INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Board of Education (Board) acted last week to approve a new flexibility waiver and announced assessment windows for the 2021-2022 school year.
The Board unanimously approved a flexibility waiver for Lewis Cass Schools in Cass County, allowing the district to count its instructional time in minutes instead of in days. This change – which follows similar flexibility waivers approved in December and January – will allow these districts to maximize instructional time during periods when schools are able to safely provide in-person learning.
“As we continue to navigate the unique challenges of this pandemic, we’re working to support Indiana’s schools with the flexibility they need to continue providing high-quality instruction,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “The General Assembly passed the flexibility options last year, which allow schools the opportunity to apply for many different waivers. I encourage schools to consider applying for these waivers to gain additional local flexibility and best serve Indiana’s students.”
The board also approved testing windows for the 2021-2022 school year, including windows for the ILEARN, ISTEP+ retest, SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, IREAD-3, I AM, WIDA ACCESS and NAEP assessments. This is the last year for a whole cohort to take ISTEP+ as Indiana transitions to using the SAT in Spring 2022.
The Board will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
