State's new accountability plan is a work in progress, but has some good ideas

The Indiana Department of Education’s draft accountability framework removes the definition of school quality by an average; each student would be measured on a range of factors — literacy progress, attendance, work-based learning and career credentials.

It sounds innovative, even commonsensical in a field often muddied by jargon. But bold ideas are usually harder to implement than to imagine. And now is the time for Hoosiers to ask questions of its Department of Education as it seeks comments about the latest draft proposal. (See the proposal at in.gov/doe/ accountability/.)

The intent aligns with a broader national movement to rethink accountability. The Carnegie Foundation and Educational Testing Service have spent the past two years working with states, including Indiana, to develo