Former Star reporter to head new education website
Chalkbeat Indiana will focus on Indianapolis Public Schools, the Indiana General Assembly and the State Board of Education. Editor Scott Elliott took the reins on Monday.
K-12
Articles
Ritz expects GOP effort to diminish her authority
Indiana Schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz's comments followed the first meeting Wednesday of a committee that was started despite her objections to set new goals for the Board of Education.
Lawmakers end voucher study with few clear answers
Both sides agreed they could use more data on how the individual voucher recipients are performing. More than 20,000 students applied for vouchers this year, up from roughly 9,300 students last year.
State, schools sue U.S. government over Obamacare
Fifteen Indiana school districts and the state of Indiana have filed a lawsuit challenging the federal health care law and subsidies that are available to Hoosiers under rules set by the IRS.
Pence promotes career training at NBC summit
Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Pence touted steps to improve vocational training at NBC’s Education Nation summit on a panel with two Democratic governors.
Education board won’t change schools’ grades
Indiana's State Board of Education declined Wednesday to change the grades for a handful of schools following a review of changes the former public schools superintendent made last year to the grading formula.
Panel leans away from Common Core, despite higher costs
A legislative committee studying controversial Common Core education standards is likely to recommend the state create its own curriculum rules and testing program despite higher costs, the group’s co-chairman said Tuesday.
School-voucher applications in Indiana double again
The Indiana Department of Education reports it received 20,047 applications for vouchers for the 2013-14 school year.
State spending more on AP testing for high-schoolers, but failure rate is rising
The state plans to nearly triple its spending on Advanced Placement tests in high schools this academic year—despite the fact most students are failing them.
Pence balances party makeup on state education board
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is adding an Indianapolis Democrat to the State Board of Education following questions over whether the group had too many Republicans.
Landmark Indiana gym faces talk of possible closure
Muncie school board members are considering closing the 6,000-seat Muncie Fieldhouse to save money. The gymnasium turns 85 in December.
Law prompts some schools to end open enrollment
A new Indiana law that prevents public schools from turning away transfer students with poor grades or disciplinary problems has prompted some districts to end their open enrollment policies.
A-F panel begins work on new grading system
Members of a new group studying the state’s A-F school grading system got to work Thursday with a history lesson of sorts that raised questions about the difficulty of marrying state and federal rules for education accountability.
State ISTEP scores inch higher despite testing problems
Hoosier students scored slightly higher on Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus exams taken in the spring, despite computer problems that interrupted some of the exams.
Former IPS chief White takes reins at Martin University
Eugene White will assume the post of interim president after the departure of George Miller, who left just 18 months after accepting the top job.
Dozens of judges to visit schools for Constitution Day
The judges will primarily visit K-12 schools and most will distribute pocket-sized versions of the state constitution, the federal constitution and the Declaration of Independence to students.
Senate Dems push universal state-funded preschool program
Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said the benefits of preschool are too important to ignore for Indiana to remain one of 10 states that doesn’t put state funding into the programs.
Democrat calls for investigation of Bennett lists
Indiana's Senate Democratic leader called for an investigation Thursday after fundraising lists for former state schools chief Tony Bennett were discovered on state computers.
Fundraiser lists, emails raise Bennett questions
Former Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett faces scrutiny over the discovery of lists of Republican fundraisers on Department of Education servers and emails he sent directing staff to dissect a speech by Democrat Glenda Ritz.
Lawmakers debate education standards, testing
New college and career-ready assessments will gradually replace ISTEP, schools chief Glenda Ritz said at a legislative study committee meeting. But whether those assessments will be based on the controversial Common Core standards is still unclear.