Chalkbeat

Report rates child care for Indiana counties

2021-08-19T00:05:50+00:00

Hoosier families on average face limited access to child care — with most residents having a tough time finding quality care that meets their family’s needs, a study by child care advocates reports.

On a scale of zero to 100, the state as a whole scores 60.6 in child care access — what the study rates as just barely “moderate” — while 86% of its counties have “inadequate access,” the report by the non-profit Early Learning Indiana says. The report includes an interactive map to look up county-by-county child care details.

Unlike previous studies, the group’s analysis, released Tuesday, considers several factors besides available seats when rating child care across the state — including quality, affordability, and choice.

The report notes that Indiana has an estimated 478,800 children under age 6. About two-thirds of those children require care because they live in households where all the adults are working. Data shows about 117,000 of those children are enrolled in licensed programs, but the care arrangement for the remaining children are unknown.

That insufficiency matters because studies have shown that early care and learning play critical roles in a child’s development and future.

“The brain develops more rapidly during the first five years of life than at any other time,” Maureen Weber, president of Early Learning Indiana, said. “It matters a lot what kind of environment children are in for 8, 10, maybe 12 hours a day when this period of very rapid development is occurring.”

The study examines what care is available to families within a 10-mile radius, which is about how far people are willing to drive to access high-quality care.

The report notes that access varies across the state. Generally families in urban areas can more readily find high-quality care, compared with families in rural areas.

“We have long known that care in rural communities presents unique challenges given the distances and overall levels of population,” Weber said.

On the 0-100 scale of how well existing child care meets needs, Marion County scores 71.5 — one of the state’s higher scores. The county has had long-standing support for child care from organizations like the United Way of Central Indiana, Weber said. But more than half of the state’s census tracts have inadequate access to programs serving children up to age 5 who need care.

Supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., Early Learning Indiana is offering grants of up to $100,000 to provide high-quality child care. Weber said the group will award at least 10 non-renewable grants, to cover an average of 18 months, to build capacity. The program aims to expand care for 1,000 children. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 8.

Nearly $70 million has been distributed with support from the state for day care centers to safely stay open. The state is continuing to invest in pre-kindergarten but without increasing state funding.

Studies have shown that children who participate in high-quality early-learning programs have improved long-term academic results and better health outcomes.

Good early-learning programs also can help children who suffer the stress of coping with adversity, Weber said.

“They bring with them a number of challenges that can stay with them well into their K-12 experience,” Weber said. “On the other hand, if they have early childhood experiences that are positive, with adults that are providing for their needs and helping to foster that brain development that is happening anyway, that pays dividends for years into K-12.”

Weber said that children need caring adults who want to foster curiosity and build resilience.

This story has been updated to clarify the number of children under age 6 who need care.

Five key takeaways from how Indiana students learned last school year

2021-08-17T23:12:08+00:00

Indiana data collected last school year offers some surprising insights into pandemic-era schooling and reveals stark gaps in learning opportunities, a state education report has shown.

Last school year, the state for the first time collected daily attendance data for each student, allowing for a comparison of how students attended classes during the pandemic and how the delivery of instruction affected test scores. The data revealed wide disparities.

Here are five key takeaways from the state data released last week:

Takeaway No. 1: In-person learning dominated despite the pandemic.

Public schools predominately offered in-person learning last school year, according to a presentation to the Indiana State Board of Education Thursday. About 67% of students statewide primarily took in-person classes.

Only about 5% of schools statewide had more than half their students attending remotely throughout the school year — a figure that includes Indiana’s many established virtual schools.

Other schools with high percentages of virtual learning tended to be “larger schools serving lower-achieving students,” according to the presentation.

About 1.5% of schools indicated they did not use virtual instruction at all last year.

Takeaway No. 2: But enrollment in in-person learning was unequal.

Despite the prevalence of in-person learning, only 40% of Black students primarily attended classes on campuses. One-third attended school mostly remotely.

White students had the highest rates of participation in in-person learning at 77.7% and the lowest rates of remote learning at 8%. Asian students had the highest rates of participation in hybrid learning at 10.9%.

Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students also attended school in-person as their primary mode of instruction.

The rates of in-person versus virtual learning corresponded with family income level: Students who received free meals — a measure of poverty — participated in remote instruction at nearly twice the rate of students who paid for school meals.

Those least likely to attend school on campuses included former English learners who had reached fluency.

“We intend to look a bit deeper into our former English learner student population to get some more information about their overall performance and academic impact,” the state’s director of accountability, Maggie Paino, said in her presentation.

Some board members asked whether local health departments prevented in-person learning and wondered whether the state board should have a say in any decisions to close schools due to COVID cases.

“There were a lot of areas in Black communities that were not allowed to attend school [in person], especially not full capacity,” board member Erika Dilosa said. “So it’s not always a personal decision that was made within the family, but it was the decision of local governing officials.”

Takeaway No. 3: In-person learning was linked to higher academic performance.

Comparing the instruction data with spring test scores, the Department of Education concluded that in-person instruction was “uniformly the best mode of instruction for students, consistently leading to less academic impact than hybrid and virtual [learning].”

Schools that had more than half of students learning remotely saw moderate-to-significant declines in academic performance, Paino said, while scores for schools that provided mostly in-person learning suffered less severe drops.

Math scores took the biggest hits. In grades 5-8, students who took in-person classes scored proficient at twice the rate of students in remote learning. For performance, the state counted data from virtual schools as a separate category.

”In-person instruction really, really matters,” Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said. “What our teachers do in the classroom face-to-face really matters.”

Takeaway No. 4: There are limits to the data collected.

The 2020-21 school year was the first time the department collected daily attendance data for individual students, Paino said. But she noted that the data is incomplete, missing about 15% of school records.

The state also is missing attendance information for Black students at higher rates than any other student subgroup, with around 20% of records missing.

Chief Technology Officer John Keller blamed technical issues in the new system, noting that the department collected 199 million pieces of information in its attendance records.

The missing information would not likely significantly change the data reported, Jenner said, but would instead add students to each of the learning categories.

The data had other limits as well: It did not consider how well students engaged with learning, according to Paino, nor did it take into account whether lessons were synchronous or asynchronous — with a teacher either teaching in real time or previously recorded — or what local attendance policies looked like.

Paino also urged caution in using the data to draw conclusions about learning methods and student academics because of the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year.

“There are so many factors that we cannot control as we’re looking through this data,” Paino said.

Takeaway No. 5: Virtual attendance numbers may be misleading.

Because Indiana doesn’t set rules for how schools take attendance in remote learning, practices vary widely. Some school districts required daily log-ins, set minimum login time, or mandated that schoolwork meet a deadline for a student to be counted present.

The School City of Hammond in northwest Indiana required students to either attend in person or sign on remotely for at least 75% of the day in order to be marked present.

In contrast, schools in the South Bend Community School Corporation could mark students present if they completed their assignments by the end of the week, Chief Academic Officer Brandon White said — even if a technology issue or other conflict prevented them from attending a virtual class.

The state of Connecticut requires students to be present for at least half of the instructional day — in line with pre-pandemic federal policy and making remote attendance more comparable to in-person attendance. That’s an example of how to set attendance requirements, said Hedy Chang, executive director of the national nonprofit Attendance Works.

She recommended schools monitor contact, connectivity, relationships, chronic absence, and attendance in both in-person and remote learning.

Despite an average attendance rate of 94%, the Hammond school district had lower passing rates in English and math on state ILEARN tests last spring compared with 2019. (The state did not administer tests in 2020 because of the pandemic.) District spokeswoman LeAnne Munoz said that the pandemic took a toll on students, and that school officials want students to learn in person this year.

How some Indianapolis school districts will try to remedy pandemic’s learning losses

2021-08-06T21:06:50+00:00

Warren Township Superintendent Tim Hanson knows what his district has to do to recoup the learning students lost during the most disruptive months of the pandemic.

He needs more licensed teachers in Warren Township schools to work closely with students in reading and math. But he doesn’t know if he can get enough of them this year, especially for middle school math.

“We just haven’t been able to identify or locate candidates,” Hanson said.

Finding math teachers has always been hard. But Hanson faces additional obstacles: the pandemic, public health uncertainties, a state teacher shortage in key areas, and Indiana’s comparatively low teacher pay.

The new school year brings huge challenges to Hanson and other superintendents. They must figure out the needs of students who missed much of last year, and devise ways to help them catch up while navigating safety protocols — and political debates — like masks and fluctuating health orders, and unknowns like enrollment and long-term funding.

Across Indianapolis, administrators are shrinking class sizes, creating more small learning groups, and hiring teachers to work with students who need help.

Warren already has added 12 interventionists to help with reading in elementary schools.

Warren Township also will resume testing three times a year to monitor student growth and progress and is working on shrinking class sizes.

The district aims to cap kindergarten at 24 students, elementary classes in the high teens or low 20s, and higher grades at 30 students.

The district is using federal funds to pay teachers per-hour to tutor after school. On last spring’s state tests only 8% of Warren Township students passed both the English and math state tests, one of the lowest rates in Marion County.

“We’re not going to be able to make up one year in one year; it’s going to take some time,” Hanson said.

Warren Township also is hiring liaisons to provide families with resources, support and district communication.

“When schools and families are working together, that increases the success for the student,” Hanson said.

Perry Township also is trying to arrange more small-group learning. The school district has tapped federal relief funds to hire 23 additional teachers to provide individual and small group instruction in schools.

Test data from last school year flagged more students who need additional help, Superintendent Pat Mapes said. That includes many students who are just beginning to learn English — Perry Township serves the highest percentage of English learners in the city.

For those students, working in small groups is critical, Mapes said. “Most of the time, it’s trying to master literacy skills so they can understand English and start moving through coursework.”

The district will test progress monthly.

“We don’t have to wait for 10 weeks to go by, or wait for half a year to go by,” Mapes said.

Lawrence Township also is hiring family engagement liaisons to support students and boost attendance at each school, said Troy Knoderer, the district’s chief academic officer.

In Indianapolis Public Schools, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the district will use federal relief funds for additional staff training. The district has added 10 professional development days.

“If our teachers feel prepared and better supported to do so then we’ll see the outcomes in the instruction that students receive each day,” Johnson said.

Realizing that the federal funds expire in a few years, she said that the district is trying “to not staff in such a way that three years from now we’re facing an exacerbated fiscal cliff.”

Indianapolis Public Schools scales back cuts to busing for hundreds of students

2021-08-03T21:55:36+00:00

To the relief of some families, Indianapolis Public Schools has scaled back plans to trim transportation and has provided district busing for 400 more students than previously announced.

Earlier, the district had outlined a cost-cutting plan to eliminate district bus service for about 600 high school students, who would have to walk to school or ride a city-run IndyGo bus. Parents raised safety concerns, including the lack of sidewalks in some neighborhoods where students would be forced to walk to school or to IndyGo stops.

But apparently, it wasn’t a parental opinion that forced the district to rethink its plans, which now call for redirecting just 200 of the students to the city’s IndyGo bus system.

Instead, IndyGo said it lacks sufficient drivers and also has reduced bus capacity because of the pandemic.

“As we work to recruit and rebuild those levels, we want to be mindful about where and when we introduce a concentrated number of passengers to the system at one time,” said IndyGo spokesperson Carrie Black.

Earlier this year, the school district announced it would save from $200,000 to $1 million this school year by shifting some high school students to IndyGo buses. Now it will save on the lower end of that range, although the district did not provide Chalkbeat with an exact estimate.

Indianapolis Public Schools officials have stressed the need to cut transportation spending by about $5 million this school year, including having more students walk to school and changing routes. Shifting some high school students to IndyGo would cover just a portion of that sum.

“We’ve said in the beginning that we’re willing to modify if we need to in order to make that first year experience a smooth one for our students and families,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said last week.

Even after scaling back busing, the district likely faces more cuts to transportation and other areas, partly because of dwindling enrollment and a budget deficit. Officials have calculated that the district has been spending up to twice as much per student on transportation than other similar urban districts.

District officials still hope to increase the number of high school students who ride IndyGo buses instead of school buses in future years.

Thousands of masked Indianapolis Public School students head back to school

2021-08-02T23:29:57+00:00

When twins Ryan and Rylan wandered into their first grade class Monday at Clarence Farrington School 61, they sat at the first two desks they saw, front and center. They were ready for the day.

“That’s not y’all desks. Hold on,” their mom Ciera Cole said to the twins, who wore matching red shirts and navy blue shorts with neon green Nikes. “Get up, get up. That’s someone else’s desk. You have to look for your name.”

Ryan and Rylan were among thousands of masked Indianapolis Public Schools students walking through school doors on Monday, a year and a half into the pandemic. Throughout the nation, school districts are facing tough questions. How do they get students caught up to where they need to be after a long disruption to in-person school? How can teachers revive their students’ interests? Will schools remain open as the delta variant pushes up COVID-19 case numbers?

Ryan and Rylan Cole sit in the back of their mother Ciera Cole’s car as she drives them and her sixth-grade daughter to Clarence Farrington School 61 on the first day of school.

Cole said she’s really nervous about how this school year will go for them.

They didn’t attend kindergarten because of the pandemic and struggles with virtual learning.

At school, the twins followed their big sister, sixth-grader Ra’Zya, as they walked to the breakfast line. They tried holding onto milk, orange juice, Golden Graham boxes, and yogurt all in their hands as they walked to class. Sometimes they dropped their plasticware.

IPS Parent Ciera Cole helps her son Ryan with his breakfast on his first day ever of in-person learning, Monday, Aug. 2.

With Ryan, Rylan, and Ra’Zya all safely delivered to Indianapolis Public Schools campuses, Cole said she felt relieved but still scared. She said the twins are on the autism spectrum and are still being diagnosed. The district will provide special services for them for developmental delays, while she waits on a diagnosis.

She worries that people don’t know them or their situation. “You could see how the other kids were talking,” she said. “They (adults) knew what they were talking about.”

But Cole has seen teachers at the school help students when they need help learning how to navigate school for the first time.

“That’s why I got to trust the process,” she said.

The last year and a half has been rough for Cole and her family. She left her job as a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home because so many people were getting sick and dying of COVID-19.

“I didn’t want to give it to my twins because they are going through a lot with their brains and I didn’t know how their bodies would take it,” Cole said.

After she left, she got another job that she liked, and soon got pregnant. She took a leave of absence and received unemployment benefits, which suddenly stopped. She and her husband haven’t been able to get new back-to-school clothes for her five school-age children and have had to rely on churches and other organizations for help.

Her two older boys, Crispus Attucks sophomores Ricky and Elijah, had to get up around 5:30 a.m. to catch the 6:28 a.m. bus, which was running late. They sat in the car quietly as the sun rose. Cole said her boys hated virtual learning last year and struggled through it. They made Ds and Fs during that time.

“It’s been hard because I haven’t been able to do stuff that I usually am able to do in school, especially since it was my first year of high school.” said Ricky, who wants to play basketball, football, and baseball this year. Going back to campus midyear made it easier, he said. “I’m going to be more determined in my school work because last year I had to do summer school.”

Cole thinks that they will be happy going back to school. Throughout the pandemic, they haven’t been able to travel out of town. The pandemic also affected their social life, especially as they changed schools and moved among virtual, hybrid, and in-person instruction.

“It made me quieter and it made me see things differently, but I’ve always been the observant type, like watching people and reading the room,” Ricky said.

The high school bus finally came. As it pulled up to the stop, Cole told the boys that she loved them. They said it back.

Cole’s 11-year-old sixth grader worries her the least. Ra’Zya got good grades last year. On Monday, she was up early.

“My daughter is excited,” Ciera said. “She’s trying to act like she’s not excited but she’s up early.”

She’s worried about the twins and their behavior. She hopes they can adapt and learn quickly.

“I think the twins are over-excited because they have never experienced anything like this and they really don’t go anywhere,” Cole said. “They never go to bed when I tell them to go to bed and they went to bed last night.”

Indianapolis Public Schools will now require all students and staff to wear masks

2021-07-29T19:55:46+00:00

Just a week after releasing new COVID-19 protocols and four days before the start of the new school year, Indianapolis Public Schools will require all students and staff to wear masks indoors — regardless of vaccination status.

Last week’s district guidance said masks were optional for vaccinated students and staff. Only unvaccinated students and staff were required to wear masks indoors.

During a Thursday morning media roundtable, IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the district was reviewing the updated recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Marion County Public Health Department that were based on surging coronavirus cases due to the delta variant. Hours later, IPS issued its updated policy.

The CDC recommends masks for all students, teachers, and staff indoors, regardless of vaccination status. However, the Marion County Public Health Department just recommends masks indoors for all unvaccinated students, teachers, and staff.

According to the new district guidance, students are still encouraged to prove vaccination status to their school in case the mask guidance changes later in the year. Additionally, staff should continue to provide vaccination status.

As Marion County’s 11 school districts open for the first day of school, districts are handling masks in different ways.

Like IPS, Warren Township is requiring all students, staff, and visitors to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Wayne, Pike and Washington townships are requiring masks indoors for unvaccinated K-12 students and staff. If Pike students and staff wish to opt-out of wearing masks, they must provide vaccination documentation or a positive test for antibodies. In Wayne, masks are recommended for fully vaccinated individuals indoors and required for unvaccinated students and staff.

In Lawrence Township, masks are recommended indoors for unvaccinated students, teachers, and staff.

In Beech Grove City Schools, masks are recommended indoors for all unvaccinated students in fourth grade and above and for all unvaccinated staff. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated individuals and for all students in Pre-K-grade 3.

In Speedway Schools, masks are required for unvaccinated staff but not required for vaccinated personnel. Students in kindergarten through second grade are not required to wear masks. In third through sixth grades, masks are recommended in the classrooms but required in places like hallways. For students in seventh through 12th grades, masks are required for unvaccinated students when physical distance is not possible. When students are in pods and classrooms, masks are recommended, but not required. All students and staff on buses must wear masks regardless if they’ve been vaccinated.

Wearing masks is optional for students and staff at Perry, Franklin, and Decatur townships.

What IPS parents need to know about remote learning options

2021-07-28T23:46:52+00:00

Are you an IPS parent who has signed your child up for virtual school? Are you thinking about signing your child up? What are you concerned about? We want to hear from you. Write awashington@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools students who want to learn remotely this school year will need to give up their in-person IPS seat and register at one of two virtual charter schools.

The two online charter schools are Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy and Paramount Online Academy. Phalen is open to students in grades K-12 and Paramount is open to students in grades K-8. While IPS and Paramount start on Monday, Aug. 2, Phalen will start Thursday, Aug. 12.

In May, IPS board members approved two virtual charter school partnerships that would move remote IPS students out of their home school and into a virtual charter for the school year. The partnerships have joined the district as innovation schools, which means they are operated independently with oversight and additional funding from IPS.

Schools across the country have grappled with whether to provide a remote option to students and how to do it. IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in May that it was “incredibly challenging and not sustainable long term” for district teachers to instruct virtual and in-person students at the same time.

“We need to make sure we have an option that does not put that lift on our individual classroom teachers but could still respond to our families who want that virtual option in the future,” Johnson said.

Here’s what we know so far about IPS virtual school options:

What students are eligible to apply?

Both Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy and Paramount Online Academy are open to students from anywhere in Indiana.

Enroll for virtual school at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy here. Enroll for virtual school at Paramount Online Academy here.

When is the deadline for applying?

There is no deadline to sign up for either Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy or Paramount Online Academy. Students can apply to transfer at any time.

Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy will offer learning coach and parent orientations the week of Aug. 6-11. Tora Townsend is the founding school leader at the one-year-old PLA virtual school. Paramount will have a back-to-school information session on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Brandalyn Hayes is the school director for the new Paramount Online Academy.

How many seats are available?

Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy has 2,000 seats for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and 500 seats for high school students. As of July, three-quarters of its 211 statewide students come from IPS, according to Earl Martin Phalen, the chief executive officer of Phalen Leadership Academies.

Paramount Online Academy has space for a total of 558 elementary and middle school students. As of mid-July, nearly 60 IPS students have signed up for this virtual school option. About 100 other students come from various districts and charter school networks.

What does remote learning at these schools look like?

Students will have live instruction daily with teachers at both schools with cameras and mics on. Both school partners are promising small class ratios, typically 25 students to one teacher.

Are digital devices provided?

Yes, Chromebooks or tablets will be provided.

How good are these schools academically compared to the school district?

At Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy, 22.5% of students passed both English and math ILEARN tests, compared to just 10% of IPS third through eighth-graders. This school year will be the first for Paramount Online Academy, but for the three in-person schools operated by Paramount Schools of Excellence — Englewood, Brookside, and Cottage Home — students passing rates for math and English exceed those of IPS. Two of the schools have higher passing rates than the statewide average. At Brookside, 36.7% of students passed both tests, while at Cottage Home, 32.4% passed both.

Tommy Reddicks, the chief executive officer for Paramount Schools of Excellence, said Paramount has a tutoring program and will offer monthly parent training seminars. Online students can participate in extracurricular activities on campuses as well as sports and field trips, according to the IPS website.

Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy will have small-group rotations across virtual classrooms and will use a learning program called Edgenuity to help students master academic concepts at their own comfortable speed. Students will receive small-group tutoring where three to five students will work on the same skill, practice the skill throughout the week, and then get assessed on it on Friday, according to Phalen.

“If they master it, then they go on to a new skill,” Phalen said. “If they haven’t mastered it, we continue to teach that.”

Phalen students will still be able to participate in their home school sports teams and clubs, if they choose to.

Both schools will have a family call center open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for support with online learning and technology.

Can families switch from remote learning to in-person learning later on?

Yes, families can switch from remote learning to in-person learning, but only if the neighborhood or choice school has enough room for them to enroll.

According to the IPS website, if a family wants to return to in-person learning, they must re-enroll at the neighborhood school or through Enroll Indy.

Giving teachers space to ‘relax and breathe’ lets them show up for their students, this IPS Principal of the Year says

2021-07-26T21:17:24+00:00

Tihesha Henderson will never forget the day she visited a struggling student’s home where she saw concrete floors and smelled mildew. It was freezing inside.

The experience changed her perspective — of the child and herself.

“It made me more empathetic,” Henderson said. “It really made me understand the root of this child’s problem.”

Henderson leads Sankofa School of Success, which prioritizes student and staff social and mental health. She was recently named Indiana Public Schools’ 2022 Principal of the Year, cited for supporting students’ social and emotional needs. (Sankofa comes from a Ghanaian language and is a mythical bird representing, as the school’s website puts it, “looking back at your past and then taking that information to propel you forward.”)

The elementary school just completed its first year as an innovation school, which means it has some autonomy from Indianapolis Public Schools. Previously, the campus where Sankofa is situated was home to Arlington Woods School 99, which Henderson led for 10 years.

The pandemic lockdown and its economic fallout put resilience to the test this past school year. Chalkbeat spoke recently with Henderson about her challenges and wins.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did you navigate the pressure of leading a new innovation school and coping with COVID last school year?

It was very challenging. I really had to take care of my mental health and balance the needs of staff, students, and families.

Families are counting on us to really be 100% ready, tuned in, and to provide a high-quality education. I listened to my staff constantly throughout the year. I listened to the needs of our families. We ensured that our families felt comfortable with bringing their kids in person to school, as well as with the education they were receiving in the virtual environment.

One way we were able to take care of our needs was our early release day on Thursdays.

We ensured that we have activities for staff to just relax and breathe. I put students first through meeting the needs of teachers and staff because if teachers and staff don’t have the tools that they need, then the needs of the students wouldn’t come first.

What was your first education job, and what sparked your interest in the field?

My first education job was subbing for Pike Township. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My heart was in IPS because I’m a product of IPS. I graduated from Arlington High School.

What makes your school unique?

Morning arrival. We greet our students with a smile and a hello. It’s all about really identifying their social-emotional needs at that moment and making sure they have clear expectations for the day ahead.

Teachers will have a greeting chart on their doors or by their door, so kids can choose to greet them in different ways. So maybe I greet you with a fist bump. Maybe I’ll give you a hug. If you look like you’re angry, or look sad, or if you’re typically a kid that is outspoken, and you’re quiet, I know that there may be something there, and that’s my moment to really ask you a few questions to see what’s happening and how you’re feeling.

If I can identify that right out the gate, I can meet their needs at the beginning of the day, instead of allowing them to go through the whole day angry or upset.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Don’t expect you out of everyone else. It means that even though we’re coaching staff, and we’re giving them tools to add to their practice, even though I do something one way, or another way, it doesn’t mean that’s the only way or they have to approach the work like I approach it.

Tell me about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective.

Just going into a home where there were concrete floors, it was very cold, it had a mildew smell, there was no furniture. There were boarded-up windows. And the fact that this child was living in this place really changed my perspective and why I was there.

It made me more empathetic; it really made me understand the root of this child’s problem. He was going through some behavioral issues. It was just a lot going on. Not only was the environment physically not conducive for living, but there were a lot of other things that were happening in the home that played into his behavioral issues. There wasn’t a lot of food in the home. We understood why he came in and was taking people’s food in the cafeteria and eating their food.

What changed after you saw that?

We had to check in with him every day. We also gave him sacks on the weekend to take home so he would have food for the whole weekend. And if he was hungry throughout the day, our behavior coach would have him come to her room and just have a quick little snack. Once we met that need, we were able to do guided reading and do some small group work with him.

What is a challenge that you had to face, and how did you overcome it?

You pour your heart and your soul into your students, your families, your teachers, your staff. And every year you think, awesome, I have an awesome staff. Then at the end of the year, you have people that come to you and say, ‘I’m resigning’ or ‘I’m leaving.’

It kind of knocked me completely off my square. But over the years, I learned that as much as I develop people, their goal, maybe, is not to stay with me forever to do this work, but it’s about them using what I taught them to go out and then share that with others, and maybe in other schools, cities and states or districts, to use what I taught them to make a difference in the life of a child.

That is a blessing. But it’s also a curse because now I am faced with recruiting in COVID; you have very few people going into education. And so, as much as I am the IPS Principal of the Year, and I’m very humbled to receive that recognition, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have the same challenges as other school leaders. I am trying to fill vacancies so that we can have another great year.

Vaccinated staff and students can go mask free when school starts, Indianapolis district says

2021-07-21T22:00:14+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools students and staff who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks in classrooms when school starts, according to new district guidance.

Unvaccinated students will be required to wear masks at school, and the district recommends that staff continue to wear masks around unvaccinated students, especially children under 12 who are currently not eligible for the vaccine. Students are still expected to practice 3 feet of social distancing whenever possible in classrooms, cafeterias, and on buses.

District officials said in a letter to employees that while they are not requiring all employees to be vaccinated, they must prove they are vaccinated to go without masks.

IPS’ COVID guidance comes as state health authorities and school districts nationwide release their own plans for safely bringing students back to school in person a year and a half after the onset of the pandemic. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease and Prevention recommended that young students continue to wear masks, while the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that everyone over the age of 2 continue to wear them in school to create more layers of protection.

Vaccinated students and staff who don’t want to wear a mask can voluntarily submit proof of their vaccination status.

As of today, nearly 3 million individuals are fully vaccinated in Indiana. According to The New York Times, 54.6% of adults 18 and older are fully vaccinated in Indiana, compared to 59.6% of adults in the nation. In Marion County, 410,734 individuals are fully vaccinated, according to the state. Only 2.7% of 12- to 15-year-olds in Indiana are fully vaccinated.

Indianapolis Public Schools officials said they will be still tracking COVID-19 cases in schools on their website and will let families and staff know about any exposures on their campuses. Students who have to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure will be expected to complete schoolwork electronically on a learning platform called Schoology while away from the school building.

While vaccinated students don’t have to wear masks inside classrooms, everyone will have to wear masks on IPS buses because of a federal Transportation Security Administration order.

But during outdoor physical education classes and recess, students and staff can go mask-free, vaccinated or not, as long as they are maintaining social distance.

Athletes are also not required to wear masks during practices and games. Students in band, orchestra and choir can practice and perform, but they cannot rehearse for more than 45 minutes and must be socially distanced.

Some parents, such as Center for Inquiry 70 Parent Karen McAleavey, aren’t too happy about the school district’s guidance.

McAleavey was extremely disappointed that officials weren’t implementing universal masking for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Her eighth grader is vaccinated, but her sixth grader, who attends the same school, is not eligible to be vaccinated because she is underage. She has kept her children learning remotely throughout the pandemic because she’s worried about her family’s safety.

“For IPS to come out the day after the American Academy of Pediatrics released that guidance, and to have chosen something that’s in contradiction to that guidance, to me just feels shortsighted and it feels like they’re not following the science,” McAleavey said. “It makes me nervous to send my unvaccinated child back to school in the fall.”

She’s also concerned that teachers won’t be able to determine and manage students with various vaccination statuses.

Even though her son, 13-year-old Max McAleavey is vaccinated, he is nervous about starting the school year in person for the first time since March 2020.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” Max said. “It’s kind of scary to think about because I can still get it as a vaccinated individual. I hate to pass it on to my family. COVID is still very much real.”

The school district is still operating vaccination clinics for students 12 and older.

School for IPS students starts on August 2.

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This new Indianapolis summer program hopes to combat COVID learning loss for thousands of students

2021-07-20T22:26:49+00:00

Fourth-grader Safiya Armstead would rather be at the beach.

Instead she’s attending summer school where she’s learning to add multiple numbers and playing new fun games. She pushed through even when the math hurt her brain.

“I just keep working hard and going forward,” said Safiya, 9.

Safiya and nearly 4,000 other Indianapolis students are enrolled in the five-week-long Summer Learning Labs created to get students up to speed after a year and a half of pandemic learning loss.

The new program is open to all rising first through ninth graders in Marion County regardless of academic standing, unlike some programs run separately by districts only for struggling students. The Mind Trust and the United Way of Central Indiana partnered to run the program at community centers and schools, all using the same curriculum in English and math in the morning followed by enrichment activities in the afternoon.

In schools, both academic instruction and enrichment are provided in person. At community centers, the academic portion is handled virtually.

Brandon Brown, the chief executive officer for The Mind Trust, said the idea for the learning labs came from conversations with families and schools throughout the pandemic.

“It was clear that there were a lot of missed learning opportunities,” Brown said. “It was hard for schools to navigate everything with COVID and plan for something over the summer as well.”

Brown pointed to the 2021 ILEARN results confirming what students lost in the last year and a half. Only 28.6% of Indiana students passed both English and math. In Marion County, 15.9% passed both English and math tests.

In all 39 locations, about 200 teachers use a curriculum provided by Lavinia Group, a six-year-old company founded by a former senior managing director at Success Academy, the largest and most controversial charter network in New York.

Teachers had three days of training prior to the start of the program and have had professional development every week.

During training sessions, teachers bring in student work to analyze and determine what small groups are needed and what supports to give. While the program’s materials are standardized nationwide, school leaders modify lessons based on the needs of their students, Jackie Taslim, the chief program officer for Lavinia Group, said. The company, she said, provides very detailed lesson plans and guidance for teachers.

Taslim said teachers develop a roadmap for students, attempting to anticipate student questions and figure out how students will arrive at their answers.

“The more intellectually prepared you are as a teacher, it frees you up so that you can really listen to kids and adjust and navigate in the moment so that you’re really being responsive to students,” Taslim said.

After looking at ILEARN test results, Tia Taylor, the assistant head of school at The PATH School who leads her campus’ summer lab, said she and her staff have a lot of work to do.

Only 2.4% of students passed both ELA and Math ILEARN tests.

Last month, when the 88 students enrolled in the program at the school took the Lavinia pre-assessment, scores showed students were either significantly below or “right on the bubble,” Taylor said.

This week, the last week of the program, students are taking post-assessments.

She’s crossed her fingers for growth, not necessarily just proficiency.

“If they’ve mastered one standard that’s a celebration,” Taylor said. “Especially when we think about learning loss and where we serve.”

She’s seen improvement even though teachers and students at her school found the lessons challenging. She said it’s important to give kids high expectations and space to get where they need to be. She, like Brown, believes in accelerating, not just remediating, students by teaching them grade level content, even if it may seem tough. She thinks focusing only on remediation is a mistake that many schools make.

“I’m a firm believer that if you never teach to the top, you’re never going to get kids there,” Taylor said. “Our kids need it. We give them the opportunity and allow them the space to get there.”

After the summer labs end and the school year begins, teachers will receive the data about their students. From there, teachers would be able to form small groups and plan interventions from day one.

She said to fill in the gaps, her school will have more intervention staff this year.

“I think intentionality is going to be key and how we use our intervention staff,” Taylor said. “It’s about how you use and allocate those resources to ensure that kids are getting some of that learning loss made up based on their needs.”

After a morning of instruction every day, students participate in a range of activities like digital portfolio projects, documentary filmmaking, and fashion design in the afternoon.

The Mind Trust and United Way of Central Indiana made a joint investment of $500,000 to launch the initiative.

In June, the Indiana Department of Education announced that United Way of Central Indiana would receive over $11 million from the state’s $122 million Student Learning Recovery Grant Program for their partnership with The Mind Trust. It was the largest grant amount out of all of the applicants.

The students in community centers such as Edna Martin Christian Center on Ralston Avenue come from different school districts like Indianapolis Public Schools, Pike and Warren as well as some charter schools like KIPP.

Ashley Moore, the youth program coordinator at Edna Martin Christian Center, said about 40 students attend the lab at the center. She said it’s important to have the summer learning lab so that students are able to catch up, especially after a year and a half of back and forth from learning in-person, virtual, and hybrid settings.

“Because they get to practice those skills during the summer, it’s not going to be a complete shock when they have to reenter the school setting,” Moore said. “A lot of our students have struggled. Now, they’re able to get back in person and start to become reacclimated to that setting.”

Indiana ILEARN test scores plunge unevenly

2021-07-14T13:00:00+00:00

As education officials had warned, Indiana elementary and middle school test scores plunged this year, with only a fraction testing proficient in English and math, much fewer than two years ago.

Results of the annual ILEARN state tests released Wednesday show that 28.6% of students statewide in grades 3 through 8 tested proficient in both English and math. In 2019, the last time the test was given, 37.1% passed.

In Indianapolis Public Schools, which has a high proportion of students from struggling families, only 10% showed proficiency in both English and math.

Last spring, states debated whether testing students amid a pandemic was fair to them and schools. Indiana decided to test, and required even students learning remotely to take the annual standardized exams in person— though state lawmakers won’t punish schools for the results.

The results highlight the uneven toll that the pandemic and economic shutdown have exacted, hitting students of color and those from low-income families particularly hard. That in turn has left a wide chasm in performance between those students and their wealthier peers.

Gaps persist among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Only 8% of Black students in Indiana passed both the English and math sections, compared with 46.5% of Asian students, 34.7% of white students, and 15.6% Hispanic students.

In Indianapolis Public Schools, only 4% of students who receive subsidized meals — a proxy for poverty — passed both English and math tests, compared with 21.3% of students who pay for meals.

Educational, economic, and health hardships weighed down students in the past year and a half. Schools closed, then reopened, only to close again. Quarantines sent home teachers and students, schedules fluctuated, and students struggled to gain steady internet connection and follow virtual instruction.

For those reasons, the Indiana State Department of Education cautioned against comparing 2020-21 test scores with 2018-19 ones, the last year that the state administered standardized tests. With federal permission, Indiana cancelled the exams in 2020 because of the pandemic.

“It’s not a fair comparison because students are in a different situation than they were in 2019,” said Holly Lawson, the deputy director of communications for the state education department.

Comparing years “would overlook the significant academic impacts we’re seeing among student groups, which are deeper than total proficiency,” she wrote.

Previously the state had issued each public school a letter grade that it believes reflects its performance. For reasons originally unrelated to the pandemic, Indiana has not used test scores to grade schools for two years. This year, it will replace grades with “null” or “no letter grade,” because of the disruption caused by the coronavirus.

By some measures, high schoolers appear not to have lost as much learning as elementary students did.

That’s because younger kids aren’t learning as independently as are older kids who mostly know how to read on their own.

“For the early grade kids, unless you’ve got a parent or grandparent helping you out and reading to you, it’s harder to learn independently for younger kids,” said Andrew Ho, an education professor and testing expert at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

He and other educational researchers also had predicted larger drops in math than in reading, which test scores show.

He attributes that to the accessibility of reading at home.

“Reading is something you can do at home. It’s not like I get together with my daughter and talk about math problems over dinner. And that’s typically why we expect to see both greater increases in math scores when there are school interventions and improved curricula, and greater declines when they are absent.”

Ho believes school districts should be holding summer academies, designing individual tutoring that focuses on acceleration not remediation, and measuring the need for mental and social and emotional support for students.

Wayne Township, where less than 11% of students passed both math and English, has put together plans to address what test scores highlighted.

Besides supporting all students, and providing some additional help, officials said in a statement, “We will closely monitor student progress and work to accelerate learning and address gaps caused by the pandemic.”

The low test scores have educators worried, not just about their students but also about public perception.

“I know that there’s a lot of nervousness that this will immediately turn into a reflection of district schools or teachers, and nobody wants that to happen until we’ve had a chance to really dive down,” into the data, said Marianne Perie, an education consultant.

She said state officials are holding off on comparisons. “We are trying to say that it’s not a normal comparison of apples and oranges,” said Perie, president of Measurement in Practice, LLC. “There’s a lot of research that needs to be done before we can truly understand these scores.”

An Indianapolis tutoring program meets homeless students where they are

2021-07-07T18:27:45+00:00

Tutor Rita Novak remembers the time when she managed to connect with a child in a homeless shelter. The girl usually liked to dance and avoid schoolwork. But Novak talked patiently about the task, tweaked the assignment, and the child gradually started to come around.

Novak thinks giving her attention and meeting her needs did the trick.

“It makes you feel good when that connection does happen,” the 76-year-old retired teacher said.

Novak is among scores of volunteers working with School on Wheels, an organization that brings tutors to unhoused students. After a year of working virtually with them, the group returned to schools and more recently to shelters, seeking to replicate that human connection that sparked Novak’s distracted student.

Karen Routt, who directs the group’s work in schools, said the pandemic created challenges. For one, the organization struggled to locate students.

Staff members combed apartment complexes and motels in search of their students, sometimes conducting tutoring sessions in parking lots. They read to children outdoors while socially distant, conducted tutoring sessions via Zoom, and in Washington Township created a learning pod for virtual studies. But safety measures kept volunteers from meeting with children face to face.

Partner schools, which normally identify unhoused families and refer children to School on Wheels, lost touch with students in unstable housing — as did many school districts nationwide during the pandemic. Because of pandemic precautions and public fears, homeless shelters remained below capacity, further shrinking the number of families referred to the program.

The nonprofit’s normal caseload of 400 students dropped to just over 200.

Many families lacked reliable internet, Routt said. Parents who spoke little English struggled to connect younger students with Chromebooks and other devices.

Now School on Wheels has revived in-person summer tutoring for more than a dozen homeless students in Indianapolis. The program offers three hours a week of small-group tutoring to help students who live at Salvation Army Barton Center get on track with their schoolwork.

Besides that summer program, the organization also has been supporting regular school partners this summer.

Volunteers tutor students in nine Indianapolis schools and eight shelters throughout the school year. At the same time, School on Wheels helps teachers and parents develop learning plans and goals.

Even before the pandemic, homeless students were less likely to be promoted to the next grade and less likely to pass state assessments, while being more likely to be suspended or expelled and to earn a lower-quality high school diploma.

As some school districts struggled to provide technology and other resources for all their students during the pandemic, learning gaps among students most likely widened.

School on Wheels tries to bridge that. Its 20 staff members and scores of trained volunteers — ranging from teens to retired teachers— serve as tutors, the main liaison with students.

Even at full capacity, School on Wheels can serve only a minuscule portion of Indiana’s homeless students. The need has likely grown since 2018-19, the latest data available from the Indiana Department of Education, when approximately 16,380 Indiana students were experiencing homelessness.

More than one-quarter of those were in Marion County, which had 14.5% of public school students. But while Indiana has a much lower homeless student population rate than do neighboring Midwestern states, according to a 2020 Indiana Youth Institute and School on Wheels report, in 2017 Indiana ranked 34th in the U.S. for identifying students who are homeless.

Homeless students are disproportionately Black and are overrepresented in special education.

School on Wheels operates on a $1 million budget. It recently received $270,000 from an Indiana Department of Education Student Learning Recovery Grant. The two-decade-old group seeks to expand.

Because School on Wheels leaders believe that literacy is key to helping a student who may be falling behind, they’ve focused on reading and writing, as well as arts and performance in pre-K to 12th grade.

Tutors check reading comprehension and knowledge through daily assessments, and survey students at the end on if they’ve learned and had fun.

This year, the group has added robotics.

At the shelter, students from pre-K to ninth grade build dexterity with Playdoh, create videos and podcasts, and read articles about how robots are used in NASA, in industry, and in medicine and about careers in those fields.

The program contracts with two Indianapolis Public Schools science teachers to teach coding for robotics weekly to older students. Younger students work with iPad apps to learn how to control a robot.

An Asante Children’s Theatre staff member produces children’s performances, while volunteers try to keep students engaged. This year, they are creating a robot character while helping students develop storytelling skills.

Brittany Bayles, the organization’s education manager, said running a program in the downtown area is important because many programs come with a fee. School on Wheels is free.

“We’re able to really connect with those children and families over the summer,” Bayles said. “It was huge for those families to be able to have somebody in the building working with them and having that engagement to get them back to normal as much as possible.”

Indianapolis Public Schools will publicly post federal relief-fund spending

2021-06-23T22:45:27+00:00

So that the public can see how Indianapolis Public Schools is using federal coronavirus relief funds, district officials plan to post online a tracker detailing how they are spending $213.5 million federal funds.

“We know folks are paying close attention to how schools are leveraging these dollars,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said on Tuesday. “We want to make sure that we are being as transparent as possible.”

The tracker will categorize spending within each of the three federal aid packages. It will show how much the district has spent in categories like instructional support and personal protective equipment. The tracker, which will include charts, will not break down expenditures by school.

The district plans to update the data quarterly. Viewers will be able to see the tracker on the district website later this week.

IPS has only recently begun to spend its federal aid.

“We’re not three or four years down the road where we know what we’ve spent. We’re at the very beginning,” said Weston Young, the district’s chief financial officer. “So our decision-making process with community feedback, that’s critical.”

The federal government allocated IPS $17 million in the first round of coronavirus aid, $60.5 million in the second round last fall, and $136 million this spring for schools under the IPS’s direct management.

IPS’ innovation schools, which operate independently from the district, together will receive $78.1 million.

The district created the tracker after hearing from the public at town halls last week that people wanted to know more about what the district was purchasing with federal aid.

About 90 community members attended the in-person and virtual town halls June 14-17. They offered suggestions on how the district should spend the federal largesse.

Participants suggested, for example, that IPS provide more tutoring, tech support, and therapy. District officials said people also mentioned investing more in racial equity support, teacher training, language support for families, school libraries, and extended learning times.

Community members may offer ideas and feedback on how to use federal relief funds via an online form through June 30. Johnson said that the district will incorporate community ideas that they were already exploring into a strategic plan and look for ways to implement suggestions.

The district has to spend the dollars from each aid package by federal deadlines. It must spend the grant from the first relief package by 2022.

How one new Indianapolis group wants to turn parents into education advocates

2021-06-09T19:53:33+00:00

Iris Blanco remembers how frustrating it was to try to enroll her children in school when she first moved to Indianapolis. Now she wants to help other parents.

“Just even simple things like that, for a lot of people, that’s hard,” Blanco said.

She’s one of eight Black and Latina parent leaders with a newly created group called EmpowerED Families, which hopes to equip families with the knowledge and tools to ensure that their children have the best education possible.

The EmpowerED Families team aims to give people of color in the most underserved Indianapolis Public Schools neighborhoods a voice in their children’s schools — from helping parents understand how to work with teachers when problems come up, to rallying for more funding for their schools.

“Parents have a say in what we’re doing,” said Ontay Johnson, executive director of EmpowerED Families. Instead of having decisions made for communities of color, Johnson wants those families to drive the discussions.

Johnson, 47, emphasized that the organization is led by local Black and Latino parents. Racial equity is a top priority, and the group will advocate for antiracism training for all educators, culturally responsive teaching practices, more teachers of color, and more diversity in the curriculum.

Since last fall, the organization has met with more than 200 Indianapolis families to hear what they need and what their concerns are. With a $522,000 budget for 2021-22, EmpowerED Families plans to hold training sessions on how to advocate for change. The parent advocates, who are paid a stipend, will serve as liaisons for families who don’t speak English or families navigating special education services.

EmpowerED Families also wants to support parents through workshops on life skills, job searching, and budgeting, to help improve their quality of life, said Johnson, who previously was the executive director for 100 Black Men of Indianapolis.

The group plans to contact 5,000 people in the next three years.

Unlike other advocacy organizations such as Stand for Children Indiana and RISE Indy, EmpowerED Families does not plan to contribute to political candidates. But the organization will attend school board meetings and rally at the Statehouse to support policies such as increasing funding for schools that serve mostly Black and Latino children and push for curriculum changes, and will oppose proposals that would hurt children of color.

“We will go to the Statehouse and rally with other families and others that are in this space to fight against whatever that legislation may be,” Johnson said.

The organization was incubated by The Mind Trust, a politically influential local charter-advocacy group. The Mind Trust has provided $836,000 to launch EmpowerED Families and will give another $300,000 for the upcoming year.

Like The Mind Trust, EmpowerED Families supports school choice and families having the option to pick the best school for their children. It plans to work with parents at traditional district and charter schools, including charter-operated or independent schools in IPS’ innovation network.

While EmpowerED Families will be its own nonprofit, its board is led by an executive of The Mind Trust. Johnson said he plans to continue to count The Mind Trust as a community partner.

“The Mind Trust is doing some great work when it comes to education and being innovative,” Johnson said. He cited the community learning sites The Mind Trust launched during the pandemic, which he said were “huge” in that they supported students who needed somewhere to learn when school buildings were shut down.

Sunny Reed, a Pike Township parent, attended an online EmpowerED Families launch event in May because she knows Blanco. Reed thinks the group’s priorities, such as helping parents find a school suitable for their children, could be beneficial. But she does have her concerns. Reed said she has seen some parent-focused groups that want to help low-income families lose interest and not stick around for too long.

“You have to get a buy-in from people who have already been let down or felt abandoned by similar organizations,” said Reed, who has a teenage daughter and two adult children. “I just hope that they keep the families engaged because when everything is new, it’s exciting.”

To learn remotely next fall, Indianapolis Public School students must enroll in charter school

2021-05-28T02:28:54+00:00

The board of Indianapolis Public Schools approved two local charter school partnerships Thursday to offer remote learning to district students next school year.

The board voted 5 to 1 to approve a five-year agreement that will require students wanting to learn remotely to transfer to Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy or Paramount Online Academy. Together the two charter schools will provide just over 3,000 spaces for students learning from home.

Board member Susan Collins dissented and member Taria Slack was absent.

The two schools will receive per-pupil state funding plus $500 per student from IPS to cover technology and facilities costs. The district will oversee both schools to check if they are meeting district standards.

Teachers at both schools will provide daily real-time instruction while students attend via electronic devices.

Collins said that students do not learn as well virtually as they do in person and that virtual schools in the state have closed or been tainted with scandal.

“Learning virtually for most students is isolating and not engaging,” she said. “I cannot endorse a risky plan for our students.”

Other Indianapolis school districts have released remote learning plans for the fall. Some districts will centralize virtual instruction, rather than having school-site teachers handle both in-person and remote students.

Perry Township is the only district that has confirmed that it will not have a remote option for students in the upcoming school year. It released a statement that in-person learning is best for students, especially English learners.

During a Tuesday board meeting, IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said teachers reported that instructing students virtually and in person at the same time, as the district currently requires teachers to do, was challenging.

Instead, next school year online students will have to leave their home school communities. While some school board members had qualms about the low performance of virtual schools in general, district officials said the two charter schools had solid records in previous years, before launching their virtual schools during the pandemic.

Indianapolis Public Schools plans to partner with charter schools for remote option

2021-05-26T02:03:36+00:00

Instead of offering its own remote instruction next school year, Indianapolis Public Schools proposes to direct students to two local virtual charter schools.

Students who want to continue all-remote learning next year would have to transfer to Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy or Paramount Online Academy. The IPS board reviewed partnership agreements Tuesday night and plans to vote on them Thursday.

Under the partnerships, the two virtual charter schools would join the district as innovation schools, operating independently with oversight and additional funding from IPS. The agreements outline a five-year term.

District teachers have been simultaneously instructing virtual and in-person students. Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said that has been “incredibly challenging and not sustainable long term.”

IPS officials said that last month they surveyed about 5,000 families of students who were learning remotely through online surveys, a high school advisory meeting, and parent focus groups. About 650 people responded. According to the district, 60% of respondents said they would like a full-time virtual option next school year, but Johnson said she expects hundreds — not thousands — of students to sign up for the virtual option.

Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy has 2,000 seats for students in grades K-8 and 500 seats in grades 9-12. Paramount Online Academy has 558 seats for kindergartners through eighth graders.

The two virtual schools will receive per-student state funding, and an additional $500 per student from the district.

The extra district funding will allow the schools to provide a “high-quality, small class sizes, fully virtual program,” according to IPS documents. Daily live instruction will take place at both schools.

The funds would cover technology and facility needs for both schools. Paramount, for example, plans to use part of that funding for noise-canceling insulation for teachers, Johnson said.

The virtual schools submitted applications. Johnson said that the district’s academics team then interviewed leaders about their curriculum, their student feedback cycle, and grading system to make sure it all met district standards.

Two years ago, Indiana lawmakers slashed funding for virtual schools due to low performance and started funding virtual schools at 85% of what it normally provides districts for each student. Amid widespread remote learning this school year, the state provided full funding for all students.

On Tuesday night a few board members said they were hesitant, since the schools are new and virtual charter schools have a history of low performance in Indiana.

“Both of them have only done it for one year just like the rest of us have only done it for one year as well,” board member Taria Slack said. “There’s no data around either one of the options.”

Board member Susan Collins also wanted more documentation of the virtual schools’ success.

“I’m not really seeing how this particular opportunity that has been very risky and in many cases, not even effective in teaching — to put that into our portfolio just seems a little bit too shaky for me,” Collins said.

Several Indianapolis districts will offer remote learning options next year

2021-05-24T17:06:07+00:00

As school leaders across the nation wrestle with whether to provide remote options for students due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some Indianapolis school district officials are heeding the call from parents to offer more choices.

Their incentive? They don’t want to lose students, and state funding that comes along with them, to other schools.

Four Indianapolis school districts — Pike, Warren, and Lawrence townships, as well as Speedway — have confirmed that they will offer a remote option for students in the fall.

Perry Township officials, in a statement touting the superiority of in-person schooling, said they will not offer their students an online option.

Wayne Township will expand its Achieve Virtual Education Academy to include K-8 students.

The rest of the districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, have not finalized instruction plans for the 2021-22 school year.

Pike Township’s Flora Reichanadter, who leads a predominantly Black and Latino district where 35% of its students are taking remote classes, attributes families’ concerns about returning to classrooms to the disproportionate harm the pandemic has had on those communities. According to a districtwide survey, 41% of Spanish-speaking parents said they wanted a remote option.

“We thought maybe we would get less concern, but you know, it really didn’t happen that way,” Reichanadter said, noting lower reported COVID-19 positivity rates and vaccine eligibility for students 12 years and older. So her district wants to afford parents more time to get comfortable with the idea of face-to-face learning again.

“Without that offering, we would potentially lose students who are enrolled with us,” she said.

Pike received 3,281 completed surveys from late February to early April from parents and guardians about preferences for the fall. About 31% of families said they would consider a virtual option.

For elementary students, that will include live daily instruction, while middle and high school students will follow a digital curriculum called Edmentum on their own. They will not be able to take Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or career and technical classes remotely.

Warren Township will offer live instruction for elementary and middle school virtual learners. High school instruction will be through Edmentum, with routine in-person meetings with a teacher.

Lawrence Township will offer three options: all in-person instruction, all live remote instruction, and hybrid instruction.

For some parents, the choice is not difficult.

Warren Township parent Cindy Roton doesn’t want to risk the health of her family. Her eighth grader, ninth grader, and adult student have been learning virtually this school year. She worries about the unknowns of vaccinations and COVID-19.

Her 15-year-old has neurofibromatosis, some of her children have asthma, and her mother-in-law has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“We’re not willing to risk anyone’s health,” Roton said.

“My husband and I were debating if we wanted our kids to go back,” she added. “I just don’t think I’m ready. I just feel that if something were to happen to my kids, I don’t think I could handle it.”

Warren Township Superintendent Tim Hanson said the district hopes to continue to provide a long-term remote option for high school students, even after the pandemic, for two main reasons: students learn differently and officials want to keep them in the district.

“Some students are able to self-direct into those lessons and can move at their own pace,” Hanson said. “It just provides another pathway for our students.”

But as of May 7, fewer than 400 students had signed up for remote learning in the fall, even though the district’s capacity is 2,000 students, Hanson said. His team is reviewing staffing, curriculum, and device needs for students who signed up.

Budgeting for remote learning is difficult, especially since the state will revert to granting schools only 85% of normal per-pupil funding for remote students in the 2021-22 school year. During the pandemic, the state underwrote in-person and remote students at the same rate.

In the short term Warren Township will use federal stimulus funds to cover costs.

Of the 11 school districts in Indianapolis, only Perry Township has declined to offer broad remote learning next school year. Despite having 2,600 students currently learning remotely, district officials said they will require their students to return to face-to-face learning in the fall.

Keesha Hughes, Perry’s marketing and communications director, said the district will provide its usual accommodations if a student is immunocompromised or has some other reason to not be in school.

“In-person instruction allows educators to look for cues that the child truly understands the content, especially among students who are learning to speak English,” Hughes said in a statement. The district has a high proportion of English learners. “In-person learning also allows teachers to generate more engagement and enthusiasm.”

Indianapolis Public Schools moves forward with $5 million in busing cuts

2021-04-30T21:21:02+00:00

With little opposition, the Indianapolis Public Schools board on a 6-1 vote Thursday night approved cutting school bus service for about 600 high schoolers.

The district also will eliminate busing for 2,000 other students who live within 1 to 1.5 miles, depending on their grade level, of their schools.

Board members acknowledged families’ safety concerns about the lack of lighting or sidewalks along walking routes or to get to public bus stops, but administrators reiterated that the financially struggling district needed to cut transportation by about $5 million.

Only board member Taria Slack opposed the decision, saying that as a parent, she could not support the cuts because she felt some students would not have safe routes to school in some areas.

For students “safety is our No. 1 concern,” Slack said. “The accessibility, the sidewalks, infrastructure, and the actual ability to get on the bus is not equal.”

Board member Diane Arnold, who was hesitant in previous discussions to make the cuts due to parent concerns, said she now supported the decision after hearing how the district responded.

“The thing I’m pleased with is that when I raised issues that were brought to my attention about the pilot about walking conditions for streets, those situations were always looked at and rectified,” Arnold said.

She also said that having more students on foot might encourage communities to look out for students walking to school or to IndyGo bus stops.

Board President Evan Hawkins said the district should let families know in coming months where their students should go, and how to get information on getting to school.

Only a handful of people submitted public comments about transportation.

Shortridge High Assistant Principal Jacob Pactor noted that in a survey of families, 235 said they felt their children would be safe riding IndyGo, while 189 said they would not feel safe, citing timing, unfamiliarity, and a lack of routes.

Shortridge senior El’ad Nichols-Kaufman said he has found riding IndyGo beneficial, while participating in a pilot program for 2½ years. He said the bus is convenient for him and has given him freedom.

Starting next school year, high school students who have less than a 50-minute total journey time, total walk less than 0.7 mile, and no transfers will not get district-provided busing. Elementary students who live less than one mile, middle schoolers who live less than 1.25 miles, and high schoolers living less than 1.5 miles of school will also lose district bus service.

The district collected opinions from families online and at meetings, attended by about 400 people.

Indianapolis Public Schools students call for more Asian American history and culture lessons

2021-04-29T19:22:08+00:00

Cece Goff, a senior at Shortridge High, recalls that after a gunman killed eight people — six of them Asian women — at Atlanta spas last month, only one of her teachers acknowledged the tragedy. That teacher was a Taiwanese American.

“Besides our Chinese teacher, radio silence,” said Goff, who is Chinese American. “I was just disappointed.” She said no one else at her school took any action.

“And so I decided, well, if they’re not going to, I will,” Goff said.

After the Indianapolis Public Schools board issued a resolution denouncing hate, including against Asian Americans, Goff and three other Shortridge students mobilized their chapter of the National Chinese Honor Society to press for more than lip service. They issued a declaration to the school board.

The students’ protest already has led to promises of change.

They met with Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, board member Kenneth Allen, and Shortridge administrators.

They’ve scored some victories and feel district leaders have heard and acknowledged their concerns — although little of substance has changed so far. Asian American students make up less than 1% of Indianapolis Public Schools, but the students believe it’s critical that the district address anti-Asian hate, include Asian Americans in policy making, and incorporate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders into the curriculum.

Stop AAPI Hate, a San Francisco-based hate crime reporting initiative, compiled nearly 3,800 incidents nationwide through February, over roughly a year of the pandemic. Children and teenagers 17 and under have reported 13% of the incidents.

Members of the Shortridge chapter of the National Chinese Honor Society — a scholastic and civic organization of students who have taken high school Mandarin classes — are demanding principals and school staff address topics like the “model minority myth,” economic inequities, and the lack of mental health resources serving Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The students called on the district to convene conversations about the issues that affect them and to hire more faculty and administrators of Asian descent.

Students said they wanted to learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was beaten and killed in Detroit by two white men in 1982.

Roman Moreno, the president of the Shortridge group, said that all he remembers learning about Asian history is the rise of China under Mao Zedong. And that’s not related to Asian Americans.

Shortridge offers the International Baccalaureate program, a rigorous curriculum that offers the opportunity to earn college credit.

“IB is a Eurocentric curriculum,” said Moreno, who studies Mandarin and is Mexican American. “The perspective that you get in there is going to be a whole lot different than a curriculum that is somewhat based in America.”

The students’ list of specific demands contrasts with the school board’s one-page resolution condemning acts of hate against Asian Americans, which the students said pales in comparison to the board’s four-page Black Lives Matter resolution that included specific steps like restructuring the police department and prioritizing recruiting Black educators.

The board’s Asian American resolution “just felt lackluster and that one race was more important than the other,” said Ziv Zellars, who is Black and is the student group’s vice president.

Shortridge Principal Dennis Thomas said that every year ninth graders explore Asian American issues in a “Hidden Histories” project. After meeting with student advocates, he said he would talk with teachers about adding the Asian American civil rights movement to the history curriculum.

“It’s always good to aspire and to continue to grow and to get a little bit better,” Thomas said. “This is a great lesson for us to look at our historical analysis.”

Sarah Park Dahlen, an associate professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, who researches diversity in children’s literature, said schools should audit teaching materials to analyze how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders show up in the curriculum. She said curriculums should dive into the complex global relationships between Asian countries and the United States, and how U.S. involvement in wars in countries like Korea and Vietnam drove people to immigrate.

Dahlen also said that ideally teaching about Asian Americans should be comprehensive and nuanced, and should examine the communities’ relations to other groups of color.

“We have intense anti-blackness within our communities,” said Dahlen, who is Korean American. “And so we have to talk about the Los Angeles uprisings [in 1992], Latasha Harlins, Rodney King. We have to talk about just all of that and how it still shows up today. And we also have to talk about how today our communities are trying to work together.”

Even before the Atlanta and Indianapolis mass shootings that killed people of Asian descent, Asian Americans and allies nationwide have been calling for ethnic studies, anti-bullying training, and more representation in schools. The attacks provided a sense of urgency.

For example, in California, the state board adopted an ethnic studies model curriculum in March. In Illinois, the legislature is considering a bill that would mandate teaching Asian-American history in elementary and high school beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

Dahlen noted that student activism for ethnic studies traces back to the 1960s with college students of color.

The Shortridge students who have lobbied for change feel glad that they’ve been heard, but they’re uncertain about the district making progress. All four of the group’s leaders graduate this spring.

“So we just have to keep pushing,” Zellars said. “Hopefully, we’ll come back and visit and see the change.”

They believe having more robust, comprehensive Asian American and Pacific Islander representation at their school and district benefits everyone.

“If we don’t talk about it, then we’re just forgotten,” member Ella Catlin said. “And nobody will learn, and nobody will be more open. It’s important to us. We want to be heard, we want to be seen, we want to be understood.”

IPS to ease transition from school buses with free rides, walking groups

2021-04-23T22:37:50+00:00

After hearing safety concerns from parents on planned transportation cuts, Indianapolis Public Schools officials outlined plans to familiarize students with taking the city bus or walking to school ahead of the changes next school year.

Despite the pushback from families, IPS officials did not discuss potentially scaling back the cuts at a meeting on Tuesday. The district is seeking to eliminate busing for more than 2,600 students in order to reduce its budget by up to $7 million in transportation next school year.

The planned cuts are part of $328 million in reductions that the financially strapped district outlined it needed to make over the course of several years to address its deficit, including potentially closing schools in upcoming years.

The board is scheduled to vote on the transportation proposal on Thursday.

During the work session, district officials told school board members about the community engagement activities they have begun or will start, as well as what feedback they have been receiving.

“We’re just trying to communicate to families that we realize that this is a disruption and a change for some of our students on the heels of a really disruptive year,” Zach Mulholland, the district’s executive director of operations, said.

On top of calling the families of over 2,000 students who will have to start start walking to school and the families of over 600 high school students who will have to use IndyGo instead of school busing, district officials said they hope to ease the transition by allowing families to ride IndyGo for free over the summer, providing bilingual materials, working with community partners, and other initiatives.

District officials said school engagement liaisons and other staff have been making calls to families in English and in Spanish and collecting feedback.

The district also plans to ask students who frequently use IndyGo to serve as “ambassadors” to other students. The guides will be trained on safety procedures to help other students through IndyGo.

The district also is planning a “Walking School Bus’’ arranging for students and families to meet with chaperones to walk to school together. Officials also plan to connect parents with carpool support and car safety information.

Officials also want to identify “safe havens” where students can seek refuge if needed while traveling to and from school.

The plan to eliminate transportation for some students has drawn some pushback from board members. Many have addressed their own safety concerns for students.

Commissioner Taria Slack said she’s heard parents’ worries about younger students eventually losing busing in future budget cuts. She worried about traffic hazards and stressed the need for a vetting process with neighborhood chaperones.

“We know we have predators out there and not everyone we can trust,” Slack said. “Even though it’s great to bring the community together,” she said, chaperones need background checks.

Participants from the first transportation town hall last week listed a lack of lighting, sidewalks, supervision, and protection from the weather among their main concerns.

Mulholland said that while the officials take parent concerns seriously, they have had positive feedback from families that have used IndyGo for more than two years of pilot programs.

”We have a pretty robust dataset that gives us confidence not only in our ability for our students to utilize it, but also IndyGo’s ability to execute it safely,” Mulholland said.

About 400 people in total attended the three town hall meetings on transportation last week, and the district’s transportation web page drew about 3,000 page views as of Tuesday, a district official said.

Mulholland said he knew not everyone would be on board. The district’s goal is to help people understand the reason it is having to make hard choices like cutting busing.

The district officials say that they have looked into road hazards, but cannot provide measures like shelters on bus routes or sidewalks on some roads.

To address COVID learning loss, Indianapolis Public Schools expands summer school options

2021-04-23T17:32:29+00:00

After seeing lagging test scores and dips in grades due to the pandemic, Indianapolis Public Schools plans to expand summer school for students.

Besides district-run classes for struggling students, about a half-dozen programs run by the district or non-profit partners will variously offer IPS students English and math support and enrichment activities like field trips.

“In order to really support our kids in catching up, we want to make sure we have many different options this summer for our students,” Warren Morgan, the district’s chief academics officer, said.

An IPS official said the estimated costs “are still in the works.”

Across the country, school districts are expanding summer school to combat learning loss after over a year into the pandemic.

In IPS, a year of COVID and intermittent remote learning has set back student performance. Midyear test data showed a 2 percentage point decrease in math passing rates compared with the 2018-19 school year. English scores increased by 3 percentage points, but still only 25% of students in the second through eighth grades this year passed the test, known as NWEA.

IPS has identified over 4,000 students who are struggling academically in core subjects. That includes more than 40% of high school students who have failed one or more core classes. The district will offer summer courses at 14 locations from June 7 to June 25.

In addition, the district will have space for 800 first through ninth graders to attend a supplemental five-week summer program. Any student regardless of academic standing may apply for the “Summer Learning Labs,” which is a countywide partnership between The Mind Trust and the United Way of Central Indiana that includes IPS. The IPS program will be located at Harshman and Longfellow middle schools, and may be offered at other campuses as well.

Also, for incoming ninth graders, IPS will offer a summer bridge program from July 12 to 26 where they can learn about riding an IndyGo bus, earn a physical education credit, get to know their high school campus, and meet teachers.

“This year, we’ll be able to do it in person, which is really exciting,” said Jennifer O’Shea, the district’s postsecondary readiness officer.

Nearly half of the district’s innovation schools, which are independently run, publicly funded schools, are planning their own summer school programs as well.

The district also will host programs that blend academic catch-up and enrichment, in partnerships with the non-profit group AYS, 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, and IUPUI.

The six-week 100 Black Men of Indianapolis summer program will reinforce math and English in the morning and provide cultural enrichment, such as field trips to the library or swimming, in the afternoon — if the program takes place in person, an organization spokesman said. The group plans to serve up to 200 pre-K through eighth graders in its academy.

The enrichment program through AYS — also known as At Your School, a before- and after-school program — will offer 100 IPS students science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics as well as social and emotional learning like mindfulness, breathing and stress-reduction techniques. AYS prices range from $60 for one day to $165 for three to five days a week. The group offers vouchers and other financial assistance to lower-income families.

IUPUI will continue its BOSS camp, a five-day entrepreneurship camp where high school students get to market their ideas and learn skills like managing their own businesses and finances.

IPS said one of its biggest challenges will be staffing summer school. Besides 195 teachers, it will need to hire nurses, counselors, graduation coaches, bilingual assistants, and instructional assistants.

Officials said they will partner with the New Teacher Project to pair trainees with certified teachers.

IPS students’ last day of school is June 3.

Families raise safety concerns over busing cuts for 2,600 Indianapolis Public Schools students

2021-04-13T22:51:02+00:00

In response to a proposal to cut bus service for 2,600 students, community members at a virtual town hall peppered Indianapolis Public Schools district and transportation officials with questions about a lack of lighting, sidewalks, supervision, and protection from the weather.

In the first of three town halls on transportation, IPS and IndyGo officials on Monday responded verbally to written questions submitted in a chat box or on a district feedback form. Parents and others logging in were provided no way at the event to speak to the officials.

The district has proposed to scale back transportation to cut up to $7 million from its budget and to bring its practices more in line with those of other similar districts.

IPS plans to eliminate busing for more than 600 students who can ride city buses with less than 50 minutes total journey time, total walk less than 0.7 miles, and no transfers. IPS also will enforce “walk zones” for 2,000 elementary students living less than 1 mile, middle schoolers living less than 1.25 miles, and high schoolers living less than 1.5 miles of school.

But people worry about sending children on foot and by city bus to school.

Some pointed out the lack of sidewalks in neighborhoods, exposing children to speeding traffic.

“I live where there are no sidewalks to get to the IndyGo bus stops,” one participant noted on Monday.

Zach Mulholland, the district’s executive director of operations, responded that in cutting bus routes, the transportation team considered the availability of safe walking routes to schools. He said that unfortunately, Indianapolis has more miles of roads than miles of sidewalks.

“There may not be a sidewalk to support every single walk route,” Mulholland said. “What we look at is if there is a pedestrian-supported safe route to school for a student based in that walk boundary.”

District officials said they also looked at hazards like busy roads and freeways.

Mulholland said that many of the concerns that people brought up about walking to IndyGo stops also apply to school bus service.

IndyGo trains its bus drivers to call the dispatch center to ask for city police in case of problems, said Mark Emmons, IndyGo’s director of safety, security, and training.

Parents also object to sending elementary children on foot. Alicia Rodriguez said her family lives more than a mile from Lew Wallace Elementary School 107, but the district has determined her 9-year-old son should walk next school year.

Rodriguez said her son would have to walk 25 minutes, along a section without sidewalks and past a gas station that has been the scene of robberies, police activity, and traffic accidents.

Rodriguez, who said she could not attend Monday’s town hall, said she has not heard back from the district about her concerns.

Mulholland said parents may request an exemption to the loss of bus service. The district also will help organize student walking groups.

He also said parents with concerns may contact their school leader, school board member, or a family and community engagement liaison.

The district has been forced to consider steep cuts, including reducing transportation and potentially closing schools, after years of shrinking enrollment and as lawmakers have shifted school funding formulas in favor of more affluent districts.

The district plans to hold virtual town halls about walk zones at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and about IndyGo at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Click here to register. The board is scheduled to vote on the proposal April 29.

‘They’re so happy to be here’: Indianapolis students return to full-time in-person learning

2021-04-13T13:26:13+00:00

Nelson Aleman-Moreno, a senior at Ben Davis High School, is exhausted. For the first time in more than a year, he and thousands of other Indianapolis high schoolers have just completed a full week of in-person school.

It’s been a readjustment. During virtual school, he could turn his computer camera off. Now he’s got to be present and attentive.

It’s a worthwhile tradeoff, Aleman-Moreno said. “Now I have the connection with teachers to ask questions,” he said, and he receives emotional support from them to actually get stuff done.

Ben Davis High School senior Nelson Aleman-Moreno works on a school assignment in Sarah Shannon’s math class on April 9, 2021.

Ben Davis teachers are hoping to capitalize on that enthusiasm and motivation as the school opened to all students five days a week last week. About 80% of the school’s approximately 2,900 students have returned to classrooms, while 20% are learning virtually.

On April 5, thousands of middle and high schoolers from districts including Indianapolis Public Schools, Wayne Township, and Lawrence Township transitioned from two days a week in person to five after health officials loosened social distancing restrictions amid decreasing COVID positivity rates.

By the week’s end, Ben Davis High School students and staff had experienced a range of emotions, namely exhaustion, excitement, and anxiety. Beyond the required masks, health questions, and social distancing, the hallways were filled with an old, familiar buzz.

Teachers are trying to strike a balance between rushing to make up for weeks and months of lost learning and easing students back into old routines. On Friday, students in Shannon Singleton’s government class sat three feet apart in rows to watch “The West Wing’’ and work on previous assignments.

“I’m trying not to overwhelm them with more work,” Singleton said. “They’re all seniors in my class. I want them to finish strong.”

Singleton has enjoyed having more robust discussions and planning more enriching activities for in-person learning.

The students have responded positively. “In the beginning of class today, I almost had to tell them to stop talking, which I don’t think I’ve had to say all year. They’re so happy to be here,” Singleton said.

She’s had to give up her more relaxed Fridays, which she spent during online learning building lessons and grading work. Now, she says, it’s “go, go, go” for the social studies department head who wasn’t able to clear her to-do list by the end of the day.

Math teacher Sarah Shannon has been so excited to see her students again.

“This week has been the happiest I’ve been in a year,” she said. “It’s not the same energy during the hybrid. They were a lot quieter; they even tended to ask fewer questions. So having them all back now, I’ve noticed that they’re more and more talkative, and they’re talking more to each other.”

Math teacher Sarah Shannon helps one of her senior students on an assignment at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis on April 9, 2021.

Emotionally, she feels better. But out of 20 students in her sixth-period class, two are quarantined, and she worries about eight students who did not show up Friday.

In the hallways, teachers monitor the crowd to make sure that students chatting up their friends don’t linger too long.

Aleman-Moreno feels anxious over the risk of falling sick, but is relieved to leave behind hybrid learning, where he sat in classrooms part of the week and learned at home the rest. The arrangement and pace of it made his AP classes challenging. The teachers, he said, “can’t really stop to process things, so they have to move on.” And he found himself prioritizing a job over school and fell behind.

The demands of having to show up at school has prompted senior Jada Winston to scale down her hours working at Old Navy and the YMCA. During virtual and hybrid learning she could work and keep up with school, but didn’t really feel like she was learning. Now she wants to stay on top of assignments so that she can graduate.

“I feel like it’s pointless because we came back so late,” Winston said. “I’m motivated to finish, but I feel like I could just do everything online.”

As the Ben Davis High School students hustle to finish their last two months of the school year, they’ll need to stay excited and enthusiastic to perform well while pandemic precautions continue. Students still can’t work in close groups and can only have brief hallway chats with their friends.

Singleton said she feels hopeful. “I’m encouraged that we’re almost through and normalcy is returning soon or we will someday. I felt for a long time it was so far off, so I’m very encouraged.”

Correction: April 13, 2021: Photo captions previously incorrectly stated that this was the first week back since the pandemic started for Indianapolis Public Schools. This was the first week of full-time in-person instruction. IPS and other districts, including Wayne Township, had been on a hybrid schedule with students in classrooms two days a week.

Indianapolis Public Schools struggles to recruit racially diverse staff, review shows

2021-04-06T22:51:12+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools’ percentage of employee applicants of color has declined, according to a recent audit of recruitment and retention presented to the school board.

As a part of the antiracism policy that the district adopted in June, officials are analyzing not only what students are experiencing and learning in schools, but also how the district hires and treats the people who lead those students every day.

“What we are doing now is lifting these words off the page and putting them into action,” said Patricia Payne, the district’s director of racial equity.

According to its policy, the district aims to increase the diversity of job applicants through partnerships and programs and to boost retention by ensuring staff feel supported and included.

The audit, which was conducted earlier this school year, revealed that the district still has a lot of work to do.

The audit looked into how the district treats racially diverse applicants, new hires, and employees seeking promotions. It revealed that the district had fewer staff of color at schools compared with certain other school districts and that staff of color were not likely to recommend others to apply to the district.

The audit also found that staff felt the onboarding process lacked clarity around job responsibilities and that the district didn’t clearly outline paths for career advancement. The latter, in particular, led to “confusion and frustration,” respondents of color said.

IPS employs more than 5,000 people, according to its website. Staff of color make up 43% of district leaders, 26% of teachers, and 65% of support staff, according to the district.

During their March 25 meeting, school board members said they wanted the race and equity work to be more consistent and proceed quickly. Shonterrio Harris, the district’s manager of equity advancement, said IPS is putting some of the recommendations in place and will prioritize others in coming school years.

The audit recommended changing online platforms to better track staff of color, holding targeted events to find candidates of color, and mentoring for new hires. The district adopted a new online tracking system of candidates in February.

Board member Diane Arnold sought specifics about putting plans in place, saying, “It’s important that we stay on top of this.”

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said she and her team would provide quarterly reports to the board.

Board member Will Pritchard called the efforts critical to the district.

“I would like to see some things quicker,” Pritchard said. “I would love to see some parts of it put into place by the next school year.”

The audit also highlighted some district successes: having a significant number of Black leaders, including half the executive team and Johnson, the first Black woman to hold the title.

The district also has mandated racial equity training for all staff.

Auditors reviewed more than 50 documents, conducted focus groups, and looked at surveys of 2,180 respondents.

The audit findings come at a time when many school districts across the nation are wrestling with how to be anti-racist from their staffing decisions to their curriculum, especially after a summer of police brutality and calls for racial justice.

IPS is not alone in the struggle to hire and retain staff of color. School districts in Indianapolis, throughout the state, and nationwide also have labored over trying to recruit teachers and other staff of color.

State data shows that in IPS, 40% of students are Black, 32% are Hispanic, and 22% are white. But the percentages of teachers of color among IPS’ nearly 2,400 educators are disproportionate: 73% of teachers are white, 21% are Black, and 3% are Hispanic.

Matthew Jackson, a 10-year veteran IPS fine arts teacher, has seen the effects of not having a proportionate number of Black teachers in schools.

“It’s definitely become like a big sore thumb when it comes to looking at my Black students and seeing that I may be the only Black teacher on their schedule,” said Jackson, who teaches at Crispus Attucks High School.

He applauds IPS for its mandatory racial equity training, but he questions what the district is doing to attract and retain Black teachers. He thinks the district struggles with giving staff members a voice and including them in decision-making.

“Even with COVID-19 crisis, we haven’t been given any options to voice our opinions for our safety or how we feel. We’re just told what to do,” Jackson said. “I think a lot of problems that occur could be avoided if we had a voice before big decisions were made.”

To cut costs, Indianapolis Public Schools proposes to end busing for about 2,600 students

2021-04-02T22:48:38+00:00

To trim from $5 million to $7 million in transportation next school year, Indianapolis Public Schools is proposing to cut busing for over 2,000 students who can walk to school and for over 600 other high school students.

While significant, the cut to transportation is less than half what the district was sketching out in January, as it sought to lower operating costs amid steadily shrinking enrollment and a severe budget crunch.

Ending district-provided busing for over 2,000 students who live within 1 to 1.5 miles from school will save up to about $3 million, district officials said. Shifting 605 high school students from district buses to IndyGo passes will save about $1 million more. Those students have a one-way trip of less than 50 minutes, a less than 0.7 mile walk to school, and no transfers if they take the city bus. The district plans to continue to move high school students to using IndyGo in the next couple of years.

The proposed cut is a step toward reducing the district’s budget by $328 million over several years. That gap stems from a deal forged in 2018, when IPS reduced its request to raise taxes, falling more than two-thirds short of its supplemental revenue goal. Voters approved two referendums totaling $272 million for teacher pay and building improvements, but not enough to cover needs.

Besides cutting transportation, Indianapolis Public Schools is considering closing schools, limiting staff raises, and trimming employee benefit costs in the coming years.

Even receiving more than an estimated $260 million in three federal stimulus packages for COVID relief, the Indianapolis district predicts an $18 million shortfall next school year.

This year, the district is receiving $15 million less in state funds than expected last spring because of falling enrollment partly related to the pandemic.

The district serving a large population of children in poverty also anticipates only a small increase in basic state funding per student as Indiana shifts toward equal rather than equitable funding of school districts.

In a January board retreat, district administrators identified a potential savings of more than $17 million in transportation, to align costs with those of peer districts in cities like Baltimore and Cleveland. Indianapolis spends up to twice as much than other districts do partially because it transports students to specialized schools around the city.

But Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said it was impossible to trim so much at once.

“This is the beginning and we’ll continue to look for ways to reduce expenditures to ensure we are more in line with our peers across other districts,” Johnson said.

The district also expects to save from $1 million to $2 million by changing routes and stops. IPS will also offer IndyGo passes to 2,100 other students who live less than a 60 minute walk from school.

District officials have defended the safety and practicality of their plan. IPS and IndyGo ran pilot programs over three years that indicated that high school students could take the city bus and the district could save money.

Still, many board members brought up safety concerns such as liability, if unsafe situations arise to and from school, and worries about students being abducted. District officials said all IndyGo bus drivers are trained to watch for signs of human trafficking and that every bus has cameras and GPS tracking.

Proposed state legislation that would eliminate plans for additional future metro bus lines would not affect students this year, but Johnson said the district is watching legislation carefully because it could impact the ability to transfer more students to IndyGo in the future.

In its next step, the district will communicate to impacted families and host a series of town hall meetings in April about transportation changes. Click here to find information about the time, date, and location of the town halls.

The board is scheduled to vote on the district’s transportation plan at its next action meeting April 29.

Correction: April 2, 2021: A previous version of this story said the district is identifying places to cut and resources to add revenue to help dig out of a $328 million hole of accumulated debt. The $328 million is not debt. It is the amount the Indy Chamber and IPS identified that the district would need to save or make up in new revenue over eight years.

Indianapolis charter network launches job training program for students’ families

2021-03-26T00:45:38+00:00

Before even beginning a training class this week at Phalen Leadership Academies, Tyshaneka Douglas already had seen a payoff.

She’s taking classes to get into a higher-demand, higher-paying field. And her kindergartner son is elated.

“He’s super happy because we get to do homework together and he just sees it as ‘oooh. Mommy is growing so I want to grow,’” Douglas said.

She’s part of the inaugural class of eight adults studying in person at James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy on Indianapolis’ far eastside.

Phalen, which runs 12 charter schools in Indiana, launched a job-training program this week called PLA University to spur economic mobility in high-poverty communities. It’s offering the courses to adult relatives of its students at any of its 22 campuses throughout the nation. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are eligible.

After students complete basic workplace skills, they will attend specialized courses in one of four high-demand fields like information technology or health and life sciences. Officials promise students internships, paid work experience, tutors, and a year of follow-up support. Participants may graduate with an industry-recognized credential that qualifies them for a job that might start at $30,000 to $50,000 annually.

Douglas says she makes $30,000 a year as an insurance agent now. She wants to get a cybersecurity credential to become a private investigator, whose salaries average $42,430 in Indiana. She sees an opportunity to join a field that is growing quickly, with cybersecurity concerns multiplying during the pandemic.

Shayne Abrahams, executive director of PLA University, seeks to offer the learners affirmation and wants to build an environment in classes where they can support one another. He begins by greeting the class at orientation. Most students are Black, one woman is Latina.

Shayne Abrahams, the executive director of PLA University, tells adult learners about the expectations of the program during orientation on Tuesday. Phalen Leadership Academy is starting a new workforce development program for their students’ families.

IUPUI kinesiology graduate Dionne Avance is attending to be able to earn more in the medical field, to better support her daughter.

“Basically, I’m working hard so she doesn’t have to,” Avance said.

Daniel Isaac, a former social worker in Haiti, wants to get his medical assistant certification and more credentials after that.

Abrahams peppers his talk with encouraging words like, “I need you all to be soldiers,” and, “I got your back.” He urges them to “do your best because I’m going to go hard for you.”

Glick Philanthropies of Indianapolis has given $150,000 to fund the program’s first year.

During the first six weeks, the students will learn how to search the internet, write a resume, and make a good first impression during an interview. Later, students will train for up to six months in their chosen field with a PLA training partner.

Administrators are reviewing applications as they come in, so that students can apply and participate whenever they can. The program aims to train 188 students over two years. About 120 have applied.

But Abrahams recognizes that students face challenges outside the classroom walls: transportation, child care, nutrition, and language. He acknowledges that the PLA University can’t solve all of those issues.

The Phalen charter network, founded by CEO Earl Martin Phalen, opened its first school in Indianapolis in 2013. The network also runs campuses in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Alabama.

Phalen said PLA University might offer families a way out of the far eastside, an area he says has been neglected by politicians and ravaged with violence. He feels that since he can’t solve issues like police brutality and unjust government policies, he can at least provide parents economic opportunities to have more freedom.

“We’ve got to give people the economic strength so that they can make whatever choice is best for their family and their loved ones,” Phalen said.

Douglas, who moved from South Bend six months ago, sees opportunity amid the need around her. “It’s like looking at the silver lining, instead of where we’re currently at. My ultimate goal is to help build the community up to a point where people don’t feel like they have to move out.”

‘No more time to wait’: Parents call for Indianapolis Public Schools to close racial gaps

2021-03-17T00:45:07+00:00

A group of parents is calling on Indianapolis Public Schools to close racial gaps by tripling Black students’ passing rates on state tests and doubling passing rates for Latino students over the next six years.

Those increases still wouldn’t fully close the gaps against white student performance. Less than 7% of Black students and 11% of Latino students in IPS passed both math and English sections of the annual ILEARN tests, compared with 32% of white students passing the tests.

“We have no more time to wait,” district parent LaToya Tahirou said. “Decades have gone by and schools have been failing. We need to think big. We can’t be comfortable with small accomplishments.”

Parents from the advocacy group Stand for Children Indiana said Tuesday the district needs to do more to improve outcomes for its students of color. The 17 parents pushing the improvement plan asked for ambitious academic goals, a roadmap to achieve them, a timeline, and equitable funding.

The group also wants IPS to address language barriers facing non-English-speaking families, increase its graduation rate, boost funding for innovation schools, improve teacher diversity, and reduce teacher turnover. The Stand parents suggest the district replicate education models that have shown success among students of color.

In response, IPS officials pointed to their five-year strategic plan and racial equity policy, and said they are committed to creating an environment where all students, especially students of color, can succeed.

“We share the feeling of urgency and commitment to equity that has been expressed, and we’re grateful to be engaged in regular dialogue with IPS parents around these topics,” an IPS statement read.

Parents have been meeting with Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and board members about lists of requests in a 13-page document.

On Tuesday, IPS parent Irma Perdomo recalled accompanying a Spanish-speaking parent to a meeting with a teacher, but the school failed to provide an interpreter. Instead, the mother had to rely on her child and thus misunderstood what the teacher was saying.

Teachers and principals often can’t communicate with parents, Perdomo said through an interpreter.

“Every day we feel a little bit excluded,” she said. “We lose the will to be able to support and be there to support our children.”

To increase staff diversity, the group would like the district to create a “grow your own” program to encourage Black and Latino high school students to go into education and return to IPS to teach.

The Stand group also is asking for the district to pare back its police force and possibly redirect funds toward students’ social and emotional well-being.

Recently the district launched a study into its police operations and began working to decrease suspensions and expulsions.

Tahirou acknowledged that the district is working to boost achievement of Black and Latino students, who make up 72% of IPS students.

But, she said, great divides still persist.

“Babies are falling between the gaps.”

Why an Indianapolis district turned to bus drivers to keep students on track

2021-03-11T22:07:21+00:00

On a recent morning, several Wayne Township high school students missing class received wake-up calls. But it wasn’t a teacher calling, or a counselor. It was school bus driver Erica Woods, working double duty as a case manager to support students.

She’s part college-prep guide, part mom, and part cheerleader, even reminding them to breathe and drink water. “I need you to come to school everyday,” Woods told the students. “This is no joke.”

To keep high school seniors engaged and on track to graduate amid the pandemic, Wayne Township officials turned to a previously untapped resource: hourly employees still on payroll, but with time on their hands because students had switched to learning virtually.

Woods is one of 17 classified employees, or hourly staff, who served as the primary liaison for about 900 of the Indianapolis district’s seniors during eight weeks of virtual learning earlier this year. To safeguard against the pandemic, students learned remotely from Nov. 16 to Jan. 26.

Wayne Township bus driver Erica Woods works as a student case manager for the district during virtual learning.

District administrators said the experiment was so successful that it will continue with 10 employees, even though high schoolers have moved on campus two days a week.

Wendy Skibinski, Wayne Township’s director of college and career readiness, said the district came up with the idea last summer after seeing the effects of high school students losing the in-person support they usually had.

“We had to think about how we were going to accelerate the class of 2021 and get them up to speed,” Skibinski said. “All of the things that we typically would have done last spring, they missed out on all of that.”

Wayne Township, like other districts, allowed younger students more in-person learning and social contact than older students got, because science points to COVID not spreading in elementary schools as much as it does elsewhere. Many high school students nationwide have received very little in-person instruction since the onset of the pandemic a year ago and have been socially isolated during a pivotal time in their lives.

From April to October last year, mental-health related medical visits increased among 12- to 17-year-old children by 31% compared with previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wayne Township recognized the stresses facing many high school students: jobs to support their families, parents who lost work, financial aid and college applications, resumes, mock interviews, and graduation — all without in-person help from overworked counselors.

Wayne’s high school student-to-counselor ratio is 475 to 1. The American School Counselor Association recommends schools have a 250 to 1 ratio. Skibinski said the district couldn’t afford to add more counselors in the middle of a pandemic.

District officials worried students would fall even further behind after Marion County ordered campuses to close in November.

At the same time, Skibinski said the district wanted to retain employees who weren’t able to work in a virtual environment.

The district previously found creative ways to mobilize those workers. Last March, it assigned its bus drivers to distribute meals to students at more than 1,000 bus stops.

Wayne Township bus driver Erica Woods works as a student case manager for the district during virtual learning.

So last fall, Skibinski solicited volunteers among paraprofessionals and transportation staff and trained them in college and career readiness support, interpersonal skills, technology tools, the college-guidance software Naviance, and resource tools on Google Drive.

District officials wanted case managers to build relationships with students, address their basic needs, and make sure they had tools like technology, space, and an organized schedule. Case managers check on grades and make sure students complete their assignments. Sometimes they help them with classwork. Their responsibility has evolved.

“It really started to morph,” Skibinski said. “Every day at 2:30, we would debrief. What are the kids asking for? What do they need? What do we need to provide more of?”

During the eight weeks of virtual learning, case managers earned their regular hourly wage. Now, as some of their previous duties have resumed with hybrid instruction, case management pays a $15 hourly stipend. Wayne Township, which is expected to receive nearly $16 million in its second round of COVID relief funding, approved $16,000 toward the program for the remainder of the school year.

Woods has resumed driving a bus, starting around 6 a.m. every day. In between picking up and dropping off students, she’s checking her Galaxy 20 tablet for emails from students and calling students who may take evening classes. After work, she may spend a couple of hours checking and responding to student emails.

Last Saturday — when students were more reachable — she was online by 11:30 a.m., calling, emailing, and updating her color-coded spreadsheet with information on the 41 students she is responsible for.

“There could be maybe 10 to 15 doing magnificent,” Woods said. “My focus is to make sure that the rest of them are coming along, making sure that their needs are met. I will ask them, ‘Hey, can you do an assignment a day? This needs to be done before March.’”

Skibinski said the pandemic has been terrible for everyone, but Wayne Township’s experiment has worked well enough to continue.

“We can’t let COVID be the reason why we’re not successful,” Skibinski said. For students, “We’re going to walk alongside you because our ultimate goal is for you to graduate, but also for you to do whatever it is your post-secondary goal was.”

Woods, a grandmother of seven and a bus driver for 24 years, feels she’s come into her life’s work. She hopes now to earn a teaching credential.

“There’s a need that needs to be met,” Woods said. “I enjoy being around people. Helping has always been my passion.”

Indianapolis Public Schools to resume full-time, in-person classes for older students

2021-03-09T00:24:15+00:00

For the first time in more than a year, Indianapolis Public Schools will reopen its middle and high schools for full-time, in-person learning.

Citing new data and guidance from the Marion County Health Department, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson on Friday announced the expanded reopening, set for April 5. That means that older students will be able to go from learning on campus two days a week to full time, once they return from spring break. The district initially opened elementary schools full time in October.

IPS and health officials did not say what exactly had changed to enable campuses to reopen fully. At school, Johnson said, students and staff must stay at least 3 feet away from anyone and wear masks. She said the reopening also depends on rigorous contact tracing if any COVID-19 cases crop up.

“We believe we can accomplish all three of these things in order to safely welcome all students back in person who select that option,” Johnson said.

The seven-day average test positivity rate for Marion County has decreased to 2.9%. In January, the rate was as high as about 15%.

The district’s website states that innovation schools may reopen on a different schedule.

Other Indianapolis school districts, including Perry Township and Lawrence Township, are reopening high schools for four days a week of in-person learning.

Data indicates that the rate of coronavirus transmission at schools has been low. According to the Marion County Health Department, fewer than 2% of county schools in the past two weeks have had any COVID counts at all or rates high enough to warrant the county to intervene. That could involve an inspection, talking to school officials, and working with schools on their prevention methods.

District parents who have children currently learning remotely may switch to in-person learning by contacting their school by March 12. Those who wish to change from in-person to remote learning may do so whenever they want.

Last week, teachers became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines at select pharmacies, under a new federal directive. IPS strongly recommends teachers be vaccinated. In January, teacher unions called for state officials to prioritize vaccinating teachers so that schools could stay open. The state did not bump up teachers in priority.

Last March, Gov. Eric Holcomb shut down all Indiana schools to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While many Indiana schools opened in person at the beginning of the current school year, IPS started remotely and two weeks later than usual. The district also suspended in-person learning for several weeks in the winter when cases spiked.

In January, Dr. Virginia Caine, Marion County’s health director, relaxed rules for closing school districts. Since then, coronavirus positivity rates can close schools, rather than entire districts.

More jobs, better pay: Indianapolis Public Schools to redo career paths

2021-03-05T17:12:52+00:00

To better prepare graduates for college and well-paying jobs, Indianapolis Public Schools will revamp its high school career and college curriculum and drop programs that don’t lead directly to jobs.

A consultant has recommended enhancing programs in health sciences, technology, education, and other areas with brighter career prospects.

For example, the recommendations suggested modifying the pathways for cosmetology and culinary arts. For both areas, listed as low-wage fields, the consultant suggested adding an entrepreneurial focus to teach students how to become their own boss.

The district wants all career programs to offer students a way to earn college credits, work experience, and certifications before graduating.

Administrators are weighing course changes recommended by MGT, a private consultant contracted to review the district’s 42 career and college preparation sequences, known as pathways. Every student must select one three-year pathway that begins sophomore year.

MGT reported that many pathways do not provide credentials to prepare students for college or careers, like certifications and Advanced Placement courses. Some career pathways do not offer work experience or exit exams to ensure successful completion.

In addition, the district has had difficulty in hiring teachers both certified in their job field and trained as teachers.

The district plans to phase out, consolidate, or suspend more than one-quarter of the pathways over the next two school years. Courses will be designed to prepare students for good entry-level jobs and for higher education, said Jennifer O’Shea, the district’s postsecondary readiness officer.

“We’re really trying to prepare our students for both so that they have options,” O’Shea said. “They can choose to take that entry-level certification, work for a short period of time, and then pursue higher education, or go straight into higher education with an industry focus, with some dual credits under their belt, so they are on an accelerated path.”

George Washington High School may offer an affiliation with Business Professionals of America, a national student organization that offers competitions to help develop leadership and skills in areas such as finance and business administration.

That possibility excites sophomore Jada Taylor, who attends George Washington’s business administration program. She aspires to become the “boss lady” of a bakery and wants to learn what it’s like to be a business owner.

“With this new opportunity, it’s going to be a way to challenge me and put myself out there to see how I’m really going to do under pressure,” Taylor said.

MGT recommended dropping some specialties like health informatics and physical therapy at Crispus Attucks High School, which don’t offer either college credit or industry-recognized certification.

The consultant also suggested eliminating specialties like dental careers and pharmacy at Arsenal Tech that offer little or no work experience.

Instead, for example, Tech and Attucks might offer a new medical assistant specialty with an externship through IU Health. The schools could also overhaul the nursing pathway to add dual credits through Ivy Tech and offer health care certifications beyond a certified nursing assistant license.

The district also plans to enhance its seven college-preparation curriculums. Those include International Baccalaureate classes at Shortridge High and recommendations to create an “early college” program at Arsenal Tech.

The district plans to create a universal pathway program at every school for transfer students and those behind in credits or otherwise unable to complete a three-year specialty pathway.

Students currently in programs slated for elimination will be allowed to complete their course sequences, O’Shea told school board members last week. But new students would not be allowed to sign up for those pathways.

“We will never put the students in a position where we’re going to get rid of a pathway or program and they’re not in a position to be able to graduate or complete a pathway,” she said.

MGT’s review found IPS had not gathered data on the success of students in most pathways. The district will now look at students’ progress and employment up to five years after leaving high school, O’Shea said.

Only 41.8% of IPS students finish district schools with the college or career credentials they need to be successful, according to state data. Graduation rates in 2020 plummeted at two high schools by more than 10 percentage points from the previous year.

Fewer than one-third of IPS students meet growth targets for math

2021-03-01T16:12:06+00:00

Only 39% of Indianapolis Public Schools students met expectations for growth in English last fall, and just 31% met them in math, test results indicate.

Both those figures represent drops from a year earlier. The declines illustrate the heavy toll that the pandemic — and being in and out of classrooms — are taking on student learning. Charts shown to the district board Thursday night indicate the extent of the work facing the district to get students back on track.

The figures, presented by Andrew Strope, chief of strategy and planning for the district, come from tests administered in November and December that show what percentage of students met expectations of growth — that is, improvement — as measured against similar tests the year before. The tests, known as NWEA MAP, reveal student growth over time and adapt to each student’s answer. A correct answer prompts more difficult subsequent questions.

The reports include results from the first of two NWEA MAP tests the district will administer this school year. The next such test will be in April and May.

Students who fall short of meeting growth targets risk ending up further behind school.

“There’s plenty of work to do,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said Tuesday.

At Rousseau McClellan School 91, for example, the drop in math growth scores mirrored those of the district. While growth in English remained fairly steady, dropping 3 percentage points from midyear 2019-20, the portion of students who met growth targets in math declined by 15 percentage points.

During a scheduled update to the school board, Rousseau McClellan Principal Kathy Lause attributed the drop in math scores at the Montessori school to a lack of access to teaching tools that help children learn and visualize math.

“So much of it is hands on and that’s been challenging to do in the remote setting, and with our current safety protocols,” Lause said.

Now, she said, the school has found ways to provide students some of those materials to learn remotely.

To address the district’s worrisome decline, IPS plans to prioritize investments in student learning, although the plans are still being finalized. Officials have listed holding Saturday academies, summer school to make up credits, after-school sessions, tutoring, and teacher training.

The district also began allowing high school students to retake classes that they failed.

Johnson noted that across the country, math scores, in particular, have significantly declined.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, administrators reported that student attendance had risen to 87% since campuses reopened last month. That compares with an average of 83% since the beginning of the school year. In order to be counted present, students must be in a classroom or must be engaged virtually for at least 51% of the school day.

Last school year, by comparison, attendance for the same months — before the pandemic shutdown — was 91%.

However, attendance this year for high school students lags at 70% to date. The higher the grade level in high school, the lower the average attendance. Attendance for seniors is 67%.

As administrators on Thursday talked about measures to boost enrollment, board president Evan Hawkins asked about getting students back into the classroom more immediately.

“I just hope that we consider how we might aggressively, proactively really try to go find students that we know that are out there,” he said, “to bring them back home.”

Correction: March 1, 2021: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the growth scores at Rousseau McClellan School 91 mirrored the district. Rousseau McClellan saw a drop in math growth scores that mirrored the district. The story has also been corrected to reflect that plans for student learning have not been finalized, and Evan Hawkins is the board president.

Nine Marion County school chiefs call for canceling Indiana testing

2021-02-10T23:55:43+00:00

Citing the toll of the pandemic, some Marion County superintendents are pushing for Indiana to cancel school testing this spring.

On Wednesday, superintendents from nine public school districts released a letter sent to the state’s Education Department explaining why mandatory ILEARN testing would harm students, given the loss of time in school and the hardships their families have endured from the coronavirus.

They also cited the social and emotional toll that the pandemic has taken on students, the logistical difficulties and limits on running hybrid and virtual classrooms, and student health and safety concerns.

The superintendents argued that parents would be unwilling to send their children to school just to take a test. Indiana requires students to take state tests in person.

“We cannot force families to send their children to take the test in person, and again, accountability measures would penalize schools when this happens,” the superintendents’ statement said. “If left unchanged, this will set schools up to fail at no fault of their own.”

They also said the four-week ILEARN window would be better spent having students engaging in learning.

“Our students need those 20 days of instruction in order to provide the time for lost learning opportunities,” the superintendents wrote.

The presidents of each district’s teachers union also signed the letter.

Notably, leaders of Indianapolis Public Schools and Perry Township schools did not sign the letter. In statements to Chalkbeat, both IPS and Perry officials stated that the federal government would have to allow the state to modify testing requirements.

IPS officials said they “don’t disagree with the premise of reconsidering current requirements for 2021 state testing,” but state officials rely on the federal government to permit state modifications. Otherwise, the state potentially could lose millions of dollars in federal funding.

Perry Superintendent Pat Mapes also said signing the letter would have posed a conflict of interest for him because he serves on the state board of education, which might weigh in on the testing matter.

The Marion County superintendents who signed the letter also expressed support for a similar Feb. 4 letter from suburban Central Indiana superintendents.

In opposing the testing requirement, those superintendents said it would be difficult to administer ILEARN because of staffing shortages and the need to keep students socially distanced.

The state requires districts to give the ILEARN exams to students in grades 3-8 sometime from April 19 to May 21. Education officials have sent guidance for districts to share with parents about holding in-person exams even for students now learning virtually.

In a statement to Chalkbeat, the Indiana Department of Education said that testing is required by federal law and that the department will give schools more guidance soon.

The state also said that measuring how students are faring is important, especially now.

“In particular, we know Indiana’s low-income students, as well as our Black and brown students, have been disproportionately impacted in multiple ways by the pandemic, and getting a snapshot of their progress will help us better tailor resources for those students,” state officials said.

The state said that test results will show relative achievement among student groups and any significant losses or gaps in skills for schools to resolve.

In January, Gov. Eric Holcomb and other Republican leaders expressed support for eliminating consequences for lower test scores — in other words, students will have to take the tests, but they won’t count.

In a statement, Holcomb said he favors the state not penalizing schools for low scores or imposing “unfair consequences.”

Indiana adds funds for charter schools ineligible for $800 million COVID relief aid

2021-02-09T22:08:09+00:00

Alongside $800 million to Indiana public schools in the second round of coronavirus relief dollars, the state is setting aside a small amount of money for more than two dozen charter schools that weren’t eligible for the larger pot of federal funds.

New charter schools that will open next fall are set to receive $40,000 each to defray COVID-related costs such as building improvements to reduce the risk of virus transmission and addressing students’ learning loss in their previous schools.

The other charter schools that weren’t eligible for federal COVID relief funds will be allocated at least $40,000 each. Those schools currently don’t participate in the federal Title I program that supports teaching students from low-income families, and determines eligibility for relief funds.

Nevertheless, Indiana is offering those charter schools a share of the aid because in general charter schools serve a disproportionate number of low-income students.

Schools can use the federal grant to cover past and future pandemic expenses through Sept. 30, 2023.

But one school district will miss out entirely on federal relief dollars, even though it qualified for the first round of federal aid. Zionsville Community Schools, a suburban school district north of Indianapolis, has just 5% of its students from low-income families, too small a portion to receive a share of round two CARES Act aid.

Superintendent Scott Robison said he was concerned that seven charter schools opening in Indiana next school year will get CARES Act funds, while his district will not.

“I would think that our fully functioning service to 7,400 students here where we didn’t get any money, but have a lot of CARES expenses, would at least be considered,” Robison said. “It seems a little weird that they are getting CARES funding and we’re not.”

He said his district should receive some funds.

Zionsville, along with every other school district, has covered many extra expenses during the pandemic. Robison said districts need funds to ensure their staff and students can be safe, “irrespective of whether someone is impoverished or not.”

Indianapolis Public Schools, the largest school district in the state and one that serves predominantly low-income students, is projected to receive nearly $80 million in round two, the most in the state.

In the first round of federal aid, IPS received nearly $22 million for its district-run and privately run schools. The district has incurred large pandemic-related expenses for devices for electronic learning, personal protective equipment, facilities, and academics.

Wayne Township in Indianapolis is expected to receive nearly $16 million in additional federal aid. Superintendent Jeff Butts said the district will likely prioritize mental health support, staffing for smaller classes, tutoring, and after-school activities. About two-thirds of its students come from low-income families.

“Everything that we’re doing will be focused on trying to get our students accelerated over the next two years,” Butts said.

While the relief funds may seem like a lot, Butts notes that the grants are not ongoing dollars.

“They’re one-time dollars that will allow us to work with our students,” he said.

Private schools together are slated to receive $81.7 million.

Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis, for example, is expected to receive $1.1 million, the most among the state’s private schools.

At a few Indianapolis schools, the pandemic caused huge drops in graduation rates

2021-02-03T00:11:41+00:00

In a rare bright spot for students whose senior year was fractured by the coronavirus, Indiana high schoolers in the class of 2020 graduated at about the same rate as those in the prior year.

But at a handful of Indiana schools serving some of the state’s highest-need students, graduation rates plummeted. At three Indianapolis high schools, leaders say that the challenges of the pandemic contributed to double-digit drops in graduation rates, as students struggled to complete school remotely or left school to get jobs.

Graduation rates are important because students who earn diplomas have opportunities for better-paying jobs and for higher education. The calculations also measure how well schools are educating their students.

The recent rates aren’t comparable with previous years, because the state effectively lowered the bar by suspending the graduation exam and loosening graduation requirements in 2020. State officials said students who were on track to graduate shouldn’t have their education derailed by the pandemic. But some students, particularly those already struggling, were unable to graduate within four years amid the challenges posed by the lockdowns.

Graduation rates fell by more than 10 percentage points at two of the four high schools operated by Indianapolis Public Schools. At George Washington High School, the graduation rate dropped to 63% in 2020. At Arsenal Technical High School, the district’s largest campus, the graduation rate fell to 69%.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson attributed the dip to the pandemic, which denied students in-person connections with staff. When campuses closed, those schools struggled to keep students engaged, particularly students who were already “on the edge,” she said. Some students did not have computers to log in from home.

Johnson said there were definitely some gaps in reaching students and making sure that they finished. For example, the district has more students who are still working on credits needed to graduate, even after four years in high school.

“I attribute that to the fact that the level of engagement was just lower than what we’ve seen before once we were not seeing them in person every day,” Johnson said.

More than 65% of students at Tech and George Washington come from low-income families, who have suffered through a disproportionate financial strain during the pandemic.

The district was more successful at helping students graduate at its other two campuses, particularly Shortridge High School. In spite of the pandemic, the graduation rate at Shortridge jumped by nearly 8 percentage points, to reach 87%.

Shortridge Principal Dennis Thomas said that when the pandemic hit, nearly all juniors and seniors already had late-model MacBooks required for their visual arts and International Baccalaureate programs. And students were familiar with the district’s online platforms. This, he said, positioned them to weather the transition to remote learning more easily than those at other high schools.

At the onset of the pandemic, the district scrambled to ensure students had access to the internet and computers at home. Staff called families to check if high school students had the technology and internet for online learning. In April, the district gathered more than 6,000 devices to give to high school and middle school students in advanced classes. A survey revealed that just half of students were ready to learn remotely with technology at home.

Thomas also noted that school staff were aggressive about tracking student progress and checking in with seniors about whether they were on track to graduate.

District officials said George Washington and Arsenal Tech staff checked in consistently with students and provided support services. But both schools also had higher rates of students moving in and out of the schools and of students having to work to support families.

To keep students on track to graduate, last spring the district and schools deployed “success agents” who have met regularly with students and communicated with parents monthly, monitored attendance and academic progress, and documented meetings and supportive services, district officials said.

This school year, IPS high schoolers have gone back and forth between in-person and remote instruction. Currently, students are back on campus for part of each week.

Johnson hopes that reopening campuses will help academics and engagement.

“You can’t undervalue the power of those in-person touch points to be able to see kids and just really have a very clear sense of what’s happening,” Johnson said. “It makes a huge difference.”

Johnson said the district has some work to do to improve graduation rates at George Washington and Tech. This school year, the district has added graduation services to ensure students are on track and to find where they go when they leave, Johnson said.

Even in a normal year, graduation rates fluctuate, particularly at small schools where a handful of students dropping out can move the needle. Some of the Indiana schools with the largest declines told Chalkbeat the drops were unrelated to the pandemic. And graduation rates fell at several schools after the state audited whether students were properly marked as leaving to home school.

At the schools that saw dips because of the pandemic, practical barriers such as limited access to computers and the internet may have gotten in the way, said Russell Rumberger, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“These were things that are kind of correctable,” Rumberger said. “Hopefully that means that next year, it should recover some.”

Rumberger cautioned, however, that even at schools where graduation rates held steady, students missed out on weeks of in-person instruction. Because of relaxed graduation requirements across the country, many students who earned diplomas may be unprepared for college.

That fear was top of mind for Christina Lear, the principal of Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, a west side charter school operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives. When the state allowed schools to give diplomas to students who were on track before the pandemic even if they didn’t do remote schoolwork, Indy Met leaders decided to keep their graduation expectations the same.

A diploma is more than a piece of paper, Lear said. Unprepared graduates may enroll in college, incur debt, and then fail classes. Or they may think they are not college material.

“I’m worried when students don’t graduate. That’s why we do this work, is because we want to see our students meet this milestone and then be ready for what is next,” Lear said. “But I am equally worried about kids that have a diploma ... that are not prepared.”

In part because of the decision to require students to complete work remotely, Indy Met had the largest drop in graduation rates in the state. About 61% of students in the class of 2020 graduated within four years — more than 20 percentage points lower than the year before.

Lear said she was already expecting a dip in the graduation rate because a few years ago, the school began to focus on serving students who struggled in other high schools, and those teens often take longer to graduate.

But remote school was harder for students, and there were some who had been on track before the pandemic who just couldn’t keep up, she said.

Lear said she felt better about the decision to keep requirements in place because the staff worked hard to help those students, providing devices and Wi-Fi hotspots, expanding summer school, and helping family members find jobs. And if students didn’t graduate, educators didn’t give up.

As an alternative school, Indy Met encourages students who are behind to stay for a fifth year. And Goodwill also operates Excel Centers, a network of adult high schools where students sometimes transfer. About a third of Indy Met students who were expected to graduate in 2020 remained in school, according to state data.

“It kept the integrity of our diploma at a level that aligns with our mission,” Lear said. “But we also knew that it wasn’t game over for those kids, because we already had these robust systems in place to continue them on into a fifth year if they needed it.”

Correction: Feb. 4, 2020: This story has been updated to remove a description of the student population at Shortridge, which serves a similar proportion of students from low-income families as George Washington and Arsenal Technical high schools.

Indianapolis Public Schools stresses ‘mindset shift’ with police review

2021-01-30T00:59:52+00:00

Hoping to improve policing on campus, Indianapolis Public Schools is analyzing how its police operate and seeking to decrease suspensions and expulsions, improve school culture, and nurture students’ well-being.

“The goal is to have a more service-centered, more culture-uplifting police department to shift away from this antiquated view of what policing in schools should be,” IPS General Counsel Ahmed Young told Chalkbeat.

Young, who is also chief of external affairs, presented an update on the study to the school board Thursday.

The policing study includes surveying students and creating focus groups on perceptions of police, student experience with police, and opinions on the benefits of having the department. Researchers with Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute, which is leading the focus groups, will also cover racial equity.

Administrators will present recommendations to the board in two to three months.

According to a Chalkbeat analysis, Indiana school police are 2.5 times as likely to arrest Black students as white students. State data from 2019-20 shows that Black IPS students received out-of-school suspensions at a much higher rate than did white students. IPS students also received out-of-school suspensions nearly twice as high as the state average. In the same school year, IPS had 36 school-related arrests.

The IPS police department provides safety and security for all schools and buildings. IPS officers can arrest students. Officers focus on de-escalation tactics, according to the district.

The department has shrunk in recent years and now has 40 sworn police officers.

Board member Venita Moore asked about discipline disparities.

“We want to make sure that our Black and brown children are not being disciplined more severely than others for the same type of activities, right?” she asked.

Young said he agreed with that sentiment but that the district still needs to continue to evaluate and correct things.

“I think there is a mindset shift that is taking place, and we need to push that further and faster,” he said.

Moore then asked about educating students about their civil rights.

“Are we going to do any training for our children about how to properly advocate for themselves so they can speak for themselves and still be able to maneuver and work their way throughout the school district?” Moore said.

The district’s review follows a summer of nationwide protests against police brutality. In June, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the district was expanding anti-racism training and would analyze its police department’s role in schools, after Minneapolis Public Schools and other districts eliminated their own police departments.

The district board approved a racial equity policy and its Black Lives Matter Resolution in June. The policy calls for expanding “ongoing efforts to identify and address racial disparities and disportionalities in school suspensions, expulsions and academic outcomes.”

The resolution pledged the district would be “restructuring the IPS Police department to reduce the number of officers in schools, implementing a revised continuum of force policy to minimize the incidence of use of force, and auditing all practices to identify and reduce racial disparities and prioritize student safety.”

The policing study is the second in five years. The district shelved a previous study done under then-Superintendent Lewis Ferebee because of a change in leadership.

Indianapolis Public Schools weighs eliminating school bus service for some students

2021-01-28T18:11:28+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools may eliminate school busing for about 6,400 of its students next school year, administrators indicated, as the district weighs as much as $17 million in potential transportation cuts.

District administrators propose cutting transportation for high school students who live on city bus lines and reducing it for elementary school students who live close enough to walk to schools. If the board approves the most drastic cuts, about 2,400 high school students and 4,000 elementary school students could lose district-provided transportation.

The potential cuts could affect innovation schools that receive transportation through IPS.

As charters and other schools have siphoned off students, Indianapolis’ largest school district has been losing enrollment, and thus state funding for years. The financially strapped district has been examining potential budget cuts, including reducing transportation and possibly closing schools, after settling for smaller tax referendums in 2018 than what leaders said it needed. The tax increases have helped pay for costs such as raises for teachers, but IPS still needs to bring down operating costs to stabilize the budget.

The district also faced an unexpected $15 million funding shortfall due to a drop in enrollment during the pandemic.

But reducing busing, as Chief Operations Officer Scott Martin said during a board retreat on Saturday, could raise concerns about racial equity in a district that serves predominantly Black and Latino students. District students may have a harder time attending high-quality extracurricular activities if they have no district busing and must rely only on metro buses.

Zach Mulholland, the district’s executive director of operations, said that eliminating transportation could affect whether students can choose to attend certain activities.

“These do have real-world implications in terms of how our students are able to access programs in schools,” Mulholland said.

Administrators said they will develop criteria for who could lose bus service. Out of $17 million in potential cuts identified by a consultant, reducing transportation for students who can walk or take IndyGo could save about $6 million. Other options, such as expanding walk zones, switching bell times, or changing bus routes, could lead to additional savings.

The board may decide on transportation cuts by the end of the school year.

Besides children having to walk further, parents may be concerned about their children walking through neighborhoods with high crime rates or with no sidewalks. Indianapolis also suffers from limited public transportation and has recently removed more than 500 IndyGo bus stops.

The district had not publicized Saturday’s discussion of the proposed reduction in busing. No community members or parents attended the retreat.

Mulholland said the district seeks to reduce buses, routes, and midday and after-school trips that contribute to IPS’s “high cost” transportation system, which he said per pupil is about 1.5 times more expensive than what other urban districts nationwide spend.

Subsidizing IndyGo passes would cost the district about $650,000 next school year, he said, but still would result in transportation savings.

Mulholland blamed high transportation costs in part on the district sending students to specialized, choice schools across the city, rather than relying on neighborhood schools. Some buses carry 12 or fewer students on their regular runs.

Administrators cited positive feedback from students and families about their experiences riding IndyGo in a pilot program.

But Martin said this time might be different.

“It’s a great thing, as long as you’re not taking away a guaranteed thing,” Martin said.

Board members expressed reservations and worried about pushback from parents.

Board member Diane Arnold recalled feedback about students not having a safe route to get from their home to the IndyGo bus stop. Some community members were concerned about high school students having to walk in darkness in the early hours and in neighborhoods with no sidewalks and with busy intersections.

Mulholland said the district has to decide which students will and will not qualify to ride district buses. Federal law requires transportation for students with special needs and those who are homeless.

Board member Taria Slack said the district would have to be clear about how it arrives at its decision.

“That will be the biggest hurdle right now,” Slack said. “Me as a parent, I would totally disagree. I would still have an issue without having this information beforehand.”

Corrections: Jan. 27, 2021: A previous version of this story listed an incorrect title for Scott Martin. The story has also been updated to clarify that the district did not publicize Saturday’s discussion of the proposed busing reduction.

Jan. 28, 2021: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the transportation discussion was not listed on the board retreat agenda. The story also included an incorrect number of high school students who could be affected by transportation cuts, due to incorrect information provided by the district. The story has been updated to clarify that transportation cuts could affect students’ ability to participate in extracurricular activities and that reducing transportation for students who can walk or take IndyGo could lead to up to $6 million in savings out of $17 million in potential cuts.

Sign up for monthly updates on the Indianapolis Public Schools board during COVID-19

2021-01-21T18:01:40+00:00

This is an important year for the Indianapolis Public Schools board, as the district welcomes two new board members and its leaders continue to navigate education during a pandemic.

Chalkbeat is launching a text messaging service to keep you updated on important school board decisions every month, so you can stay informed regardless of whether or not you’re able to attend board meetings.

Will declining revenues, because of the recession and falling enrollment, force IPS to make budget reductions? Maybe you would like to know if the district plans to add more innovation schools, which are privately managed schools. Or you might be curious about how schools are approaching mental health in classrooms.

Chalkbeat Indiana wants to make it easier to hold district officials accountable for doing right by their students. We intend to provide information about the district and education in general that’s important to students, parents, teachers, and the community. Our goal is to inform the community, spur debate, and inspire you to take action.

Stay tuned and sign up for our monthly texts below. Let us know if you have any questions about what IPS is doing. Our ears are open.

IPS typically livestreams its board meeting at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of every month. You can tune into the board meetings here.

To sign up to receive monthly text message updates on IPS board meetings, text SCHOOLS to 317-932-3900 or type your phone number into the box below.

Indiana teachers seize inauguration moment to teach power of student voice

2021-01-21T00:41:19+00:00

More than anything else her students learn this year, even more than math, teacher Taelor Garrett wants her predominately Black fifth graders to understand that they have a place in this country.

On Wednesday, she and the other fifth-grade teachers seized the chance to drive home that message with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as the first Black, South Asian, and woman vice president.

Many Indiana teachers are using the dawn of a new administration to teach about the democratic process amid divisive times, just two weeks after a violent white supremacist mob egged on by then-President Donald Trump rampaged through the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Garrett, a teacher at KIPP Indy Unite Elementary School in the Martindale-Brightwood area, started the day discussing the significance of Inauguration Day and playing clips of inaugurations of the past. After a math lesson, students drafted letters to the new president and vice president.

A student named Andre posted in the class Zoom chat box that he would like Biden and Harris to take action against corrupt police officers and change the way that they treat Black people.

Another student wrote that he hoped Biden would try to stop the COVID pandemic.

He asked Harris “to stop the racism so the country can be better and so they can stop killing black and brown people.”

Some students put forth less serious comments. One asked if it would be rude to congratulate Biden on being the oldest president of the United States. Biden is 78.

More than their written comments, the chat box that appeared on the side of the class Zoom video reflected the 34 students’ interest and enthusiasm. It buzzed with excitement when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in Harris. And it filled with comments when Lady Gaga gave her emphatic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Jennifer Lopez delivered an almost wistful “This Land Is Your Land.”

Elsewhere, teachers planned to take up the inauguration later this week. Fourth grade teacher Samantha Yaros has been talking about the importance of the peaceful transfer of power in American democracy.

Her students at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School live on the southeast side of Indianapolis, where a Confederate statue was removed last summer in Garfield Park. She has been talking to her students about current events like the election and insurrection. Her mix of white, Black, and Latino students are making connections between the American Revolution and recent events.

She talked to her students in the morning about the inauguration. The students asked questions about the reason for the oath and date Jan. 20. Yaros said her students were sad that some of the traditions couldn’t happen because of the pandemic.

In just two election cycles, she said, her students will be able to vote. But she believes that even now, they can make their voices heard in the classroom, city, social media, and the community.

“They already have their own voices,” Yaros said. “I’m just helping to show them the connections.”

Up in northwest Indiana at Valparaiso High School, English as a second language teacher Rocio Rodea watched the inauguration away from her students, who were at home doing independent work Wednesday. She did post a link to the inauguration in the online system that she uses for assignments. Rodea opened the floor for her students to discuss historic events like the election and the insurrection, and plans to do the same on Thursday.

Rodea, who is Mexican-American, said she became emotional just watching the diverse representation at the ceremonies. She teaches predominantly immigrant students from countries like Mexico, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Algeria.

Just a couple of weeks ago, her students discussed the Capitol insurrection and observed how in the beginning, no one got arrested and how different the police responded to the Black Lives Matter protesters in the summer. They discussed words like breach, sedition, and treason. This week she’ll teach words like oath, affirm, and solemnly, to drive home the importance of leaders’ promises.

Even though students may visually see diversity, Rodea said she wants to talk to her students about how Harris’ parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India, just as many of her students’ families came from other nations.

She believes it’s her duty as an English teacher to discuss historic events with her students of color, many who are immigrants, about the power they have to make change.

“They need to know that their opinions matter, their voices matter,” Rodea said. “A lot of them are just very used to not being heard, not being listened to.”

More Indianapolis families opt for in-person learning for the second semester

2021-01-13T01:22:03+00:00

In the beginning of the school year, Pike Township parent Amy Dirks decided her three children would learn online. So much was unknown about the coronavirus and how contagious it could be to children, she said. But now she’s had a change of heart.

She’s sending her children back into the classroom this semester.

“We decided that it’s worth the risk to send them because they are just not thriving with in-home,” Dirks said. Her second grader was falling behind in reading.

Other families are rethinking at-home learning because it isn’t going well or they’re worried about negative long-term learning effects. In Indianapolis Public Schools, Pike Township, and several other city school districts, slightly more parents are opting to send their children back to in-person school for the second semester, despite the rising coronavirus cases in Marion County.

Right now, in Indiana, vaccines won’t be widely available until approximately late summer. According to a New York Times database that includes local and state information, the average number of cases has increased by 34% from two weeks before.

Indianapolis parents were given two choices during the pandemic: They could send their children to learn in-person if schools were open, or opt for virtual learning. Educators widely believe that in-person learning is the best option for students if it’s safe to be in classrooms.

This semester, 77% of IPS families selected the in-person option when school buildings open again, compared to 75% from the fall semester.

In Franklin Township, about 86% of students will attend in-person for the third quarter, up from around 80% in the first quarter.

Pike Township’s Maggie Bishop, the assistant superintendent of secondary education, said 55% of Pike students chose in-person last fall. When the positivity rate drops to 10.4% and school buildings reopen, 63% of students will be learning in-person. Marion County’s positivity rate is currently 15.5%.

Bishop said she thinks more parents are selecting in-person because the district has set clear expectations. Students must wear masks and socially distance, and classrooms have desk shields.

“My hope is that they had an opportunity to see and or hear all of the safety measures that we put in place,” Bishop said.

Still, thousands of kids will stay online even if in-person learning becomes a reality this spring semester. Their parents think it’s too risky to go to school amid rising cases in the city.

Warren Township parent Sabrina Hoggard’s children have pre-existing conditions such as asthma. They have no choice but to remain online, even though it’s hard for them and their grades have been dropping. She feels like the school threw them into being college students. She said there were no walkthroughs or Zooms to help them navigate the online experience.

“I don’t believe they are learning at all,” Hoggard said. “They are overwhelmed. They have anxiety.”

She’s considered sending her children back to school in the spring, but they get sick often and she’s not convinced that children will keep their masks on at all times. Her eighth grader just recovered from COVID.

“That was a very, very scary thing to me,” Hoggard said. “I can’t risk that.”

Marion County reworks school COVID policy, may keep more campuses open

2021-01-08T03:48:28+00:00

Potentially paving the way to keep more classrooms open, Marion County health officials will consider COVID rates at individual schools when deciding whether to close campuses.

Until now, the county closed schools across the board, based on the countywide COVID test positivity rate. That has led to all schools in the county being closed for more than a month, and gradually reopening now.

But officials noticed that significant numbers of children were not getting ill even as the virus spread in the community.

Marion County allowed schools to reopen campuses Monday after closing in November, although some school districts like Indianapolis Public Schools are holding off until Jan. 19.

The seven-day average test positivity rate for Marion County is 16.4%, according to the Indiana State Department of Health dashboard. Previously, the county closed schools when the community rate reached 13%.

The county uses four colors to rate school safety. They range from green, for a test positivity rate up to 25% of the community rate, to red, for a positivity rate that is greater than the community rate.

At the green and second-best level, yellow, the health department simply monitors a school’s data. But if a school enters the orange level, where the positivity rate is 75% to 100% of the community rate, health officials step in to help prevent more cases. The health officials did not say if in-person learning would stop if cases reached the 75% mark.

Marion County Health Department Director Virginia Caine said the new metrics likely would flag 12 to 15 schools per month, out of more than 200 in the county, as hitting the red threshold with a higher test positivity rate than the community’s.

“It will all depend on an investigation related to what’s happening specifically to your school and what’s contributing to your cases, how much it impacts the other students and staff in that school system,” Caine said.

She also added to the public health order that all schools must report to the county within 24 hours of learning of a positive case among staff and students, and note whether the person was participating virtually or in the school building.

The public health authority has the final say about campus closures, but district officials can make more conservative decisions on when to close or reopen campuses, based on their metrics.

Pike Township officials said they are reviewing the information and will share it with their school board to decide if the district metrics need to be changed. Their trigger for closing in-person instruction is when the positivity rate exceeds 10.4%.

Indianapolis Public Schools officials said they are still reviewing information and will send out information to families and staff soon.

Wayne Township officials released a statement saying that they are working closely with the health department to understand the new metrics.

“We do not see the change in metrics to be either positive or negative regarding the monitoring of COVID data or reopening schools,” its statement read.

Indianapolis Public Schools seats two new board members, strengthening charters’ sway

2021-01-05T02:48:02+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools swore in two new board members and two incumbents Monday night, strengthening support for the district’s controversial charter-friendly partnerships.

All four of the new and reseated board members have the backing of pro-school choice political action committees.

The addition of Kenneth Allen and Will Pritchard, the return of Diane Arnold and Venita Moore, and the loss of longtime district critic Elizabeth Gore strengthen the pro-charter forces on the board.

The board chose Evan Hawkins, a Marian University administrator and an IPS parent, as its president. Hawkins has been endorsed by Stand for Children, a charter school advocate organization. Moore will serve as the board vice president and Susan Collins will continue as secretary.

In his remarks, Allen drew from Martin Luther King Jr. “He was noted as saying any one of us can be great, because any one of us can have the capacity to serve,” Allen said.

In the board campaign, charter advocates far out-raised opponents of charters and of innovation schools, which are operated by charter or non-profit groups. After seven years of policies that favor charter schools, nearly 40% of IPS students attend innovation schools.

Still, the community has debated how much to grow non-district-run schools and how much power to relinquish to outside entities.

Besides looming decisions on innovation school contracts, the new board faces critical issues: keeping students and staff safe during the COVID pandemic, remedying inequity amplified by remote learning, and managing a shrinking budget and declining enrollment in traditional neighborhood schools.

While Indiana’s revenue could remain relatively stable, and budget cuts may not be as bad as once projected, Indianapolis Public Schools will lose $15 million because of a 4% drop in enrollment this year.

The district also must decide when to reopen schools if the coronavirus wanes. Superintendent Aleesia Johnson has said that the decision would depend on data and circumstances.

Allen, the program director at the Indiana Trafficking Victims Assistance Program, raised more than $174,000 in the board race, the most in recent IPS board history. He substantially outspent his opponent, incumbent Gore, who was backed by teacher unions.

The other newcomer, Pritchard, an IPS parent who works for CREA, a company that backs low-income housing, also drew support from charter-friendly political action committees.

Re-elected incumbents Arnold, a retired Hawthorne Community Center executive director, and Moore, a principal at a business consulting firm, have supported innovation schools. They outspent candidates backed by critics of the administration.

More than 70% of the district’s students are Black or Latino and 65% are from low-income families. Unlike most of the districts in Indiana, IPS has educated students virtually this school year except for one month in the fall.

Pritchard, who represents 12 east side schools, raised questions during a Chalkbeat interview about debates over innovation schools and other non-traditional schools. “I’m curious whether those discussions divert attention from important discussions around racial equity and financial decisions, and reducing the achievement gap between white and black kids,” he said.

Last summer, after nationwide protests against ongoing police and other violence against Black people, the board approved a racial equity policy and Black Lives Matter resolution. The new board will be responsible for ensuring the district puts those promises into practice, by increasing the diversity of job candidates, adopting culturally relevant curriculums, and reducing racial disparities in suspensions and expulsions.

To help deal with COVID, IPS will add administrators at some schools

2020-12-19T00:21:37+00:00

To increase instructional leadership and help with COVID-19 contact tracing, Indianapolis Public Schools will add an assistant principal at 10 of its smaller schools next fall. To do that, the district will remove an assistant principal at larger campuses and will draw on funds reserved to address high student mobility.

Currently, the task of leading a school and managing additional work brought on by the pandemic is overwhelming principals, IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said Thursday night. The board subsequently voted unanimously to require every school without an assistant principal to hire one.

“If you are a principal without an assistant, you are doing both sides of the balance beam,” Chief Schools Officer Nathalie Henderson said, referring to shouldering academic leadership and coronavirus tasks.

To fund the new assistant principals, the district will cut some of those positions at its largest campuses. Officials capped the number of assistant principals at three per campus; schools with more of those administrators will lose them. It may reassign the six current assistant principals whose current positions will disappear. The district also will tap $500,000 normally reserved to compensate schools that have had historically high student mobility.

The board’s mandate comes at a time when the district’s budget is strained. IPS enrollment has fallen by nearly 4%, or 1,200 students, from last fall. Because the state funds education per pupil, the district will receive $15 million less this school year.

In response to a question Thursday from board member Evan Hawkins, Johnson said that by eliminating the funds for schools with high student mobility, the district will lose a cushion to protect schools whose funding doesn’t match their fluctuating enrollment.

“Schools are going to need to be even more intentional about anticipating and planning for what shifts that come,” Johnson said.

She said school leaders will have to think about how they can make their campuses more appealing to their communities in order to increase and stabilize enrollment.

The board mandate contrasts with recent efforts to give principals more freedom over how they spend their budgets.

Indianapolis launches pilot program to offer better Wi-Fi to 2,000 students at a lower cost to the city

2020-12-15T23:23:53+00:00

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced a $1.7 million pilot on Tuesday that will connect Marion County students to reliable internet access at no charge.

The city is working with Energy Systems Network and Indiana 5G Zone to provide around 2,000 students in six schools with Wi-Fi hotspots starting in February. Reliable internet connectivity has long been a gap in rural and low-income Indiana communities, and the pandemic has exacerbated the disparity. According to an April needs assessment by the city’s Office of Education Innovation, 1 in 4 students across Marion County’s 11 school districts and 50 public charter schools did not have access to reliable internet service to do their schoolwork.

SBA Communications will provide the network infrastructure and services through September, when the pilot will be reevaluated. City officials want to see if a private network used only for e-learning can provide higher-quality service and cost less than the networks the school districts currently use, such as T-Mobile. The city and its partners will track the bandwidth and speed quality remotely.

If the pilot is successful, the city and its partners will expand it as early as 2022 to ensure that all 153,000 Marion County students have reliable, quality access to learning online even beyond the pandemic.

The city plans to deliver 1,500 Wi-Fi hotspots to students in George Washington High in Indianapolis Public Schools, Harrison Hill Elementary School in Lawrence Township, Southport Elementary School and Winchester Village Elementary School in Perry Township, and charter schools Riverside High and Vision Academy. (Some hotspots will serve multiple students in a household.) The schools were chosen based on geographic distribution and need.

Each school will have an antenna-based internet connectivity hub. Students who live within a two-mile radius can access the private network through their hotspots. Around 75-250 students per school will take part, and they most likely will be students who live in close proximity to the schools. The city and its partners are still working on those details. If a student already has a Wi-Fi hotspot through the district’s carrier, their hotspot will be replaced.

Ivy Tech Community College will also be a part of the pilot, with about 100 students participating. That’s enough to get a good amount of feedback according to Paul Mitchell, the president and CEO of Energy Systems Network.

In September, the city and its partners will evaluate whether the program was successful, partly based on tracking internet outages in real time. They will also conduct surveys with the participants and school leaders, then establish a stakeholder advisory committee and review options for governance and financing.

Marion County students have been learning virtually since Hogsett’s order to shut down school buildings until at least Jan. 4 for in-person learning due to rising COVID cases. When schools reopen, students will have the option to stay fully remote, and some schools could operate on a hybrid schedule.

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said during the press conference that when COVID hit in March, the digital divide that already existed pre-COVID grew wider.

According to Johnson, last spring more than 30% of IPS families said they didn’t have quality access to technology or internet service at home. At the outset of the pandemic, some students had to use pencil and paper packets before the district spent $17 million on e-learning for devices and Wi-Fi access. She said school districts should be able to deepen the base of teaching in a remote learning environment now instead of continuing to fund e-learning access.

“It is so critical that we find a more sustainable way to support internet access so that school districts don’t have to continue to shoulder this gap for our children,” Johnson said.

The pilot program is funded through $730,000 of the city’s CARES Act package. Other funds are coming from philanthropic organizations including the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation; the Lilly Endowment, Inc.; and the technology nonprofit Indiana 5G Zone.

(Fairbanks and Lilly Endowment are Chalkbeat funders. Learn more about our funding here.)

What it’s like inside a learning pod: Juggling 32 schedules, steering away from chaos

2020-12-11T00:55:44+00:00

Amari Washington supervises nine children attending nine different virtual classes in a community center on the westside of Indianapolis.

She has so many schedules to track. So she tapes three big posters detailing who is doing what and when on the wall.

E-learning specialist Amari Washington points to the nine schedules that she wrote for her learning pod group at the Christamore House on the westside of Indianapolis on Dec. 10, 2020.

A student named Jeremiah starts his morning meeting at 8:15 a.m., but Kendra begins hers at 9:20 a.m. J’Mari has a break to move and stretch at 10 a.m. that lasts for 20 minutes, just as Jeremiah is in the middle of a live math lesson. At the same time, Kim has a writing group to attend.

“Some of them will be on(line), some of them will be off, some of them will have to go to lunch, some of them will still be in class,” Washington said, “We have to work together in order to make sure everybody is in class when they’re supposed to be.”

By “we,” she means the staff of Christamore House community center, one of Indianapolis’ 26 “community learning sites” offering safely designed supervision for children from kindergarten through 12th grade attending virtual school.

This is a new kind of environment for students and the Christamore staff.

After Indianapolis Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, decided to start the year virtually in August, The Mind Trust non-profit gathered funders for community learning pods, as these sites are commonly known. The 26 sites can serve up to 882 students — but the need could easily be in the tens of thousands, The Mind Trust officials said. About 45,000 students attend K-12 school in Indianapolis.

Sites like Christamore House fill the gap for vulnerable students who need a free, safe, supervised place to learn — particularly those from low-income families with parents who have to go into work — so that those children don’t fall behind.

Many students at Christamore House come from the area — Haughville, a working-class, predominantly Black neighborhood.

Each student in a pod is likely attending a different class from their pod-mate. The staff members, dubbed e-learning specialists, are not credentialed teachers, but they oversee student learning. Christamore House staff juggle the needs of 32 students across different grade levels from various schools, and also talk to teachers and parents, help students log into classes, and troubleshoot technology.

On a recent morning, Rochelle Brooks dropped off her 10-year-old daughter Tatiana. Brooks and her husband both work outside the home and don’t want to leave Tatiana alone.

Brooks stopped to tell the e-learning specialists that Tatiana had been missing a 1 p.m. class, thus hurting her grade and attendance.

The specialists reassured Brooks that they would log Tatiana in.

“1 o’clock today, we’re going to make sure we get on that one,” specialist Tori Curd said.

E-learning specialist Tori Curd helps Tatiana with her school work in a community learning pod at Christamore House, a community center on the westside of Indianapolis.

After students sign in at Christamore House and get their temperatures checked, specialists ensure everyone’s devices are charged. If they are, students get candy, a reward for coming prepared for learning. The students split into groups and go to different rooms.

Two students sit across from each other at each round table, logging into class via video, beginning work from a packet, or watching YouTube videos before class starts.

Students do their schoolwork in a community learning pod at Christamore House, a community center on the westside of Indianapolis, Ind.

As Curd helped her students that day, she noticed one with special needs talking on screen with the teacher.

“Oh my goodness, he got into class,” Curd said. “I’m so proud of him this morning.”

Students can face technological difficulties. That day, a couple of students waited several minutes after class was supposed to start to be ushered into their virtual rooms.

One of the students Curd helped as she floated around the room was a second grader, Jeffery. For several minutes, he flashed a yellow card with a QR code toward his video camera so that his teacher would allow him into virtual class.

Curd made her way over to J’Mari, a 4-year-old with bright blue headphones, wearing a Captain America shirt and a sporty face mask that sometimes fell off his nose. He was lingering on YouTube.

“You got a few minutes, you see what time it is?” Curd asked J’Mari.

“It says 2!”

“8:53 a.m., so are you going to be able to log on?”

J’Mari eventually logged into class on time. His teacher asked the students to identify what’s in pictures she was showing. J’Mari shouted out answers, a blueberry muffin breakfast stuffed in his mouth.

If a problem arises, the e-learning specialists call or text the teacher or borrow student headphones to ask the teacher on screen what students are supposed to be doing.

Washington and Curd said they’ve seen teachers kick students out, sometimes for the rest of the day.

“We have to deal with it at that point,” Curd said.

If she feels discipline is not fair, she takes up the issue with teachers. She wants to make sure that none of her students gets left behind.

“No matter if you hate me, at the end of the day, I’m going to make sure you get this work done and that you get a good grade,” Washington said.

At the same time, Washington proclaims she’s a fun type of person and kids love being in her group.

Between the nine students’ schedules, she squeezes in time for jumping jacks, dancing, watching a movie, playing in the gym, or walking outside.

“This is not school,” Washington said. “You’re just here to do your schoolwork. I’m here to help. But I’m also here to have fun with you too.”

Health officials OK reopening schools earlier, but Indianapolis districts hesitate

2020-12-11T00:07:03+00:00

Indianapolis schools can reopen Jan. 4, two weeks earlier than planned, local health officials announced Thursday.

But the city’s central district, Indianapolis Public Schools, said it didn’t expect to move up its schedule for returning to buildings, and still plans for campuses to open Jan. 19. Learning will remain virtual until then.

Health officials shifted their advice based on a change in guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently shortened quarantine periods for those exposed to the coronavirus. Indianapolis health officials also said they don’t believe schools are significantly contributing to the spread of the virus.

Indianapolis closed campuses Nov. 30 because of rising COVID case counts among students.

Marion County’s current seven-day average positivity rate is over 14%, Marion County Public Health Director Virginia Caine reported.

In declining to reopen schools sooner than planned, Indianapolis Public Schools officials said they will reevaluate after looking at circumstances and data after the winter break.

Warren Township schools also told families Thursday that it would stick to its plan to remain in virtual learning through at least Jan. 15. Officials said they are basing their decision on district-level COVID data and staffing challenges.

When asked about a group of parents petitioning to reopen schools, Mayor Joe Hogsett said Thursday that city and county officials are making decisions based on data and science.

In total, Indiana schools have reported 20,543 COVID-19 cases among students, teachers, and staff so far this year, according to state data.

Caine urged families to avoid contact with people outside their households, refrain from traveling, and, if exposed, to quarantine before venturing out.

Carmel’s first Black school board member seeks to be a bridge for the community

2020-12-07T21:54:30+00:00

Louise Jackson chose to live in Carmel for the same reason many other families do: for its quality schools.

Now, seven years after moving to the suburban, predominately white city just north of the capital, the Indianapolis native will become the first Black member of the Carmel Clay school board.

Out of nine candidates in the November election, Jackson landed one of two at-large seats. She had highlighted her background as a school volunteer and a mother to a sixth and a 10th grader, as well as her corporate experience in human relations.

“One of the reasons why I wanted to become a part of the board is to be a bridge from the people that maybe have had a less-than-desirable experience in Carmel, and those that have had a good experience,” Jackson said.

She pledged to support teachers, keep schools safe, and create individualized plans for students, and also to ensure that every student and family feels safe, accepted, and included.

Jackson’s election comes amid heightened racial tension after Black, Latino, and Asian students spoke out about racism they experienced in the Carmel Clay school district.

In a YouTube video posted in July, current and former students talked on and off camera about being called “slaves” and the N-word, and receiving threats of lynching. They said they did not feel safe with their teachers.

The 16,400 student body of the Carmel Clay district is 71% white, 15% Asian, 4% Latino, and 4% Black.

In the video made by the group Carmel Against Racial Injustice, one graduate called Carmel a “sundown town” — segregated places that discriminated against and excluded people of color — and said that “to Black citizens, Carmel is a glass menagerie where racism is allowed to thrive and where you fear for your livelihood for speaking out.”

Two lawsuits have been filed accusing the city of racial profiling, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Jackson said while she’s never personally experienced racism in Carmel, it breaks her heart that many African American families and other non-white people have had challenging experiences in the school district and the city. Jackson said she hopes to improve the educational experience for all students.

Carmel Clay Superintendent Michael Beresford said Jackson will bring a fresh perspective to the five-person school board. She listens, collaborates, and people are drawn toward her, he said.

“I think she brings a great skill set,” Beresford said. “And also I think her having the Black perspective is going to be really important to our equity and inclusion work that we’re doing.”

Jackson, a breast cancer survivor, said challenges do not dissuade her. It causes her to lean in and listen. During her campaign, she said she reached out to Asians, Muslims, Republicans, and Democrats to understand various perspectives.

Jackson said she brings a unique point of view because she works in human resources, currently at Salesforce. “I help us look at our hiring processes and ensure that we have removed bias from them,” Jackson said.

She also founded a personalized coaching and strategy development company, Talent Cabinet.

Beresford said the district has included equity and inclusion in its three-year strategic plan. By January, he said the district will have its first diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator who will help increase diversity among its staff.

Kayla Seymour, a co-founder of Carmel Against Racial Injustice, lauded Jackson’s election as a great step forward. She said Jackson undoubtedly will feel pressure on her shoulders.

“Because you are the first, everyone is looking at you to make all of these changes and represent an entire community of people of color now,” Seymour said. “You alone cannot be that one voice, let alone do all this work by yourself to represent an entire community.”

Seymour charged that the district has not shown urgency in responding to allegations of racism, which the group wrote about on a Facebook post.

“It’s parents who have been wanting to see these changes and have been hearing these stories of their own kids going through this in these school buildings every single day and have asked the principal, have asked the superintendent for their assistance and nothing is being done,” Seymour said.

Beresford said, “We listened to them, we met with them, we heard their interest, but we have a mission, we have a strategic plan.”

Jackson said she wants to make sure that people who look like her feel like the board is where they can belong. She has people reaching out to talk to her.

“I hope that as a result of being on the board more people feel like, ‘hey, I want to raise my hand.’”

Indianapolis mayor calls for donors to support remote learning sites

2020-11-21T03:11:37+00:00

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Friday called for more donors to support supervised centers for students forced to return to remote learning this month because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

The centers, funded by the non-profit The Mind Trust, provide internet connections and supervision for students needing places to log into virtual lessons and to do homework.

Last week, Hogsett ordered all city schools to close by Nov. 30 to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In Indianapolis, the rate of people testing positive has reached 13.7%. The rates are higher in K-12 schools, health officials said.

The Mind Trust has funded spaces for 812 students at learning centers, but the need is likely in the tens of thousands, officials said.

“I’m calling on residents, businesses, and the philanthropic community who have the means, please help support our students who need access to technology, to meals, to quiet space, the type of quiet space that these community learning sites provide,” Hogsett said.

The Mind Trust plans to open 22 learning pods from Nov. 30 through Jan. 15, called “community learning sites,” around the city. This is a $207,000 investment from The Mind Trust.

Earlier this fall, The Mind Trust, with city help, sponsored 15 learning centers. The city contributed $24,000 for three sites.

Those centers, mostly on the southeast and east side of the city, provided safe places to learn, and many had waiting lists, said Brandon Brown, chief executive officer of The Mind Trust. The sites have not experienced a significant spread of COVID, he said.

Three of the 22 sites that will open on Nov. 30 are already full, he said. Indianapolis Public Schools, one of several school districts in the city, plus charter schools within its boundaries together serve 45,000 students.

The Mind Trust has raised $485,000 to fund the centers, said its director of communications, Kateri Whitley. The group hopes that Friday’s appeal will produce donations to open more sites and to sustain the centers beyond Jan. 15.

Other organizations like AYS and the YMCA also offer studying space for students, but at a cost to families. The Mind Trust’s partners offer spaces without charge.

Return to virtual learning at some Indiana schools marks a familiar, frustrating disruption

2020-11-19T21:59:32+00:00

With one day’s notice, Merry Miller Moon found out on Facebook last week that her son’s school was switching back to remote learning for the rest of the month.

A surge of COVID-19 cases had tipped Clay County from orange to red on Indiana’s color-coded map, triggering health officials to shut down in-person school.

The new Chromebooks that the district had promised this fall hadn’t yet arrived, so the school sent her fourth-grade son home with an older laptop. Miller Moon and her husband rearranged their work schedules. And the family of three in western Indiana settled into the now-familiar but isolating routine of learning from home — and the uncertainty of when it will end.

“I’ve kind of felt like that since March,” Miller Moon said. “Every day it’s like, OK, what’s going to happen today?”

Amid spiking COVID-19 cases, school closures are rippling unevenly across Indiana. While some remain open for full-time in-person instruction, others have shuttered due to high community spread or having too many teachers quarantined.

Schools have reported more than 8,200 cases of COVID-19 among students, teachers, and staff since the start of the school year. So for some, the fall has already been dotted with closures of single classrooms or schools amid widespread exposure, two-week stretches where hundreds have stayed home.

Miller Moon’s district hopes to return in person Nov. 30. Indianapolis schools won’t be back until January at the earliest. In Merrillville, schools haven’t reopened classrooms yet this year.

With the patchwork of local decisions, it’s nearly impossible to say at any given moment how many of Indiana’s roughly 2,300 schools remain open or have moved online. But the Indiana Department of Education is asking schools to track daily attendance based on whether students are in person or online, and report at the end of the year which days were spent on remote learning.

By the end of the year, the state should be able to tell how many days each student spent online or in person, and could use that information to examine trends.

Schools have tried to position themselves to more smoothly transition to e-learning this time around, but changes can still mark disruptions — and disappointment.

In Indianapolis Public Schools, parent Lindsay de las Alas panicked when she found out her children would be learning from home again after just a few weeks back in classrooms.

Her 8-year-old son, Harvey, had been excited to wake up to finally go to school. A second grader at IPS’ Center for Inquiry School 2, he is still learning how to read and needs the direct help from his teacher.

Without that in-person support last spring and at the start of this year, Harvey had struggled with virtual learning, and his parents struggled to give him the help and supervision he needed.

“I’m honestly worried that he’s going to eventually enter third grade with a first-grade reading level,” de las Alas said.

Her 11-year-old daughter, Beatrice, had already started remote learning, sent home to quarantine after being exposed to someone at school who tested positive for COVID-19.

Beatrice has trouble concentrating with her siblings around, trying to do homework in the bedroom she shares with her brother. At times, the online platform doesn’t work, or she can’t figure out how to submit her work online.

“It’s hard for kids that are more social because kids rely on their friends for advice and help,” Beatrice said. “I don’t think virtual learning is working all that well.”

In Crown Point schools, elementary school counselor Andre’anna Maynor has moved all her sessions with students online for at least two weeks. Alongside a positive behavior coach, she works with more than 500 students and worries about losing her connection with some of them.

When in person, Maynor gathered small lunch groups to connect with students who need extra support. Now, she plans to hold Zoom lunches instead. She hopes it’s a way for students to stay excited and engaged online.

The pandemic, she said, “is not going anywhere as of right now. So how can we make things work in the middle of this?”

IPS officials consider one-year extension for innovation schools

2020-11-19T18:00:19+00:00

Without data to paint a picture of academic success or failure, Indianapolis Public Schools will likely delay for a year renewing the contracts of four privately run schools under its supervision.

Instead, the board on Thursday will vote on extending current contracts for four innovation schools, which are academically accountable to the district but are operated by non-profit or charter school partners.

Normally, the board would review the performance of the four schools and consider renewing their contracts to educate IPS students. But IPS administrators lacked data for any reviews.

Because of disruption from campus closures and remote learning — measures taken to combat the spread of the COVID virus — the district suspended visits to review schools, and schools did not administer state tests last school year.

In effect, the district may grant the four schools — Global Prep Academy, Kindezi Academy, Cold Spring School, and Phalen Leadership Academy at School 93 — a one-year hold-harmless extension, board President Michael O’Connor said.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, at a meeting Tuesday in preparation for Thursday’s board meeting, said that approving a one-year extension would not be a judgment on the schools. She noted that the district is also not reviewing the performance of traditional schools, either, “in the midst of massive disruption and change that’s happening across every single school.”

If the board were not to act on the contracts, the four schools could qualify for an automatic five-year renewal when their contracts expire in June. The district staff has recommended extending current contracts in order to review next year’s state data on student growth, graduation rates, staff retention, leadership stability, financial reporting, and discipline trends.

Kevin Kubacki, executive director for the Neighborhood Charter Network, which manages Kindezi Academy, praised the recommendation for an extension. The school served about 425 students in grades K-6, according to a district report.

Had the district tried to conduct its normal reviews, “They would have brought their team in either August or September and done all that, which would have been chaos, given the state of the country and the world right now,” he said.

Kubacki said a delay allows people to make informed decisions about a school’s progress.

“It gives us a higher likelihood of having meaningful data to make decisions,” he said.

The district administration has recommended no changes to any terms of the contracts.

Correction: Nov. 18, 2020: This story has been updated to remove incorrect information about a change to an innovation school contract.

IPS superintendent expects a smooth transition to virtual learning

2020-11-16T21:46:49+00:00

Thanks to its experience and investments since last spring, Indianapolis Public Schools is expected to have a relatively smooth transition to remote learning this month, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said Friday.

“We don’t necessarily have all of those first-time bugs to work out,” Johnson said. Having gone through two stretches of virtual learning, she said, teachers have experience with remote learning, have built relationships with their students, and have knowledge of what to expect in running virtual classes.

During remote learning, Johnson said, the district will once again offer critical services, like supervised student support network sites at the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and AYS, Inc. The district will also bring back learning hubs for students who are homeless and need a safe place to learn. The school district, which serves a majority of economically disadvantaged students, will also again distribute meals to students who need them.

On Thursday, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett ordered all Indianapolis schools to close from at least Nov. 30 through Jan. 15 because of rising numbers of COVID cases. The city has a seven-day test positivity rate of 10.3%, one of the key metrics used to judge public health.

Sharply rising rates among elementary, middle, and high school students caused city officials to rethink their prior threshold for school closures.

Johnson said she chose a start date two weeks out so that families could plan care for children who will be learning from home.

The district is better prepared for distance learning because of its experience, planning, and investments, Johnson said. In some ways, IPS has come a long way.

After schools closed nationwide in mid-March, IPS elementary and middle school students did their schoolwork at home on paper. As many as 40% of students did not have dependable internet access. But by August, IPS had spent $16.5 million for Chromebooks and iPads for all students and wireless hotspots for those who didn’t have reliable internet access.

Johnson said by the beginning of the school year, every student had a technology device.

Wary of the COVID virus spreading, IPS was one of the few public school districts in Marion County to start the school year remotely. It began bringing students back to campuses in October.

Johnson said the growing need to quarantine students and staff who have been exposed to someone with the COVID virus has strained the district and hampered learning.

Still, she said it was worth it for students to go back to in-person learning last month.

“Every day that we can have with them is a win,” Johnson said. “That was one of our guiding principles.”

Ronald Swann, the president of the Indianapolis Education Association, said in a press release that the union is happy with a decision that will help keep students and staff safe.

He acknowledged that the district will have a learning curve in returning to full remote learning. And, he said, “we ask for patience and grace as we embark on this journey for students and staff.”

Indianapolis schools ordered to return to virtual learning through Jan. 15

2020-11-12T23:11:50+00:00

Indianapolis health officials ordered K-12 schools Thursday to return to virtual instruction by Nov. 30, canceling in-person instruction until Jan. 15 due to the rise of COVID-19 cases.

Marion County’s seven-day test positivity rate has doubled in the past month to 10.3%, according to Public Health Department Director Virginia Caine.

Coronavirus cases among school-age children have nearly tripled, she added. Positivity rates have risen to 18% for high school students, 14% for middle school students, and 8% for elementary students. Caine said the positivity rate for elementary students could reach 12% or higher by the end of next week.

Marion County’s threshold for schools to go remote was a 13% or higher positivity rate.

“We could keep good control of our schools,” Caine said. “But when your community spread is rising so rapidly, and getting at higher numbers, then it’s not the same safe environment in our schools that we had prior to this.”

During Thursday’s press conference, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced new restrictions on schools, social gatherings, restaurants, and other businesses. He expressed dismay at the virus’ spread in his city.

“I take absolutely no joy in making these changes,” Hogsett said. “In fact, it’s heartbreaking for me as someone who loves this city and desperately wants to see a speedy recovery from the effects of this pandemic.”

Following the announcement, several Indianapolis school districts announced they were moving to virtual education by Nov. 30. Wayne Township and Washington Township schools will begin virtual learning next week. Indianapolis Public Schools, the largest school district in Indiana, will be going virtual along with Lawrence Township and Warren Township schools the week of Thanksgiving.

City officials’ decision to close campuses once again disappointed students who enjoyed finally being back in school with their teachers and peers, after last school year ended with remote learning. Being in classrooms in the beginning of this school year, even with COVID-19 precautions, gave students and their families some sense of normalcy while also providing child care for working parents.

When Steven Thompson told his fourth-grade son Carter about having to go back to learning online, he was bummed.

“He didn’t like virtual learning,” Thompson said. “It’s not as engaging. He likes going to school. And his learning needs, in my opinion, require that engagement and that face-to-face interaction.”

Thompson’s son attends Fox Hill Elementary School in Washington Township. The school district, along with Indianapolis Public Schools, started the school year remotely. Students did not start attending classes in person until last month.

The shift from remote learning to in-person learning and then back to remote learning is taking a toll on Thompson, who now has to let officials at the public health department where he works know that he has to work from home to be with his son. He’ll be setting up a new routine with Carter that could take two to three weeks, judging by how long it took to adjust when classrooms closed back in March.

“I really hate it because it changes how I have to parent,” Thompson said. “Now, I have to be the mean guy because it’s hard for a kid to understand, ‘Hey, I’m at home, but I’m supposed to be doing school.’ When it’s at home, usually it’s fun and being around your family. It’s not school.”

He acknowledges that in his job as an IT manager, he has the ability to work from home to direct his son with school work. Many families in Indianapolis, he said, don’t have that opportunity.

“I’m in a position where I can take the inconveniences and work with them and roll with the punches,” Thompson said. “But there’re so many more people in our local community in Marion County that do not. This presents a lot of equity issues for parents that don’t have the means or the education or support at home.”

Gary schools’ $71.2 million referendum takes an early lead in returns

2020-11-04T16:24:26+00:00

Gary voters appeared to be approving a $71.2 million referendum Tuesday night to help their struggling school district dig out of debt and give teachers their first raises in more than a decade.

The referendum was winning 60% of the vote as of 10:42 p.m. It needs a simple majority to pass.

“I’m so thankful to Gary voters for supporting more opportunities for our students and overdue raises for our teachers,” said Paige McNulty, the Gary district manager, in a statement Wednesday morning. “Passing this referendum puts us on the fastest track to ending State control of our schools, and I couldn’t be happier for the entire community.”

The referendum is a do or die for Gary Community Schools, which is still paying off years of debt due to mismanagement. For three years, a private firm has run the district for the state of Indiana, in order to set Gary’s financial and academic house in order. If the referendum passes, the district could be closer to ending the state takeover. The district needs a stable budget for two years before regaining local control.

The referendum would provide $8.9 million annually to the 4,000-student district for eight years. It would cost property owners up to 56.2 cents per $100 in assessed property value. According to the Gary school district website, the average homeowner would pay an additional $6 per month.

None of the referendum funds would go to charter schools, independently operated schools that 58% of students living within the district’s boundaries attend.

If the measure passes, district officials said revenue first would cover annual budget deficits. Then the district would spend about $1 million to provide raises to teachers and other instructional staff. Gary educators have not had an across-the-board raise in 12 years.

District officials said of the remainder, about half would go to address students’ social and emotional needs and to hire more counselors and therapists. Funding would also go toward arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

If the referendum does not pass, the district could face severe budget cuts next school year and likely remain under state control for longer. Referendum proponents said the district could face an exodus of teachers and have a hard time recruiting new staff.

Gary schools twice tried and failed to win voter approval of a tax increase. The district sought a $51.8 million referendum in 2015 and a $50 million referendum in 2016, both before the state took over the district.

Three years ago, the state chose the for-profit MGT Consulting Group to run the Gary district.

By December, the company had reduced Gary’s $104 million debt to $79 million, according to McNulty. It brought down the district’s annual deficit to $6 million from $22 million in August 2017. The company is now in the first year of a two-year, $7.4 million extension of its contract.

MGT points out that the district has made progress. It has stabilized enrollment, which nudged up this year, the first sign of growth after a decade of decline.

But critics think that academics have taken a back seat to debt repayments. In campaigning for the referendum, proponents had to battle lingering public disenchantment with the district stemming from a school closure, low student performance, and a steady decline in graduation rates, among other issues.

McNulty said that if the referendum passes, the district will form an oversight committee to review referendum spending.

“We want to make sure that we’re transparent with the dollars that are being spent because of the mistrust of what’s happened in the past with the past leadership,” McNulty said.

Correction: Nov. 4, 2020: This story has been updated to correct how much the emergency manager has reduced the Gary school district’s debt and deficit.

IPS drop in enrollment leads to budget shortfall

2020-10-30T19:19:03+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools enrollment has dropped by 1,200 students, nearly 4%, from last fall. The decline means the financially strapped district will receive $15 million less in state funds than anticipated last spring, a critical loss when Indiana legislators are considering reducing funds for education statewide.

Officials expected to have 33,300 students this school year. But this fall, the district enrolled just 31,200 students.

Weston Young, the chief financial officer for the district, said housing and job shifts due to the COVID-19 recession may have caused the fall in enrollment.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson also suggested the pandemic may have caused enrollment to drop. While high school enrollment increased, elementary enrollment fell. Many parents may have kept their kindergartners home or sent their children to schools in other districts that had reopened their campuses earlier, she said.

IPS was one of the last two districts in Marion County to open in-person learning, in October. Johnson said of elementary grades, kindergarten enrollment was lowest.

“It’s not mandatory in Indiana,” Johnson said. “My hypothesis is that some families chose to just not opt into a formal kindergarten structure this year.”

While total district enrollment has decreased, the number of students at innovation schools managed by outside partners grew by 2,600 students.

Young tied that increase to the conversion of some campuses to charter-operated innovation schools. Those include low-performing schools that were overhauled with outside partners and schools that were released from state control this year.

The dip in enrollment is particularly problematic for IPS because its budget was already tight. After voters approved a property tax hike two years ago, the district got an influx of money that helped boost teacher pay. But when leaders asked for the tax increase, they also committed to reducing long-term expenses to make the budget sustainable. Many of those cuts are still on the horizon.

Indiana lawmakers are also considering cuts to school funding in the next state budget because of lower sales and income tax revenue during the pandemic.

District officials say they do not know yet if the $15 million shortfall will have a domino effect on staff layoffs and program cuts.

“The question we are wrestling with currently is where might we look to close those gaps,” Johnson said.

Additional federal stimulus dollars could help make up the lost dollars.

How the coronavirus spreads in the second semester will affect both spending and revenue. Whether lawmakers decide to fully fund schools operating virtually also will affect the district’s bottom line, she said.

A federal bailout could help. Last school year, IPS received $23.8 million from the CARES Act Allocation and Governor’s Competitive Grant. The district used federal funds for facilities, transportation, food services, special education, and English language learners.

This school year district officials expect to spend $26.5 million to respond to COVID-19 needs.

IPS superintendent calls out Indiana decision-makers’ demand to do more with less for predominantly Black and Latino students

2020-10-29T22:15:21+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson pushed new initiatives to promote equity and called out Indiana decision-makers for asking district officials to accept scarcity and to “do more with less.”

“That’s a pretty management phrase to paper over a kind of racist neglect and indifference that our schools and our community have suffered under for far too long,” Johnson said during her second “State of the District” address Wednesday night at Crispus Attucks High School.

Johnson called out public policy decisions that left out Black and Latino communities and created challenges for the district.

“The African American community particularly has not been at the forefront of decision-making,” Johnson said.

Indiana needs to invest in young people, she said. At the next legislative session, she will lobby at least for funding stability for the district, which faces looming budget constraints because of the pandemic and recession.

She said she was proud the school board granted teachers raises and credited the community, which passed taxes to fund them.

“Without our community’s direct support, those raises would not have been possible,” Johnson said. “And while that should not be our reality, I will be up front about the fact that it is.”

But, she said, in a district like IPS, officials have had to make sacrifices that other school systems elsewhere haven’t had to make.

During the 38-minute address, Johnson, who has been vocal about having hard conversations about racial disparities, focused on how the district is supporting those hit hardest by the pandemic — Black and Latino families.

Highlighting a promise that the district made in June, she introduced the district’s Racial Equity Policy 1619. It includes a rigorous curriculum to develop critical thinkers, racial equity training for first-year teachers, and discussions about race with IPS staff.

“In the end, our new policy can be a pretty piece of paper, dutifully recorded and filed,” Johnson said. “Or it can be an electric shock. It can be an exemplar for our city.”

“In Indianapolis, it’s been a hard struggle and, for too long, the people of this community who look like me have been the afterthought in the pragmatic decision-making processes to advance our city,” Johnson said. “We have been relegated to having access to less than fair and adequate conditions to achieve the American Dream that is so often touted.”

The hardship that the pandemic imposed on Black and Latino communities that have lost jobs or faced food or housing insecurity has influenced district decisions, Johnson said, including on starting the school year virtually. The school district was just one of two that started the school year virtually in Marion County. This is the second week all IPS students have the option of in-person learning.

Also to further equity, Johnson said the district is strengthening English-language arts and literacy in every grade level and launching a Freshmen on Track initiative to support students’ transition from middle to high school.

She also talked about an apprenticeship program that would help students get paid work experience during school.

Johnson said the district soon will have “challenging decisions and hard conversations” about how to meet students’ needs.

Apprenticeship program to put Indy high school students in industries

2020-10-27T22:52:14+00:00

High school sophomores in six Indianapolis districts and charter schools will be able to graduate with college credits, job credentials, and professional experience, thanks to an apprenticeship program unveiled Tuesday.

The Modern Apprenticeship Program, an initiative of the non-profit Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy, will connect students during the school year with potential employers. Indianapolis Public Schools, Phalen Leadership Academy, Pike Township, Washington Township, and Victory College Prep will participate in the program.

The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation is funding the $3 million program. (The foundation is also a funder of Chalkbeat.)

Up to 30 rising juniors will participate next summer in the program’s pilot year. Each student will apprentice in growing fields such as information technology, health care, financial services, or advanced manufacturing, for two to three years. The positions will pay an average of $13 per hour. Applications open in early January. Students will be paired with employers by late spring.

The apprenticeships will teach workplace etiquette and demonstrate the importance of employee diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many of the apprenticeship activities will occur during the school day, to allow students to participate in extracurricular activities.

Ascend Indiana will help employers create training plans for apprentices, and EmployIndy will stage boot camps to prepare and recruit apprentices. EmployIndy will also provide employers with youth apprenticeship managers, who will offer students support and training.

While planners envisioned providing hands-on experience, they acknowledge the limits of working during a pandemic.

The employer partners are still figuring out how they will train students virtually, as long as COVID safety precautions are in place, said Marie Mackintosh, chief operations officer for EmployIndy.

“As we think about recruitment of students, initially, we had imagined that we would be spending a lot of time in the high schools this fall, and next spring, and we won’t be able to do that, because most high schools don’t allow visitors in the current environment,” Mackintosh said.

Because of the uncertainty about what apprenticeships may look like under COVID restrictions, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana officials are working partners to come up with creative ways to get the word out to students.

Employers are still working out whether students will work in person, and how that will happen.

The program aims to propel more high school graduates into professions. Even before the pandemic and the resulting recession, Indiana had low proportions of students seeking credentials and postsecondary education.

Eight years ago, Indiana officials set a goal of having 60% of working-age residents with a college degree or “high quality” job credential by 2025. The current figure is 48.5%, according to the Lumina Foundation. Although that figure grew by 15.1 percentage points from 2008, Indiana still lags behind the national average of 51.3%.

Additionally, fewer students are going to college than did four years ago, according to the Commission for Higher Education’s data. Among 2018 Indiana high school graduates, the latest state data available, 61% chose to attend college, a decline from 65% of 2015 graduates.

Of those who do enroll, only 62% complete their degree within six years, according to Claire Fiddian-Green, the president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.

“What this means is that Indiana like the rest of the country has a leaky talent pipeline, successfully serving only about half of our high school graduates,” Fiddian-Green said during the program announcement, shared via Zoom, from a ceremony at Phalen Leadership Academy.

Indiana schools let down my Black brother. I want to write about how they can do better.

2020-10-21T18:28:29+00:00

I didn’t plan on ever coming back to Indiana after graduating from college.

When I moved to Indianapolis as an 8-year-old from Los Angeles, I felt ostracized and alone in a sea full of white faces. It was a huge culture shock. Even though I excelled in school academically, I still didn’t feel like the Indiana education system cared for me as a Black child. My brother, 10 years younger, fared much worse.

And that’s the main reason why I’m here now as a reporter for Chalkbeat: to write about issues that particularly harm Black, Latino, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern students, to give voice to the voiceless, and to prod Indiana school systems to improve — not only for those left behind, but for all students and the community at large.

Living in culturally diverse Los Angeles, teaching in Houston, and reporting in New York City and Austin have broadened my perspective on how schools can educate all students, including those too often marginalized.

My little brother LJ had been set up for failure. When he was 8, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, right after his dad died from lung cancer. He was attending Flanner House Elementary at the time, a school that my mom thought might be a good fit for him based on a recommendation from her niece.

But the charter school never provided the special services my brother needed. He would drift off in class because he didn’t understand the deeper concepts behind what he was learning. He got report cards with Ds.

The school provided a mediocre education and eventually got caught cheating on standardized tests. The city closed it. I felt angry that they let so many Black students down.

I moved away to start my teaching career, and LJ continued to struggle in middle school. When I talked to my mom on the phone, she would cry and tell me how frustrated she was that LJ was having such a hard time — with his ADHD, he couldn’t handle organizing his backpack, lost assignments, or simply didn’t do the work.

I listened but felt helpless. All I could do was send my mom lists of resources via email. At the same time, in my classrooms in Houston, I saw children who needed special education but weren’t getting it because, as it turned out, Texas had imposed an illegal cap that turned away tens of thousands of students.

I lacked resources to do my job, support from the administration, and basic supplies like classroom books and teaching guides to instruct students who had seen very adult situations and who displayed their trauma for all to see. They did not have counseling services available to them and had issues that I had a hard time solving.

That experience, teaching in some of the most destitute, resource-poor schools, flipped my world upside down. I resolved to become a reporter who could write about this neglectful education system.

In 2017, I left teaching and spent a gap year before graduate school trying to help my brother who by then was struggling in high school.

LJ had entered his junior year, taking algebra for the fourth time. He had also taken multiple science and English classes over again.

But he still wasn’t receiving federally mandated special education services.

I also saw the inequity not only between but within schools. LJ was attending the same Indianapolis school where I had thrived, but I found its low expectations for him infuriating.

“I feel like I failed him,” my mom said. Hearing her shoulder the blame for a failing system just crushed me.

I thought about all the ways our school could have steered LJ back on course had he had an individualized education program starting in elementary school instead of in his second-to-last year of high school.

My calling is to ensure that Black and brown children obtain not just an equal education, but an excellent one that fully allows them to thrive, to love, and to have joy in school. It’s my job as an education reporter to challenge the status quo and hold systems accountable for the harm that they inflict on vulnerable children.

I want to write how school systems can improve special education, discipline, curriculum, and truly be antiracist toward those who are marginalized.

I believe good journalism can shift history. My brother knew he deserved better. At the very least, we could help ensure that no other students feel that way after 13 years of education — abandoned and let down, their full potential untapped.

I would love to hear from you. I tweet the latest education news from @aarickawash. Send me a note with your story ideas at awashington@chalkbeat.org.

$7 million initiative aims to connect IPS students with high-paying careers

2020-10-20T23:20:23+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools will get a boost from a new $7 million initiative to better prepare local students for career opportunities, in the hopes of improving economic mobility in the city.

Indianapolis is among five U.S. cities each receiving $7 million through a JPMorganChase career readiness initiative announced Tuesday. The national banking giant identified the cities as those lacking strong job growth, low unemployment, or an ability to attract outside talent.

During the next five years, EmployIndy, the workforce organization leading the initiative in Indianapolis, will work with IPS, Ivy Tech Community College, and IUPUI to give students skills and experiences that can lead to better-paying career opportunities.

“Creating career pathways became something really important to us,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. “The reality is our job as a K-12 system is to make sure that our students have the knowledge and the skills to succeed once they leave us.”

Officials did not announce how the funding will be divided among the local partners. They will spend the first year planning, said Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy’s chief strategy officer.

At IPS, the money will go toward college and career academies at the district’s four high schools: Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, and Shortridge. The district also plans to hire a new K-8 choice specialist who will help middle school students decide which career academy would be best for their goals.

Ivy Tech will use some of the funding to hire a post-secondary adviser to go into IPS high schools to help students choose classes and smooth the transition for students who choose to attend the community college.

And lastly, Mackintosh said, IUPUI will provide better data to help students decide which major they want to pursue at IUPUI.

The initiative will help the partners work together to look at what jobs are in demand and how to prepare students for those careers. The ultimate goal is to give more IPS students access to “high-quality pathways” in fields such as information technology, health care, and finance, which can lead to upward career mobility, Mackintosh said.

EmployIndy officials want to see the number of high school students in high-quality pathways increase 60% by the 2024-25 school year. They want to double the number of postsecondary students who pursue jobs that will eventually lead to middle-class wages — and double the number of students who end up in those careers.

“Through this initiative, we will have a singular way that the city looks at how economic growth is leading to different types of jobs and what that means for how we’re training and educating our young people to be ready for those kinds of jobs,” Mackintosh said.

One of the looming challenges from the pandemic is that high school students could be dealing with significant learning loss, trying to catch up while also working toward career preparation.

“If they are behind in the basics of the foundational education components of reading or math, then it’s harder for them to be able to benefit and participate in these programs,” Mackintosh said.

In the past, IPS and its partners received a $1 million donation from JPMorganChase to create a program within the school district called Talent Bound. It is a series of work-based learning experiences, career days, internships, and industry site tours.

Indianapolis mayor and a non-profit push $88,000 to extend virtual learning pods

2020-10-15T23:50:35+00:00

The Indianapolis mayor’s office and the non-profit Mind Trust are contributing $88,000 to keep three community sites open until Dec. 17 to provide supervised learning support for students who are attending school remotely.

The Mind Trust had launched 11 “Community Learning Sites” with partners in August to help children of working-class families who needed supervision and support when school reopened only for virtual learning. Four learning sites opened later. Together, the sites serve several hundred students attending “virtual learning pods,” but are funded only through mid-October.

The additional funding — $24,000 from the city and $64,000 from the Mind Trust — will keep three of the centers open through the fall semester.

Although students in most districts are heading back to classrooms, families may choose to continue virtual learning. About 20% of Indianapolis Public School students chose that option, according to the Mind Trust. The funding announced Thursday will provide supervision for remote learning for up to 130 students in the Indianapolis area.

The sites that will serve students into December include the far east side’s Reset Center on North Post Road, Cornerstone Lutheran Church on the near east side, and Christamore House in Haughville. One center, VOICES Corp. in Fountain Square, will stay open until the end of October. The other learning sites will close Friday.

Lauren Peterson, the senior director of community engagement at The Mind Trust, said there is a need for continuing these learning sites, especially among the Latino community. The learning sites provide a safe place for children to study and attend remote classes while parents work.

“We’re just working alongside school districts, school systems to help offset for those parents who are still saying, ‘You know what, I don’t know if I’m comfortable just yet with bringing my child to school,’” Peterson said.

The learning pods also offer a smaller, more personalized learning environment for students.

The Reset Center, for example, has large tables where groups of five to 10 students can sit at safe distances. The center also has different rooms where the students can learn. Peterson said up to 50 students can learn at The Reset Center and at Cornerstone Lutheran Church, while up to 30 students can learn at the Christamore House. The learning spaces are all on a city bus line as well.

The Mind Trust staff wanted to make sure space was available for families, especially if campuses shut down again, said Kateri Whitley, the organization’s communications director.

Even though many school districts across the country are providing in-person learning options for students, school districts that mostly serve students of color were more likely to start remotely, according to a recent analysis conducted by the Associated Press and Chalkbeat. In a survey of 677 school districts, 79% of Hispanic students, 75% of Black students, and 51% of white students did not have in-person learning as an option.

In-person education has been phased in at some school districts like Indianapolis Public Schools and Washington Township schools. By Monday, classrooms will be open for all grades in both districts which both predominantly serve Black and Latino students. The two corporations were the last to offer in-person instruction in Marion County.

“The city is determined to ensure that any student from any background, from any ZIP code has access to a safe environment in which to learn,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said. “In doing so, we not only preserve a student’s education, but we ease the burden on working parents.”

Indiana releases 2019-20 A-F grades without test scores from the spring

2020-10-07T14:37:23+00:00

Indiana State Board of Education members approved 2019-20 school A-F grades Wednesday, even though those measures use outdated data.

The new A-F grades reflect the best grade that schools would have received in the past three years. Because the state canceled spring standardized tests amid the pandemic, the Department of Education said in a memo that it was impossible to calculate A-F grades for the 2019-20 school year.

Without new test scores, the state used the previous year’s test scores. But because students scored so low on a new test, the state has a hold-harmless provision that means those scores can’t lower schools’ grades in 2019 and 2020. So, for some schools, the A-F grade reflects their performance from three years ago.

Under the second year of the hold-harmless measure, about a third of K-12 schools, or 680 schools, received an A grade for 2019-20. Another third received a B grade. About 19% of schools received a C. There were 8% of schools that had a D and 2.9% that received an F. There were 4% of schools, or 83 schools, that did not receive a grade due to having too small of a student population to have a letter grade that is statistically significant.

High school grades factored in some more recent data on graduation and college and career readiness.

Last year, since nearly two-thirds of all students in third through eighth grades didn’t pass the ILEARN test, most schools were targeted to be rated as a D or F school.

John O’Neal, the policy and research coordinator at the Indiana State Teachers Association, criticized A-F grades as an unfair, punitive system that has had so many drastic changes in such a short period of time. O’Neal said the frequent changes have placed a large burden on teachers who have to adapt to new standards every few years and on students who have to learn how to take a new test. He also said that taking a single snapshot and having that factor into the rating of a school is not fair.

“It does not encompass everything that comes into the student learning experience and really on that same note, what teachers do in the classroom,” O’Neal told Chalkbeat. “A lot goes into classroom experience beyond just one test but our state continues to push that.”

Corporation Name	School Name	Hold Harmless 2020 Grade
Adams Central Community Schools	Adams Central Middle School	A
Adams Central Community Schools	Adams Central Elementary School	C
Adams Central Community Schools	Adams Central High School	A
North Adams Community Schools	Bellmont Senior High School	A
North Adams Community Schools	Bellmont Middle School	B
North Adams Community Schools	Bellmont Elementary	C
South Adams Schools	South Adams Middle School	B
South Adams Schools	South Adams High School	A
South Adams Schools	South Adams Elementary School	A
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Aboite Elementary School	B
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Whispering Meadow Elementary Sch	C
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Homestead Senior High School	A
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Summit Middle School	A
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Lafayette Meadow School	B
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Woodside Middle School	A
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Haverhill Elementary School	D
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Deer Ridge Elementary	B
M S D Southwest Allen County Schls	Covington Elementary School	B
Northwest Allen County Schools	Arcola School	B
Northwest Allen County Schools	Maple Creek Middle School	A
Northwest Allen County Schools	Hickory Center Elementary School	C
Northwest Allen County Schools	Huntertown Elementary School	C
Northwest Allen County Schools	Carroll Middle School	B
Northwest Allen County Schools	Carroll High School	A
Northwest Allen County Schools	Perry Hill Elementary School	A
Northwest Allen County Schools	Oak View Elementary School	B
Northwest Allen County Schools	Cedar Canyon Elementary School	B
Northwest Allen County Schools	Eel River Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	North Side High School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	R Nelson Snider High School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	South Side High School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Blackhawk Middle School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Jeff H Towles Intermediate School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Jefferson Middle School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Kekionga Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Lakeside Middle School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Lane Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Memorial Park Middle School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Miami Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Northwood Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Portage Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Weisser Park Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Fairfield Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Merle J Abbett Elementary School	F
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Adams Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Bloomingdale Elementary School	F
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Bunche Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Brentwood Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Fred H Croninger Elementary School	A
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Forest Park Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Franke Park Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Glenwood Park Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	J Wilbur Haley Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Wayne High School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Harrison Hill Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Mabel K Holland Elementary School	A
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Indian Village Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	John S Irwin Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Lindley Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Maplewood Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Willard Shambaugh Elementary Sch	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Northcrest Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Northrop High School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Francis M Price Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Saint Joseph Central School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Robert C Harris Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Shawnee Middle School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Whitney M Young Early Childhood	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Levan R Scott Academy	F
Fort Wayne Community Schools	South Wayne Elementary School	C
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Study Elementary School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Washington Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Washington Center Elementary Sch	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Lincoln Elementary School	B
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Waynedale Elementary School	D
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Arlington Elementary School	B
East Allen County Schools	Prince Chapman Academy	D
East Allen County Schools	Leo Junior/Senior High School	A
East Allen County Schools	Leo Elementary School	A
East Allen County Schools	Heritage Jr/Sr High School	B
East Allen County Schools	New Haven Primary School	B
East Allen County Schools	Heritage Elementary School	B
East Allen County Schools	Woodlan Jr/Sr High School	B
East Allen County Schools	Cedarville Elementary School	UNDER APPEAL
East Allen County Schools	Paul Harding Jr High School	C
East Allen County Schools	New Haven Jr/Sr High School	B
East Allen County Schools	New Haven Intermediate School	B
East Allen County Schools	Southwick Elementary School	D
East Allen County Schools	Woodlan Elementary School	A
East Allen County Schools	East Allen University	A
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Clifty Creek Elementary School	C
Bartholomew Con School Corp	CSA Lincoln Campus	A
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Mount Healthy Elementary School	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Parkside Elementary School	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	W D Richards Elementary School	A
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Rockcreek Elementary School	A
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Lillian Schmitt Elementary School	C
Bartholomew Con School Corp	L F Smith Elementary	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	CSA Fodrea Campus	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Taylorsville Elementary School	C
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Central Middle School	C
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Southside Elementary School	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Northside Middle School	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Columbus North High School	B
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Columbus East High School	B
Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp	Hope Elementary School	B
Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp	Hauser Jr-Sr High School	B
Benton Community School Corp	Otterbein Elementary School	B
Benton Community School Corp	Boswell Elementary School	C
Benton Community School Corp	Benton Central Jr-Sr High School	B
Benton Community School Corp	Prairie Crossing Elementary School	C
Blackford County Schools	Montpelier School	B
Blackford County Schools	Blackford Jr-Sr High School	B
Blackford County Schools	North Side Elementary School	A
Blackford County Schools	Southside Elementary School	A
Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	Granville Wells Elementary School	B
Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	Thorntown Elementary School	B
Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	Western Boone Jr-Sr High School	B
Zionsville Community Schools	Zionsville West Middle School	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Zionsville Middle School	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Zionsville Community High School	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Eagle Elementary School	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Zionsville Pleasant View Elem Sch	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Union Elementary School	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Stonegate Elementary	A
Zionsville Community Schools	Boone Meadow	A
Lebanon Community School Corp	Perry Worth Elementary School	B
Lebanon Community School Corp	Lebanon Senior High School	B
Lebanon Community School Corp	Lebanon Middle School	B
Lebanon Community School Corp	Central Elementary School	B
Lebanon Community School Corp	Harney Elementary School	B
Lebanon Community School Corp	Hattie B Stokes Elementary School	C
Brown County School Corporation	Brown County Intermediate School	A
Brown County School Corporation	Brown County High School	B
Brown County School Corporation	Van Buren Elementary School	C
Brown County School Corporation	Helmsburg Elementary School	B
Brown County School Corporation	Sprunica Elementary School	B
Brown County School Corporation	Brown County Junior High	B
Carroll Consolidated School Corp	Carroll Senior High School	A
Carroll Consolidated School Corp	Carroll Junior High School	B
Carroll Consolidated School Corp	Carroll Elementary School	B
Delphi Community School Corp	Delphi Community Middle School	C
Delphi Community School Corp	Delphi Community High School	A
Delphi Community School Corp	Delphi Community Elementary School	B
Pioneer Regional School Corp	Pioneer Jr-Sr High School	A
Pioneer Regional School Corp	Pioneer Elementary School	C
Southeastern School Corp	Lewis Cass High School	A
Southeastern School Corp	Lewis Cass Junior High School	A
Southeastern School Corp	Lewis Cass Elementary School	C
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Logansport Community High School	A
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Logansport Junior High School	C
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Franklin Elementary School	D
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Fairview Elementary School	C
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Landis Elementary School	C
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Columbia Elementary School	C
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Columbia 6th Grade Academy	D
West Clark Community Schools	Henryville Jr & Sr High School	B
West Clark Community Schools	Henryville Elementary School	B
West Clark Community Schools	Silver Creek High School	A
West Clark Community Schools	Silver Creek Middle School	A
West Clark Community Schools	Silver Creek Elementary School	B
West Clark Community Schools	William W Borden High School	A
West Clark Community Schools	William W Borden Elementary School	A
West Clark Community Schools	Silver Creek Primary School	B
Clarksville Community School Corp	Clarksville Senior High School	B
Clarksville Community School Corp	Clarksville Elementary School	A
Clarksville Community School Corp	Clarksville Middle School	A
Greater Clark County Schools	W E Wilson Elementary	C
Greater Clark County Schools	Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Northaven Elementary School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Utica Elementary School	A
Greater Clark County Schools	New Washington Elementary School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	New Washington Middle/High School	A
Greater Clark County Schools	Charlestown Senior High School	A
Greater Clark County Schools	Jonathan Jennings Elementary Sch	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Pleasant Ridge Elementary School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Jeffersonville High School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Parkview Middle School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Charlestown Middle School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Bridgepoint Elementary School	C
Greater Clark County Schools	Maple Elementary School	C
Greater Clark County Schools	Riverside Elementary School	B
Greater Clark County Schools	Spring Hill Elementary School	C
Greater Clark County Schools	Parkwood Elementary School	C
Greater Clark County Schools	River Valley Middle School	C
Clay Community Schools	Clay City Elementary School	B
Clay Community Schools	Clay City Jr-Sr High School	B
Clay Community Schools	Jackson Township Elementary School	A
Clay Community Schools	Staunton Elementary School	A
Clay Community Schools	Van Buren Elementary School	A
Clay Community Schools	North Clay Middle School	C
Clay Community Schools	Northview High School	B
Clay Community Schools	East Side Elementary School	B
Clay Community Schools	Forest Park Elementary School	D
Clay Community Schools	Meridian Street Elementary School	A
Clinton Central School Corporation	Clinton Central Junior-Senior HS	B
Clinton Central School Corporation	Clinton Central Elementary School	A
Clinton Prairie School Corporation	Clinton Prairie Jr-Sr High School	C
Clinton Prairie School Corporation	Clinton Prairie Elementary School	B
Community Schools of Frankfort	Frankfort High School	B
Community Schools of Frankfort	Frankfort Middle School	D
Community Schools of Frankfort	Blue Ridge Primary Elementary Sch	D
Community Schools of Frankfort	Green Meadows Intermediate Elem	D
Community Schools of Frankfort	Suncrest Elementary School	B
Rossville Con School District	Rossville Middle/Senior High Sch	B
Rossville Con School District	Rossville Elementary School	C
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	South Crawford Elementary School	B
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	West Crawford Elementary School	B
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	Crawford County High School	A
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	Crawford County Middle School	B
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	East Crawford Elementary School	C
Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	Barr Reeve Middle/High School	A
Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	Barr Reeve Primary Grade School	A
Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	Barr Reeve Elementary School	A
North Daviess Com Schools	North Daviess Elementary School	B
North Daviess Com Schools	North Daviess Jr-Sr High School	B
Washington Community Schools	Lena Dunn Elementary School	F
Washington Community Schools	Veale Elementary School	A
Washington Community Schools	Washington Junior High School	C
Washington Community Schools	Washington High School	B
Washington Community Schools	North Elementary School	B
Washington Community Schools	Helen Griffith Elementary School	C
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	North Dearborn Elementary School	A
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	Sunman-Dearborn Middle School	B
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	Bright Elementary School	B
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	Sunman Elementary School	C
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	East Central High School	A
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	Dillsboro Elementary School	B
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	Manchester Elementary School	B
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	Moores Hill Elementary School	B
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	South Dearborn Middle School	C
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	South Dearborn High School	B
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	Aurora Elementary School	C
Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	Lawrenceburg High School	A
Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	Greendale Middle School	B
Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	Lawrenceburg Primary School	C
Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	Central Elementary School	C
Decatur County Community Schools	South Decatur Jr-Sr High School	B
Decatur County Community Schools	South Decatur Elementary School	B
Decatur County Community Schools	North Decatur Elementary School	B
Decatur County Community Schools	North Decatur Jr-Sr High School	A
Greensburg Community Schools	Greensburg Community High School	B
Greensburg Community Schools	Greensburg Community Jr High	C
Greensburg Community Schools	Greensburg Elementary	A
DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	Eastside Junior-Senior High School	B
DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	Butler Elementary School	C
DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	Riverdale Elementary School	A
Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	Garrett High School	B
Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	J E Ober Elementary School	C
Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	Garrett Middle School	B
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	Waterloo Elementary School	C
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	DeKalb High School	B
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	DeKalb Middle School	B
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	James R Watson Elementary School	A
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	McKenney-Harrison Elementary Sch	C
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	Country Meadow Elementary School	C
Delaware Community School Corp	Royerton Elementary School	A
Delaware Community School Corp	Delta Middle School	B
Delaware Community School Corp	Delta High School	A
Delaware Community School Corp	Eaton Elementary School	B
Delaware Community School Corp	Albany Elementary School	A
Wes-Del Community Schools	Wes-Del Middle/Senior High School	C
Wes-Del Community Schools	Wes-Del Elementary School	D
Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	Wapahani High School	B
Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	Selma Middle School	A
Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	Selma Elementary School	C
Cowan Community School Corp	Cowan Elementary School	B
Cowan Community School Corp	Cowan High School	B
Yorktown Community Schools	Yorktown Middle School	C
Yorktown Community Schools	Yorktown High School	A
Yorktown Community Schools	Yorktown Elementary School	B
Yorktown Community Schools	Pleasant View Elementary School	B
Daleville Community Schools	Daleville Jr-Sr High School	B
Daleville Community Schools	Daleville Elementary School	C
Muncie Community Schools	Muncie Central High School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	Northside Middle School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	Southside Middle School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	Grissom Elementary School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	South View Elementary School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	Longfellow Elementary School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	North View Elementary School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	East Washington Academy	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	West View Elementary School	No Grade
Muncie Community Schools	Youth Opportunity Center	No Grade
Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Celestine Elementary School	B
Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Northeast Dubois High School	B
Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Dubois Middle School	A
Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Dubois Elementary School	B
Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Pine Ridge Elementary School	A
Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Ferdinand Elementary School	A
Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Forest Park Jr-Sr High School	A
Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Cedar Crest Intermediate School	B
Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	Holland Elementary School	A
Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	Southridge Middle School	A
Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	Southridge High School	B
Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	Huntingburg Elementary School	B
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Ireland Elementary School	B
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Jasper Middle School	B
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Jasper High School	A
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Fifth Street Elementary School	B
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Tenth Street School	B
Fairfield Community Schools	Fairfield Jr-Sr High School	B
Fairfield Community Schools	Millersburg Elementary- Middle Sch	B
Fairfield Community Schools	New Paris Elementary School	B
Fairfield Community Schools	Benton Elementary School	B
Baugo Community Schools	Jimtown High School	B
Baugo Community Schools	Jimtown Junior High School	B
Baugo Community Schools	Jimtown Elementary School	B
Baugo Community Schools	Jimtown Intermediate School	B
Concord Community Schools	Concord Junior High School	C
Concord Community Schools	Concord Community High School	B
Concord Community Schools	Concord Intermediate School	B
Concord Community Schools	Concord East Side Elementary Sch	B
Concord Community Schools	Concord Ox Bow Elementary School	B
Concord Community Schools	Concord South Side Elementary Sch	C
Concord Community Schools	Concord West Side Elem School	B
Middlebury Community Schools	Jefferson Elementary School	B
Middlebury Community Schools	Northridge Middle School	A
Middlebury Community Schools	York Elementary School	C
Middlebury Community Schools	Heritage Intermediate School	C
Middlebury Community Schools	Middlebury Elementary School	B
Middlebury Community Schools	Northridge High School	A
Middlebury Community Schools	Orchard View School	B
Wa-Nee Community Schools	North Wood Middle School	B
Wa-Nee Community Schools	Wakarusa Elementary School	A
Wa-Nee Community Schools	North Wood High School	A
Wa-Nee Community Schools	Nappanee Elementary School	A
Wa-Nee Community Schools	Woodview Elementary School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Cleveland Elementary School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Osolo Elementary School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Eastwood Elementary School	C
Elkhart Community Schools	Mary Feeser Elementary School	C
Elkhart Community Schools	Bristol Elementary School	C
Elkhart Community Schools	Elkhart Central High School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Elkhart Memorial High School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	North Side Middle School	D
Elkhart Community Schools	West Side Middle School	C
Elkhart Community Schools	Pierre Moran Middle School	D
Elkhart Community Schools	Beardsley Elementary School	F
Elkhart Community Schools	Mary Beck Elementary School	D
Elkhart Community Schools	Mary Daly Elementary School	D
Elkhart Community Schools	Hawthorne Elementary School	F
Elkhart Community Schools	Pinewood Elementary School	C
Elkhart Community Schools	Monger Elementary School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Riverview Elementary School	B
Elkhart Community Schools	Roosevelt STEAM Academy	F
Elkhart Community Schools	Woodland Elementary School	B
Goshen Community Schools	Goshen Middle School	C
Goshen Community Schools	Model Elementary School	C
Goshen Community Schools	Waterford Elementary School	C
Goshen Community Schools	Goshen High School	A
Goshen Community Schools	Chamberlain Elementary School	C
Goshen Community Schools	Chandler Elementary School	C
Goshen Community Schools	Parkside Elementary School	A
Goshen Community Schools	Prairie View Elementary School	B
Goshen Community Schools	West Goshen Elementary School	A
Fayette County School Corporation	Everton Elementary School	A
Fayette County School Corporation	Connersville Sr High School	B
Fayette County School Corporation	Connersville Middle School	B
Fayette County School Corporation	Eastview Elementary School	A
Fayette County School Corporation	Frazee Elementary School	B
Fayette County School Corporation	Grandview Elementary School	B
Fayette County School Corporation	Maplewood Elementary School	D
Fayette County School Corporation	Fayette Central Elementary	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	New Albany Senior High School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Georgetown Elementary School	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Floyd Central High School	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Highland Hills Middle School	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Hazelwood Middle School	C
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Nathaniel Scribner Middle School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Slate Run Elementary School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Fairmont Elementary School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Greenville Elementary School	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Grant Line Elementary School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Green Valley Elementary School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Floyds Knobs Elementary School	A
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Mount Tabor Elementary School	B
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	S Ellen Jones Elementary School	B
Attica Consolidated School Corp	Attica High School	B
Attica Consolidated School Corp	Attica Elementary School	B
Covington Community School Corp	Covington Community High School	A
Covington Community School Corp	Covington Elementary School	A
Covington Community School Corp	Covington Middle School	B
Southeast Fountain School Corp	Southeast Fountain Elementary	A
Southeast Fountain School Corp	Fountain Central High School	C
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Laurel School	B
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Franklin County High	B
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Franklin County Middle School	C
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Brookville Elementary School	B
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Mount Carmel School	B
Rochester Community School Corp	Rochester Community High School	B
Rochester Community School Corp	Rochester Community Middle School	D
Rochester Community School Corp	Columbia Elementary School	D
Rochester Community School Corp	George M Riddle Elementary School	D
Caston School Corporation	Caston Elementary School	B
Caston School Corporation	Caston Jr-Sr High School	C
East Gibson School Corporation	Barton Township Elementary	A
East Gibson School Corporation	Waldo J Wood Memorial JHS	C
East Gibson School Corporation	Francisco Elementary School	B
East Gibson School Corporation	Waldo J Wood Memorial High	B
East Gibson School Corporation	Oakland City Elementary School	D
North Gibson School Corp	Princeton Comm Intermediate School	B
North Gibson School Corp	Princeton Community Middle	D
North Gibson School Corp	Princeton Community High School	B
North Gibson School Corp	Princeton Comm Primary School	B
South Gibson School Corporation	Haubstadt Community School	A
South Gibson School Corporation	Gibson Southern High School	A
South Gibson School Corporation	Fort Branch Community School	A
South Gibson School Corporation	Owensville Community School	B
Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	Eastbrook South Elementary	C
Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	Eastbrook North Elementary	C
Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	Eastbrook High School	A
Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	Eastbrook Junior High School	B
Madison-Grant United School Corp	Madison-Grant Jr./Sr. High School	B
Madison-Grant United School Corp	Park Elementary School	C
Madison-Grant United School Corp	Summitville School	C
Mississinewa Community School Corp	Mississinewa High School	A
Mississinewa Community School Corp	R J Baskett Middle School	C
Mississinewa Community School Corp	Westview Elementary School	C
Mississinewa Community School Corp	Northview Elementary School	C
Marion Community Schools	Justice Thurgood Marshall Intrmd	D
Marion Community Schools	Marion High School	B
Marion Community Schools	John L McCulloch Junior High Sch	F
Marion Community Schools	Allen Elementary School	B
Marion Community Schools	John W Kendall Elem School	C
Marion Community Schools	Riverview Elementary School	A
Marion Community Schools	Frances Slocum Elem School	B
Bloomfield School District	Bloomfield Elementary School	B
Bloomfield School District	Bloomfield Jr-Sr High School	B
Eastern Greene Schools	Eastern Greene Elementary School	B
Eastern Greene Schools	Eastern Greene High School	A
Eastern Greene Schools	Eastern Greene Middle School	A
Linton-Stockton School Corporation	Linton-Stockton High School	B
Linton-Stockton School Corporation	Linton-Stockton Middle School	C
Linton-Stockton School Corporation	Linton-Stockton Elementary	A
M S D Shakamak Schools	Shakamak Jr-Sr High School	A
M S D Shakamak Schools	Shakamak Elementary School	B
White River Valley School District	White River Valley High School	A
White River Valley School District	White River Valley Middle School	C
White River Valley School District	White River Valley Elementary Sch	B
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Brooks School Elementary	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	New Britton Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fishers Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Cumberland Road Elem School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Hoosier Road Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fall Creek Elementary School	B
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Geist Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Lantern Road Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fishers Junior High School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Sand Creek Intermediate School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Harrison Parkway Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Sand Creek Elementary	B
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Thorpe Creek Elementary	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Southeastern Elementary School	No Grade
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fall Creek Intermediate School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fall Creek Junior High	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fishers High School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Hamilton SE Int and Jr High Sch	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Riverside Junior High	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Durbin Elementary School	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Hamilton Southeastern HS	A
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Riverside Intermediate School	A
Hamilton Heights School Corp	Hamilton Heights High School	A
Hamilton Heights School Corp	Hamilton Heights Elementary School	B
Hamilton Heights School Corp	Hamilton Heights Middle School	B
Hamilton Heights School Corp	Hamilton Heights Primary School	B
Westfield-Washington Schools	Westfield Middle School	B
Westfield-Washington Schools	Shamrock Springs Elementary School	A
Westfield-Washington Schools	Westfield High School	A
Westfield-Washington Schools	Carey Ridge Elementary School	A
Westfield-Washington Schools	Washington Woods Elementary School	A
Westfield-Washington Schools	Oak Trace Elementary School	B
Westfield-Washington Schools	Monon Trail Elementary School	B
Westfield-Washington Schools	Westfield Intermediate School	B
Westfield-Washington Schools	Maple Glen Elementary	A
Sheridan Community Schools	Sheridan High School	A
Sheridan Community Schools	Sheridan Elementary School	C
Sheridan Community Schools	Sheridan Middle School	B
Carmel Clay Schools	Clay Middle School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Woodbrook Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Cherry Tree Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Carmel Elementary School	B
Carmel Clay Schools	College Wood Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Carmel Middle School	B
Carmel Clay Schools	Smoky Row Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Orchard Park Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Prairie Trace Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Mohawk Trails Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Forest Dale Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Creekside Middle School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	Towne Meadow Elementary School	A
Carmel Clay Schools	West Clay Elementary School	A
Noblesville Schools	Noblesville High School	A
Noblesville Schools	Noblesville East Middle School	A
Noblesville Schools	Hinkle Creek Elementary School	B
Noblesville Schools	North Elementary School	A
Noblesville Schools	Stony Creek Elementary School	A
Noblesville Schools	Noble Crossing Elementary School	A
Noblesville Schools	Hazel Dell Elementary School	A
Noblesville Schools	Promise Road Elementary	A
Noblesville Schools	Noblesville West Middle School	A
Noblesville Schools	White River Elementary School	B
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	New Palestine Intermediate School	A
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Brandywine Elementary School	A
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	New Palestine Elementary School	A
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	New Palestine High School	A
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	New Palestine Jr High School	A
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Sugar Creek Elementary Sch	B
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Maxwell Intermediate School	A
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Greenfield Central Junior High Sch	C
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Eden Elementary School	A
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	JB Stephens Elementary School	A
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Greenfield Intermediate School	B
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Greenfield-Central High School	A
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Harris Elementary School	B
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Weston Elementary School	A
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	Fortville Elementary School	B
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	Mt Vernon Middle School	B
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	Mt Comfort Elementary School	B
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	Mt Vernon High School	A
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	McCordsville Elementary School	A
Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Eastern Hancock Middle School	A
Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Eastern Hancock High School	A
Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Eastern Hancock Elementary School	A
Lanesville Community School Corp	Lanesville Elementary School	B
Lanesville Community School Corp	Lanesville Jr-Sr HS	B
North Harrison Com School Corp	Morgan Elementary School	A
North Harrison Com School Corp	North Harrison Middle School	C
North Harrison Com School Corp	North Harrison High School	B
North Harrison Com School Corp	North Harrison Elementary School	C
South Harrison Com Schools	Corydon Central High School	A
South Harrison Com Schools	Corydon Central Jr High School	B
South Harrison Com Schools	Corydon Elementary School	B
South Harrison Com Schools	New Middletown Elementary School	B
South Harrison Com Schools	Heth-Washington Elementary School	A
South Harrison Com Schools	Corydon Intermediate School	B
South Harrison Com Schools	South Central Elementary	A
South Harrison Com Schools	South Central Jr & Sr High School	B
North West Hendricks Schools	Tri-West Middle School	B
North West Hendricks Schools	Pittsboro Primary School	A
North West Hendricks Schools	North Salem Elementary School	A
North West Hendricks Schools	Pittsboro Elementary School	A
North West Hendricks Schools	Tri-West Senior High School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Brown Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Brownsburg High School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Eagle Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Brownsburg West Middle School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Reagan Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Delaware Trail Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Brownsburg East Middle School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	White Lick Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Cardinal Elementary School	A
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	A
Avon Community School Corp	River Birch Elementary School	B
Avon Community School Corp	Avon Intermediate School East	B
Avon Community School Corp	Avon Intermediate School West	C
Avon Community School Corp	Avon Middle School North	C
Avon Community School Corp	Maple Elementary School	A
Avon Community School Corp	White Oak Elementary School	B
Avon Community School Corp	Sycamore Elementary School	A
Avon Community School Corp	Avon Middle School South	B
Avon Community School Corp	Avon High School	A
Avon Community School Corp	Cedar Elementary School	A
Avon Community School Corp	Pine Tree Elementary School	A
Avon Community School Corp	Hickory Elementary School	B
Danville Community School Corp	North Elementary School	A
Danville Community School Corp	Danville Community High School	A
Danville Community School Corp	Danville Middle School	A
Danville Community School Corp	South Elementary School	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Clarks Creek Elementary	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Plainfield High School	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Plainfield Community Middle School	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Central Elementary School	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Van Buren Elementary School	A
Plainfield Community School Corp	Brentwood Elementary School	A
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	Mill Creek East Elementary	B
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	Mill Creek West Elementary	A
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	Cascade Middle School	A
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	Cascade Senior High School	A
Blue River Valley Schools	Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch	C
Blue River Valley Schools	Blue River Valley Elementary Sch	C
South Henry School Corp	Tri Junior-Senior High School	B
South Henry School Corp	Tri-Elementary School	C
Shenandoah School Corporation	Shenandoah Elementary School	A
Shenandoah School Corporation	Shenandoah High School	B
Shenandoah School Corporation	Shenandoah Middle School	B
New Castle Community School Corp	New Castle High School	B
New Castle Community School Corp	New Castle Middle School	D
New Castle Community School Corp	Eastwood Elementary School	B
New Castle Community School Corp	Parker Elementary School	D
New Castle Community School Corp	James Whitcomb Riley Elem School	C
New Castle Community School Corp	Sunnyside Elementary School	B
New Castle Community School Corp	Westwood Elementary School	C
New Castle Community School Corp	Wilbur Wright Elementary School	C
C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Knightstown High School	A
C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Knightstown Intermediate School	C
C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Knightstown Elementary School	B
Taylor Community School Corp	Taylor High School	A
Taylor Community School Corp	Taylor Elementary School	D
Taylor Community School Corp	Taylor Middle School	C
Northwestern School Corp	Northwestern Senior High School	A
Northwestern School Corp	Northwestern Elementary School	C
Northwestern School Corp	Howard Elementary School	B
Northwestern School Corp	Northwestern Middle School	B
Eastern Howard School Corporation	Eastern Elementary School	B
Eastern Howard School Corporation	Eastern Middle School	A
Eastern Howard School Corporation	Eastern High School	A
Western School Corp	Western High School	A
Western School Corp	Western Middle School	A
Western School Corp	Western Intermediate School	B
Western School Corp	Western Primary School	B
Kokomo School Corporation	Sycamore Elementary School	C
Kokomo School Corporation	Bon Air Elementary School	B
Kokomo School Corporation	Boulevard Elementary School	C
Kokomo School Corporation	Bon Air Middle School	F
Kokomo School Corporation	Central Middle School	D
Kokomo School Corporation	Elwood Haynes Elementary School	D
Kokomo School Corporation	Maple Crest Middle School	F
Kokomo School Corporation	Lafayette Park Elementary School	C
Kokomo School Corporation	Pettit Park School	D
Kokomo School Corporation	Wallace Elementary School	A
Kokomo School Corporation	Kokomo High School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Andrews Elementary School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Riverview School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Roanoke Elementary School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Salamonie School	C
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Crestview Middle School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Huntington North High School	B
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Flint Springs Elementary	C
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	C
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Horace Mann Elementary	A
Medora Community School Corp	Medora Jr & Sr High School	D
Medora Community School Corp	Medora Elementary School	F
Seymour Community Schools	Cortland Elementary School	A
Seymour Community Schools	Seymour Senior High School	B
Seymour Community Schools	Margaret R Brown Elementary School	C
Seymour Community Schools	Seymour Middle School	C
Seymour Community Schools	Emerson Elementary School	B
Seymour Community Schools	Seymour-Jackson Elementary School	B
Seymour Community Schools	Seymour-Redding Elementary School	B
Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	Brownstown Central Middle School	C
Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	Brownstown Central High School	A
Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	Brownstown Elementary School	C
Crothersville Community Schools	Crothersville Jr-Sr High School	C
Crothersville Community Schools	Crothersville Elementary School	F
Kankakee Valley School Corp	Kankakee Valley High School	A
Kankakee Valley School Corp	Kankakee Valley Middle School	B
Kankakee Valley School Corp	DeMotte Elementary School	B
Kankakee Valley School Corp	Wheatfield Elementary School	B
Kankakee Valley School Corp	Kankakee Valley Intermediate Sch	B
Rensselaer Central School Corp	Rensselaer Central High School	B
Rensselaer Central School Corp	Van Rensselaer Elementary School	B
Rensselaer Central School Corp	Rensselaer Central Primary School	B
Rensselaer Central School Corp	Rensselaer Middle School	C
Jay School Corporation	Jay County High School	B
Jay School Corporation	Bloomfield Elementary School	B
Jay School Corporation	Redkey Elementary School	B
Jay School Corporation	East Jay County Middle School	B
Jay School Corporation	General Shanks Elem School	C
Jay School Corporation	West Jay County Middle School	C
Jay School Corporation	East Elementary School	B
Jay School Corporation	Westlawn Elementary School	B
Madison Consolidated Schools	Deputy Elementary School	A
Madison Consolidated Schools	Madison Consolidated High School	B
Madison Consolidated Schools	Madison Consolidated Jr High Sch	C
Madison Consolidated Schools	Rykers' Ridge Elementary School	C
Madison Consolidated Schools	Lydia Middleton Elementary School	B
Madison Consolidated Schools	Anderson Elementary School	C
Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	Southwestern High School	B
Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	Southwestern Elementary School	C
Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	Southwestern Middle School	C
Jennings County School Corporation	Jennings County High School	B
Jennings County School Corporation	Sand Creek Elementary School	B
Jennings County School Corporation	Scipio Elementary School	B
Jennings County School Corporation	Graham Creek Elementary School	A
Jennings County School Corporation	Hayden Elementary School	B
Jennings County School Corporation	Brush Creek Elementary School	A
Jennings County School Corporation	Jennings County Middle School	C
Jennings County School Corporation	North Vernon Elementary School	B
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Clark Elementary School	B
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Whiteland Community High School	B
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Grassy Creek Elementary School	B
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Whiteland Elementary School	A
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Clark Pleasant Middle School	A
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Break-O-Day Elementary School	C
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Pleasant Crossing Elementary	C
Center Grove Community School Corp	Sugar Grove Elementary School	A
Center Grove Community School Corp	Center Grove Elementary School	A
Center Grove Community School Corp	Center Grove High School	A
Center Grove Community School Corp	Walnut Grove Elementary School	No Grade
Center Grove Community School Corp	Maple Grove Elementary School	A
Center Grove Community School Corp	North Grove Elementary School	B
Center Grove Community School Corp	Center Grove Middle School Central	A
Center Grove Community School Corp	Center Grove Middle School North	B
Center Grove Community School Corp	Pleasant Grove Elementary School	A
Edinburgh Community School Corp	Edinburgh Community High School	A
Edinburgh Community School Corp	Edinburgh Comm Middle School	C
Edinburgh Community School Corp	East Side Elementary School	B
Franklin Community School Corp	Needham Elementary School	C
Franklin Community School Corp	Union Elementary School	A
Franklin Community School Corp	Franklin Community High School	B
Franklin Community School Corp	Franklin Community Middle School	C
Franklin Community School Corp	Custer Baker Intermediate School	C
Franklin Community School Corp	Northwood Elementary School	B
Franklin Community School Corp	Webb Elementary School	C
Franklin Community School Corp	Creekside Elementary School	B
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Greenwood Community High Sch	A
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Greenwood Middle School	A
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Greenwood Northeast Elementary Sch	B
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Westwood Elementary School	A
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	V O Isom Central Elem School	A
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Southwest Elementary School	A
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Elementary School	A
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Intermediate School	A
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Online Academy	No Grade
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Middle School	A
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Sr High School	B
North Knox School Corp	North Knox Primary School	B
North Knox School Corp	North Knox Jr-Sr High School	C
North Knox School Corp	North Knox Intermediate	B
South Knox School Corp	South Knox Elementary School	C
South Knox School Corp	South Knox Middle-High School	A
Vincennes Community School Corp	Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch	B
Vincennes Community School Corp	Lincoln High School	B
Vincennes Community School Corp	George Rogers Clark School	D
Vincennes Community School Corp	James Whitcomb Riley Elem Sch	C
Vincennes Community School Corp	Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary Sch	D
Vincennes Community School Corp	Francis Vigo Elementary School	D
Wawasee Community School Corp	North Webster Elementary School	C
Wawasee Community School Corp	Wawasee Middle School	C
Wawasee Community School Corp	Milford School	D
Wawasee Community School Corp	Syracuse Elementary School	C
Wawasee Community School Corp	Wawasee High School	B
Warsaw Community Schools	Claypool Elementary School	B
Warsaw Community Schools	Lakeview Middle School	C
Warsaw Community Schools	Eisenhower Elementary School	B
Warsaw Community Schools	Harrison Elementary School	C
Warsaw Community Schools	Leesburg Elementary School	C
Warsaw Community Schools	Warsaw Community High School	B
Warsaw Community Schools	Edgewood Middle School	B
Warsaw Community Schools	Jefferson Elementary School	C
Warsaw Community Schools	Lincoln Elementary School	A
Warsaw Community Schools	Madison Elementary School	D
Warsaw Community Schools	Washington Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	Akron Elementary School	C
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	Tippecanoe Valley High School	A
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	Mentone Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	Tippecanoe Valley Middle School	B
Whitko Community School Corp	Pierceton Elementary School	D
Whitko Community School Corp	South Whitley Elementary School	B
Whitko Community School Corp	Whitko Jr/Sr High School	A
Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	Prairie Heights Elementary School	C
Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	Prairie Heights Middle School	B
Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	Prairie Heights Sr High School	A
Westview School Corporation	Westview Jr-Sr High School	A
Westview School Corporation	Topeka Elementary School	A
Westview School Corporation	Westview Elementary School	B
Westview School Corporation	Meadowview Elementary School	A
Westview School Corporation	Shipshewana-Scott Elementary Sch	B
Lakeland School Corporation	Lakeland Jr/Sr High School	B
Lakeland School Corporation	Lakeland Primary School	No Grade
Lakeland School Corporation	Lakeland Intermediate School	No Grade
Hanover Community School Corp	Jane Ball Elementary School	A
Hanover Community School Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	A
Hanover Community School Corp	Hanover Central Middle School	A
Hanover Community School Corp	Hanover Central High School	B
River Forest Community Sch Corp	River Forest High School	B
River Forest Community Sch Corp	Henry S Evans Elementary School	C
River Forest Community Sch Corp	River Forest Middle School	D
River Forest Community Sch Corp	John I Meister Elementary School	B
Merrillville Community School Corp	Merrillville High School	B
Merrillville Community School Corp	Pierce Middle School	C
Merrillville Community School Corp	Merrillville Intermediate School	B
Merrillville Community School Corp	Henry P Fieler Elementary School	C
Merrillville Community School Corp	Homer Iddings Elementary School	B
Merrillville Community School Corp	Edgar L Miller Elementary School	B
Merrillville Community School Corp	John Wood Elementary School	A
Merrillville Community School Corp	Jonas E Salk Elementary School	B
Lake Central School Corporation	Michael Grimmer Middle School	B
Lake Central School Corporation	Lake Central High School	A
Lake Central School Corporation	Kolling Elementary School	A
Lake Central School Corporation	Hal E Clark Middle School	B
Lake Central School Corporation	George Bibich Elementary School	A
Lake Central School Corporation	James H Watson Elementary School	A
Lake Central School Corporation	Kahler Middle School	B
Lake Central School Corporation	Protsman Elementary School	B
Lake Central School Corporation	Homan Elementary School	A
Lake Central School Corporation	Peifer Elementary School	A
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Oak Hill Elementary School	A
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Lake Prairie Elementary School	A
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Three Creeks Elem School	B
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Lowell Middle School	B
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Lowell Senior High School	A
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Calumet New Tech High School	B
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Longfellow New Tech Elementary Sch	C
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Lake Ridge New Tech Middle School	C
Crown Point Community School Corp	Robert Taft Middle School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Douglas MacArthur Elem School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Dwight D Eisenhower Elem School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Winfield Elementary School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Crown Point High School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Lake Street Elementary School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Solon Robinson Elementary School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Jerry Ross Elementary School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Timothy Ball Elementary School	A
Crown Point Community School Corp	Colonel John Wheeler Middle School	B
School City of East Chicago	East Chicago Central High School	B
School City of East Chicago	Benjamin Harrison Elementary Sch	F
School City of East Chicago	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	D
School City of East Chicago	William McKinley Elementary School	F
School City of East Chicago	George Washington Elementary Sch	D
School City of East Chicago	Joseph Block Middle School	C
Lake Station Community Schools	Thomas A Edison Jr-Sr HS	C
Lake Station Community Schools	Alexander Hamilton Elementary Sch	B
Lake Station Community Schools	Virgil I Bailey Elementary School	B
Gary Community School Corp	Banneker Elementary at Marquette	F
Gary Community School Corp	Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr	No Grade
Gary Community School Corp	Beveridge Elementary School	F
Gary Community School Corp	Gary Virtual Academy	No Grade
Gary Community School Corp	Frankie Woods McCullough Academy	F
Gary Community School Corp	Bailly Middle School	D
Gary Community School Corp	Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn	F
Gary Community School Corp	West Side Leadership Academy	B
Gary Community School Corp	Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch	F
Gary Community School Corp	Gary Middle School	D
Griffith Public Schools	Beiriger Elementary School	B
Griffith Public Schools	Griffith Senior High School	A
Griffith Public Schools	Griffith Middle School	B
Griffith Public Schools	Eldon Ready Elementary School	A
Griffith Public Schools	Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	A
School City of Hammond	George Rogers Clark Md/HS	C
School City of Hammond	Donald E Gavit Middle/High School	C
School City of Hammond	Hammond High School	B
School City of Hammond	Morton Senior High School	C
School City of Hammond	Joseph Hess Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Henry W Eggers Middle School	F
School City of Hammond	Charles N Scott Middle School	D
School City of Hammond	Thomas A Edison Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch	D
School City of Hammond	Warren G Harding Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Washington Irving Elementary Sch	D
School City of Hammond	Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	B
School City of Hammond	Kenwood Elementary School	B
School City of Hammond	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Maywood Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Morton Elementary School	C
School City of Hammond	Lew Wallace Elementary School	D
School City of Hammond	Frank O'Bannon Elementary School	D
School Town of Highland	Highland High School	B
School Town of Highland	Highland Middle School	C
School Town of Highland	Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	A
School Town of Highland	Mildred Merkley Elementary School	B
School Town of Highland	Southridge Elementary School	C
School Town of Highland	Allen J Warren Elementary School	C
School City of Hobart	Hobart High School	A
School City of Hobart	Hobart Middle School	B
School City of Hobart	Early Learning Center-George Earle	B
School City of Hobart	Liberty Elementary School	B
School City of Hobart	Ridge View Elementary School	C
School City of Hobart	Joan Martin Elementary School	B
School Town of Munster	Munster High School	A
School Town of Munster	Wilbur Wright Middle School	A
School Town of Munster	James B Eads Elementary School	B
School Town of Munster	Ernest R Elliott Elementary School	B
School Town of Munster	Frank H Hammond Elementary School	A
School City of Whiting	Whiting High School	B
School City of Whiting	Whiting Middle School	C
School City of Whiting	Nathan Hale Elementary School	C
New Prairie United School Corp	Prairie View Elementary School	A
New Prairie United School Corp	New Prairie High School	A
New Prairie United School Corp	Rolling Prairie Elementary School	B
New Prairie United School Corp	New Prairie Middle School	B
New Prairie United School Corp	Olive Township Elementary School	A
M S D of New Durham Township	Westville Elementary School	B
M S D of New Durham Township	Westville High School	B
Tri-Township Cons School Corp	LaCrosse School	A
Tri-Township Cons School Corp	Wanatah School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Coolspring Elementary School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Springfield Elementary School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Martin T Krueger Middle School	D
Michigan City Area Schools	Barker Middle School	D
Michigan City Area Schools	Michigan City High School	B
Michigan City Area Schools	Edgewood Elementary School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Lake Hills Elementary School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Joy Elementary School	C
Michigan City Area Schools	Knapp Elementary School	A
Michigan City Area Schools	Marsh Elementary School	B
Michigan City Area Schools	Pine Elementary School	D
South Central Com School Corp	South Central Elementary School	B
South Central Com School Corp	South Central Jr-Sr High School	A
LaPorte Community School Corp	Indian Trail Elementary School	B
LaPorte Community School Corp	Kesling Intermediate School	C
LaPorte Community School Corp	Kingsford Heights Elementary Sch	B
LaPorte Community School Corp	Kingsbury Elementary School	B
LaPorte Community School Corp	LaPorte High School	B
LaPorte Community School Corp	LaPorte Middle School	No Grade
LaPorte Community School Corp	Hailmann Elementary School	B
LaPorte Community School Corp	F Willard Crichfield Elementary	A
LaPorte Community School Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	C
LaPorte Community School Corp	Riley Elementary School	A
LaPorte Community School Corp	Handley Elementary School	D
North Lawrence Com Schools	Fayetteville Elementary School	B
North Lawrence Com Schools	Needmore Elementary School	C
North Lawrence Com Schools	Springville Elementary School	D
North Lawrence Com Schools	Heltonville Elementary School	B
North Lawrence Com Schools	Oolitic Middle School	D
North Lawrence Com Schools	Dollens Elementary School	C
North Lawrence Com Schools	Shawswick Elementary School	B
North Lawrence Com Schools	Shawswick Middle School	C
North Lawrence Com Schools	Bedford Middle School	D
North Lawrence Com Schools	Lincoln Elementary School	A
North Lawrence Com Schools	Bedford-North Lawrence High School	B
North Lawrence Com Schools	Parkview Primary School	C
North Lawrence Com Schools	Stalker Elementary School	D
North Lawrence Com Schools	Parkview Intermediate School	C
Mitchell Community Schools	Burris Elementary School	C
Mitchell Community Schools	Hatfield Elementary School	C
Mitchell Community Schools	Mitchell Jr High School	C
Mitchell Community Schools	Mitchell High School	B
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Frankton Jr-Sr High School	B
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Frankton Elementary School	C
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Lapel Sr High School	A
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Lapel Middle School	B
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Lapel Elementary School	B
South Madison Com Sch Corp	East Elementary School	B
South Madison Com Sch Corp	Pendleton Heights High School	A
South Madison Com Sch Corp	Pendleton Heights Middle School	A
South Madison Com Sch Corp	Pendleton Elementary School	B
South Madison Com Sch Corp	Maple Ridge Elementary School	B
Alexandria Community School Corp	Alexandria-Monroe High School	B
Alexandria Community School Corp	Alexandria-Monroe Intermediate	B
Alexandria Community School Corp	Alexandria-Monroe Elementary	B
Anderson Community School Corp	COMPASS Alternative School	No Grade
Anderson Community School Corp	Anderson High School	B
Anderson Community School Corp	Edgewood Elementary School	F
Anderson Community School Corp	Anderson Intermediate School	No Grade
Anderson Community School Corp	Tenth Street Elementary School	C
Anderson Community School Corp	Valley Grove Elementary School	C
Anderson Community School Corp	Highland Middle School	D
Anderson Community School Corp	Eastside Elementary School	D
Anderson Community School Corp	Anderson Elementary School	D
Anderson Community School Corp	Erskine Elementary School	F
Elwood Community School Corp	Elwood Jr-Sr High School	C
Elwood Community School Corp	Elwood Intermediate School	C
Elwood Community School Corp	Elwood Elementary School	C
M S D Decatur Township	Decatur Central High School	B
M S D Decatur Township	Gold Academy	C
M S D Decatur Township	Blue Academy	C
M S D Decatur Township	Decatur Middle School	F
M S D Decatur Township	Stephen Decatur Elementary School	F
M S D Decatur Township	Valley Mills Elementary School	C
M S D Decatur Township	West Newton Elementary School	B
M S D Decatur Township	Liberty Early Elementary School	C
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Franklin Central High School	A
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	South Creek Elementary	A
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Franklin Township Middle Schl East	B
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Franklin Township Middle Sch West	B
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Thompson Crossing Elementary Sch	A
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Mary Adams Elementary School	A
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Acton Elementary School	A
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Arlington Elementary School	B
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Lillie Idella Kitley Elementary	C
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Bunker Hill Elementary School	A
M S D Lawrence Township	Lawrence Central High School	B
M S D Lawrence Township	Lawrence North High School	B
M S D Lawrence Township	Belzer Middle School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Brook Park Elementary School	F
M S D Lawrence Township	Mary Evelyn Castle Elementary Sch	B
M S D Lawrence Township	Early Learning Center	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Crestview Elementary School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Amy Beverland Elementary	A
M S D Lawrence Township	Harrison Hill Elementary School	D
M S D Lawrence Township	Fall Creek Valley Middle School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Indian Creek Elementary School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Forest Glen Elementary School	A
M S D Lawrence Township	Winding Ridge Elementary School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Oaklandon Elementary School	D
M S D Lawrence Township	Skiles Test Elementary School	C
M S D Lawrence Township	Sunnyside Elementary School	C
Perry Township Schools	Perry Meridian High School	B
Perry Township Schools	Southport High School	B
Perry Township Schools	Southport 6th Grade Academy	A
Perry Township Schools	Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academy	B
Perry Township Schools	Southport Middle School	B
Perry Township Schools	Perry Meridian Middle School	B
Perry Township Schools	William Henry Burkhart Elementary	A
Perry Township Schools	Mary Bryan Elementary School	B
Perry Township Schools	Clinton Young Elementary School	C
Perry Township Schools	Glenns Valley Elementary School	A
Perry Township Schools	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	B
Perry Township Schools	Douglas MacArthur Elementary Sch	A
Perry Township Schools	Homecroft Elementary School	A
Perry Township Schools	Southport Elementary School	A
Perry Township Schools	Winchester Village Elementary	B
Perry Township Schools	Jeremiah Gray Elementary School	B
Perry Township Schools	Rosa Parks Elementary School	A
M S D Pike Township	Fishback Creek Public Academy	B
M S D Pike Township	Deer Run Elementary	B
M S D Pike Township	Pike High School	A
M S D Pike Township	College Park Elementary School	B
M S D Pike Township	Lincoln Middle School	D
M S D Pike Township	Guion Creek Middle School	D
M S D Pike Township	Central Elementary School	D
M S D Pike Township	Eagle Creek Elementary School	B
M S D Pike Township	Eastbrook Elementary School	C
M S D Pike Township	Guion Creek Elementary School	B
M S D Pike Township	Snacks Crossing Elementary School	C
M S D Pike Township	New Augusta Public Academy - South	C
M S D Pike Township	New Augusta Public Academy - North	C
M S D Warren Township	Warren Central High School	B
M S D Warren Township	Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl	D
M S D Warren Township	Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle	D
M S D Warren Township	Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle	C
M S D Warren Township	Eastridge Elementary School	C
M S D Warren Township	Hawthorne Elementary School	B
M S D Warren Township	Grassy Creek Elementary School	A
M S D Warren Township	Lakeside Elementary School	D
M S D Warren Township	Lowell Elementary School	C
M S D Warren Township	Pleasant Run Elementary School	C
M S D Warren Township	Sunny Heights Elementary School	F
M S D Warren Township	Brookview Elementary School	B
M S D Warren Township	Liberty Park Elementary School	A
M S D Washington Township	Allisonville Elementary School	B
M S D Washington Township	Crooked Creek Elementary School	B
M S D Washington Township	Clearwater Elementary School	No Grade
M S D Washington Township	Willow Lake Elementary School	No Grade
M S D Washington Township	Greenbriar Elementary School	C
M S D Washington Township	Nora Elementary School	B
M S D Washington Township	Spring Mill Elementary School	C
M S D Washington Township	Fox Hill Elementary School	C
M S D Washington Township	Eastwood Middle School	B
M S D Washington Township	Northview Middle School	C
M S D Washington Township	Westlane Middle School	D
M S D Washington Township	North Central High School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Ben Davis High School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center	No Grade
M S D Wayne Township	Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center	C
M S D Wayne Township	Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center	C
M S D Wayne Township	Maplewood Elementary School	D
M S D Wayne Township	Chapel Glen Elementary School	D
M S D Wayne Township	Garden City Elementary School	C
M S D Wayne Township	McClelland Elementary School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Rhoades Elementary School	D
M S D Wayne Township	Robey Elementary School	B
M S D Wayne Township	North Wayne Elementary School	D
M S D Wayne Township	Stout Field Elementary School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Westlake Elementary School	C
M S D Wayne Township	Chapelwood Elementary School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Achieve Virtual Education Academy	D
M S D Wayne Township	Bridgeport Elementary School	B
M S D Wayne Township	Ben Davis University High School	B
Beech Grove City Schools	Beech Grove Sr High School	B
Beech Grove City Schools	Beech Grove Middle School	D
Beech Grove City Schools	Central Elementary School	D
Beech Grove City Schools	South Grove Intermediate School	C
Beech Grove City Schools	Hornet Park Elementary School	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Impact Academy	No Grade
Indianapolis Public Schools	Thrival Academy	No Grade
Indianapolis Public Schools	Arsenal Technical High School	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	Arlington Community Middle School	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	HW Longfellow Med/STEM Magnet Midl	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Crispus Attucks High School	B
Indianapolis Public Schools	Shortridge High School	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Cold Spring School	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Thomas D Gregg School 15	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Northwest Community Middle School	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	James A Garfield School 31	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Eleanor Skillen School 34	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Center for Inquiry School 70	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	William McKinley School 39	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	James Whitcomb Riley School 43	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Daniel Webster School 46	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Louis B Russell Jr School 48	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	William Penn School 49	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	James Russell Lowell School 51	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Brookside School 54	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	IPS/Butler Lab at Eliza Blaker 55	B
Indianapolis Public Schools	Francis W Parker School 56	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	George W Julian School 57	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	IPS/Butler Lab at William Bell 60	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	Raymond F Brandes School 65	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Stephen Foster School 67	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Joyce Kilmer School 69	B
Indianapolis Public Schools	Edison School of the Arts 47	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Theodore Potter School 74	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	Merle Sidener Gifted Academy	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Carl Wilde School 79	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Christian Park School 82	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Floro Torrence School 83	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	George Washington Carver School 87	B
Indianapolis Public Schools	Anna Brochhausen School 88	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Ernie Pyle School 90	B
Indianapolis Public Schools	Rousseau McClellan School 91	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	James & Rosemary Phalen Elementary	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Meredith Nicholson School 96	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Emma Donnan Elementary School	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	H L Harshman Middle School	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Phalen at Francis Scott Key 103	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Charles Warren Fairbanks Sch 105	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Robert Lee Frost School 106	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Lew Wallace School 107	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Jonathan Jennings School 109	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Paul I Miller School 114	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	George S Buck School 94	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Arlington Woods School 99	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Center For Inquiry School 2	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	George Washington High School	D
Indianapolis Public Schools	Center for Inquiry School 84	A
Indianapolis Public Schools	Clarence Farrington School 61	F
Indianapolis Public Schools	Center for Inquiry School 27	C
Indianapolis Public Schools	Frederick Douglass School 19	D
School Town of Speedway	Speedway Junior High School	A
School Town of Speedway	Speedway Senior High School	A
School Town of Speedway	James A Allison Elementary Sch 3	B
School Town of Speedway	Carl G Fisher Elementary School 1	A
School Town of Speedway	Arthur C Newby Elementary School 2	A
School Town of Speedway	Frank H Wheeler Elementary Sch 4	A
Culver Community Schools Corp	Culver Community Middle/High Sch	B
Culver Community Schools Corp	Culver Elementary School	C
Argos Community Schools	Argos Community Elementary	B
Argos Community Schools	Argos Comm Jr-Sr High School	B
Bremen Public Schools	Bremen Senior High School	A
Bremen Public Schools	Bremen Elementary/Middle School	B
Plymouth Community School Corp	Menominee Elementary School	C
Plymouth Community School Corp	Plymouth High School	B
Plymouth Community School Corp	Lincoln Junior High School	C
Plymouth Community School Corp	Riverside Intermediate	B
Plymouth Community School Corp	Jefferson Elementary School	D
Plymouth Community School Corp	Washington Discovery Academy	A
Plymouth Community School Corp	Webster Elementary School	D
Triton School Corporation	Triton Elementary School	B
Triton School Corporation	Triton Jr-Sr High School	A
Shoals Community School Corp	Shoals Community High School	B
Shoals Community School Corp	Shoals Community Elementary School	B
Shoals Community School Corp	Shoals Middle School	B
Loogootee Community Sch Corp	Loogootee Elementary School	A
Loogootee Community Sch Corp	Loogootee Middle School	B
Loogootee Community Sch Corp	Loogootee High School	B
Maconaquah School Corp	Pipe Creek Elementary School	D
Maconaquah School Corp	Maconaquah High School	A
Maconaquah School Corp	Maconaquah Middle School	C
Maconaquah School Corp	Maconaquah Elementary School	D
North Miami Community Schools	North Miami Middle/High School	B
North Miami Community Schools	North Miami Elementary School	B
Oak Hill United School Corp	Oak Hill Junior High School	B
Oak Hill United School Corp	Swayzee Elementary School	B
Oak Hill United School Corp	Oak Hill High School	A
Oak Hill United School Corp	Converse Elementary School	B
Oak Hill United School Corp	Sweetser Elementary School	B
Peru Community Schools	Peru High School	B
Peru Community Schools	Peru Junior High School	B
Peru Community Schools	Blair Pointe Upper Elementary	B
Peru Community Schools	Elmwood Primary Learning Center	B
Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Edgewood High School	B
Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Edgewood Junior High School	A
Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Edgewood Primary School	B
Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Edgewood Intermediate School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Unionville Elementary School	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Lakeview Elementary School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Grandview Elementary School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Highland Park Elementary School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Summit Elementary School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington High School South	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington High School North	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Tri-North Middle School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Lora L Batchelor Middle School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Binford Elementary School	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Arlington Heights Elementary Sch	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Childs Elementary School	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Clear Creek Elementary School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Fairview Elementary School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	The Acad of Sci & Entrepreneurship	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Marlin Elementary School	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Rogers Elementary School	A
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington Graduation School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Jackson Creek Middle School	B
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Templeton Elementary School	C
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	University Elementary School	A
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Pleasant Hill Elementary School	B
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Lester B Sommer Elementary School	A
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Northridge Middle School	B
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Sugar Creek Elementary School	B
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	North Montgomery High School	A
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Ladoga Elementary School	A
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Southmont Sr High School	A
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Walnut Elementary School	A
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Southmont Jr High School	B
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	New Market Elementary School	A
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Crawfordsville Sr High School	B
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Crawfordsville Middle School	C
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Mollie B Hoover Elementary School	C
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Laura Hose Elementary School	C
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Meredith Nicholson Elementary Sch	C
Monroe-Gregg School District	Monrovia Middle School	C
Monroe-Gregg School District	Monrovia High School	A
Monroe-Gregg School District	Monrovia Elementary School	B
Eminence Community School Corp	Eminence Jr-Sr High School	C
Eminence Community School Corp	Eminence Elementary School	C
M S D Martinsville Schools	Green Township Elementary School	C
M S D Martinsville Schools	Martinsville High School	A
M S D Martinsville Schools	John R. Wooden Middle School	A
M S D Martinsville Schools	Bell Intermediate Academy	A
M S D Martinsville Schools	Brooklyn STEM Academy	B
M S D Martinsville Schools	Centerton Elementary School	A
M S D Martinsville Schools	South Elementary School	B
M S D Martinsville Schools	Charles L Smith Arts Academy	B
M S D Martinsville Schools	Paragon Elementary School	B
M S D Martinsville Schools	Poston Road Elementary School	A
Mooresville Con School Corp	Mooresville High School	B
Mooresville Con School Corp	Paul Hadley Middle School	B
Mooresville Con School Corp	Neil Armstrong Elementary School	B
Mooresville Con School Corp	Newby Memorial Elementary School	A
Mooresville Con School Corp	North Madison Elementary School	B
Mooresville Con School Corp	Northwood Elementary School	B
Mooresville Con School Corp	Waverly Elementary School	A
North Newton School Corp	Morocco Elementary School	C
North Newton School Corp	Lake Village Elementary School	B
North Newton School Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	C
North Newton School Corp	North Newton Jr-Sr High School	C
South Newton School Corp	South Newton Senior High School	A
South Newton School Corp	South Newton Elementary School	B
South Newton School Corp	South Newton Middle School	B
Central Noble Com School Corp	Central Noble Primary School	C
Central Noble Com School Corp	Central Noble Junior Senior HS	B
Central Noble Com School Corp	Central Noble Elementary School	D
East Noble School Corporation	Avilla Elementary School	C
East Noble School Corporation	East Noble High School	A
East Noble School Corporation	East Noble Middle School	C
East Noble School Corporation	Rome City Elementary School	C
East Noble School Corporation	North Side Elementary School	C
East Noble School Corporation	South Side Elementary School	C
East Noble School Corporation	Wayne Center Elem School	C
West Noble School Corporation	West Noble High School	B
West Noble School Corporation	West Noble Primary School	B
West Noble School Corporation	West Noble Middle School	B
West Noble School Corporation	West Noble Elementary School	B
Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Ohio County Elementary School	B
Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Ohio County Middle School	A
Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Rising Sun High School	A
Orleans Community Schools	Orleans Jr-Sr High School	B
Orleans Community Schools	Orleans Elementary School	B
Paoli Community School Corp	Paoli Jr & Sr High School	B
Paoli Community School Corp	Throop Elementary School	C
Springs Valley Com School Corp	Springs Valley Comm High School	C
Springs Valley Com School Corp	Springs Valley Elementary School	B
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Owen Valley Middle School	C
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Patricksburg Elementary School	D
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Gosport Elementary School	A
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Owen Valley Community High School	B
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Spencer Elementary School	C
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	McCormick's Creek Elementary Sch	B
Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	Rosedale Elementary School	C
Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	Riverton Parke Jr-Sr High School	B
Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	Montezuma Elementary School	C
Perry Central Com Schools Corp	Perry Central Elementary School	B
Perry Central Com Schools Corp	Perry Central Jr-Sr High School	A
Cannelton City Schools	Cannelton Elementary & High School	D
Tell City-Troy Twp School Corp	Tell City Jr-Sr High School	A
Tell City-Troy Twp School Corp	William Tell Elementary School	C
North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	Rockville Elementary School	C
North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	Turkey Run Elementary School	C
North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	Parke Heritage Middle School	C
North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	Parke Heritage High School	A
Pike County School Corp	Pike Central High School	B
Pike County School Corp	Pike Central Middle School	C
Pike County School Corp	Winslow Elementary School	C
Pike County School Corp	Petersburg Elementary School	C
M S D Boone Township	Hebron High School	A
M S D Boone Township	Hebron Middle School	B
M S D Boone Township	Hebron Elementary School	C
Duneland School Corporation	Jackson Elementary School	A
Duneland School Corporation	Brummitt Elementary School	B
Duneland School Corporation	Liberty Intermediate School	A
Duneland School Corporation	Liberty Elementary School	A
Duneland School Corporation	Chesterton Senior High School	A
Duneland School Corporation	Westchester Intermediate School	C
Duneland School Corporation	Bailly Elementary School	B
Duneland School Corporation	Chesterton Middle School	C
Duneland School Corporation	Newton Yost Elementary School	B
East Porter County School Corp	Morgan Township Middle/High School	A
East Porter County School Corp	Morgan Township Elementary School	A
East Porter County School Corp	Kouts Middle/High School	B
East Porter County School Corp	Kouts Elementary School	B
East Porter County School Corp	Washington Twp Middle/High School	A
East Porter County School Corp	Washington Twp Elementary School	B
Porter Township School Corp	Boone Grove Elementary School	C
Porter Township School Corp	Boone Grove High School	A
Porter Township School Corp	Boone Grove Middle School	B
Porter Township School Corp	Porter Lakes Elementary School	C
Union Township School Corp	Wheeler High School	A
Union Township School Corp	Union Township Middle School	A
Union Township School Corp	Union Center Elementary School	A
Union Township School Corp	John Simatovich Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	Portage High School	B
Portage Township Schools	Wallace Aylesworth Elementary	B
Portage Township Schools	William Fegely Middle School	B
Portage Township Schools	Crisman Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	Central Elementary School	C
Portage Township Schools	Ethel R Jones Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	Willowcreek Middle School	B
Portage Township Schools	Rowena Kyle Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	Paul Saylor Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	George L Myers Elementary School	B
Portage Township Schools	South Haven Elementary School	B
Valparaiso Community Schools	Valparaiso High School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Benjamin Franklin Middle School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Thomas Jefferson Middle School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Central Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Flint Lake Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Cooks Corners Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Heavilin Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Memorial Elementary School	B
Valparaiso Community Schools	Northview Elementary School	A
Valparaiso Community Schools	Parkview Elementary School	A
M S D Mount Vernon	Mount Vernon High School	A
M S D Mount Vernon	Mount Vernon Jr High School	B
M S D Mount Vernon	West Elementary School	A
M S D Mount Vernon	Farmersville Elementary School	A
M S D Mount Vernon	Marrs Elementary School	A
M S D North Posey Co Schools	North Posey Junior High School	B
M S D North Posey Co Schools	North Posey High School	A
M S D North Posey Co Schools	North Elementary School	C
M S D North Posey Co Schools	South Terrace Elementary	A
Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	Eastern Pulaski Elementary School	C
Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	Winamac Community Middle School	B
Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	Winamac Community High School	A
West Central School Corp	West Central Senior High School	A
West Central School Corp	West Central Elementary School	D
West Central School Corp	West Central Middle School	C
South Putnam Community Schools	Central Elementary School	B
South Putnam Community Schools	South Putnam Middle School	C
South Putnam Community Schools	Fillmore Elementary School	A
South Putnam Community Schools	South Putnam High School	B
North Putnam Community Schools	Bainbridge Elementary School	C
North Putnam Community Schools	Roachdale Elementary School	B
North Putnam Community Schools	North Putnam Middle School	B
North Putnam Community Schools	North Putnam Sr High School	A
Cloverdale Community Schools	Cloverdale High School	A
Cloverdale Community Schools	Cloverdale Elementary School	B
Cloverdale Community Schools	Cloverdale Middle School	B
Greencastle Community School Corp	Greencastle Senior High School	B
Greencastle Community School Corp	Greencastle Middle School	C
Greencastle Community School Corp	Tzouanakis Intermediate School	C
Greencastle Community School Corp	Martha J Ridpath Elementary School	C
Greencastle Community School Corp	Deer Meadow Primary School	C
Union School Corporation	Union Elementary School	F
Union School Corporation	Union Junior & High School	C
Union School Corporation	Indiana Digital Elementary	D
Union School Corporation	Indiana Digital JR and High School	C
Union School Corporation	Indiana Digital Alternative School	No Grade
Randolph Southern School Corp	Randolph Southern Elementary Sch	A
Randolph Southern School Corp	Randolph Southern Jr-Sr High Sch	B
Monroe Central School Corp	Monroe Central Jr-Sr High School	B
Monroe Central School Corp	Monroe Central Elementary School	A
Randolph Central School Corp	Winchester Community High School	B
Randolph Central School Corp	Lee L Driver Middle School	C
Randolph Central School Corp	O R Baker Elementary School	B
Randolph Central School Corp	Willard Elementary School	B
Randolph Central School Corp	Deerfield Elementary School	A
Randolph Eastern School Corp	Union City Community Jr/Sr High	C
Randolph Eastern School Corp	North Side Elementary School	A
South Ripley Com Sch Corp	South Ripley Junior High School	A
South Ripley Com Sch Corp	South Ripley Elementary School	A
South Ripley Com Sch Corp	South Ripley High School	B
Batesville Community School Corp	Batesville High School	A
Batesville Community School Corp	Batesville Primary School	B
Batesville Community School Corp	Batesville Middle School	A
Batesville Community School Corp	Batesville Intermediate School	B
Jac-Cen-Del Community Sch Corp	Jac-Cen-Del MS/HS	A
Jac-Cen-Del Community Sch Corp	Jac-Cen-Del Elementary School	B
Milan Community Schools	Milan High School	A
Milan Community Schools	Milan Middle School	B
Milan Community Schools	Milan Elementary School	B
Milan Community Schools	Milan Intermediate School	B
Rush County Schools	Milroy Elementary School	B
Rush County Schools	Arlington Elementary School	A
Rush County Schools	Rushville Elementary School East	A
Rush County Schools	Rushville Elementary School West	C
Rush County Schools	Rushville Consolidated High School	A
Rush County Schools	Benjamin Rush Middle School	C
John Glenn School Corporation	Harold C Urey Middle School	B
John Glenn School Corporation	John Glenn High School	A
John Glenn School Corporation	North Liberty School	A
John Glenn School Corporation	Walkerton Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Walt Disney Elementary School	B
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Prairie Vista Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Mary Frank Harris Elementary Sch	B
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Schmucker Middle School	B
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Virgil I Grissom Middle School	C
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Madison Elementary School	B
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Penn High School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Elm Road Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Elsie Rogers Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Discovery Middle School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Moran Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Bittersweet Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Horizon Elementary School	A
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Meadow's Edge Elementary School	C
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Northpoint Elementary School	A
School City of Mishawaka	Fred J Hums Elementary School	C
School City of Mishawaka	Mishawaka High School	B
School City of Mishawaka	John J Young Middle School	C
School City of Mishawaka	Battell Elementary School	C
School City of Mishawaka	Beiger Elementary School	D
School City of Mishawaka	Liberty Elementary School	C
School City of Mishawaka	Emmons Elementary School	D
School City of Mishawaka	Lasalle Elementary School	D
School City of Mishawaka	Twin Branch Elementary School	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Hay Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Warren Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Clay High School	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Clay International Academy	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Darden Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Swanson Traditional School	B
South Bend Community School Corp	Adams High School	A
South Bend Community School Corp	Jackson Middle School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	LaSalle Academy	B
South Bend Community School Corp	Riley High School	B
South Bend Community School Corp	Washington High School	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Coquillard Elementary School	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Rise Up Academy at Eggleston	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Edison Middle School	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Harrison Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Marshall Traditional School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Jefferson Traditional School	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Kennedy Academy	B
South Bend Community School Corp	Dickinson Fine Arts Academy	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Lincoln Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	McKinley Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Marquette Montessori Academy	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Monroe Elementary School	D
South Bend Community School Corp	Wilson Elementary School	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Muessel Elementary School	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Navarre Middle School	F
South Bend Community School Corp	Nuner Fine Arts Academy	C
South Bend Community School Corp	Tarkington Elementary School	A
Union-North United School Corp	LaVille Jr-Sr High School	B
Union-North United School Corp	LaVille Elementary School	B
Scott County School District 1	Austin High School	B
Scott County School District 1	Austin Elementary School	C
Scott County School District 1	Austin Middle School	C
Scott County School District 2	Johnson Elementary School	A
Scott County School District 2	Lexington Elementary School	B
Scott County School District 2	Scottsburg Senior High School	B
Scott County School District 2	Scottsburg Middle School	C
Scott County School District 2	Scottsburg Elem School	B
Scott County School District 2	Vienna-Finley Elementary School	B
Shelby Eastern Schools	Morristown Jr-Sr High School	B
Shelby Eastern Schools	Morristown Elementary School	B
Shelby Eastern Schools	Waldron Jr-Sr High School	C
Shelby Eastern Schools	Waldron Elementary School	C
Northwestern Con School Corp	Triton Central High School	A
Northwestern Con School Corp	Triton Central Elementary School	B
Northwestern Con School Corp	Triton Central Middle School	B
Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co	Southwestern High School	B
Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co	Southwestern Elementary School	C
Shelbyville Central Schools	Shelbyville Sr High School	B
Shelbyville Central Schools	Shelbyville Middle School	B
Shelbyville Central Schools	Coulston Elementary School	B
Shelbyville Central Schools	Thomas A Hendricks Elementary Sch	C
Shelbyville Central Schools	William F Loper Elementary School	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Chrisney Elementary School	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	David Turnham Education Center	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Nancy Hanks Elementary School	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Heritage Hills High School	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Heritage Hills Middle School	A
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Lincoln Trail Elementary School	A
South Spencer County Sch Corp	Luce Elementary School	B
South Spencer County Sch Corp	South Spencer High School	B
South Spencer County Sch Corp	South Spencer Middle School	A
South Spencer County Sch Corp	Rockport-Ohio Elementary School	B
Oregon-Davis School Corp	Oregon-Davis Elementary School	A
Oregon-Davis School Corp	Oregon-Davis Jr-Sr High School	C
North Judson-San Pierre Sch Corp	N Judson-San Pierre Jr Sr High Sch	B
North Judson-San Pierre Sch Corp	North Judson-San Pierre Elem Sch	C
Knox Community School Corp	Knox Community High School	A
Knox Community School Corp	Knox Community Middle School	D
Knox Community School Corp	Knox Community Elementary School	B
Fremont Community Schools	Fremont High School	A
Fremont Community Schools	Fremont Elementary School	B
Fremont Community Schools	Fremont Middle School	A
Hamilton Community Schools	Hamilton Community High School	B
Hamilton Community Schools	Hamilton Community Elementary Sch	C
M S D Steuben County	Angola High School	B
M S D Steuben County	Angola Middle School	C
M S D Steuben County	Carlin Park Elementary School	C
M S D Steuben County	Ryan Park Elementary School	C
M S D Steuben County	Hendry Park Elementary School	C
M S D Steuben County	Pleasant Lake Elementary School	C
Northeast School Corp	North Central Jr/Sr High School	A
Northeast School Corp	Northeast North Elementary School	B
Northeast School Corp	Northeast East Elementary School	A
Southwest School Corp	Carlisle Elementary School	A
Southwest School Corp	Carlisle Middle School	A
Southwest School Corp	Sullivan High School	A
Southwest School Corp	Sullivan Middle School	C
Southwest School Corp	Sullivan Elementary School	B
Switzerland County School Corp	Jefferson-Craig Elementary School	C
Switzerland County School Corp	Switzerland Co Middle School	D
Switzerland County School Corp	Switzerland Co Senior High School	B
Switzerland County School Corp	Switzerland Co Elementary School	D
Lafayette School Corporation	Oakland High School	F
Lafayette School Corporation	Jefferson High School	B
Lafayette School Corporation	Lafayette Sunnyside Intermediate	D
Lafayette School Corporation	Lafayette Tecumseh Jr High School	D
Lafayette School Corporation	Edgelea Elementary School	A
Lafayette School Corporation	Glen Acres Elementary School	A
Lafayette School Corporation	Miami Elementary School	C
Lafayette School Corporation	Thomas Miller Elementary School	C
Lafayette School Corporation	Murdock Elementary School	A
Lafayette School Corporation	Oakland Elementary School	A
Lafayette School Corporation	Vinton Elementary School	C
Lafayette School Corporation	Amelia Earhart Elementary School	C
Tippecanoe School Corp	McCutcheon High School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Mayflower Mill Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Wyandotte Elementary	A
Tippecanoe School Corp	Hershey Elementary School	A
Tippecanoe School Corp	Mintonye Elementary School	C
Tippecanoe School Corp	Dayton Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Burnett Creek Elementary School	A
Tippecanoe School Corp	Wea Ridge Elementary School	C
Tippecanoe School Corp	Battle Ground Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Battle Ground Middle School	D
Tippecanoe School Corp	Wainwright Middle School	D
Tippecanoe School Corp	William Henry Harrison High School	A
Tippecanoe School Corp	East Tipp Middle School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	James Cole Elementary School	A
Tippecanoe School Corp	Klondike Middle School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Klondike Elementary School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Southwestern Middle School	C
Tippecanoe School Corp	Wea Ridge Middle School	B
Tippecanoe School Corp	Woodland Elementary School	C
West Lafayette Com School Corp	West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School	A
West Lafayette Com School Corp	West Lafayette Intermediate School	A
West Lafayette Com School Corp	West Lafayette Elementary School	A
Tri-Central Community Schools	Tri Central Elementary	C
Tri-Central Community Schools	Tri Central Middle-High School	C
Tipton Community School Corp	Tipton Elementary School	B
Tipton Community School Corp	Tipton Middle School	C
Tipton Community School Corp	Tipton High School	B
Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	Union County High School	B
Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	Union County Middle School	B
Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	Liberty Elementary School	A
Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	College Corner Union Elem School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Cynthia Heights Elementary School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Scott Elementary School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	North Junior High School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Oak Hill Elementary	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Benjamin Bosse High School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Central High School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	McCutchanville Elementary School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Francis Joseph Reitz High School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Lincoln School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	North High School	A
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Caze Elementary School	F
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Cedar Hall Community School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Academy for Innovative Studies	F
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Harwood Career Prep High School	No Grade
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Delaware Elementary School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Dexter Elementary School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Fairlawn Elementary School	C
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Glenwood Leadership Academy	F
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Harper Elementary School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	William Henry Harrison High School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Hebron Elementary School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Helfrich Park STEM Academy	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Stockwell Elementary School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Thompkins Middle School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Highland Elementary School	C
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	New Tech Institute	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Lodge Community School	F
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	McGary Middle School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Perry Heights Middle School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Plaza Park International Prep Acad	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Evans School	F
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Stringtown Elementary School	C
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Tekoppel Elementary School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Vogel Elementary School	C
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Washington Middle School	D
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Daniel Wertz Elementary School	B
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	West Terrace Elementary School	A
North Vermillion Com Sch Corp	North Vermillion High School	C
North Vermillion Com Sch Corp	North Vermillion Elementary School	B
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	Central Elementary School	B
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	Ernie Pyle Elementary School	C
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	South Vermillion High School	B
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	South Vermillion Middle School	C
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	Van Duyn Elementary School	D
Vigo County School Corp	Terre Haute North Vigo High School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Honey Creek Middle School	B
Vigo County School Corp	West Vigo High School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Terre Haute South Vigo High School	A
Vigo County School Corp	West Vigo Middle School	D
Vigo County School Corp	Otter Creek Middle School	C
Vigo County School Corp	Sarah Scott Middle School	C
Vigo County School Corp	Vigo Virtual School Academy	No Grade
Vigo County School Corp	Woodrow Wilson Middle School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Sugar Creek Consolidated Elem Sch	B
Vigo County School Corp	Davis Park Elementary School	C
Vigo County School Corp	Deming Elementary School	D
Vigo County School Corp	Adelaide De Vaney Elementary Sch	A
Vigo County School Corp	Dixie Bee Elementary School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Farrington Grove Elementary School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Fayette Elementary School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Rio Grande Elementary School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Benjamin Franklin Elem School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Blanche E Fuqua Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Hoosier Prairie Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Lost Creek Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Meadows Elementary School	C
Vigo County School Corp	Ouabache Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Riley Elementary School	A
Vigo County School Corp	Sugar Grove Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Terre Town Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	West Vigo Elementary School	B
Vigo County School Corp	Booker T Washington Alt Sch	No Grade
Vigo County School Corp	McLean Education Center (Alt)	No Grade
Manchester Community Schools	Manchester Jr-Sr High School	B
Manchester Community Schools	Manchester Elementary School	B
Manchester Community Schools	Manchester Intermediate School	B
M S D Wabash County Schools	Northfield Jr-Sr High School	B
M S D Wabash County Schools	Southwood Jr-Sr High School	B
M S D Wabash County Schools	Southwood Elementary School	C
M S D Wabash County Schools	Sharp Creek Elementary School	A
M S D Wabash County Schools	White's Jr-Sr High School	No Grade
M S D Wabash County Schools	Metro North Elementary School	A
Wabash City Schools	Wabash High School	B
Wabash City Schools	Wabash Middle School	C
Wabash City Schools	O J Neighbours Elementary School	C
M S D Warren County	Williamsport Elementary School	C
M S D Warren County	Pine Village Elementary School	B
M S D Warren County	Seeger Memorial Jr-Sr High School	A
M S D Warren County	Warren Central Elementary School	B
Warrick County School Corp	Castle South Middle School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Yankeetown Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	John H Castle Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Elberfeld Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Tecumseh Middle School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Tecumseh High School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Lynnville Elementary School	B
Warrick County School Corp	Castle North Middle School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Loge Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Tennyson Elementary School	B
Warrick County School Corp	Boonville High School	B
Warrick County School Corp	Boonville Middle School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Oakdale Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Castle High School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Chandler Elementary School	B
Warrick County School Corp	Newburgh Elementary School	A
Warrick County School Corp	Sharon Elementary School	A
Salem Community Schools	Salem High School	A
Salem Community Schools	Salem Middle School	D
Salem Community Schools	Bradie Shrum Elementary	C
East Washington School Corp	East Washington Elementary School	B
East Washington School Corp	Eastern High School	B
East Washington School Corp	East Washington Middle School	C
West Washington School Corp	West Washington Jr-Sr High School	B
West Washington School Corp	West Washington Elementary School	A
Nettle Creek School Corporation	Hagerstown Jr-Sr High School	B
Nettle Creek School Corporation	Hagerstown Elementary School	A
Western Wayne Schools	Lincoln Sr High School	A
Western Wayne Schools	Lincoln Middle School	D
Western Wayne Schools	Western Wayne Elementary School	C
Centerville-Abington Com Schs	Centerville Sr High School	A
Centerville-Abington Com Schs	Centerville-Abington Jr High Sch	B
Centerville-Abington Com Schs	Centerville-Abington Elem School	B
Centerville-Abington Com Schs	Rose Hamilton Elementary School	B
Northeastern Wayne Schools	Northeastern High School	B
Northeastern Wayne Schools	Northeastern Elementary School	A
Northeastern Wayne Schools	Northeastern Middle School	A
Richmond Community Schools	Richmond High School	B
Richmond Community Schools	Test Intermediate School	D
Richmond Community Schools	Dennis Intermediate School	D
Richmond Community Schools	Charles Elementary School	B
Richmond Community Schools	Crestdale Elementary School	B
Richmond Community Schools	Fairview Elementary School	F
Richmond Community Schools	Starr Elementary School	B
Richmond Community Schools	Vaile Elementary School	D
Richmond Community Schools	Westview Elementary School	C
Southern Wells Com Schools	Southern Wells Elementary School	C
Southern Wells Com Schools	Southern Wells Jr-Sr High School	B
Northern Wells Com Schools	Ossian Elementary	B
Northern Wells Com Schools	Lancaster Central School	A
Northern Wells Com Schools	Norwell High School	A
Northern Wells Com Schools	Norwell Middle School	B
M S D Bluffton-Harrison	Bluffton High School	A
M S D Bluffton-Harrison	Bluffton-Harrison Middle School	C
M S D Bluffton-Harrison	Bluffton-Harrison Elementary Sch	C
North White School Corp	North White Elementary School	B
North White School Corp	North White Middle School	C
North White School Corp	North White High School	B
Frontier School Corporation	Frontier Elementary	A
Frontier School Corporation	Frontier Jr-Sr High School	B
Tri-County School Corporation	Tri-County Primary School	A
Tri-County School Corporation	Tri-County Jr/Sr High School	B
Tri-County School Corporation	Tri-County Intermediate School	A
Twin Lakes School Corp	Eastlawn Elementary School	B
Twin Lakes School Corp	Twin Lakes Senior High School	B
Twin Lakes School Corp	Roosevelt Middle School	B
Twin Lakes School Corp	Oaklawn Elementary School	B
Twin Lakes School Corp	Meadowlawn Elementary School	C
Smith-Green Community Schools	Churubusco Jr-Sr High School	A
Smith-Green Community Schools	Churubusco Elementary School	C
Purdue Polytechnic High Sch North	Purdue Polytechnic High Sch North	No Grade
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Little Turtle Elementary School	B
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Coesse School	C
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Indian Springs Middle School	B
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Northern Heights Elementary School	C
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Columbia City High School	B
Whitley Co Cons Schools	Mary Raber Elementary School	C
Invent Learning Hub	Invent Learning Hub	No Grade
James & Rosemary Phalen Elementary	James & Rosemary Phalen Elementary	A
Dynamic Minds Academy	Dynamic Minds Academy	No Grade
CSUSA Howe	Thomas Carr Howe Comm High School	C
CSUSA Manual	Emmerich Manual High School	C
Edison Learning Roosevelt	Theodore Roosevelt Car & Tech Acad	A
CSUSA Donnan	Emma Donnan Middle School	C
Ignite Achievement Academy	Ignite Achievement Academy	C
Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind	Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind	No Grade
Otwell Miller Academy	Otwell Miller Academy	No Grade
Indiana Connections Career Academy	Indiana Connections Career Academy	No Grade
Avondale Meadows Middle School	Avondale Meadows Middle School	A
J & R Phalen Leadership Academy	J & R Phalen Leadership Academy	A
Paramount Community Heights	Paramount Community Heights	No Grade
Allegiant Preparatory Academy	Allegiant Preparatory Academy	No Grade
Vanguard Collegiate of Indy	Vanguard Collegiate of Indy	No Grade
pilotED Schools	pilotED Schools Bethel Park	No Grade
Matchbook Learning	Matchbook Learning	D
Urban ACT Academy	Urban ACT Academy	F
Kindezi Academy	Kindezi Academy	No Grade
Insight School of Indiana	Insight School of Indiana	C
KIPP Indy Legacy High	KIPP Indy Legacy High	No Grade
Riverside High School	Riverside High School	A
Circle City Prep Charter School	Circle City Prep Charter School	No Grade
Paramount Englewood	Paramount Englewood	No Grade
Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle	Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Bartholomew School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St John Paul II Catholic School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Anthony of Padua	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Sacred Heart School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Our Lady Of Providence High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Nicholas School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Mary School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Lawrence School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Mary's School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Gabriel Catholic School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Holy Family School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Our Lady Of Perpetual School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Mary of-the-Knobs Catholic Sch	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Michael School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Michael School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Joseph School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Malachy School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Susanna School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Ambrose School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Shawe Memorial High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Pope John XXIII Elementary School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Mary School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Rose of Lima School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Our Lady of the Greenwood School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	SS Francis and Clare Catholic Sch	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Vincent DePaul School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Nativity Catholic School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Lawrence School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Barnabas School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Jude Elementary School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Mark School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Roch School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Roncalli High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Holy Spirit School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Luke School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Matthew School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Monica School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Pius X School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Holy Name Catholic School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Christ The King School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Holy Angels Catholic School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Holy Cross Central School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Immaculate Heart of Mary School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Our Lady Of Lourdes School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Anthony Catholic School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Providence Cristo Rey High School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Central Catholic School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Joan Of Arc School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Michael The Archangel School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Philip Neri School	D
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Simon The Apostle School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	St Therese Little Flower School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Thomas Aquinas School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Cathedral High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Bishop Chatard High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Scecina Memorial High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Cardinal Ritter High School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Christopher School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Charles Boromeo School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Louis School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Oldenburg Academy	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Mary Elementary School	C
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Joseph School	B
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Saint Patrick School	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Seton Catholic Elementary	A
Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Seton Catholic High School	B
Diocese of Gary	Aquinas School at St Andrew's	B
Diocese of Gary	Andrean High School	A
Diocese of Gary	Saint Michael School	A
Diocese of Gary	Saint John Evangelist School	A
Diocese of Gary	Saint Mary Catholic Comm School	A
Diocese of Gary	St Stanislaus School	B
Diocese of Gary	Saint Mary School	B
Diocese of Gary	Saint Casimir School	C
Diocese of Gary	Saint John Bosco School	B
Diocese of Gary	Saint John The Baptist School	B
Diocese of Gary	Bishop Noll Institute	A
Diocese of Gary	Our Lady Of Grace School	B
Diocese of Gary	Saint Thomas More School	A
Diocese of Gary	Notre Dame Catholic School	A
Diocese of Gary	Queen Of All Saints School	C
Diocese of Gary	Saint Stanislaus Kostka School	B
Diocese of Gary	Marquette Catholic High School	A
Diocese of Gary	Saint Patrick School	A
Diocese of Gary	Nativity of Our Savior School	A
Diocese of Gary	Saint Paul Catholic School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Sacred Heart School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Lawrence School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Mary School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Paul Parish School	C
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Our Lady Of Mt Carmel School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Maria Goretti School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Louis de Montfort School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Our Lady of Grace School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Guerin Catholic High School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Sts Joan of Arc & Patrick School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Augustine School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Mary School	C
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Holy Cross School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Central Catholic Jr-Sr High School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Boniface School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Lawrence Elementary School	A
Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Saint Mary Cathedral School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Washington Catholic Mid/High Sch	C
Diocese of Evansville	Washington Catholic Elementary Sch	A
Diocese of Evansville	Holy Trinity Catholic School	A
Diocese of Evansville	St Joseph School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Holy Cross School	B
Diocese of Evansville	Saint James School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Saints Peter & Paul School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Rivet Middle & High School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Flaget Elementary School	B
Diocese of Evansville	St Matthew School	B
Diocese of Evansville	St Philip School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Saint Wendel School	A
Diocese of Evansville	St Bernard Catholic School	B
Diocese of Evansville	Mater Dei High School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Reitz Memorial High School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Annuc Cthlc Sch @ Christ the King	A
Diocese of Evansville	Corpus Christi School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Good Shepherd School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Holy Redeemer School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Holy Rosary School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Annunciation Cthlc at Holy Spirit	C
Diocese of Evansville	Westside Catholic School	A
Diocese of Evansville	St Benedict Cathedral School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Saint Joseph School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Resurrection School	A
Diocese of Evansville	Saint John The Baptist School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Joseph School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Sch	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Our Lady School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Bishop Dwenger High School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Bishop Luers High School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Most Precious Blood School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Queen Of Angels School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Charles Borromeo School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint John The Baptist School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Joseph Catholic School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Jude Elementary School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Therese School	C
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Vincent DePaul School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Aloysius Catholic School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Rose of Lima School	C
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	St Joseph Hessen Cassel Cath Sch	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint John The Baptist Catholic	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Louis Besancon Catholic Sch	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Joseph School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	St Thomas The Apostle School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	St Vincent de Paul School	D
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	St John Evangelist School	C
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Huntington Catholic School	C
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Sacred Heart School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Michael School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Mary Elementary School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	St Pius X Catholic School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Marian High School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Mishawaka Catholic School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Queen of Peace School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Joseph High School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Christ The King School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Corpus Christi School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Holy Cross School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Holy Family School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Our Lady Of Hungary School	B
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Adalbert School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Anthony De Padua School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint John The Baptist School	C
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Joseph School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Jude Catholic School	A
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Matthew Cathedral School	D
Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	Saint Bernard Elementary School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	St Peter Immanuel Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Concordia Lutheran High School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Concordia Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Emmanuel St Michael Lutheran Sch	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Emmaus Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Holy Cross Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Lutheran South Unity School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint Paul Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Ascension Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint Peter's Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	St John-Emmanuel Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Central Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Woodburn Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	White Creek Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint Peter Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint John Ev Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Trinity Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Zion Lutheran School	No Grade
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint John Lutheran School	D
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Redeemer Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Immanuel Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint John Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Trinity Lutheran High School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Lutheran Central School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Trinity Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Ascension Lutheran Christian Schl	No Grade
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Trinity Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	St Paul's Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint John Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Holy Cross Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Lutheran High School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Calvary Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Trinity Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint John Ev Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Our Shepherd Lutheran School	C
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Emmaus Lutheran School	No Grade
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	St John Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Immanuel Lutheran School	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Resurrection Lutheran Academy	A
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint Peter Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Saint James Lutheran School	B
Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Evansville Lutheran School	B
The Oaks Academy	The Oaks Academy - Brookside	B
The Oaks Academy	The Oaks Academy - Fall Creek	B
The Oaks Academy	The Oaks Academy - Middle School	A
Charter School of the Dunes	Charter School of the Dunes	D
Signature School Inc	Signature School Inc	A
Community Montessori Inc	Community Montessori	B
Options Charter School - Carmel	Options Charter School - Carmel	UNDER APPEAL
Irvington Community School	Irvington Community School	C
Timothy L Johnson Academy	Timothy L Johnson Academy	D
Enlace Academy	Enlace Academy	A
Christel House Academy South	Christel House Academy South	C
Christel House Academy West	Christel House Academy West	D
KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	A
KIPP Indy Unite Elementary	KIPP Indy Unite Elementary	No Grade
Tindley Genesis Academy	Tindley Genesis Academy	A
Tindley Summit Academy	Tindley Summit Academy	C
Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch	Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch	A
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	D
Rural Community Schools Inc	Rural Community Academy	C
SE Neighborhood Sch of Excellence	SE Neighborhood Sch of Excellence	D
Joshua Academy	Joshua Academy	B
Indiana Agriculture and Technology	Indiana Agriculture and Technology	No Grade
Gary Lighthouse Charter School	Gary Lighthouse Charter School	C
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary	21st Century Charter Sch of Gary	C
East Chicago Urban Enterprise Acad	East Chicago Urban Enterprise Acad	D
Indpls Lighthouse Charter School	Victory College Prep Academy	B
East Chicago Lighthouse Charter	East Chicago Lighthouse	D
Andrew J Brown Academy	Andrew J Brown Academy	C
Burris Laboratory School	Burris Laboratory School	A
IN Acad for Sci Math & Humanities	Indiana Academy for Sci Math Hmn	A
Options Charter School Noblesville	Options Charter School Noblesville	UNDER APPEAL
Avondale Meadows Academy	Avondale Meadows Academy	D
Herron Charter	Herron High School	A
Hope Academy	Hope Academy	No Grade
Geist Montessori Academy	Geist Montessori Academy	B
Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch	Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch	B
Paramount School Of Excellence Inc	Paramount Brookside	A
Aspire Charter Academy	Aspire Charter Academy	D
Renaissance Academy Charter School	Renaissance Academy Charter School	B
Hammond Academy of Science & Tech	Hammond Academy of Science & Tech	B
Canaan Community Academy	Canaan Community Academy	D
Neighbors' New Vistas High School	Neighbors' New Vistas High School	F
Inspire Academy - A Sch of Inquiry	Inspire Academy - A Sch of Inquiry	D
Smith Academy for Excellence	Smith Academy for Excellence	D
IN Math & Science Academy	IN Math & Science Academy	C
Anderson Preparatory Academy	Anderson Preparatory Academy	B
Hoosier Academy - Indianapolis	Hoosier Academy - Indianapolis	C
The Bloomington Project School	The Bloomington Project School	A
Discovery Charter School	Discovery Charter School	B
Rock Creek Community Academy	Rock Creek Community Academy	B
Career Academy High School	Career Academy High School	A
IN Math & Science Academy - North	IN Math & Science Academy - North	C
Indiana Connections Academy	Indiana Connections Academy	D
Damar Charter Academy	Damar Charter Academy	No Grade
Phalen Leadership Academy - IN Inc	Phalen Leadership Academy - IN Inc	A
Vision Academy	Vision Academy	D
Dugger Union Community School Corp	Dugger Union Community School Corp	C
Mays Community Academy	Mays Community Academy	A
Success Academy Primary School	Success Academy Primary School	B
Career Academy Middle School	Career Academy Middle School	A
ACE Preparatory Academy	ACE Preparatory Academy	No Grade
Global Preparatory Academy	Global Preparatory Academy	No Grade
Steel City Academy	Steel City Academy	A
Seven Oaks Classical School	Seven Oaks Classical School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Bloomington Islamic School	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Dana Christian School	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Riverview Adventist Christian Acad	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Illiana Christian High School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Apogee School For The Gifted	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Blackhawk Christian Mdl/High Sch	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Blackhawk Christian Elementary Sch	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Cornerstone College Prep Sch	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Central Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Aboite Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Crossroad Child & Family Services	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Horizon Christian Academy	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	Gateway Woods School	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	North Star Montessori School	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	St Paul Lutheran Preschool	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Columbus Christian School Inc	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	James E Davis School	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	Good Shepherd Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Lakewood Park Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Heritage Hall Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Clinton Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Elkhart Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Bethany Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Christian Academy of Indiana	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Covington Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Kinwell Academy Inc	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	The King's Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Lakeview Christian School Inc	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Eman Schools	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Fishers Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Paddock View Residential Center	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Indiana Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Transitions Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	University High School of Indiana	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Legacy Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Bethesda Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Kingsway Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Legacy Learning Center	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Universal School of Plainfield	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Sandy Creek Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Covenant Christian High School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	DeMotte Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Jay County Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Christian Academy of Madison	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Pierceton Woods Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Southwest IN Regional Youth Vlg	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	Lakeland Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Warsaw Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Avicenna Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Crown Point Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Ambassador Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Calumet Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Indiana Horizon Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Mizpah Seventh-Day Adventist Acad	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Morning Star Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Highland Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Saint Paul Lutheran School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Indiana Christian Academy	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Cross Street Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Liberty Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Liberty Christian Elementary	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Anderson Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Damar Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Curtis Wilson Primary School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Heritage Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Cornerstone Baptist Academy	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Horizon Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Suburban Christian School	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Southport Presbyterian Chrst Sch	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Traders Point Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Burge Terrace Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Indianapolis Junior Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Hasten Hebrew Acad of Indianapolis	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Colonial Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Islamic Academy of Indianapolis	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Crosspointe Christian Academy	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Covenant Christian High School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Trinity Christian School	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Shepherd Community Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Central Christian Academy	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Calvary Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	The Independence Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	MTI School of Knowledge	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	International Sch of IN HS (9-12)	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Indianapolis Southside Christian	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Capitol City SDA Church School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	TP Schools	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	School for Community Learning	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Adventist Christian Elementary	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Covenant Christian School	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Lighthouse Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Clear Creek Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Tabernacle Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Mooresville Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Greenwood Christian Academy	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Shults-Lewis Child & Family Srvs	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Emmanuel Baptist Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Victory Christian Academy	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Portage Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	North Liberty Christian School	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Covenant Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	South Bend Hebrew Day School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Bais Yaakov High School of Indiana	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Trinity School At Greenlawn	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	New Vision Christian Academy	C
Independent Non-Public Schools	Yeshiva of South Bend	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	South Bend Jr Academy School	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Community Baptist Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Granger Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Michiana Christian Academy	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Grace Christian Academy Inc	D
Independent Non-Public Schools	Lafayette Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	T. C. Harris School	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	Faith Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Evansville Christian School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Evansville Christian Sch Newburgh	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Evansville Day School	A
Independent Non-Public Schools	Small World Learning Center	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Holy Cross School	F
Independent Non-Public Schools	Community Christian School	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	Kingdom Academy of Bluffton Inc	B
Independent Non-Public Schools	T.R.O.Y. Center	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Al Haqq Foundation Academy	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Israel School of Excellence	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	International Leadership Schools	No Grade
Independent Non-Public Schools	Alyssum Montessori School	No Grade
Heritage Institute of Arts & Tech	Higher Institute of Arts & Tech	A

Indiana 2019-20 A-F Grades

Why some say Indiana’s school COVID-19 dashboard is missing critical information

2020-10-06T22:22:00+00:00

Indiana education leaders this week reported 2,845 coronavirus cases in schools since the beginning of the fall semester, according to the state’s new school COVID dashboard. That’s 491 cases more than last week — thanks largely to more schools contributing data.

But while the database gives a peek at the number of cases in schools across the state, the dashboard lacks other data that public health experts and superintendents say would put into context the spread of COVID-19 in schools and would be more useful to them.

For instance, it doesn’t list the percentage of people in schools testing positive, known as the positivity rate. That depicts the extent of the pandemic and helps gauge the relative safety of opening campuses. Indiana’s seven-day positivity rate has been between 4% and 5%. If it reaches 10%, that could cause concern, said Thomas Duszynski, a epidemiology professor at IUPUI’s Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health.

The school COVID database, which is a part of a statewide coronavirus data website, lists newly reported and total COVID-19 cases related to schools. The dashboard, made public last Wednesday, is a collaboration of the Indiana State Department of Health and schools across Indiana. It lists the current week’s new and total coronavirus cases for students, teachers, and school staff.

But the webpage offers only a partial picture because it lacks data from 1,067 schools, nearly 40% of those in the state. In the past week, 396 more schools reported their data, bringing the total up to 1,755 schools submitting case numbers.

The influx of data bumped up the total cases among students, teachers and school staff since school began.

Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said that health department officials are working to remove duplicate entries from multiple sources.

The dashboard also doesn’t provide running totals nor does it add up the categories. It has a map showing schools and their current case count, but most numbers are suppressed to protect privacy because the numbers total less than five cases.

“It’s awfully difficult when you’re trying to make some broad sweeping generalizations about schools across Indiana when you only have half the schools that are reporting,” Jeff Butts, the superintendent of Wayne Township schools, said. Instead, he relies on the township’s own database on COVID cases.

“I don’t need the state’s dashboard,” he said.

The state does not require schools to submit data for the dashboard. Box said last week officials are trying to get lagging schools to send in their information.

Drawing on multiple sources of information could help show how much COVID-19 has spread in an area, since school districts often extend into different counties, Duszynski said. It would be useful if the dashboard showed the positivity rate, trends over time, and data by age and grade level and within school districts, he said.

“I think the local data is the most critical for us to be able to make decisions based on what’s happening in our community and in our schools,” Butts said. “I don’t foresee any statewide data that is reported being any more useful than what we’re collecting here locally.”

The state originally created the dashboard after pushback from the journalists and stakeholders about the lack of transparency with COVID-19 in schools.

Pike Township Superintendent Flora Reichanadter also said she relies on her own district data, but sees how a dashboard — with more data — could help families wanting to compare school districts to decide if an immunocompromised child should participate in an athletic game or to determine whether their child should have virtual rather than in-person instruction.

Just publishing the dashboard, she said, shows some transparency. “If it is something that somebody wants to look at, they can and see,” she said.

Facing internet challenges, some rural Indiana school districts want longer in-person school days

2020-09-29T17:40:06+00:00

Even though many Indiana districts have reopened campuses, some school superintendents want the freedom to offer fewer instruction days — so that they can better prepare teachers and adapt to the unpredictable constraints imposed by the COVID-19 virus.

They promise not to shortchange students. Seven school systems, including the Indianapolis-based Paramount charter school network, are proposing longer school days while they can safely provide in-person learning. That could free up days for teacher training.

Indiana requires schools to offer 180 teaching days each year. If the State Board of Education approves the waiver, those seven districts would be able to measure instructional time in hours rather than days. The state board could consider the waiver at its next meeting Oct. 7.

Brown County Schools, one of the districts seeking a waiver from state laws, wants flexibility in how it will keep students and staff safe if the coronavirus forces more social limitations, Superintendent Laura Hammack said.

Leaders of the seven school districts, most of them rural, want to have more time to train teachers, particularly in transitioning from in-person to virtual instruction. Offering remote learning is particularly tough in agricultural areas with limited broadband connectivity.

“Really only about 40% of our student population is able to have access to high-speed internet” strong enough to function with school programs, Hammack said. “We want to be thoughtful about how we measure the school year.”

Hammack called the waiver application “thinking outside the box.”

Scot Croner, superintendent of Wa-Nee Community Schools in rural northern Indiana, said that while 90% of students have internet access, less than 50% have reliable hard-wired internet in their homes. Students may use a hot spot off of a parent phone, or spotty dish-based internet service.

The district serves a significant Amish population, who are not permitted to do e-learning.

“We have to do a lot more just traditional paper packets,” Croner said, meaning worksheets without much instruction. “Certainly, we can do remote learning and make it count for the sake of counting as instructional days,” he said. But “we had concerns to the level of actual learning kids were accomplishing.”

Indiana officials report nearly 1,900 cases of COVID-19 in schools

2020-09-24T01:21:44+00:00

In one mid-September week, Indiana recorded nearly 1,900 cases of COVID-19 in schools, according to a state dashboard tracking the virus in schools.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box on Wednesday called the dashboard, which will go public next week, “a historical snapshot” of the coronavirus data as schools reopened campuses this fall.

The count reflects data from about 2,000 schools, or more than 70% of the state’s schools. Officials expect more districts will provide their numbers by the time the dashboard goes live. The cases logged so far include 1,348 among students, 274 among teachers, and 276 among other school staff.

At a press conference Wednesday Gov. Eric Holcomb extended the state’s mask order and announced that the state is progressing to Stage 5 in reopening, because its seven-day positivity rate in COVID testing has been at 4%.

In the new phase, the state will remove limitations on numbers of customers at restaurants, bars, and other public facilities. Patrons still must keep a safe distance from each other and wear masks.

In creating the school dashboard, Indiana joins more than a dozen states that publicly provide numbers of COVID-19 cases in schools. Some other states collect numbers but do not list them publicly.

State health officials agreed to create the dashboard in response to calls for more transparency about the incidence of the coronavirus in schools.

Box said that schools have been entering data on the virus into the health department’s portal. More than 1,100 schools reported no cases, and more than 900 reported at least one case.

The soon-to-be released dashboard will show new and total school COVID-19 positive cases among students, teachers, and staff. If a school has fewer than five cases among students, the state will suppress the information to protect confidentiality.

Because the numbers cover just one period, “it is not possible to identify any trends from the currently available data,” said Jennifer O’Malley, state Department of Health spokeswoman, said.

On the dashboard, the public will be able to filter data by school district and see a map of schools with cases.

The tracker will provide case counts that until now have been difficult for the public to see. Other school case trackers, such as that of the National Education Association, use sources from news organizations, not health authorities, officials said.

Holcomb reported that the state is testing 15,000 people a day.

Indiana has recorded 113,337 cases of the coronavirus from March 6 through Sept. 22.

“We are under 4%....we took some actions and that has made all the difference in the world,” Holcomb said, referring to the state’s positive-test rate. “We like the path that we are on and the direction, but we really have to underscore the importance of making those adjustments and operating in a safe manner.”

He said people must continue to wear masks for the numbers to go in the right direction and for the state to further open up.

IPS plans to reopen school in person in October, as declining cases of improved coronavirus data in Marion County. Students up to fifth grade will return full time, while older children will return for two days in person.

Other Marion County schools have opened in-person already. Washington Township plans to open soon.

Indiana lawmakers promised teachers wouldn’t be judged by test scores. But they still are.

2020-09-17T21:49:02+00:00

Earlier this year, Indiana lawmakers scrapped the requirement that school districts consider student test scores to evaluate teachers.

Or so it seemed.

In fact, how students perform on standardized tests could still contribute to their teachers’ annual reviews.

Lawmakers left in a provision that would penalize teachers if students show low growth on state test results — what it calls a “negative impact.”

But education leaders say the stipulation is too confusing: Many feel it goes against the intent of removing test scores from teacher evaluations.

Some are calling on lawmakers or the State Board of Education to redefine negative impact with a measure that isn’t tied to test scores.

Without a change, education officials say teachers who would otherwise rate as “effective” or “highly effective” could be blocked from receiving positive evaluations if they are deemed to negatively affect student growth — which could keep them from receiving state-funded bonuses or pay raises through their local contracts.

“All of us seem to agree that evaluating people in this manner is not the appropriate thing to be doing,” said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, vice president of the Indiana State Teachers Association. “This whole thing has been very confusing to a lot of us.”

“All of us seem to agree that evaluating people in this manner is not the appropriate thing to be doing,” said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, vice president of the Indiana State Teachers Association. “This whole thing has been very confusing to a lot of us.”

Smith-Margraf said she believes still including test scores amounts to a “misinterpretation” of the recent change in law, which marked a step away from the tough accountability practices popular in the previous decade.

It’s not clear how the state would determine that a teacher is negatively affecting students, and almost all Indiana teachers rank in the top two categories anyway. Just 1.2% of teachers were deemed to need improvement in 2018-19, according to state data, and 0.2% were rated “ineffective.”

As districts this fall outline how they will evaluate teachers, the state provision will also likely have little effect because the state temporarily suspended how it uses standardized tests for accountability. The suspension, known as a “hold harmless” measure, prevented schools and teachers from being affected by lower test scores in the past two school years due to the introduction of a new test, ILEARN. Students also didn’t take tests this past spring during the pandemic.

The education department is discussing how this measure could affect teacher evaluations after next spring’s tests, spokesman Adam Baker said.

Sally Sloan, the executive director of Indiana’s American Federation of Teachers union, said that until recently, she thought the law separated student test scores from teacher evaluations.

“To be honest, I can’t wrap my mind around all of that,” Sloan said.

She said the union will push for legislation to change the language. But she’s unsure if legislators actually want to change it.

State board spokeswoman Molly Craft said the board’s staff attorneys do not see a conflict with the definition of negative impact and the law.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick said Tuesday she’s hoping for a fix down the road to fully remove test scores from teacher evaluations.

“It looked great on paper, but we told them early on that it didn’t really solve the problem,” she said.

Indianapolis Public Schools created free virtual learning pods. It took a ‘herculean effort.’

2020-09-12T01:36:30+00:00

As more and more pricey learning pods for the wealthy and privileged sprout up around the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, school leaders like Indianapolis Public Schools’ Superintendent Aleesia Johnson are finding ways to educate their neediest students.

With the district starting the year entirely online, Johnson created four learning pods for students who are homeless or who have special needs. The learning pods offer small groups of students a place to do schoolwork while supervised by an adult in the room.

But something that comes easy to families with wealth required a “herculean effort” for IPS to get off the ground, Johnson said Friday during a webinar hosted by the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Even a few weeks into using learning hubs, the Indiana district is still running into a few hiccups.

It took lots of phone calls to families to get the hubs up and running. It’s been a slow uptake, Johnson said, and the district is still trying to reach more students who need the help, she said. Planners struggled to arrange transportation to the four destinations, since some students without stable housing move often.

And then it gets tricky for adult facilitators to try to help students from different schools and grades on different schedules.

The Mind Trust, a local nonprofit that supports charter schools, has also started learning hubs — 11 sites in total, soon to grow to 13 on Sept. 14. Together, the sites serve 500 students across the city for free.

It’s an unusual idea that is also trending around other cities in the nation, like Denver. Two other Indianapolis school districts that started online have provided “pod” opportunities for students, though not for free.

Brandon Brown, the chief executive officer of The Mind Trust, said funding can sustain the Indianapolis hubs until mid-October. The Mind Trust had initially allocated $200,000 to its community learning sites.

He said city and state officials need to step up.

“To be brutally honest, if our politicians want us to be back in school, and we’re not at a point where it’s safe for all kids to be back in school … we got a moral imperative to make sure we are supporting families in any way that we can,” Brown said.

To navigate the sea of child care regulations, The Mind Trust had to push the state officials to understand the gravity of the education crisis and why administrators needed leniency with licensing requirements.

Brown realized that some sites could take weeks, even months to get licensed because of the regulations — until the governor signed an executive order to waive those rules to provide virtual learning support.

“I never knew how strenuous and full of regulations the world of school-aged child care was,” Brown said. “All of those regulations were obviously written prior to the global pandemic and just frankly aren’t relevant to the world that we live in right now.”

Despite the obstacles, Johnson said it was important for the district to support its most vulnerable students.

“We are responsible for making sure we have some sort of structure to address what we know will be a gap exacerbated by our decision to go fully virtual,” Johnson said.