CHAPTER 4. PERFORMANCE BASED ACCREDITATION
IC 20-31-4
Chapter 4. Performance Based Accreditation
IC 20-31-4-1
"Legal standards"
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "legal standards" means Indianastatutes and rules adopted by the state board that apply to each schoolfor accreditation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-2
Establishment of system; schedule for accreditation
Sec. 2. (a) A school in Indiana may be accredited:
(1) under the performance based accreditation systemestablished by this chapter; or
(2) by implementing a quality focused approach to schoolimprovement such as the criteria for the Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award for Education or for a national orregional accreditation agency that is recommended by theeducation roundtable and approved by the state board.
(b) The state board shall establish the following:
(1) A performance based accreditation system for accreditingschools in Indiana under this chapter.
(2) A procedure for determining whether a school is makingprogress toward meeting the criteria for the Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award for Education or a national or regionalaccreditation agency.
(c) The department shall establish a schedule for accreditingschools under this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-3
Accreditation levels
Sec. 3. (a) The state board shall establish the followingaccreditation levels:
(1) Full accreditation status.
(2) Probationary accreditation status.
(b) After the review process described in this chapter has beencompleted, including the review conducted by the onsite reviewpanel assigned under section 9 of this chapter, if applicable, the stateboard shall assign either full accreditation status or probationaryaccreditation status to each school and school corporation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-4
Full accreditation status
Sec. 4. (a) When all the schools in a school corporation achievefull accreditation status, the department shall provide a certificate offull accreditation to the school corporation.
(b) If one (1) or more schools in a school corporation are assigned
probationary status but the school corporation is in substantialcompliance with full accreditation standards, the state board shallassign full accreditation status to that school corporation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-5
Benchmarks for performance
Sec. 5. The state superintendent and the state board shalldetermine which of the benchmarks and indicators of performancelisted in IC 20-20-8-8 are appropriate benchmarks for performancebased accreditation under this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-6
Compliance with legal standards
Sec. 6. The department shall determine whether the school hascomplied with the following legal standards for accreditation:
(1) Health and safety requirements.
(2) Minimum time requirements for school activity.
(3) Staff-student ratio requirements.
(4) Curriculum offerings.
(5) Development and implementation of a staff evaluation planunder IC 20-28-11.
(6) Completion of a school improvement plan that:
(A) analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the school;
(B) outlines goals of the school community to which schoolimprovement activities will be directed; and
(C) identifies objectives of the school and programsdesigned to achieve those objectives.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-7
Determination of full accreditation; review of school
Sec. 7. (a) If the department determines that:
(1) a school has complied with all the legal standards undersection 6 of this chapter; and
(2) the school's performance has met the expectations for thatschool in the areas described in section 5 of this chapter;
the state board shall make a determination that the school hasacquired full accreditation status.
(b) The department shall conduct the next review under thischapter of a school described under subsection (a) not later than five(5) years after the state board's determination of full accreditation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-8
Onsite evaluation of school; publication of information concerningcompliance
Sec. 8. (a) If the department verifies that:
(1) a school has not complied with all the legal standards under
section 6 of this chapter; or
(2) the school's performance has not met the expectations forthat school in the areas described in section 5 of this chapter;
a review panel of at least three (3) members shall conduct an onsiteevaluation of that school to make a recommendation to the stateboard as to the accreditation status of that school.
(b) The department may not publish or otherwise make availablefor public inspection any information concerning a school'scompliance with legal standards under section 6 of this chapter, themeeting of performance expectations under section 5 of this chapter,the assignment of an onsite review panel under this section, or therecommended accreditation status of the school until all onsitereviews have taken place and recommendations to the state boardconcerning the accreditation status of the school have been made.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-9
Review panel
Sec. 9. (a) Each review panel must consist of the following:
(1) One (1) staff member from the department.
(2) One (1) classroom teacher.
(3) One (1) individual who is not a classroom teacher but whois representative of the field of education.
(b) The state board shall determine the selection process for thereview panels. However, the department shall assign, without stateboard approval, a review panel to each school required to beevaluated under section 8 of this chapter.
(c) The department may require that more than one (1) reviewpanel conduct the onsite evaluation of a school.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-10
Areas reviewed during onsite evaluation
Sec. 10. (a) During its onsite evaluation, a review panel shallreview the following for a school:
(1) Teaching practices and administrative leadership ininstruction.
(2) Parental and community involvement.
(3) Implementation of the ISTEP remediation program underIC 20-32-8 and the educational opportunity program for at-riskchildren.
(4) The homework policy.
(b) In addition to its review under subsection (a), the review panelshall verify compliance with the legal standards for accreditationunder section 6 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-11
Recommendation of review panel
Sec. 11. Upon review of all the areas described in sections 5 and
10 of this chapter, a review panel shall make a recommendation tothe state board concerning:
(1) the accreditation status of the school;
(2) if applicable, certain recommendations for improvement thatthe school should consider, including recommendations that thedepartment provide technical assistance to the school; and
(3) the next date of review for the school.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-12
Determination by board of status of reviewed school
Sec. 12. (a) Upon receipt of a review panel's recommendation, thestate board shall make one (1) of the following determinations as tothe accreditation status of the school:
(1) Full accreditation status with the next review beingconducted five (5) years after the state board's determination offull accreditation.
(2) Full accreditation status with the next review beingconducted earlier than five (5) years after the state board'sdetermination of full accreditation.
(3) Probationary accreditation with the next review beingconducted one (1) year after the state board's determination ofprobationary accreditation.
(b) A school that does not comply with all the legal standards maynot be determined to have acquired full accreditation status.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-13
Probationary status; duty of governing body of school corporation
Sec. 13. If a school is assigned probationary accreditation status,the governing body of the school corporation shall:
(1) develop a plan, within one (1) year after the school isassigned probationary status, to raise the school's level ofaccreditation; and
(2) raise the school's level of accreditation within three (3) yearsafter the school is assigned probationary status.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-14
Probationary status; failure to make progress
Sec. 14. (a) If a school having probationary status:
(1) fails to make progress; or
(2) at the end of three (3) years has not achieved fullaccreditation status;
the state board shall assign probationary accreditation status to theschool corporation in which the school is located.
(b) A school corporation on probationary accreditation status shalldirect its efforts toward raising the level of accreditation of each ofits schools that are on probationary accreditation status to fullaccreditation status within one (1) year after the school corporation
is assigned probationary accreditation status.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-15
Probationary status; recommendations to general assembly
Sec. 15. If a school corporation on probationary accreditationstatus does not raise the level of accreditation of each of its schoolsthat are on probationary accreditation status to full accreditationstatus within one (1) year after the school corporation was assignedprobationary accreditation status, the department shall submit to thegeneral assembly recommendations concerning the operation andadministration of the school corporation and the schools within thatschool corporation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-16
Probationary status; appeal; assistance
Sec. 16. (a) If a school or school corporation is assignedprobationary accreditation status, the governing body of the schoolcorporation may appeal that determination to the state board.
(b) If a school or school corporation is assigned probationaryaccreditation status, the department shall provide assistance to thatschool or school corporation to achieve full accreditation status.
(c) If a school is assigned probationary accreditation status, thecompletion of the school improvement plan under section 6 of thischapter must involve parents, administrators, teachers, and othermembers of the community.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.
IC 20-31-4-17
Rules
Sec. 17. The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2necessary to implement this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.15.