INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Indiana teachers heading back to classrooms starting this week are facing the daunting task of preparing students for a standardized test that's been retooled for the third time since 2009.
Some teachers and district administrators worry that the quickly revamped exam could negatively impact them and their students. Student performance on the high-stakes test helps determine whether teachers get a raise and how schools are graded on the state's A-to-F rating system.
The new test will assess students' mastery of Indiana's newly-adopted math and English benchmarks and will also be more interactive.
The Indianapolis Star reports the changes come after nearly two years of ideological and political battles over education policy between Democratic state schools chief Glenda Ritz and Republican Gov. Mike Pence's Center for Education and Career Innovation.
