Indiana State Board Approves Updates to A–F Accountability Framework

On March 4, the Indiana State Board of Education unanimously approved a new accountability framework, reintroducing A–F school grades with new criteria. Indiana hasn’t issued A–F school grades since 2018—first paused during a testing transition, then further disrupted by COVID-19 waivers that suspended accountability systems across the country.

Mandated by state law, and built on Indiana’s Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) framework, the model goes beyond restoring a familiar grading scale. The letter grading framework expands what schools are held accountable for, measuring skills, readiness, and progress from kindergarten through graduation.

Indiana is part of a broader national reset. The pandemic disrupted accountability systems in nearly every state, and states are still making deliberate choices about what to measure and what signals matter most. Indiana’s answer includes a new addition: a 9th Grade On-Track indicator that flags whether students are on course to graduate.

What is included for IN A-F? 

Indiana’s revised accountability framework evaluates school performance across several categories spanning across K-12, combining traditional academic measures with broader indicators of student readiness and progress. These indicators are used to calculate a final numeric rating for each school, which is then translated into an A–F accountability grade.

Key components of this new framework include:

• Academic Mastery: Student proficiency and growth in core subjects such as ELA and math on ILEARN, along with literacy milestones like IREAD reading proficiency.
• Foundational Knowledge & Skill Development (Grades 4-8): Measures including science and social studies proficiency, academic growth on ILEARN, regular attendance, and completion of a graduation plan in grade 7.
• Knowledge & Skill Development + Career Engagement (Grades 9-10): Indicators such as 9th grade on track (10+ credits including English and math), college and career coursework like AP or dual credit, CTE pathways, and meeting PSAT benchmarks.
• Knowledge & Skill Development + Credentials & Experiences (Grades 11-12): Measures including work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, college and career coursework, and ACT or CLT benchmark performance.

Together, these indicators are designed to provide visibility into each step of a student’s progress—reflecting the state’s emphasis on an “N = 1” approach, as described by Secretary of Education Katie Jenner, that tracks and supports individual student pathways through high school.

A Growing Trend: 9th Grade On-Track

Indiana’s adoption of a freshman on-track indicator reflects a broader national trend in school accountability design.

Nine states currently incorporate some form of a ninth-grade on-track metric into their accountability systems, using the measure to identify whether students are progressing toward graduation early in high school.

In Indiana’s model, students are considered on track if they earn at least 10 high school credits by the end of ninth grade, including required coursework such as English and mathematics. Within the framework, the measure functions as a key academic milestone for grades 9-10 and contributes to a school’s overall accountability grade.

*Worth noting: Illinois, which pioneered this indicator through Chicago Public Schools research, is currently proposing to remove it from its accountability calculation (retaining it in reporting only), with a state board vote expected in April 2026.

Why 9th Grade On-Track Matters

Research from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research found that finishing ninth grade on track is a stronger predictor of graduation than prior test scores or student demographics.

Students who complete ninth grade on track are more than three times as likely to graduate within four years than students who fell off track during their freshman year.

“We get into high school and we don’t wait until junior year to determine whether or not the kid has passed the test before we start signaling,” Indiana Department of Education Chief Innovation Officer Ron Sandlin said during Wednesday’s State Board of Education meeting. “We start signaling what students can be doing in 9th and 10th grade and we start valuing and holding schools accountable for ensuring that students are on track and that they’re beginning to pursue a meaningful pathway towards a diploma seal.”

The Center for High School Success (CHSS) works with districts nationally to put this research into practice, with documented outcomes for students and measurable return on investment for districts.

Active in 13 states, CHSS supports schools in Indianapolis, helping educators identify students at risk of falling off track and intervene earlier in the school year to support. In Indiana, CHSS has partnered with George Washington High School in Indianapolis Public Schools, where the 9th Grade On-Track rate climbed from 55% to 83% since the partnership began in 2020.

Educators and policymakers can see these systems in action at George Washington High School on March 26. Register here

What to Watch

Indiana’s new framework is a bet that measuring students at key milestones — not just final outcomes — changes what schools pay attention to. Accountability systems have long defaulted to what’s easy to quantify: test scores, graduation rates, the end of the road.

“The ‘N is one’ conversation is that we have to know every single child in its entirety so that they don’t get washed…” said Secretary Katie Jenner. “We’re embarking on a brand new journey and looking at every single child as ‘N is one’ and will be counted.”

In Indiana, every student’s progress contributes to school accountability and includes not only academic content knowledge but also durable skills. 

As states continue refining graduation pathways and readiness indicators, freshman-year milestones may become an increasingly common feature of accountability frameworks focused on recognizing and supporting each individual student.