Chalkbeat

Voter guide: 4 Indiana districts are asking voters for funding in the May primary election

2024-05-01T19:34:29+00:00

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This voter guide was updated May 1 to include Fremont Community Schools’ referendum.

This May, four Indiana school districts will ask voters to approve funding to do things like raise teacher pay, continue programs supported by pandemic relief that will soon expire, and improve school safety.

These ballot measures seeking tax revenue will be on the primary election ballots on May 7 in Blue River Valley Schools, Brown County Schools, Fremont Community Schools, and the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township.

School districts can seek voter approval for referendums to pay for operating costs, as well as construction and safety expenses. They need a simple majority to pass.

The ballot language shows the percentage that school property taxes would increase from the base amount going to schools, not the percentage that property taxes overall would increase.

Additionally, a law enacted last year requires school districts in Marion, St. Joseph, Vanderburg, and Lake counties to share revenue from ballot measures for operating costs with charter schools. That law applies to one district on May 7, Pike Township, which is the first district in Marion County to hold a referendum since this law went into effect.

Here’s what to know about each district’s referendum:

Pike wants to fund pandemic programs, attract teachers

Rate: $0.24 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $14.5 million

For the first time, Pike Township is asking voters to help fund operations. The tax rate would be 24 cents per $100 of net assessed value for eight years.

The ballot measure would fund three key areas: continuing programs and staffing added since the pandemic, attracting and retaining teachers, and school safety and security.

Out of the total funding, $4.5 million would continue programming and keep staff who are supported by federal COVID relief.

The funding would cover everything from 1:1 computing devices and academic interventionists to social workers and a new curriculum to help students cope with traumas outside the classroom. It would support salaries and benefits for nearly 60 staffers.

“The funds are going away, but the needs are still very much there,” said Pike Superintendent Larry Young said.

Another $9 million would help Pike Township offer competitive salaries and attract top educators to the district, Young said. The funding would cover instructional staff, but also custodians and secretaries.

Finally, an estimated $1 million would pay for additional school resource officers and safety personnel to the district, although Young said there’s not a specific number. It would also fund security upgrades, including a security system that multiple people can walk through at once.

Pike must share referendum funds with charter schools that enroll a student living in the district and opt in.

However, 15 charters are seeking to receive money from Pike’s referendum, according to school board documents. If they ultimately do, the schools collectively will receive more than $412,000 annually of the estimated $14.5 million. The largest amounts would go to Indiana Math and Science Academy (roughly $81,000) and Herron Charter (roughly $71,000).

The average assessed value for a homeowner in the school district is $237,200, which means the referendum’s average tax increase would be $295.20 annually.

Property owners can also use this calculator on the Pike Township Schools website to see how much their taxes would change if the ballot measure passes.

Reviving career education, theater in Brown County Schools

Rate: $0.10 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $1,879,051

Brown County schools is seeking a renewal of its 2016 operating referendum, but at a slightly higher rate than before — 10 cents per $100 of assessed property value for eight years, rather than eight cents.

The referendum would generate around $1.9 million in annual revenue for the district, with the bulk of the funding earmarked for salaries, benefits, and programs, according to the district’s spending plan. Around $188,000 will be set aside for programming at a Career Resource Center.

One of the largest expenditures — around $650,000 — is a plan to increase teacher salaries by $5,000 in order to make the district compensation more competitive, according to a district presentation. Their salaries in Brown County schools start at just over $40,000 a year.

Another $255,000 is earmarked for a 5% pay bump for non-certified staff to increase retention, and $356,000 would go to sustaining current and future salary levels.

The remaining $423,000 would fund new positions in special education, career and technical education, arts, and work-based learning. Some of this funding will allow Brown County schools to reinstate career and technical education classes, as well as theater at Brown County High School.

The district enrolled around 1,500 students in 2024 — a drop of over 300 students since 2018. A presentation from the district says that the enrollment drop has meant a loss of $2.3 million in funding, but that costs don’t necessarily decrease when the number of students decreases.

Brown County voters rejected the district’s most recent operating referendum proposal in 2022.

Blue River Valley seeks increase in teacher pay

Property tax rate: $0.19 per $100 of assessed value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $359,594

Blue River Valley Schools, which serves a portion of Henry County, plans to make its teacher pay more competitive if the first ballot measure for operating costs it’s ever put to voters gets approved.

Declining student enrollment and a state-mandated limit on property tax revenue has created a financial strain on the district — particularly in its quest to attract and retain high-quality teachers, the district said in a presentation to voters. Recent enrollment figures from Superintendent Trend McCormick indicate about 570 students, compared to the nearly 700 students it had in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, the $40,000 starting salary for teachers is the lowest among school districts in Henry County and neighboring Wayne County, according to the district.

The district’s average salary of $49,995 is also below the state’s average of $58,531 for 2023.

The district plans to use the additional revenue to increase pay for its roughly 41 teachers by at least $5,000 over two years; it would increase starting salaries to $45,000, McCormick said. The district hopes to offer a $2,500 raise in the fall of 2025 and another $2,500 raise in 2026.

The referendum would be an annual tax increase of $111.27 for a property valued at $138,100, the average residential value for homes in the district, according to the district’s referendum calculator.

Fremont Schools want to attract, retain teachers

Rate: $0.15 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $2,384,719

After voters narrowly rejected the district’s attempt to renew its referendum in 2023, the Fremont Community Schools in Steuben County is trying again with a lower rate.

The district received enough signatures from voters to hold another referendum without the waiting period required by Indiana law.

Due to the district’s debt reduction efforts, many voters may actually see a decrease in their property taxes earmarked for schools, said Superintendent William Stitt, who added that his own taxes would decrease by $60 annually.

The bulk of the 2024 referendum — around $1.66 million — is earmarked for retaining and attracting teachers and staff.

That’s the district’s top priority, Stitt said. While many districts have struggled with labor shortages, Stitt said Fremont schools started the last two years with every position, from teachers to bus drivers, filled.

Without those funds, teachers may face layoffs leading to larger class sizes, according to the district’s referendum materials. Science, special education, and English as a second language positions would be at risk, and programs for at-risk students and gifted and talented students would be reduced.

“We want to keep those people, and that means being competitive and having competitive salaries,” Stitt said.

The district enrolls just under 1,000 students and has 158 teachers and staff, according to its website.

Referendum funds will also help the district maintain its after-school and extracurricular programs, and allow schools to hire new teachers.

Approximately $424,000 will go to academic programming, while the remaining $300,000 is needed to enhance school security according to the district’s spending plan and other materials.

Stitt said this may include an emergency alert system for teachers and staff that does not depend on cell service, which can be spotty in Fremont, he said.

Correction May 7, 2024: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect figure for the annual revenue that Brown County schools’ referendum would raise. It would raise around $1.9 million.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Want to finish the FAFSA before a key Indiana deadline? Here’s what you should know.

2024-04-02T11:00:00+00:00

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With a key deadline for Indiana students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, less than two weeks away, roughly one-third of the Class of 2024 had finished the form as of late March.

The National College Attainment Network’s tracker shows that 32.6% of the class had submitted the form as of March 22, or roughly 29,000 Indiana high school seniors. That’s more than 6,000 fewer Indiana students than at the same time last year, and slightly below the submission rate of 33.7% for this year’s high school class nationwide.

Filling out the FAFSA is considered an indicator of college-going, and Indiana leaders are pushing ways to increase the number of students going to some form of postsecondary education. Students who submit the FAFSA by April 15 get priority for state financial aid.

This year, the FAFSA has changed in multiple ways and has been completed at lower rates across the U.S.. The federal rollout of the new FAFSA has been marked by delays and glitches, including for students who have undocumented parents.

Colleges have also pushed back enrollment deadlines and expressed concern over the amount of time needed to process delayed data from students to award aid packages.

And at the same time, a new state law requires students, with some exceptions, to fill out the financial aid form starting with this year’s graduating class. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education set a goal of 60% completion for the Class of 2024. Last year, nearly 48% of students in Indiana’s high school Class of 2023 completed the form, per a state dashboard.

But McKalaih Legault, director for postsecondary program implementation at the commission, said she’s still feeling optimistic about reaching the 60% goal as the state’s deadline approaches.

The state, schools, and nonprofits are working together to share resources with students and help, she said.

Still planning to fill out the FAFSA? Here’s what to know:

Why should I fill out the FAFSA?

The form is a “key that unlocks all different opportunities,” Legault said.

Filling it out is how students are considered for federal financial aid like grants, loans, and scholarships, as well as some state aid and aid from individual colleges. Plus, students can also access a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential.

More than $400 million in state aid is available to students, per the commission. Higher education advocates have stressed that students are leaving money on the table by not filling out the form and seeing their financial options.

What do I need to fill out the new form?

While students and families continue to struggle with the new form, commission leaders said they’ve also heard the opposite: that the new form can take 10 minutes to fill out.

One big change from last year is that students and parents need to create their Federal Student Aid ID, which serves as a digital signature needed for the FAFSA, in advance.

What happens if I miss the April 15 deadline?

State financial aid is on a first-come, first-served basis after that deadline, per the commission. However, it’s still possible to fill out and submit the FAFSA after that deadline, and there is an appeals process for those who missed the deadline and still want to be considered for state aid, Legault said.

Where can I go for help to fill out the FAFSA?

Community organizations and schools have ramped up efforts to help with the form.

Indianapolis Public Schools has two upcoming FAFSA Family Filing Nights from 5 to 7 p.m. April 3 and 10 in the cafeteria of Arsenal Tech High School.

Legault also recommended contacting the commission’s outreach coordinator in your area. You can find yours and send them a message here.

Additionally, InvestED helps students and families across the state with FAFSA. You can also reach out directly for free, expert help. Call 317-715-9007 or email outreach@investedindiana.org. InvestED also hosts FAFSA events at high schools around Indiana. See a full schedule here.

And the U.S. Department of Education has email and live chat help, as well as a helpline: 1-800-4-FED-AID.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this school social worker helps students inside and outside of the classroom

2024-03-21T21:04:10+00:00

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The more caring and loving adults in a child’s life, the better.

That’s the approach Michele Whaley carries into her job as a school social worker at Eleanor Skillen School 34 in Indianapolis.

“At school, I can provide someone that will nonjudgmentally listen and provide support, skills, and perspective which they can then take into other aspects of life,” she said.

And while her role can impact a student’s life in many ways, it’s also impacted her own life. Whaley has been a school social worker for 15 years and was named Indiana School Social Worker of the Year in July by the Indiana School Social Work Association.

“At this point, it is an integral part to who I am,” she said of being a school social worker. “It has made me a better parent to my 10-year-old son and, quite frankly, taught me how to parent. It has allowed me to see the impact a caring, safe, and positive role model can have on the life of a child, which drives me to continue this work despite how difficult it can be.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become a school social worker?

I have to give most of that credit to Jane Zobel, who was the first school social worker I ever met. I took a job working as a contract employee at an IPS school prior to receiving my Master of Social Work. While in that job, I got to spend time seeing the work Jane got to do with students, families, and the community.

She was just so caring and loving towards students, staff, families, and the community. She provided a safe space for students to feel cared for and just did so much for the school community. It allowed me to see how much difference someone can make in a school environment where you see and work with all students.

It inspired me to return to finish my master’s degree, and the rest is really history.

Michele Whaley (center) poses for a photo on the day she was named school social worker of the year. On the left is principal Krista Douglass and Erica Robinson, IPS executive director of schools, is on the right.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days can vary so much depending on the needs of the students and the school as a whole. My work spans the spectrum from whole group instruction on character education and development (social/emotional learning) to individual services such as counseling and crisis support. On any given day, I might be teaching in a classroom, intervening with behavior, supporting a student that is grieving, providing a family with food resources, helping plan school events, or conducting conflict resolution. Also, I’m also a part of various leadership teams and community engagement opportunities. One of the best parts of the job is the variety.

School social work has a strong basis in advocacy, justice, and respecting the voice of those you work alongside. For me, it is important to advocate for and enhance the voices of students and families to make sure they have all of the academic and non-academic support needed.

Conflict resolution and kindness are keys to anti-bullying because when children approach situations with kindness and how to resolve problems in a respectful manner, it reduces bullying behaviors.

What do you think is misunderstood about your role and wish more people knew?

I believe one of the common misunderstandings from a community perspective is that all social workers are linked to the Department of Child Services. Another is that people don’t realize that school social workers are dual-licensed professionals in the state of Indiana. I hold an Indiana Department of Education License and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or LCSW, through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Due to this, I am a trained mental health professional that is able to support students and families in many ways because many other mental health professionals in schools can only work with their clients rather than the larger school population.

What would you do more of if time were no object?

Honestly, if time were not an object I would do more 1:1 student work, especially with older students. The work that can be done with children as they start to enter adolescence is amazing. It’s universally a difficult time because that’s when we start to navigate the world without as much help from our parents and guardians.

It is the beginning of us starting to figure out where we want to fit in the world and who we fit alongside and as the social dynamic becomes more complex … it’s a lot.

So it’s fulfilling to help students understand more about how their mental health, feelings, and coping skills function and can improve. I would also do more work with bringing community resources and partners into the school if time weren’t a barrier.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I think the number one piece that’s impactful to me is make time for yourself. The social work career is very geared towards assisting others and it can take an emotional toll. School social workers interact with emotionally deep and difficult topics on a daily basis so knowing how to separate or at least compartmentalize that is so important. Another important thing is remembering you might never know the difference you are making in someone’s life just by being there for them.

You spend your days trying to help others. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

Over the years, I’ve worked hard to practice what I preach and understand the coping skills that work for me. After an emotionally difficult day, I usually need to vent to someone that cares about me, and I need to engage in physical activity such as a walk or exercise of some sort. I maintain a pretty solid boundary with work and do not bring work home, so that helps as well.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Bill would require charter school leaders to disclose family, business ties with building owners

2024-01-31T19:55:37+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Update: The Indiana legislative session ended on March 8, 2024. Here are the education bills that did and didn’t pass.

Charter school leaders would have to publicly disclose if they have a family or business connection to the owners of their school building under a new proposal in the Indiana Statehouse.

It’s the latest call for charter school oversight and transparency following federal charges that could mean decades in prison for the former leaders of the Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy.

The operators of the now-closed schools allegedly inflated the enrollment by thousands of students and accepted more than $44 million in state funding, according to a federal indictment filed earlier this month. The state money was allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies owned by the schools’ founder, Thomas Stoughton, and then paid out to himself, his family, former IVS and IVPA Superintendent Percy Clark, and others, the indictment said.

A Chalkbeat Indiana investigation in 2017 found ballooning enrollment and conflicts of interest at the two schools, among other problems. A lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to recoup $154 million in state funds from school leaders and others is ongoing as well.

The proposal to beef up charter oversight is an amendment to House Bill 1243, which addresses various education topics. The amendment says that a charter school shall annually post on its website “information for the immediately preceding school year regarding whether there is a familial or business relationship between the organizer, owner, or operator of the charter school and the owner of the charter school’s building.”

The amendment was authored by Democratic state Rep. Ed DeLaney, who represents Indianapolis. The bill — which includes DeLaney’s amendment — passed the House Wednesday and now goes to the Senate.

“It is clear that we need to tighten reporting requirements on the financial activities of charter schools,” DeLaney said in a statement Tuesday after his amendment was added to the bill.

He said the amendment is part of his “step-by-step” approach to require more oversight of charter schools, especially as they grow, and to fight against misuse of public money.

He pointed out that if a school district rented a school building from or contracted with the family member of the superintendent, that would be wrong, and the same goes for charters, given that they are public schools and use public funds.

“We must require transparency so the public knows who is benefitting from rent for the buildings that charter schools are using,” DeLaney said in his statement.

DeLaney is one of several lawmakers who’ve called for more oversight and transparency from charter schools and their leaders.

Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat who represents parts of Indianapolis, filed a bill about charter authorizers, which approve or reject applications for new charter schools. They are also tasked with providing the kind of oversight that elected school boards handle for traditional public schools.

Hunley’s bill would restrict the power to approve and oversee new charter schools in Indianapolis to two government authorizers: the Indiana Charter School Board and the Indianapolis Charter School Board. That would halt charter authorizing in the city by other groups, including authorizers housed at Ball State University and Trine University.

Hunley’s bill follows a Chalkbeat Indiana report on charter school accountability that found roughly a third of brick-and-mortar or blended-model charter schools in Marion County have closed since 2001.

However, the bill, SB 173, is unlikely to advance. It was referred to the Senate education committee, but is not on the agenda for the committee’s last scheduled meeting before the deadlines for bills to advance out of their respective chambers.

You can track HB 1243 and SB 173 on the General Assembly’s website.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear local educators share their stories of when lessons don’t go to plan

2024-02-14T22:01:49+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Things don’t always go as planned - even when there’s a lesson plan. And now, you can hear directly from educators about the times they adjusted those plans, whether it was in the moment or after another experience changed their perspective.

Join us for the “From Lesson Plan to New Plan” teacher story slam from 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, March 1, at Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center, 2990 W. 71st St., Indianapolis.

The event is hosted by Indy Kids Winning and Chalkbeat Indiana, and supported by Teach Indy.

This story slam is a continuation of story slams hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy that were a place for teachers to share their stories, spend time together, and learn from each other. This time, it’s also the night before the Teach Indy Educators Conference.

Come to hear the stories, meet other educators, and try handcrafted vegan wines from Sip & Share Wines.

To attend, register here for a free ticket on Eventbrite: https://ckbe.at/indystoryslam

Also, if you’re an educator and want to tell your story, please let us know here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s what the Indiana AG said about making changes to the ‘Eyes on Education’ tip line

2024-02-09T22:20:17+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office said Friday it will not remove materials from a website it launched earlier this week publicizing complaints about schools’ materials on race, gender and politics.

The office said it would, however, post responses from school districts challenging the validity of those complaints. But in order to dispute the materials, Rokita’s office told districts they had to prove the materials were not used by or made available in their schools.

Rokita’s “Eyes on Education” portal aims to compile and display complaints about “potentially inappropriate” material in schools that are “real examples of socialist indoctrination from classrooms across the state,” along with the purported material.

Districts responded by challenging the veracity of the materials labeled as theirs, saying the site’s characterizations of the content were inaccurate or misleading. Some of the posted material dates back to 2018.

The website’s launch triggered the latest confrontation between the state attorney general and schools over how educators handle controversial social and political topics, a fight also taken up by state lawmakers.

A spokesperson for Rokita’s office said the materials on the portal support the premise that there has been “indoctrination” in Indiana’s schools, even if policies have changed. Others, however, say it could have a chilling effect on teachers and schools.

The portal, which launched Tuesday, names 13 school districts and one university, and includes complaints with links to photos, screenshots, or presentation materials.

Rokita’s office said what’s posted are “exact documents provided to our office” and many were “from teachers directly and were easily verified.” A spokesperson said the office will reach out to those who submitted to the portal as well as schools if necessary. However, a vast majority of the districts on the portal previously told Chalkbeat that they were not asked in advance about the portal materials.

Rokita’s office also said it will conduct investigations to see if schools are breaking any state laws by using those materials. A spokesperson added that the portal is a tool for parents to “stop indoctrination more quickly and can ensure bad history doesn’t repeat itself in districts where such policies are claimed to be retired.”

Districts ask for updates to ‘Eyes on Education’

Multiple districts have asked Rokita for updates or changes. Four districts each shared with Chalkbeat the same email response to their concerns from the Rokita’s office that set a high bar to dispute the posted materials.

“Please provide documentation that the contents are not, or were not, provided to a student, communicated to a student or parent, or part of any curriculum, program, or activity made available to the school community by a teacher, school district, or school corporation,” the email from Corrine L. Youngs, policy director and legislative counsel in Rokita’s office, reads.

It also says that if the materials contain something that is outdated, the district needs to provide documentation that it was repealed or no longer used, as well as the new policy.

But the office will not remove materials in the portal, a spokesperson for Rokita’s office said Friday, adding that the complaints from schools indicated that the material had once been taught, even if it had subsequently been removed or updated.

Having the complaints and the districts’ responses on the portal “will actually help teachers and school administrators because it will expose misinformation that can naturally exist amongst the public,” the spokesperson argued.

As of Friday evening, the portal had been updated for two districts. It now labels a “gender policy” from Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation as “retired” in 2023 and says a gender support plan from New Prairie United School Corporation was revised in November 2022.

Power of Rokita’s office may leave schools stranded

The spokesperson for Rokita’s office pointed to the previous outcry over critical race theory in schools and said the portal supported Rokita’s position.

“The types of people complaining now are the same ones who said there was no indoctrination going on in Indiana schools at all,” the spokesperson said. “Now these same types are saying – ‘well, the items on the Portal are no LONGER being taught, or we fired that teacher, or we fired that vendor, or we retired that policy.’ They just proved our point and elevated even further the value of the office in education matters.”

A legal theory, critical race theory has become an umbrella term for discussions of race and identity.

And there’s likely little recourse for schools unhappy with what Rokita’s done, one expert said.

The power of the attorney general’s office has increased over the years. Many attorneys general have gone on to run for higher office, which can incentivize partisan actions, said Michael Wolf, acting director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University.

Wolf added that as elected officials, attorneys general have wide latitude to act and little oversight. A governor does not oversee an elected attorney general’s office, for example (Rokita was elected to his office in 2020). And the Indiana Department of Education, which also has no authority over Rokita, said it is not involved with the portal.

Plus, Wolf said the portal could fall under the scope of the attorney general’s responsibility to advise other government officials, like those at the state education department or local prosecutors, who could then take action.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana’s AG launched a tip line for controversial classroom material. It’s already raising concerns about accuracy and privacy.

2024-02-06T22:40:27+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The Indiana Attorney General has unveiled an online portal for complaints about the teaching of race, gender, and political ideology in schools — an aggressive move that raises concerns about privacy and the veracity of the material made public.

The new website, which was announced Tuesday by state Attorney General Todd Rokita, is called “Eyes on Education” and includes complaints dating back to 2018. The website launched with material already posted, but the included school districts and state department of education didn’t know about it.

It lists 13 school districts around Indiana and the Indiana University School of Medicine with links to photos, screenshots, or presentation materials that the office describes as “potentially inappropriate.” In some cases, the portal also includes the addresses, phone numbers, and emails of people identified in the materials. Schools have characterized these materials as incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate.

Molly Williams, a representative for the Indiana Department of Education, said the agency was not made aware of the portal when it was under construction or when it launched.

The portal represents an escalation of a longstanding fight between Rokita and Indiana school districts over how lessons on race and gender are taught in schools. In establishing and promoting the website, Rokita has taken a similar approach to a controversial tip line started by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for parents to report “divisive” teaching at their schools.

There appeared to be problems right off the bat.

A majority of the districts listed on the portal told Chalkbeat that they were not contacted by Rokita’s office and were unaware of the portal until Tuesday. A press release from the AG’s office was sent early Tuesday morning, but not publicly posted on the website until hours later.

Rokita’s office did not respond to Chalkbeat’s questions about how and when submitted complaints are posted publicly; what an investigation and verification by his office into the complaints will entail; whether the office would pursue legal action; and whether the persons identified in the material gave permission for his office to post their contact information online.

After at least one district complained about the portal, Rokita’s office told that district that it would remove inaccurate material.

The ACLU of Indiana said in a Tuesday post on the site formerly known as Twitter that the website is “an effort to intimidate teachers” from discussing issues of racial equity and LGBTQ topics.

“Classroom inclusivity benefits everyone. Classroom censorship does nothing but harm,” the group said.

What the website for ‘potentially inappropriate’ materials shows

The materials posted on the Indiana portal take the form of photos of online quizzes and presentations, flags and lessons in the classroom, and overviews of complaints about districts’ materials.

They cover a range of topics, from copies of school districts’ policies on supporting transgender students, to an email announcing a college presentation for Black students, to a list of sexually sensitive content identified in a school’s required reading.

Most of the materials posted online are undated and many others are from 2020 to 2021, when fury over the teaching of race in K-12 schools peaked in Indiana and nationwide and culminated in a bill that attempted to ban “divisive concepts” from K-12 classrooms.

Metadata for the website indicates the link for the portal, which ends in “education-liberty” was started in 2022.

Rokita, a Republican, has waded into this fight before. In 2021, he released his “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which took aim at social-emotional learning and critical race theory, terms commonly used as shorthand for broader lessons on gender, sexuality, and race. (A former member of Congress, Rokita served on the U.S. House education committee.)

In a press release, Rokita said his office would investigate complaints submitted to the portal.

“Our kids need to focus on fundamental educational building blocks, NOT ideology that divides kids from their parents and normal society,” Rokita said in the release, which describes the website as a transparency portal for parents and educators.

The portal does not include responses from the 13 school districts and one university. It’s not clear how or if Rokita’s office verified that the submissions are from the school districts that are named.

And while names are redacted in some of the materials, the portal makes other names public.

One entry reviewed by Chalkbeat appears to be a screenshot of an online form submitted to Rokita’s office with concerns about a school’s bathroom policy, with the complainant’s name, address, email address, and phone number visible.

Rokita’s office did not say whether this person or others gave permission for their information to be posted publicly.

What school districts listed on Rokita’s portal say

Chalkbeat contacted all 13 districts and one university listed on the portal — all 11 that responded objected to the information on the portal in some way.

Those 11 districts — Brownsburg, Carmel Clay, Center Grove, Clark-Pleasant, Franklin Community, Hamilton Southeastern, New Prairie, Noblesville, Penn-Harris-Madison, Mooresville, and Martinsville — also said they were not notified in advance about the portal or that they would be included. Several districts also stressed that families can bring their concerns and questions to school leaders, and at least two reached out to Rokita’s office to correct the information.

Some of the strongest words came from the superintendent of The Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, which said the documents on the portal do not reflect what the district teaches students.

“The posting suggests that the District endorses radical gender identity curriculum, which is reckless and inaccurate. Furthermore, the posting lacks context and clarity,” Superintendent Eric Bowlen said in a statement. “We invite Attorney General Rokita and any of our legislators to visit our schools to observe as our students learn from the standards required by the Indiana Department of Education.”

Carmel Clay Schools spokesperson Emily Bauer said that the district “was not previously notified regarding the website or asked to confirm the validity of submitted screenshots.”

Bauer also said several documents “originated from a now-defunct outside special interest group, and others appear to be online quizzes with no additional context provided.” Bauer added that it is “irresponsible to portray these screenshots as curriculum.”

Clark-Pleasant Schools said a hyperlink to a board policy document about transgender students “is outdated, retired, and no longer exists here at CPCSC!”

“We are disappointed in the release of this incorrect information and the fact that no one from the Attorney General’s office reached out to verify this information,” the district said.

The New Prairie United School Corporation said a plan listed on the portal is not in active use by the district, said Superintendent Paul White.

“The support plan was changed after community meetings in which we received input from parents, the community, and our school attorney,” White said in an email. “Parents are informed in ALL instances when a student comes forward to declare transgender status.”

The portal’s materials listed for Noblesville Schools are all old and not in use, said spokesperson Marnie Cooke. The site listed a screenshot of a presentation that the document claims was on white privilege, featuring a link that does not work.

The portal also listed screenshots of assignment details for an English course detailing the meaning of privilege, and a screenshot of an assignment on dominant and subordinated groups of people that the office labeled “CRT” (which is shorthand for critical race theory).

“For example, one document shows someone who was a volunteer community speaker in 2018. He presented content that was not appropriately vetted by us and we apologized to families at the time,” Cooke said in an email. “Another item is from an employee who is no longer with Noblesville Schools and the third example is also not in use.”

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation said the “minority scholarship” document listed for the district in the portal is from a one-day conference that the district did not sponsor, host, or plan, and was not a district minority scholarship as implied, according to the district.

Another document portraying an email sent to students about a representative from Goshen College available to speak to Black students was not a “Black Only College Fair” as it was labeled on the portal, Penn-Harris-Madison also countered.

And a third document labeled “diversity activities” was used in 2021 with students who were enrolled in a Preparing for College and Careers course and an Ivy Tech course, the district said. The Penn High School teacher obtained the diversity activities from the course framework provided by Ivy Tech faculty and made adaptations using professional judgment.

“After teaching this lesson and receiving parental/guardian feedback, Penn High School made changes to the courses while also maintaining state standards,” the district said. “The diversity activities shared have not been used at Penn High School since 2021.”

Indiana teachers ‘feeling under surveillance’

Analysts say the website could potentially have a chilling effect on classroom lessons and educators.

John Rogers, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, said it’s important for teachers to feel comfortable enough to lead their students through historical lessons and discussions about different experiences within a multiracial democracy. But they’re less likely to do so under the threat of being reported to the state.

“It’s very hard to lean into those conversations when you are feeling like you might be attacked, publicly and in bad faith,” Rogers said.

Existing democratic processes allow parents and educators to share concerns with governing bodies that can then make decisions about what should be allowed in schools — building mutual respect and trust, he said.

But the website takes a “name and shame” approach, Rogers said, that ultimately foments conflict for the sake of conflict and heightens a sense of ill-will and mistrust in education.

Christopher Lubienski, director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University, said it’s not clear how the investigations will work and whether they’ll be fair, whether complaints reflect real concerns, and what kind due process is available for individuals accused in the materials, he said.

Posting personal information also creates concerns about doxxing, a term that refers to publishing people’s personally identifiable information without their consent.

Many Republican-led states have adopted measures like the tip line or a parents’ bill of rights, he said, though parents already have the right to view and challenge curriculum, as well as attend school board meetings and run for office.

He said anecdotal evidence suggests the measures have likely negatively impacted teacher recruiting and retention.

“They don’t have the autonomy they expected. They’re feeling under surveillance,” he said. “They’ve likened it to McCarthyism.”

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Former virtual school leaders face decades in prison if found guilty in alleged enrollment scam

2024-01-25T20:49:34+00:00

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The federal investigation into alleged fraud at two virtual charter schools required a complex review that included interviews of falsely enrolled students and their parents — including the family of one student who was enrolled even after their death, federal investigators said Thursday.

The former virtual charter school leaders of Indiana Virtual School (IVS) and Indiana Virtual Pathway (IVPA) could face decades in federal prison if convicted of charges that they allegedly defrauded the Indiana Department of Education, officials said.

The operators of the now-closed schools allegedly inflated the enrollment by thousands of students and accepted more than $44 million in state funding, per a federal indictment from last week.

That funding was then allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies and used for personal expenses, including tuition at Park Tudor and a purchase at a boat dealership.

The founder of the schools, Thomas Stoughton Sr., 74, of Carmel, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and 57 counts of money laundering. Director of IVS Phillip Holden, 62, of Middletown faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 16 counts of wire fraud. The superintendent of both schools, Percy Clark, 81, of Carmel, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and 11 counts of money laundering.

Additionally, school operations manager Christopher King, 61, of Green Fork, entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Attorneys for Stoughton, Holden, and Clark did not immediately return a request for comment.

“Taxpayers rightfully expect that their hard earned money is being used to educate our children as intended,” Zachary Myers, the U.S. District Attorney for Southern Indiana, said in a press conference Thursday. “Stealing public money from our educational system deprives Hoosier students of the services and opportunities that are vital to all of our futures.”

An unnamed individual described as a manager of student services representatives is also listed in the indictment as a defendant, but Myers did not comment on why they are unidentified. It’s unclear if that person is also charged in the case.

Each defendant faces between 10 and 20 years in federal prison per count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

If convicted, the government could recoup that money directly or seize assets to recover the loss, officials said.

Federal indictment comes six years after Chalkbeat investigation

Chalkbeat Indiana originally investigated the school in 2017, noting ballooning enrollment, few teachers, and multiple companies affiliated with Stoughton that received funding from the school.

At the time of the investigation, state education officials said they could not intervene.

A state audit released in 2020 found the two schools inappropriately spent more than $85 million in public funding on companies connected to school officials. Of that amount, more than $68 million was improperly collected by the schools, the audit reported.

Additionally, the state attorney general sued the charter schools in 2021 to recoup $154 million in state funds. That case is still ongoing per court records.

Myers said the state and federal lawsuits are two different actions working under different laws and periods of time, which may lead to the discrepancy in damages.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Office of Attorney General Todd Rokita said the office will continue its civil lawsuit to recoup damages.

“While we are pleased to see that there will be potential criminal repercussions for at least some of those involved in the diversion of public funds, the criminal charges do not encompass all of the loss or involved parties,” the spokesperson said.

Herb Stapleton, special agent in charge of the Indianapolis FBI field office, said the case was a complex one involving reviews of hundreds of bank accounts and interviews with falsely enrolled students or their parents.

“In this particular case it was the State Board of Accounts of Indiana who put a significant amount of effort into identifying that there was potential fraud here, and then did the right thing by referring it to law enforcement,” he said.

A trial for Stoughton, Holden and Clark has not been scheduled.

Indictment spurs calls for stronger charter oversight

The indictment has spurred charter opponents to call for stronger oversight in a state with a legislature that fully embraces all forms of school choice.

“Instead of depending upon elected school officials, the state has decided to depend on charter schools that use outside contractors who are not under close supervision and lack public accountability,” Democratic State Rep. Ed DeLaney, who represents Indianapolis, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We export our management and oversight responsibilities to people who choose not to perform the function. In the end, the taxpayers lose out.”

The indictment also raises questions about whether charter school authorizers, which are responsible for overseeing charter schools in lieu of a publicly elected school board, are adequately monitoring their portfolio of schools.

“Charter school authorizers do not always monitor the conduct of the schools they are authorizing,” DeLaney said. “Our current charter school management system, or lack thereof, not only creates the opportunity for fraud but has reportedly cost the state at least $85 million of taxpayer money in this one case.”

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Former virtual charter school leaders face federal charges tied to alleged enrollment scam

2024-01-23T22:52:41+00:00

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Several former charter school operators were indicted last week for their alleged roles in conspiring to defraud the state of Indiana by padding student enrollment at virtual charter schools.

The operators of Indiana Virtual School (IVS) and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy (IVPA) are accused of inflating the number of students who attended the institutions by thousands of students and accepting more than $44 million from the state, according to the 24-page federal indictment.

The defendants face a combined 76 charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering.

A state audit in 2020 said the two schools inappropriately spent more than $85 million in public funding on companies connected to school officials. Of that amount, more than $68 million was improperly collected by the schools, the audit reported.

The state funding was allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies owned by the schools’ founder, Thomas Stoughton, and then paid out to himself, his family, former IVS and IVPA Superintendent Percy Clark, and others, the indictment said. Federal prosecutors allege the money was then spent on extravagant purchases ranging from a Cadillac and jewelry from Tiffany & Co. to private school tuition.

The federal indictment, filed by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, comes several years after the state attorney general sued the charter schools — which folded in 2019 — to recoup the state funds. That case is still ongoing per court records.

A 2017 Chalkbeat investigation into Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy uncovered inflated enrollment, conflicts of interest, and dismal academic results.

The former virtual school officials and their attorneys didn’t respond to requests for comment, but officials with the schools have previously denied wrongdoing. Online court records show that Clark submitted a not guilty plea. A person who answered a phone number listed for Clark said “no comment” and hung up.

The indictment also raises questions about charter school authorizers, which are government- or university-related entities that essentially provide the same oversight an elected school board exercises over traditional public schools. But observers have asked if warning signs were missed by the authorizer in this case, and if the state is too lax on the authorizers themselves.

The indictment spelled out a complicated scheme to inflate enrollment in exchange for state money. According to the indictment, the virtual schools were required under state law in 2017 to monitor attendance and withdraw students who didn’t log in for online classes.

According to the indictment, Stoughton, along with Clark, Director of IVS Phillip Holden, school operations manager Christopher King, a manager of student services representatives listed as “individual 2,” and others “conspired to defraud the State of Indiana through their operation of two online charter schools.”

They allegedly did this in part by counting partially completed application forms from students. “Most of these ‘students’ never participated in any way,” the indictment stated.

The defendants are also accused of falsely re-enrolling students who in fact left, as well as telling teachers not to disenroll any students, according to the indictment. (One teacher was allegedly fired for trying to blow the whistle on the arrangement.) These numbers were turned over to the Indiana Department of Education by the schools’ leaders and used by the state to calculate funds sent to the schools.

Teachers at the schools, though, were only paid for the students who were legitimately enrolled, the indictment noted.

Millions of dollars were then transferred to several companies and bank accounts under the control of the defendants, according to the indictment. Money was then drawn from the accounts by the defendants to make purchases that include a Cadillac sedan costing more than $58,000, private school tuition at Park Tudor, and about $11,000 at Tiffany & Co.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat Managing Editor Carrie Melago contributed to this article.

Literacy, vouchers, and IPS: Indiana education issues we’re watching in 2024

2023-12-21T12:00:00+00:00

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It may be a new year on the calendar, but January marks the halfway point of the school year and the start of the legislative session in Indiana. And there’s no shortage of education news and issues to watch.

Here’s five topics we’re watching in 2024:

How students learn to read

No surprise here, but reading will likely get a lot of attention, just like in 2023.

Lawmakers passed a new state law in 2023 that requires school districts to adopt a curriculum that’s aligned with the science of reading. The law also specifies that districts are no longer allowed to use literacy curriculum that rely mostly on the three-cueing model, in which students use context clues and pictures.

The new law grew out of concerns held by lawmakers and education officials about students’ reading ability, and our story about what it means for students, teachers and schools was our most-read story of 2023.

When discussing next year’s legislative session, lawmakers said they want to continue to address literacy by looking into Indiana’s third grade retention laws for students who don’t pass the state reading exam, the IREAD-3.

2024 elections feature gubernatorial, IPS school board races

The new year means that it’s a big election year — and not just because there’s a race for the White House.

Here in Indiana, there’s an election for governor with no incumbent, since term limits prohibit Gov. Eric Holcomb from running again. There are multiple candidates on the Republican side and former Indiana Superintendent of Education Jennifer McCormick on the Democratic side.

At the local level, four of the seven seats on the IPS Board of Commissioners are up for election in November, plus there will be school board elections across the state.

Rebuilding Stronger becomes reality for IPS

Approved by the Indianapolis Public Schools board in fall of 2022, Rebuilding Stronger is the district’s sweeping overhaul that aims to address pressing challenges of declining enrollment and educational inequities for students of color.

The Rebuilding Stronger rollout started this school year with the closure of several schools. But the bigger piece begins in the 2024-25 school year, when grade reconfigurations at the elementary and middle schools start, along with expanded academic programs and enrollment zones.

The district is working hard to make sure families know their options for the coming year with an invitation for families to “Choose your IPS.”

The enrollment period is underway, and IPS reported in early December that applications were up from the same time last year by about 470 families.

The future of old IPS school buildings

Per state law, school districts must offer closed school buildings to charter schools to buy or lease for $1. But the law comes with exemptions, including one added this year for districts that share funds from voter-approved property tax increases for operating or safety expenses with an “applicable charter school.”

What that new exemption means is the focus of a legal dispute between IPS and the state that will likely continue into the new year. The outcome will determine whether the district can sell the buildings or must essentially give them to charter schools that could enroll former IPS students.

IPS filed a lawsuit in August against Attorney General Todd Rokita and state board of education officials, arguing that the school district is exempt from the state law. A Marion County judge sided with the district, and Rokita appealed the ruling. In the meantime, the IPS has paused the sale of closed buildings, but the district plans to lease one of the facilities (which it previously voted to sell to a nonprofit) while the court battle plays out.

More students using vouchers

Earlier this year, lawmakers expanded the state’s voucher program to make nearly all students eligible to receive public money to attend private school. Indiana was one of several Republican-led states to do so recently.

Roughly 97% of students now qualify, and state projections show that participation could increase by nearly 42,000 students within two years. And in November, we had our first glimpse into what the participation looks like.

More than 69,000 Choice Scholarship applications were approved during the first round of the program for the 2023-24 school year, per the Indiana Department of Education. That’s a record number. And it’s likely to rise after the second application period, which closes in January.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporters Amelia Pak-Harvey and Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How the delayed FAFSA is impacting a new mandate for Indiana students

2023-12-07T11:00:00+00:00

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It’s the first school year that Indiana students are required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. But they still don’t have access to the form.

The FAFSA is typically released in October. But this year, its release has been delayed as the federal government works on a new version that’s supposed to be easier and quicker to fill out. It’s now expected to be out by the end of the month.

All that change means it’s even more important for resources to reach every student individually, school leaders said.

The FAFSA is how students are considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans and scholarships as well as some aid from states and individual colleges. Students can also access funds for a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential by filling out the form.

The new statewide requirement, which has some exceptions, is part of an effort by state leaders to boost Indiana’s college-going rate, which stood at about 53% for the Class of 2021, the latest data available. That’s roughly the same percentage as for the Class of 2020, although it declined for several years before that.

Filling out the FAFSA is considered an indicator of college-going, and nearly 48% of students in Indiana’s high school Class of 2023 completed the form, per a state dashboard. But the FAFSA delay could create a time crunch; of those students who completed the FAFSA, roughly 60% filled out the form by Dec. 31.

What families need to prepare for the FAFSA

One big change is when students and parents create their Federal Student Aid ID, which serves as a digital signature students need for the FAFSA

As part of creating the ID, they submit personal information to be verified, and the ID can take one to three days, said Bill Wozniak, vice president of communications and student services for INvestEd, which provides free FAFSA help in-person and via phone.

In the past, students and parents could create their FSA ID before sitting down to fill out the FAFSA or at the same time, but the latter is no longer an option, Wozniak said. So families need to have the ID ready before they start the form.

“It really launches the whole process,” said Rebecca Daugherty-Saunders, director of college and career readiness for the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.

School leaders and others are telling students to create their FSA IDs now. Otherwise, for example, families might come to a FAFSA event in the spring expecting to complete the FAFSA there with experts to help them, but won’t be able to because they don’t have an ID ready to go.

How sports and free dinners help schools boost FAFSA completion

In years past, Wozniak said INvestEd would hold roughly half of its FAFSA events before the new year, in part because there’s typically a group of students who wanted to fill out the form around the time when college applications are due.

Plus, College Goal Sunday, a free event to help families fill out the FAFSA at locations across the state, is typically in October and in February. But this school year, it’s only on Feb. 25, 2024, said Wozniak, who serves as the event’s co-chairperson.

Still, INvestED has more than 900 events scheduled this year at high schools across the state, including ones this semester about the FSA ID and general information.

And districts including Warren and Wayne townships received the College Matters grant to increase college enrollment in Marion County; they are using it to help students fill out the FAFSA.

Both Ben Davis and Warren Central have added experts and support staff from universities and community groups to answer questions and work with students and families on the FAFSA. District leaders said they are looking for ways to make it as easy as possible for families.

At Warren, that means having people available to help before and during the school day at the district’s community resource center, in addition to the evening sessions for filling out the FAFSA.

It also means ensuring there is FAFSA information at events families attend, such as athletic competitions, said Laura Butgereit, coordinator for college and career readiness, school counseling, and family engagement for the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township.

At Ben Davis, the Indianapolis Urban League is providing hot meals for families during the FAFSA nights. That makes it easier for families to attend, Daugherty-Saunders said: “We’re taking time away from families outside of school. It’s their dinner time.”

Reaching all students can be difficult in a high school as big as Ben Davis, but it’s crucial, Daugherty-Saunders said. She added that teachers and counselors both work to reach seniors about their postsecondary plans.

Butgereit agreed that reaching each student is crucial to the new FAFSA mandate’s success.

“It’s going to come down to our counselors [and] support people working through all the seniors,” she said.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear true stories told by local teachers at this storytelling event

2023-10-12T11:30:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The infamous “teacher voice” — we all know it, and now you can hear directly from local educators about the times they may have needed to use it.

Join us for the “Don’t Make Me Use My Teacher Voice” teacher story slam from 6 to 8 p.m Thursday, Nov. 16, at Ash & Elm Cider Company, 1301 E Washington Street in Indianapolis. The event will be hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy along with Chalkbeat Indiana and Indy Kids Winning.

Teachers Lounge Indy was formed to help early-career teachers build community, said organizer Ronak Shah. The group last hosted a story slam in 2019. Since then, many in the group have moved on and are no longer early in their careers.

However, Shah said a current teacher encouraged him to bring the event back, so he revived it.

To attend, register here for a free ticket on Eventbrite: https://ckbe.at/3FSCr6z.

Also, if you’re an educator and want to tell your story, contact: teachersloungeindy@gmail.com.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Butler University launches two-year college with degrees free to most students

2023-11-03T17:16:48+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Students can earn an associate degree from Butler University at no cost to them, and continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree for $10,000, thanks to a new program.

On Friday, Butler announced it is opening a new two-year college on campus that will offer associate degrees in business and allied health. The program will start enrolling students in fall 2025.

The program is focused on Indianapolis-area students from low-income backgrounds, including students who are undocumented. The university said in its Friday announcement that it wants to make college more accessible and affordable for previously underserved students, and help them navigate the college-going process.

The program is designed as a commuter school, and its students will have access to the same resources and amenities as other Butler students, officials said Friday. However, students in the two-year program will also have additional support, including small classes, dedicated faculty advisors, mental health services, and financial aid, per a news release.

A majority of qualifying students will also qualify for Federal Pell Grants and the state’s Frank O’Bannon Scholarship. Those two sources of aid will cover the cost of the two-year degree, the university said.

Students who earn a 3.0 or higher GPA in their two-year program automatically qualify to continue at Butler to earn a four-year degree. Students with a lower GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis, per the university.

If students continue work towards their bachelor’s degree, the Pell and O’Bannon funds will — along with aid from Butler — keep costs to the student to a maximum of $10,000, according to Butler.

Butler’s announcement is the latest effort from Indiana’s institutions of higher education to improve the state’s college-going rate. For the Class of 2021, the latest data available, the college-going rate was about 53%. That’s roughly the same rate as for the Class of 2020; the rate fell for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education released this fall showed enrollment in higher education increased by roughly 4,700 students from a year ago. That increase included a roughly 3,200-student increase in two-year schools.

Butler is launching its new college in partnership with the national nonprofit organization Come to Believe Network. The organization works to help colleges and universities start two-year programs as a pathway for students to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees, per a news release.

Butler will be Come to Believe Network’s third partner, joining Loyola University Chicago and University of St. Thomas – Minnesota. More than 80% of graduates from this model transfer to a four-year college or university, and 75% earn a bachelor’s degree in addition to their two-year degree, Butler University said.

Come to Believe credits that success in part to the mix of students having access to the amenities of the four-year campus with added support.

Across the state, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University, which are two-year campuses, offer students the most options for two-year degrees.

However, several other universities and colleges offer a smaller number of associate degrees, per the Commission for Higher Education: Ball State University, Indiana University, IUPUI, Indiana Wesleyan University, Purdue University, the University of Saint Francis, and the University of Southern Indiana.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Growth in Indiana college enrollment marks largest increase in 13 years

2023-10-18T18:29:57+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

More students are going to Indiana’s colleges and universities this fall, and the share of students earning degrees on schedule has also grown in the last few years, the state announced Wednesday.

Data released by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education showed that enrollment this fall increased by roughly 4,700 students from a year ago. That marks the largest year-over-year increase in 13 years, per the state. The commission reported that there are about 244,600 students enrolled in Indiana institutions of higher education this fall.

The new state data shows a move in a positive direction for state leaders, who are aiming to increase the state’s college attainment after years of declining college-going rates. That includes several efforts aimed at college access enacted earlier this year by state lawmakers.

Per the state, the number of undergraduate students increased by nearly 3% over last year; the number of graduate students declined by less than 1%.

The enrollment increase includes roughly 2,500 students from Indiana, a nearly 2% bump for in-state enrollment.

Enrollment increased at both two-year and four-year institutions. For students from Indiana, enrollment in two-year schools is up by roughly 3,200, and enrollment in four-year institutions is down by roughly 700.

The commission also said that more students are completing degrees on time, with a 9% increase over the last five years.

Earlier this year, the state also reported that Indiana’s college-going rate is about 53% for the Class of 2021, the latest data available. That’s about the same as the rate for the Class of 2020; the college-going percentage fell for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes approved by state lawmakers this year to improve college access include automatically enrolling students into 21st Century Scholars, which covers tuition for qualifying students; requiring all students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to access more funds; and preventing state and for-profit private colleges and universities from refusing transcripts to current or former students who still owe money to the institution.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

A career switch led this teacher to helping students build businesses of their own

2023-10-18T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Meredith Bryant wanted a change.

It was 2020, and she was working from home due to the pandemic. Bryant had been in marketing for eight years but felt like she was missing her sense of purpose.

So she decided to become a teacher.

For the past three years, she’s worked as a business teacher at Walker Career Center at Warren Central High School. This year, she’s teaching and leading a new program centered on entrepreneurship.

Interest in entrepreneurship was growing among high schoolers at Warren Central, so the school created a new pathway where students can launch their own businesses. Plus, they earn up to 16 college credits — roughly a full semester of classes.

Indiana education leaders are pushing to improve access to postsecondary education as the state’s college-going rate for high school seniors hovered at roughly 53% for the class of 2021, the latest data available, after years of decline. That includes efforts to reduce the cost and time it takes to earn a degree. Dual enrollment programs, where students can earn high school and college credits at the same time, are among those efforts.

For Bryant, leaving marketing for teaching proved to be an exciting decision. Her days now are filled with hands-on activities and helping students apply business lessons as they create their own companies and start to build their futures.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during 2020, during the pandemic, when I was working in marketing for a local credit union in the investment department. I wanted some way I could be helpful and decided to go back to school, which turned into me doing a transition-to-teaching program.

I needed more of a challenge and something that was going to give a better-served outcome. Now that I’m three years in, I absolutely love what I do and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I just wish I would have done it sooner.

Why start the new entrepreneurship program at Warren Central High School? How will it impact students?

Entrepreneurship used to be an elective, but when students started showing more of interest in the topic, they wanted to try it as its own pathway. This program will help students launch a potential business so they can graduate owning something of their own. I have four seniors who will hopefully be ready to launch their business ideas into the community by May. The other students, juniors, will have me for another year to finalize and work on their budgets, investments, and financial planning.

A “pathway” is essentially an area of expertise, like declaring a major in college. We have over 30-plus pathways that the students can choose from, and entrepreneurship is the most recent one.

As of right now, the classes are all taught by me and students have to pass with a C or better to pass the class. If they pass the Principles of Entrepreneurship, they will move on to the next class, Small Business Operations, and then the capstone.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Every Wednesday, we do “workshop stations,” where the students go around to different areas of the room and complete an activity.

Recently, we did “Adult Day” where the students learned how to tie a tie, sew on a button, read paychecks, and write professional emails. These are not only fun for the students but for me as well because I get to engage with them on a different level than just a teacher-student relationship.

Overall, my favorite lessons to teach are hands-on activities. I learn better when I see it visually so doing hands-on projects is where I really shine as a teacher.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Job loss has hit some of my students and even their families. It has been hard to keep their motivation when they see their community laying people off.

When circumstances like this happen, there are a lot of resources we can offer students, but I think with having this class, they have come to realize they can break that barrier. They can use this class to change their environment and better their situation.

What has been surprising about the program so far?

The ideas that the students have come up with so far has really shocked me. I’ve had students that have already launched their apparel business, and they’ve started gaining that experience.

This year as part of the new pathway, students are still in the brainstorming phase of the process but have come up with amazing ideas so far.

One student didn’t want to wait around and jumped into his business and is already making sales. He wants to start his own apparel line but, for now, is working with a manufacturer to design and distribute zip-up hoodies. He’s done very well so far.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was a three-sport athlete and a good student academically. I think having that discipline at an early age has carried over to me as an adult and how I run my classroom.

For example, every week we do a Mindful Monday exercise where students watch a motivational YouTube clip and reflect on it in their journals. After they are done, we talk about it and allow some to share their experiences.

I had a high school teacher do this and being the student I was, it helped pick me up and remind me why I was there, and what I’m working towards. I hope to do the same for my students with these reflection days.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The struggles and challenges that are given to you are put in your way to see how you will react to them. Will you overcome them or let them tear you down? It’s always your choice!

I tell my students every day that their attitude when they walk through the door will determine how class will go.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Voter guide: Indianapolis mayoral candidates’ views on education

2023-10-06T13:09:27+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Incumbent Joe Hogsett and challenger Jefferson Shreve are vying to be Indianapolis mayor in the Nov. 7 election.

Hogsett, a Democrat, is running for a third term against Shreve, a Republican, who is a businessman and former Indianapolis city-county councilor. Both candidates won their respective May primary elections with more than half of the vote.

Throughout the campaign, public safety has been in the spotlight, and the two candidates shared a stage for the first time during this year’s race at a forum hosted by Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis and Indiana Landmarks at the end of September.

They went back-and-forth about public safety, infrastructure, housing, and more in response to audience questions. But outside of one question regarding the upcoming split of IUPUI into Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis, education wasn’t mentioned during the forum.

The two candidates are scheduled to debate several more times this month.

The mayor’s leadership of Indianapolis and the townships impacts the educators, students and families who live in and attend school in Marion County. Additionally, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation which includes the Indianapolis Charter School Board, approves and oversees charter schools.

So to better understand each candidates’ views and priorities on education, we asked each of them the same seven questions on topics including charter schools and authorizers, youth gun violence and more.

Here is what they said, in their own words:

Answers are as candidates submitted them and were not edited.

How to vote in the November elections

In addition to Indianapolis mayor, elections for city-county council are also on the ballot. And outside of Marion County, multiple school districts are asking voters to approve referendums.

Voter registration ends Oct. 10. Register to vote and/or check your registration at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting starts Oct. 11 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites are open from October 28 to November 5.

On Election Day, Nov. 7, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You can apply to college for free in Indiana from Sept. 25-29. Here’s how.

2023-09-22T11:00:00+00:00

Indiana students can apply to 36 colleges in the state for free next week, saving them hundreds of dollars in fees.

The fee is waived during College Application Week, which runs from Sept. 25 to 29. The effort is part of a push to increase college-going in the state, which stagnated at 53% of high school graduates from the class of 2021, and was declining before the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some Indiana colleges have no application fee, those that do range from about $25 to $65 per application, so the cost can add up quickly, said Michelle Ashcraft, senior associate commissioner and chief programs officer for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, who leads the commission’s K-12 outreach team.

The commission has several initiatives aimed at increasing the college-going rate after high school, including automatic enrollment into 21st Century Scholars, which covers tuition for qualifying students; requiring all students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to access more funds; and pre-admissions, where students at participating schools receive a letter telling them which of the participating Indiana colleges they’d be admitted to if they apply.

The application fee waiver next week not only reduces the cost of applying for college, it also means students are researching colleges and applying earlier in the year, Ashcraft said. She added that increases their chances at merit scholarships and helps to meet early deadlines.

If a student hasn’t yet started an application or decided where to apply, Ashcraft said it’s still “very feasible” for students to apply to multiple colleges during College Application Week.

Colleges in the state have worked to streamline their application process, and in some cases, have one-page applications, she said, adding that if a student is undecided about college, this means they have the option for free.

However, Ashcraft said that if students have concerns about affording the application fee after this coming week, they should contact that school’s admissions office and ask if waivers are available.

How to apply to college in Indiana for free:

Below is a list of Indiana colleges and universities participating in College Application Week.

Students should go to the institution-specific application (not the Common App) on that school’s website and fill it out as usual. If a code is listed below, enter that when prompted, otherwise the fee should be automatically waived, Ashcraft said.

List of participating colleges

Anderson University
Bethel University
Caris College
DePauw University
Earlham College
Franklin College
Grace College
Hanover College
Huntington University
Indiana Tech
Indiana State University (Fee waived until Oct. 1)
Indiana University East
Indiana University Fort Wayne (Fee waived from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1. Use code: FWCOLLGO)
Indiana University Indianapolis (Use Code: INCOLLGO)
Indiana University Kokomo
Indiana University Northwest
Indiana University South Bend
Indiana University Southeast
Indiana Wesleyan University
Ivy Tech Community College
Manchester University
Marian University
Martin University
Oakland City University
Purdue University Fort Wayne (Fee waived from Sept. 25 to Oct 8. Use Code: CollegeGo2023)
Purdue University Northwest (Fee waived all of September)
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary’s College
Trine University
University of Evansville
University of Indianapolis
University of Saint Francis
University of Southern Indiana
Valparaiso University
Vincennes University
Wabash College

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS superintendent highlights ‘excellent choices for everyone’ in State of the District speech

2023-09-21T01:20:55+00:00

Aleesia Johnson, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, said she’s never been as excited for the State of the District speech as she was on Wednesday, when she invited all Indianapolis families to see the options IPS offers.

Her speech touted options available to students, largely through Rebuilding Stronger, the district’s overhaul plan, as the district aims to attract students and families.

The plan was unveiled at the State of the District last year, and this year’s speech is about keeping those promises, she said.

Johnson expressed her gratitude to the Indianapolis community for answering requests from the district including passing a capital referendum, sharing ideas, and giving the district grace and patience as changes were implemented, which included closing and merging some schools.

Johnson called the offerings now available to students “historic.”

“For as long as I can remember, our most exciting and comprehensive offerings were concentrated in neighborhoods that were whiter and wealthier,” she said. “Now, for the first time, every family in our city can access our best stuff. What was once a privilege is now a right.”

Here’s what to know from Johnson’s speech:

IPS is ‘making up ground’

Johnson highlighted the district’s recent academic gains. In 2023, a greater share of the district’s students scored proficient on both the reading and math sections of the state ILEARN test than before the pandemic in 2019. (Passing rates on IREAD declined from 62.8% last year to 60.6% this year.)

“While much of the country is still experiencing major academic setbacks, we at IPS are already making up ground. We now have a greater share of students at or above pre-pandemic performance in both reading and math, and we’re the only district in Marion County that can make that claim,” she said. “This is a nationally significant achievement.”

Additionally, Johnson said the graduation rate has grown to 80%, which cut in half the gap between IPS and the state graduation rate, which was 86.61% in 2022.

That is “a direct reflection of the work our team began in 2018 to reinvent our high schools and transition to college and career pathways,” she said.

District extends an invite to ‘every family in Indianapolis’

Every family with school-age children will receive an invitation in the mail, Johnson said. That invitation, expected in two weeks, asks families to “choose your IPS” that is “tailored to your child’s needs, interests, and hopes.”

In addition to the mailer, Johnson said IPS will have a “showcase of schools” in early November where all schools will be open for families to visit. Plus, school staff will reach out to current families to answer questions; there will also be open houses and information sessions.

This “whole new chapter” is the payoff for doing hard things as part of the district’s reorganization, she said. And it’s ending ways that “reinforced old patterns of haves and have-nots, of segregation, of intentional disinvestment.”

“Every family in Indianapolis is invited,” she said. “Every family.”

Offerings reflect that students’ ‘talent is everywhere’

Johnson said options available to students previously varied from neighborhood to neighborhood, meaning some students and families were left out.

“The way we did it before would have made perfect sense — if all the future violinists were born in one neighborhood, and all the computer coders in another,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure talent is everywhere so we need to make sure opportunity is as well.”

The new approach includes more pre-K options and more high-demand instructional models for elementary school such as Montessori, dual language immersion, and others. For older kids, all middle school students now have access to band and orchestra, world language, algebra I, computer science, and music, she said. This is a change from the past, when not all schools offered these programs.

At the high school level, options continue, Johnson said, listing choices from “Law and Public Safety to Media Arts and Design to Computer Science and Advanced Manufacturing.”

Plus, she said programs in health care, IT and cybersecurity set students up for internships, industry certifications, and dual credit programs.

Beyond academics, Johnson said athletic offerings are expanding, including girls flag football at all four district-managed high schools as well as more elementary and middle school sports camps and clinics next year.

Investments also include updated buildings – by the end of September, 30 schools will have updated HVAC systems and design work is underway for other buildings, she said.

Nearly $100 million of capital referendum projects will be facilitated by a minority-, women-, or veteran-owned business, she added.

Johnson looks to the future needs

While Wednesday’s speech largely centered on touting exciting parts of the future, Johnson said she knows she’ll likely have speeches where she’ll have to make tough asks.

She also acknowledged that she’d likely have to make more tough requests of the community. And she called for the community to come together more for students.

She noted that resources are needed for students who are non-native English-speaking learners, students with disabilities, and 3- and 4-year-old early learners.

“We can invest in solutions that make it possible for working parents to support their families while their children learn,” she said, adding that investing in students is also investing in a strong economy of the future.

“It’ll take all of us, fighting for what our students need. But there are solutions and, together, we have them,” Johnson said. “Indianapolis has shown me that time and time again.”

Chalkbeat reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Township schools in Marion County: Tell us what you want to read about them

2023-07-26T11:00:00+00:00

Roughly 100, 000 students attend township school districts across Marion County, and we want to tell their stories.

What challenges do they face? What successes are they celebrating? How are schools providing for them?

This year, Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI are partnering to expand coverage of the township school districts in Marion County.

As small newsrooms, it can be challenging to cover all of the school districts and charter schools in Marion County. But we know there are important stories going uncovered, and we know you want to read those stories — you’ve told us.

So Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI will be co-publishing coverage of Marion County township school districts, as a way to increase the number and quality of stories we can tell about the students and educators in those districts. We plan to start by focusing on these townships: Lawrence, Perry, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne.

That means we want to know your thoughts on our plans and your story ideas. Let us know what you think in the form below. And if you can’t see the form, click here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is editor of the WFYI education desk. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or text at 317-426-7386.

Indiana’s newest college-going rate holds to previous year

2023-07-13T15:52:17+00:00

The newest college-going rate for Indiana high school graduates is about the same as it was for the graduating class the year before.

Last year, data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education showed the high school class of 2020 had a 53% college-going rate, which was a significant drop even with years of declining enrollment, prompting concern from state leaders.

This year, the commission’s data showed that the college-going rate for Indiana high school graduates in the class of 2021 was a “mild decline,” the smallest decline in a decade, according to Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery.

The class of 2021 went to college at a rate of 52.9%, a half of a percentage point down from 53.4% for the class of 2020. That meant that about 400 fewer high school graduates went to college. This rate is the percentage of students going directly from high school to some form of college — which ranged from less than one-year certificates to four-year degrees.

The 2023 College Readiness Report, which includes data about the class of 2021, has not been released yet, but Lowery previewed the data as part of his report at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education meeting Thursday.

Lowery said he’s hopeful initiatives underway will boost the rate in coming years.

Also included in the preview of the data were college-going rates for several groups of students.

The college-going rate for Black high school graduates in the class of 2021 was 45%, an increase of two percentage points from the previous year, and it was 43% for Hispanic and Latino high school graduates, a drop of one percentage point.

Among 21st Century Scholars in the class of 2021, 80.8% went to college compared with 30.1% of students from low-income backgrounds who didn’t use the scholarship and 59.2% of students from high-income backgrounds.

The 21st Century Scholars program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility. Students must pledge to follow requirements like maintaining a minimum GPA.

Previously, students had to opt into the scholarship before high school, but a change in state law now means that all students who qualify will be automatically enrolled in the scholarship, but have the option to opt out.

Students in the high school class of 2021 had their junior and senior years of high school, the time when college decisions are made, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lowery said the full 2023 College Readiness Report is expected within a few weeks.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

What the Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions means for Indiana students

2023-06-29T17:19:08+00:00

Colleges and universities in Indiana and across the country can essentially no longer consider race in the admissions process, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

The practice, known as race-conscious admissions, is used most often at the most selective colleges and universities in the country. It’s commonly known as affirmative action, but it is a distinct concept: Race-conscious admissions aims to increase diversity, while affirmative action was used to address historic inequities, something courts no longer allow in admissions.

The court ruled that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional and violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars discrimination.

However, Chief Justice John Roberts also wrote the court’s ruling does not mean that universities are prohibited from “considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor described this as a meaningless concession — “nothing but an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.”

The ruling overturns roughly 40 years of precedent and removes what many colleges and advocates of the practice consider to be an important tool aimed at racial equity in higher education.

In Indiana, state leaders and others are already worried about the declining college-going rate, which is especially low for Black and Hispanic and Latino students. The Supreme Court’s decision could impact students’ college plans and whether they see themselves as college material at all. It could also directly affect several of the state’s largest, most influential institutions of higher education.

Here’s what to know about how the ruling impacts Indiana students:

Which colleges in Indiana consider race in admissions?

Chalkbeat examined common data sets for Indiana’s roughly 40 four-year colleges and universities to determine what factors they consider in admissions. If the data sets weren’t available, Chalkbeat reached out to the institutions directly.

About three dozen had data available or responded. A majority said they didn’t consider race in admissions. Additionally, Ivy Tech Community College, the state’s largest postsecondary institution, doesn’t consider race in admissions.

However, nine colleges and universities do, most notably the University of Notre Dame, as well as the main campuses for Indiana University and Purdue University. At those three schools, students of color make up a minority of enrollment, data shows. (The smaller regional campuses of IU and Purdue do not consider race in admissions.)

At Notre Dame, about 13% of undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino, about 4% are Black, and 6% are Asian. Students who are two or more races are also 6% of the undergraduates.

At Purdue, 7% of undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino, 2% are Black, 13% are Asian, and 5% are two or more races. And at IU, 8% of undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino, 4% are Black, 9% are Asian, and 5% are two or more races.

The other schools that consider race are: Bethel University, Franklin College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Saint Mary’s College, Taylor University, and Wabash College.

What’s the racial breakdown of Indiana students in college?

The share of Indiana students who go to college began falling before the pandemic and is causing concern among state leaders.

The latest data available on the college-going rate showed that 53% of the high school class of 2020 went to college, per a report released last summer by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

In the Class of 2020, Asian students had a college going rate of 71% and white students had a rate of 56%. But Black students had just a 43% college-going rate. Hispanic and Latino students had a college going rate of 44%.

Boosting the college-going rate has been a priority for many state leaders, including Indiana Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery.

Ahead of the ruling, Lowery stressed that the commission will continue to call out “educational attainment gaps” for Indiana, and respond with initiatives including the 21st Century Scholars program, which provides full in-state tuition to students who qualify based on financial need, and more.

“We have a responsibility to not only highlight the challenges that persist but to also ensure all Hoosiers can access the opportunity education and training beyond high school can provide,” Lowery said in a statement to Chalkbeat Indiana.

What does ending race-conscious admissions mean for students?

The Supreme Court decision removes a way for students who are from underrepresented populations to reach campuses, said John Kuykendall, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis.

However, it also could have ripple effects on the way students look at colleges.

Joe Zachery, director of the College Prep Institute at the Center for Leadership Development, an Indianapolis-based organization that aims “to foster the advancement of minority youth in Central Indiana,” said that students could see this ruling and wonder if they’ll be admitted to a college, and if they are, whether they’d be accepted and welcomed on campus.

It is yet another reason that students might think college isn’t for them or that college isn’t affordable, Kuykendall added. He said their perception could be “they don’t want me there.”

Additionally, experts and others have worried about the impact on scholarships and programs that are based on race, as well as what students write about in their college essays.

Plus, it puts a spotlight on the inequities in K-12 education, Zachery said. He said if students go to K-12 schools that lack resources and funding, have fewer counselors, and have fewer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, then they are already at a deficit when it comes to applying to college, especially the most selective institutions.

It doesn’t mean that they can’t do it, but they’ll have to work to overcome those deficits, he said.

What will colleges do now?

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, both IU and Purdue University stressed they will follow the law.

IU leaders told students, faculty and staff in a message that they will work to understand the ruling in the coming weeks, while also continuing “principles and values” that shape IU’s campus.

The university also said in a separate statement that it “reaffirms our commitment to fostering a learning environment that is enriched by students, faculty and staff with a broad range of backgrounds and by robust discourse that draws on various perspectives and beliefs.”

Similarly, Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said in a statement that university leaders will study what the ruling means for admissions, while also stressing the university’s mission “to build a class reflecting the diversity of experiences and gifts of the human family” and its aim to “provide opportunities for a wide range of young people.”

Rose-Hulman also reiterated its commitment to access “for all students in STEM careers and education — especially those who have been historically underrepresented.”

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, it will be even more important for schools to deliver on their promises of being welcoming and inclusive, Zachery said. He added that admissions is one thing, but student retention is another.

Students have to feel like they belong and have a community, or they will be in survival mode, instead of being actively engaged in campus and their education, he said.

This goes for all Indiana colleges and universities, not just the ones that are highly selective, experts agreed.

Kuykendall said students who don’t get into the more selective schools now might go more to the local and regional colleges, so those institutions need to be prepared for — and have appropriate resources for — those students.

“I see it becoming a bigger problem,” Zachery said.

One way that students can find that community is through first-year experience programs and offices, he said. These initiatives can set students up for success from activities to get them engaged and involved, find a community, as well as academic advising, mentoring and mental health, he said.

The reason students leave is that what was pitched to them wasn’t truthful, Zachery said. So in order to keep students and ensure they graduate, not only do schools have to say it, he added, they must “back it up and back it up in spades.”

Chalkbeat national education reporter Kalyn Belsha contributed to this article.

Scholarships, FAFSA, and transcripts: Three new laws aim to help Hoosier students reach college

2023-05-15T20:15:27+00:00

With an eye to addressing Indiana’s low college-going rate and the perception that college is too expensive, Indiana leaders approved three new laws aimed at improving college access.

The new laws aim to strengthen a state scholarship program, provide more information about financial aid, and limit colleges’ power to withhold transcripts from those who still owe money to institutions.

In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, the state’s college-going rate dropped to 53%, a decline of 12 percentage points from five years before. And there’s been a similar decline in adults who are looking for postsecondary opportunities, per the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Improving college-going is about the “removal of barriers,” said Alison Bell, chancellor at Western Governors University Indiana. “There are a lot of complicated reasons why the college going rate is low.”

Plus, the state is coming up on its 2025 deadline to have at least 60% of Hoosiers with a credential beyond high school. When state leaders set that goal in 2009, that number was 33%, said Indiana Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery in his 2023 State of Higher Education address. It now sits at 54%, but that includes the addition of certificates that were not originally counted, according to the commission.

Higher education leaders and advocates for these bills stressed that finances are a particularly big barrier for students when they don’t know what’s available to them to help them pay for college.

Here what you need to know about three new laws:

21st Century Scholars program expands

The 21s Century Scholars program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility, and follow requirements outlined in a scholar pledge.

Previously, students had to sign up for the scholarship in middle school, before a no-exceptions deadline of June 30 after eighth grade.

But with the new law, eligible students will automatically become part of the program. After that, students and their families can decide if they want to continue to meet requirements to stay in it. State data showed that 48% of eligible students enrolled.

“It expedites the process,” said Vincent Isom, director of 21st Century Scholars at Indiana University Bloomington, referring to the new law. He said that students and their parents are no longer dependent on finding out about an application and submitting it.

Students required to seek out financial aid options

Indiana students, with some exceptions, are now required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA.

Advocates of the change said that millions of dollars in aid were being left on the table. Requiring the form would allow students to see their school funding options, they argued, and perhaps convince more students to enroll in postsecondary education.

The form is what students need to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans, and scholarships. Completing the form is also considered a leading indicator of college-going.

States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs.

Colleges can’t withhold transcripts

State and for-profit private colleges and universities can no longer refuse to provide transcripts to current or former students who still owe money — including fees and student loans — to the institution. They also can’t can’t charge a higher fee for the document for those who owe money.

This change removes a barrier for adult learners who want to finish their degrees, but still have payments to make. It often takes months for someone who is thinking about going back to school to make a decision, and not having access to a transcript can derail them, Bell said.

“When a student learns something, they’ve learned it,” said Bell, who advocated in favor of the change. “Withholding a transcript only removes the university’s verification that they’ve learned it.”

Improvements in college access, but more needed

While higher education experts agree these changes are a big step forward, they said that having the money to go to college is only one piece of access.

Access means having information and resources, not only as students are entering college, but also as a college student, said Maurice Shirley, an assistant professor in higher education and student affairs at IU.

He said that includes knowing things like what applications to fill out and where to find them, housing options, and what is needed for a major or to switch majors. And the information to students needs to be targeted and easy to find, said Shirley, given that there can be an information overload.

The change to automatically sign up students for 21st Century Scholars, the change isn’t a “magic wand,” Isom noted. But he said the new law will allow him and others to work with students to spend more time on benchmarks and staying successful in college, instead of on the scholarship application.

And the information to students needs to be targeted and direct, said Shirley who said there is information overload, so the easier it is to find answers to questions, the better.

Both Isom and Shirley agreed finances is an area that they want to see more improvement.

Isom said that students need to be prepared to handle their finances both during and after college.

Shirley said costs of college still need to be lower. One option is addressing tuition costs. But a second way, he said, is decreasing or providing aid for the fees that come with the tuition bill, from activity fees and housing to general living expenses like groceries, health care and so on, he said.

Gone are the days that a student could afford to pay their way through college by working a summer job and using that money during the school year, he added.

More students, steeper costs: Indiana, South Carolina are latest states to vastly expand school vouchers

2023-05-10T16:24:57+00:00

On private school choice, more states are going big and bold.

In Indiana, the Republican-controlled legislature last month approved a massive expansion of the state’s voucher program, making nearly every student eligible to receive public money to attend private school. Just days later, South Carolina followed suit, creating a taxpayer-funded program to cover private school tuition and expenses for thousands of students.

They join four other Republican-led states — Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah — that have established or expanded private school choice programs just this year. Now, more than 30 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, give students public money to attend private school — a number that could keep growing as state lawmakers push dozens more bills to subsidize the cost of private education.

But it isn’t just the number of bills that’s ballooning — it’s also their scope. Unlike past programs, which often targeted low-income families or students with disabilities, the newest ones are open to almost everyone and often allow parents to use the tax dollars for private school or home-school expenses.

Indiana’s newly expanded program is a prime example. Higher-income families can now participate, and students no longer must meet other need-based criteria. As a result, roughly 97% of students will now qualify for private school subsidies, and the state projects that participation could soar by nearly 42,000 additional students within two years.

Bigger programs mean steeper costs. In Indiana, the program’s price tag is expected to nearly double over the next two years.

Private school choice laws surged during the pandemic as conservative lawmakers seized on many parents’ frustration with school shutdowns and mask mandates. Republicans have also used “parents’ rights” rhetoric to justify the laws, arguing that they empower families who are dissatisfied with the public school system to opt out.

Critics have been alarmed by the wave of legislation, which they say deprives public schools of much-needed resources and could promote discrimination against LGBTQ students or those with disabilities, who have fewer protections in private schools, the majority of which are religious. Plus, experts said they wonder about the segregation that could occur among students when it comes to race, income levels, and academic ability.

But school choice advocates are celebrating the bills as the culmination of a decades-long campaign to give every student the option of a publicly funded private education.

“We hailed 2021 as the year of educational choice,” Robert Enlow, CEO of the Indianapolis-based EdChoice, a school choice advocacy group, said in a statement. “Now we are celebrating 2023 as the year of universal choice.”

As these programs proliferate, here’s what to know about eligibility and costs:

New school choice laws vastly expand voucher eligibility

The latest voucher programs are open to nearly every student.

The move toward universal eligibility reflects a sweeping new rationale for private school choice. Once pitched as a lifeline for students whose needs weren’t being met by traditional schools or whose families couldn’t afford private tuition, proponents increasingly argue that every parent should decide how to spend the tax dollars allotted for their children’s education.

It becomes a “universal entitlement program,” said Joseph Waddington, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky at College of Education and Martin School Public Policy and Administration. Rather than target the neediest students, he added, the new programs are “just putting the money in kids’ backpacks” and letting parents decide how to spend it.

John Elcesser, executive director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association, argued that the shift is part of a “re-thinking of how we fund education in general.”

“For the first time in the history of American education policy, states are embracing the ‘money follows the child’ model of education funding that has long been the dream of parental-choice advocates,” Nicole Stelle Garnett and Richard W. Garnett wrote in an article in the right-leaning City Journal this year.

Arizona put this new philosophy into practice last year when it made every parent eligible to receive about $7,000 in state funds, or 90% of the cost to educate a student without disabilities in a public school, to use for private school tuition, tutoring, or homeschooling.

This year, six more states made all or most students eligible to attend private school at taxpayer expense. (West Virginia established a near-universal program in 2021.)

In Indiana, a family of four with an income of up to $220,000 now will qualify for taxpayer-funded tuition assistance. Lawmakers also eliminated other restrictions, including rules that voucher recipients have a disability or are in foster care.

But it’s hard to say if the voucher expansion will lead to large numbers of new students enrolling in private schools. In both Iowa and Indiana, analysts expect that nearly 90% of voucher recipients will be current private school students or kindergarteners entering private school.

“I don’t know if we are going to see a rapid expansion,” said Christopher Lubienski, professor at the Indiana University School of Education and director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.

Plus there are limitations on enrollment, such as the capacity of non-public schools and tuition that exceeds the stipends parents receive, as well as students’ access to private schools in rural areas.

Critics, including many Democrats and teachers unions, say the new universal voucher programs amount to a giveaway for families who already can afford private school.

Costs will soar as the programs expand

As newly eligible families apply for vouchers, costs will surge. But by how much, no one knows.

One reason for the uncertainty: Universal vouchers are, in effect, a grand experiment states are conducting in real time. Budget analysts have scrambled to predict the programs’ eventual price tags, but they can only guess at how many freshly eligible families will participate.

Another complication is that lawmakers in some states scrapped enrollment caps when they expanded eligibility, turning the cost ceiling into a question mark.

The uncertainty has led to wildly divergent estimates. In Florida, the Republican lawmaker who sponsored the universal voucher bill pegged the program’s expected cost at about $210 million, while the left-leaning Florida Policy Institute put it at $4 billion. Later, the Florida Senate came up with its own cost estimate: $646 million.

One big point of contention is what percentage of families who currently pay for private school will start using vouchers to cover tuition. The bill’s sponsor guessed that only 50% will apply, which critics called a wild under-estimate. By contrast, the Florida Policy Institute assumed that 100% of eligible private school families will apply.

In Arizona, participation — and price — have far exceeded expectations.

Last June, the legislature estimated that the expanded voucher program would cost about $33 million this school year. But six months later, after applications from newly eligible families flooded in, the expected cost had soared to $276 million — more than eight times the original estimate. The cost has continued to rise as even more students enroll.

As in other states, a large share of the voucher recipients already attend private school or home-school. (When Arizona expanded access last year, 75% of the first wave of applicants had never attended a public school.) For those students, the state cannot simply transfer funds from public to private schools — it must find a whole new pot of money to cover tuition that parents previously paid for.

Now, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is looking to scale back the program, which she warned “will likely bankrupt this state.”

In Indiana, the state previously set aside $240 million annually for private school vouchers. But with the move to near-universal eligibility, the cost is expected to swell to more than $600 million by 2025.

That amount is eye-opening, said Lubienski, who added that it also follows a pattern of shifting costs to taxpayers. While Indiana lawmakers did increase funding for traditional public schools in this year’s legislative session, the lion’s share of attention and largest funding increases went to voucher and charter programs, he said.

School choice advocates stressed that the cost depends on how many students enroll, but others argued that the money allocated to vouchers amounts to the state endorsing private education.

In the wake of her state’s voucher expansion, Indiana state Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat, said she worries about having enough money for the majority of Indiana’s students who attend public schools, especially those who are English language learners, in special education, and from low-income backgrounds.

“Our kids can’t wait to be properly resourced,” she said.

Patrick Wall is a senior reporter covering national education issues. Contact him at pwall@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

2023 election results: Democratic and Republican primary elections for Indianapolis mayor

2023-05-03T02:10:49+00:00

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education in communities across America. Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools and statewide education news.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Jefferson Shreve in the November general election.

Both candidates had more than half of the vote in their respective primary elections, despite multiple challengers. Per unofficial election results, Hogsett had 58.37% of the votes in the Democratic primary and Shreve had 65.89% in the GOP primary.

Tonight’s election results are unofficial until the Marion County Election Board certifies results on May 15.

Joe Hogsett

The winners of each of the primary elections will be on the Nov. 7 ballot for the general election. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

Voter turnout on Tuesday was around 13% of registered voters. More than 78,000 voters cast ballots in the municipal primary election, an increase of 45% from 2019, per the Marion County Election Board. There were also more than triple the number of early votes.

In the Democratic primary, Hogsett’s closest opponent was state Rep. Robin Shackleford, who had 37.87% of the vote.

The remaining four candidates, including two who stopped campaigning ahead of primary Election Day, each had no more than 1.5% of the vote.

Jefferson Shreve

Similarly in the GOP primary, Abdul Hakim-Shabazz had 26.25% of the vote, while James Jackson and John Couch each had around 4% of the vote.

Mayor has impact on schools in Marion County

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city and its townships is through the Office of Education Innovation, which is a charter school authorizer.

That means the office is responsible for overseeing charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Currently, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation is the authorizer for nearly 50 charter schools, including roughly a dozen schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools Innovation Network.

The mayor also selects six of the nine members of the Indianapolis Charter School Board, which reviews charter school applications and approves or rejects them. The board can also make recommendations on renewals.

Plus, the mayor has a significant impact on crime, the economy, and housing in Indianapolis — all of which affect the educators and students who go to school here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

A college degree starts with housing help at this program for single mothers in Anderson

2023-04-27T12:54:41+00:00

Amanda Lowery was driving to school last summer when her phone rang. A few weeks earlier, the 32-year-old had started classes to earn her high school diploma. But what she really wanted was to go to college.

A single mother who dropped out of high school at 16, Lowery was working two jobs when she decided to go back to school. She struggled to balance going to class with working to pay bills and not having child care in the evenings or on weekends.

When she answered her phone, Lowery learned she was one step closer to moving into the Anderson Scholar House in Anderson, Ind. And when a second phone call during her history class made it official, she cried. She had a new beginning.

Anderson Scholar House helps single mothers who want a college degree but need housing and extra support. It doesn’t eliminate bills and other pressures of life, but creates a support system that stops those pressures from derailing college careers.

Participants can attend any college, as long as a majority of classes are in-person, and they have transportation to campus. The scholar house provides stable housing for the women — known as scholars — and their children — known as junior scholars — while also teaching life skills and providing guidance.

The aim is for scholars to leave as college graduates who no longer need the housing vouchers, food stamps, or other government assistance they previously have relied on.

It’s a simple concept, and it’s proven successful elsewhere. Plus it’s slated to grow, with two locations possible in Indianapolis.

Rosemary Baker, the family advocate who helps the scholars navigate day-to-day challenges, said it’s the first program she has seen that “did not put a Band-Aid” on people’s problems, leaving them no better off once it ends.

Instead, she said, once it ends, “you’re a new person.”

Anderson Scholar House provides stable housing for single mothers who are looking to earn a college degree.

Giving scholars the support and privacy they need

Last fall, Lowery was one of the first to move into the scholar house, which is actually a pair of apartment buildings. Four of the apartments are occupied. Renovations are wrapping up on four more, and there are several more to be renovated in the future.

Lowery lives in a two-bedroom apartment with her two-year-old daughter, Aaliyah. It’s a space they’ve made their own, from the jungle-themed bedroom for Aaliyah to the “perfect” two-seat kitchen table Lowery gushes about.

In the mornings, they get ready for school together before Lowery heads to classes and Aaliyah goes to day care.

“I’m like, ‘OK baby, mommy’s got to go to school and you got to go to school, we got to get ready, we got to put clean clothes on, brush our teeth, we’re gonna have a good day, learn new things,’” Lowery said.

In the evenings, they make and eat dinner together before Lowery does homework.

Challenges still happen: Aaliyah gets sick and needs to stay home, or Lowery’s car needs repairs. She balances school with working at Cracker Barrel. She still has bills to pay.

Lowery and the other scholars aren’t entirely on their own when it comes to living expenses. The program uses housing vouchers, so they pay a reduced rent. Many also use other assistance programs such as food stamps, and they have scholarships and grants for their education.

Aaliyah points to her toy box crafted by Doug Eckerty, the executive director of JobSource, which runs Anderson Scholar House.

The scholar house staff and providers help with applications and navigating paperwork. Scholars are urged not just to earn college degrees, but to do so in fields that are in demand and offer high wages.

Lowery said Baker — who works out of the scholar house — is her first point of contact when she wants to talk through a challenge and doesn’t know what to do.

“She can either tell me what I need to do, how to do it, or make a phone call to think it out,” Lowery said.

Baker is quick to say that she doesn’t make decisions for the scholars, and she respects their privacy. But what she won’t do is let them ignore their problems and hope they disappear.

“Sometimes, the decisions [the women] make are not good, but we have to allow them to make that [decision] and fall,” Baker said. “But we won’t allow you to lay there, we’re going to get back up.”

She added that each scholar needs support with different things, and the path isn’t always easy. There are lots of tears, but many are happy ones.

Last week, Lowery completed her Core 40 high school degree at The Excel Center, a free public school for adults. While the scholar house typically requires a high school degree to start, Lowery was taking dual credit courses from Ivy Tech Community College at the same time, which meant she qualified.

On the same day as her high school finals, Lowery registered for classes at Ivy Tech, where she has a full scholarship and plans to earn a degree in medical imaging. She’ll start with one class this summer before attending full time in the fall.

Scholars get help with academics, finances, mental health

Anderson Scholar House is modeled after Family Scholar House, which started nearly three decades ago in Louisville, Ky. But the idea of bringing it to Anderson started three years ago.

In early 2020, Doug Eckerty, executive director of the community action agency JobSource, wanted to expand social services in Madison County with something new to the area.

So Eckerty looked for ideas, and that’s when he learned about Family Scholar House.

It started in the 1990s, but opened its first residential campus in 2008. Since then, those living at the now five Family Scholar House campuses have earned nearly 780 college degrees for a graduation rate of 86%, said Cathe Dykstra, chief possibility officer, president, and CEO of Family Scholar House.

She added that of the residential scholars, 99% have exited to stable housing, 81% have exited with stable employment, and 66% have been able to move out while continuing their education, usually graduate school.

“When I first came across them, it seemed too good to be true,” Eckerty said.

After doing his research, Eckerty worked to bring the program to Anderson, which is now one of multiple affiliates of the Family Scholar House across the country. JobSource purchased a pair of apartment buildings in early 2021, and uses the Family Scholar House programming, but adjusts it as needed.

Anderson Scholar House has a staff of four as well as a slew of providers and volunteers who work with the scholars. They work with other community organizations for services like mental health, financial aid programming, and academic coaching. with other community organizations for services like mental health, financial aid programming, and academic coaching.

Volunteers provide babysitting and help with painting and furnishing apartments. Scholars have guidance and workshops on meal planning, appliance maintenance, and tax preparation. Financial classes help them prepare for housing after graduation.

There are monthly financial check-ins, midterm grade reports, and apartment checks. Not because the staff is nosy, but to make sure scholars are staying on track, Baker said.

Rosemary Baker, the family advocate for Anderson Scholar House, says the program changes lives and isn’t just a Band-Aid.

“Our goal is that if we see you slipping, sliding, or something going on, we address it with you,” Baker said.

As long as they are enrolled in college full-time and attend 75% of classes in person, participants can stay in their apartments. They also must have passing grades, attend workshops, and help out around the scholar house. Their children must go to child care or school. No other adults are allowed to stay the night or move in.

Potential residents can make progress towards living in the scholar house by enrolling in school, attending online workshops, meeting with financial advisers, and providing updates to Baker.

There’s a waiting list of nearly three dozen to move in. And Eckerty has plans to grow the program even more.

The biggest challenge is acquiring the housing and doing the renovations, he said. So when the opportunity to partner with Glick Philanthropies came up to help with a future Indianapolis expansion, it just made sense.

Staff at two locations owned by Glick Housing Foundation are currently training at pilot programs before they start working with potential scholars, said Ceceily Brickley, director of resident success with Glick Philanthropies. (Glick Philanthropies includes the Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation which also funds Chalkbeat Indiana.)

College registration is just the next step

Finishing high school and registering for college on the same day felt empowering and exciting, Lowery said.

When Lowery learned last year that she and Aaliyah would be able to move into Anderson Scholar House, she cried. Now she has long-term plans that include a master’s degree.

When Lowery registered for college, Baker ended up crying, just like Lowery did when she got into the scholar house.

“She’s just our first success story,” Baker said.

A year ago, Lowery wasn’t taking high school classes yet, and she wasn’t living in the scholar house. Now, it’s her village. Lowery said Anderson Scholar House has taught her that big dreams are possible, a sentiment that she wants to pass to her daughter.

Lowery’s ultimate goal is to get a master’s degree in clinical social work and open her own rehab facility for those who are pregnant and mothers of young children with mental health and substance challenges.

“The scholar house has given me a future, it’s given me hope, it has given me a home, stability, a community of people that care about me and that care about my success,” she said.

Learn more or volunteer here: Anderson Scholar House.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

FAFSA will be required for Indiana students starting next school year

2023-04-20T17:52:54+00:00

Indiana’s 2023 legislative session is under way, and state legislators have introduced more than 100 new education bills and bills impacting schools and students. For the latest Indiana education news, sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free newsletter here.

Starting next school year, Indiana students will be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The requirement was approved by both the Indiana Senate and House and signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday. It applies to all students, with some exceptions, but is not a requirement for high school graduation.

The new law makes filling out the form, known as the FAFSA, a conscious choice instead of happenstance, advocates said. They added that students would also have a better picture of the money available to them for college, and perhaps convince more students to enroll in postsecondary education, at a time when Indiana officials are concerned about the number of students who enroll in college. In the Class of 2020, 53% of students went on to college, according to state data.

The FAFSA is the form that students need to file to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans, and scholarships, and completion is also considered a leading indicator of college-going.

States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs. The new law would require students to submit the FAFSA by April 15 of their senior year, which is the deadline to be eligible for state aid in addition to federal aid.

And the money isn’t just for two- and four-year institutions. Filling out the FAFSA can also provide funds for students who want to use a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential.

The new law comes at a time when officials said students are leaving nearly $70 million in Pell Grants on the table, amid perceptions that higher education is unaffordable.

A state dashboard of FAFSA completion shows that about 44% of this year’s high school seniors in Indiana have completed a FAFSA.

Lawmakers have tried for years to pass this FAFSA requirement, and it was increasing the number of exceptions that got the bill the widespread support it needed to pass.

The exceptions are for students at certain nonpublic schools, and for students who have a parent sign a waiver (emancipated minors can also sign it for themselves) to decline to complete the form. A school principal or counselor can also waive the requirement if they are unable to reach the student’s parent or guardian by April 15 after “at least two reasonable attempts.”

Additionally, the requirement expires in 10 years, so lawmakers can reevaluate it. Indiana joined at least eight other states who have such a law.

This year, the deadline for state aid was extended to May 15 for students in the seven counties under a disaster emergency declaration due to recent storms: Benton, Johnson, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullian, and White.

‘I need a plan.’ As NRA convention begins, Indianapolis teens share fears about gun violence.

2023-04-14T16:59:48+00:00

Raina Maiga looked out her school’s windows from the second floor on Thursday, trying to imagine what she would do in a school shooting.

“I’m hopeless. I can’t jump out the window,” said Maiga, a sophomore at Purdue Polytechnic High School’s Englewood campus on Indianapolis’ east side. “There’s nothing to do. Our school is exposed with windows. If someone walked in here with a gun, I mean, it’s over.”

These are the conversations that Raina and her classmates have on an almost weekly basis.

But this week, those conversations are happening with the backdrop of the National Rifle Association’s three-day annual convention, which is expected to bring tens of thousands of attendees to downtown Indianapolis beginning Friday.

The convention for the powerful lobbying organization — and the warm reception from some Indiana lawmakers — feels tone deaf to Indianapolis-area teens who say gun violence in their schools and communities is their reality and fills them with anxiety on a regular basis.

Ryan Evans, a Purdue Polytechnic junior, remembers the day in 2013 that his sister survived the Arapahoe High School shooting in Colorado. His classmate Huma Moghul recalls the night she heard gunfire in her neighborhood and woke up to a bullet hole in her living room wall. And they all remember the lockdowns they have experienced this year — anxious moments that they try to ease with dark humor about whether they’d survive if a shooter was outside their door.

So far this year, eight people age 18 and under in Indianapolis have been killed by a firearm, per the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Sixteen people age 18 and under in the city died by firearms in 2022, up from 14 in 2021.

Among those who died was a 17-year-old Purdue Polytechnic High School student James Johnson III, who was killed in February.

“Nobody ever thinks that it’s going to happen to them,” said Evans. “And I definitely think that James Johnson didn’t think that as well. Because it’s not a thought that somebody should have.”

Students prepare for school shootings

The NRA annual meeting comes roughly three weeks after a person shot and killed three children and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville. Their deaths sparked outrage during Tennessee’s legislative session, and students rallied for tougher gun laws at the Tennessee State Capitol.

Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill to provide state funding for firearms training for teachers. Rep. Jim Lucas, a Republican from Seymour and the bill’s author, said in February his legislation is a response to mass school shootings across the U.S., according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

But to students like Evans and Maiga, that legislation is not the solution. Instead, they say, legislators should stop and think about how the situation is affecting students in schools.

And the onus should not be on schools to arm teachers, or transform buildings into iron fortresses, some students argue.

“We shouldn’t have to be wanding children into schools to prevent guns from entering schools or teaching them how to evacuate to mobile bomb shelters that can be built in schools,” said Evans.

(The convention also starts on the same day that dozens of Indiana school districts received a bomb threat, prompting the closure of school buildings.)

Katie Bolduc, a freshman at Westfield High School, said she’s only known a world with gun violence in schools, where active shooter drills are as commonplace as fire and tornado drills.

“There’s a lot of complacency, it’s something that’s normal and accepted that you have to prepare for,” she said.

But it leaves her feeling unsafe.

“There are weapons that can cause mass casualties in a few minutes, and all I have is a pencil pouch or a water bottle to throw at the shooter, best-case scenario,” Bolduc said.

Lucy Rutter, a junior at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie, said she first started to hear about school shootings in middle school. At that time, it seemed like it wouldn’t happen to her. That’s changed.

“The more I see it, the more I feel like it is going to happen to me, and I need a plan,” she said. “It’s so hard to hear about it in the news every day and feel like I can’t do anything about it.”

NRA convention in town prompts disappointment from students

Having the NRA convention in their backyard only exacerbates the disconnect between lawmakers and the students who spoke to us.

“I do wonder what the conversations are like when talking about actually caring about the lives of people, but then choosing to be a public face at this convention,” said Maiga, who lamented the scheduled presence of Gov. Eric Holcomb and former Vice President Mike Pence at the convention.

Students said that having the convention so close to home is a reminder of how tense and politically charged the topic of gun violence prevention is — and of the sway of organizations like the NRA.

Salsabil Qaddoura, a North Central High School sophomore, leads her school’s chapter of Students Demand Action, a national group of high school and college students that aims to end gun violence and is affiliated with Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.

She said the NRA convention has her thinking about gun industry accountability, and how it can profit off of young people. The access to guns is there, she said.

“It’s disgusting and insensitive,” she said of the NRA coming to Indianapolis.

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment.

Students consider how to change views on guns

Being a high schooler means having pressures to fit a certain standard, Qaddoura said. That means students are influenced by what they surround themselves with, and there’s a thought of “if you have guns you have that tough-person persona,” she said.

Students said they want to shift the narrative around guns with their classmates to make having a gun less of a status symbol, and to know that it’s OK to ask for help and to talk about gun-violence prevention.

In all the years of doing active shooter drills, “I don’t think I’ve ever had a teacher or school officer talk about how we feel, get under the desk and find what you’re going to throw and prepare,” Bolduc said.

She hopes to start a Students Demand Action chapter to change that.

As leaders of their own Students Demand Action chapters, Qaddoura and Rutter have worked to start a discussion about gun violence. They’ve registered voters, signed petitions, and attended protests and other events.

“A lot of people assume that my only goal is to ban guns, but there are so many other solutions besides banning guns outright,” Rutter said, listing gun safety education, safe storage, background checks, and red flag laws.

Students at Purdue Polytechnic, meanwhile, are organizing a walkout for April 20, the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Students said they know change can be slow.

“I always hear that change is gradual,” Qaddoura said. But she added that when it comes to gun violence prevention, “We can’t wait.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to 2023 school tax referendums in Marion County

2023-03-31T11:00:00+00:00

Update May 3: Here are the election results for the IPS, Warren Township and Speedway Schools school tax referendums.

Voters in three school districts in Marion County will decide if their schools will get property tax funds through ballot questions on the May primary election ballot.

If approved, Indianapolis Public Schools will use the funds for construction and renovation projects, while the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township and the School Town of Speedway will use the funds for operating expenses.

For Speedway schools, the referendum would renew an existing property tax, and in Warren, the ballot question amount replaces the rate from 2018. For IPS, the capital referendum is new.

Indianapolis Public Schools seeks funding for building upgrades

IPS will ask voters for $410 million to fund athletic fields, new windows, fresh sidewalks, and a new 650-student elementary school. Twenty-three schools will get improvements, which vary based on the building’s need.

This referendum is in addition to the district’s 2018 capital referendum which was for safety and security upgrades. The 2023 ballot question is part of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger reorganization, a sweeping overhaul that aims to address declining enrollment, looming financial instability, and educational inequities for students of color. In January, the school board delayed a vote on a separate referendum for operating expenses that would pay for Rebuilding Stronger’s academic programming changes.

The referendum is projected to increase property tax rates by up to about 21 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Speedway schools seek tax renewal for staffing

The School Town of Speedway is asking voters to renew an existing property tax for operating expenses that would help the small district continue funding its staff, including teachers, paraprofessionals, and custodians.

The referendum would renew the previous tax rate of 59 cents per $100 of assessed value, which voters passed in 2010 and again in 2016.

Warren Township seeks tax increase

The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township is asking voters for an $88 million property tax increase over eight years, in part to continue efforts funded with federal COVID stimulus dollars, which the state says must be spent by the end of 2024.

The money would fund the district’s police department, school counselors, bus drivers, support staff, and family engagement liaisons, as well as teacher training programs.

The ballot question would replace the rate voters approved in a 2018 referendum for operating expenses by increasing it from 21 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 30 cents.

When and where to vote

Early voting starts April 4 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites open April 22.

On Election Day, May 2, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Where Indianapolis mayoral candidates stand on education issues: an election guide

2023-04-26T17:20:46+00:00

Update May 3: Here are the election results for the Indianapolis mayoral primary elections.

Update April 26: Since this guide first published, Democrat Clif Marsiglio ended his campaign and will support Democrat Robin Shackleford. The deadline to officially withdraw had passed when Marsiglio ended his campaign, so his name will still be on the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying to be on the November ballot for Indianapolis mayor.

In the May 2 primary election, four Democrats, including current Mayor Joe Hogsett, and four Republicans are running to be the top elected official in Indianapolis.

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city and its townships is through the Office of Education Innovation, which is a charter school authorizer. That means it is responsible for overseeing nearly 50 charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Plus, the mayor has a significant impact on crime, the economy, and housing in Indianapolis — all of which affect the educators and students who go to school here.

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primary elections will be on the Nov. 7 ballot. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

To better understand each candidate’s views on charter schools, test scores, staff shortages, and more, Chalkbeat Indiana asked the same ten questions — some of which were inspired by readers — to each one.

Seven candidates responded. Democrats Bob Kern and Larry Vaughn did not. Gregory Meriweather, also a Democrat, will still be on the ballot, but has ended his campaign to support fellow Democratic candidate Robin Shackleford.

Here, in their own words, is what they said:

Early voting starts April 4 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites open April 22.

On Election Day, May 2, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

To improve college scholarship program’s impact, Indiana might enroll students automatically

2023-03-24T11:00:00+00:00

The tables were covered in Creston Middle School green, and topped with neat rows of snacks and cans of pop.

Another table was covered in brochures and paper applications. Laptops were scattered on tables around the room.

Because of the pandemic, it had been four years since an information session about 21st Century Scholars was in person at Creston Intermediate and Middle School, and organizers were doing all they could to entice families to attend the early March session and apply before their students reach high school and the deadline has passed.

The scholarship program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility, and follow requirements outlined in a scholar pledge.

Despite success with enrollees and its more than 30-year track record, the scholarship program has struggled to attract students to enroll in the program that has helped more than 50,000 Hoosiers earn college degrees. There’s also a no-exceptions deadline of June 30 after eighth grade for students to sign up.

But legislation at the statehouse aims to change that by auto-enrolling all eligible students into the scholarship program. This move is yet another effort to increase awareness of postsecondary options at a time when Indiana’s college-going rate is low, and higher education has the perception of being too expensive.

The bill, House Bill 1449, was approved by the Indiana House and has since advanced out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee. But even with support from lawmakers, educators, and business leaders, the legislation still faces several votes before it could become law.

Talking to families about qualifying for scholarships

Berenice Tenorio travels Marion County, meeting with students and families to talk about postsecondary options as an outreach coordinator for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

“My goal isn’t that everyone goes to a four-year school,” she said.

21st Century Scholars

Who is eligible?

Students who:

are a resident of Indiana.
enrolled in 7th or 8th grade.
are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
meet the income eligibility criteria.

What are the income guidelines for 2022-23?

For a household of two, a maximum annual income of $33,874.
For a household of three, a maximum annual income of $42,606.
For a household of four, a maximum annual income of $51,338.
For a household of five, a maximum annual income of $60,070.
For a household of six, a maximum annual income of $68,802.

For each additional person, add $8,732.

What do families need to apply?

Student’s Social Security number, birth date, and address.
Parent’s or guardian’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (if applicable).
2022 gross income amounts for all members of the household.
A valid email address.

Apply here.

Source: learnmoreindiana.org

She likened postsecondary options to a door, saying that students can avoid the door and asking questions about it if the path is dark. So, her goal is to light up the door and allow students to feel comfortable asking questions to help them make informed decisions about higher education.

One way she does that is through sessions for families about 21st Century Scholars, like the one at Creston.

The first challenge is making sure parents know about the scholarship and see it as worthwhile to attend the session she said. Once they are there, she said it’s about filling out the application to see if they qualify.

“I know that middle school students, they don’t see the price tag for college every single day like I do,” Tenorio said, adding that college can feel “so far away” to students and families.

In her presentation at Creston, she speaks in English and then in Spanish for each slide, going over what the scholarship is and isn’t and the requirements.

Yes, she tells people, the scholarship is usable for both public and private schools, but only covers up to the cost of tuition at public schools. Yes, students can take a gap year and still use the funds. Yes, students would need to complete the FAFSA as well as not drink alcohol before 21 and not do drugs.

Tenorio urges families who are unsure if they qualify to just apply, and tells them the income verification that’s part of the process may take a while.

Eventually, nearly three dozen people filled the room to listen and talk to Tenorio, who walked around to each family to answer questions and pick up applications.

Several families attended because the scholarship had become a family tradition after their older children enrolled. That was the case for Erika Rodriguenz, who said she learned about the program from a family member and thought it was a good opportunity for her middle school daughters.

She said she stresses to them the importance of studying now so they’ll be prepared for college down the road.

“The first time was hard, but this time not so much,” she said of the application.

Scholars see success, but graduation rates are low

Created in 1990, 21st Century Scholars can point to multiple successes.

More than 80% of students in the program enroll in college – that’s compared to 53% of all students statewide and 30% of students in the state from low-income backgrounds who are not in the program. And 75% of scholars stay in Indiana after graduating.

Despite these stats, the program has struggled to get the word out.

Although four in 10 Indiana students are eligible for 21st Century Scholars, only half of the eligible students apply. And a recent survey from the Indiana Department of Education shows that awareness of the scholarship is inconsistent: Just 64%of parents know about the program.

Berenice Tenorio speaks to families at a 21st Century Scholars enrollment night at Creston Intermediate and Middle School. More than three dozen people including students and their families attended the event.

There’s also widespread pessimism about higher education’s price tag in general. Only 27% of parents think education beyond high school is affordable for Indiana students, the department’s survey found.

And not all of the data about 21st Century Scholars looks rosy. Just 37% of 21st Century Scholars graduate on time, compared to 44% of students statewide. However, their on-time graduation rate is still higher than the 27% for students from low-income backgrounds.

Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery said the scholars’ graduation rate is something the commission is aware of and working on, in part by meeting with university and college presidents to share best practices and services they provide for scholars.

But that relatively low graduation rate for the program could harm efforts to expand it for the foreseeable future.

During an Indiana Commission for Higher Education presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee about the state budget, lawmakers pressed Lowery about the program’s graduation rate. Some noted that students need to be ready for college when they attend, not just attend because it’s paid for.

That committee is where a Senate bill that was the same as the advancing House bill died earlier this legislative session. It’s also the House bill’s next step.

Auto-enrollment could make the program more effective

If the bill passes, the commission for higher education would work with IDOE to notify eligible students and their parents or guardians. To participate, students would still have to agree to the conditions of the scholar pledge, and they could opt out of the program at any time. Students would be identified before starting high school as they are now. And other key programming details wouldn’t change.

“It continues the momentum and removes barriers to the program,” Lowery told lawmakers during a Senate committee meeting this month.

In addition to support from the commission for higher education, the bill has backing from multiple education and economic groups including associations representing school principals and superintendents, the Indiana State Teachers Association, and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Lowery added that if 21st Century Scholars enrolls students automatically, the commission would be able to shift program resources from a focus on scholarship enrollment to student success.

That possibility is what excites Tenorio, who would have more time to check in with students.

“Right now, the responsibility is on the parents to be all knowing, and this takes the pressure and responsibility off of them,” she said. “It allows us to say, ‘You’re already eligible, all you have to do is say yes and take advantage of this.’”

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

A FAFSA requirement for Indiana students is one step closer to becoming law

2023-03-15T19:04:03+00:00

Indiana students could soon be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a shift that supporters say could give students more money to go to college and convince more of them to enroll in higher education in the first place.

The Indiana House Education Committee voted 11-1 Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 167, which would create the requirement starting with the 2023-24 school year, although there would be several exceptions. Lawmakers also amended the bill Wednesday to have the requirement expire in 10 years.

“This money is going to be spent somewhere, when we have a chance to put our hand out, let’s take advantage of it,” state Sen. Jean Leising, a Republican and one of the bill’s authors, told fellow lawmakers last week.

If the bill becomes law, Indiana would join at least eight other states who have this law.

The FAFSA is the form that students need to file to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans and scholarships. States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs.

By not filing out the form, students in Indiana are leaving $69 million in Pell Grants on the table, Leising said last week.

“That doesn’t even count the [other] scholarships, we don’t even have an idea of that money that’s lost,” she added. “We have got to do something about this.”

The legislation would require all high schoolers to complete and submit the FAFSA by April 15 of their senior year, which is the deadline to be eligible for state aid in addition to federal aid.

The bill includes exceptions for students at certain nonpublic schools, and for students who have a parent sign a waiver (emancipated minors can also sign it for themselves) to decline to complete the form. A school principal or counselor can also waive the requirement if they are unable to reach the student’s parent or guardian by April 15 after “at least two reasonable attempts.”

There was some concern about the bill during committee meetings. Rep. Tonya Pfaff, a Democrat, said during the vote that while she was supporting the bill, she still had concerns about the burdens on school counselors and wanted to work on that.

However, the exception in the bill to limit the attempts to reach families has eased that concern for others. And it could give the bill crucial support, after years of unsuccessful attempts to require students to fill out the FAFSA.

What FAFSA says about Indiana’s college attendance

Completion of the FAFSA is considered a leading indicator of college-going.

Just 53% of students in Indiana’s Class of 2020 went on to college, and many Hoosiers see college as too expensive. In a statewide survey by the Indiana Department of Education, only 27% of parents said postsecondary education is affordable.

A state dashboard of FAFSA completion shows that about 36% of Indiana’s high school seniors have completed a FAFSA.

It’s not that there aren’t efforts to get the word out from the state and other groups. Indiana has had College Goal Sunday, an in-person event to help families sign up, for more than 30 years.

But that doesn’t mean every student or family knows about the form or if it’s for them. And schools with higher rates of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch tend to have the lower completion rates, said Josh Garrison, associate commissioner for public policy for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, in a previous House education committee meeting.

The legislation would make sure that filing out or not filling out the FAFSA is a choice, not happenstance of who found out about it, advocates of the bill said.

They added that filling out the form can also help reduce student debt. FAFSA qualifies students for government loans that have lower interest rates than the private loans that they would get without the form, Garrison said.

The committee meeting last week about the bill featured a show of support from organizations representing school boards, principals, and counselors, as well as public, private and community colleges in the state, and the Indiana and Indy chambers.

Will higher FAFSA completion mean more Hoosier students go to college? Officials hope so

2023-02-23T22:13:47+00:00

As higher education battles low enrollment and perceptions that it is too expensive, lawmakers and others are working to make sure more Indiana students know about the financial aid available to them.

This Sunday is College Goal Sunday, a free in-person event at locations around the state, to help families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA. And earlier this week, lawmakers advanced a bill that would require most students to fill out the form.

The legislation and the College Goal event highlight arguments from public officials that millions of dollars in aid is being left on the table, money that could change a student’s decision about postsecondary education.

A new survey released earlier this month by the Indiana Department of Education shows that roughly 70% of high schoolers in Indiana plan to pursue education after high school.

But just 53% of students in Indiana’s Class of 2020 went on to college, state data released last summer showed. And only 27% of parents say it’s affordable, per the new survey.

Filling out the FAFSA would show Hoosier families more aid options and potentially change that, in turn, improve Indiana’s college going rate, leaders argue.

As of Feb. 10, roughly a third of Indiana’s Class of 2023 had completed the FAFSA, per Form Your Future, a national tracker of FAFSA completion.

College Goal Sunday offers FAFSA help

Students need to fill out the FAFSA to be considered for federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants. But the form is also used by many states and colleges as well as private aid providers to determine eligibility for state and school grants, scholarships, and more.

In Indiana, the deadline to file the FAFSA for state aid is April 15.

Senate Bill 167 would require all students, with certain exceptions like for those at some nonpublic schools and for students whose parents sign a waiver, to complete the FAFSA by that state deadline during their senior year. The Indiana Senate passed the bill earlier this week and it now awaits action from the Indiana House.

College Goal Sunday started more than 30 years ago and is now a model used in other states.

The event comes around like clockwork, and families can count on it as a way to get the form off their to-do list, said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of the event.

“The FAFSA is so critical and the most important form,” he said.

But he knows that despite strong interest in education after high school, many Hoosiers are uncomfortable with the financial aid process.

He’s heard it in his role leading College Goal Sunday, and as he’s traveled the state leading an advisory team from INvestED, a nonprofit that provides free financial aid advising to students and families. And a survey from INvestED shows the same.

Nearly 90% of Hoosiers see a value in education beyond high school, but 62% say understanding the process of paying for college is not easy, per the survey results released earlier this month. And of people who don’t enroll, 28% said it was because of the cost.

When it comes to FAFSA, families and students are often worried that they are on the hook for student loans just by filling out the form, or that they make too much money or it’s too difficult to fill out, he said.

But Wozniak stressed that the FAFSA doesn’t require people to take out loans and is a way for many people to qualify for aid beyond what’s earmarked for students from low-income backgrounds.

And events like College Goal Sunday can help not just by answering questions, but by calming nerves, he said.

What education questions should we ask Indy mayor candidates? Help us make Chalkbeat’s voter guide.

2023-02-15T16:05:05+00:00

As a charter school authorizer and the leader of the city where students and educators live, work, and learn, the Indianapolis mayor has a significant impact on education in the city and its townships.

The primary election for the office is May 2, and ten candidates, including Mayor Joe Hogsett, are slated to be on ballots for Indianapolis mayor — four in the Republican contest and six in the Democratic race.

Winners of each will be on the Nov. 7 ballot to lead the city. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

But first, we want to create a Chalkbeat voter guide for the mayoral primary, and we want to know what’s on your mind. Let us know what questions and issues to ask the candidates about using the form below.

Who is running for Indy mayor?

The ten candidates running in mayoral primary races include current elected officials, community leaders, and more. They are:

Democratic primary

Republican primary

What’s the mayor’s impact on education?

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city is as a charter authorizer.

Charter authorizers are responsible for overseeing charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Currently, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation is the authorizer for nearly 50 charter schools, including roughly a dozen schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools innovation network. The Indianapolis Charter School Board reviews charter school applications and approves or rejects them. The board can also make recommendations on renewals. And it’s the mayor who appoints six of the nine members of that board.

Additionally, the mayor also has an impact through initiatives for postsecondary education and youth leadership and job opportunities. And of course as the city’s leader, what happens in Indianapolis — from crime and housing to the economy — all has an impact on the educators and students who go to school here.

Tell us what questions you have for the mayoral candidates:

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

From teaching about race to COVID and Rebuilding Stronger, here are our 5 most-read stories of 2022

2022-12-21T13:00:00+00:00

From Indiana Statehouse bills grabbing the national spotlight and a sweeping overhaul of Indianapolis Public Schools, to a high-stakes midterm election, 2022 was a full year for education news.

So as we look ahead to 2023, we’re also looking back at our top stories from 2022 to find the five topics that Chalkbeat Indiana readers were most interested in this year.

Below is a list of our most-read articles this year, plus a few related stories that you should check out too.

Statehouse debate on teaching about race

Several of our most popular stories were articles about bills in the 2022 legislative session, especially those that addressed how teachers approach race and racial issues in the classroom.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

What happens to my school under Rebuilding Stronger?

Rebuilding Stronger is an overhaul of IPS that aims to address pressing issues of enrollment, finances, and inequities for students of color. The school board approved the plan in November, and now district leaders are turning to a pair of referendums to help fund the overhaul’s changes.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Election 2022: Voters chose school board members

For this year’s school board elections, Chalkbeat Indiana collaborated with WFYI to create voter guides for districts across Marion County, and also co-hosted a candidate forum for IPS candidates. Victorious candidates will start their terms in January.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

COVID learning recovery and virtual attendance changes

Nearly three years after COVID shuttered school buildings, data is showing the impact the pandemic has had on students and their learning. Plus, a state law changed how often students can learn virtually and guidance on COVID exposures continued to change.

Most- read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Accountability for state lawmakers

Aside from the legislation they proposed, lawmakers themselves made news too as they discussed race and education.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

How Indiana’s curriculum bill about racism motivated a new wave of statehouse candidates

Bonus: Charter troubles, special education staffing, and more

While the above topics were the most popular this year, there were a few more prominent stories that didn’t fit into a category. Read those and a few more below.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis school board updates map of districts that members represent

2022-12-21T11:00:00+00:00

The districts that Indianapolis Public Schools commissioners represent have changed ahead of the 2024 elections.

The IPS Board of Commissioners approved a new district map at their December meeting, ensuring that the populations of those districts are as equal as possible as required by state law. Per a presentation to the board, no school building switched districts and no commissioners were displaced from their districts.

The IPS school board has seven members, with five representing specific geographic districts and two occupying at-large seats. In 2024, District 1, District 2, District 4, and an at-large seat are on the ballot.

The changes are largely in the middle of the city and include a portion of downtown shifting to District 4, parts of Martindale-Brightwood moving to District 3, and changes along the boundary between Districts 1 and 2 on the east side of the city.

The now approved new map of Indiana Public Schools board member districts.

Throughout the process, the aim was to minimize changes for voters and to keep neighborhood boundaries as intact as possible, said Tim Moriarty of the law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, who was part of the team that worked on the new district map. (While it is up to the board to establish the boundaries, the IPS board members did not directly participate in adjusting the boundaries.)

Changing the district map keeps IPS in compliance with state law that says it is up to school boards to establish the boundaries of the districts members represent, and those districts are evaluated after each federal decennial census to make sure the largest district is no more than 5% bigger than the smallest.

Under the previous district map, that gap was nearly 13,000 residents, or a 21% difference, Moriarty told the school board. That disparity prompted the changes to the map.

Normally, IPS would have changed its district map in 2021. But due to “administrative delays caused by the pandemic,” lawmakers extended the deadline for redistricting to Dec. 31, 2022, according to Moriarty’s presentation.

Not every school board goes through this process, only those that have seats where a member lives in and represents a specific district. Some boards have all at-large members who represent everyone, or have members who are required to live in a specific district even though all voters can vote for them.

The board will file the new districts with the Marion County Clerk and Marion County Election Board by Dec. 23.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Improving community college retention rates: Ivy Tech launches program with 10 ‘high-impact’ habits

2022-12-14T15:37:43+00:00

With Indiana’s college-going rate at a historic low, Ivy Tech Community College is piloting a new program to keep students on campus by making sure they have 10 specific habits.

The program — called Ivy Achieves – aims to ensure that once students go to college, they complete their degrees.

Retention is top of mind for those in higher education, especially coming out of the pandemic, said Dean McCurdy, provost for Ivy Tech Community College, which has 19 campuses and 25 satellite locations across the state, serving 157,000 students and a retention rate of 47% from last fall to fall 2022.

With Indiana’s college-going rate of just 53% — the lowest in recent history — and shifts in learning due to the pandemic, Ivy Tech leaders changed the way they think about what students need and want.

Ivy Achieves is one result of that mindset shift. Ivy Tech leaders created the 10 “high impact habits” by looking for what habits make a student more likely to stay. And the pilot program has promising signs as early data shows that the more habits students keep, the more likely they are to be registered for the spring classes.

Ivy Achieves program outlines 10 habits for student success

Looking at data and consulting with students, faculty, and staff, Ivy Tech considered more than 60 different student habits, McCurdy said.

One data point they considered, for example, was that first-time students are less likely to pass their courses than other types of students. And if they do fail in their first term, they are less likely to keep going to the next term or will enroll in fewer credit hours.

Additionally, officials considered that having a C or higher in a class is a predictor of retention, and course success rates are lower for students who are Black, Latino, two or more races, or eligible for Pell Grants.

Using this data, leaders looked for what habits stood out as the “most important drivers of success,” McCurdy said, and Ivy Achieves was born.

The program connects students with a “Campus Lead” or staff member on each campus who helps the student work on the 10 habits that will help them succeed in their first semester, but also in college in general.

Ivy Achieves initially started last school year at all campuses for all students, but was refined for the current school year and now focuses on “first-time college students who have historically been underrepresented in higher education.”

Ivy Tech is now piloting the program with 1,840 students on 10 campuses. The goal is to expand it to all 19 campuses.

The students in this pilot are first-year, first-time students who are seeking a degree and meet certain demographic criteria, such as coming from a low-income family or being Black or Hispanic.

There’s no need to opt in; officials said students who fit the criteria are automatically part of the pilot, and their campus lead reaches out to them about the habits and resources available.

The habits are behaviors and practices around academic planning, finances, and campus life that can be tracked in real time and have helped other Ivy Tech students, officials said. For example, McCurdy said the habit of registering more than 30 days before a term starts gives students time to arrange child care and transportation.

While it’s still early to have more data on Ivy Achieves in its current form, there have been some positive initial data points.

Ivy Tech had a 5.4% increase in retention of Black male students from fall 2021 to fall 2022, which was a five-year high. Campus leaders said that’s likely due to the early version of Ivy Achieves, as well as other programs on campus that are student led.

And for the students in the pilot program, the more habits they’ve completed, the more likely they were to be registered for the spring term.

As of this week, 37% of the students in the pilot completed five or more habits and 63% have completed four or more, per Ivy Tech. For students who maintained five habits, 87% are registered for the spring, but that percentage jumps to 94% for six habits and 97% for seven habits – the highest amount for this point in the term.

Overall, 58% of students in the pilot program are registered for the spring, according to the community college.

“Our goal is to get them through those milestones as soon as we can because early momentum is key,” McCurdy said. “We know that these things are associated with success, so now we are very focused on making sure we can provide these things for students.”

Ivy Achieves aligns with a growing emphasis on the first-year onboarding process at many colleges, said Karen Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, a national network of community colleges focused on transformation to address inequity.

And many of the habits of Ivy Achieves, like meeting with an advisor and having a roadmap, are “fairly consistent with what other schools say students need in the first semester.” If the initiative works, she said there could be potential national impact if other colleges apply these habits too, potentially for all students.

But she does see some room for additions in the habits. They could work in tandem with the well-regarded “early momentum metrics” linked to college success from the Community College Research Center – attempting at least 15 credits in the first semester, taking and passing college-level math and English in the first year, and taking and passing at least nine credits in the student’s field of study in the first year.

And Stout pointed out that some of the habits rely on factors outside of school. The ability to pay by the start of classes and register early depends on students’ financial situation and the college’s affordability, since students are balancing the costs of tuition with other expenses such as child care and books.

But that’s why supporting students throughout the college experience is so crucial, she said, whether they are struggling in a class or if they are looking for transportation because they have a flat tire or another issue with their car.

“By the time that grades come out, it is too late,” she said.

Giving students support with food, transportation, and more

Making sure students have the support to achieve the 10 habits is where the “Campus Lead” role comes in.

On the Evansville Campus, it’s Marcus Weatherford, the campus’s director of student experience. He works with students and staff to educate them about the 10 habits and guide them to resources.

He’s working with roughly 250 students, including Donny Payne, who came to Ivy Tech after graduating high school in spring 2022, and plans to one day transfer to University of Southern Indiana for an engineering degree.

After attending orientation, Payne went to the Lamkin Center on campus, where student resources are housed, and started talking with Weatherford.

At first, Payne thought resources like transportation help or the food pantry were for someone else, not him, Weatherford said.

But with Weatherford’s help, those resources kept Payne in school. A bus pass, for example, helped him get to campus this semester until he was able to get his own car.

“We were struggling at the house and didn’t have much for groceries… that’s helped a lot,” Payne said.

The barriers to staying in school are often greater for community college students than students at a four-year school, Weathersford said, and can be particularly discouraging to students in their first semester.

“Going to college can be an overwhelming process,” Weatherford said.

While older students might be proactive in asking for help, many will need time before bringing up their problems. So it’s important to have a point person invested in their success – like Weatherford and his colleagues – to ask students lots of questions, like if they’re eating well or whether any troubles at home are affecting their studying.

Before, Weatherford would wait for students to come with an issue and he’d direct them to the resources they need. Now, it’s about reaching students before that moment through email and texts as well as in person.

“If a student knows that there is a particular person who cares and is holding them accountable, it helps,” he said.

Payne agreed, saying he’s learned that if he doesn’t have what he needs, he can always go to Weatherford to ask for help. And Weatherford has watched Payne become a better advocate for himself.

Stout said she supports having a set meeting schedule between students and advisors or campus leads to create these relationships and set expectations.

“Students do not engage with those key support offices enough,” Stout said.

Colleges find ways to help students stay and feel belonging

Ivy Achieves is part of a larger effort to improve communication and in turn, retention with students throughout Ivy Tech, officials said. Colleges used to send all information to all students, said Jo Nahod-Carlin, Ivy Tech vice president for marketing, recruitment, and enrollment.

But now, she said information is more targeted and clear – removing higher education jargon and sharing information with the students who may need it.

If a student has said at any point that they need child care, they’ll keep receiving information about child care options, Nahod-Carlin said, adding students who haven’t filled out the FAFSA will get information about getting help with the financial aid documents.

Stout added that in an ideal situation, students don’t have to repeat themselves, but an advisor or campus lead or faculty member can look at student records to not only see their academics but a more holistic picture of the student’s experience to help pinpoint resources.

“Many are coming to college and have never had someone say they are ready for the college experience,” Stout said, adding that that holistic approach tells students that they belong and the staff is there to help.

And just like data helped inform the 10 Ivy Achieves habits, McCurdy said he’s excited to see the tools that will continue to be developed to help student success.

“Some of it is as simple as saying: in your program, if you were to take this course next, we would advise you to do that because students who’ve done that have been more successful or for you based on your own history, we would recommend that you take this course face-to-face,” he said.

Because ultimately, McCurdy said the goal isn’t just enrollment or retention or even graduation – it’s what college can do for the next step: a four-year university or a better job.

“Yes, we want to serve more students, but we also want to make sure that we are successful with the ones that we have and that success doesn’t just begin and end with us either,” he said. “College is not the destination.”

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

From virtual reality to careers: How Indiana’s Boys & Girls Clubs use VR for workforce development

2022-12-08T15:04:07+00:00

Alexis Fernung was ready to taxi the airplane from the runway to the hangar. Following the guidance of the signalman and staying in the lines on the runway, she did her best to move the airplane.

“I got this,” she said as the plane started moving.

Just a few minutes earlier, Lillian Green was examining a robot arm used for industrial painting. Up on a ladder, she searched for leaks and inspected the machine.

“Don’t fall off the ladder!” teased Ben Waterman, the teen coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Tipton County.

“It’s not real Ben, chill,” Lillian responded.

But it felt real.

Alexis and Lillian are in sixth and fifth grade, respectively. They weren’t on the job site, but rather in the Tipton Boys & Girls Club’s music room where, once a week, it’s transformed into a “hands-on” jobsite using Oculus headsets.

The Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs partnered with Transfr, a company that creates immersive virtual reality simulations for workforce development, training, and education, to bring oculus headsets loaded with VR simulations to help students explore potential careers to clubs across the state.

Tipton, about an hour north of Indianapolis, was one of 10 clubs that got the headsets in the summer and the program has recently expanded to include nearly two dozen more clubs.

“It’s opened up some of those types of conversations,” Waterman said of VR’s impact on his talks with students about careers. “Kids will gravitate toward careers that they see in their lives like teaching, nursing, or youth pastor.”

Listing jobs they’ve never seen means nothing to them, but with this, you can tell them that the skill they did in the simulation is important for one or more jobs, he said

“It’s a much more concrete way to talk about it,” Waterman said.

Multiple ‘hands-on’ career experiences in one place

Students come to the Boys & Girls Club looking for something different after the school day, said Lana Taylor, executive director for the Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

“They don’t want to do math and reading, they want to do something fun and engaging,” she said. And the virtual reality experience, she said, “is fun and engaging.”

It’s also part of a shift from career exploration to workforce development, Taylor said. It’s the difference between hearing about a career and trying it. Plus, she said it’s another way to supplement what students are learning about career choices in school and at home.

Hearing adults talk about a career isn’t always the best way to give students an understanding of it, she said.

So the Boys & Girls Club wanted to offer more hands-on experiences. One way was for students to work as junior staff at the clubs and learn what it’s like to be a staffer. But not all students want to work at a Boys & Girls Club, Taylor said.

So the club started more partnerships with companies, such as Old Navy, and the one with Transfr is perfect, Taylor said. It allows students to explore multiple industries without leaving the Boys & Girls Club.

The simulations build a path from classroom to career and “help young people understand the full range of options available to them in today’s fast-changing economy and workplace,” Bharani Rajakumar, founder and CEO of Transfr, said in a statement.

After the VR experience, students know if a career is“that’s what we thought it was” or “that’s not what I wanted to do,” Taylor added.

Students try multiple careers and find new ideas

Back in Tipton, the music and art rooms at the Boys & Girls Club transform into job sites on Wednesdays.

Students in fifth grade and older can use the headset programs, which include an option for students to level up and build skills in a specific field.

For fifth and sixth graders, the ideas of going to college and having a career can feel pretty abstract, Waterman said. But he said he knows how important it is to try out different things.

Before coming to the Boys & Girls Club, Waterman worked in student life at Grand Canyon University, where he said he saw students come to college with one major in mind, start taking classes and experiencing life on campus, and then change majors.

He tells the students he works with to be prepared to change their minds once they learn something new.

And that’s exactly what the simulations from Transfr offer: Be a pilot, be an engineer, work in construction or tourism — try it all out.

As the students are exploring, Transfr is collecting data about which simulations are popular and adding options like health care. Waterman said that information helps him think about which guest speakers and field trips the students would want.

Both Alexis and Lillian said the airplane experiences were their favorites, and Lillian liked the robots too.

The girls said they want to be teachers someday. But they also expressed interest in engineering, math, and STEM — all subjects that are covered in the VR simulations.

“That’s what happens. Kids find other options that they hadn’t thought of before,” Taylor said. “The more exposure they get, the more they think about it.”

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Teaching ‘world changers:’ Indiana’s 2023 Teacher of the Year applies history to today

2022-11-16T12:00:00+00:00

To Tara Cocanower, her students are “world changers.”

“I want them to know I see them as people who can make a difference in the world and be a change for good,” said Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School. “What’s the point in learning about the world if you’re not going to be an active participant in it?”

Every day, Cocanower said her students cheer her on and support her like she does for them.

“They’ve changed my world for the better,” she said.

Drawn to education as a way to make an impact on her community, Cocanower has taught at Bluffton High in her hometown just south of Fort Wayne, for nine years. She teaches world history, AP world history, and principles of teaching.

In October, she was named the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year. Cocanower talked to Chalkbeat Indiana about how she brings the world and the community into her classroom, her statewide honor, and advice from Grandma Phyllis.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher? Did you always want to teach in your hometown?

I didn’t think about pursuing education as a career until my sophomore year of college. I interned for an awesome eighth grade history teacher and cadet taught for my former first grade teacher during my senior year of high school, but I only did that to fill time in my schedule. People always told me I’d be a good teacher, but I didn’t think teaching was prestigious enough, lucrative enough, etc. I wanted to go into law, pursue the foreign service, or a Ph.D. in History. In college, I had a professor who showed me that teaching could be a calling and a profession full of purpose. That changed my trajectory. When I finished my time in Romania after my Peace Corps service, I prayed about where I should go next. Ultimately, my grandparents played a major role in me returning to Bluffton. I want to live a legacy of service and matter to our community the way that they did.

Tara Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School, is the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations on being the state’s teacher of the year for 2023. What does that award mean to you? How do you hope to use it?

To me, this award is affirmation of who I try to be and how I teach/coach. I’m not even the best teacher that I know, but I’m a good one and I’m honored to be given an opportunity to represent the amazing educators we have in Indiana. I hope to use this platform to promote civics education and social studies literacy. I want to empower and support other history teachers, and all teachers really, during these divisive times. I’d also like to support education-based athletics; as a three-sport athlete in high school, a collegiate golfer, and as a coach of two sports (golf and track and field), I know the value extracurricular activities have both inside and outside the classroom.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Honestly, I think it changes depending on the personality of individual classes. When I taught middle school I would have said lessons on the decolonization of Africa, refugee camps throughout the world, or ancient Egypt. Now, as a high school teacher, I really enjoy teaching World War I. It encompasses so many different narratives globally that I think are valuable today. I also love discussing the technology of the time period and implementing some edtech into our lessons such as Sphero, digital Breakout Edu activities, and problem-based learning.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

In Bluffton, we have an organization called Forgotten Children Worldwide, or FCW, which works to protect children from poverty and human trafficking around the world. It was started by a friend of mine, and I try to support it in any way I can. Currently, I’m partnering with them to develop an educational activity about India. The founder of FCW is going to be traveling around India in a tuk tuk [a three-wheel vehicle] and documenting it; and we are currently trying to create an accessible curriculum for teachers and other organizations. We also are blessed at Bluffton to have welcomed several exchange students as well as Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war in their country. Our worlds have been brought together, and there is no better resource for me as a world history teacher than perspectives from other countries.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

Carefully. In my 13 years of teaching, it’s only gotten harder to navigate using current events, but I can’t shy away from them and still believe I’m serving students well.

I’d say I approach news events as a facilitator of information. News events bring about the best discussions, and reflecting on them reminds me of several times tears have been shed because our hearts were broken over tragedies in our nation and world. I try to diversify the media outlets students choose to gain information from, and we do a lot of work developing historical reading skills to prepare for researching. We try to corroborate different sources, and then I encourage them to form their personal opinions supported by evidence. They know they’re allowed to disagree with one another.

I work hard to model civil discourse through Socratic seminars, historical text analysis, etc. My opinion doesn’t really matter within the walls of my classroom, and it’s always a compliment when students aren’t able to easily identify my personal bias or point of view.

Finally, I always try to share ways students can get involved to make an impact or encourage them to take the conversation we started home to their families. It’s a privilege to partner with parents, and I love hearing that what I’m teaching overflows from the classroom to the dinner tables, couches, and patios of my students.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I’ve ever received was from my Grandma Phyllis. As a kid, I could sometimes be a little proud and arrogant in showing off my accomplishments. Without fail, every time, she would tell me “I’ll tell you; you don’t tell me.” To me, that means that the reward was in doing it — not for the praise I gained for it. The Bible recounts this many times, but for me, Matthew 6:1-2 has always been what I think about.

I don’t teach for awards, money, or fame; I teach because kids matter and I believe that serving others is the greatest thing you can do with your time. Social media has only made things worse. Many of us share our highlight reels with the world and we base our identity and worth on how many likes we receive. As a high school teacher, I have a front-row seat to the damage this is doing to our youth.

I try to celebrate and affirm my students’ accomplishments as much as possible, but I encourage them to do whatever it is because it’s the right thing to do — not because they’ll be praised for it or get a trophy for it.

What are you reading right now?

“The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson.

I want my students to know that I don’t know everything and to be a reader is a superpower. During the school year, I mostly read nonfiction that supports my lessons and challenges me to keep learning.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Midterm Elections 2022: Voting results for school boards in Marion County

2022-11-22T20:30:17+00:00

This story has been updated with certified election results from Nov. 21.

Most of the incumbents running in Marion County school board races won reelection on Tuesday, and newcomer Hope Hampton won the only contested race for the Indianapolis Public Schools board, per election results.

And in the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Steven Chase Lyday topped incumbent Jimmy Ray by one vote to join the board; Ray was the only incumbent on the Decatur school board who lost.

There were 47 candidates on ballots for 29 school board positions in Marion County on Tuesday. While 11 candidates, mostly incumbents, were running unopposed, a vast majority faced at least some opposition. Roughly half of the school board candidates were incumbents.

Indianapolis Public Schools was the only district where no incumbents were on the ballot.

The role of the school board is not day-to-day operations, but rather district oversight, creating and enforcing policy, making sure bills are paid and employing a superintendent. School board races are non-partisan.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January.

Below is a list of results by district. The Marion County Election Board certified results on Nov. 21 and no candidates sought a recount or contested the election by the Nov. 22 deadline, said Brent Stinson, the board’s deputy director, in an email to Chalkbeat Indiana.

Beech Grove

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Rob Challis (I) 33.15%

Jannis King (I) 32.52%

Rick Skirvin (I) 34.33%

Decatur Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Judith Collins (I) 27.27%

Dale Henson (I) 26.43%

Steven Chase Lyday 23.16%

Jimmy Ray (I) 23.15%

Franklin Township

Southeast district

Larry J. Walker (I) 100%

Northeast district

Andrew Filler 47.75%

Zach Smith Howard (I) 52.25%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

Dawn Downer (I) 46.04%

Tim McVey 45.89%

Adrian D. Pettis Sr. 8.07%

IPS

District 3

Hope Hampton 55.17%

Kristen Phair 44.83%

District 5

Nicole Carey 100%

At-large

Angelia Moore 100%

Lawrence Township

District 2

Patricia Brenamen 17.39%

Janet Jacobs 34.3%

Marta Lawrence 35.06%

Nichole Sledge 13.25%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

Morgan Bailey 13.7%

Jessica Dunn 42.18%

Reginald McGregor (I) 29.64%

Jennifer Tursi 14.47%

Perry Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Cameron Clark 14.98%

James Hernandez (I) 15.23%

Chris Lewis 15.77%

Hre Mang 18.37%

Lee Shively (I) 17.75%

Samuel Snideman (He ended his campaign and won’t serve if elected.) 6.97%

Astin Vick 10.93%

Pike Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Alonzo Anderson (I) 27.37%

Guy Lowry 17.66%

Wayne Moore 26.35%

Terry Webster (I) 28.62%

Warren Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Terri L. Amos (I) 26.25%

Rachel Burke (I) 30.96%

Kevin Humphrey 25.1%

Dennis Orellana (I) 17.69%

Washington Township

District 2

Kristina Frey 56.12%

Donald Kite (I) 43.88%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

William (Bill) Turner (I) 100%

Wayne Township

At-large (Top four candidates win)

Brandon Bowman (I) 26.1%

Raimeka Graham (I) 24.71%

Michael D. Nance (I) 25.12%

Benjamin Wakefield (I) 24.07%

*(I) indicates the incumbent candidate.

Speedway Schools is not included in this list because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana’s NAEP scores show biggest decline in math as leaders weigh COVID’s fallout

2022-10-24T04:01:00+00:00

Indiana students’ math and reading scores on “the nation’s report card” declined from pre-pandemic results, with the state’s average math scores declining the most.

Scores released Monday from the most recent National Assessment Educational Progress — or NAEP — showed that 33% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders were proficient or better in reading, while 40% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders were proficient or better in math.

Those proficiency rates were lower than in 2019 except in fourth grade reading, where the rates are statistically about the same as in 2019.

Indiana’s average reading scores were around the national average this year, and math scores were higher than the national average scores.

However, nearly all demographic groups of Indiana students had an average score below NAEP’s proficiency benchmark, although the bar for achieving proficiency on NAEP tests is generally higher than it is for state exams.

Indiana’s results also reflect nationwide trends on NAEP following the pandemic’s disruptions to schools: unprecedented and not unexpected declines — affecting students in virtually every state and every region of the country.

While NAEP scores often attract attention and generate debate, this year’s results will be closely scrutinized by educators, public officials, and others trying to get a handle on how (and how much) COVID has disrupted student learning in different cities and states, as well as nationally.

The state has already launched multiple efforts aimed at academic recovery, such as Indiana Learns, a tutoring program funded through federal relief dollars that gives fourth and fifth grade students up to $1,000 for math and reading tutoring.

In August, the state announced its largest-ever targeted investment in literacy — $111 million — with many of the funds aimed at training teachers.

Charity Flores, the chief academic officer at the Indiana Department of Education, told the state board of education in July that this is year two of academic recovery from the pandemic that could take three to five years. The NAEP data supports that timeline, she said.

What is NAEP?

The main NAEP in reading and math is typically administered every two years. Students in the fourth and eighth grade last took the exam in 2019. Data comes from a representative set of students nationwide which allows for comparisons across states and some cities, although no cities in Indiana.

Unlike state exams or tests students might take for a regular class, these tests are low stakes for individual students, teachers, and schools. In other words, results aren’t used to, say, evaluate teachers or grade students.

Results are based on a sample of students, so there is a margin of error — or uncertainty — in the scores. This is particularly important for reading the state and city scores, which have higher margins of error than the country as a whole.

In addition to the impact they could have on national and state responses to the pandemic, the new NAEP results could also revive polarizing disputes about the precise impact of policies such as shutdowns of in-person learning.

While Indiana schools largely attempted to return to some form of in-person learning in the fall of 2020, the 2020-21 school year was characterized by abrupt switches between in-person and online learning, hybrid schedules, being quarantined, and precautions such as masking and social distancing. There were fewer such disruptions in the 2021-22 school year.

How Indiana’s NAEP scores stack up

This year’s NAEP results were released for students in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Defense’s education agency.

In reading, Indiana had proficiency rates that were similar to 40 other states or jurisdictions, and just a few had proficiency percentages that were considered significantly higher than Indiana’s.

In math, Indiana’s scores were on par with roughly half the states or jurisdictions.

Among eighth graders, for instance, only Department of Defense schools and Massachusetts had significantly higher percentages of students who were proficient or better in math, while 23 states or jurisdictions had proficiency rates similar to Indiana’s.

Flores said the results from different states provide a way to look for strategies that were successful elsewhere and implement them in Indiana, she said.

For example, Flores said that following Mississippi’s success with instructional coaches in reading, Indiana announced up to $60 million for instructional coaches focused on literacy in elementary schools, as part of the state’s $111 million targeted investment in literacy.

Additionally, Indiana’s education department is working with the University of Indianapolis to provide instructional coaching in the STEM fields.

Different student groups struggle on NAEP

Indiana’s NAEP results can also be split into multiple subgroups of students by race, gender, economic status, geography, and more.

The vast majority of these subgroups had average scores that were below NAEP’s proficiency benchmarks.

No subgroups had significant improvement in their scores from 2019 across the reading and math exams. Among the subgroups whose scores declined significantly from 2019 to 2022, the group with the biggest score drop was eighth-grade English learners in reading followed by Black eighth graders in math, fourth-grade English learners in math, and Hispanic fourth graders in math.

English learners, students with disabilities, and Black students in both grades had some of the lowest average scores on all four tests in 2022, making those groups the furthest from being considered proficient in a subject.

Additionally, students who attend urban schools or are from low-income backgrounds had some of the lowest scores in fourth grade math and reading.

In three of the NAEP exams — fourth grade math, fourth grade reading, and eighth grade reading — boys did about the same in 2022 as they did in 2019, but girls’ average scores dropped.

Looking to the next NAEP results

While NAEP and other exams have shown that academic progress was derailed during the pandemic, the declines don’t mean that students didn’t learn anything or forgot things they already knew between 2019 and 2022. Rather, students did learn over that period, but progressed at slower rates than their peers had in prior years.

Some recent data has suggested that students nationwide have begun to recover lost ground.

Flores noted that the decline in student performance, especially in reading, is mirrored in results from Indiana’s state exams.

ILEARN results dropped sharply from 2019 to the next time students took the state test in 2021. Results then increased slightly from 2021 to this year, indicating that a rebound may be under way, but 2022 results were still below pre-pandemic scores.

Flores said she aims to see a similar pattern in about two years, when the next set of NAEP reading and math scores for fourth and eighth graders are due to be released.

“We’ll have a bit of time and utilize strategies to support academic recovery,” she said. “I hope that in two years, we’ll start to see the impact of those sustained efforts.”

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton and Chalkbeat national reporter Matt Barnum contributed to this story.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Candidates for IPS school board would vote no on Rebuilding Stronger

2022-10-06T20:35:09+00:00

This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a collaboration ahead of the 2022 school board elections.

All four candidates for the Indianapolis Public Schools board would vote against the district’s current Rebuilding Stronger proposal, they said during Wednesday’s candidate forum hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI on Wednesday.

During the forum, candidates in the November election said they haven’t seen enough information about the plan to support it, and also expressed concern about the level of parent input.

Rebuilding Stronger is a proposed district overhaul that includes grade reconfigurations and some schools closing or merging as a way to address declining enrollment and financial challenges.

The school board is expected to vote on the plan in the fall, so those running for school board won’t be the ones to vote on the plan. However, if the plan is adopted, the winning candidates will be the ones to oversee it. None of the current board members with expiring terms are seeking reelection.

The majority of the changes in the plan would take place in the 2024-25 school year.

“We haven’t heard enough information, it’s not that anyone is opposed to plans per se, or people working hard to plan to better educate children. I think the issue is that we don’t know how many parents are at the table,” said Hope Hampton, a candidate for the District 3 seat, which encompasses the midtown area of Indianapolis and is the only contested race.

She added she wants to know if the programs that the district plans to replicate as part of the plan are the programs that parents want.

Kristen Elizabeth Phair, Hampton’s District 3 opponent, agreed that she wanted to know more from families.

“I want to hear what parents are worried about for their special needs kids,” she said. “I want to know what neighborhood (schools) families are worried about.”

Moderators Elizabeth Gabriel of WFYI and Amelia Pak-Harvey of Chalkbeat Indiana asked the four candidates for IPS school board questions during a forum on Oct. 5, 2022.

Phair added that with more information, families will either be satisfied or have concerns, and she hopes the district listens to those families with concerns.

Fellow candidates Nicole Carey and Angelia Moore also wanted to know more about the families’ thoughts on replicating programs. Carey and Moore are running unopposed for District 5, which includes the northwest part of the district, and an at-large seat, respectively.

Watch the IPS candidates forum

The roughly hour-long forum covered a wide range of topics, including facilities, district accountability and transparency, and how to support students.

Questions came from moderators Amelia Pak-Harvey and Elizabeth Gabriel, as well as from IPS students and attendees, who were both in person and online.

In a few days, a recording with Spanish subtitles will be on the WFYI YouTube channel. You can also watch the recording on Facebook.

All four candidates are newcomers, and IPS is the only Marion County district where no incumbents are on the ballot.

Read more about the candidates for IPS school board in our voter guide, and hear a recap of the forum on Twitter Spaces.

To learn more about all the school board elections in Marion County, check out our election previews here.

How to vote

Voter registration for Marion County residents ends Oct. 11.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building, and additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29.

On Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s vote centers.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to 2022 school board elections in Marion County

2022-10-05T12:00:00+00:00

This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a collaboration ahead of the 2022 school board elections. Join Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI to hear from candidates for IPS school board at a forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Indianapolis Public Library, Central Branch. RSVP and submit questions here.

This November, 47 candidates are on ballots for 29 positions on school boards across Marion County.

While some of the elections are more competitive than others, a majority of candidates face at least some opposition.

The races with the most candidates are in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, where eight candidates are vying for two school board seats. In contrast, two districts — Beech Grove City Schools and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township — have only incumbents running.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January. The role of the school board is not day-to-day operations, but rather district oversight, creating and enforcing policy, and making sure bills are paid. And one of a school board’s biggest jobs is to hire a superintendent.

Across the county, 23 of 29 board members with terms ending are running for reelection. In six school districts, all current board members who are up for reelection are running again. Indianapolis Public Schools is the only Marion County district where no current board members chose to run for reelection.

Of the 47 candidates, 11 are running unopposed. That includes nine incumbents: four in Wayne, three in Beech Grove, one in Franklin Township Community Schools, and one in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. The only unopposed newcomers are two IPS candidates.

Read about each school board election:

*Speedway Schools is not included in this list because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

On the ballot

The structure of the school boards, and which voters elect which school board members, vary from district to district.

For the following districts, the elections are all for at-large seats and the top vote-getters will win the seats: Beech Grove, and Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, and Wayne township.

In Franklin, Lawrence and Washington townships, the open seats are a mix of at-large and district seats. There are specific candidates for each seat, but all voters vote for all the open seats. In IPS, there is one at-large seat where all voters cast ballots, and two district seats where only those living in that district vote.

While Lawrence has two races of four candidates each, Franklin has one race of three candidates and one race of two candidates. IPS and Washington have one race each of just two candidates.

How to vote

Voter registration for Marion County residents ends Oct. 11.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building, and additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29.

On Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s vote centers.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Six candidates vie for three seats on Franklin Township school board

2022-10-04T12:10:00+00:00

Six candidates are running for school board seats at Franklin Township Community Schools, a district of roughly 10,500 students in southeast Marion County.

During the primary election in May, Franklin Township asked voters to approve a capital referendum, largely to fund an addition at the district’s high school as well as to make improvements at the district’s elementary schools. But it failed, with 62% of voters rejecting it.

The latest ILEARN results showed that 35.2% of Franklin Township third to eighth graders are at or above proficiency in both English/language arts and math, the second-highest percentage in Marion County after Speedway, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The latest state data shows that roughly 64% of Franklin Township students are white, 10.5% are Asian, 9.7% are Black, 8.7% are Hispanic, and 6.5% are multiracial. Less than 0.5% of students are Native American or Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

This election

This November, all three incumbents are running for reelection, but only two face challengers. Larry J. Walker, current board member, is the sole candidate for the seat representing the southeast portion of the school district.

Board president Zach Smith Howard faces challenger Andrew Filler in the northeast district, and at-large member Dawn Downer faces two opponents for her seat: Tim McVey and Adrian D. Pettis Sr.

Who votes and how to vote

All voters who are within the school district boundaries can vote for all three of the seats that are on the ballot this November.

Voter registration ends on Oct. 11. Marion County residents can register to vote at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites, including one at the Franklin Township Government Center, open on Oct. 29 and can be found online at https://vote.indy.gov/early-voting/.

On Election Day on Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found at https://vote.indy.gov/.

Meet the candidates

Larry J. Walker, southeast district

Walker is running for reelection on the school board. He is president and CEO of Timberwood Custom Homes.

Andrew Filler, northeast district

Filler is the parent of two students in the district and an engineer. If elected to the school board, he said his top priorities will be to make sure students, teachers and staff have the resources they need, increase transparency in the school board, and improve staff retention in the district.

Filler also has a small rescue farm with his family, where they give community tours to educate people about livestock.

Learn more at his campaign Facebook page.

Zach Smith Howard, northeast district

Smith Howard is the current board president and was first elected to the school board in 2018. Howard said he’s proud of the board’s efforts at transparency, such as livestreaming the board meetings and posting recordings, as well as their ability to raise pay for employees and manage student growth without raising property taxes.

If re-elected, his priorities are to make sure students are prepared for life after graduation, as well as continuing to manage student growth and building renovations without raising taxes.

Learn more at his campaign website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Dawn Downer, at large

Downer is the board vice president, an alumnae of the district, and the parent of a district graduate. She was the state’s First Steps director for more than ten years, and currently works as a consultant to support early education.

Her campaign Facebook page says her priorities include making sure there is community involvement and transparency in decisions, as well as school safety, academic growth, and fiscal responsibility.

Learn more at her campaign Facebook page.

Tim McVey, at large

McVey is a substitute bus driver for the district and a district manager for Simply Self Storage.

Adrian D. Pettis Sr., at large

Pettis is the chief of police for Warren Township schools. His campaign Facebook page states that he is striving for integrity, leadership, experience, and unity. He wrote that he wants to “enhance the culture and climate” of the district and listen to what the staff, students, and community need.

Learn more about him on his campaign Facebook page.

This article has been updated to include a Franklin Township early voting site.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Beech Grove school board members run unopposed in upcoming election

2022-10-04T12:00:00+00:00

Three of the seven seats on the Beech Grove City Schools board are up for election in November — and only incumbents are running.

Beech Grove is southeast of Indianapolis, and the district has about 3,000 students.

The district is working to address the teacher shortage and challenges with staff retention, which is an issue for many area schools. In 2020, voters in Beech Grove approved an operating referendum that included giving teachers and staff raises as a way to keep them in the district.

Additionally, the district recently launched a grow-your-own-educator program as a way to get students experience in teaching before college and direct them back to Beech Grove after college, WISH-TV reported. This summer, the board also voted to increase substitute teacher pay.

Also in 2020, Beech Grove voters approved a construction referendum to pay for improvements to the district’s school buildings as well as a new early-childhood center. The Hornet Park Early Childhood Center opened this school year.

Beech Grove’s superintendent, Laura Hammack, started in the summer of 2021. All three of the board members running for reelection were members of the board that hired Hammack in a unanimous vote.

This election

Current board members Rob Challis, Jannis King, and Rick Skirvin are all running for reelection without opposition.

Who votes and how to vote

Voters who live within the Beech Grove school district will have all three at-large school board races on their ballot.

Voter registration ends on Oct. 11. Marion County residents can register to vote at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29 and can be found online at https://vote.indy.gov/early-voting/.

On Election Day on Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found at https://vote.indy.gov/.

Meet the candidates

Three candidates, all incumbents, are running for three at-large positions on the school board.

Rob Challis, at large

Challis was first elected to the Beech Grove school board in 2018 and is currently the board’s vice-president. He works for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and owns RC Property Management. He’s also a nonvoting advisor on the Beech Grove Redevelopment Commission.

Jannis King, at large

King, the school board president, has been on the board for more than a decade. She works as a part-time substitute teacher with Kelly Services, a staffing company. King serves as an ex-officio member of the Beech Grove Parks and Recreation Board as the school board appointee.

Rick Skirvin, at large

A lifelong resident of Beech Grove, Skirvin is a graduate of Beech Grove High School and has four kids, according to an article from The Southside Times. He has been on the school board for 15 years. Per his candidate filing, he works at CryoVation, a cryogenic gas installation and service company.

Skirvin ran for Beech Grove mayor in 2019 but lost to Mayor Dennis Buckley.

This article has been updated with early voting sites.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Stay updated on the Indianapolis Public Schools board with Chalkbeat texts

2023-09-07T16:44:13+00:00

Want to stay up to date on the latest news from the Indianapolis Public Schools board while also having a way to text your school board questions to Chalkbeat’s journalists? Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s texting service.

Each month, Amelia Pak-Harvey, who writes about IPS for us, sifts through agendas and documents, attends board meetings, and interviews IPS leaders, attendees, and others before and after the meetings. She reports the decisions made by the school board, and tells the stories of the people who will be affected by those decisions.

And with our texting service, you’ll stay in the loop on the latest IPS school board news, regardless of whether you’re able to attend board meetings.

Here’s how it works:

Sign up by texting SCHOOL to 317-458-9205 or enter your phone number into the box below.

Once you sign up, you’ll get a reminder text before each meeting, as well as a text after the meeting to tell you the news, and a text on occasion when there is additional IPS school board news.

Plus, the texts are a direct line to Amelia, so if you have questions you don’t see the answers to, you can text back and ask her.

This is one more way our team works to inform the community, spark conversation, and inspire you to take action. Our team wants to hold district officials accountable for doing right by their students while also sharing what’s important to students, parents, and teachers.

The IPS school board typically meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at the John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services, 120 E. Walnut St. The meetings are also livestreamed here.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

What to know before IPS unveils Rebuilding Stronger plan

2022-09-12T20:06:12+00:00

It’s a big week for Indianapolis Public Schools.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson will deliver her annual State of the District speech Tuesday, unveiling the district’s long-awaited Rebuilding Stronger plan.

We’ll see the district’s answers to its most pressing problems: declining enrollment, competition with charter schools, and a lack of high-quality choice programs for students of color.

And at its most basic level, the plan will aim to stabilize declining enrollment by closing or consolidating schools while also expanding school choice. Enrollment zones could give school choice options to more students of color. Breaking up K-8 schools and creating standalone buildings might make better use of the district’s underutilized buildings.

You can watch the speech at 7 p.m. Tuesday at myips.org.

It could very well dictate the future of the entire district. To prepare, sign up for texting updates from Chalkbeat Indiana by texting “schools” to 317-932-3900. Also, sign up for our newsletter here.

And catch up by reading our previous coverage on what the plan could mean for students and families:

Indianapolis embarks on another middle school overhaul. Will this one work?: IPS has changed its middle school structure twice under the previous two superintendents. Is the third time a charm?
Parents criticize lack of information about IPS’ school consolidation plan: They asked for more details and worried the plan will bring more charter schools into the district.
As IPS considers closing schools, see what score your school building gets: Which school buildings close could depend on a facilities report showing each school’s usage and condition. Here’s the data.
In new school year, some Indianapolis charter schools grow: In turn, neighborhood, district-run schools are shrinking, and enrollment is a key component of Rebuilding Stronger.
Shuffling grades, closing school buildings: IPS proposes sweeping changes: District leaders outlined five potential solutions to the district’s financial challenges as it faces declining enrollment at neighborhood schools and unequal access to high-demand innovation programs.
Small IPS schools offer fewer extracurriculars. Is closing them the answer? The uneven distribution of extracurricular activities is especially acute for Black and Indigenous students, who have less access in middle school.
Enrollment losses in cities prompt talk of school closures: IPS isn’t the only district considering closing schools in response to declining enrollment and rising costs. School leaders across the country are grappling with this decision.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

We’re your Chalkbeat Indiana team, and we’re excited to be here

2022-08-31T13:46:22+00:00

Whether or not you’re headed back to the classroom, there’s something special about back-to-school season. It’s a fresh start to buy that new planner and start project planning and goal setting.

And this school year was also a new start for the Chalkbeat Indiana team. With the addition of two new members, our bureau is fully staffed and excited about the work ahead.

It’s never a dull moment covering schools, and we want to bring you the news you need to make your decisions about education in Indianapolis and Indiana overall.

Maybe you’ll read a story and decide to contact a local official to share your thoughts on a topic. Maybe what you read will inform your vote in the upcoming election. Or maybe an article will give you a glimpse into the successes and the challenges that students and teachers are having in the classroom.

And while we’re bringing you the news, we also want to get to know you.

Invite us to your events. Ask us to visit your classroom. Send us an email to tell us your story. Also, be sure to sign up for our newsletter here.

In the meantime, allow us to introduce ourselves with old photos and fun facts.

Aleksandra Appleton, pictured here in kindergarten, covers statewide education issues for Chalkbeat Indiana.

Aleksandra Appleton, statewide education reporter

Where I’ve been: Everywhere! I was born in Serbia before moving to the U.S. at 5 years old. I grew up in southern and central California and then moved to New York for grad school. I started as an education reporter in Fresno, California, and then covered schools in Las Vegas before moving to Indiana in 2021.

What I do: I write about education statewide. This includes covering education bills coming out of the legislature when it’s in session. During the off months, I write about how state policies affect schools and students across Indiana.

Fun facts to know about me: I have a very fun 4-year-old who knows more about cars than me. We grew our first vegetable garden this summer and it was a surprise success. I can’t tell you anything about sports, but I know the words to the musical episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” by heart.

How to reach me: aappleton@chalkbeat.org

What I’m looking forward to the most about the 22-23 school year: I’m looking forward to seeing the effects of the ideas Indiana has put in place to help students recover from the effects of COVID, like its multimillion dollar investments in tutoring and literacy instruction. I’m also interested in what schools are going to do with their federal relief funds this year.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis Public Schools, and as a student went through Montessori and International Baccalaureate programs.

Amelia Pak-Harvey, Indianapolis schools reporter

Where I’ve been: I’m from North Carolina but attended college in Boston, and from there covered Lowell Public Schools in Lowell, Mass. I later moved to Las Vegas to cover the massive Clark County School District. In 2020, I moved to Indianapolis to cover city hall for the Indianapolis Star.

What I do: I cover Indianapolis Public Schools and the other public school systems in Marion County. That means sitting through long board meetings so you don’t have to! It also means keeping tabs on the shift within IPS from neighborhood to choice or charter schools, and understanding how the pandemic continues to impact Indianapolis students.

Fun facts to know about me: I started on piano at a young age thanks to a strict Korean mom. My high school job was playing for churches in rural North Carolina, and I can tell you it’s not as cute or impressive as playing side gigs as an adult.

How to reach me: apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org, or at 919-619-8258.

What I’m looking forward to the most about the 22-23 school year: I’m looking forward to the students finally getting to enjoy their first truly normal return to school since COVID, and hoping to get acquainted with IPS and its stakeholders.

MJ Slaby runs down the driveway after her first day of kindergarten.

MJ Slaby, bureau chief

Where I’ve been: I grew up in northern Indiana and graduated from IU Bloomington. I’ve covered education for newspapers in Lafayette, Bloomington and most recently here in Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Star. In between, I’ve also worked as a journalist in Knoxville, Tenn., and Pittsburgh, Pa. I started at Chalkbeat in August.

What I do: As the bureau chief, I lead our Indiana team, helping to develop story ideas and edit drafts. I also work with the larger Chalkbeat team on photos, graphics, social media, our daily newsletter and ways to meet and engage with readers like you. My job is leading the day-to-day while also thinking about the big picture and goals for the team. Plus, I’m planning to do some reporting too.

Fun facts to know about me: I grew up near where the time zone changed in northern Indiana, so my school was on a different time than my house. I was a big Notre Dame women’s basketball fan as a kid and a few summers ago, I covered the WNBA as a freelancer. You can catch me at the farmers’ market most Saturdays because it’s my dog’s favorite place to visit (I’m a fan too).

How to reach me: mslaby@chalkbeat.org or 317-671-3376

What I’m looking forward to the most about the 22-23 school year: I’m excited to work with this group of journalists and the stories they will tell about what it’s like to be in school right now and the stories that explain all the complexities around education in Indiana. I’m also excited to meet readers and have events that bring us together.

Andrew Ujifusa (pictured behind a Komodo dragon) has previously worked as a journalist in Maryland and Mississippi, and taught English at two high schools in Japan.

Andrew Ujifusa, story editor

Where I’ve been: I am a New York native, and after I left college I worked in Japan for a year as an English teacher and as an occasional writer for a Japanese-English bilingual newspaper in Los Angeles. I also worked at local papers in Maryland and Mississippi. Before coming to Chalkbeat, I covered national education politics and policy for Education Week.

What I do: As a story editor, I work closely with bureau chiefs and reporters in Indiana and Philadelphia, Pa., on everything from story ideas and coverage priorities to editing pieces for clarity, newsiness, and style.

Fun facts to know about me: I’ve put a radio collar on a (tranquilized) African elephant, counted eggs as they were laid by a sea turtle on the beach in the dead of night, and I support the New York Mets, Utah Jazz, Washington Mystics, and Arsenal.

How to reach me: aujifusa@chalkbeat.org

What I’m looking forward to the most about the 22-23 school year: I’m intrigued to see how nimble and thoughtful schools are in dealing with such a daunting variety of challenges, from structural concerns like enrollment shifts and learning recovery, to the ways national politics are influencing state and local K-12 decisions. But I’m also excited to work with a new, smart, and hard-working Chalkbeat Indiana team that’s ready to deliver for readers.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.