INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Indiana Department of Education released A through F accountability grades for schools across the state Tuesday. This year, the grades were calculated in a new way that focused on both students' proficiency on the ISTEP and student growth.

Indianapolis Public Schools now has 28 "F" schools and five "A" schools.

"The first year you have any changes in how letter grades are calculated you would anticipate dramatic shifts up or down," said Lewis Ferebee, IPS superintendent. "We have a large number of students that come and are not proficient. They may show significant improvement but they may not reach the mastery of proficiency. We still need to note their progress and celebrate that."

Ferebee says it's good to see student growth scores now included in the accountability grade.

"We believe the growth data is just as important or even more important because it gives us a true picture of student progress across the school not just whether students are proficient," Ferebee said.

According to IPS data, the district's average school growth scores is more than five points higher than the state average.

One school setting an example is George Fisher School 93. In just three years, the school climbed from an F to a D, and eventually an A in 2016. This school also had the highest growth score in the district. Parents like Ashley Thomas played a key role in improving the school.

"A the end of the day, we still live in these communities where these schools are sitting," Thomas said. "And, we can determine how these children impact our lives 10, 15 years down the road."

Thomas, along with other parents, brought Project Restore to School 93. The curriculum encourages student to show progress each week and rewards success with things like field trips.

But, other schools in Indianapolis are experiencing the opposite. Cold Spring School went from an A in 2015 to an F in 2016.