Indiana legislators have voted to end the mandatory use of student standardized test results in teacher evaluations, dropping a requirement long opposed by teachers.
The state Senate voted 50-0 Tuesday in favor of the proposal, following a unanimous vote by House members in January. The votes represent an about-face on the mandate dating from a 2011 Republican-driven education overhaul that school districts incorporate student exam results in teacher evaluations, which are used in determining merit pay raises.
Bill sponsor Rep. Tony Cook says removing the requirement acknowledges the trouble with measuring teacher effectiveness based on a single student exam. The bill now goes to the governor for consideration.
