How IPEC is Approaching School Accountability

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) formed earlier this year with a few urgent priorities. Now that a referendum request to support Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and charter schools has been announced, IPEC’s focus has largely shifted to creating a shared accountability framework for all public schools in IPS boundaries.

The framework is intended to improve school quality across the city and drive stronger outcomes for students. IPEC has until November 2027 to develop this accountability framework, with its full implementation starting in the 2028-29 school year.

To dig deeper into what accountability means and why we need a local accountability framework, read our blog post from earlier this month. Today, we take stock of how IPEC is approaching accountability and what their model seeks to achieve.

The Goals of IPEC’s Accountability Framework

Currently, Indianapolis has a patchwork accountability system. IPS and multiple charter school authorizers all use different performance frameworks to evaluate school quality and make informed decisions about potential school closures.

IPEC now seeks to put all schools on a level playing field by implementing a shared performance framework. In a presentation at their July 22 meeting, IPEC board members highlighted two primary goals for this framework:

1. Address schools that consistently struggle to improve student outcomes and be able to inform difficult closure decisions with consistency, regardless of school type.

2. Assess school building efficiency, matching capacity with enrollment.

Who Holds Decision-Making Authority?

It’s important to clarify who gets to make what decisions within IPEC’s framework in relation to these goals.

First, what happens when a school is low performing for multiple years running? For charter schools, their authorizer can step in to close a school for poor performance. Meanwhile, the IPS Board has the power to decide whether to close a traditional public school within the district due to ongoing low performance. IPEC was not established to take control over school closure decisions away from IPS or charter school authorizers. However, IPEC can ask the State Board of Education to intervene in cases where chronic low performance is being ignored by IPS or a charter authorizer.

What about decisions around building usage? IPEC does hold the power to close buildings that are outdated or under-utilized. That means when a school is underenrolled, IPEC is able to step in to consolidate or reorganize schools to ensure available space is maximized on behalf of students.

By bringing greater consistency and clarity to the important decision areas noted above, this framework can be another step toward a stronger system of schools and better outcomes for students.

How IPEC’s Model Differs from the State’s A-F Model

IPEC has already laid out a vision for the elements of their performance framework. It will evaluate six key measures to paint a full picture of each school’s performance. These include:

• Academic results

• Student growth

• Enrollment

• Facilities

• Finance and governance

• Discipline

In many ways, these measures echo the key indicators used in the state’s A-F model, though key differences exist. For example, IPEC has already indicated that this local framework will not summarize a school’s performance with a single letter grade in the way the state’s framework does.

This is not to say that one model is better than another. They serve different purposes. For instance, the state’s A-F framework prioritizes giving families a quick snapshot of school quality. While that snapshot is informed by multiple measures, it still boils down to a single letter grade to indicate overall quality.

Meanwhile, IPEC’s model is designed to aid with closure decisions and what to do with underutilized buildings, as described above. That demands a more nuanced view of what is going on within a school that cannot be presented through a single, summative letter grade.

What’s Next?

As they continue advancing a shared performance framework, IPEC will proactively and consistently seek community input.

Remember, Better Together is here to support you as our community navigates the changes coming to our education system. Now is the time to get involved and make your voice heard.