For veteran teachers and older students, this is a return to normalcy. But for some young students and new teachers, this is among the first times they’ve experienced in-person learning without restrictions or interruptions.
Indiana lawmakers managed to pack the calendar with education-related legislation this year. Here’s a look at what survived and what didn’t.
The number of working special education teachers in Indiana declined around 4% from 2014 to 2021, while the number of students in special education grew 12%, according to the Indiana Department of Education.
Speaking after the vote, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said some Republican lawmakers thought the bill created too much of a burden for educators, while others thought it didn’t go far enough.
A bill to restrict teaching about race and racism has taken another step forward in the Indiana legislature after undergoing some changes.
Although the changes haven’t satisfied most critics, the effort highlights the tightrope walk between appeasing core conservative voters and not alienating moderates as political opinions in rural and suburban areas pull in opposite directions, analysts said.
A proposed amendment to Indiana’s so-called “divisive concepts” legislation would drop some of the most controversial parts of the bill, but stop short of completely removing a list of concepts that would be banned from the classroom.
Bills that would ban schools from teaching “divisive concepts” and open libraries to prosecution for distributing harmful material have passed the first hurdles of the Indiana Legislature.
School 42, a small K-6 school, has faced years of declining achievement that ultimately led IPS to decline to renew a contract with Ignite, its current operator.
Some teachers fear they would have to water down or eliminate lessons about important events in history if the state passes sweeping new regulations on how they may address race and racism.
The bill, authored by Rep. Tony Cook, R-Cicero, would ban teachers from promoting eight concepts, including teaching about race and racism in a way that makes students feel responsible for matters like slavery and discrimination.
The Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners approved a plan Thursday to sell the John Marshall school building to a yet to be determined not-for-profit organization for $725,000.
The school district announced earlier this month that it would recommend ending a contract with Ignite Achievement Academy to operate Elder W. Diggs School 42.
The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based charter advocacy group, highlighted in a new report how the yellow-bus requirement creates a costly burden for charter schools in particular.
The practice of rematching students with teachers over two years led to stronger classroom relationships, which in turn led to a small but notable increase in math and reading scores, the study found.
The gap in passing rates on state tests between white and Black students grew to 25.5 percentage points last spring from 2019.
Dual labor disputes have disrupted hopes for a smooth comeback at Pike Township schools this year—and officials have warned families that more cancelations of in-person classes could be possible.
By teaching fewer subjects to more students, specialists run the risk of weakened student relationships, reducing teacher effectiveness in reading and math, according to the paper.
For students in Marion County, the deficiency begins in preschool and lasts until they’re preparing for college, according to a new report commissioned by the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.
Backed with millions of dollars in funding, Keep Indiana Learning is partnering with the Indiana Department of Education as part of a statewide initiative to provide a central hub for teacher professional development: The Indiana Learning Lab.
