Governor Addresses Lower Test Scores
INDIANAPOLIS — In a recent letter to members of the Indiana State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Education Glenda Ritz, Governor Mike Pence addressed the issue of recent, lower test scores, citing increased state standards as the culprit.
“When states transition to new academic standards and a new assessment, test scores usually decrease, which occurred in the test scores you will review this week,” Pence said in his letter. “This decline in scores was expected and does not reflect the hard work being done in our schools.”
Pence went on to applaud Indiana schools and teachers, asking that the board and Ritz not lay blame on them or students. He also said he has called for legislation that will prevent teachers and schools from being penalized for the lower standardized test scores.
“It is important to ensure that our A-F system fairly reflects the efforts of our students and teachers during this transition year,” he said in his letter.
Information and a link to a PDF copy of the letter can be found here.