Education released its annual performance report, which showed that only 37% of students who took the ILEARN test passed. Upon the release of the report, leadership in the General Assembly called for a period of time where schools, teachers, and students would be held harmless from the new test while stakeholders worked to address the apparent issues with the assessment and the state’s accountability standards.
“Last week, the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development heard Senate Bill 2, which would provide a two-year hold harmless for schools, teachers, and students – effectively ensuring that stakeholders will have ample time to address the performance on the test and accountability standards.
“A strong education system is important for the future of our state, and I was pleased to vote in favor of SB 2 today, which passed unanimously when it came before the full Senate. I had authored Senate Bill 58, which would have given a one-year hold harmless, but leadership felt that a two-year was more appropriate at this time.
“As a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, I will remain an advocate for policies that ensure our youth continue to receive a great education.”
