The Indiana Legislature and Department of Education set the state standards for education. Parents and teachers who are familiar with the standards at all levels can better prepare their students for an Indiana education and the state assessment tests.
Office of Student Assessment:
The Indiana standards for education can also be tracked through the various student assessment tests given to students from kindergarten up to the 12th grade. The Indiana Office of Student Assessment puts out a wealth of information on all of these tests. On the Office’s main web page, you will see sections for the various education testing programs.
These tests are specifically designed to see if students are achieving educational progress that is consistent with the Indiana standards for education. The exams or other programs sponsored by the Office of Student Assessment include the ISTEP+, IREAD, ECA, IMAST, ISTAR, ISTAR-KR, mCLASS, Acuity and Algebra, LAS, and NAEP. This page is also helpful in keeping track of all the tests an Indiana student needs to take as he progresses through each level of the education system.
To get the specific standards for each test, click on the “Resources” link in each section. This makes the Indiana standards for education as clear as possible by showing the test blueprints. While other aspects of an Indiana education may be included in the overall learning standards, whatever is on these tests is pretty much what a student actually needs to have a successful career in the Indiana school system.
The Indiana Department of Education also publishes “Learning Standards” for different age and grade levels in the state system. Go to the Department’s home page in the Resources section below. On the left-hand navigation menu, you will see an option for the learning standards.
Within that menu, you will then see selections for Early Learning and Literacy, Academic Standards, Graduation Requirements, and Postsecondary Preparation. The academic standards are generally what people think of when they are looking for the Indiana standards for education. Always refer to this section to find the most current standards. At the time of this writing in August of 2011, the current standards were adopted by the Department of Education in 2000. They will certainly eventually change again over time as new legislatures and governors are switched out.
The Academic Standards cover all grades from kindergarten to graduation. The other sections are just as important, though, at informing you of what specifically needs to be studied and achieved to graduate and to prepare for college after an Indiana high school career.
Resources:
Indiana Department of Education: The Office of Student Assessment
Indiana DOE: ISTEP+ Test Blueprints and Related Resources
Indiana DOE Main Page