The Indiana Department of Education released its 2012 progress report on schools' performance Wednesday morning, Oct. 31.

All Indiana public schools receive letter grades on an A-F scale based on factors like ISTEP testing, student improvement and end-of-course assessment scores, as well as how those numbers compare to the previous year's.

In Brown County, four of the six schools have improved or stayed the same from the 2011 assessment. Grades over the past three years are as follows:

Brown County High School — 2012, A; 2011, C; 2010, C

Brown County Junior High School — 2012, A; 2011, C; 2010, A

Nashville Elementary School —2012, B; 2011, A; 2010, B

Van Buren Elementary School —2012, C; 2011, B; 2010, A

Helmsburg Elementary School — 2012, A; 2011, A; 2010, C

Sprunica Elementary School — 2012, A; 2011, A; 2010, A

For more information on how the state grading system works and what the ratings mean for local schools, read the Nov. 7 issue of the Brown County Democrat.

-- Megan O'Bryan, Brown County Democrat