Indiana lawmakers approve recommendations for new education policy
The bipartisan interim education committee approved its report unanimously after hearing testimony last week from education advocates, school officials and business leaders.
Education & Workforce Development
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Schools got $122B to reopen last year. Most has not been used.
School systems throughout the country reported using less than 15 percent of the latest round of federal education funding allotted during the last school year. Meanwhile, education advocates worry students continue to fall behind academically.
Indiana’s education scores decline along with rest of nation’s
Scores released Monday from the most recent National Assessment Educational Progress—“the nation’s report card”—reflect unprecedented and not unexpected declines affecting students in virtually every state and every region of the country.
Chip execs, biz leaders look to Purdue for help filling engineering void
The United States needs an estimated 50,000 or more new semiconductor engineers over the next five years. Tech leaders are traveling to West Lafayette for help.
Companies lure hourly workers with college tuition perks
For hourly employees, the programs remove the financial barriers of obtaining a degree.
Court temporarily blocks Biden’s student loan forgiveness
Attorneys for six Republican-led states are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider their effort to block the Biden administration’s program to forgive billions of dollars in student loan debt.
Judge dismisses six-state effort to halt student loan forgiveness plan
Earlier Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an appeal from a Wisconsin taxpayers group seeking to stop the debt cancellation program.
Butler to host Big East championships at new Esports Park
The 7,500-square-foot Butler Esports Park will officially open to the community on Friday. The facility includes PC and console gaming and event space, as well as co-working spaces, a studio and production room, and a cafe.
College enrollment declines for third straight year since pandemic
the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report suggests that steep drops seen after the pandemic disrupted colleges globally in early 2020 have not been reversed.
Gates Foundation donates $1B to prioritize math education
The increased focus on math comes after the pandemic “wreaked havoc” on learning in secondary schools, and widened gaps based on race in student performance, with math scores among Black students falling more sharply than declines among white students.
IU School of Medicine to break ground on new, $230M home
Indiana University School of Medicine’s planned medical education and research building marks the largest construction project in the history of the school.
Two parents square off in sole contested IPS board race
District 3 includes a diverse population, from the mostly white area of Meridian-Kessler to the neighboring Fairgrounds area, where nearly half of the residents are people of color.
Fall enrollment flat at Indiana public colleges, but long-term trend a concern
In the last five years, the state’s public higher education institutions have seen a 12.1% dip in undergraduates, equal to 27,000 fewer students.
Christiana Ochoa selected as new dean of IU Maurer law school
IU Maurer announced longtime faculty member Christiana Ochoa as the 17th dean in the law school’s history on Thursday. She is the first person of color and the second woman to be named dean in IU Maurer’s history.
Anderson School Corp. bookkeeper charged with embezzling nearly $1M
Rather than submitting legitimate vendor expenses, Carla Burke allegedly issued 312 checks to herself totaling $976,773. Investigators said she used the stolen funds for her own personal expenditures, including gambling at several casinos.
ACT test scores drop to lowest in 30 years in pandemic slide
An increasing number of high school students failed to meet any of the subject-area benchmarks set by the ACT—showing a decline in preparedness for college-level coursework.
IPS could seek property-tax referendum for ‘Rebuilding Stronger’ overhaul plan
District leaders have so far declined to discuss the cost of the significant proposal or how they will fund plans that include constructing two new elementary school buildings and improving 14 school facilities.
Indiana improved college completion rate still lacking, officials say
A report released last week by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education emphasized the completion rate “is not nearly robust enough” to provide Indiana’s economy with the skilled talent it needs.
Purdue Polytechnic seeks deal to stay permanently in former IPS high school
The school’s change in plans comes as IPS prepares for a multitude of changes under its Rebuilding Stronger plan, which would close seven schools and reconfigure grade levels throughout the district.
Purdue trustees approve new president’s contract, Daniels’ at-risk pay
Additionally, Purdue University said most students on the West Lafayette campus will not see an increase in room and board rates for the 2023-2024 academic year.