State Rep. Tony Cook’s (R-Cicero) bill to decouple teacher evaluations from student test scores took a critical step forward on Monday as the Indiana House of Representatives voted in support of the measure.
Cook
Cook’s House Bill 1002 removes a state mandate for school districts to use students’ standardized test scores to assess teachers’ overall performance. Cook, vice-chair of the House Education Committee and a former school district superintendent and principal, said local schools could determine how to use those exam results in educators’ annual evaluations.
“This bill empowers administrators to decide how they want to use the data these exams provide to our teachers about students’ understanding of concepts,” Cook said. “Our swift action behind this effort is an encouraging step in supporting our teachers across Indiana.”
Currently, these standardized exams make up a significant portion of teachers’ annual evaluations, which determine where an educator falls on the highly effective to ineffective scale and influences teacher pay.
“An exam given on one day does not paint an accurate picture of the hard work our teachers put in throughout the rest of the school year,” Cook said. “From teaching our young Hoosiers math and science to making sure their basic needs are met, our educators leave a profound impact on students while preparing them for the future.”
House Bill 1002 now moves to the Indiana Senate for further consideration. Visit iga.in.gov for more information about this legislation.
State Rep. Tony Cook (R-Cicero) represents House District 32, which includes all of Tipton County and portions of Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Howard and Grant counties.