Chalkbeat

Indiana revives $1,000 grants for student tutoring sessions after abrupt closure last spring

2025-11-13T21:38:59+00:00

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

A program that gives qualifying Indiana students $1,000 grants for tutoring is reopening after abruptly closing earlier this year due to insufficient funding.

Indiana Learns began in 2022 to address COVID-related learning loss, through a unique model that gives funding directly to families to schedule English and math tutoring lessons with approved providers.

But the program depended on federal pandemic aid, and up until now, it was not clear whether the state would continue to support it after the relief money expired. In February, the program also ran out of funding sooner than expected due to heavy use, leaving some students in limbo. Since October 2022, the program has enrolled more than 25,000 students, according to a state news release Wednesday.

In the news release, the Indiana Department of Education said the program would reopen enrollment through Dec. 19, with families able to schedule tutoring sessions immediately. The department did not answer questions about how the program will be funded moving forward. According to the program’s website, its expected close date for the 2025-2026 school year is April 10, which is the date all tutoring must be completed.

The requirements for the program remain similar: Students must reside in Indiana, be in grades 3-8, and have scored below proficiency in either the math or English/language arts portions of the ILEARN. Students must also qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program, and unlike previously, attend a school federally designated as low-performing.

Students who qualify can use their $1,000 grant to schedule in-person, online, or hybrid tutoring through an approved vendor.

The program is administered by The Mind Trust, a nonprofit charter school incubator based in Indianapolis. Representatives of the organization have previously said that students who attend sessions regularly see the greatest gains from the program.

“Indiana Learns specifically focuses on our most struggling students and provides them the opportunity to receive high-quality tutoring support, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay,” said Secretary of Education Katie Jenner in the news release. “This investment in our Hoosier families is an investment in the future of our state, and first and foremost, the future of our students. ”

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

A grant for Indiana families to buy tutoring is stopping sooner than expected. Will it come back?

2025-02-21T12:00:00+00:00

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

A $15 million program that gave thousands of Indiana families cash for tutoring will wind down about a month earlier than anticipated due to unexpected heavy use that sapped its available funding – leaving students without extra support ahead of state testing.

Indiana Learns was a first-in-the-nation initiative that gave federal COVID relief funding directly to families for tutoring services to catch up after pandemic disruption starting in 2022. The program, administered by Indianapolis-based nonprofit The Mind Trust, expanded after another legislative change in 2023 to provide more tutoring funds, reach more students, and also allow tutoring during the school day. That law also changed how the money was distributed, from a one-time grant of $1,000 to an amount “subject to available funding.”

Operators hope the program will return with new state and grant funding next year, but funding from the next state budget is not guaranteed.

Like other tutoring programs around the country, Indiana Learns always expected to need new funding sources as ESSER came to an end. In a presentation to the State Board of Education in November, Mind Trust Executive Director Brandon Brown said the program had enough funding to last until the next state testing window.

But a notice to providers sent Feb. 14 and shared with Chalkbeat said the program would actually wind down on March 15. Only students with funds remaining in their accounts will be able to use tutoring services through that date, and new funds would no longer be added to student accounts.

“We wanted to go up to the start of ILEARN, but the program was pretty popular with families and we didn’t know how much would be allocated to the program,” said Kateri Whitley, senior communications director at The Mind Trust. The summative state testing window begins in April — some schools have been piloting “checkpoints” in earlier months.

Until this point, the program had replenished student accounts, Whitley said. That meant students who had been attending tutoring and whose accounts were depleted to a certain threshold would see their accounts replenished to $1,000.

Not being able to predict how many student accounts would be replenished – combined with the popularity of the program – means that it needed to end early, Whitley said. The program also does not want to spend all of its funding this year; it’s not clear how much remains.

“There’s a high likelihood it will continue and we don’t want to spend down every single cent this program year,” Whitley said.

But the decision has caused turmoil among schools and tutoring providers where the program was in use.

Several educators who spoke to Chalkbeat anonymously for fear of retaliation said the end date of the program came as a surprise and will leave students without tutoring support ahead of state testing. Furthermore, they said the lack of warning means that students who don’t have funds left in their accounts effectively have already had their final tutoring sessions, potentially without a final assessment of their skills, or a goodbye to their tutors.

The program had 23,000 enrolled students as of November last year. To receive the funds, students had to be in grades 3-8 at a public or private school, qualify for free or reduced price lunch, and score below proficiency in either math or English language arts.

As of Thursday, there were 15,000 students enrolled.

Students who still have funds in their accounts can use them for sessions until March 15. The Mind Trust did not say by deadline how many students still had funds to use, or how many students had had their accounts replenished.

Future funding sources uncertain

The program has paused for the summer in previous years in order to preserve tutoring funds for when they were most needed.

Whitley said The Mind Trust expects the program to return in the 2025-26 school year after the March pause, likely through funding in the next state budget. She also pointed to new grant funding from Accelerate, a national nonprofit, earmarked to keep the program going.

Lawmakers passed a draft of the budget Thursday. While it does not include a specific line item for Indiana Learns, it does give the Indiana Department of Education an $86 million Freedom and Opportunity block grant meant to support initiatives that improve student learning recovery.

In a statement, department representatives did not answer whether any of these funds would be used to support Indiana Learns in the future, highlighting instead other priorities to expand the new state testing checkpoint pilot and recruit teachers.

“As budget discussions continue, we will work with Governor Braun and the General Assembly to continue to measure return on investment and determine the best way to double-down on those initiatives that … positively move the needle for students,” the statement said.

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

Student mental health needs are growing. Indiana school counselors are overworked. Will the legislature help?

2024-11-25T12:00:00+00:00

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

Doreen Waldbieser, a school counselor in Vigo County, stepped to the microphone Nov. 8 at a Department of Education hearing on diplomas and began alphabetically listing her counseling duties:

Attend active shooter training. Analyze transcripts. Answer emails and phone calls.

Change schedules. Conduct screenings. Connect students to assistance.

She didn’t get past the M’s before her speaking time ran out.

Her point to policymakers was that even before the state’s new graduation requirements take effect, Indiana’s school counselors are already stretched too thin.

A new report on the profession in Indiana found that many counselors agree.

Student mental health needs are consistently higher since the pandemic and school counselors say they have less time to spend with students, according to the 2024-25 Indiana School Counselor Survey. To blame, they said, are growing lists of tasks like test and attendance monitoring and higher-than-average caseloads — Indiana has one counselor for every 351 students, higher than the recommended ratio of 1-to-250.

As lawmakers prepare to meet for the 2025 legislative session, they’re poised to again consider a proposal requiring counselors spend at least 60% of their time working with students. Other suggestions from counselors include putting the nationally recommended ratio into law, or funding more pipeline programs for teachers to earn counseling degrees. In a budget year, lawmakers could consider funding proposals, but already face a laundry list of K-12 education priorities.

Senate Bill 141, sponsored by Oldenburg Republican Sen. Jean Leising in 2024, set a threshold of 60% and then 85% the year after, but the bill didn’t make it through the House. Leising said she intends to bring the proposal forward again next year.

Counselors in the survey said it’s critical that their roles and responsibilities are defined so that they are not “on call for just about anything that needs to be done.”

“Administrators are protective of teacher time and focus on teaching students, but no one is protective of the school counselor role,” one counselor said. “We are expected to be masters of all areas and it just isn’t possible.”

More counselor tasks means less time with students

Today’s high schoolers were in middle school when the pandemic closed school buildings, and they spent a pivotal time in their development in isolation, said Ryan Preci, board chair for the Indiana School Counselors Association and high school counselor coordinator with Indianapolis Public Schools.

The result is an ongoing increase in student mental health needs as noted in the last several years of the counseling survey. This year, more than half of all counselors said that students’ social-emotional needs are higher this school year than last.

“COVID did increase mental health needs but it also shone a light on what was always there,” Preci said.

Simultaneously, counselors’ perception that they have enough time to meet with students has dropped to its lowest level since the survey began in 2011.

On average, counselors this year spent around 69% of their time providing a mix of direct services, like meeting face-to-face with students, and indirect counseling services, like parent and teacher conferences. Another 16% was spent on program management, and 15% was spent on non-counseling duties, which include test proctoring and arrival and dismissal duties.

Preci said counselors’ focus should be in three domains: Academics, social-emotional support, and college and career readiness. National recommendations say counselors should spend around 80% of their time on direct and indirect counseling services.

The upcoming changes to Indiana’s graduation requirements could place even more clerical work on counselors’ plates, Waldbieser, the Vigo schools counselor, told the state education board.

With three new proposed diploma seals, each with two levels, counselors will be responsible for individualizing graduation plans, along with verifying students’ work hours and college-level courses, and facilitating the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.

It’s not yet clear what other changes lawmakers may make. A bill last year would have allowed chaplains to work as school counselors in public schools, providing only secular guidance unless the student’s parent gave permission for nonsecular guidance. The proposal was dropped in Indiana, but has passed in states like Texas.

School leaders’ support for counselors has grown significantly, according to the report, after hitting a low in 2021-22.

Preci said he’d like to see lawmakers put the recommended counselor-to-student ratio into law. Also helpful would be more programs to help teachers earn master’s degrees in counseling in order to make the switch from teaching to counseling.

“We need to fully fund public education in order to do that, in order to provide those services,” Preci said.

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

City-County Council to vote on rezoning for charter school in Washington Township as opposition grows

2024-03-21T00:03:49+00:00

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

This article was originally published by WFYI.

After months of controversy, an all-girls charter school is one step closer to opening in Washington Township. During a meeting Wednesday, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approved the request to rezone a former church property for the Girls In STEM Academy.

But the path for final approval to open a school at that location is uncertain.

Opposition to the school appears to be growing. Officials and parents from the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township fiercely oppose the school. Twelve of the 25 Indianapolis City-County Council members now say they do not want the school to open at the proposed Michigan Road location.

The site is in the boundaries of Washington Township schools — and a few miles from other school districts, including Pike Township and Indianapolis Public Schools.

The council is the ultimate decision-maker in the rezoning process. The council typically votes to approve all requests at one time in a consent agenda. But the councilor of District 6, where the building is located, can call for an additional public hearing before a final council vote.

People opposed and in support of the charter school packed the chamber for the public hearing Wednesday afternoon. Those from Washington Township wore red in contrast to the purple shirts advocating for the Girls In STEM School.

The school, operated by Paramount Schools of Excellence, is projecting an enrollment of 125 students in grades K-6 in the first year. The projection increased to nearly 300 students in grades K-8 by 2028-29. Enrollment for the school is open but Paramount is planning to use a temporary location for the 2024-25 school year because the planned campus won’t be ready.

Paramount says they aim to close the gender and racial gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics achievement while preparing the students for high school, college, and careers in STEM fields, according to the planned curriculum.

But Councilor Dan Boots (D-District 3) said the school will only benefit the organizers behind it — Paramount and its partners Purdue Polytechnic High Schools and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.

“For this community and the people that live in that area it does not serve them because they do not feel they need it. Washington Township, Pike Township are excellent school townships,” Boots said. “If a Black or brown young lady wants a STEM education they can get it. It’s there.”

Girls In STEM Principal Chrystal Westerhaus pointed out that test scores at Washington Township are far lower for economically disadvantaged and Black students compared to their white classmates. Scores for similar students are higher at the local schools operated by Paramount.

“Our new school helps address this problem at the source,” Westerhaus said. “It allows them to thrive and excel in a proven supportive environment that provides a sense of belonging and purpose.”

Councilor Leroy Robinson (D-District 1) asked the commission to approve the rezoning and give Black and brown girls a chance to attend the school.

The property boundaries of 5136 Michigan Road from a map detail by the City of Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission.

Jonathan Hughes, an attorney for Washington Township Schools, made several arguments for the commission to deny the rezoning, including strong local opposition, concerns around traffic safety and that using the site for a school is not compliant with the Comprehensive Plan for the City-County.

The development commission’s staff and hearing officer previously recommended the rezoning request be approved if Paramount agreed to several site changes, including construction of a three-lane driveway and a traffic control plan for arrival and dismissal of students.

The commission members voted 5-1 to approve the request. The City-County Council could take up the request next month. The full council meets April 1.

Charter schools are public schools that are privately managed. They are granted a contract to operate by one of several authorizers in the state. Last year Trine University, a private institution in Angola, authorized Paramount to open Girls IN STEM.

A charter school is directly overseen by a board that is not elected by voters. Most state funding for charters comes from per-student tuition support.

Eric Weddle is the WFYI education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org.

Indiana education officials: Poor attendance is hurting academics

2023-10-04T20:18:26+00:00

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

If all the Indiana students who miss the most school showed up on one day, they would fill around 3,000 buses.

That’s how an Indiana State Board of Education presentation painted the stark picture of the state’s chronic absenteeism rate, the proportion of students who miss 18 or more days in a school year.

While chronic absenteeism in Indiana has improved this year after worsening during COVID, the rate remains 8 percentage points higher than before the pandemic. And citing the greater absenteeism rates for Black and Hispanic students, as well as those learning English or living in poverty, state board members sought to draw a link between absenteeism and lower test scores for those groups.

“It could absolutely be a root cause,” said Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Nationwide, schools have struggled to bring attendance rates back up to prepandemic levels, as families continue to deal with economic hardships, housing instability, and illness, along with students who refuse to attend school.

Indiana state board members acknowledged that after the pandemic, there are more reasons that students might miss school. Still, they focused attention on the correlation between absenteeism and academic performance: Student groups that have recorded the biggest declines in English language arts and math scores since the pandemic have also had higher rates of chronic absenteeism, according to the presentation.

“When you’re not there and present every day, you’re not going to get the same quality of education,” said board member Pat Mapes, who pointed to the same link for specific student groups during an August presentation of state reading test scores.

Absenteeism rates are highest in kindergarten and high school.

Nearly one-third of all Black students were considered chronically absent in 2022-23, compared with 19% in 2018-19. The rate for Hispanic students surged to 24% in 2022-23, from around 13% in 2018-19.

The rate for Asian students doubled in that time frame, from 6% to 12%. For white students, it rose to 16% from 9%.

Absenteeism for English learners — whose academic performance has continued to decline even as other groups’ performance has stabilized — has also doubled since 2018-19.

Board members said parents must be held accountable for getting students to school every day. Board member Greg Gastineau suggested a campaign to spotlight the importance of attendance, adding that more families are taking vacations during the school year.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Department of Education plans to track attendance as one of the indicators in an “early warning system” it’s developing for students who are not on track to graduate.

While the board presentation focused on the absenteeism rate, members also discussed the daily attendance rate, which is calculated in two different ways in Indiana.

The “school focused” calculation divides the number of days that students attended by the total number of days in a year, according to the presentation. By that calculation, the bulk of all Indiana schools have a 90% or greater attendance rate.

With the launch of its new school accountability dashboard this year, the state also began to calculate the percentage of students in each school who have a 94% or better attendance rate. The presentation said that attending school less than that leads to negative academic impacts.

Only 3 in 5 Indiana students met the 94% target last year, meaning they missed fewer than 10 days. The other 40% — or over 400,000 students statewide — missed more.

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

From teaching about race to COVID and Rebuilding Stronger, here are our 5 most-read stories of 2022

2022-12-21T13:00:00+00:00

From Indiana Statehouse bills grabbing the national spotlight and a sweeping overhaul of Indianapolis Public Schools, to a high-stakes midterm election, 2022 was a full year for education news.

So as we look ahead to 2023, we’re also looking back at our top stories from 2022 to find the five topics that Chalkbeat Indiana readers were most interested in this year.

Below is a list of our most-read articles this year, plus a few related stories that you should check out too.

Statehouse debate on teaching about race

Several of our most popular stories were articles about bills in the 2022 legislative session, especially those that addressed how teachers approach race and racial issues in the classroom.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

What happens to my school under Rebuilding Stronger?

Rebuilding Stronger is an overhaul of IPS that aims to address pressing issues of enrollment, finances, and inequities for students of color. The school board approved the plan in November, and now district leaders are turning to a pair of referendums to help fund the overhaul’s changes.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Election 2022: Voters chose school board members

For this year’s school board elections, Chalkbeat Indiana collaborated with WFYI to create voter guides for districts across Marion County, and also co-hosted a candidate forum for IPS candidates. Victorious candidates will start their terms in January.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

COVID learning recovery and virtual attendance changes

Nearly three years after COVID shuttered school buildings, data is showing the impact the pandemic has had on students and their learning. Plus, a state law changed how often students can learn virtually and guidance on COVID exposures continued to change.

Most- read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Accountability for state lawmakers

Aside from the legislation they proposed, lawmakers themselves made news too as they discussed race and education.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

How Indiana’s curriculum bill about racism motivated a new wave of statehouse candidates

Bonus: Charter troubles, special education staffing, and more

While the above topics were the most popular this year, there were a few more prominent stories that didn’t fit into a category. Read those and a few more below.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here are the tutoring programs available to Indianapolis students and how to access them

2022-11-01T12:00:00+00:00

Families looking for tutoring services in Indiana might have more easily accessible options than ever before.

Multiple tutoring programs have rolled out this year to help students catch up on the critical math and reading skills they lost or didn’t gain during the pandemic, fueled by millions in federal relief dollars earmarked for academic makeup.

Indiana is not alone in turning to tutoring. And the approach might get still more attention after recent test scores showed a decline in math and reading performance.

Indiana students’ scores on the National Assessment Educational Progress — or NAEP — showed a not-unexpected decline from 2019. Students’ scores on the state test, the ILEARN, also dropped sharply from 2019 to 2021, before showing a slight rebound in 2022.

While outside tutoring has always been an option, more and more schools are trying targeted “high dosage” tutoring that pairs a few students with one regular tutor — an approach that has been linked to strong results.

Some of the programs are virtual, and some studies suggest that format holds promising outcomes as well.

The new programs also aim to give more families access by providing the funding. Some are free to families through their schools or the city of Indianapolis, while one provides parents up to $1,000 to spend on tutoring through a provider of their choice.

Here are four programs available to Indianapolis students and how to sign up.

Virtual after-school tutoring for all IPS students

Indianapolis Public Schools is offering free virtual tutoring after school for all students at district-run schools. The program is offered through Tutored by Teachers. Students will meet virtually in small groups with a teacher for one hour each of math and English instruction.

Tutoring for the fall semester began on Oct. 3, but the application will reopen on Nov. 28 through Dec. 20 for the spring semester. More information is available here.

Virtual in-class tutoring for certain IPS schools

IPS also announced in July that it would expand virtual tutoring during the school day to more low-performing schools. Students are part of the program automatically if they attend the district’s emerging schools, which have low NWEA test scores and consecutive failing grades from the state.

Anna Brochhausen School 88
Brookside School 54
Charles Warren Fairbanks Schools 105
Christian Park School 82
Clarence Farrington School 61
Eleanor Skillen School 34
George S Buck School 94
H. L. Harshman Math/Science & World Languages Magnet
James Russell Lowell School 51
James Whitcomb Riley School 43
Northwest Community Middle School
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58

Indiana Learns grants for 4th and 5th graders

Indiana is offering grants of at least $500 for fourth and fifth grade students who qualify for subsidized meals and who tested below proficiency on both sections of last year’s state assessment. But students who are enrolled in certain school districts could qualify for a matching grant and have up to $1,000 to spend on math and reading tutoring services.

That list of school districts initially included Gary, Greenwood, Knox, Penn-Harris-Madison, Mishawaka, and Wawasee, and will be updated soon, according to the state Department of Education.

Indiana Learns launched on Oct. 15. Families can check their child’s eligibility and sign up for services here.

Circle City Readers

Unveiled by Indianapolis on Oct. 11, Circle City Readers is intended to provide reading help for students in kindergarten through third grade. Those students will meet with a tutor several times per week in small groups for literacy instruction at locations throughout the city, according to the Circle City Readers website. The city is funding the one-year program using $1 million in federal emergency money, and seeks to serve around 1,000 students in Marion County.

The program is set to launch in 2023, but families can indicate their interest via an online form.

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

How to get Indiana’s new tutoring grant for your student

2022-08-24T21:37:11+00:00

Some Indiana students who live in poverty and performed below proficiency on state testing will soon be able to apply for the state’s new tutoring scholarships that provide up to $1,000 for tutoring in reading and math.

State officials announced Wednesday that families will be able to apply online for the scholarships starting Oct. 1. To do so, they will need to make an account on IndianaLearns.org.

Students who qualify based on their grade levels, socioeconomic status, and test scores will receive $500 from the state to spend. School districts can also provide another $250 toward the scholarship — which the state will then match — for a total one-time grant allocation of $1,000.

“As we continue to make historic investments in education, this grant will increase access to tutoring opportunities for our students who need it most, regardless of a parent or family’s ability to afford this additional support,” said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Like many other states, Indiana is leaning on tutoring to help students recover from the effects of the COVID quarantines and school closures that disrupted learning over the last two years.

Though the most recent state testing scores show a slight recovery for many students, scores largely remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Indiana’s decision to put up to $15 million in federal emergency aid from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund directly in parents’ hands for tutoring may be unique, however. Families will be able to spend the funds in a marketplace of pre-qualified tutors, or on virtual math and reading enrichment.

“To be able to put that agency and that ownership and opportunity in their hands to invest in their child — it’s powerful,” Jenner said.

The state is tapping the Mind Trust — an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit — to operate the program.

According to House Enrolled Act 1251, parents will be able to roll over any unused tutoring funds to the next year. However, the accounts will close on Oct. 1, 2024 with the expiration of the federal emergency funds.

How can students qualify?

To qualify for the state’s $500 grant, a student must reside legally in Indiana and be enrolled in a traditional public, charter, or accredited non-public school.

They must also qualify for free or reduced price lunch, and have scored below proficiency on both math and English/language arts state tests — the ILEARN — as a third or fourth grader in 2022.

Jenner said that in a perfect world, the program would be able to serve more students in the future. The state will collect data on the program in the hopes that it can eventually grow.

How can tutors participate?

To qualify as tutors, individuals and groups will need to apply through Indiana Learns and meet a list of qualifications.

They must provide services outside of regular school hours and keep to a 1:3 tutor-to-student ratio.

They must also utilize credentialed teachers — including licensed, retired, and prospective teachers currently enrolled in a preparation program — who can provide weekly progress reports to families and schools.

Their services should cost no more than $100 per hour for each student and session, and they will need to provide at least an hour of tutoring per week.

More information for tutors will also be available on the Indiana Learns website.

How can school districts match the funds?

The Department of Education will release more information in the coming weeks for school districts who want to participate in the matching program.

Three districts — Indianapolis Public Schools, Decatur Township Schools, and Muncie Community Schools — have already announced plans to match the tutoring grants for its qualifying students.

The state doesn’t know yet how many schools will match the state grant, but Jenner said her department is in talks with additional districts.

“We have not talked to any district yet who said no,” Jenner said.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the district is pulling information about which students will qualify for the grant in order to start notifying families of the opportunity.

The district has several of its own tutoring programs rolling out this fall as well, including virtual tutoring for all students.

“It’s about putting another tool in the toolbox of strategies to support our families,” she said.

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

Modest gains for this year’s Indiana test scores after pandemic declines

2022-07-13T13:00:00+00:00

Indiana students’ test scores rose slightly this year after dropping in 2021 due to the pandemic, according to new ILEARN exam data released Wednesday.

The results of this year’s state testing for grades 3-8 showed that 30.2% of students statewide scored proficient or better in both English/language arts and math, an increase of 1.6 percentage points over 2021.

Additionally, 41.2% of students statewide scored proficient or better in English/language arts, and 39.4% scored proficient or better in math, an increase of roughly 1 percentage point and 3 percentage points, respectively.

The scores remain below pre-pandemic proficiency rates, and the recovery among various student groups has been uneven.

A study by an external group presented alongside the scores indicates more intense intervention is needed to help some student groups — like English language learners — catch up.

“Without meaningful intervention, significant gaps may continue to persist compared to the general student population,” the Indiana Department of Education said in a statement about the 2022 scores.

Younger students’ scores increased more than those from older students, and the latter group had more pronounced score declines from 2019 to 2021. (The state did not administer the test in 2020.) Together, these two trends might increase concern about the state’s middle school students in particular.

Overall, students showed greater improvement in math than English/language arts. Math scores increased by 2-4 percentage points in all grades, while ELA scores increased by 1-2 percentage points in most grades. However, in grades 6 and 8, proficiency rates declined by 1 point.

“It’s common to see dips at grade 6 as students transition to middle school content,” said Charity Flores, chief academic officer at the state education department.

Around 99% of all third through eighth graders participated in ILEARN this year, taking the online test in person at schools.

One encouraging sign was that approximately 52% of all third graders scored at least proficient in math this year — the first time that more than half of all students in a single grade level have been proficient in either subject since 2019.

American Indian, Black, Hispanic, multiracial and white students all gained more than 2.5 percentage points in math proficiency rates. English learners and students receiving subsidized meals — a federal indicator of poverty — also raised their math scores by 2.9 and 2.6 points, respectively.

Among all student racial and ethnic groups, Black students made the greatest gains in English/language arts with a 1.7 percentage point increase, followed by white students with a .9 percentage point increase, and Hispanic students with .8 percentage point increase.

Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students’ scores declined by 5 percentage points in English/language arts.

Despite improvement across student groups, the rates of proficiency still varied dramatically. Roughly 19% of Black students and 28% of Hispanic students were proficient in English/language arts, compared to 48% of white students.

Those disparities caused consternation among state officials and others.

“We have to address ... the performance level of our Black students, the performance level of our Hispanic students, compared to where our white students are,” said state board of education member Scott Bess. “The number of students going into postsecondary is dropping off. If we don’t solve this at third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, we have no shot at improving those numbers.”

Gwen Kelley, an education researcher who works with the Indianapolis NAACP, said it was troubling that the department’s presentation didn’t seem to highlight specific strategies to help underperforming Black students achieve parity with their peers.

Kelley said cultural competency is necessary to improving Black students’ outcomes. In English/language arts, this could look like developing an awareness of code-switching, or the way Black students speak at home versus school, she said.

“I’m not willing to accept that this is the best our children can do,” Kelley said.

Among other student groups, English learners raised their ELA proficiency scores 2.2 percentage points.

Students who receive subsidized meals saw a 1 point increase in English scores, while students who pay for lunch saw a 1 point decline.

Students in special education increased their proficiency rates by half a percentage point in ELA and 1.6 percentage points in math.

There were some encouraging signs in Marion County, the state’s biggest metro area, where all but one of the 11 school districts improved their overall proficiency rates.

Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis nonprofit, said the county’s independent charter schools also saw encouraging growth on the exams, especially for Black and Hispanic students.

An analysis by the group shows that charter schools in the county improved their overall proficiency rates by 3.8 percentage points — on par with Beech Grove City Schools, and just ahead of the growth in Indianapolis Public Schools of 3.3 percentage points.

But as the state works to improve racial equity, there’s a long way for students to go, said Brown, whose group works with charters.

“It’s good that we saw marginal increases. The challenge though is that we have only erased about 20% of the drops we saw,” Brown said. “At this rate, it’s going to take several more years to get back to 2019 levels, and 2019 levels were unacceptable.”

The state also sought to measure the rates at which students were recovering academically through a National Center for Assessment study of ILEARN scores over the last two years.

Recovery, for the purposes of the study, did not mean attaining proficiency. Instead, the center defined recovery as how students would be scoring under pre-pandemic learning conditions, according to the state’s presentation.

While the study determined that most students were performing at expected levels, or even accelerating at rates needed to catch up to pre-pandemic levels, it found that some subgroups were falling further behind.

For example, despite this year’s gains for English learners, proficiency rates “remain significantly below their grade level peers and their academic growth is not at the pace of other student populations,” said the study.

“Therefore, English learner students have a lower rate of recovery in English/language arts, especially in middle grades, compared to their peers,” the study said.

The state expects to release SAT scores for high school juniors later this summer. The SAT replaced the previous test for older students, ISTEP, for the first time in the 2021-22 school year.

This story has been updated.

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

New COVID vaccine for children under 5 gives Indy day care centers hope

2022-06-22T22:07:51+00:00

Many Indianapolis child care and day care providers are eager to spend a little less time worrying about COVID and more time helping children grow and develop, following federal approval last week of COVID vaccines for children between 6 months and 5 years old.

After more than two years of navigating the pandemic much like their K-12 counterparts, directors of these facilities are hoping parents will take advantage of the new vaccines to protect their children and those around them.

Those who run these facilities could still face tricky decisions about whether they should encourage or request that those who attend be vaccinated.

The Indiana Department of Health said the new vaccines are now available in the state. Young children previously eligible for the vaccine have proven much less likely to be vaccinated than any other age group. In Indiana, only 21% of children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, roughly half the percentage of children ages 12 to 17 in the state who are fully vaccinated.

Lisa Bowling, the co-director of Daystar Daycare in Indianapolis, said her center has experienced multiple COVID outbreaks this year. The center serves multiple classrooms of children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 12 years. While no children became seriously ill, many classrooms had children test positive in January and May.

“Some of our staff have gotten pretty sick,” Bowling said. “It really makes a difference now that we have the vaccine.”

Bowling said parents and staff have been diligent in maintaining COVID protocols when possible, but containing the spread of the virus can be difficult when many children cannot wear masks properly at a young age.

Bowling expects many of the children at her day care to be vaccinated shortly, as parents have been eager in the past — as is typical each time a new age group is eligible for vaccination. She said some children have even been vaccinated on their fifth birthday, as soon as they were eligible. Now, she said, she’s relieved they won’t have to wait as long.

“We were hoping that it would have been done sooner,” Bowling said about the new vaccines. “We’re very thankful that it’s now been approved.”

The state health department said parents should contact their health care provider or seek more information online, or by calling 211 for more information before going to a health care provider for a vaccine.

“As with every stage of vaccine rollout, we will see increased availability in the coming days as more doses arrive in the state,” said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, the department’s chief medical officer, in a Tuesday press release.

The excitement among those who oversee day care and child care centers extends to their own families. Rosie’s Tiny Tots Daycare Ministry Director Alicia Grant said she is excited to have her 3-year-old daughter vaccinated. While she will not require any parents to vaccinate their children who go to Rosie’s Tiny Tots, she hopes to see other parents follow her example.

“My daughter is three and she still doesn’t know how to blow her nose,” Grant said. “So being vaccinated would help her fight off whatever the virus may be at the time.”

Helen Rummel is a reporting intern for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Helen at hrummel@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana takes voucher-like approach to tutoring with $500 grants to families

2022-04-12T22:08:56+00:00

Indiana plans to channel up to $15 million in federal emergency funds directly to parents to pay for tutoring for students who are struggling with reading and math.

Dubbed enrichment scholarships, the voucher-like program will provide each student who qualifies through their score on state tests a $500 grant toward tutoring.

The Indiana Department of Education is still developing the details of who qualifies and how parents will access the money, with no date yet set for the rollout.

The scholarships intend to help address pandemic-related learning loss, particularly in literacy, said the author of the law, Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis).

“We weren’t where we needed to be to begin with, but it’s been much more difficult as a result,” Behning said.

Statewide, only about 28% of students scored proficient in English and math in 2021, a percentage that dropped by one-quarter from 2019.

Schools and states are increasingly under pressure nationally to target their federal relief dollars to address these pandemic-related learning losses, and many are turning to tutoring. But implementing tutoring programs on a large scale has proved to be challenging.

Indiana is unique in putting federal pandemic relief monies from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund directly in parents’ hands to steer more students toward tutoring. The scholarship program will sunset with the expiration of ESSER dollars in 2024.

Behning said he expects the state to allocate $10 million to $15 million in ESSER funds toward the new scholarship program.

The state is considering using an app-based system to load money into a family’s account and allow them to choose among pre-approved tutors, Behning said.

Tutoring organizations can apply to be a part of the program. The application process is still in development.

Districts may provide an additional $250 per student of their own federal funds that the state will then match, for a total per-student allocation of $1,000. If they provide the funds, districts can recommend their own tutoring services, but can’t require students to use them, according to Behning.

Behning said the state will provide grants directly to parents to not impose a burden on school districts to create new tutoring programs.

The state’s approach creates a challenge of making families aware of the program, which advocates say is instrumental in its success.

Behning said he expects that schools will help get the word out. The state could also include information about the grants with this year’s ILEARN results, he said. Community organizations like RISE Indy have expressed interest in working as parent liaisons.

The state will have to figure out how to vet tutors and ensure that they get paid, said education consultant Bill Reed.

“It’s a good idea if they can get it to the students who need it most,” said Reed, a former teacher and tutor who also worked as a state math specialist. “The effectiveness will boil down to how well it’s managed.”

Some of the most effective tutoring comes from classroom teachers who are paid to stay after school hours to help students finish their homework and prepare for the following day, Reed said. This way, students stay in an academic headspace, rather than going home where there may be distractions.

Other quality tutors may charge from $30 to $50 a session, Reed said, and they often book study space in a library.

The grants could help parents access specialized help, such as tutoring to address dyslexia, said Cheryl Clemens, an education advocate with Decoding Dyslexia Indiana who testified in favor of the bill.

The services can be pricey, from $50 to $70 per session, she said, and the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Indianapolis typically has a waiting list for financial assistance.

“The key is how do we get (tutoring) to those kids, because it changes the trajectory in their lives,” Clemens said. “But there are so many families that could never afford it.”

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

As COVID protocols end, young students and new teachers adjust

2022-03-21T16:08:48+00:00

The last lesson that Alexis Kashman taught before COVID closed her classroom was fractions, with her students making diagrams out of tape on the floor.

A recent college graduate, she had started her teaching career at Chapel Glen Elementary School in Wayne Township just three months earlier, and found herself going back to her textbooks to translate the fraction lesson for remote learning.

“We were taught the most important thing is to gather your kids at the carpet and read to them,” she said. “And then as soon as I started, the pandemic hit and everything I had learned up until that point, we had to throw it out the window.”

After two years of disrupted lessons, Kashman has come full circle as Indiana schools return to a pre-pandemic state, with no masking, distancing, quarantining, or — teachers hope — major upheavals midway through the year.

For veteran teachers and older students, this is a return to normalcy. But for some young students and new teachers like Kashman, this is among the first times they’ve experienced in-person learning without restrictions or interruptions. And schools like Chapel Glen are tasked with helping both groups adjust.

The solutions range from a mentorship program for new teachers, to incorporating new and old-school learning strategies, to practicing patience and experimenting with new ideas.

“We all have learned that we really can do hard things,” said Principal Shatara Smith. “When we think outside the box, and we come together and problem solve, it’s not as bad as you think.”

Schools like Chapel Glen Elementary have adopted new programs and strategies to help teachers and students adjust to in-person learning.

Learning classroom expectations

Like schools across the country, Chapel Glen closed and reopened several times over two years as it weathered COVID cases and shifting health guidelines.

During building closures, the Indianapolis district offered an online program where teachers taught alone from their classrooms while students followed along at home.

Alexandra Offutt, who started at Chapel Glen teaching virtual students, described her first few months as a little lonely.

When teachers and students were able to return to their classrooms, they found changes. Gone were the staples of elementary education, like circle time and morning high-fives, replaced by spaced-out desks and elbow bumps.

Offutt’s students had to remain in pods, spending their day doing activities with the same four or five peers in order to aid in contact tracing. Masking and distancing made critical early literacy lessons a challenge, especially for students who were learning English as a second language.

“For kindergarten, it’s hard because you’re learning how to form your mouth when you’re learning these letters,” Offutt said.

“We’d have to be like, alright, back up and pull your mask down and tell me what you’re saying,” Kashman said.

Alexandra Offutt started out teaching students virtually at Chapel Glen, and found that masking and social distancing created challenges with early literacy lessons.

Simultaneously, students also had to learn stamina, focus, and interpersonal skills that had fallen by the wayside during at-home learning. And once the school went mask-optional, Offutt also had to teach students to respect their friends’ choices to wear a mask or not.

“How you speak at home is not necessarily how you can speak at school,” Offutt said. “And you can’t just bump and push and grab something, because you’re going to hurt another kid if you do that.”

Now, with restrictions lifted, Offutt’s kindergartners took advantage of their freedom to move around the room with their friends on Thursday, while dancing to a St. Patrick’s Day song.

Then Offutt gathered them on the rug to sound out words. On “cove,” some students made the leap to a more familiar word.

“No, not COVID,” Offutt said.

“Ewww,” the students said.

Teachers learn from each other

Chapel Glen’s newest teachers are also learning the ropes.

The school’s mentorship program, dubbed the New Teacher Academy, matched new teachers to veteran ones in an effort to ease them into the school and the expectations of teaching in-person, said Smith, the principal.

“Many of our new teachers not only started remotely, but had their student teaching practicum remotely,” Smith said. “Looking at classroom management, procedures, a lot of the necessary foundational things that are needed for starting, we thought, ‘How can we help address some of these areas of concern?’”

But mentees noted the pandemic has also led to a two-way street with mentors, whom they may not have met otherwise.

“I’m helping a veteran teacher create an assignment online, but the veteran teacher is helping me figure out what’s going to work for one of my specific learners,” Kashman said.

Chapel Glen has a mentorship program called the New Teacher Academy, which pairs early career teachers like Kashman with veteran educators.

The way forward likely combines the experiences of both new and veteran teachers, as they all work to address the skills that lapsed during the pandemic.

Teachers of all types are grappling with helping fourth graders who may read at a first-grade level, said Megan Graybosch, a reading interventionist and mentor.

“There’s probably some hesitancy to want to pick up a book that they know they can be successful with,” Graybosch said. “Those books may not look like what their peers are reading.”

Graybosch said she helps new teachers consider how to incorporate “old-school” activities into 21st-century classrooms.

Time-tested strategies like small group reading and rotating centers can supplement the online curriculum and personalized lesson plans that have come to define pandemic learning, she said.

There are other pandemic-inspired changes that the school would like to keep as it steadily returns to normal.

Virtual parent-teacher conferences and drive-thru awards ceremonies are here to stay by popular demand, Smith said.

All Chapel Glen students now have a tablet or laptop, and spend some time each week refreshing the skills they had to learn during virtual schooling.

“I joked that they have trouble holding a pencil, but man, they can cut and paste, they can upload documents,” Smith said. “The skills that we may have introduced them to probably a little later, they were introduced to and did really well.”

Preparing for the future of the pandemic

Chapel Glen students watch a movie during indoor recess. Their principal, Shatara Smith, feels like her staff is more prepared to deal with unforeseen challenges after two years of a pandemic.

As Kashman prepared to send her first graders to recess on Thursday, an unexpected announcement came over the school’s public address system: Recess would be held indoors due to lingering smoke from a nearby fire.

Kashman pivoted, offering Play-Doh, coloring pages, and time to watch “The Secret Life of Pets,” conscious that her students would be spending their whole day indoors.

“They’ll get antsy by the end of the day,” she said.

Her students said they didn’t mind staying inside.

“Because you get sweaty outside, and I don’t want to get sweaty,” one student, Aaliyah, said.

It’s difficult to predict how COVID will affect schools in the future, but it will likely involve a series of adjustments.

Principal Smith said Chapel Glen has plans in place for future school closures, whether due to COVID, snowstorms, or other unforeseen circumstances. After two years, her staff feels more prepared to weather uncertainty, she said.

With case counts low, and pandemic protocols over, teachers feel cautiously optimistic about the next school year, said Graybosch, the reading interventionist.

“I’m no virologist,” she said, to laughs from her peers. “But I think next year is looking pretty good.”

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

As cases remain low and schools relax their COVID protocols, many teachers feel cautiously optimistic about the next school year.

Indiana lifts school COVID rules, ending quarantines and contact tracing

2022-02-17T21:48:00+00:00

The Indiana Department of Health released significantly revamped COVID-19 guidance for schools on Thursday that includes an end to contact tracing and quarantines for students exposed to COVID-19.

Beginning Feb. 23, schools will no longer be required to quarantine students who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case, regardless of vaccination status or whether the school requires masks, according to the department.

Schools will also no longer need to contact trace or report cases to the department.

Those who test positive for COVID should isolate for five days and may return on Day 6 if their symptoms are improving and they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.

The department’s guidance for quarantine had previously depended on a student’s vaccination status as well as the school’s masking policy.

The state issued similar guidance for child care programs: Children who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for five days regardless of symptoms. Children who can wear a mask correctly may return on Day 6, and those who can’t may return on Day 8.

In making the changes, the department cited Indiana’s falling COVID-19 positivity rate — from 33.6% on Jan. 19 to 13.1% on Wednesday.

Over 4,800 COVID cases were reported in schools last week according to the state dashboard, 4,220 of which were among students.

The department will begin to reduce its COVID-19 response operations, citing a drop in demand for testing.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t issued updated guidance for schools since Jan. 13, and still recommends universal indoor masking for everyone over age 2, contact tracing, and quarantines for close contacts.

In Indiana, “These changes reflect the rapid decline in COVID-19 cases as we emerge from the omicron surge and the fact that all school-age children have been eligible to be vaccinated since November,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box. “While they do not remove the need for continued vigilance, they will ease the reporting burden on schools and help ensure that children can stay in school.”

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

Indianapolis Public Schools offers free voluntary COVID tests

2022-02-15T22:22:11+00:00

After hitting record COVID numbers in January, Indianapolis Public Schools has new resources for free voluntary testing for students and staff.

All district-run schools will offer rapid tests, and IPS plans to open two PCR testing locations.

“We recognize the challenges our staff and families have faced accessing COVID testing,” IPS Health Services Director Megan Carlson said in a statement. “To improve access, IPS has committed to providing testing at all our school locations. We know adding this service in addition to our current mitigation measures will only improve the health and safety of our schools and community.”

While some districts across the nation have implemented regular testing or “test-to-stay” strategies for close contacts, IPS will focus on symptomatic students and staff. The district requires consent forms for testing.

IPS is one of five districts in the state selected to receive free rapid tests through a federal program, which provided an initial 7,200 tests for 40 IPS schools. The on-site testing supply is expected to last two weeks.

The district also used federal relief dollars to buy 40,000 additional rapid tests for a dozen other schools. IPS can send those tests home for students, families, and staff.

IPS did not outline a plan for providing tests to innovation schools that are independently run by outside operators but noted it plans to add more testing sites. IPS students or staff can seek testing at any school.

IPS will also open two PCR testing locations at Arsenal Tech High School and the former Broad Ripple High School. The district has not yet announced when those test sites will open.

PCR testing will be free for IPS students and staff through reimbursements from insurance companies and a federal program that covers uninsured people. IPS is also considering opening some testing slots to the public.

The district has also been aiming to increase vaccination rates among its students by offering free clinics. IPS continues to mandate mask-wearing for all students and staff.

“Our goal and anchor has been to keep our schools open for in-person learning as safely as we can for as many students as we can,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said late last month.

In January, IPS briefly moved to remote learning for middle and high schools and suspended field trips and K-8 sports during a surge of coronavirus cases. After hitting a peak of 398 cases and 629 quarantines the first week of January, IPS’ COVID stats have come down considerably. The district reported 27 cases and 51 quarantines in the first week of February, the most recent data available on its dashboard.

Stephanie Wang covers Indiana education, including pre-K, K-12 schools, and higher education. Contact her at swang@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana schools were staying open. ‘Then omicron came along.’

2022-01-20T00:30:25+00:00

Indiana schools are trying to stay open as COVID surges, but record-high cases among students and employees have forced some to close their doors.

“This one snuck up on us. We had shifted our mindset already,” said Wayne schools Superintendent Jeff Butts. “We were thinking maybe after Christmas break we won’t have to wear masks anymore. Then omicron came along and ravaged everybody.”

The state, whose 7-day positivity rate hit 30%, reported 15,485 cases among students last week, 1,137 for teachers, and 1,471 for other staff — all shattering previous records and leading several districts to implement at least some remote learning.

Among them was Wayne, which reported 300 positive cases and over 1,000 quarantines districtwide last week, prompting a pivot to remote learning for two days for Ben Davis High School.

The school had been merging up to five classes in gyms but by last week didn’t have enough adults to safely supervise students, Butts said. Going to remote learning bought time for people to quarantine and return to campus, he said.

The strategies that have kept schools open in the past, like masking and social distancing, haven’t been enough to fend off the highly transmissible omicron variant, said John Christenson, the associate medical director of infection prevention at Riley Children’s Health.

Another powerful tool to fight the virus, vaccinations, lags among Indiana children.

This leaves schools with difficult choices to keep students and employees safe, including closures that can reduce cases, but set back learning.

Butts said masks have been the second most effective mitigation measure at the district, behind last year’s hybrid learning that allowed students to better spread out.

But hybrid learning was worse for education, he said.

He doesn’t expect more virtual learning, but said the district would err on the side of safety.

“If the growth continues, I don’t know that anybody is going to have a choice,” he said.

Vaccinations and other measures in schools

Christenson said pediatricians believe that schools should stay open, given the effects of closures on students’ academics and mental health. But doing so is only possible through a combination of safety strategies, including masking and vaccination, which frequently come under political fire, he said.

This week, for example, House lawmakers passed a bill restricting employer vaccine mandates.

Only around 14% of 5- to 11-year-olds in Indiana are fully vaccinated, compared with 62% of adults. Christenson attributes the gap to parents’ fears of side effects, or the misinformed belief that the virus doesn’t cause severe illness in children.

He said his hospital has admitted two to three times more children during this surge than a year ago. Many are in the ICU, and around half of those are on ventilators, including some who have spent more than a month on a ventilator, he said.

School districts often don’t track their student and staff vaccination data and rarely report it publicly.

When the numbers are available, they represent only those who have reported their status to the district, or who have shared it during contact tracing.

Wayne schools boast an 87% vaccination rate among staff, according to Butts, but a rate for students was not immediately available.

At Indianapolis Public Schools, nearly three-quarters of staff have gotten vaccinated after the district offered a $300 incentive last year.

But only around 6% of students are vaccinated, according to the district, although this percentage might be higher, since the figure reflects only students who have reported their status or received a vaccination from one of the district’s clinics. The district moved some schools to remote learning last week.

The district hosts on-campus clinics in an effort to make the vaccine more accessible, according to health services Director Megan Carlson. The clinics reserve several hours during the school day for students, so parents can more easily make appointments for their children.

Carlson said the district also focuses its outreach efforts on 18-year-olds, encouraging them to sign up for appointments.

“We’ve seen a lot of 18-year-olds come down and get the vaccines for themselves, which is pretty awesome,” she said.

Carlson said the district has also considered offering an incentive such as a raffle for students to get vaccinated. But it wouldn’t consider mandating vaccination without guidance from the CDC.

A spokesman for Anderson schools, which offered cash incentives for students and staff to get vaccinated, said the district saw a positive response, but it wouldn’t provide the number of who got the shot.

Warren Township declined to share staff data outside the district “to alleviate staff being a target,” according to a statement.

The statement also said the district does not have access to student vaccine information, other than through questions asked during contact tracing.

Warren sent students in grades 5 through 12 home for remote learning during the week of Jan. 10, in an attempt to keep younger students in school.

But by this week, the number of staff members in isolation led the district to go fully remote for all grade levels, as well as to close the day care and preschool programs it had previously tried to keep open to avoid placing a hardship on families, according to spokesperson Dennis Jarrett.

Jarrett said the district uses a weekly assessment to determine its next steps, which includes a count of how many staff members are available, as well as health data from the Marion County Health Department and the CDC.

Overall, Jarrett said, the district was more prepared for this surge after weathering nearly two years of the pandemic. Food service is continuing, and students can also stop by for technology and help with remote learning, he said.

“We all wish it was over, but this is our reality,” Jarrett said. “We are mindful of that and trying to do everything we can do to make it easier on our families.”

More school closures are possible in the future If a significant portion of people remain unvaccinated, allowing the virus to evolve, Christenson of Riley Children’s Health said.

“We can end this pandemic quickly through those mitigation measures,” Christenson said. “But as long as we don’t do it, or do it piecemeal, that’s not going to happen.”

Indiana graduation rate dips slightly, unevenly for Class of 2021

2022-01-05T00:22:19+00:00

Graduation rates for Indiana students dipped slightly to about 87% last year, according to state data released last week, falling most steeply among student groups with the lowest graduation rates.

Graduation rates fell 3 percentage points among Black students, 2.6 points among Hispanic students, and 6 points among Native American students. They also fell by 4 points among English learners and students from low-income families.

Indiana had about 67,500 graduates in the Class of 2021, which experienced COVID-related disruptions throughout senior year.

Those students represent 86.7% of their class, one point lower than that of the Class of 2020.

The 2021 rate includes some students who received a waiver from the state’s graduation exam. Students qualify for a waiver if they meet certain other requirements, like showing workforce readiness.

In 2020, the state granted a blanket waiver to seniors — thus complicating any comparison between the past two years’ high school classes.

A higher percentage of students passed the exam to graduate last year than did in 2019. In that year, which required a graduation exam, 87.3% graduated.

This year’s rates offer a look at the circumstances that students faced over a year of pandemic learning, said Jill Shedd, assistant dean for teacher education at the Indiana University College of Education.

While they can help gauge how the year went, they shouldn’t be taken as characteristic of the graduating class, she added, many of whom experienced challenges in accessing education.

“I am not convinced that they are an accurate measure of our seniors’ potential, what they’re able to know,” Shedd said. “The fact that so many did graduate, and were extremely resilient doing as well as they did, speaks a lot about their capabilities and who they are as persons, which are important elements that are never going to be captured on pencil and paper.”

Graduation rates for 2021 varied among schools and student groups. One prevalent pattern was a jump in rates from 2019 to 2020, followed by a drop in 2021.

District	School	2020	2021	Change
Adams Central Community Schools	Adams Central High School	100.00%	94.55%	-5.45
North Adams Community Schools	Bellmont Senior High School	94.12%	96.15%	2.03
South Adams Schools	South Adams High School	92.13%	89.11%	-3.02
MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	Homestead Senior High School	96.28%	93.85%	-2.43
Northwest Allen County Schools	Carroll High School	97.91%	95.70%	-2.21
Fort Wayne Community Schools	North Side High School	88.27%	86.31%	-1.96
Fort Wayne Community Schools	R Nelson Snider High School	95.52%	94.57%	-0.95
Fort Wayne Community Schools	South Side High School	88.95%	81.68%	-7.27
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Wayne High School	95.74%	90.46%	-5.28
Fort Wayne Community Schools	Northrop High School	92.64%	88.42%	-4.22
East Allen County Schools	Leo Junior/Senior High School	92.21%	92.67%	0.46
East Allen County Schools	Heritage Jr/Sr High School	86.18%	81.88%	-4.3
East Allen County Schools	Woodlan Jr/Sr High School	89.36%	89.26%	-0.1
East Allen County Schools	New Haven Jr/Sr High School	89.51%	85.60%	-3.91
East Allen County Schools	East Allen University	96.88%	100.00%	3.12
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Columbus North High School	87.90%	84.09%	-3.81
Bartholomew Con School Corp	Columbus East High School	85.01%	85.86%	0.85
Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp	Hauser Jr-Sr High School	91.23%	93.42%	2.19
Benton Community School Corp	Benton Central Jr-Sr High School	84.85%	90.51%	5.66
Blackford County Schools	Blackford Jr-Sr High School	92.31%	86.21%	-6.1
Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	Western Boone Jr-Sr High School	95.20%	96.32%	1.12
Zionsville Community Schools	Zionsville Community High School	96.91%	97.20%	0.29
Lebanon Community School Corp	Lebanon Senior High School	93.78%	86.67%	-7.11
Brown County School Corporation	Brown County High School	82.29%	87.34%	5.05
Carroll Consolidated School Corp	Carroll Senior High School	94.37%	94.81%	0.44
Delphi Community School Corp	Delphi Community High School	84.54%	89.83%	5.29
Pioneer Regional School Corp	Pioneer Jr-Sr High School	96.30%	100.00%	3.7
Lewis Cass Schools	Lewis Cass High School	92.92%	96.26%	3.34
Logansport Community Sch Corp	Logansport Community High School	81.59%	84.59%	3
Borden-Henryville School Corporation	Henryville Jr & Sr High School	89.53%	87.78%	-1.75
Borden-Henryville School Corporation	William W Borden High School	88.68%	95.83%	7.15
Silver Creek School Corporation	Silver Creek High School	96.12%	93.39%	-2.73
Clarksville Community School Corp	Clarksville Senior High School	90.91%	84.09%	-6.82
Greater Clark County Schools	New Washington Middle/High School	96.08%	97.73%	1.65
Greater Clark County Schools	Charlestown Senior High School	97.55%	96.70%	-0.85
Greater Clark County Schools	Jeffersonville High School	97.08%	94.62%	-2.46
Clay Community Schools	Clay City Jr-Sr High School	90.48%	91.23%	0.75
Clay Community Schools	Northview High School	72.69%	85.71%	13.02
Clinton Central School Corporation	Clinton Central Junior-Senior HS	92.65%	90.00%	-2.65
Clinton Prairie School Corporation	Clinton Prairie Jr-Sr High School	91.57%	94.05%	2.48
Community Schools of Frankfort	Frankfort High School	87.95%	86.86%	-1.09
Rossville Con School District	Rossville Middle/Senior High Sch	91.55%	92.86%	1.31
Crawford County Community Sch Corp	Crawford County High School	84.44%	82.83%	-1.61
Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	Barr Reeve Middle/High School	100.00%	100.00%	0
North Daviess Com Schools	North Daviess Jr-Sr High School	93.75%	98.61%	4.86
Washington Community Schools	Washington High School	95.81%	89.07%	-6.74
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	East Central High School	97.07%	96.50%	-0.57
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	South Dearborn High School	89.95%	90.95%	1
Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	Lawrenceburg High School	92.57%	94.08%	1.51
Decatur County Community Schools	South Decatur Jr-Sr High School	97.50%	100.00%	2.5
Decatur County Community Schools	North Decatur Jr-Sr High School	97.65%	95.65%	-2
Greensburg Community Schools	Greensburg Community High School	84.78%	92.57%	7.79
DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	Eastside Junior-Senior High School	88.35%	95.05%	6.7
Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	Garrett High School	95.15%	94.59%	-0.56
DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	DeKalb High School	90.75%	91.67%	0.92
Delaware Community School Corp	Delta High School	94.71%	89.77%	-4.94
Wes-Del Community Schools	Wes-Del Middle/Senior High School	98.48%	100.00%	1.52
Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	Wapahani High School	86.59%	93.98%	7.39
Cowan Community School Corp	Cowan High School	90.57%	98.28%	7.71
Yorktown Community Schools	Yorktown High School	97.16%	97.35%	0.19
Daleville Community Schools	Daleville Jr-Sr High School	87.69%	96.97%	9.28
Muncie Community Schools	Muncie Central High School	83.33%	81.97%	-1.36
Muncie Community Schools	Youth Opportunity Center	3.33%	4.76%	1.43
Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Northeast Dubois Jr/Sr High School	89.86%	88.57%	-1.29
Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	Forest Park Jr-Sr High School	95.88%	93.98%	-1.9
Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	Southridge High School	95.73%	84.30%	-11.43
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	Jasper High School	95.08%	92.50%	-2.58
Fairfield Community Schools	Fairfield Jr-Sr High School	97.50%	94.17%	-3.33
Baugo Community Schools	Jimtown High School	92.07%	84.46%	-7.61
Concord Community Schools	Concord Community High School	87.64%	87.01%	-0.63
Middlebury Community Schools	Northridge High School	92.94%	93.37%	0.43
Wa-Nee Community Schools	North Wood High School	91.67%	92.12%	0.45
Elkhart Community Schools	Elkhart Memorial High School	94.87%	73.33%	-21.54
Elkhart Community Schools	Elkhart High School		88.27%	88.27
Goshen Community Schools	Goshen High School	90.74%	87.28%	-3.46
Fayette County School Corporation	Connersville Sr High School	88.76%	90.18%	1.42
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	New Albany Senior High School	88.64%	90.31%	1.67
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Floyd Central High School	95.25%	94.85%	-0.4
Attica Consolidated School Corp	Attica High School	100.00%	97.50%	-2.5
Covington Community School Corp	Covington Community High School	96.92%	98.28%	1.36
Southeast Fountain School Corp	Fountain Central High School	81.82%	93.62%	11.8
Franklin County Community Sch Corp	Franklin County High	88.59%	88.59%	0
Rochester Community School Corp	Rochester Community High School	92.96%	93.28%	0.32
Caston School Corporation	Caston Jr-Sr High School	91.07%	93.48%	2.41
East Gibson School Corporation	Waldo J Wood Memorial High	85.71%	86.30%	0.59
North Gibson School Corporation	Princeton Community High School	76.92%	84.00%	7.08
South Gibson School Corporation	Gibson Southern High School	93.88%	90.91%	-2.97
Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	Eastbrook High School	97.48%	96.04%	-1.44
Madison-Grant United School Corp	Madison-Grant Jr./Sr. High School	98.82%	97.89%	-0.93
Mississinewa Community School Corp	Mississinewa High School	95.05%	94.76%	-0.29
Marion Community Schools	Marion High School	87.72%	83.56%	-4.16
Bloomfield School District	Bloomfield High School	92.45%	93.10%	0.65
Eastern Greene Schools	Eastern Greene High School	83.54%	75.00%	-8.54
Linton-Stockton School Corporation	Linton-Stockton High School	89.77%	84.91%	-4.86
MSD Shakamak Schools	Shakamak Jr-Sr High School	84.85%	96.83%	11.98
White River Valley School District	White River Valley High School	91.55%	84.75%	-6.8
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Fishers High School	98.24%	97.81%	-0.43
Hamilton Southeastern Schools	Hamilton Southeastern HS	97.04%	96.94%	-0.1
Hamilton Heights School Corp	Hamilton Heights High School	91.62%	96.24%	4.62
Westfield-Washington Schools	Westfield High School	98.23%	96.28%	-1.95
Sheridan Community Schools	Sheridan High School	95.45%	89.74%	-5.71
Carmel Clay Schools	Carmel High School	95.17%	96.98%	1.81
Noblesville Schools	Noblesville High School	96.89%	98.31%	1.42
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	New Palestine High School	94.44%	95.85%	1.41
Greenfield-Central Com Schools	Greenfield-Central High School	94.56%	91.67%	-2.89
Mt Vernon Community School Corp	Mt Vernon High School	97.78%	95.44%	-2.34
Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	Eastern Hancock High School	99.07%	91.58%	-7.49
Lanesville Community School Corp	Lanesville Jr-Sr HS	93.15%	98.15%	5
North Harrison Com School Corp	North Harrison High School	99.24%	97.02%	-2.22
South Harrison Com Schools	Corydon Central High School	94.54%	92.12%	-2.42
South Harrison Com Schools	South Central Jr & Sr High School	96.77%	95.74%	-1.03
North West Hendricks Schools	Tri-West Senior High School	97.10%	90.34%	-6.76
Brownsburg Community School Corp	Brownsburg High School	98.79%	97.91%	-0.88
Avon Community School Corp	Avon High School	97.84%	97.32%	-0.52
Danville Community School Corp	Danville Community High School	93.15%	90.00%	-3.15
Plainfield Community School Corp	Plainfield High School	93.66%	93.38%	-0.28
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	Cascade Senior High School	94.17%	99.11%	4.94
Blue River Valley Schools	Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch	97.30%	87.50%	-9.8
South Henry School Corp	Tri Junior-Senior High School	90.63%	89.55%	-1.08
Shenandoah School Corporation	Shenandoah High School	94.68%	93.48%	-1.2
New Castle Community School Corp	New Castle High School	87.97%	92.02%	4.05
C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Knightstown High School	91.86%	87.76%	-4.1
Taylor Community School Corp	Taylor High School	86.41%	81.82%	-4.59
Northwestern School Corp	Northwestern Senior High School	97.99%	99.21%	1.22
Eastern Howard School Corporation	Eastern High School	95.65%	95.45%	-0.2
Western School Corporation	Western High School	95.31%	90.00%	-5.31
Kokomo School Corporation	Kokomo High School	95.45%	95.38%	-0.07
Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	Huntington North High School	90.55%	86.94%	-3.61
Medora Community School Corp	Medora Jr & Sr High School		90.91%
Seymour Community Schools	Seymour Senior High School	91.56%	74.62%	-16.94
Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	Brownstown Central High School	88.31%	89.74%	1.43
Crothersville Community Schools	Crothersville Jr-Sr High School	92.86%	87.88%	-4.98
Kankakee Valley School Corp	Kankakee Valley High School	94.92%	92.34%	-2.58
Rensselaer Central School Corp	Rensselaer Central High School	92.37%	88.60%	-3.77
Jay School Corporation	Jay County Jr/Sr High School	83.33%	84.29%	0.96
Madison Consolidated Schools	Madison Consolidated High School	88.50%	88.40%	-0.1
Madison Consolidated Schools	E.O. Muncie Jr/Sr High School		31.82%	31.82
Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	Southwestern High School	94.94%	93.02%	-1.92
Jennings County School Corporation	Jennings County High School	90.44%	80.32%	-10.12
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Whiteland Community High School	91.72%	92.11%	0.39
Center Grove Community School Corp	Center Grove High School	96.42%	95.63%	-0.79
Edinburgh Community School Corp	Edinburgh Community High School	93.55%	90.38%	-3.17
Franklin Community School Corp	Franklin Community High School	91.29%	90.62%	-0.67
Greenwood Community Sch Corp	Greenwood Community High Sch	92.39%	88.62%	-3.77
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	Indian Creek Sr High School	92.16%	96.40%	4.24
North Knox School Corp	North Knox Jr-Sr High School	93.10%	93.10%	0
South Knox School Corp	South Knox Middle-High School	100.00%	94.12%	-5.88
Vincennes Community School Corp	Lincoln High School	84.91%	83.33%	-1.58
Vincennes Community School Corp	Washington Learning Academy		70.97%	70.97
Wawasee Community School Corp	Wawasee High School	89.95%	91.62%	1.67
Warsaw Community Schools	Warsaw Community High School	91.94%	90.40%	-1.54
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	Tippecanoe Valley High School	95.69%	91.79%	-3.9
Whitko Community School Corp	Whitko Jr/Sr High School	87.50%	90.82%	3.32
Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	Prairie Heights Sr High School	90.83%	93.62%	2.79
Westview School Corporation	Westview Jr-Sr High School	91.67%	95.51%	3.84
Lakeland School Corporation	Lakeland Jr/Sr High School	88.73%	82.03%	-6.7
Hanover Community School Corp	Hanover Central High School	97.50%	95.48%	-2.02
River Forest Community Sch Corp	River Forest High School	89.81%	76.19%	-13.62
Merrillville Community School Corp	Merrillville High School	91.78%	89.66%	-2.12
Lake Central School Corporation	Lake Central High School	92.91%	95.94%	3.03
Tri-Creek School Corporation	Lowell Senior High School	96.55%	93.43%	-3.12
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Calumet New Tech High School	98.10%	98.64%	0.54
Crown Point Community School Corp	Crown Point High School	98.56%	98.58%	0.02
School City of East Chicago	East Chicago Central High School	72.82%	64.10%	-8.72
Lake Station Community Schools	Thomas A Edison Jr-Sr HS	87.00%	82.47%	-4.53
Gary Community School Corp	West Side Leadership Academy	64.71%	66.67%	1.96
Griffith Public Schools	Griffth Jr/Sr High School	76.92%	71.59%	-5.33
School City of Hammond	George Rogers Clark Md/HS	84.95%	74.75%	-10.2
School City of Hammond	Donald E Gavit Middle/High School	87.39%	76.85%	-10.54
School City of Hammond	Hammond Central High School	75.00%	63.76%	-11.24
School City of Hammond	Morton Senior High School	81.40%	70.48%	-10.92
School Town of Highland	Highland High School	93.48%	92.03%	-1.45
School City of Hobart	Hobart High School	92.45%	91.35%	-1.1
School Town of Munster	Munster High School	94.34%	95.49%	1.15
School City of Whiting	Whiting High School	94.50%	94.29%	-0.21
New Prairie United School Corp	New Prairie High School	97.55%	97.74%	0.19
MSD of New Durham Township	Westville High School	91.67%	91.18%	-0.49
Tri-Township Cons School Corp	LaCrosse School	95.12%	91.30%	-3.82
Michigan City Area Schools	Michigan City High School	91.18%	81.01%	-10.17
South Central Com School Corp	South Central Jr-Sr High School	97.30%	92.50%	-4.8
LaPorte Community School Corp	LaPorte High School	89.21%	80.84%	-8.37
North Lawrence Com Schools	Bedford-North Lawrence High School	89.57%	86.42%	-3.15
Mitchell Community Schools	Mitchell High School	75.76%	90.91%	15.15
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Frankton Jr-Sr High School	93.33%	97.32%	3.99
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	Lapel Sr High School	100.00%	93.46%	-6.54
South Madison Com Sch Corp	Pendleton Heights High School	96.32%	93.48%	-2.84
Alexandria Community School Corp	Alexandria-Monroe High School	89.92%	76.09%	-13.83
Anderson Community School Corp	Anderson High School	87.39%	78.23%	-9.16
Elwood Community School Corp	Elwood Jr-Sr High School	97.06%	85.26%	-11.8
MSD Decatur Township	Decatur Central High School	88.21%	89.79%	1.58
Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	Franklin Central High School	95.17%	95.66%	0.49
MSD Lawrence Township	Lawrence Central High School	92.11%	92.83%	0.72
MSD Lawrence Township	Lawrence North High School	93.42%	94.09%	0.67
Perry Township Schools	Perry Meridian High School	89.98%	94.94%	4.96
Perry Township Schools	Southport High School	84.99%	85.28%	0.29
MSD Pike Township	Pike High School	90.58%	89.67%	-0.91
MSD Warren Township	Warren Central High School	86.54%	81.71%	-4.83
MSD Washington Township	North Central High School	90.54%	91.70%	1.16
MSD Wayne Township	Ben Davis High School	86.97%	87.15%	0.18
MSD Wayne Township	Achieve Virtual Education Academy	36.92%	42.50%	5.58
MSD Wayne Township	Ben Davis University High School	100.00%	100.00%	0
Beech Grove City Schools	Beech Grove Sr High School	88.63%	78.46%	-10.17
Indianapolis Public Schools	Impact Academy 1	2.63%	0.00%	-2.63
Indianapolis Public Schools	Arsenal Technical High School	69.31%	69.97%	0.66
Indianapolis Public Schools	Crispus Attucks High School	85.58%	85.20%	-0.38
Indianapolis Public Schools	Emmerich Manual High School		76.00%	76
Indianapolis Public Schools	Shortridge High School	87.37%	82.82%	-4.55
Indianapolis Public Schools	George Washington High School	63.28%	72.41%	9.13
School Town of Speedway	Speedway Senior High School	96.72%	99.18%	2.46
Culver Community Schools Corp	Culver Community Middle/High Sch	91.38%	81.63%	-9.75
Argos Community Schools	Argos Comm Jr-Sr High School	87.50%	89.80%	2.3
Bremen Public Schools	Bremen Senior High School	94.12%	92.17%	-1.95
Plymouth Community School Corp	Plymouth High School	88.08%	91.45%	3.37
Triton School Corporation	Triton Jr-Sr High School	86.27%	86.89%	0.62
Shoals Community School Corp	Shoals Community High School	93.88%	88.68%	-5.2
Loogootee Community Sch Corp	Loogootee High School	89.86%	88.41%	-1.45
Maconaquah School Corp	Maconaquah High School	92.14%	87.50%	-4.64
North Miami Community Schools	North Miami Middle/High School	96.05%	86.89%	-9.16
Oak Hill United School Corp	Oak Hill High School	96.92%	98.40%	1.48
Peru Community Schools	Peru High School	89.93%	91.10%	1.17
Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Edgewood High School	90.91%	88.89%	-2.02
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington High School South	97.21%	92.06%	-5.15
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington High School North	90.10%	95.21%	5.11
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	The Acad of Sci & Entrepreneurship	100.00%	88.89%	-11.11
Monroe County Community Sch Corp	Bloomington Graduation School	56.76%	58.82%	2.06
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	North Montgomery High School	92.36%	93.10%	0.74
South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	Southmont Sr High School	88.36%	95.80%	7.44
Crawfordsville Community Schools	Crawfordsville Sr High School	85.96%	82.66%	-3.3
Monroe-Gregg School District	Monrovia High School	90.54%	86.76%	-3.78
Eminence Community School Corp	Eminence Jr-Sr High School	87.10%	97.06%	9.96
MSD Martinsville Schools	Martinsville High School	84.86%	87.90%	3.04
Mooresville Con School Corp	Mooresville High School	95.77%	95.99%	0.22
North Newton School Corp	North Newton Jr-Sr High School	83.72%	89.53%	5.81
South Newton School Corp	South Newton Senior High School	91.07%	90.16%	-0.91
Central Noble Com School Corp	Central Noble Junior Senior HS	88.50%	90.48%	1.98
East Noble School Corporation	East Noble High School	92.54%	92.00%	-0.54
West Noble School Corporation	West Noble High School	89.63%	86.18%	-3.45
Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Rising Sun High School	88.89%	95.89%	7
Orleans Community Schools	Orleans Jr-Sr High School	96.23%	94.64%	-1.59
Paoli Community School Corp	Paoli Jr & Sr High School	89.60%	80.46%	-9.14
Springs Valley Com School Corp	Springs Valley Comm High School	97.10%	98.33%	1.23
Spencer-Owen Community Schools	Owen Valley Community High School	87.57%	79.17%	-8.4
Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	Riverton Parke Jr-Sr High School	83.10%	79.22%	-3.88
Perry Central Com Schools Corp	Perry Central Jr-Sr High School	93.90%	92.39%	-1.51
Cannelton City Schools	Cannelton Elementary & High School	83.33%	86.11%	2.78
Tell City-Troy Twp School Corp	Tell City Jr-Sr High School	92.05%	92.05%	0
North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	Parke Heritage High School	88.57%	90.11%	1.54
Pike County School Corp	Pike Central High School	90.32%	87.50%	-2.82
MSD Boone Township	Hebron High School	100.00%	97.62%	-2.38
Duneland School Corporation	Chesterton Senior High School	92.73%	93.51%	0.78
East Porter County School Corp	Morgan Township Middle/High School	100.00%	96.49%	-3.51
East Porter County School Corp	Kouts Middle/High School	98.46%	96.55%	-1.91
East Porter County School Corp	Washington Twp Middle/High School	96.61%	95.65%	-0.96
Porter Township School Corp	Boone Grove High School	94.16%	95.90%	1.74
Union Township School Corp	Wheeler High School	96.12%	97.58%	1.46
Portage Township Schools	Portage High School	93.29%	92.95%	-0.34
Valparaiso Community Schools	Valparaiso High School	92.88%	95.26%	2.38
MSD Mount Vernon	Mount Vernon High School	88.82%	88.64%	-0.18
MSD North Posey Co Schools	North Posey High School	90.83%	97.70%	6.87
Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	Winamac Community High School	89.80%	98.48%	8.68
West Central School Corp	West Central Senior High School	88.33%	96.92%	8.59
South Putnam Community Schools	South Putnam High School	97.96%	97.89%	-0.07
North Putnam Community Schools	North Putnam Sr High School	93.75%	97.83%	4.08
Cloverdale Community Schools	Cloverdale High School	96.67%	90.24%	-6.43
Greencastle Community School Corp	Greencastle High School	92.97%	90.65%	-2.32
Union School Corporation	Union Junior & High School	77.27%	100.00%	22.73
Union School Corporation	Indiana Digital JR and High School	90.91%	94.57%	3.66
Union School Corporation	Indiana Digital Alternative School	31.96%	52.63%	20.67
Randolph Southern School Corp	Randolph Southern Jr-Sr High Sch	97.56%	100.00%	2.44
Monroe Central School Corp	Monroe Central Jr-Sr High School	98.82%	90.54%	-8.28
Randolph Central School Corp	Winchester Community High School	94.59%	83.33%	-11.26
Randolph Eastern School Corp	Union City Community Jr/Sr High	90.32%	95.59%	5.27
South Ripley Com Sch Corp	South Ripley High School	94.68%	92.31%	-2.37
Batesville Community School Corp	Batesville High School	97.56%	96.45%	-1.11
Jac-Cen-Del Community Sch Corp	Jac-Cen-Del MS/HS	97.33%	100.00%	2.67
Milan Community Schools	Milan High School	94.95%	94.51%	-0.44
Rush County Schools	Rushville Consolidated High School	92.94%	92.74%	-0.2
John Glenn School Corporation	John Glenn High School	95.80%	95.03%	-0.77
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Penn High School	97.10%	97.32%	0.22
School City of Mishawaka	Mishawaka High School	93.77%	81.74%	-12.03
South Bend Community School Corp	South Bend Virtual School		56.25%	56.25
South Bend Community School Corp	Clay High School	78.06%	69.78%	-8.28
South Bend Community School Corp	Adams High School	91.12%	90.18%	-0.94
South Bend Community School Corp	Riley High School	82.01%	83.62%	1.61
South Bend Community School Corp	Washington High School	82.02%	61.25%	-20.77
South Bend Community School Corp	Rise Up Academy at Eggleston	30.69%	20.26%	-10.43
Union-North United School Corp	LaVille Jr-Sr High School	86.79%	77.38%	-9.41
Scott County School District 1	Austin High School	84.69%	90.22%	5.53
Scott County School District 2	Scottsburg Senior High School	85.56%	84.98%	-0.58
Shelby Eastern Schools	Morristown Jr-Sr High School	93.18%	94.44%	1.26
Shelby Eastern Schools	Waldron Jr-Sr High School	80.00%	93.88%	13.88
Northwestern Con School Corp	Triton Central High School	93.46%	90.98%	-2.48
Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co	Southwestern High School	96.15%	95.56%	-0.59
Shelbyville Central Schools	Shelbyville Sr High School	92.19%	95.20%	3.01
North Spencer County Sch Corp	Heritage Hills High School	94.37%	92.86%	-1.51
South Spencer County Sch Corp	South Spencer High School	93.62%	94.95%	1.33
Oregon-Davis School Corp	Oregon-Davis Jr-Sr High School	79.49%	82.35%	2.86
North Judson-San Pierre Sch Corp	N Judson-San Pierre Jr Sr High Sch	88.42%	85.90%	-2.52
Knox Community School Corp	Knox Community High School	92.65%	92.47%	-0.18
Fremont Community Schools	Fremont High School	90.28%	95.38%	5.1
Hamilton Community Schools	Hamilton Community High School	84.62%	92.31%	7.69
MSD Steuben County	Angola High School	85.90%	83.25%	-2.65
Northeast School Corp	North Central Jr/Sr High School	85.71%	96.10%	10.39
Southwest School Corporation	Sullivan High School	97.06%	92.86%	-4.2
Switzerland County School Corp	Switzerland Co Senior High School	91.40%	92.22%	0.82
Lafayette School Corporation	Oakland High School	56.25%	0.00%	-56.25
Lafayette School Corporation	Jefferson High School	79.28%	53.00%	-26.28
Tippecanoe School Corp	McCutcheon High School	92.50%	93.30%	0.8
Tippecanoe School Corp	William Henry Harrison High School	95.44%	90.66%	-4.78
West Lafayette Com School Corp	West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School	93.96%	92.13%	-1.83
Tri-Central Community Schools	Tri Central Middle-High School	92.00%	98.21%	6.21
Tipton Community School Corp	Tipton High School	88.98%	89.55%	0.57
Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	Union County High School	95.65%	94.64%	-1.01
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Benjamin Bosse High School	91.77%	90.58%	-1.19
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Central High School	94.86%	95.65%	0.79
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Francis Joseph Reitz High School	95.95%	97.88%	1.93
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	North High School	95.13%	95.40%	0.27
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Academy for Innovative Studies	21.43%	18.75%	-2.68
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Harwood Career Prep High School	60.34%	25.11%	-35.23
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	William Henry Harrison High School	93.36%	94.47%	1.11
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	New Tech Institute	97.01%	98.39%	1.38
North Vermillion Com Sch Corp	North Vermillion High School	96.88%	88.06%	-8.82
South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	South Vermillion High School	86.33%	90.97%	4.64
Vigo County School Corp	Terre Haute North Vigo High School	84.65%	75.62%	-9.03
Vigo County School Corp	West Vigo High School	96.32%	90.13%	-6.19
Vigo County School Corp	Terre Haute South Vigo High School	87.27%	81.44%	-5.83
Vigo County School Corp	Vigo Virtual School Academy	54.55%	19.35%	-35.2
Vigo County School Corp	Booker T Washington Alt Sch	59.09%	41.94%	-17.15
Manchester Community Schools	Manchester Jr-Sr High School	94.35%	93.69%	-0.66
MSD Wabash County Schools	Northfield Jr-Sr High School	94.55%	95.65%	1.1
MSD Wabash County Schools	Southwood Jr-Sr High School	98.63%	94.44%	-4.19
MSD Wabash County Schools	White's Jr-Sr High School	55.76%	52.56%	-3.2
Wabash City Schools	Wabash High School	91.75%	91.53%	-0.22
MSD Warren County	Seeger Memorial Jr-Sr High School	97.75%	100.00%	2.25
Warrick County School Corp	Tecumseh High School	100.00%	96.15%	-3.85
Warrick County School Corp	Boonville High School	87.71%	88.62%	0.91
Warrick County School Corp	Castle High School	92.79%	91.07%	-1.72
Salem Community Schools	Salem High School	96.99%	85.00%	-11.99
East Washington School Corp	Eastern High School	81.08%	83.00%	1.92
West Washington School Corp	West Washington Jr-Sr High School	94.29%	93.02%	-1.27
Nettle Creek School Corporation	Hagerstown Jr-Sr High School	95.45%	98.72%	3.27
Western Wayne Schools	Lincoln Sr High School	94.12%	85.94%	-8.18
Centerville-Abington Com Schs	Centerville Sr High School	91.67%	90.00%	-1.67
Northeastern Wayne Schools	Northeastern High School	97.56%	98.91%	1.35
Richmond Community Schools	Richmond High School	94.49%	93.70%	-0.79
Richmond Community Schools	Community Youth Services		25.00%	25
Southern Wells Com Schools	Southern Wells Jr-Sr High School	96.15%	95.71%	-0.44
Northern Wells Community Schools	Norwell High School	94.20%	94.01%	-0.19
MSD Bluffton-Harrison	Bluffton High School	98.10%	99.14%	1.04
North White School Corp	North White High School	90.00%	96.08%	6.08
Frontier School Corporation	Frontier Jr-Sr High School	89.09%	87.76%	-1.33
Tri-County School Corporation	Tri-County Jr/Sr High School	98.08%	96.08%	-2
Twin Lakes School Corp	Twin Lakes Senior High School	89.05%	89.56%	0.51
Smith-Green Community Schools	Churubusco Jr-Sr High School	97.83%	91.40%	-6.43
Whitley County Con Schools	Columbia City High School	94.16%	87.36%	-6.8
Dynamic Minds Academy	Dynamic Minds Academy		0.00%
Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind	Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind		72.66%
Indiana Connections Career Academy	Indiana Connections Career Academy	63.39%	72.09%	8.7
Excel Center - Clarksville	Excel Center - Clarksville	21.35%	12.50%	-8.85
Excel Center - Hammond	Excel Center - Hammond	5.77%	3.57%	-2.2
Gary Middle College West	Gary Middle College West	25.58%	11.63%	-13.95
Insight School of Indiana	Insight School of Indiana	37.17%	28.31%	-8.86
Riverside High School	Riverside High School		81.67%
Excel Center - Muncie	Excel Center - Muncie	10.00%	3.45%	-6.55
Excel Center - Gary	Excel Center - Gary	4.35%	21.21%	16.86
Excel Center - Richmond	Excel Center - Richmond	17.39%	6.56%	-10.83
Signature School Inc	Signature School Inc	100.00%	100.00%	0
Community Montessori Inc	Community Montessori	93.75%	90.00%	-3.75
Options Charter Schools	Options Westfield	43.02%	68.18%	25.16
Options Charter Schools	Options Noblesville	45.45%	49.09%	3.64
Options Charter Schools	Options Indiana		9.26%	9.26
Irvington Community School	Irvington Community School	72.00%	62.50%	-9.5
Excel Center - Lafayette Square	Excel Center - Lafayette Square	17.19%	5.13%	-12.06
Excel Center - Lafayette	Excel Center - Lafayette	34.39%	33.78%	-0.61
Excel Center - Kokomo	Excel Center - Kokomo	23.71%	26.79%	3.08
Christel House Academy South	Christel House Academy South	87.88%	88.24%	0.36
Christel House DORS	Christel House DORS	32.93%	19.51%	-13.42
Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch	Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch	97.50%	79.59%	-17.91
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	79.82%	65.79%	-14.03
Indiana Agriculture and Technology	Indiana Agriculture and Technology	53.66%	47.06%	-6.6
Gary Lighthouse Charter School	Gary Lighthouse Charter School	85.22%	65.89%	-19.33
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary	21st Century Charter Sch of Gary	94.44%	90.00%	-4.44
Victory College Prep Academy	Victory College Prep Academy	95.45%	92.16%	-3.29
Burris Laboratory School	Burris Laboratory School	96.30%	88.52%	-7.78
Indiana Academy for Sci Math Hmn	Indiana Academy for Sci Math Hmn	98.48%	98.80%	0.32
Herron Charter	Herron High School	98.10%	94.02%	-4.08
Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch	Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch	60.53%	41.67%	-18.86
Hammond Academy of Science & Tech	Hammond Academy of Science & Tech	97.18%	93.65%	-3.53
Neighbors' New Vistas High School	Neighbors' New Vistas High School	33.78%	37.68%	3.9
Excel Center - Anderson	Excel Center - Anderson	24.73%	20.93%	-3.8
Anderson Preparatory Academy	Anderson Preparatory Academy	90.16%	82.76%	-7.4
Excel Center - University Heights	Excel Center - University Heights	6.45%	0.00%	-6.45
Excel Center - Noblesville	Excel Center - Noblesville	45.16%	27.42%	-17.74
Rock Creek Community Academy	Rock Creek Community Academy	100.00%	88.57%	-11.43
Career Academy High School	Career Academy High School	95.83%	88.68%	-7.15
Gary Middle College	Gary Middle College	13.21%	9.38%	-3.83
IN Math & Science Academy - North	IN Math & Science Academy - North	76.09%	62.79%	-13.3
Excel Center - South Bend	Excel Center - South Bend	3.57%	8.57%	5
Indiana Connections Academy	Indiana Connections Academy	63.93%	65.93%	2
Excel Center for Adult Learners	Excel Center For Adult Learners	11.85%	8.97%	-2.88
Damar Charter Academy	Damar Charter Academy	6.45%	7.32%	0.87
Dugger Union Community School Corp	Dugger Union Community School Corp	88.10%	89.74%	1.64
Steel City Academy	Steel City Academy	80.00%	54.05%	-25.95
Seven Oaks Classical School	Seven Oaks Classical School		66.67%
Excel Center - Shelbyville	Excel Center - Shelbyville	29.09%	26.79%	-2.3

2021 Graduation Rates

* Schools with fewer than 10 students are suppressed.

Graduation rates for Indiana’s Black students dropped by nearly three percentage points to 77%, one point below its pre-pandemic rate of 78% in 2019.

Rates for American Indian students were also 77%.

For multiracial students, graduation rates were 82.5%, and for Hispanic students, 82.7%. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students had a graduation rate of 86.3%. White students graduated at a rate of 89% and Asian students 93.7%.

Students classified as English language learners as well as those who receive subsidized meals graduated at a rate of 82.8%.

Students in special education had a graduation rate of 74.5%.

The charter school graduation rate — which includes charter high schools, charter schools for adults, alternative high schools, and online high schools — has risen 4 points each year since 2019. But at 48.2%, it remains behind the traditional public corporation graduation rate of 89%.

The percentage of students earning an honors diploma — a designation for students who have completed college or career readiness courses — has held steady for the last three years at around 40%.

Shedd said that while the return to in-person learning appears to have resolved some pandemic-related issues like a lack of internet access at home, it has made clear that others remain, and likely will have an impact on graduation rates going forward.

Some families have yet to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic, and some students are struggling to adjust to physical classrooms, or have fallen behind academically.

While they’re likely to make progress through in-person learning, they may not grow doubly to account for the last year, she said.

“Our expectations were high – that getting students back will be better,” Shedd said. “It’s clear that face-to-face instruction is important for academics and social emotional learning, but there are still issues that are before us.”

Indiana schools got $3B for COVID relief. Why don’t we know how they will spend it?

2021-12-07T19:26:39+00:00

Indiana schools are slated to get a surge of nearly $3 billion in federal coronavirus relief over the next three years. The money is meant to help them safely operate and make up for the instruction students missed out on. But months after the stimulus began flowing, public information on how local districts are spending it is inconsistent and often hard to find.

The unprecedented aid holds the promise of helping students by paying for crucial support like tutors, social workers, and longer school days. Schools can also use it to invest in areas that have long been underfunded — from repairing ventilation systems to updating class materials.

Yet advocates and policymakers say that without clear information from school districts, it is hard for the public to know if the money is benefiting students. It also hampers efforts to scrutinize spending for misuse.

“We have a tremendous upside opportunity to invest these funds and use them in wise ways,” said Indiana Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, who called on the state to do more to guide school districts in how they spend the aid and encourage them to share details of their spending.

“You have a responsibility to spend the money in a way that invests for the public — not to be frightened of it or not to hide it,” DeLaney said.

The temporary aid was included in three federal stimulus bills that Congress passed during the pandemic, and districts have until late 2024 to spend it. School systems with larger shares of children from low-income families received more money, and advocates say schools should focus their spending on helping students who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Local districts are responsible for deciding the best use for the money. And because the funding does not have many restrictions, schools can use it to respond to unexpected challenges, such as paying stipends to bus drivers to help get students to school amid a crippling labor shortage.

But a number of schools across the country have already faced scrutiny, for example, for spending the federal money on athletic facilities.

Federal requirements, local decisions

Experts and advocates are far more worried that schools will miss the opportunity to use the money in ways that benefit students than that people will commit fraud and abuse. In part, that’s because the state and federal government are overseeing spending.

Federal law requires school districts to submit spending plans to the state, and the Indiana Department of Education reviews those applications to ensure the plans comply with guidelines, according to IDOE spokesperson Holly Lawson. After school districts pay for purchases and services locally, they request reimbursement from the state.

Those plans contain details such as how much districts anticipate spending on replacing roofs or summer school. But the state has not publicly posted the applications it has received. Lawson said the department plans to launch a dashboard soon with some district-level information on the federal funding.

“We want to have this in the most user-friendly way possible so that someone can hop on and see the local spending from each [federal funding] round,” she said.

The education department is also supporting schools as they spend the money, Lawson said. For example, it offered districts the chance to join strategic planning groups led by experts. Out of more than 400 districts and charter schools in the state, 18 participated.

“IDOE provides guidance to schools, but the requirements are federally set and the spending priorities and decisions are locally driven,” Lawson said.

The federal government is also expected to collect information on how districts use the funding through an annual form, said Phillip Lovell, associate executive director of All4Ed, a national education advocacy group. But Lovell said communities should not have to wait for that data.

With the federal stimulus, education is getting a historic level of investment, Lovell said. The quality of public information on spending can either help build confidence in the system or erode that confidence.

“It’s really critical for us — for the public — to know how these dollars are being spent,” Lovell said. “As soon as schools and districts have accurate reportable information, they should be sharing that with the public.”

‘A real lack of transparency’

The most recent federal stimulus bill required school districts to post plans for how they will spend the aid. The information that school systems have shared, however, varies widely.

Anderson Community Schools, a district of about 6,500 students, posted a list of ideas for how it might spend some of the aid. It includes broad categories such as “summer programming, and/or after-school instruction,” and it doesn’t say how much the district would spend on any of the items.

The summary mentions the $27 million Anderson received from the most recent round of funding. But it doesn’t reference the money the district received earlier — roughly $15 million, including some aid it shared with private schools.

In an email, Anderson spokesperson Bradley Meadows said the plan posted on the district website did not include earlier funding because that was used for emergency costs, such as technology and protective equipment. It did not include details on how much the district might spend on priorities because the district is “committed to taking our time to ensure this funding is used most effectively.”

Anderson is one of a handful of Indiana districts where a flood of new money — including the federal aid and a state funding increase that is supposed to help boost educator pay — spurred tense negotiations with the teachers union.

Meadows said the district provided updates on the spending at school board meetings, and it would offer another in the near future. The district also surveyed parents and community members and met with the teachers union, Meadows said.

“Since part of the bargaining negotiations involved staff stipends using [federal] funds, we felt it necessary for that process to conclude prior to providing additional information and updates to the public about our use of [federal] funding,” Meadows said.

But Marisa Little, a vice president of the teachers union, said the district should have done more to publicize the money it is receiving. Even many staff members were unaware that Anderson was slated to receive about $41 million in federal stimulus until the union began bargaining a new contract this fall, she said.

“There’s been a real lack of transparency and a real lack of planning when spending the dollars,” Little said. “As soon as we knew we were getting it, everyone should have known. Our entire staff should have known — our entire community.”

It was an exceptional moment for Anderson because enrollment in the district is dwindling and in recent years, it has been too cash strapped to give significant raises, Little said.

“In my 20 years in Anderson Community Schools, it’s more money than I recall us ever having at one time,” Little said. “We really felt like, it’s now or never if we have any hope of getting a raise or getting an additional stipend.”

Tracking over $90 million in stimulus funds

Although Anderson teachers have reached an agreement with the district, some school systems are still bargaining weeks after the state imposed deadline. In South Bend Community Schools, which educates about 16,000 students, the district and teachers union are working with a state mediator.

South Bend schools CFO Kareemah Fowler said the ongoing union negotiations are one reason for the district to be open about the federal funding it received. The administration needs to be clear that the infusion of close to $93 million (some of which it shared with private schools) is short term. It would be unsustainable to use it to run schools, she said.

South Bend created an online tracker that shows how it plans to use most of the aid it received throughout the pandemic and how much of the money it has spent so far. At the start of the school year, the district also held a series of community meetings to tell people about how it had spent the money and learn what the public saw as needs, Fowler said.

“The funding is really a big shot in the arm for communities right now,” Fowler said. “I thought it was very important to kind of let the community know how we’re spending that money and that we’re taking the student learning loss — we are really taking that seriously.”

But publicity takes work. Even in South Bend, one of the largest school districts in the state, planning how to use the aid has been a challenge, and the district is hiring additional staff to oversee the federal money, Fowler said.

Engaging the community

Planning how to use the federal aid and publicizing that spending is an extra administrative burden for staff at a moment when districts are already overwhelmed. Schools are tackling those challenges at the same time they are attempting to operate during the pandemic and respond to unprecedented staffing shortages.

It takes even more commitment to go beyond publicizing information and get parents and community members to meaningfully engage in planning.

The grassroots organizing group Hoosier Action is familiar with this challenge — it led an effort to encourage residents to give input on how cities and counties use federal stimulus money, said Tracey Hutchings-Goetz, the communications director. Organizers found that many people were not used to thinking of public institutions as something they could influence.

“Time and time again, we would see a lack of imagination,” she said. “We would spend a lot of time working with people to be like, ‘No, you really, you can impact this. You get to decide.’”

The group uses tactics like text message campaigns and door-to-door canvassing to get people involved, she said.

“Robust public information is absolutely better than no or limited public information,” Hutchings-Goetz said. But, “it takes organized people to create change or impact policy.”

WFYI reporter Lee V. Gaines contributed to this story.

Contact WFYI education reporter Dylan Peers McCoy at dmccoy@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @dylanpmccoy.

These are the teacher and staff vaccination rates after IPS offered a $300 incentive

2021-11-17T21:57:44+00:00

To collect a $300 incentive, 71% of Indianapolis Public Schools staff has reported receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, district officials said.

The vaccination rate is higher among teachers and principals — more than 80% — and lower among classified staff such as custodians and food service workers, said Superintendent Aleesia Johnson.

IPS asked its staff to report their vaccination status on a voluntary basis, offering $300 to those who submitted proof of vaccination by Sept. 30. With more than 2,600 employees responding, the district spent $827,000 in federal relief funds on the vaccination incentive, officials said.

Neither IPS nor the state have required teachers to be vaccinated. The Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test rule applies to public schools in Indiana, but the attorney general has challenged the mandate. The rule has been temporarily blocked while states’ lawsuits go through a federal appeals court.

IPS has also asked students 12 and older, who have been eligible for the vaccine since the spring, to voluntarily report their vaccination status. District officials have not indicated how many students have submitted their information.

In Marion County, 42% of children ages 12-15 have been fully vaccinated, according to local health data, and 48% of people ages 16-24.

Johnson said the district could consider providing a vaccination incentive for students but needs to be careful to not run afoul of a state law prohibiting financial incentives for enrollment.

“We’ve not yet had that conversation, but that might be certainly something that we’re willing to explore,” she said.

Vaccinated students and staff in IPS do not have to be quarantined if they do not have symptoms after being exposed to a positive case of COVID-19.

The district still requires everyone in IPS buildings and on school buses to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Although children 5 and older are now able to be vaccinated against COVID-19, IPS is not considering rolling back its mask requirement, Johnson said.

“I vividly remember last winter and the struggles of navigating last winter,” Johnson said, referring to the spikes in case counts that led to restrictions on in-person learning. “And so in terms of taking away any of those safety protocols we have in place right now as we enter the winter season, that’s not a decision I’d be advocating for us to make right now.”

What Indiana’s IREAD scores show about pandemic’s effects

2021-11-11T00:23:55+00:00

Just over 80% of all Indiana third graders passed the 2021 spring reading assessment, according to state data released Friday. But achievement rates were far from equal across student groups.

Results of the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment show the unequal effects of the pandemic on Black and Hispanic students, as well as a widening gap between children who come from economically impoverished backgrounds and those who don’t.

The gap in passing rates on state tests between white and Black students grew to 25.5 percentage points last spring from 2019.

The data is in line with other information previously released by the state, like attendance rates which showed that students had unequal access to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year.

ILEARN scores also showed that just over one quarter of students in grades 3 through 8 scored proficient in both English and math.

The state’s overall IREAD pass rate fell six percentage points from 87.3% in 2019 to 81.3%, but scores among Black third graders dropped by double that rate — the greatest decrease among student groups.

Around six in 10 of Black students passed the test, compared with 9 in 10 white students.

The gap in passing rates between students who receive subsidized lunch and those who don’t also widened by five percentage points from 12.3% in 2019 to 17.4% last spring.

No demographic groups improved their scores from the spring tests from two years ago.

That the pandemic hurt scores is not surprising, said Cristina Santamaría Graff, interim assistant dean of student support and diversity at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis.

The pandemic and efforts to control it caused schools to toggle between in-person and virtual learning; raised issues with access to resources, transportation, and communication devices; prompted many experienced teachers to leave; and posed severe challenges to students and families.

Given that, putting a lot of weight on test scores is problematic, Santamaría Graff said.

“Reading scores are one little lens to look at this massive issue of a lot of systems breaking down all at once,” she said. “And things that weren’t working before the pandemic are really falling apart.”

According to the state data, students in special education had the lowest IREAD pass rate in both 2019 and 2021, at 60.9% and 52.4%, respectively.

But individual experiences with learning during the pandemic varied widely, said Santamaría Graff, an associate professor of special education and urban teacher education whose expertise includes bilingual and multicultural special education.

Some families of students with autism reported that academics improved in a home environment, where they had more control over stimuli and sensory challenges. Meanwhile, students with Down Syndrome faced barriers to receiving consistent and quality virtual instruction, Santamaría Graff said, and saw corresponding declines in academic performance.

As a group, English learners seemed to have slipped the least from 2019 to 2021, by just 1.2 percentage points.

Santamaría Graff noted that that data point required further investigation into, for example, what portion of English learners took state tests, whether they felt comfortable sitting for in-person assessments, and even whether immigrant families moved out of the state.

Looking to the new school year, Santamaría Graff said educators report feeling stretched thin, and may not have the bandwidth to provide students with all the support they need to catch up.

But school districts and the state should involve families in decisions about how best to help students learn.

“It’s important to take a holistic view of the needs rather than pinpointing that students are doing poorly in reading and dedicating resources only to improving reading scores,” she said.

IPS enrollment rises as missing kindergartners return

2021-10-27T18:58:35+00:00

Students are trickling back to Indianapolis Public Schools this year, marking the start of recovery from an enrollment dip during the pandemic.

Among the increase in students: children starting first grade after missing kindergarten last year.

This fall, IPS counted 31,795 students in its schools — an increase of about 600 students from the previous year. But the numbers are still below the pre-pandemic enrollment of about 32,300 students, including the three former state takeover schools that have returned to the district.

Like districts across the nation dealing with COVID disruptions, IPS has lost students to charter schools, private schools, and home schooling, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. Local factors, such as gentrification and housing instability, could also affect enrollment, she added.

But getting to the root of what’s causing enrollment changes is “a pretty complex question,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday, “and can’t be boiled down to just one thing.”

Enrollment trends will also drive crucial upcoming decisions on the future of the district, such as considering potential school closures, evaluating choice programs, and adding charter school partnerships.

In trying to attract students to stay in the district, “who’s making that choice, and why or why not, is a really important conversation,” Johnson said.

Here are several takeaways from IPS’s enrollment data.

Middle and high school enrollment is rebounding faster than in elementary grades.

IPS’s elementary enrollment remained lower than pre-pandemic levels in every grade except first grade, where Johnson surmised students were starting school after staying home from kindergarten last year.

But in grades 7-12, the district is serving even more students than it did in 2019-20. That’s likely in part due to innovation schools adding grade levels as they grow, Johnson said.

Enrollment is growing at choice schools and decreasing at neighborhood schools.

Since the launch of innovation schools in 2015, IPS’s charter school partnerships have helped staunch enrollment losses caused by families moving out to suburbs or choosing other schools.

In recent years, IPS has added more students as the district adds more charter partners. At the same time, neighborhood school enrollment has trended downward, one factor likely being that some have been converted into innovation schools run by charter operators.

The decline in elementary and neighborhood school enrollment could also be due to shifts in community demographics, Johnson said, from changes such as housing instability or gentrification. In gentrifying neighborhoods, more families could be moving in without school-aged children or opting out of local schools. At the same time, families in those neighborhoods could be pushed out to areas outside district boundaries.

Transportation also becomes a barrier to neighborhood school enrollment. The district buses students to choice programs but does not offer transportation to students who live within walking distance of a neighborhood school.

If families aren’t attending their neighborhood schools — which serve a higher proportion of students of color than choice programs — Johnson said the district needs to closely examine why and what it needs to do to improve those schools.

“What does it tell us if families don’t feel like that’s a choice they can make?” she said. “And how might we need to be thinking about the offerings of our schools, the structure of our schools, the experiences that students have in our schools — all of our schools — so that we are that choice that families want to make?”

IPS’s high-demand magnet programs continue to struggle with diversity.

At high-demand magnet schools — Butler Lab and Center for Inquiry schools located in more affluent and majority white areas — white students make up more than three-quarters of kindergarten enrollment in a district that serves nearly 80% students of color.

That’s because IPS’s enrollment policies allow students who live close to magnet schools or have siblings enrolled there to have priority in claiming available seats over other district students.

Nearly 90% of seats at those high-demand magnet programs go to students who are given preference because of where they live or sibling attendance, according to IPS.

IPS’s new virtual options draw almost all local students.

About 800 students have enrolled in the district’s two all-virtual options, Paramount Online Academy or Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy. Unlike other sprawling online schools, these two new virtual charter schools partnering with IPS almost exclusively serve students within district boundaries.

As a result, the two virtual schools are far more diverse than other Indiana virtual charter schools: Just over half of students at each school are Black.

While IPS’s remote learning options caused a stir with some families who worried about giving up their students’ seats at choice schools, the district board is expected to vote Thursday on changing enrollment rules to help those students return to their brick-and-mortar schools next year.

Error in Indiana’s COVID data tracker affected 71 schools

2021-09-20T22:21:33+00:00

The Indiana Department of Health incorrectly listed 71 schools as failing to report their COVID-19 cases to the state this year, a representative said Monday.

The schools had actually reported zero cases, but were tagged as not reporting at all until an update to the dashboard last week announced the mistake.

The state has resolved the issue, a department representative said, and the schools have been corrected on the dashboard as of Monday, according to a note on the website.

In August, Indiana health officials publicly chastised schools that failed to report their COVID cases this year. At the time, state Health Commissioner Kris Box said more than 1,200 of the state’s 2,200 schools fell into that category.

The corrected list means that, by state health officials’ public estimates, the proportion of schools not reporting would still be just above 50%. However, the dashboard indicates that 477 schools — about 22% — are not reporting their cases.

The dashboard also now separates COVID case data by school year, an update health officials also promised last month.

Indiana reported nearly 4,500 COVID cases among students last week, with the total number inching downward after a spike at the beginning of the school year. The state reported another 542 cases among teachers and staff.

To safely reopen schools, Indiana district leveraged public health relationship

2021-09-08T21:54:47+00:00

In 2015, Austin, Indiana was hit with a deadly epidemic: HIV/AIDS. This city, then over 4,000 people, saw over 200 HIV cases in about a year during its outbreak, which one health reporter called “the worst drug-fueled HIV outbreak ever to hit rural America.”

So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the small city was prepared to respond. The school district and public health department took advantage of their relationship and community trust to plan for a safe school reopening that stands out as one of the most successful in the state, according to a COVID-19 Data Dispatch analysis.

“The HIV outbreak actually brought a lot of people together,” said Brittany Combs, a Scott County public health nurse who worked with the district. “We all came to the same table and figured out what we needed to do to tackle the HIV outbreak. And so, for the pandemic, we all were already at the table.”

This school district, Scott County School District 1, is the subject of the first profile in the COVID-19 Data Dispatch’s “Opening” series. The district was selected along with four others because the majority of the district’s students returned to in-person learning during the 2020-’21 school year — and under 5% of the student population was identified as COVID-positive, regardless of the source. (According to the CDC, about 5% of school-age children in the U.S. have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.)

While Austin’s experience with HIV/AIDS is unique, the district offers lessons for other communities. An open line of communication between Austin’s county public health agency, school administrators, and other local leaders fostered an environment of collaboration and trust. Plus, the administrators took advantage of teachers’ and parents’ knowledge of their students to make them an integral part of identifying COVID-19 cases and stopping outbreaks.

Public health collaboration

In planning for reopening the district after spring 2020 closures, the public health department had “constant meetings with the school,” Combs said. The existing relationship between the school and public health experts streamlined these meetings. And, thanks to past outreach efforts around HIV and opioids, the public health department already had relationships with Austin families.

“I like to think that the health department already has a lot of trust because we were in the news a lot, we were in the forefront a lot, so they kinda know who we are,” Combs said.

Families were also likely to collaborate with the school district because they wanted their kids back in classrooms, according to Superintendent Trevor Jones. He said that the majority of students get free breakfast and lunch, a measure of poverty. Combined with the community’s past drug abuse issues, he said, there was ample motivation among parents and teachers alike to protect students from the isolation of remote learning.

“The safest place our kids can be is here at school,” Jones said.

While the schools had some basic safety measures in place, such as 6-foot spacing, masks required everywhere except at spaced-out desks, and regular handwashing, this community trust paid off most in identifying students with COVID-19 symptoms.

Deana Broadus, the district head school nurse, said that teachers and parents acted as a first line of defense in identifying symptoms. At the beginning of the school day, teachers took students’ temperatures and asked them about other symptoms.

“As the school year went on, teachers [get to] know their kids,” Broadus said. “They can kind of tell, oh, she doesn’t look that well today, go see the nurse.”

Broadus and the other school nurses also got to know students by following up on symptom questionnaires and developing medical histories. Some students would erroneously mark every symptom on the checklist, she said: “You get to know who’s trying to go home.” In other cases, the symptom checks inspired the nurses to keep better track of seasonal allergies, recurring stomach aches, and other chronic conditions that were previously reported by parents but not thoroughly documented by the school.

Parents took part in the informal COVID-19 surveillance, too. “Parents would call in and report certain symptoms,” Broadus said. “[Students] either needed a doctor’s note or a negative COVID test to return to school.”

The procedure was similar if a student was sent home. While the district initially quarantined full classes following a positive case, the strategy shifted to close-contact identification: figuring out which students had sat next to an infected child. Broadus said that the chief concern she heard from parents reporting a case was often ensuring that no more children than necessary would need to miss in-person class, though students who missed class could still follow along online.

COVID precaution: keep sick students home

Through collaboration with the public health department — which took charge of contact tracing for parents, staff and other non-students — Broadus found that the vast majority of cases came from outside school.

“Usually what we found was that a parent or someone else that the child lived with was sick, and then subsequently the student got sick,” she said. And, among those students, cases were typically identified quickly so that the virus didn’t spread to others.

One of the Austin district’s major lessons was the importance of telling families to keep their kids home if they were sick. In the past, students and staff alike tended to “push through it” and still come in if they didn’t feel well, Broadus said. Now, the policy is to stay home from school or work if you have any symptoms, not just those matching COVID-19. To reinforce this, Jones said, the district is removing rewards for perfect attendance and similar bonuses for staff. The schools are also continuing to emphasize handwashing and other good hygiene habits.

Still, the district did not avoid cases entirely. A total of 47 students contracted COVID-19 during the school year, including 13 students at Austin Elementary School, 19 at Austin Middle School, and 15 at Austin High School — or about 4% of the district’s enrollment. From November through December, the district identified the most cases, 17, Broadus said. It added safety precautions, such as limiting spectators at sporting events.

Delta poses new challenges to reopening

After relaxing safety measures this school year, the Austin school district last month reinstated them as COVID-19 cases rose. “We made some adjustments to our COVID procedures that have minimized the number of students in quarantine,” Jones wrote in an email.

The district switched to all-virtual classes for two weeks in early August, then returned to in-person class with stricter precautions. Staff continue to monitor symptoms and masks are required whenever students are not at desks. Administrators also used federal grants to improve ventilation.

Austin will continue to rely on its community to identify cases and stay safe in the new school year. “I feel like it wasn’t just one thing that we were doing,” Broadus said. “Everyone was working together.”

Betsy Ladyzhets is founder and editor-in-chief of the COVID-19 Data Dispatch, which explores the state of COVID-19 data in the United States. To read more stories from the Dispatch’s “Opening” series go to https://coviddatadispatch.com/. Contact Betsy Ladyzhets at betsy@coviddatadispatch.com or on Twitter at @betsyladyzhets.

Indiana lifts quarantine guideline for schools that require masks

2021-09-01T21:46:28+00:00

New guidance issued Wednesday by the Indiana Department of Health allows schools with universal mask requirements to skip quarantining close contacts of positive cases.

Close contacts — defined as anyone who was within 3 feet of a COVID-positive person for greater than 15 minutes — will instead be asked to self-monitor for symptoms. They will be allowed to remain in school unless they develop symptoms.

The quarantine exception applies only to schools that enforce masking for students and staff. In schools without mask requirements for all, the state will require close contacts to quarantine after an exposure, unless they are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.

Indiana recommends testing for all close contacts and requires schools to trace contacts of a positive case by notifying the local health department as well as parents, teachers, and staff.

The new exception to quarantine applies only to the classroom setting and does not apply to COVID-19 exposures during extracurricular activities and athletics, according to the department.

States like Ohio and Utah put similar policies in place last school year in hopes of reducing the disruption of placing many students in quarantine.

The announcement comes after the state reported more than 6,100 cases in schools last week and as districts adjust their own requirements related to masking and quarantining. On Monday, Indianapolis Public Schools announced a new protocol that would allow those who have recently recovered from COVID to skip quarantine after an exposure, if they remain asymptomatic.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said Monday that 600 students and staff in the district have been quarantined since school began.

The Indiana Department of Health does not keep a total number of students who have had to quarantine since the beginning of the school year, describing such data as fluid.

Instead, the tally of positive cases accurately reflects the current level of transmission in schools, a department representative said.

With 600 students and staff quarantined, IPS announces new COVID protocols

2021-08-31T22:46:53+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools will add new COVID-19 protocols to its campuses beginning Sept. 8, as the district reports nearly 600 students and staff in quarantine.

In a Monday video announcing the changes, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the new policies aim to strengthen existing protocols, which already included mandatory masks for all.

Though the district was one of the first to require masks before the beginning of the school year, it has placed nearly 600 students and staff in quarantine and recorded 81 positive cases in just one month of school, Johnson said.

“The unfortunate reality is that these are numbers that will only continue to grow if we, the collective we, don’t increase the actions we’re taking,” she said.

One of the most notable additions to the district’s protocols is an exception to mandatory quarantining after a COVID-19 exposure for anyone who has recovered from the illness in the previous three months and remains asymptomatic. The policy is in line with CDC guidance.

The district has also defined close contact with a COVID-19 case as being “within 3 feet of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more within a classroom setting.”

In any other areas such as cafeterias, hallways, and gyms, close contact is defined as 6 feet for 15 minutes or more, Public Information Manager Alpha Garrett said.

Other new policies include a ban on in-person field trips through Oct. 8, as well as a mask requirement for choir students while they’re singing or vocalizing.

The district also seeks to reduce the number of people gathering in campus cafeterias, and will utilize classrooms, gyms and outdoor spaces for lunchtime in K-8 schools. In high schools, students may continue to eat in the cafeteria with mandatory assigned seating.

The district will permit parents and other visitors on campus by appointment only, with limited classroom interactions.

Johnson said that although she had hoped to start the new school year with less worry about coronavirus cases and quarantines, the pandemic has caused disruptions in districts throughout the state, with individual and whole classroom quarantines.

On Monday, Indiana reported more than 6,100 new positive cases in schools last week. More than 5,500 of those were students.

The state Department of Education did not have information available Tuesday about which schools have switched to virtual or hybrid instruction since the beginning of the year.

Johnson said IPS is also encouraging more testing and vaccinations at its sites by hosting more vaccine clinics and offering a one-time $300 cash incentive to employees who submit proof of vaccination by Sept. 30.

“As much as I wish this was not the conversation that was happening, in many ways it feels harder and sadder to navigate a second time around when it felt like the time was changing,” Johnson said.

“But I also know continuing to be responsive and put additional safety measures in place is the right thing.”

Some Indiana schools aren’t reporting COVID cases as pediatric hospitalizations spike

2021-08-27T23:11:56+00:00

More than 1,200 of Indiana’s nearly 2,200 schools are not reporting their COVID-19 cases to the state this school year, health officials said Friday, as positivity rates and hospitalizations for children rise across the state.

In a news conference, State Health Commissioner Kris Box emphasized that these schools are out of compliance with Indiana code, which requires institutions like schools to report cases of COVID-19 in group settings.

This helps the state determine the number of students who need to be quarantined in order to reduce transmission of the disease.

“We do know, because we get lots of calls from school nurses, from parents ... that there are many students being quarantined sometimes, but not positive cases reported,” Box said. “Other times, even individuals who are positive, if they’re asymptomatic, are allowed to come to school. And those are not being reported to us.”

The update comes at the beginning of a new school year and in the midst of a COVID-19 spike in Indiana. The state now has a positivity rate of 10.8%, up from just over 2% at the end of June, driven largely by the highly contagious delta variant, according to Box. Cases have risen sharply for children in all age groups, Box said at the news conference.

The number of children hospitalized is also on the rise, particularly in the 10-14 age group, according to state data. During the week of Aug. 1, fewer than one child out of every 100,000 in this group was hospitalized for COVID-19, rising to nearly four out of every 100,000 by the week of Aug.15.

Box said having students in schools together is contributing to the rise in cases but that it would be possible to decrease the spread if students, teachers, and staff wear masks all day.

“It’s difficult to know exactly what’s happening when schools are not willing to report cases and not willing to report close contacts,” Box said.

Beginning next week, the state will add a toggle feature to its online dashboard to separate the number of cases reported in schools this school year from the year before in order to give a more accurate picture of transmission.

The state is also encouraging more testing and vaccinations, especially in school environments.

Based on a survey sent to 2,000 schools to gauge interest in testing via BinaxNOW cards, a type of rapid COVID test. the state believes only around 10% of schools statewide are offering testing, according to Box.

Of the 318 schools that replied to the survey, around 53% indicated an interest in providing testing, and 35% indicated they already have testing in place.

Around 52% of all eligible Hoosiers are fully vaccinated.

While a number of Indiana school districts have put mandatory masking policies in place since the beginning of the year, Box said there is no state study showing the impact on pediatric cases.

Instead, she pointed to a July study from Duke University that showed the widespread use of masks in schools can reduce COVID-19 transmission.

“We want them in schools in in-person instruction, and the way to do that is layered mitigation,” Box said. “Get vaccinated, and wear your masks.”

Indiana: Tell us about your quarantine experiences this school year

2021-08-25T22:19:32+00:00

Nearly a month into the school year, COVID cases in Indiana schools are rapidly rising, sending more students and staff into quarantine.

The Indiana Department of Health recommends that those in close contact with a COVID case quarantine for seven to 14 days.

How are schools managing those quarantines, and how are students and families handling sudden virtual schooling again? Are procedures and lessons clear? How frequent and disruptive is this regimen for students in isolation and teachers left in classrooms? Do schools have enough replacements for staff suddenly recuperating from COVID or staying home as a precaution?

Chalkbeat Indiana would like to hear directly from students, teachers, other staff, and parents about their quarantine experiences.

Please let us know your thoughts on the form below or go here if you are on a mobile device. Also, send other comments or questions to community@chalkbeat.org

In-person? Virtual? Look up how your Indiana school taught in 2020-21

2021-08-17T23:13:18+00:00

As many Indiana students walk into school buildings this month, the state is now looking at how students learned and how many students showed up in the 2020-21 school year, the first full year in the pandemic.

The data Indiana collected last school year offers some surprising insights into how schools taught — in-person, virtual, or a combination of the two. The data also reveals differences in In learning opportunities, a state education report has shown.

Last school year was the first time that the state collected daily attendance data for each student. That allowing for a comparison of how students attended classes during the pandemic and how the delivery of instruction affected test scores.

The chart below lists all public schools in Indiana, and what percentage of the school year they offered instruction virtually, in person, and in a hybrid form. It also lists self-reported attendance rates for each school.

School	% of weeks virtual instruction	% of weeks in-person instruction	% of weeks hybrid instruction	2020-2021 attendance rate
Adams Central Middle School / Adams Central Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.73%
Adams Central Elementary School / Adams Central Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.15%
Adams Central High School / Adams Central Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.57%
Bellmont Senior High School / North Adams Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	94.00%
Bellmont Middle School / North Adams Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.30%
Bellmont Elementary / North Adams Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	93.99%
South Adams Middle School / South Adams Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.80%
South Adams High School / South Adams Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.33%
South Adams Elementary School / South Adams Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.83%
Aboite Elementary School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.89%
Whispering Meadow Elementary Sch / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.64%
Homestead Senior High School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	98.50%
Summit Middle School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.60%
Lafayette Meadow School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.02%
Woodside Middle School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.40%
Haverhill Elementary School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.36%
Deer Ridge Elementary / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.30%
Covington Elementary School / MSD Southwest Allen County Schls	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.79%
Arcola School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.29%
Maple Creek Middle School / Northwest Allen County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.12%
Hickory Center Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.65%
Huntertown Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.89%
Carroll Middle School / Northwest Allen County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.98%
Carroll High School / Northwest Allen County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.12%
Perry Hill Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.34%
Oak View Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.47%
Cedar Canyon Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.33%
Eel River Elementary School / Northwest Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.87%
Allen Co Juvenile Center / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
North Side High School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	20%-30%	0-10%	70%-80%	85.28%
R Nelson Snider High School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	60%-70%	0-10%	20%-30%	92.55%
South Side High School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	30%-40%	0-10%	0-10%	86.27%
Blackhawk Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	80%-90%	91.97%
Jeff H Towles Intermediate School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	0-10%	0-10%	95.71%
Jefferson Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	20%-30%	0-10%	70%-80%	90.53%
Kekionga Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	40%-50%	0-10%	30%-40%	87.11%
Lakeside Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	60%-70%	75.22%
Lane Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	30%-40%	0-10%	60%-70%	86.02%
Memorial Park Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	80%-90%	94.19%
Miami Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	30%-40%	0-10%	20%-30%	85.76%
Northwood Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	80%-90%	88.74%
Portage Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	50%-60%	0-10%	30%-40%	84.08%
Weisser Park Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.64%
Fairfield Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	0-10%	88.42%
Merle J Abbett Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	87.23%
Adams Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.20%
Bloomingdale Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.09%
Bunche Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.71%
Brentwood Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.13%
Fred H Croninger Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.15%
Forest Park Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.55%
Franke Park Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.36%
Glenwood Park Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.96%
J Wilbur Haley Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.94%
Wayne High School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	20%-30%	0-10%	50%-60%	83.93%
Harrison Hill Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.05%
Mabel K Holland Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.67%
Indian Village Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.07%
John S Irwin Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.66%
Lindley Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.49%
Maplewood Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.81%
Willard Shambaugh Elementary Sch / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.90%
Northcrest Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.90%
Northrop High School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	20%-30%	0-10%	60%-70%	88.17%
Francis M Price Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.27%
Saint Joseph Central School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Robert C Harris Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
Shawnee Middle School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	80%-90%	89.48%
Whitney M Young Early Childhood / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.18%
Levan R Scott Academy / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.86%
South Wayne Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.69%
Study Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.65%
Washington Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.57%
Washington Center Elementary Sch / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.74%
Lincoln Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.40%
Waynedale Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.75%
Arlington Elementary School / Fort Wayne Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.79%
Prince Chapman Academy / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Leo Junior/Senior High School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Leo Elementary School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Heritage Jr/Sr High School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
New Haven Primary School / East Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.01%
Heritage Elementary School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Woodlan Jr/Sr High School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Cedarville Elementary School / East Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.19%
Paul Harding Jr High School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
New Haven Jr/Sr High School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
New Haven Intermediate School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Southwick Elementary School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
EACS Early Childhood Preschool / East Allen County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.30%
Woodlan Elementary School / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
East Allen University / East Allen County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Clifty Creek Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.11%
CSA Lincoln Campus / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.89%
Mount Healthy Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.28%
Richard L Johnson Early Educ Cntr / Bartholomew Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.88%
Parkside Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.45%
W D Richards Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.52%
Rockcreek Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.15%
Lillian Schmitt Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.55%
L F Smith Elementary / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.02%
CSA Fodrea Campus / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.01%
Taylorsville Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.89%
Central Middle School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	94.63%
Southside Elementary School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.98%
Northside Middle School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	10%-20%	94.94%
Columbus North High School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	95.15%
Columbus East High School / Bartholomew Con School Corp	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	94.57%
Hope Elementary School / Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.91%
Hauser Jr-Sr High School / Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.25%
Otterbein Elementary School / Benton Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.05%
Boswell Elementary School / Benton Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.81%
Benton Central Jr-Sr High School / Benton Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.23%
Prairie Crossing Elementary School / Benton Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.01%
Montpelier School / Blackford County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.75%
Blackford Jr-Sr High School / Blackford County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.88%
Blackford Intermediate School / Blackford County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.13%
North Side Elementary School / Blackford County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.52%
Granville Wells Elementary School / Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.84%
Thorntown Elementary School / Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.28%
Western Boone Jr-Sr High School / Western Boone Co Com Sch Dist	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	96.07%
Zionsville West Middle School / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	40%-50%	50%-60%	96.30%
Zionsville Middle School / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	40%-50%	50%-60%	97.56%
Zionsville Community High School / Zionsville Community Schools	30%-40%	30%-40%	20%-30%	95.53%
Eagle Elementary School / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.47%
Zionsville Pleasant View Elem Sch / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.04%
Union Elementary School / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.40%
Stonegate Elementary / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.35%
Boone Meadow / Zionsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.72%
Perry Worth Elementary School / Lebanon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.68%
Lebanon Senior High School / Lebanon Community School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	30%-40%	96.13%
Lebanon Middle School / Lebanon Community School Corp	0-10%	50%-60%	30%-40%	97.39%
Central Elementary School / Lebanon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.67%
Harney Elementary School / Lebanon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.30%
Hattie B Stokes Elementary School / Lebanon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.40%
Brown County Intermediate School / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.63%
Brown County High School / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.61%
Van Buren Elementary School / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.04%
Helmsburg Elementary School / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.70%
Sprunica Elementary School / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.47%
Brown County Junior High / Brown County School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	91.96%
Carroll Senior High School / Carroll Consolidated School Corp	20%-30%	40%-50%	20%-30%	94.20%
Carroll Junior High School / Carroll Consolidated School Corp	20%-30%	40%-50%	20%-30%	94.29%
Carroll Elementary School / Carroll Consolidated School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	95.55%
Delphi Community Middle School / Delphi Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Delphi Community High School / Delphi Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Delphi Community Elementary School / Delphi Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Pioneer Jr-Sr High School / Pioneer Regional School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.33%
Pioneer Elementary School / Pioneer Regional School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.99%
Lewis Cass High School / Lewis Cass Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.70%
Lewis Cass Junior High School / Lewis Cass Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.51%
Lewis Cass Elementary School / Lewis Cass Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.96%
Logansport Community High School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	30%-40%	92.37%
Logansport Junior High School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	30%-40%	94.06%
Franklin Elementary School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.29%
Fairview Elementary School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.51%
Landis Elementary School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.96%
Columbia Elementary School / Logansport Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Columbia 6th Grade Academy / Logansport Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
Henryville Jr & Sr High School / Borden-Henryville School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.77%
Henryville Elementary School / Borden-Henryville School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.71%
William W Borden High School / Borden-Henryville School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.62%
William W Borden Elementary School / Borden-Henryville School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.28%
Silver Creek High School / Silver Creek School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.58%
Silver Creek Middle School / Silver Creek School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.39%
Silver Creek Elementary School / Silver Creek School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.38%
Silver Creek Primary School / Silver Creek School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.63%
Clarksville Senior High School / Clarksville Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	89.26%
Clarksville Elementary School / Clarksville Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.89%
Clarksville Middle School / Clarksville Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	89.95%
Indiana Gateway Digital Academy / Clarksville Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
W E Wilson Elementary / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.25%
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.02%
Northaven Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.26%
Utica Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.09%
New Washington Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.04%
New Washington Middle/High School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.76%
Charlestown Senior High School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.59%
Jonathan Jennings Elementary Sch / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.26%
Pleasant Ridge Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.01%
Jeffersonville High School / Greater Clark County Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.81%
Parkview Middle School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.11%
Charlestown Middle School / Greater Clark County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.64%
Bridgepoint Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.04%
Riverside Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.68%
Franklin Square Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.36%
Parkwood Elementary School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.44%
River Valley Middle School / Greater Clark County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.52%
Old Corden Porter School / Greater Clark County Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	78.71%
Clay City Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.54%
Clay City Jr-Sr High School / Clay Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.45%
Jackson Township Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.63%
Staunton Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.63%
Van Buren Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.46%
North Clay Middle School / Clay Community Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Northview High School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	86.13%
East Side Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.64%
Forest Park Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.82%
Meridian Street Elementary School / Clay Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.90%
Clinton Central Junior-Senior HS / Clinton Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.92%
Clinton Central Elementary School / Clinton Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.30%
Clinton Prairie Jr-Sr High School / Clinton Prairie School Corporation	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	90.60%
Clinton Prairie Elementary School / Clinton Prairie School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.27%
Frankfort High School / Community Schools of Frankfort	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.18%
Frankfort Middle School / Community Schools of Frankfort	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.80%
Blue Ridge Primary Elementary Sch / Community Schools of Frankfort	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.84%
Green Meadows Intermediate Elem / Community Schools of Frankfort	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.82%
Suncrest Elementary School / Community Schools of Frankfort	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.70%
Rossville Middle/Senior High Sch / Rossville Con School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.40%
Rossville Elementary School / Rossville Con School District	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.59%
South Crawford Elementary School / Crawford County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	96.69%
West Crawford Elementary School / Crawford County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.34%
Crawford County High School / Crawford County Community Sch Corp	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	93.04%
Crawford County Middle School / Crawford County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	94.59%
East Crawford Elementary School / Crawford County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.93%
Barr Reeve Middle/High School / Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.75%
Barr Reeve Elementary School / Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.78%
North Daviess Elementary School / North Daviess Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.66%
North Daviess Jr-Sr High School / North Daviess Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.62%
Lena Dunn Elementary School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Veale Elementary School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Washington Junior High School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Washington High School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
North Elementary School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Helen Griffith Elementary School / Washington Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
North Dearborn Elementary School / Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.93%
Sunman-Dearborn Middle School / Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.66%
Bright Elementary School / Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.53%
Sunman Elementary School / Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.49%
East Central High School / Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.10%
Dillsboro Elementary School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Manchester Elementary School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Moores Hill Elementary School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
South Dearborn Middle School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
South Dearborn High School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.48%
Aurora Elementary School / South Dearborn Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.93%
Lawrenceburg High School / Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.79%
Greendale Middle School / Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.59%
Lawrenceburg Primary School / Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.02%
Central Elementary School / Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.63%
South Decatur Jr-Sr High School / Decatur County Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.99%
South Decatur Elementary School / Decatur County Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.31%
North Decatur Elementary School / Decatur County Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.21%
North Decatur Jr-Sr High School / Decatur County Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.13%
Greensburg Community High School / Greensburg Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.81%
Greensburg Community Jr High / Greensburg Community Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Greensburg Elementary / Greensburg Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.22%
Eastside Junior-Senior High School / DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.01%
Butler Elementary School / DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.08%
Riverdale Elementary School / DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.21%
Garrett High School / Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.12%
J E Ober Elementary School / Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
Garrett Middle School / Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.26%
Waterloo Elementary School / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.46%
DeKalb High School / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	82.79%
DeKalb Middle School / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.27%
James R Watson Elementary School / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.92%
McKenney-Harrison Elementary Sch / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.24%
Country Meadow Elementary School / DeKalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.21%
Royerton Elementary School / Delaware Community School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.00%
Delta Middle School / Delaware Community School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	91.75%
Delta High School / Delaware Community School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.37%
Eaton Elementary School / Delaware Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.96%
Albany Elementary School / Delaware Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.00%
Wes-Del Middle/Senior High School / Wes-Del Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.05%
Wes-Del Preschool / Wes-Del Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.50%
Wes-Del Elementary School / Wes-Del Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.22%
Wapahani High School / Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.06%
Selma Middle School / Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.36%
Selma Elementary School / Liberty-Perry Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.96%
Cowan Elementary School / Cowan Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.98%
Cowan High School / Cowan Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.60%
Yorktown Middle School / Yorktown Community Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.85%
Yorktown High School / Yorktown Community Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	20%-30%	95.76%
Yorktown Elementary School / Yorktown Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.72%
Pleasant View Elementary School / Yorktown Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.59%
Daleville Jr-Sr High School / Daleville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.13%
Daleville Elementary School / Daleville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.20%
Muncie Central High School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	85.06%
Northside Middle School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.20%
Southside Middle School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	85.53%
Grissom Elementary School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.35%
South View Elementary School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.47%
Longfellow Elementary School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.21%
North View Elementary School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.32%
East Washington Academy / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.26%
West View Elementary School / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.50%
Youth Opportunity Center / Muncie Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.56%
Northeast Dubois Jr/Sr High School / Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Northeast Dubois Intermediate Scho / Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Northeast Dubois Elementary School / Northeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Pine Ridge Elementary School / Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.18%
Ferdinand Elementary School / Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.91%
Forest Park Jr-Sr High School / Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	98.08%
Cedar Crest Intermediate School / Southeast Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.08%
Holland Elementary School / Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.06%
Southridge Middle School / Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.00%
Southridge High School / Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.22%
Huntingburg Elementary School / Southwest Dubois Co Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
Ireland Elementary School / Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.33%
Jasper Middle School / Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.73%
Jasper High School / Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	95.82%
Jasper Elementary School / Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.81%
Fairfield Jr-Sr High School / Fairfield Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Millersburg Elementary- Middle Sch / Fairfield Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.83%
New Paris Elementary School / Fairfield Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.49%
Benton Elementary School / Fairfield Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
Jimtown High School / Baugo Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	89.53%
Jimtown Junior High School / Baugo Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.27%
Jimtown Elementary School / Baugo Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.03%
Jimtown Intermediate School / Baugo Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.47%
Concord Junior High School / Concord Community Schools	20%-30%	20%-30%	40%-50%	80.98%
Concord Community High School / Concord Community Schools	20%-30%	20%-30%	40%-50%	84.67%
Concord Intermediate School / Concord Community Schools	10%-20%	30%-40%	50%-60%	95.25%
Concord East Side Elementary Sch / Concord Community Schools	10%-20%	40%-50%	40%-50%	95.42%
Concord Ox Bow Elementary School / Concord Community Schools	10%-20%	40%-50%	40%-50%	94.03%
Concord South Side Elementary Sch / Concord Community Schools	10%-20%	30%-40%	40%-50%	89.79%
Concord West Side Elem School / Concord Community Schools	20%-30%	30%-40%	30%-40%	91.30%
Jefferson Elementary School / Middlebury Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.06%
Northridge Middle School / Middlebury Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.41%
York Elementary School / Middlebury Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.37%
Heritage Intermediate School / Middlebury Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.29%
Middlebury Elementary School / Middlebury Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.64%
Northridge High School / Middlebury Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.30%
Orchard View School / Middlebury Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.55%
Inspire Digital Learning School / Middlebury Community Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
North Wood Middle School / Wa-Nee Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.35%
Wakarusa Elementary School / Wa-Nee Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.87%
North Wood High School / Wa-Nee Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.02%
Nappanee Elementary School / Wa-Nee Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.35%
Woodview Elementary School / Wa-Nee Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.78%
Cleveland Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.38%
Osolo Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.26%
Eastwood Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.76%
Mary Feeser Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.65%
Bristol Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.68%
Elkhart Alternative Education / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	63.75%
North Side Middle School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	77.61%
Elkhart High School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	74.22%
West Side Middle School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	72.55%
Pierre Moran Middle School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	78.44%
Beardsley Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	81.52%
Mary Beck Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	80.85%
Mary Daly Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.99%
Hawthorne Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	81.75%
Pinewood Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.42%
Monger Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.26%
Riverview Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.60%
Roosevelt STEAM Academy / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	82.62%
Woodland Elementary School / Elkhart Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.17%
Goshen Middle School / Goshen Community Schools	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	95.78%
Model Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.19%
Waterford Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.96%
Goshen High School / Goshen Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.73%
Chamberlain Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.89%
Chandler Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.31%
Parkside Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.89%
Prairie View Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.57%
West Goshen Elementary School / Goshen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.59%
Everton Elementary School / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.08%
Connersville Sr High School / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.51%
Connersville Middle School / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.54%
Eastview Elementary School / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.31%
Frazee Elementary School / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.05%
Grandview Elementary School / Fayette County School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Fayette Central Elementary / Fayette County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.21%
New Albany Senior High School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	20%-30%	20%-30%	0-10%	87.94%
Georgetown Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.46%
Floyd Central High School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	20%-30%	20%-30%	20%-30%	96.04%
Highland Hills Middle School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	30%-40%	0-10%	96.65%
Hazelwood Middle School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	20%-30%	20%-30%	0-10%	91.51%
Nathaniel Scribner Middle School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	20%-30%	0-10%	91.38%
Slate Run Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.35%
Fairmont Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.30%
Greenville Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.34%
Grant Line Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.67%
Green Valley Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.38%
Floyds Knobs Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.26%
Mount Tabor Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.13%
S Ellen Jones Elementary School / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.27%
CA Early Learning Center / New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Attica High School / Attica Consolidated School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.44%
Attica Elementary School / Attica Consolidated School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.43%
Covington Community High School / Covington Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.53%
Covington Elementary School / Covington Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.07%
Covington Middle School / Covington Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.56%
Southeast Fountain Elementary / Southeast Fountain School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.67%
Fountain Central High School / Southeast Fountain School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.51%
Laurel School / Franklin County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	96.36%
Franklin County High / Franklin County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	40%-50%	30%-40%	90.51%
Franklin County Middle School / Franklin County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	10%-20%	94.53%
Brookville Elementary School / Franklin County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.27%
Mount Carmel School / Franklin County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.55%
Rochester Community High School / Rochester Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.22%
Rochester Community Middle School / Rochester Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.02%
Columbia Elementary School / Rochester Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
George M Riddle Elementary School / Rochester Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.15%
Caston Elementary School / Caston School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.23%
Caston Jr-Sr High School / Caston School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.35%
Barton Township Elementary / East Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.87%
Waldo J Wood Memorial JHS / East Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	94.96%
Francisco Elementary School / East Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.98%
Waldo J Wood Memorial High / East Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.05%
Oakland City Elementary School / East Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	97.02%
Princeton Comm Intermediate School / North Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.91%
Princeton Community Middle / North Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.96%
Princeton Community High School / North Gibson School Corporation	10%-20%	90%+	0-10%	94.81%
Princeton Comm Primary School / North Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.56%
Haubstadt Community School / South Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.57%
Gibson Southern High School / South Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.30%
Fort Branch Community School / South Gibson School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.97%
Owensville Community School / South Gibson School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Eastbrook South Elementary / Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.34%
Eastbrook North Elementary / Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.06%
Early Childhood Center / Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.92%
Eastbrook High School / Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.57%
Eastbrook Junior High School / Eastbrook Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.76%
Madison-Grant Jr./Sr. High School / Madison-Grant United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.57%
Park Elementary School / Madison-Grant United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.83%
Summitville School / Madison-Grant United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.44%
Mississinewa High School / Mississinewa Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.35%
R J Baskett Middle School / Mississinewa Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.23%
Westview Elementary School / Mississinewa Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.47%
Northview Elementary School / Mississinewa Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.53%
Justice Thurgood Marshall Intrmd / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.85%
Marion High School / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	78.67%
John L McCulloch Junior High Sch / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.12%
Allen Elementary School / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.27%
John W Kendall Elem School / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.50%
Riverview Elementary School / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.96%
Frances Slocum Elem School / Marion Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.03%
Bloomfield Elementary School / Bloomfield School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Bloomfield Jr-Sr High School / Bloomfield School District	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	93.51%
Eastern Greene Elementary School / Eastern Greene Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.78%
Eastern Greene High School / Eastern Greene Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Eastern Greene Middle School / Eastern Greene Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.96%
Linton-Stockton High School / Linton-Stockton School Corporation	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	93.64%
Linton-Stockton Middle School / Linton-Stockton School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	95.10%
Linton-Stockton Elementary / Linton-Stockton School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.84%
Shakamak Jr-Sr High School / MSD Shakamak Schools	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	95.76%
Shakamak Elementary School / MSD Shakamak Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.46%
White River Valley High School / White River Valley School District	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	91.79%
White River Valley Middle School / White River Valley School District	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.33%
White River Valley Elementary Sch / White River Valley School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.60%
Brooks School Elementary / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	0-10%	97.50%
New Britton Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	97.94%
Fishers Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	97.55%
Cumberland Road Elem School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.57%
Hoosier Road Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.18%
Fall Creek Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.54%
Geist Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.48%
Lantern Road Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.37%
Fishers Junior High School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	10%-20%	30%-40%	95.98%
Sand Creek Intermediate School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	40%-50%	10%-20%	97.34%
Harrison Parkway Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	97.64%
Sand Creek Elementary / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	97.27%
Thorpe Creek Elementary / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.81%
Southeastern Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.13%
Fall Creek Intermediate School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	40%-50%	10%-20%	97.11%
Fall Creek Junior High / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	10%-20%	20%-30%	97.55%
Fishers High School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	10%-20%	50%-60%	10%-20%	96.96%
Hamilton SE Int and Jr High Sch / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	20%-30%	10%-20%	98.18%
Riverside Junior High / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	40%-50%	10%-20%	30%-40%	98.42%
Durbin Elementary School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	98.07%
Hamilton Southeastern HS / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	98.10%
Riverside Intermediate School / Hamilton Southeastern Schools	20%-30%	50%-60%	0-10%	97.66%
Hamilton Heights High School / Hamilton Heights School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	30%-40%	96.01%
Hamilton Heights Elementary School / Hamilton Heights School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.86%
Hamilton Heights Middle School / Hamilton Heights School Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	30%-40%	96.00%
Westfield Middle School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	10%-20%	70%-80%	96.05%
Shamrock Springs Elementary School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	98.02%
Westfield High School / Westfield-Washington Schools	10%-20%	10%-20%	70%-80%	95.46%
Carey Ridge Elementary School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	97.05%
Washington Woods Elementary School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	96.38%
Oak Trace Elementary School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	98.24%
Monon Trail Elementary School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	95.98%
Westfield Intermediate School / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.79%
Maple Glen Elementary / Westfield-Washington Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	97.17%
Sheridan High School / Sheridan Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.66%
Sheridan Elementary School / Sheridan Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.44%
Sheridan Middle School / Sheridan Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.55%
Carmel High School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	95.72%
Clay Middle School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	95.94%
Woodbrook Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.63%
Cherry Tree Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.24%
Carmel Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.18%
College Wood Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.53%
Carmel Middle School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	96.31%
Smoky Row Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
Orchard Park Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.29%
Prairie Trace Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.34%
Mohawk Trails Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.03%
Forest Dale Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.99%
Creekside Middle School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	96.33%
Towne Meadow Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.74%
West Clay Elementary School / Carmel Clay Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.66%
Noblesville High School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	0-10%	80%-90%	96.36%
Noblesville East Middle School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	94.29%
Hinkle Creek Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.25%
North Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.41%
Stony Creek Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Noble Crossing Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.40%
Hazel Dell Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.09%
Promise Road Elementary / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.65%
Noblesville West Middle School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	95.63%
White River Elementary School / Noblesville Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
New Palestine Intermediate School / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.65%
Brandywine Elementary School / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.07%
New Palestine Elementary School / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	99.01%
New Palestine High School / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.77%
New Palestine Jr High School / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.62%
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch / Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.67%
Maxwell Intermediate School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.56%
Greenfield Central Junior High Sch / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.03%
Eden Elementary School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.87%
JB Stephens Elementary School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.57%
Greenfield Intermediate School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.90%
Greenfield-Central High School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.83%
Harris Elementary School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.67%
Weston Elementary School / Greenfield-Central Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.01%
Fortville Elementary School / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.50%
Mt Vernon Middle School / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	95.61%
Mt Comfort Elementary School / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	96.23%
Mt Vernon Early Learning Academy / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Mt Vernon High School / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	10%-20%	20%-30%	60%-70%	94.15%
McCordsville Elementary School / Mt Vernon Community School Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	97.63%
Eastern Hancock Middle School / Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.02%
Eastern Hancock High School / Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	92.98%
Eastern Hancock Elementary School / Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.04%
Lanesville Elementary School / Lanesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.18%
Lanesville Jr-Sr HS / Lanesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.04%
Morgan Elementary School / North Harrison Com School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.64%
North Harrison Middle School / North Harrison Com School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.32%
North Harrison High School / North Harrison Com School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.60%
North Harrison Elementary School / North Harrison Com School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.32%
Corydon Central High School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.88%
Corydon Central Jr High School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.04%
Corydon Elementary School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.60%
New Middletown Elementary School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.48%
Heth-Washington Elementary School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.99%
Corydon Intermediate School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.81%
South Central Elementary / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.74%
South Central Jr & Sr High School / South Harrison Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.40%
Tri-West Middle School / North West Hendricks Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.47%
Pittsboro Primary School / North West Hendricks Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.63%
North Salem Elementary School / North West Hendricks Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.81%
Pittsboro Elementary School / North West Hendricks Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.92%
Tri-West Senior High School / North West Hendricks Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.00%
Brown Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.58%
Brownsburg Early Childhood Center / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.21%
Brownsburg High School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.60%
Eagle Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.68%
Brownsburg West Middle School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Reagan Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.18%
Delaware Trail Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.64%
Brownsburg East Middle School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.49%
White Lick Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.97%
Cardinal Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.66%
Lincoln Elementary School / Brownsburg Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
River Birch Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.16%
Avon Intermediate School East / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.77%
Avon Intermediate School West / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.58%
Avon Middle School North / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.84%
Maple Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.93%
White Oak Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.67%
Sycamore Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.77%
Avon Middle School South / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.88%
Avon High School / Avon Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	97.30%
Cedar Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.43%
Pine Tree Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.76%
Hickory Elementary School / Avon Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.28%
North Elementary School / Danville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.44%
Danville Community High School / Danville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.49%
Danville Middle School / Danville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.29%
South Elementary School / Danville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.02%
Clarks Creek Elementary / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.89%
Plainfield High School / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.91%
Plainfield Community Middle School / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.24%
Central Elementary School / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.67%
Little Quakers Academy / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.60%
Van Buren Elementary School / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.28%
Brentwood Elementary School / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.86%
Pride Academy / Plainfield Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.88%
Little Cadets Preschool / Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.81%
Mill Creek East Elementary / Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.41%
Mill Creek West Elementary / Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.94%
Cascade Middle School / Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Cascade Senior High School / Mill Creek Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.98%
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch / Blue River Valley Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.35%
Blue River Valley Elementary Sch / Blue River Valley Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Tri Junior-Senior High School / South Henry School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.33%
Tri-Elementary School / South Henry School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Shenandoah Elementary School / Shenandoah School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Shenandoah High School / Shenandoah School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Shenandoah Middle School / Shenandoah School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
New Castle High School / New Castle Community School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.98%
New Castle Middle School / New Castle Community School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.98%
Eastwood Elementary School / New Castle Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.89%
Parker Elementary School / New Castle Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.45%
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School / New Castle Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.30%
Sunnyside Elementary School / New Castle Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Westwood Elementary School / New Castle Community School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.60%
Wilbur Wright Elementary School / New Castle Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.48%
Knightstown High School / C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Knightstown Intermediate School / C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Knightstown Elementary School / C A Beard Memorial School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Taylor High School / Taylor Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.53%
Taylor Elementary School / Taylor Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.73%
Taylor Middle School / Taylor Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.58%
Northwestern Senior High School / Northwestern School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Northwestern Elementary School / Northwestern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.99%
Howard Elementary School / Northwestern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.35%
Northwestern Middle School / Northwestern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.08%
Eastern Elementary School / Eastern Howard School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.41%
Eastern Middle School / Eastern Howard School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.10%
Eastern High School / Eastern Howard School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.48%
Western High School / Western School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.80%
Western Middle School / Western School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.91%
Western Intermediate School / Western School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Western Primary School / Western School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.70%
Sycamore Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.12%
Bon Air Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.46%
Boulevard Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.21%
Bon Air Middle School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.22%
Central Middle School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.11%
Elwood Haynes Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.88%
Maple Crest Middle School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.13%
Lafayette Park Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.81%
Pettit Park School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.59%
Wallace Elementary School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.28%
Kokomo High School / Kokomo School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.98%
Andrews Elementary School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
Riverview School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.82%
Roanoke Elementary School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.21%
Salamonie School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.27%
Crestview Middle School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.89%
Huntington North High School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Flint Springs Elementary / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.54%
Huntington Schools Preschool / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.54%
Lincoln Elementary School / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.03%
Horace Mann Elementary / Huntington Co Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.80%
Medora Jr & Sr High School / Medora Community School Corp	20%-30%	50%-60%	20%-30%	93.54%
Medora STEM Academy / Medora Community School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.01%
Cortland Elementary School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.34%
Seymour Senior High School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	50%-60%	10%-20%	90.83%
Margaret R Brown Elementary School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.90%
Seymour Middle School / Seymour Community Schools	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	93.24%
Emerson Elementary School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.12%
Seymour-Jackson Elementary School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.21%
Seymour-Redding Elementary School / Seymour Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.66%
Brownstown Central Middle School / Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	0-10%	50%-60%	30%-40%	92.08%
Brownstown Central High School / Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	0-10%	50%-60%	30%-40%	91.06%
Brownstown Elementary School / Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.69%
Crothersville Jr-Sr High School / Crothersville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.75%
Crothersville Elementary School / Crothersville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.89%
Kankakee Valley High School / Kankakee Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.64%
Kankakee Valley Middle School / Kankakee Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.63%
DeMotte Elementary School / Kankakee Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.51%
Wheatfield Elementary School / Kankakee Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.64%
Kankakee Valley Intermediate Sch / Kankakee Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.20%
Rensselaer Central High School / Rensselaer Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.19%
Van Rensselaer Elementary School / Rensselaer Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.22%
Rensselaer Central Primary School / Rensselaer Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.83%
Rensselaer Middle School / Rensselaer Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.68%
Jay County Jr/Sr High School / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.36%
Bloomfield Elementary School / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.80%
Redkey Elementary School / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.26%
East Jay Elementary / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.40%
East Elementary School / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.78%
Westlawn Elementary School / Jay School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.11%
Deputy Elementary School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.04%
Madison Consolidated High School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.74%
Madison Consolidated Jr High Sch / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.67%
Rykers' Ridge Elementary School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.28%
Lydia Middleton Elementary School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.19%
Anderson Elementary School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.20%
E.O. Muncie Jr/Sr High School / Madison Consolidated Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	75.89%
Southwestern High School / Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.62%
Southwestern Elementary School / Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.39%
Southwestern Middle School / Southwestern-Jefferson Co Con	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.58%
Jennings County High School / Jennings County School Corporation	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	88.64%
Sand Creek Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.15%
Scipio Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
Graham Creek Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.14%
Hayden Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.46%
Brush Creek Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.84%
Jennings County Middle School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.82%
North Vernon Elementary School / Jennings County School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.94%
Clark Elementary School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.58%
Whiteland Community High School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.31%
Grassy Creek Elementary School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.33%
Sawmill Woods Elementary School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Whiteland Elementary School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.55%
Clark Pleasant Middle School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.93%
Break-O-Day Elementary School / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.18%
Pleasant Crossing Elementary / Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.37%
Sugar Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.69%
Center Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.12%
Center Grove High School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.82%
Walnut Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.87%
Maple Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.82%
North Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.26%
Center Grove Middle School Central / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.96%
Center Grove Middle School North / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
Pleasant Grove Elementary School / Center Grove Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.95%
Edinburgh Community High School / Edinburgh Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.65%
Edinburgh Comm Middle School / Edinburgh Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.61%
East Side Elementary School / Edinburgh Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.24%
Needham Elementary School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.03%
Union Elementary School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.91%
Franklin Community High School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	40%-50%	50%-60%	91.31%
Franklin Community Middle School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	40%-50%	50%-60%	91.84%
Custer Baker Intermediate School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.67%
Northwood Elementary School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.50%
Webb Elementary School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.19%
Creekside Elementary School / Franklin Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.60%
Greenwood Community High Sch / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.95%
Greenwood Middle School / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.94%
Greenwood Northeast Elementary Sch / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.61%
Westwood Elementary School / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.57%
V O Isom Central Elem School / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.83%
Southwest Elementary School / Greenwood Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.98%
Indian Creek Elementary School / Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.79%
Indian Creek Intermediate School / Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.23%
Indian Creek Middle School / Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	0-10%	60%-70%	30%-40%	94.32%
Indian Creek Sr High School / Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United	0-10%	60%-70%	30%-40%	90.50%
North Knox Primary School / North Knox School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.59%
North Knox Jr-Sr High School / North Knox School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.89%
North Knox Intermediate / North Knox School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.48%
South Knox Elementary School / South Knox School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.37%
South Knox Middle-High School / South Knox School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.65%
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Lincoln High School / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.84%
George Rogers Clark School / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.70%
James Whitcomb Riley Elem Sch / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.94%
Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary Sch / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.65%
Francis Vigo Elementary School / Vincennes Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Washington Learning Academy / Vincennes Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
North Webster Elementary School / Wawasee Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.03%
Wawasee Middle School / Wawasee Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.11%
Milford School / Wawasee Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.38%
Syracuse Elementary School / Wawasee Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.78%
Wawasee High School / Wawasee Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.31%
Claypool Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.17%
Lakeview Middle School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.23%
Eisenhower Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.97%
Harrison Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.17%
Leesburg Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.57%
Warsaw Community High School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.94%
Edgewood Middle School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.01%
Jefferson Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.90%
Lincoln Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.59%
Madison Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.80%
Washington Elementary School / Warsaw Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.76%
Akron Elementary School / Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.51%
Tippecanoe Valley High School / Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.87%
Mentone Elementary School / Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.57%
Tippecanoe Valley Middle School / Tippecanoe Valley School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.11%
Pierceton Elementary School / Whitko Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.63%
South Whitley Elementary School / Whitko Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.01%
Whitko Jr/Sr High School / Whitko Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.38%
Prairie Heights Elementary School / Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.00%
Prairie Heights Middle School / Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.41%
Prairie Heights Sr High School / Prairie Heights Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.65%
Westview Jr-Sr High School / Westview School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Topeka Elementary School / Westview School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.65%
Westview Elementary School / Westview School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.02%
Meadowview Elementary School / Westview School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.77%
Shipshewana-Scott Elementary Sch / Westview School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Lakeland Jr/Sr High School / Lakeland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.11%
Lakeland Primary School / Lakeland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.85%
Lakeland Intermediate School / Lakeland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.10%
Wolcott Mills Elementary School / Lakeland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Lima-Brighton Elementary / Lakeland School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Jane Ball Elementary School / Hanover Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.47%
Lincoln Elementary School / Hanover Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.40%
Hanover Central Middle School / Hanover Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.37%
Hanover Central High School / Hanover Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.58%
River Forest High School / River Forest Community Sch Corp	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	91.22%
Henry S Evans Elementary School / River Forest Community Sch Corp	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.16%
River Forest Middle School / River Forest Community Sch Corp	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	92.39%
John I Meister Elementary School / River Forest Community Sch Corp	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	94.40%
Merrillville High School / Merrillville Community School Corp	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	88.90%
Pierce Middle School / Merrillville Community School Corp	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	94.01%
Merrillville Intermediate School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	94.34%
Henry P Fieler Elementary School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.46%
Homer Iddings Elementary School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.60%
Edgar L Miller Elementary School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	94.79%
John Wood Elementary School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.05%
Jonas E Salk Elementary School / Merrillville Community School Corp	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	93.37%
Michael Grimmer Middle School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.79%
Lake Central High School / Lake Central School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.82%
Kolling Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.15%
Hal E Clark Middle School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.64%
George Bibich Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.05%
James H Watson Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.87%
Kahler Middle School / Lake Central School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.20%
Protsman Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
Homan Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.45%
Peifer Elementary School / Lake Central School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.20%
Oak Hill Elementary School / Tri-Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.23%
Lake Prairie Elementary School / Tri-Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.37%
Three Creeks Elem School / Tri-Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.75%
Lowell Middle School / Tri-Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.89%
Lowell Senior High School / Tri-Creek School Corporation	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.43%
Calumet New Tech High School / Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Longfellow New Tech Elementary Sch / Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lake Ridge New Tech Middle School / Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Robert Taft Middle School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Douglas MacArthur Elem School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Dwight D Eisenhower Elem School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Winfield Elementary School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Crown Point High School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lake Street Elementary School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Solon Robinson Elementary School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Jerry Ross Elementary School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Timothy Ball Elementary School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Colonel John Wheeler Middle School / Crown Point Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
East Chicago Central High School / School City of East Chicago	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	75.60%
Carrie Gosch PK Center / School City of East Chicago	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	83.12%
Benjamin Harrison Elementary Sch / School City of East Chicago	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	85.82%
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School / School City of East Chicago	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	79.32%
William McKinley Elementary School / School City of East Chicago	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	85.83%
George Washington Elementary Sch / School City of East Chicago	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	80.79%
Joseph Block Middle School / School City of East Chicago	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	77.48%
Thomas A Edison Jr-Sr HS / Lake Station Community Schools	80%-90%	10%-20%	0-10%	89.64%
Alexander Hamilton Elementary Sch / Lake Station Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	89.19%
Virgil I Bailey Elementary School / Lake Station Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.21%
Banneker Elementary at Marquette / Gary Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	82.71%
Beveridge Elementary School / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	74.56%
Frankie Woods McCullough Academy / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	78.83%
Bailly Middle School / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	65.25%
Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	79.78%
West Side Leadership Academy / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	47.73%
Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	73.34%
Gary Middle School / Gary Community School Corp	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	52.51%
Beiriger Elementary School / Griffith Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.22%
Griffith High School / Griffith Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.59%
Griffith Middle School / Griffith Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.53%
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School / Griffith Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.97%
George Rogers Clark Md/HS / School City of Hammond	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	98.08%
Donald E Gavit Middle/High School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	96.51%
Hammond High School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	95.45%
Morton Senior High School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	96.62%
Joseph Hess Elementary School / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	91.56%
Henry W Eggers Middle School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	97.25%
Charles N Scott Middle School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	97.91%
Thomas A Edison Elementary School / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	92.53%
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	95.73%
Warren G Harding Elementary School / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	90.40%
Washington Irving Elementary Sch / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	91.87%
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School / School City of Hammond	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	94.07%
Kenwood Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	96.70%
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	92.51%
Maywood Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	89.91%
Morton Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	92.85%
Lew Wallace Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	93.91%
Frank O'Bannon Elementary School / School City of Hammond	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	93.08%
Highland High School / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Highland Middle School / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Mildred Merkley Elementary School / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Southridge Elementary School / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Allen J Warren Elementary School / School Town of Highland	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Hobart High School / School City of Hobart	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.17%
Hobart Middle School / School City of Hobart	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.65%
Early Learning Center-George Earle / School City of Hobart	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.85%
Liberty Elementary School / School City of Hobart	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.21%
Veterans Elementary School at Mund / School City of Hobart	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.98%
Joan Martin Elementary School / School City of Hobart	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.80%
Munster High School / School Town of Munster	50%-60%	20%-30%	0-10%	98.46%
Wilbur Wright Middle School / School Town of Munster	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.07%
James B Eads Elementary School / School Town of Munster	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.47%
Ernest R Elliott Elementary School / School Town of Munster	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.12%
Frank H Hammond Elementary School / School Town of Munster	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.27%
Whiting High School / School City of Whiting	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Whiting Middle School / School City of Whiting	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Nathan Hale Elementary School / School City of Whiting	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Prairie View Elementary School / New Prairie United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.96%
New Prairie High School / New Prairie United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.36%
Rolling Prairie Elementary School / New Prairie United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.81%
New Prairie Middle School / New Prairie United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.72%
Olive Township Elementary School / New Prairie United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.80%
Westville Elementary School / MSD of New Durham Township	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	99.00%
Westville High School / MSD of New Durham Township	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	96.79%
LaCrosse School / Tri-Township Cons School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.17%
Wanatah School / Tri-Township Cons School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.83%
Coolspring Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Springfield Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Martin T Krueger Middle School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Barker Middle School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Michigan City High School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Edgewood Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lake Hills Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Joy Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Knapp Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Marsh Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Pine Elementary School / Michigan City Area Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
South Central Elementary School / South Central Com School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	10%-20%	96.31%
South Central Jr-Sr High School / South Central Com School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	10%-20%	95.22%
Indian Trail Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.48%
Kesling Intermediate School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	92.96%
Kingsford Heights Elementary Sch / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.45%
Kingsbury Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.20%
LaPorte High School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	88.47%
LaPorte Middle School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.07%
Hailmann Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.48%
F Willard Crichfield Elementary / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.01%
Lincoln Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Riley Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.24%
Handley Elementary School / LaPorte Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.43%
Needmore Elementary School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.41%
Oolitic School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.19%
Shawswick Elementary School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.65%
Bedford Middle School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.19%
Lincoln Elementary School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.33%
Bedford-North Lawrence High School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.32%
Parkview Elementary School / North Lawrence Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.34%
Burris Elementary School / Mitchell Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.58%
Hatfield Elementary School / Mitchell Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.49%
Mitchell Jr High School / Mitchell Community Schools	20%-30%	40%-50%	10%-20%	92.67%
Mitchell High School / Mitchell Community Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Frankton Jr-Sr High School / Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.54%
Frankton Elementary School / Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.12%
Lapel Sr High School / Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.78%
Lapel Middle School / Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.06%
Lapel Elementary School / Frankton-Lapel Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.35%
East Elementary School / South Madison Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.89%
Pendleton Heights High School / South Madison Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.20%
Pendleton Heights Middle School / South Madison Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.20%
Pendleton Elementary School / South Madison Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.08%
Maple Ridge Elementary School / South Madison Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.85%
Alexandria-Monroe High School / Alexandria Community School Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	91.48%
Alexandria Monroe Elementary Schoo / Alexandria Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.70%
Alexandria Monroe Academy and Cent / Alexandria Community School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	100.00%
COMPASS Alternative School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	56.08%
Anderson High School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	70.37%
Edgewood Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	82.18%
Anderson Intermediate School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.93%
Tenth Street Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.62%
Southview Preschool Center / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	74.36%
Valley Grove Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.17%
Highland Middle School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	76.12%
Eastside Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.70%
Anderson Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	85.34%
Erskine Elementary School / Anderson Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.45%
Elwood Jr-Sr High School / Elwood Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	85.65%
Elwood Intermediate School / Elwood Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	85.81%
Elwood Elementary School / Elwood Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.47%
Decatur Central High School / MSD Decatur Township	20%-30%	20%-30%	40%-50%	81.20%
Gold Academy / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.35%
Blue Academy / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.43%
Decatur Middle School / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	30%-40%	30%-40%	90.41%
Stephen Decatur Elementary School / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.58%
Valley Mills Elementary School / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.00%
Decatur Twp School for Excellence / MSD Decatur Township	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	48.89%
West Newton Elementary School / MSD Decatur Township	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.83%
Liberty Early Elementary School / MSD Decatur Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.51%
Franklin Central High School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.28%
South Creek Elementary / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.49%
Franklin Central Junior High / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.72%
Thompson Crossing Elementary Sch / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.57%
Mary Adams Elementary School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.03%
Acton Elementary School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.24%
Arlington Elementary School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.16%
Bunker Hill Elementary School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.17%
Lillie Idella Kitley Intermediate / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.53%
Edgewood Intermediate School / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.95%
Wanamaker Early Learning Center / Franklin Township Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Lawrence Central High School / MSD Lawrence Township	50%-60%	0-10%	0-10%	79.60%
Lawrence North High School / MSD Lawrence Township	40%-50%	0-10%	20%-30%	83.98%
Belzer Middle School / MSD Lawrence Township	40%-50%	20%-30%	20%-30%	90.00%
Brook Park Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	88.92%
Mary Evelyn Castle Elementary Sch / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.54%
Early Learning Center / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.93%
Crestview Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.09%
Amy Beverland Elementary / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.52%
Harrison Hill Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	86.01%
Fall Creek Valley Middle School / MSD Lawrence Township	30%-40%	20%-30%	40%-50%	92.00%
Indian Creek Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.22%
Forest Glen Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	97.60%
Winding Ridge Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	88.40%
Oaklandon Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.83%
Skiles Test Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.92%
Sunnyside Elementary School / MSD Lawrence Township	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.13%
Perry Meridian High School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	20%-30%	30%-40%	90.51%
Southport High School / Perry Township Schools	20%-30%	20%-30%	20%-30%	73.87%
Southport 6th Grade Academy / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	30%-40%	30%-40%	88.27%
Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academy / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	30%-40%	50%-60%	91.46%
Southport Middle School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	20%-30%	50%-60%	88.64%
Perry Meridian Middle School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	20%-30%	50%-60%	88.07%
William Henry Burkhart Elementary / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.58%
Mary Bryan Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.85%
Clinton Young Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.57%
Glenns Valley Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.24%
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.37%
Douglas MacArthur Elementary Sch / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.01%
Homecroft Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.72%
Southport Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.70%
Winchester Village Elementary / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.31%
Jeremiah Gray Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.03%
Rosa Parks Elementary School / Perry Township Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.91%
Fishback Creek Public Academy / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	95.17%
Deer Run Elementary / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.42%
Pike High School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	20%-30%	30%-40%	91.46%
College Park Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.52%
Lincoln Middle School / MSD Pike Township	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	83.10%
Guion Creek Middle School / MSD Pike Township	50%-60%	30%-40%	10%-20%	87.85%
Central Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	90.80%
Eagle Creek Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	93.73%
Eastbrook Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	91.88%
Guion Creek Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.48%
Snacks Crossing Elementary School / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	93.45%
New Augusta Public Academy - South / MSD Pike Township	30%-40%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.49%
New Augusta Public Academy - North / MSD Pike Township	40%-50%	30%-40%	20%-30%	89.77%
Warren Central High School / MSD Warren Township	20%-30%	40%-50%	0-10%	69.10%
Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl / MSD Warren Township	20%-30%	0-10%	0-10%	77.55%
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle / MSD Warren Township	20%-30%	50%-60%	0-10%	67.32%
Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle / MSD Warren Township	20%-30%	20%-30%	0-10%	74.33%
Eastridge Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.34%
Hawthorne Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.37%
Grassy Creek Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.36%
Lakeside Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.69%
Lowell Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.22%
Pleasant Run Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.48%
Sunny Heights Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.94%
Brookview Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	87.06%
Warren Early Childhood Center / MSD Warren Township	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Liberty Park Elementary School / MSD Warren Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.98%
Allisonville Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.29%
Crooked Creek Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.25%
Clearwater Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.97%
Willow Lake Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.19%
Greenbriar Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.55%
Nora Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.39%
Spring Mill Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.46%
Hilltop School / MSD Washington Township	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.51%
Fox Hill Elementary School / MSD Washington Township	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.83%
Eastwood Middle School / MSD Washington Township	40%-50%	20%-30%	10%-20%	93.03%
Northview Middle School / MSD Washington Township	70%-80%	20%-30%	0-10%	87.38%
Westlane Middle School / MSD Washington Township	70%-80%	20%-30%	0-10%	82.86%
North Central High School / MSD Washington Township	70%-80%	10%-20%	0-10%	92.94%
Ben Davis High School / MSD Wayne Township	30%-40%	20%-30%	40%-50%	94.38%
Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center / MSD Wayne Township	0-10%	50%-60%	20%-30%	96.09%
Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center / MSD Wayne Township	30%-40%	30%-40%	30%-40%	93.76%
Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center / MSD Wayne Township	30%-40%	30%-40%	30%-40%	93.18%
Maplewood Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.46%
Chapel Glen Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.75%
Garden City Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	89.40%
McClelland Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.78%
Rhoades Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.84%
Robey Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.92%
North Wayne Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.93%
Stout Field Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.64%
Sanders School / MSD Wayne Township	0-10%	60%-70%	0-10%	88.45%
Westlake Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.99%
Chapelwood Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.71%
Achieve Virtual Education Academy / MSD Wayne Township	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	100.00%
Bridgeport Elementary School / MSD Wayne Township	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.67%
Ben Davis University High School / MSD Wayne Township	30%-40%	20%-30%	40%-50%	94.40%
Beech Grove Sr High School / Beech Grove City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Beech Grove Middle School / Beech Grove City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.22%
Central Elementary School / Beech Grove City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.12%
South Grove Intermediate School / Beech Grove City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.23%
Hornet Park Elementary School / Beech Grove City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.03%
Impact Academy / Indianapolis Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Thrival Academy / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	87.36%
Arsenal Technical High School / Indianapolis Public Schools	50%-60%	20%-30%	0-10%	63.03%
Arlington Community Middle School / Indianapolis Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
HW Longfellow Med/STEM Magnet Midl / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	82.20%
Crispus Attucks High School / Indianapolis Public Schools	60%-70%	0-10%	0-10%	71.50%
Emmerich Manual High School / Indianapolis Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Shortridge High School / Indianapolis Public Schools	60%-70%	10%-20%	0-10%	74.95%
Cold Spring School / Indianapolis Public Schools	50%-60%	20%-30%	0-10%	89.43%
Thomas D Gregg School 15 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	81.50%
Northwest Community Middle School / Indianapolis Public Schools	10%-20%	20%-30%	0-10%	89.56%
James A Garfield School 31 / Indianapolis Public Schools	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	89.85%
Eleanor Skillen School 34 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	89.65%
Center for Inquiry School 70 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.94%
William McKinley School 39 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.36%
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	85.06%
Riverside School 44 / Indianapolis Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.29%
Daniel Webster School 46 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	98.59%
William Penn School 49 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	85.71%
James Russell Lowell School 51 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.07%
Brookside School 54 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	40%-50%	0-10%	82.60%
IPS/Butler Lab at Eliza Blaker 55 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	89.90%
Francis W Parker School 56 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	30%-40%	0-10%	92.90%
George W Julian School 57 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.19%
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	90.08%
IPS/Butler Lab at William Bell 60 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.42%
Raymond F Brandes School 65 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	92.83%
Edison School of the Arts 47 / Indianapolis Public Schools	50%-60%	40%-50%	0-10%	87.47%
Theodore Potter School 74 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.25%
Merle Sidener Gifted Academy / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	40%-50%	0-10%	99.18%
Carl Wilde School 79 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.48%
Christian Park School 82 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	85.90%
Floro Torrence School 83 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	87.95%
George Washington Carver School 87 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.49%
Anna Brochhausen School 88 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	85.63%
Ernie Pyle School 90 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.74%
Rousseau McClellan School 91 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.72%
Meredith Nicholson School 96 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.90%
H L Harshman Middle School / Indianapolis Public Schools	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	92.02%
Francis Bellamy Pre-School Center / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.73%
Charles Warren Fairbanks Sch 105 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	85.90%
Robert Lee Frost School 106 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.09%
Lew Wallace School 107 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	89.89%
Jonathan Jennings School 109 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	90.21%
Paul I Miller School 114 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	84.81%
George S Buck School 94 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	85.39%
Arlington Woods School 99 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	79.46%
Center For Inquiry School 2 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	95.32%
George Washington High School / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	67.53%
Center for Inquiry School 84 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	97.83%
Clarence Farrington School 61 / Indianapolis Public Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	87.93%
Center for Inquiry School 27 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	92.84%
Frederick Douglass School 19 / Indianapolis Public Schools	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	88.49%
Speedway Junior High School / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.44%
Speedway Senior High School / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.01%
James A Allison Elementary Sch 3 / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.73%
Carl G Fisher Elementary School 1 / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.35%
Arthur C Newby Elementary School 2 / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.10%
Frank H Wheeler Elementary Sch 4 / School Town of Speedway	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.04%
Culver Community Middle/High Sch / Culver Community Schools Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Culver Elementary School / Culver Community Schools Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.64%
Argos Community Elementary / Argos Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.40%
Argos Comm Jr-Sr High School / Argos Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.29%
Bremen Senior High School / Bremen Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.06%
Bremen Elementary/Middle School / Bremen Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.54%
Menominee Elementary School / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.78%
Plymouth High School / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	89.63%
Lincoln Junior High School / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	89.46%
Riverside Intermediate / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.40%
Jefferson Elementary School / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.08%
Washington Discovery Academy / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.12%
Webster Elementary School / Plymouth Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.97%
Triton Elementary School / Triton School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.19%
Triton Jr-Sr High School / Triton School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.22%
Shoals Community High School / Shoals Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.24%
Shoals Community Elementary School / Shoals Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.77%
Shoals Middle School / Shoals Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.12%
Loogootee Elementary School / Loogootee Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.34%
Loogootee Middle School / Loogootee Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.47%
Loogootee High School / Loogootee Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.40%
Pipe Creek Elementary School / Maconaquah School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.41%
Maconaquah High School / Maconaquah School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	100.00%
Maconaquah Middle School / Maconaquah School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	100.00%
Maconaquah Elementary School / Maconaquah School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	100.00%
North Miami Middle/High School / North Miami Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.50%
North Miami Elementary School / North Miami Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.89%
Oak Hill Junior High School / Oak Hill United School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.84%
Swayzee Elementary School / Oak Hill United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.79%
Oak Hill High School / Oak Hill United School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.43%
Converse Elementary School / Oak Hill United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
Sweetser Elementary School / Oak Hill United School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.57%
Peru High School / Peru Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.29%
Peru Junior High School / Peru Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.77%
Blair Pointe Upper Elementary / Peru Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.61%
Elmwood Primary Learning Center / Peru Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.81%
Edgewood Early Childhood Center / Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Edgewood High School / Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	10%-20%	40%-50%	20%-30%	94.24%
Edgewood Junior High School / Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	10%-20%	40%-50%	20%-30%	93.56%
Edgewood Primary School / Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	94.94%
Edgewood Intermediate School / Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.47%
Unionville Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.69%
Lakeview Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.60%
Grandview Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.60%
Highland Park Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.34%
Summit Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.28%
Bloomington High School South / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	95.08%
Bloomington High School North / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	90.31%
Tri-North Middle School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	90.95%
Lora L Batchelor Middle School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	91.78%
Binford Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.27%
Arlington Heights Elementary Sch / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.30%
Childs Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.42%
Clear Creek Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.05%
Fairview Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.74%
Hoosier Hills Childcare Center / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.04%
The Acad of Sci & Entrepreneurship / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	20%-30%	0-10%	89.56%
Marlin Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.62%
Rogers Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.87%
Bloomington Graduation School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	0-10%	67.01%
Jackson Creek Middle School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	20%-30%	50%-60%	10%-20%	95.69%
Templeton Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.34%
University Elementary School / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.32%
Early Learning Center / Monroe County Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.04%
Pleasant Hill Elementary School / North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.28%
Lester B Sommer Elementary School / North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.61%
North Montgomery Middle School / North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.88%
Sugar Creek Elementary School / North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.82%
North Montgomery High School / North Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.60%
Ladoga Elementary School / South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.29%
Southmont Sr High School / South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	91.46%
Walnut Elementary School / South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.18%
Southmont Jr High School / South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	94.29%
New Market Elementary School / South Montgomery Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.44%
Crawfordsville Sr High School / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.01%
Crawfordsville Middle School / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.25%
Mollie B Hoover Elementary School / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.30%
Laura Hose Elementary School / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.98%
Meredith Nicholson Elementary Sch / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.85%
Anna Willson School / Crawfordsville Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	83.25%
Monrovia Middle School / Monroe-Gregg School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.25%
Monrovia High School / Monroe-Gregg School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.61%
Monrovia Elementary School / Monroe-Gregg School District	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.29%
Eminence Jr-Sr High School / Eminence Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.80%
Eminence Elementary School / Eminence Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.00%
Green Township Elementary School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.39%
Martinsville High School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	86.03%
John R. Wooden Middle School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	91.88%
Bell Intermediate Academy / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	90.30%
Brooklyn STEM Academy / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.51%
Centerton Elementary School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.96%
South Elementary School of Communi / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.97%
Charles L Smith Fine Arts Academy / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.15%
Paragon Elementary School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	94.87%
Poston Road Elementary School / MSD Martinsville Schools	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.46%
Mooresville High School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.74%
Paul Hadley Middle School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.85%
Neil Armstrong Elementary School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.00%
Newby Memorial Elementary School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.33%
North Madison Elementary School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.58%
Northwood Elementary School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.82%
Waverly Elementary School / Mooresville Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.23%
Morocco Elementary School / North Newton School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.64%
Lake Village Elementary School / North Newton School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.52%
Lincoln Elementary School / North Newton School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.04%
North Newton Jr-Sr High School / North Newton School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.11%
South Newton Senior High School / South Newton School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.16%
South Newton Elementary School / South Newton School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
South Newton Middle School / South Newton School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.04%
Central Noble Primary School / Central Noble Com School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.29%
Central Noble Junior Senior HS / Central Noble Com School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Central Noble Elementary School / Central Noble Com School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.89%
Avilla Elementary School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.51%
East Noble High School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.25%
East Noble Middle School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.71%
Rome City Elementary School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.89%
North Side Elementary School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
South Side Elementary School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.44%
Wayne Center Elem School / East Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.20%
West Noble High School / West Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.74%
West Noble Primary School / West Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.92%
West Noble Middle School / West Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.65%
West Noble Elementary School / West Noble School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.36%
Ohio County Elementary School / Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Ohio County Middle School / Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Rising Sun High School / Rising Sun-Ohio Co Com	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Orleans Jr-Sr High School / Orleans Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.56%
Orleans Elementary School / Orleans Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.90%
Paoli Jr & Sr High School / Paoli Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.66%
Throop Elementary School / Paoli Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.18%
Springs Valley Comm High School / Springs Valley Com School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.17%
Springs Valley Elementary School / Springs Valley Com School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.13%
Owen Valley Middle School / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.02%
Patricksburg Elementary School / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.24%
Gosport Elementary School / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.75%
Owen Valley Community High School / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.89%
Spencer Elementary School / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.15%
McCormick's Creek Elementary Sch / Spencer-Owen Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.40%
Rosedale Elementary School / Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.78%
Riverton Parke Jr-Sr High School / Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	92.90%
Montezuma Elementary School / Southwest Parke Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.32%
Perry Central Elementary School / Perry Central Com Schools Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.21%
Perry Central Jr-Sr High School / Perry Central Com Schools Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	96.37%
Cannelton Elementary & High School / Cannelton City Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.42%
Tell City Jr-Sr High School / Tell City-Troy Twp School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.54%
William Tell Elementary School / Tell City-Troy Twp School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.63%
Rockville Elementary School / North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.48%
Turkey Run Elementary School / North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.35%
Parke Heritage Middle School / North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.07%
Parke Heritage High School / North Central Parke Comm Schl Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.28%
Pike Central High School / Pike County School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	90.57%
Pike Central Middle School / Pike County School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	94.68%
Winslow Elementary School / Pike County School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	96.29%
Petersburg Elementary School / Pike County School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	20%-30%	96.22%
Hebron High School / MSD Boone Township	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.68%
Hebron Middle School / MSD Boone Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.76%
Hebron Elementary School / MSD Boone Township	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.93%
Jackson Elementary School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.09%
Brummitt Elementary School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.79%
Liberty Intermediate School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.65%
Liberty Elementary School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.50%
Chesterton Senior High School / Duneland School Corporation	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.21%
Westchester Intermediate School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.74%
Bailly Elementary School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.03%
Chesterton Middle School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.91%
Newton Yost Elementary School / Duneland School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.99%
Morgan Township Middle/High School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.64%
Morgan Township Elementary School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.73%
Kouts Middle/High School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.27%
Kouts Elementary School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.68%
Washington Twp Middle/High School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.15%
Washington Twp Elementary School / East Porter County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.67%
Boone Grove Elementary School / Porter Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.57%
Boone Grove High School / Porter Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.63%
Boone Grove Middle School / Porter Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.86%
Porter Lakes Elementary School / Porter Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.91%
Wheeler High School / Union Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.38%
Union Township Middle School / Union Township School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.94%
Union Center Elementary School / Union Township School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
John Simatovich Elementary School / Union Township School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Portage High School / Portage Township Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.79%
Wallace Aylesworth Elementary / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
William Fegely Middle School / Portage Township Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	91.71%
Crisman Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Central Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Ethel R Jones Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Willowcreek Middle School / Portage Township Schools	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.01%
Rowena Kyle Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Paul Saylor Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
George L Myers Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
South Haven Elementary School / Portage Township Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Valparaiso High School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.78%
Benjamin Franklin Middle School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
Thomas Jefferson Middle School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.46%
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.61%
Central Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.67%
Flint Lake Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.21%
Cooks Corners Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.77%
Heavilin Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.70%
Memorial Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.66%
Northview Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.19%
Parkview Elementary School / Valparaiso Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.43%
Mount Vernon High School / MSD Mount Vernon	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.41%
Mount Vernon Jr High School / MSD Mount Vernon	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.07%
West Elementary School / MSD Mount Vernon	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.44%
Farmersville Elementary School / MSD Mount Vernon	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.39%
Marrs Elementary School / MSD Mount Vernon	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.25%
North Posey Junior High School / MSD North Posey Co Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.08%
North Posey High School / MSD North Posey Co Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.99%
North Elementary School / MSD North Posey Co Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.07%
South Terrace Elementary / MSD North Posey Co Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.40%
Eastern Pulaski Elementary School / Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.63%
Winamac Community Middle School / Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.48%
Winamac Community High School / Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.05%
West Central Senior High School / West Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.52%
West Central Elementary School / West Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.38%
West Central Middle School / West Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.07%
Central Elementary School / South Putnam Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.21%
South Putnam Middle School / South Putnam Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.84%
Fillmore Elementary School / South Putnam Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.01%
South Putnam High School / South Putnam Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.64%
Bainbridge Elementary School / North Putnam Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.26%
Roachdale Elementary School / North Putnam Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
North Putnam Middle School / North Putnam Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.60%
North Putnam Sr High School / North Putnam Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.62%
Cloverdale High School / Cloverdale Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.34%
Cloverdale Elementary School / Cloverdale Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
Cloverdale Middle School / Cloverdale Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.35%
Greencastle Senior High School / Greencastle Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.89%
Greencastle Middle School / Greencastle Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.31%
Tzouanakis Intermediate School / Greencastle Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Martha J Ridpath Elementary School / Greencastle Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.28%
Deer Meadow Primary School / Greencastle Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.38%
Union Elementary School / Union School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.34%
Union Junior & High School / Union School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.62%
Indiana Digital Elementary / Union School Corporation	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	96.84%
Indiana Digital JR and High School / Union School Corporation	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	96.87%
Indiana Digital Alternative School / Union School Corporation	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	84.96%
Randolph Southern Elementary Sch / Randolph Southern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.86%
Randolph Southern Jr-Sr High Sch / Randolph Southern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.44%
Monroe Central Jr-Sr High School / Monroe Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.69%
Monroe Central Elementary School / Monroe Central School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.45%
Winchester Community High School / Randolph Central School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	92.70%
Lee L Driver Middle School / Randolph Central School Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	10%-20%	95.19%
O R Baker Elementary School / Randolph Central School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.91%
Willard Elementary School / Randolph Central School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.00%
Deerfield Elementary School / Randolph Central School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.37%
Union City Community Jr/Sr High / Randolph Eastern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	50.42%
North Side Elementary School / Randolph Eastern School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	80.35%
South Ripley Junior High School / South Ripley Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.56%
South Ripley Elementary School / South Ripley Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.91%
South Ripley High School / South Ripley Com Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.48%
Batesville High School / Batesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.55%
Batesville Primary School / Batesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.93%
Batesville Middle School / Batesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.74%
Batesville Intermediate School / Batesville Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.37%
Jac-Cen-Del MS/HS / Jac-Cen-Del Community Sch Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Jac-Cen-Del Elementary School / Jac-Cen-Del Community Sch Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Milan High School / Milan Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.57%
Milan Middle School / Milan Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.87%
Milan Elementary School / Milan Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.68%
Milan Intermediate School / Milan Community Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.67%
Milroy Elementary School / Rush County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.70%
Arlington Elementary School / Rush County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.02%
Rushville Elementary School East / Rush County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.63%
Rushville Elementary School West / Rush County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.76%
Rushville Consolidated High School / Rush County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Benjamin Rush Middle School / Rush County Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Harold C Urey Middle School / John Glenn School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.75%
John Glenn High School / John Glenn School Corporation	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	97.29%
North Liberty School / John Glenn School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.61%
Walkerton Elementary School / John Glenn School Corporation	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.44%
Walt Disney Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Prairie Vista Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Mary Frank Harris Elementary Sch / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Schmucker Middle School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Virgil I Grissom Middle School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Madison Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Penn High School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	10%-20%	97.70%
Elm Road Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Elsie Rogers Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Discovery Middle School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Moran Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Bittersweet Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Horizon Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Meadow's Edge Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Northpoint Elementary School / Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Fred J Hums Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.66%
Mishawaka High School / School City of Mishawaka	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
John J Young Middle School / School City of Mishawaka	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Oaklawn Campus Program / School City of Mishawaka	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Battell Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.24%
Beiger Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Liberty Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Emmons Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.69%
Lasalle Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.91%
Twin Branch Elementary School / School City of Mishawaka	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.09%
South Bend Virtual School / South Bend Community School Corp	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	82.66%
Hay Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	82.87%
Warren Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	75.53%
Clay High School / South Bend Community School Corp	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	81.86%
Clay International Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	10%-20%	85.37%
Darden Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	10%-20%	86.52%
Swanson Traditional School / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	20%-30%	96.61%
Adams High School / South Bend Community School Corp	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	86.74%
Jackson Middle School / South Bend Community School Corp	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	71.50%
LaSalle Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	70%-80%	20%-30%	0-10%	87.87%
Riley High School / South Bend Community School Corp	60%-70%	10%-20%	0-10%	74.41%
Washington High School / South Bend Community School Corp	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	71.00%
Coquillard Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	79.77%
Rise Up Academy at Eggleston / South Bend Community School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	0-10%	61.78%
Edison Middle School / South Bend Community School Corp	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	83.10%
Harrison Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	83.01%
Marshall Traditional School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	30%-40%	95.68%
Jefferson Traditional School / South Bend Community School Corp	50%-60%	20%-30%	0-10%	74.57%
Kennedy Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	30%-40%	97.34%
Lafayette Early Childhood Center / South Bend Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Dickinson Fine Arts Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	72.24%
Lincoln Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	0-10%	86.27%
McKinley Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	10%-20%	85.11%
Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	0-10%	81.31%
Marquette Montessori Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	30%-40%	30%-40%	10%-20%	82.17%
Monroe Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	0-10%	81.38%
Wilson Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	83.06%
Muessel Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	77.73%
Navarre Middle School / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	0-10%	88.07%
Nuner Fine Arts Academy / South Bend Community School Corp	20%-30%	30%-40%	0-10%	85.34%
South Bend SNAP / South Bend Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Studebaker Center / South Bend Community School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Tarkington Elementary School / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	60%-70%	0-10%	87.98%
Juvenile Justice Center / South Bend Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
LaVille Jr-Sr High School / Union-North United School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.19%
LaVille Elementary School / Union-North United School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	96.18%
Austin High School / Scott County School District 1	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.74%
Austin Elementary School / Scott County School District 1	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.77%
Austin Middle School / Scott County School District 1	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.54%
Johnson Elementary School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.31%
Lexington Elementary School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.31%
Scottsburg Senior High School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.65%
Scottsburg Middle School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.35%
Scottsburg Elem School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.27%
Vienna-Finley Elementary School / Scott County School District 2	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.12%
Morristown Jr-Sr High School / Shelby Eastern Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Morristown Elementary School / Shelby Eastern Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Waldron Jr-Sr High School / Shelby Eastern Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Waldron Elementary School / Shelby Eastern Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Triton Central High School / Northwestern Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.12%
Triton Central Elementary School / Northwestern Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.07%
Triton Central Middle School / Northwestern Con School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.86%
Southwestern High School / Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.66%
Southwestern Elementary School / Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.88%
Especially Kidz Health & Rehab Cnt / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Shelbyville Sr High School / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.84%
Shelbyville Middle School / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.84%
Golden Bear Preschool / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.06%
Coulston Elementary School / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.74%
Thomas A Hendricks Elementary Sch / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
William F Loper Elementary School / Shelbyville Central Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.91%
Chrisney Elementary School / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.76%
David Turnham Education Center / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.06%
Nancy Hanks Elementary School / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.48%
Heritage Hills High School / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
Heritage Hills Middle School / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.91%
Lincoln Trail Elementary School / North Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.84%
Luce Elementary School / South Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
South Spencer High School / South Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.73%
South Spencer Middle School / South Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.18%
Rockport-Ohio Elementary School / South Spencer County Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.32%
Oregon-Davis Elementary School / Oregon-Davis School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.91%
Oregon-Davis Jr-Sr High School / Oregon-Davis School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.41%
N Judson-San Pierre Jr Sr High Sch / North Judson-San Pierre Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.99%
North Judson-San Pierre Elem Sch / North Judson-San Pierre Sch Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.38%
Knox Community High School / Knox Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.92%
Knox Community Middle School / Knox Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.96%
Knox Community Elementary School / Knox Community School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.86%
Fremont High School / Fremont Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.65%
Fremont Elementary School / Fremont Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.06%
Fremont Middle School / Fremont Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.66%
Hamilton Community High School / Hamilton Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.38%
Hamilton Community Elementary Sch / Hamilton Community Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.93%
Angola High School / MSD Steuben County	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	92.61%
Angola Middle School / MSD Steuben County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.37%
Carlin Park Elementary School / MSD Steuben County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.95%
Ryan Park Elementary School / MSD Steuben County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.89%
Hendry Park Elementary School / MSD Steuben County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.70%
Pleasant Lake Elementary School / MSD Steuben County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.12%
North Central Jr/Sr High School / Northeast School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.60%
Northeast North Elementary School / Northeast School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.14%
Northeast East Elementary School / Northeast School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.41%
Carlisle Elementary School / Southwest School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.47%
Carlisle Middle School / Southwest School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.62%
Sullivan High School / Southwest School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.82%
Sullivan Middle School / Southwest School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.79%
Sullivan Elementary School / Southwest School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.46%
Jefferson-Craig Elementary School / Switzerland County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.62%
Switzerland Co Middle School / Switzerland County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.68%
Switzerland Co Senior High School / Switzerland County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	85.94%
Switzerland Co Elementary School / Switzerland County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.17%
Oakland High School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	78.74%
Jefferson High School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.31%
Lafayette Sunnyside Intermediate / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.14%
Lafayette Tecumseh Jr High School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.45%
Edgelea Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.98%
Glen Acres Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.80%
Miami Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.93%
Thomas Miller Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.23%
Murdock Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.44%
Oakland Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.45%
Vinton Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.73%
Amelia Earhart Elementary School / Lafayette School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.95%
McCutcheon High School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.61%
Mayflower Mill Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.68%
Wyandotte Elementary / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.61%
Hershey Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.19%
Mintonye Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.72%
Dayton Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.53%
Burnett Creek Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.82%
Wea Ridge Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	92.96%
Battle Ground Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.32%
Battle Ground Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.97%
Wainwright Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.28%
William Henry Harrison High School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.78%
East Tipp Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.20%
James Cole Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.29%
Klondike Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.42%
Klondike Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.58%
Southwestern Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.91%
Wea Ridge Middle School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.32%
Woodland Elementary School / Tippecanoe School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.87%
West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School / West Lafayette Com School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.36%
West Lafayette Intermediate School / West Lafayette Com School Corp	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.83%
West Lafayette Elementary School / West Lafayette Com School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.38%
Tri Central Elementary / Tri-Central Community Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Tri Central Middle-High School / Tri-Central Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.60%
Tipton Elementary School / Tipton Community School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.97%
Tipton Middle School / Tipton Community School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	93.36%
Tipton High School / Tipton Community School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	95.79%
Union County High School / Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.76%
Union County Middle School / Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.90%
Liberty Elementary School / Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.88%
College Corner Union Elem School / Union Co/Clg Corner Joint Sch Dist	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.64%
Cynthia Heights Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Scott Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
North Junior High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Oak Hill Elementary / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Benjamin Bosse High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.45%
Central High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.94%
McCutchanville Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Francis Joseph Reitz High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.30%
Lincoln School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
North High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.79%
Caze Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.76%
Cedar Hall Community School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Academy for Innovative Studies / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Harwood Career Prep High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Delaware Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Dexter Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Fairlawn Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Glenwood Leadership Academy / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Harper Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
William Henry Harrison High School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.23%
Hebron Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Helfrich Park STEM Academy / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Stockwell Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Thompkins Middle School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Highland Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
New Tech Institute / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.73%
Culver Family Learning Center / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lodge Community School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
McGary Middle School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Perry Heights Middle School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Plaza Park International Prep Acad / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Evans School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Stringtown Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Tekoppel Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Vogel Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Washington Middle School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Daniel Wertz Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
West Terrace Elementary School / Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
North Vermillion High School / North Vermillion Com Sch Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	20%-30%	92.70%
North Vermillion Elementary School / North Vermillion Com Sch Corp	0-10%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.11%
Central Elementary School / South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.12%
Ernie Pyle Elementary School / South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.46%
South Vermillion High School / South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.28%
South Vermillion Middle School / South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.71%
Van Duyn Elementary School / South Vermillion Com Sch Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.34%
Terre Haute North Vigo High School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	30%-40%	50%-60%	91.30%
Honey Creek Middle School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	30%-40%	95.96%
West Vigo High School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	30%-40%	40%-50%	93.47%
Terre Haute South Vigo High School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	30%-40%	40%-50%	93.18%
West Vigo Middle School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	40%-50%	95.08%
Otter Creek Middle School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	40%-50%	92.54%
Sarah Scott Middle School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	30%-40%	92.02%
Vigo Virtual School Academy / Vigo County School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Woodrow Wilson Middle School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	50%-60%	30%-40%	94.52%
Sugar Creek Consolidated Elem Sch / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.11%
Davis Park Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	95.18%
Deming Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	91.39%
Adelaide De Vaney Elementary Sch / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	94.77%
Dixie Bee Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.35%
Farrington Grove Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	91.88%
Fayette Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	96.44%
Rio Grande Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.32%
Benjamin Franklin Elem School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	89.32%
Blanche E Fuqua Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	93.71%
Hoosier Prairie Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	96.05%
Lost Creek Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.02%
Meadows Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	93.71%
Ouabache Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	92.52%
Riley Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.59%
Sugar Grove Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.04%
Terre Town Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	92.31%
West Vigo Elementary School / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.61%
Booker T Washington Alt Sch / Vigo County School Corp	10%-20%	40%-50%	20%-30%	85.71%
Manchester Jr-Sr High School / Manchester Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.97%
Manchester Elementary School / Manchester Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.36%
Manchester Intermediate School / Manchester Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.64%
Northfield Jr-Sr High School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.20%
Southwood Jr-Sr High School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.64%
Southwood Elementary School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.58%
Sharp Creek Elementary School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.35%
White's Jr-Sr High School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.34%
Metro North Elementary School / MSD Wabash County Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.71%
Wabash High School / Wabash City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.06%
Wabash Middle School / Wabash City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.27%
O J Neighbours Elementary School / Wabash City Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.81%
Williamsport Elementary School / MSD Warren County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
Pine Village Elementary School / MSD Warren County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.12%
Seeger Memorial Jr-Sr High School / MSD Warren County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.56%
Warren Central Elementary School / MSD Warren County	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.47%
Castle South Middle School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.25%
Yankeetown Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.14%
John H Castle Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.44%
Elberfeld Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.58%
Tecumseh Middle School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.01%
Tecumseh High School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.61%
Lynnville Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.18%
Castle North Middle School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.46%
Loge Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.86%
Warrick County Preschool / Warrick County School Corp	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Tennyson Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.30%
Boonville High School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.08%
Boonville Middle School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.42%
Oakdale Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
Castle High School / Warrick County School Corp	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	93.88%
Chandler Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.06%
Newburgh Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.60%
Sharon Elementary School / Warrick County School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.38%
Salem High School / Salem Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	84.92%
Salem Middle School / Salem Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	90.21%
Bradie Shrum Elementary / Salem Community Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	91.76%
East Washington Elementary School / East Washington School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	93.75%
Eastern High School / East Washington School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	80.14%
East Washington Middle School / East Washington School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	10%-20%	86.95%
West Washington Jr-Sr High School / West Washington School Corp	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	93.20%
West Washington Elementary School / West Washington School Corp	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.08%
Hagerstown Jr-Sr High School / Nettle Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.15%
Hagerstown Elementary School / Nettle Creek School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.08%
Lincoln Sr High School / Western Wayne Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.37%
Lincoln Middle School / Western Wayne Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.95%
Western Wayne Elementary School / Western Wayne Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.78%
Centerville Sr High School / Centerville-Abington Com Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.90%
Centerville-Abington Jr High Sch / Centerville-Abington Com Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.24%
Centerville-Abington Elem School / Centerville-Abington Com Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.72%
Rose Hamilton Elementary School / Centerville-Abington Com Schs	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.16%
Northeastern High School / Northeastern Wayne Schools	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	95.82%
Northeastern Elementary School / Northeastern Wayne Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.06%
Northeastern Middle School / Northeastern Wayne Schools	10%-20%	60%-70%	20%-30%	95.21%
Richmond High School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	0-10%	80%-90%	90.35%
Test Intermediate School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	0-10%	80%-90%	92.29%
Dennis Intermediate School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	0-10%	90%+	92.81%
Charles Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.94%
Crestdale Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.37%
Fairview Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.66%
Starr Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.99%
Vaile Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.90%
Westview Elementary School / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.15%
Community Youth Services / Richmond Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.67%
Southern Wells Elementary School / Southern Wells Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.56%
Southern Wells Jr-Sr High School / Southern Wells Com Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Ossian Elementary / Northern Wells Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.04%
Lancaster Central School / Northern Wells Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.59%
Norwell High School / Northern Wells Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.49%
Norwell Middle School / Northern Wells Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.20%
Bluffton High School / MSD Bluffton-Harrison	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.25%
Bluffton-Harrison Middle School / MSD Bluffton-Harrison	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.90%
Bluffton-Harrison Elementary Sch / MSD Bluffton-Harrison	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.60%
North White Elementary School / North White School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.25%
North White Middle School / North White School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.10%
North White High School / North White School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.29%
Frontier Elementary / Frontier School Corporation	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Frontier Jr-Sr High School / Frontier School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.25%
Tri-County Primary School / Tri-County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.89%
Tri-County Jr/Sr High School / Tri-County School Corporation	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	94.12%
Tri-County Intermediate School / Tri-County School Corporation	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.52%
Eastlawn Elementary School / Twin Lakes School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.90%
Twin Lakes Senior High School / Twin Lakes School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.61%
Roosevelt Middle School / Twin Lakes School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.92%
Oaklawn Elementary School / Twin Lakes School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.78%
Meadowlawn Elementary School / Twin Lakes School Corp	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
Churubusco Jr-Sr High School / Smith-Green Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.99%
Churubusco Elementary School / Smith-Green Community Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.37%
Purdue Polytechnic High Sch North / Purdue Polytechnic High Sch North	20%-30%	10%-20%	0-10%	89.53%
Excel Center - Bloomington / Excel Center - Bloomington	10%-20%	90%+	0-10%	60.90%
Little Turtle Elementary School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.53%
Coesse School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.71%
Indian Springs Middle School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.11%
Northern Heights Elementary School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.09%
Columbia City High School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.16%
Mary Raber Elementary School / Whitley County Con Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.64%
Invent Learning Hub / Invent Learning Hub	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	77.70%
PLA at George H Fisher School 93 / PLA at George H Fisher School 93	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	85.64%
Dynamic Minds Academy / Dynamic Minds Academy	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.08%
James and Rosemary Phalen Leadersh / James and Rosemary Phalen Leadersh	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Phalen at Francis Scott Key 103 / Phalen Leadership Academy at Franc	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Purdue Polytechnic High School Sou / Purdue Polytechnic High School Sou	20%-30%	60%-70%	10%-20%	91.73%
GEO Next Generation Academy / GEO Next Generation Academy	10%-20%	30%-40%	0-10%	89.04%
The PATH School / The PATH School	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	84.34%
HIM By HER Collegiate School for t / HIM By HER Collegiate School for t	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy / Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	88.15%
Ignite Achievement Academy / Ignite Achievement Academy	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	83.80%
Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind / Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Otwell Miller Academy / Otwell Miller Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.03%
Indiana Connections Career Academy / Indiana Connections Career Academy	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	98.30%
Avondale Meadows Middle School / Avondale Meadows Middle School	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	86.83%
James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership / James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Excel Center - Clarksville / Excel Center - Clarksville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	59.43%
Excel Center - Hammond / Excel Center - Hammond	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	32.68%
Paramount Cottage Home / Paramount Cottage Home	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	89.82%
Allegiant Preparatory Academy / Allegiant Preparatory Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Gary Middle College West / Gary Middle College West	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	38.00%
Vanguard Collegiate of Indy / Vanguard Collegiate of Indy	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	81.71%
pilotED Schools Bethel Park / pilotED Schools	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	84.43%
Matchbook Learning / Matchbook Learning	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.21%
Urban ACT Academy / Urban ACT Academy	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	77.69%
Kindezi Academy / Kindezi Academy	10%-20%	60%-70%	0-10%	82.29%
Insight School of Indiana / Insight School of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle / Adelante Schools	70%-80%	20%-30%	0-10%	81.24%
KIPP Indy Legacy High / KIPP Indy Legacy High	70%-80%	0-10%	0-10%	73.90%
BELIEVE Circle City High School / BELIEVE Circle City High School	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.34%
Riverside High School / Riverside High School	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Circle City Prep Charter School / Circle City Prep Charter School	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	87.86%
Excel Center - Muncie / Excel Center - Muncie	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	66.11%
Paramount Englewood / Paramount Englewood	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	84.44%
Rooted School Indianapolis / Rooted School Indianapolis	10%-20%	50%-60%	0-10%	88.88%
Excel Center - Gary / Excel Center - Gary	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	32.61%
Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle / Timothy L. Johnson Academy Middle	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
St Bartholomew School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.56%
St John Paul II Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Anthony of Padua / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.28%
Sacred Heart School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.13%
Our Lady Of Providence High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	50%-60%	30%-40%	97.91%
Saint Nicholas School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.32%
Saint Mary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.18%
Saint Lawrence School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.05%
Saint Mary's School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.34%
Saint Gabriel Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.24%
Holy Family School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.73%
Our Lady Of Perpetual School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.80%
St Mary of-the-Knobs Catholic Sch / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.41%
Saint Michael School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.02%
Saint Michael School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.54%
Saint Joseph School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.51%
Saint Malachy School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.66%
Saint Susanna School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Saint Ambrose School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.50%
Shawe Memorial High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.48%
Pope John XXIII Elementary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.74%
Saint Mary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.72%
St Rose of Lima School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.15%
Our Lady of the Greenwood School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.95%
SS Francis and Clare Catholic Sch / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.68%
Saint Vincent DePaul School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Nativity Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.84%
Saint Lawrence School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.22%
Saint Barnabas School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.92%
Saint Jude Elementary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.30%
Saint Mark School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.26%
Saint Roch School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.33%
Roncalli High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.51%
Holy Spirit School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.97%
Saint Luke School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.39%
Saint Matthew School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.49%
Saint Monica School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.36%
Saint Pius X School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
Holy Name Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.02%
Christ The King School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Holy Angels Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.41%
Holy Cross Central School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.61%
Immaculate Heart of Mary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Our Lady Of Lourdes School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.19%
St Anthony Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	92.79%
Providence Cristo Rey High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.93%
Central Catholic School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Joan Of Arc School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.60%
St Michael St Gabriel Archangels S / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	91.67%
Saint Philip Neri School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	60%-70%	10%-20%	93.95%
Saint Simon The Apostle School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.55%
St Therese Little Flower School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.80%
Saint Thomas Aquinas School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.42%
Cathedral High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.13%
Bishop Chatard High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.35%
Scecina Memorial High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	50%-60%	10%-20%	91.42%
Cardinal Ritter High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Christopher School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Charles Borromeo School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.03%
Saint Louis School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.48%
Oldenburg Academy / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.86%
Saint Mary Elementary School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Joseph School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.77%
Saint Patrick School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.36%
Seton Catholic Elementary / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.04%
Seton Catholic High School / Archdiocese of Indianapolis	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	99.25%
Aquinas School at St Andrew's / Diocese of Gary	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	96.86%
Andrean High School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.16%
Saint Michael School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.76%
Saint John Evangelist School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.68%
Saint Mary Catholic Comm School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.38%
St Stanislaus School / Diocese of Gary	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	95.18%
Saint Mary School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.01%
Saint Casimir School / Diocese of Gary	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	94.02%
Saint John Bosco School / Diocese of Gary	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint John The Baptist School / Diocese of Gary	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.68%
Bishop Noll Institute / Diocese of Gary	10%-20%	30%-40%	0-10%	96.38%
Our Lady Of Grace School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.86%
Saint Thomas More School / Diocese of Gary	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.51%
Notre Dame Catholic School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.87%
Queen Of All Saints School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.41%
Saint Stanislaus Kostka School / Diocese of Gary	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	96.09%
Marquette Catholic High School / Diocese of Gary	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.24%
Saint Patrick School / Diocese of Gary	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.81%
Nativity of Our Savior School / Diocese of Gary	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Paul Catholic School / Diocese of Gary	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Sacred Heart School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.41%
Saint Lawrence School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.51%
Saint Mary School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.73%
Saint Paul Parish School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.07%
Our Lady Of Mt Carmel School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.93%
Saint Maria Goretti School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.72%
Saint Louis de Montfort School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.62%
Our Lady of Grace School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.52%
Guerin Catholic High School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Sts Joan of Arc & Patrick School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Augustine School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Mary School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.69%
Holy Cross School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.75%
Central Catholic Jr-Sr High School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.41%
Saint Boniface School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.96%
Saint Lawrence Elementary School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.83%
Saint Mary Cathedral School / Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.31%
Washington Catholic Mid/High Sch / Diocese of Evansville	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.71%
Washington Catholic Elementary Sch / Diocese of Evansville	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.26%
Holy Trinity Catholic School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.58%
St Joseph School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.38%
Holy Cross School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.00%
Saint James School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.88%
Saints Peter & Paul School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.03%
Rivet Middle & High School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.03%
Flaget Elementary School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.10%
St Matthew School / Diocese of Evansville	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
St Philip School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.50%
Saint Wendel School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.21%
St Bernard Catholic School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.42%
Mater Dei High School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.92%
Reitz Memorial High School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.17%
Annuc Cthlc Sch @ Christ the King / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.37%
Corpus Christi School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
Good Shepherd School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.02%
Holy Redeemer School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.49%
Holy Rosary School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.22%
Annunciation Cthlc at Holy Spirit / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.68%
Westside Catholic School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.00%
St Benedict Cathedral School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.16%
Saint Joseph School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.95%
Resurrection School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.57%
Saint John The Baptist School / Diocese of Evansville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.59%
Saint Joseph School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.82%
Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Sch / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.60%
Our Lady School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.31%
Bishop Dwenger High School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.20%
Bishop Luers High School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.75%
Most Precious Blood School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.99%
Queen Of Angels School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.14%
Saint Charles Borromeo School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.61%
Saint John The Baptist School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.38%
Saint Joseph Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.89%
Saint Jude Elementary School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.83%
Saint Therese School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.15%
Saint Vincent DePaul School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.01%
Saint Aloysius Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.63%
Saint Rose of Lima School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.84%
St Joseph Hessen Cassel Cath Sch / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.63%
Saint John The Baptist Catholic / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.53%
Saint Louis Besancon Catholic Sch / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.98%
Saint Joseph School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.20%
St Thomas The Apostle School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.11%
St Vincent de Paul School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.20%
St John Evangelist School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.39%
Huntington Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.57%
Sacred Heart School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.83%
Saint Michael School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.56%
Saint Mary Elementary School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.51%
St Pius X Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.29%
Marian High School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.03%
Mishawaka Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.68%
Queen of Peace School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.97%
Saint Joseph High School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.30%
Christ The King School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.92%
Corpus Christi School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.93%
Holy Cross School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.15%
Holy Family School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.54%
Our Lady Of Hungary School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.19%
Saint Adalbert School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.24%
Saint Anthony De Padua School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.77%
Saint John The Baptist School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.56%
Saint Joseph School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.29%
Saint Jude Catholic School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.84%
Saint Matthew Cathedral School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
Saint Bernard Elementary School / Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.39%
St Peter Immanuel Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.50%
Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Concordia Lutheran High School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.94%
Concordia Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Emmanuel St Michael Lutheran Sch / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.08%
Emmaus Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.92%
Holy Cross Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lutheran South Unity School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.55%
Saint Paul Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.32%
Ascension Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.45%
Saint Peter's Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.32%
St John-Emmanuel Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Central Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.29%
Woodburn Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
White Creek Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.31%
Saint Peters Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.97%
Saint John Ev Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.57%
Trinity Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.63%
Zion Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.47%
Saint John Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	86.81%
Redeemer Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	93.11%
Immanuel Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.08%
Saint John Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.70%
Trinity Lutheran High School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.33%
Lutheran Central School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.94%
Trinity Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.03%
Ascension Lutheran Christian Schl / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.84%
Trinity Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.20%
St Paul's Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.95%
Saint John Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	94.56%
Holy Cross Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.71%
Lutheran High School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.14%
Calvary Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.75%
Trinity Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.38%
Saint John Ev Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.96%
Our Shepherd Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.52%
Emmaus Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.86%
St John Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Immanuel Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	93.84%
Resurrection Lutheran Academy / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.33%
Saint Peter Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.97%
Saint James Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Evansville Lutheran School / Lutheran Schools of Indiana	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.22%
The Oaks Academy - Brookside / The Oaks Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.25%
The Oaks Academy - Fall Creek / The Oaks Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.53%
The Oaks Academy - Middle School / The Oaks Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Excel Center - Richmond / Excel Center - Richmond	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	54.41%
Charter School of the Dunes / Charter School of the Dunes	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	79.93%
Signature School Inc / Signature School Inc	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.23%
Community Montessori / Community Montessori Inc	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Options Charter School - Carmel / Options Charter Schools	10%-20%	50%-60%	0-10%	89.76%
Options Charter School Noblesville / Options Charter Schools	0-10%	60%-70%	0-10%	86.70%
Options Indiana / Options Charter Schools	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	78.22%
Irvington Community School / Irvington Community School	60%-70%	0-10%	30%-40%	92.74%
Excel Center - Lafayette Square / Excel Center - Lafayette Square	0-10%	40%-50%	0-10%	72.80%
Excel Center - Lafayette / Excel Center - Lafayette	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	66.70%
Timothy L Johnson Academy / Timothy L Johnson Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Excel Center - Kokomo / Excel Center - Kokomo	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	67.25%
Enlace Academy / Enlace Academy	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	87.64%
Christel House Academy South / Christel House Academy South	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	93.51%
Christel House DORS / Christel House DORS	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	76.99%
Christel House Academy West / Christel House Academy West	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	89.93%
KIPP Indy College Prep Middle / KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	70%-80%	20%-30%	0-10%	88.36%
KIPP Indy Unite Elementary / KIPP Indy Unite Elementary	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	89.95%
Tindley Genesis Academy / Tindley Genesis Academy	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	86.53%
Tindley Summit Academy / Tindley Summit Academy	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	83.16%
Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch / Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	87.53%
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy / Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Rural Community Academy / Rural Community Schools Inc	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.53%
SE Neighborhood Sch of Excellence / SE Neighborhood Sch of Excellence	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.14%
Joshua Academy / Joshua Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Indiana Agriculture and Technology / Indiana Agriculture and Technology	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	100.00%
Gary Lighthouse Charter School / Gary Lighthouse Charter School	40%-50%	20%-30%	0-10%	82.56%
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary / 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	85.41%
East Chicago Urban Enterprise Acad / East Chicago Urban Enterprise Acad	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	88.61%
Victory College Prep Academy / Victory College Prep Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	84.13%
East Chicago Lighthouse / East Chicago Lighthouse Charter	40%-50%	40%-50%	0-10%	82.42%
IN Sch for the Blind & Vis Impaired / IN Sch for the Blind & Vis Impaired	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	88.67%
Indiana School For The Deaf / Indiana School For The Deaf	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Andrew J Brown Academy / Andrew J Brown Academy	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	87.24%
Burris Laboratory School / Burris Laboratory School	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.65%
Indiana Academy for Sci Math Hmn / Indiana Academy for Sci Math Hmn	0-10%	70%-80%	0-10%	99.92%
Avondale Meadows Academy / Avondale Meadows Academy	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	90.55%
Herron High School / Herron Charter	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.78%
The Hope Academy, Inc. / The Hope Academy, Inc.	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.78%
Geist Montessori Academy / Geist Montessori Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch / Indianapolis Metropolitan High Sch	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	62.53%
Paramount Brookside / Paramount Brookside	30%-40%	50%-60%	0-10%	92.69%
Aspire Charter Academy / Aspire Charter Academy	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	86.35%
Renaissance Academy Charter School / Renaissance Academy Charter School	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Hammond Academy of Science & Tech / Hammond Academy of Science & Tech	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.25%
Canaan Community Academy / Canaan Community Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.77%
Neighbors' New Vistas High School / Neighbors' New Vistas High School	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Inspire Academy - A Sch of Inquiry / Inspire Academy - A Sch of Inquiry	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	79.35%
Excel Center - Anderson / Excel Center - Anderson	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	56.81%
Smith Academy for Excellence / Smith Academy for Excellence	20%-30%	0-10%	0-10%	81.24%
IN Math & Science Academy / IN Math & Science Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.10%
Anderson Preparatory Academy / Anderson Preparatory Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Hoosier Academy - Indianapolis / Hoosier Academy - Indianapolis	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
The Bloomington Project School / The Bloomington Project School	50%-60%	0-10%	0-10%	95.31%
Excel Center - University Heights / Excel Center - University Heights	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	77.38%
Excel Center - Noblesville / Excel Center - Noblesville	10%-20%	50%-60%	0-10%	68.73%
Discovery Charter School / Discovery Charter School	50%-60%	20%-30%	20%-30%	95.65%
Rock Creek Community Academy / Rock Creek Community Academy	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.06%
Career Academy High School / Career Academy High School	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	94.53%
Gary Middle College / Gary Middle College	80%-90%	0-10%	0-10%	35.11%
IN Math & Science Academy - North / IN Math & Science Academy - North	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	89.51%
Excel Center - South Bend / Excel Center - South Bend	50%-60%	30%-40%	0-10%	36.81%
Indiana Connections Academy / Indiana Connections Academy	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	98.82%
Excel Center For Adult Learners / Excel Center for Adult Learners	0-10%	60%-70%	0-10%	68.89%
Damar Charter Academy / Damar Charter Academy	60%-70%	30%-40%	0-10%	95.09%
Phalen Leadership Academy - IN Inc / Phalen Leadership Academy - IN Inc	80%-90%	10%-20%	0-10%	88.97%
Vision Academy / Vision Academy	30%-40%	30%-40%	0-10%	86.26%
Dugger Union Community School Corp / Dugger Union Community School Corp	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	90.50%
Louis B Russell Jr School 48 / Phalen Leadership Academy at Louis	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	80.59%
Mays Community Academy / Mays Community Academy	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.93%
Success Academy Primary School / Success Academy Primary School	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	88.47%
Career Academy Middle School / Career Academy Middle School	30%-40%	20%-30%	0-10%	92.37%
ACE Preparatory Academy / ACE Preparatory Academy	60%-70%	20%-30%	0-10%	81.73%
Global Preparatory Academy / Global Preparatory Academy	40%-50%	50%-60%	0-10%	86.32%
Steel City Academy / Steel City Academy	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Seven Oaks Classical School / Seven Oaks Classical School	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.17%
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech / Higher Institute of Arts & Tech	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.24%
Excel Center - Shelbyville / Excel Center - Shelbyville	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	80.05%
River Montessori High School / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	10%-20%	95.64%
Dana Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.59%
Riverview Adventist Christian Acad / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.40%
Illiana Christian High School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	89.71%
Apogee School For The Gifted / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Blackhawk Christian Mdl/High Sch / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.77%
Blackhawk Christian Elementary Sch / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.20%
Cornerstone College Prep Sch / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.91%
Central Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.75%
Aboite Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	30%-40%	0-10%	60%-70%	95.84%
Crossroad Child & Family Services / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.72%
Horizon Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	72.67%
Columbus Christian School Inc / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
James E Davis School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	83.71%
Good Shepherd Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.88%
Lakewood Park Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.98%
Heritage Hall Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.40%
Clinton Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.31%
Elkhart Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.26%
The Crossing Educational Center / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	72.80%
Bethany Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	60%-70%	20%-30%	96.30%
Christian Academy of Indiana / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.21%
Covington Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Kinwell Academy Inc / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	82.32%
The King's Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.49%
Lakeview Christian School Inc / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.06%
Eman Schools / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Fishers Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Paddock View Residential Center / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	99.08%
Indiana Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	96.71%
Transitions Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Legacy Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.45%
Bethesda Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.77%
Kingsway Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.59%
Legacy Learning Center / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	0-10%	80%-90%	99.02%
Universal School of Plainfield / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.93%
Sandy Creek Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.06%
Covenant Christian High School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.29%
DeMotte Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.94%
Jay County Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Christian Academy of Madison / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.09%
Pierceton Woods Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lakeland Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.07%
Avicenna Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.19%
Crown Point Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.45%
Ambassador Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	92.49%
Calumet Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.96%
Indiana Horizon Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Morning Star Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.42%
Highland Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Saint Paul Lutheran School / Independent Non-Public Schools	20%-30%	60%-70%	0-10%	93.91%
Indiana Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.73%
Cross Street Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	90.44%
Liberty Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.77%
Liberty Christian Elementary / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.33%
Anderson Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.77%
Damar Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Curtis Wilson Primary School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Heritage Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Cornerstone Baptist Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	70%-80%	0-10%	95.33%
Horizon Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.47%
Suburban Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.67%
Southport Presbyterian Chrst Sch / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.03%
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	20%-30%	70%-80%	99.17%
Traders Point Christian Schools / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.31%
Burge Terrace Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.41%
Indianapolis Junior Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.19%
Hasten Hebrew Acad Of Indianapolis / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	97.05%
Colonial Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.44%
Islamic Academy of Indianapolis / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.94%
Crosspointe Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.82%
Covenant Christian High School / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	98.31%
Trinity Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	91.21%
Shepherd Community Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Central Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Calvary Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	94.31%
The Independence Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	20%-30%	70%-80%	0-10%	88.17%
MTI School of Knowledge / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	88.06%
International Sch of IN HS (9-12) / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Indianapolis Southside Christian / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.99%
Capitol City SDA Church School / Independent Non-Public Schools	90%+	0-10%	0-10%	99.07%
TP Schools / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
School for Community Learning / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Adventist Christian Elementary / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.32%
Covenant Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	0-10%	88.92%
Lighthouse Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Clear Creek Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.89%
Tabernacle Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.31%
Mooresville Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.37%
Greenwood Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	80%-90%	10%-20%	98.02%
Shults-Lewis Child & Family Srvs / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.55%
Emmanuel Baptist Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	98.04%
Victory Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	93.39%
Portage Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.48%
North Liberty Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.86%
Covenant Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.54%
South Bend Hebrew Day School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.96%
Bais Yaakov High School of Indiana / Independent Non-Public Schools	10%-20%	80%-90%	0-10%	95.61%
Trinity School At Greenlawn / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.66%
New Vision Christian Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Yeshiva of South Bend / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.95%
South Bend Jr Academy School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Community Baptist Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	94.94%
Granger Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.10%
Michiana Christian Academy, Inc. / Independent Non-Public Schools	50%-60%	10%-20%	10%-20%	94.36%
Grace Christian Academy Inc / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Lafayette Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.68%
T. C. Harris School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.55%
Faith Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	92.81%
Evansville Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.28%
Evansville Christian Sch Newburgh / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.22%
Evansville Day School / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Holy Cross School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	100.00%
Community Christian School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	97.14%
Kingdom Academy of Bluffton Inc / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.03%
T.R.O.Y. Center / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Al Haqq Foundation Academy / Independent Non-Public Schools	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable	Data Unavailable
Israel School of Excellence / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	87.33%
International Leadership Schools / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	96.55%
Alyssum Montessori School / Independent Non-Public Schools	0-10%	90%+	0-10%	95.97%

In-person? Virtual? Look up how your Indiana school taught in 2020-21

Source: Indiana Department of Education Notes: Because Indiana allows each district to set rules for measuring attendance during remote learning, it’s not clear what districts required during virtual and hybrid learning.

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.”

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.

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.

If you are having trouble viewing this form on mobile, go here.

To mask or not? Some Indiana schools say no while others aren’t sure yet

2021-06-30T17:02:19+00:00

As decisions on COVID restrictions fall to local Indiana school boards this week, many have elected to stop requiring masks, while others are waiting for more public health guidance.

Gov. Eric Holcomb’s school mask mandate is set to expire Thursday, releasing schools from state and national restrictions, except for a federal transportation rule that will still require face masks on school buses.

Districts including Westfield Washington, Center Grove, Hamilton Southeastern, and Brownsburg schools have declared mask-optional policies. Others, including Carmel Clay and Wayne Township, said masks will only be optional for vaccinated people — though they did not explain how they would enforce this policy.

Many other districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools and Evansville Vanderburgh Schools, haven’t released a decision on masks. All the school reopening plans could change if public health guidance shifts.

Several districts with mask-optional policies are in counties with high vaccination rates — in Hamilton County, which contains Westfield, Hamilton Southeastern, and Carmel schools, the rate is nearly 68%. But Prairie Heights Community Schools, a rural district in northern LaGrange County, which has the lowest vaccination rate in the state at less than 23%, also has decided against requiring masks this fall.

Dr. Virginia Caine, director of Marion County’s public health department, said she’s concerned about students returning to school without masks, especially because most K-6 students are ineligible for a COVID vaccine.

“They may get infections where they can be asymptomatic, have no symptoms, and unknowingly be able to spread that infection — not only to other kids in the classroom, but maybe to some family members, grandparents, that may be at really high risk for life-threatening complications,” Caine said.

But Caine said this risk must be balanced with the harmful effects of extending mask mandates for more than a year. Masks are uncomfortable for children, she said, and can disrupt their learning.

Caine said her department will release guidance for schools in the next few weeks, which will be determined in part by the spread of the delta COVID variant. The delta variant, estimated to be 60% more transmissible than the original strain of coronavirus, has prompted some health experts to caution schools against loosening restrictions. As of Monday, 154 cases of the delta variant had been identified in Indiana.

The CDC and the state have provided some guidelines for a safe return to classrooms, but haven’t always spelled out how schools should implement them.

For example, state guidance recommends all unvaccinated students, including those under age 12 who are not yet eligible for any vaccine, continue wearing masks inside. But how do you enforce masking for a select group of students, without knowing — or being able to ask — who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t?

“In terms of enforcing something like that, that would not be something we would be doing,” said Jason Woebkenberg, spokesperson for Evansville Schools. “We don’t ask who has not been vaccinated.”

Despite this, rumors of plans to segregate students based on vaccination status resulted in a protest before an Evansville school board meeting last week, where dozens gathered outside, toting signs that read, “No masks, no vax, or no re-election.”

Evansville, Indiana’s third-largest school district, hasn’t decided what its fall mask policy will be. But Woebkenberg said pressure from some community members won’t play into the district’s decision.

“While we did have a somewhat small group of protesters, certainly that’s not something that’s going to sway us,” Woebkenberg said. “All of our decisions will be made on expert level guidance.”

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.

Counseling helps students cope with pandemic trauma at Indianapolis summer program

2021-06-21T20:23:33+00:00

“Have you ever felt out of control at school?” counseling intern Chloe Wilkerson asked a classroom full of restless fifth graders in Indianapolis last week.

Five students slowly raised their hands.

“Everyone has,” Wilkerson said, encouraging the rest of the dozen students to join in as she held her own hand up.

She advanced to the next slide in her presentation, a cartoon about the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The brain reacts to stress and anger, she explained — and through techniques like coping mechanisms, you can control how you respond.

Counseling intern Chloe Wilkerson presents a group counseling lecture about coping mechanisms at Horizons summer program in Indianapolis on June 17. Wilkerson talked about how the brain manages stress, and how coping mechanisms can help students control how they react.

Wilkerson was leading one of the group counseling sessions provided weekly at Horizons at St. Richard’s Episcopal School, a summer program for students from low-income backgrounds that teaches breathing exercises and yoga along with math and reading. Families pay $25 for each prekindergarten through eighth grade student to attend for 5½ weeks.

Horizons aims to address disparities in learning for low-income students, mixing academics with fun activities like swimming and trips to the Children’s Museum. Horizons’ counselors also help students learn more effectively by addressing behavioral problems and encouraging social and emotional development for its 150 students, many of whom have experienced high levels of trauma.

After more than a year of school upended by the pandemic, program leaders say the counseling program is even more important this summer.

Horizons counseling supervisor Jen Money-Brady said during the pandemic, she saw many students deploy coping skills they had learned previously at Horizons, such as recognizing when they need a break rather than getting angry.

But the pandemic so devastated low-income communities and families of color, who faced higher rates of job loss, food insecurity, sickness, and death, that small coping mechanisms can’t solve all the fallout for children. Money-Brady is concerned about the long-term effects of collective pandemic trauma on students.

“It’s not normal to lose this many people close to us, or to have so many people be sick and be worried about that,” Money-Brady said. “When I talk with students, there’s almost a numbness with knowing that someone has COVID and so many deaths that have come from it.”

Yoshida Williams-Bolds, who leads counseling for Horizons middle schoolers, said she’s concerned about COVID’s impact on students’ mental health. She said the prolonged period without the structure of school prevented many students from socializing and dealing with rules, both experiences important for their development.

Yoshida Williams-Bolds, who leads counseling for middle schoolers at Horizons, a summer program in Indianapolis, poses for a photo. Williams-Bolds said, “There’s a need for kids to see someone — especially in a program like, this dealing with inner city kids — to see someone of color, making good choices, modeling good behavior.”

While it’s difficult to determine how the pandemic affected each student, Williams-Bolds said behavior has worsened across the board. Many students had trouble adjusting to the structure of Horizons during the first week of camp, talking over teachers, running in the halls, and getting tired early in the day.

“I know that’s definitely the aftermath,” she said. “Yesterday I had a couple of students that were caught running, and I had to intervene and discipline.”

Horizons teachers and counselors often turn to small-group instruction to tackle misbehavior. Last week, one teacher struggled to capture the attention of five students, as they poked an electrical socket and laid their heads on the table rather than reading the next chapter of their books.

Williams-Bolds said in the first week, she and other counselors observed students and flagged those who would need additional one-on-one attention from teachers and counselors. As the program continues, she hopes to build a rapport with students who initially resented her for disciplining them.

In addition to addressing behavioral problems, counselors at Horizons this summer will focus on helping students deal with the emotional fallout from months of isolation, touching on topics like friendship, anger management, and loneliness. The counseling will come in multiple forms, sometimes in a class lecture, other times in small-group settings.

As part of her learning plan, one student took a break from class to sit in an armchair in the hallway, reading “James and the Giant Peach” with a counseling intern. The student has one-on-one time built into her personal schedule to allow her to build a relationship with counselors and focus without the distraction of classmates.

Anye Watson, a 14-year-old with heart-shaped sunglasses and armfuls of bracelets, has attended the Horizons program since first grade. In that time, she has learned math, reading, swimming, yoga, breathing exercises, and the mindset that it’s OK to have struggles — “you know, everybody has problems,” she said. She plans to return next summer as a Horizons intern, assisting teachers and helping students learn to swim.

Anye said she often uses coping techniques she learned at Horizons, including breathing exercises, yoga, and standing during class if she feels sleepy. She said she’s glad the program teaches coping mechanisms to every student.

“You never know what’s going on in somebody’s life,” Anye said. “Teaching them those coping mechanisms, without actually even knowing what they’re going through, that helps them.”

Tutoring, tech support, therapy: How parents want IPS to spend millions in COVID aid

2021-06-16T21:03:10+00:00

Last year, Ann Brown’s daughter struggled through seventh grade at Indianapolis Public Schools. Dealing with a health impairment, she had trouble adapting to virtual classes and keeping up with schoolwork.

“She’s lost a year in math, and it needs to be recovered,” Brown said.

On Tuesday, Brown attended an IPS town hall to tell leaders how she thinks they should spend the third round of federal COVID relief funding: Provide individualized before- and after-school tutoring to address last year’s gaps in instruction.

Brown is one of many parents and community members who IPS officials hope to hear from this week at virtual and in-person town halls and through an online form. The district was allocated almost $136 million in the latest round of federal aid for schools, and must take public comment before spending it.

IPS officials plan to look for trends from this week’s feedback. The school board will discuss how to use the relief funds at meetings next week. IPS must submit an application to the state outlining its spending plan by June 25.

Fewer than 10 parents and teachers attended Tuesday evening’s town hall at Arlington Middle School, but they generated dozens of ideas.

Attendees pushed for accelerating learning and supporting mental health. Some, including Brown, emphasized the need for tutoring services, and others suggested hiring instructional assistants to provide more one-on-one help in each classroom. Almost universally, participants asked for more funding to support mental health.

“These kids need mental health services,” Brown said. “My daughter had to start therapy.”

Jasmine Burditt, senior director of policy and partnerships at local education advocacy group RISE Indy, agreed.

“I think mental health is really important for students right now, especially after COVID,” Burditt said.

Jasmine Burditt, right, of RISE Indy, an Indianapolis education advocacy group, participates in brainstorming how Indianapolis Public Schools should spend the latest round of federal stimulus funding. Burditt said investing in students now will help them in the future.

After a year of technical difficulties, many people wanted more instruction on how to use the Chromebooks IPS purchased early in the pandemic. Attendees suggested training for parents on how to use the devices and to navigate the software so they could help kids troubleshoot. They also wanted more charging stations in classrooms and extra devices in case a student forgets theirs at home.

Some suggested mentorship programs for students transitioning into new schools. Attendees worried about students who started middle or high school virtually and didn’t have a chance to adapt to the new environment last year.

Many also mentioned relief for overworked teachers. Some suggested the district purchase school supplies that teachers typically buy out of pocket, and that it provide free therapy. Unlike many other districts, IPS didn’t provide teachers bonuses last year — and attendees wanted the district to tap into federal aid to boost teacher pay.

Some suggested awarding bonuses to students for high attendance and to parents who took on teaching responsibilities last school year.

Overall, IPS has received nearly $213 million in federal relief funding for K-12 schools, which comes out to almost $9,300 per student. As a comparison, that’s more than what IPS expects to receive per student in state funding next school year.

But the money comes with a catch: The district must spend each grant by a deadline, so the infusions can’t fix long-term financial problems. IPS must use its most recent award of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds by Sept. 30, 2024.

“ESSER is not the solution to our long-term financial sustainability,” said Weston Young, the district’s chief financial officer.

With this in mind, Young encouraged attendees to brainstorm short-term purchases with long-term impact. He suggested options like providing virtual therapy services to students or purchasing reusable classroom supplies.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson of Indianapolis Public Schools speaks at a Tuesday town hall in the Arlington Middle School cafeteria. Johnson spoke about the latest round of federal COVID relief, which IPS has three years to spend.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said a portion of the funding will probably go toward purchasing new curriculum and updating buildings to improve air ventilation. The federal government requires that at least 20% of the latest round of aid address learning loss. Johnson said IPS might exceed that proportion.

While she wants to avoid hiring too many people knowing the funding will run out in three years, Johnson said the importance of accelerating learning now could mean IPS will invest in temporary hires or programs.

“We’re trying to think about this in terms of what we do now to improve in the future,” Johnson said.

Registration is still open for the last town hall, planned for 6 p.m. Thursday at George Washington High School.

This Indiana educator finds inspiration on TikTok and teaches skills that can’t be measured on tests

2021-06-16T15:36:05+00:00

In the spring of 2020, when schools closed due to the pandemic, Indiana teacher Kelsey Pavelka heard from families that their students were struggling — not just with classwork but from the mental toll of isolation.

Inspired by an idea from TikTok, Pavelka constructed a plastic barrier at her front door with sleeves on either side so she could hug her second grade dual-language students.

“I had super strong relationships with those families, and we’d just been through a lot together over the years,” said Pavelka, who teaches at West View Elementary in Muncie. “When I saw it on TikTok, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I think this is a safe way I could do something crazy, and the kids would love it.’”

Pavelka created the hug station because she believes that most important lessons and interactions with students aren’t governed by state standards, and they aren’t skills a test can measure. She recently spoke with Chalkbeat about how her classroom changed during COVID, how she addressed the Black Lives Matter protests with her students, and what she hopes education will look like after the pandemic.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

There wasn’t a moment for me. I didn’t major in education during my undergrad. But after college, I heard about Teach for America and I fell in love with their mission. It was during my Summer Institute as a TFA Corps Member in Las Vegas that I discovered my love of teaching. I got so much joy from being able to break down complex skills and ideas into digestible chunks for our youngest of learners.

What does a typical day look like for you now?

Our dual-language program’s goal is to have 50% of the class be native English speakers and 50% native Spanish speakers. We start in kindergarten, and 80% of the day is in Spanish while 20% of the day is in English. We grow one grade-level each year — we’re adding fourth grade in this upcoming year.

Math is a really fun class to teach in Spanish. [Math is] called the universal language: The concepts are all the same; it’s just the vocabulary they need to learn. Honestly, a lot of math vocabulary is what we call cognates — they’re similarly spelled and similarly said to their English counterparts.

The last hour of the day is an important time for me to teach concepts in English like phonics or sight words. I also use this time to help students make connections between Spanish and English so that they begin to understand how the two languages do not compete for space in their brains. Instead, they work together to create deeper connections for them.

What challenges do you face teaching dual language in first and second grades during this year?

Our dual-language immersion classrooms are so collaborative that the biggest challenge has been finding new ways for students to work together without being physically close to each other.

I had been hopeful I would be able to keep table groups in a safe way, perhaps through plastic dividers, so students could still work together. But we couldn’t do that — all their desks had to be six feet apart. Every routine and procedure that I had for my classroom had to change, even passing out pencils. Six feet is a lot of feet for little hands.

We used WebEx and Zoom, where I would teach them from my desk while they were at their desks on the video call. And then they would use that to connect with each other from their own seats.

My ability to adapt and change plans at a moment’s notice were pushed and stretched in so many ways every single day this year.

How have you approached recent news events in your classroom?

One of the pillars of the dual-language immersion program is sociocultural competence. This allows us space to talk to students about diversity, equity, inclusion, and how those things relate to their experience as emergent bilingual students.

A lot of my second grade students had gone to the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. My role in that conversation is as a facilitator: helping them understand why people hold signs and walk in the streets, what is a protest, or why have people protested in the past? It’s giving them the context for things they hear adults talking about.

Do you think education will look different after the pandemic? If so, how?

My first hope is that communities and governing bodies will acknowledge that schools are community hubs that meet far more needs than just providing students a quality education. As such community hubs, schools should be funded to reflect the invaluable asset they are to our communities.

My second hope is that we can go back to using technology as a resource and not as the primary method for delivering instruction. There’s no question that technology has given us so many opportunities to teach students who we cannot see in person during the pandemic. But I worry that decision-makers who are not in the classroom might use this moment to overcorrect and rely too heavily on technology to teach students.

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

I think the biggest community change that has impacted my school and my students have been the closing of major factories in our town and the lack of jobs that pay a livable wage. This gap leaves families in a cycle of poverty, and oftentimes trauma, that students carry with them into our classrooms.

Our district and our teachers dedicate hours each week to teaching social-emotional skills to address these behavioral gaps so that students know and feel that they are in a safe space at school. There are no “state standards” for that, but these are skills that teachers have to teach long before students are ready to invest their energy into the math and literature lessons the teacher has planned for them.

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

I watched the Dartmouth graduation speech that Shonda Rhimes gave in 2014 over 20 times. She gave it the same year I graduated from undergrad, and it has shaped the way I view my life.

In it, she says, “Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I am failing in another area of my life. … That is the tradeoff.”

I feel the exact same way about teaching. There are so many expectations placed on teachers, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly dropping the ball on something. I have to remind myself that it is normal to focus my energy on certain areas, even when that means I’m letting other areas fall to the wayside for a bit. It’s part of the tradeoff. I don’t let myself feel guilty about it.

You have a busy job, and this is a stressful time. How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I have an amazing wife who keeps me grounded and helps me regain my focus when I get overwhelmed. We love to travel with our three kids, hang out with our friends, and I listen to a lot of podcasts!

Right now, I’m listening to “Undisclosed,” a podcast by Rabia Chaudry. They’re a group of attorneys and each season is a case of wrongful conviction. They go through all of the evidence, and I absolutely love it. In my other life, I would be an attorney.

3 things to watch with Indiana’s 2021 ILEARN scores

2021-06-16T00:06:39+00:00

After a tumultuous year, Indiana school leaders are reviewing very low state test scores that largely show what they already knew about the pandemic’s effects on learning.

And, for the third year in a row, the test scores don’t count.

So why do this year’s ILEARN results matter?

“This is probably the most important time in the past few decades where we really need to pay attention to student data,” said Tommy Reddicks, CEO of the Paramount charter school network. “While it doesn’t give us a perfect picture, it’s certainly a very telling picture.”

As school officials review results ahead of the public release of ILEARN scores next month, several Indianapolis educators say the results offer a critical snapshot of student learning — and will help gauge students’ recovery from the pandemic in the years to come.

Here are three things to watch with Indiana’s 2021 ILEARN results.

Expect scores to be very low.

It’s not yet clear how far passing rates have fallen, though state officials acknowledged declines in English and more significant ones in math.

That paints a bleak picture considering the unexpectedly low scores in 2019, the last time ILEARN was administered. About 37% of students in grades 3-8 passed both the English and math sections of the test that year, which many attributed to the new test format and tougher standards.

“Our parents will be very concerned when they see the district-level scores because of how much lower they are than what they were two years ago,” said Perry Township Superintendent Pat Mapes.

Despite some concerns about students taking the standardized test during such a difficult year, Indiana’s legislative leaders supported giving ILEARN to get a look at where students stand.

Many school leaders expected the declines, which mirror what they’ve seen in measuring student progress throughout the year. And they stressed that the low scores reflect the instability that the pandemic wrought on the school year.

“That will be an asterisk that needs to be beside the 2021 results forever,” said Mapes, who also serves as a member of the State Board of Education.

He expects that it will likely take two more years to get students caught up on missed lessons.

How will remote students stack up against their in-person peers?

School leaders are particularly interested in examining any trends among students who learned virtually compared with those who returned in person.

“There’s a considerable drop based on the number of days kids were in school,” Mapes said.

Compared with students in grades 3-5, who were mostly allowed to come back to classrooms five days a week, Perry Township saw a significant dip in scores among students in grades 6-8. The older students spent much of the year on a hybrid schedule, only coming in twice a week and working online three days a week.

That’s part of the reason why Perry Township decided not to offer an all-remote option again next school year.

For Reddicks at Paramount, tracking these trends could both help current students and improve the quality of future virtual instruction. Spurred by the pandemic, Paramount is launching its own virtual school, which will be one of two all-virtual options for Indianapolis Public Schools students next year.

“Anything we can do to identify a trend to help steer our measures going into the next school year is going to be positive for us,” Reddicks said.

Building math skills was the toughest piece of the equation.

In math, concepts build on each other — it’s hard to understand multiplication, for example, without a grasp of addition. But students have missed large chunks of learning, starting from when schools unexpectedly shut down in the spring of 2020. Throughout this school year, health officials periodically restricted in-person learning, and many students faced weeks of quarantines.

“It was like building a house on quicksand,” said Eddie Rangel, executive director of Adelante Schools, which runs Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School.

Rangel and other school administrators are reviewing each student’s scores to try to gain more insights into which concepts they missed and how teachers need to adjust instruction next year to help them catch up.

“These serve as the brutal truths of where our students are in terms of academic performance,” Rangel said.

COVID vaccine hesitancy among Black and Latino students concerns Indianapolis officials

2021-06-14T22:21:54+00:00

After more than a year of the pandemic, Ebony Lee’s 14-year-old twins are itching to travel and go to the movies. On Saturday, they took a step toward being able to do so safely: They got their first COVID vaccine at a pop-up clinic at an Indianapolis high school concession stand.

But Lee, who teaches freshman English at Shortridge High School, worries her kids are in the minority — most of her students told her they don’t plan to get vaccinated.

“A lot of parents aren’t going to get the vaccine. I think the children are following suit,” Lee said. “It’s just not being educated, not trusting the medical system.”

Last fall, more than three-quarters of Shortridge students were Black or Latino. Lee said historic medical mistreatment of these communities has eroded trust in the COVID vaccine. Some students even make fun of people for getting the shot.

Marion County officials hope to ramp up vaccinations among 12- to 18-year-olds before the start of the school year to enable relaxed masking and social distancing restrictions. But lower vaccination rates among Black and Latino students pose a large concern.

Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, said vaccine hesitancy worries her, especially because COVID vaccination rates for Black and Latino residents trail behind those of white residents — 10 and 16 percentage points lower, respectively, according to county data. The rate for Asian residents is also low.

“We have low rates of vaccination in the African American community,” Caine said. “I’m very concerned about that.”

Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, speaks to television reporters at a vaccination clinic at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis. Caine told the cameras, “come on out and get vaccinated so we can have a wonderful July 4 weekend.”

As of Friday, just under 8% of 12- to 15-year-olds and 24% of 16- to 19-year-olds in the county were fully vaccinated, according to the county.

The proportion of vaccinated 12- to 18-year-olds will largely determine public health guidance for schools this fall, which Caine plans to release in late July. Caine said potential spread of the more contagious delta COVID variant will also play a role.

It’s unclear how many will need to be vaccinated to relax masking and social distancing restrictions in schools, but Caine has set a goal of 50% of all residents being vaccinated before completely removing COVID restrictions in the county.

By providing conveniently located, free pop-up clinics at schools, health officials hope to attract more students to get vaccinated. But while the Saturday clinic at Arsenal Technical High School targeted 12- to 17-year-olds, only about a third of the estimated 100 people who signed up belonged to that age group.

“I was expecting more,” said Madison Weintraut, the nurse epidemiologist in charge of the clinic. “But that’s fine — we celebrate any vaccines in arms we can get.”

The vaccination rate for 12- to 15-year-olds is the lowest of all age groups because they became eligible for one out of three vaccines just over a month ago. Despite the low turnout at Saturday’s clinic, Caine said the number of kids who have gotten shots so far tracks with what she expected, and she’s confident those numbers will rise in the coming weeks.

Aleida Lopez brought her 15-year-old son Diego Hughes, a rising sophomore attending Shortridge this fall, to the clinic Saturday. While Hughes didn’t feel strongly about getting the vaccine, his mom wanted him to, hoping it would help him regain a more social school experience.

“It’ll be good for them to have that interaction, because they need that in school,” Lopez said. “Being far away, you can’t talk or make friends.”

Lopez said she has seen vaccine hesitancy among her friends and family. Whenever it comes up in conversation, she explains why the vaccine is important and safe.

“People are just ignorant and skeptical about vaccines,” Lopez said. “Especially the Hispanic community, they are really skeptical.”

Lopez said she pushed her family members to get vaccinated, setting up all their vaccination appointments and texting them locations so they knew where to go.

Daraly Perea, 13, said she feels safer after getting vaccinated at the clinic. Last year, a lot of students at her school, James Whitcomb Riley School 43, didn’t wear masks nor stay 6 feet apart, and she often worried about getting sick. She hopes guidelines will relax this fall so she can play volleyball without social distancing.

“I haven’t seen my friends in a long time,” Perea said. “I miss spending time with them and spending time playing.”

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.”

Early ILEARN results show expected academic declines from the pandemic

2021-05-21T16:02:13+00:00

Early standardized test results from this spring are in — and they’re showing anticipated dips in English and more significantly in math, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

“Considering the educational disruptions brought on by the pandemic, for many, this was expected and now confirmed,” Indiana education secretary Katie Jenner wrote in an update Friday to educators.

She added: “We know that the pandemic had widespread implications on schools and corporations across our state, and in order to move forward, we’ll need to narrow our focus to the individual student level.”

Jenner did not say specifically how much scores had declined.

This spring’s ILEARN results for grades 3-8 will be finalized and published in July.

Because of state action earlier this year and federal waivers approved this week, however, poor results won’t affect accountability measurements such as school A-F grades, teacher evaluations, or identifying low-performing schools for intervention.

While other states unsuccessfully sought to skip testing altogether this year, Indiana officials wanted to gauge student progress during the pandemic. Jenner encouraged schools to use the information to plan how they can best support learning, emphasizing that it will likely take several years to recover from the pandemic’s effects.

The academic declines mirror what districts such as Indianapolis Public Schools have seen in informal assessments throughout the year.

Despite some concerns over administering the tests, Indiana saw 97% participation rates on both the English and math sections of ILEARN, Jenner said. The state had sought a federal waiver in case participation rates dropped below the required 95%.

Indiana financial aid applications dip, pointing to fewer students heading to college

2021-05-17T14:20:32+00:00

In a typical year, Indianapolis school counselor Karen Matthews spends lunch breaks bribing high school seniors with free baked potatoes or nachos to come to her office and fill out college financial aid forms.

Matthews, who works at Beech Grove High School, said these “working lunches” have been her most successful tactic for encouraging completion of the federal aid application, which intimidates many of her students. The form requires answering over 100 questions and providing multiple records, including Social Security numbers, tax returns, and records of untaxed income.

“If we can just get them started, they realize it’s not that bad and they’ll usually finish it,” Matthews said.

Because of virtual learning and social distancing restrictions, Matthews had to pause her working lunches and other initiatives for 2½ semesters. At Beech Grove, only 33.8% of seniors have submitted the financial aid application this year, according to data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Statewide completion rates fell 6% compared with last year, even after the deadline extended from April 15 to Saturday. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is required for students to receive federal and state aid and, often, to qualify for scholarships and aid from colleges and private organizations.

With fewer students applying for financial aid, experts say they expect a correlating decline in college enrollment.

“It’s not just a drop in FAFSA,” Matthews said. “Fewer students applying to college means fewer filing the FAFSA.”

The proportion of college applicants at Beech Grove dropped by nearly 20 percentage points this year, according to data from Matthews.

While some students’ interest in college has waned because the pandemic has devastated finances, college enrollment had been declining in Indiana even before COVID-19.

An April report from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education found college enrollment fell below 60% of high school seniors for the first time since they began collecting data in 2009, with only 59% of Indiana seniors enrolling in higher education in 2019. Data for last year is not available, but almost certainly will reflect a steeper decline, the state agency noted.

Furthermore, the students who most need financial aid are the least likely to apply for it, state education officials noted. Students eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, the aid package for those with the highest financial needs, have lower FAFSA filing rates than the class of 2021 overall.

In Indiana, only two schools, both private, had 100% FAFSA participation as of Wednesday: Park Tudor in Marion County and University High School in Hamilton County, according to data from the commission.

Charlee Beasor of the higher education commission said it’s common for seniors to jump right into the workforce when the economy is strong, because they can find high-paying jobs. That promoted a decline in college enrollment before the pandemic, she said.

Beasor, associate commissioner for communications and outreach, and her colleagues had hoped the pandemic recession might encourage more students to pursue college degrees — but the opposite occurred.

Matthews said every year, fewer students at her school see college in their future, and the pandemic accelerated this trend.

She said fear of student debt scares off many. College tuition at most schools has risen steadily for years, and on top of that, the pandemic recession crippled many families’ finances. In a survey Matthews sent to her students last spring, almost one-third said at least one parent had lost their job due to COVID-19.

“You can see the wheels turning,” Matthews said. “They’re thinking, ‘At this point, is it worth the investment of time and debt when I could join the military?’”

Aside from monetary concerns, Matthews said academic performance and mental health suffered at Beech Grove during over a year of virtual schooling, as students lost the structure of in-person school that had kept them organized. Saddled with lower GPAs, she said more students doubt their ability to get into and succeed at schools.

Matthews said in past years, she and other school counselors often gave seniors the push they needed to apply to college or submit the FAFSA.

“My students need a lot of hand-holding through the college application process,” Matthews said. “Without me having the ability to call their butts down to my office and have this discussion and say, ‘Open up that Chromebook and let’s do this,’ fewer of them are going to do that.”

Flora Jones, postsecondary readiness director at Indianapolis Public Schools, said the pandemic triggered a drop in college planning in her district, too.

“We do believe that the pandemic has been a cause in the drop in FAFSA completion based on the need for many of our scholars to help support their families and contribute to the household income,” Jones said in an email. “It is also apparent that many students are losing interest in attending college at such a high cost with no campus experience due to COVID.”

Student performance at IPS schools has also dropped off, as more than 40% of high school students in the district have failed one or more core class.

Encouraging FAFSA completion was difficult before; the pandemic made it harder.

College Goal Sunday, offering students and parents personal help in filling out the financial aid application, normally took place at 40 locations across the state. This year it went online, and attendance plummeted, said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday.

Without help from experts, the FAFSA fills parents with terror, Wozniak said. “They loathe going through the process, and then afterward they’re like, ‘Oh that wasn’t so bad.’”

Before they get to the FAFSA, students have to want to apply to college, Beasor of the education commission said. It’s important to show them the long-term benefits of more schooling, she said.

“If you have a bachelor’s degree in Indiana compared to just a high school diploma, you’re likely to make $1 million more over your lifetime,” Beasor said. “It’s that message, the ‘Look at the long-term picture,’ over the immediate ability to jump right into the workforce.”

Upcoming federal changes will make the FAFSA easier to fill out, Beasor said. In October 2022, the form will include fewer than 40 questions instead of over 100, and respondents won’t have to retrieve their own IRS tax records anymore — a new system will automatically submit them.

“The most important thing is that it’s going to be a simpler process for students and families,” Beasor said. “Hopefully that’ll help balance out the longer-term impacts.”

Correction: May 17, 2021: A previous version of this story said 40% of IPS high school students had failed more than one core class. Those students had failed one or more core class.

To woo tired teachers, expanded Indianapolis summer schools beef up paychecks

2021-05-10T18:14:09+00:00

With the end of the school year approaching, Indianapolis teacher Katy Aiello considered signing up to work summer school. She quickly decided: “Nope.” After a roller-coaster year of both remote and in-person learning, she’s planning a well-deserved break.

“It’s just extremely difficult for me to see myself doing something other than self care this summer,” said Aiello, who teaches fourth grade. “I need some time to travel, relax, walk away from the computer screen.”

She’s not alone. Fourteen months after the pandemic started, many teachers are facing burnout. But the fatigue comes at a moment when educators are in high demand.

School districts and programs across the country are ramping up summer school programs — many supported at least in part by federal stimulus money — in an attempt to make up for lost instructional time caused by COVID-19. In Marion County, districts are seeing varying interest when looking to staff summer classrooms, and some are making the idea more enticing by raising pay.

The Indy Summer Learning Labs, which will accept up to 7,000 students at 35 sites across the county, are offering teachers a $10,000 stipend for working around 30 hours per week for five weeks.

That’s about $66 an hour — well above the $40 per hour Indianapolis Public Schools teacher Nathan Blevins said he would typically receive for teaching a few of weeks of summer school. He signed up, saying it’s a way to help his family.

“I guess, like everyone, I’m a little tired,” said Blevins, a history teacher at Longfellow Middle School. “But the time we have had in the classroom so far this year has been productive. It actually has kind of reenergized me a bit. When I was feeling my worst was when we were virtual.”

The new Summer Learning Labs were launched by The Mind Trust, in partnership with the United Way of Central Indiana and including school districts such as IPS and Decatur Township. (IPS also runs its own summer school.)

The labs are an extension of the community learning sites the local education nonprofit started last fall to help students with remote learning. But the summer days will be a little different, mixing academics with activities so it feels a little more like camp than school. The program will require 350 teachers, as well as instructional assistants and site facilitators.

“It was important for us to make sure that we are compensating teachers well,” said The Mind Trust’s Senior Director of Talent Sara Marshall, adding that the program will provide curriculum to take the pressure of lesson planning off teachers’ shoulders.

“We know that this year has been a really challenging year,” Marshall said. “We didn’t want this summer to feel like the typical experience.”

Lawrence Township Schools are also offering teachers a competitive rate of $50 an hour — double the district’s typical summer school pay — for its expanded summer program, Jump Start. The program, which will run Monday through Thursday, is free for any interested student. For elementary schoolers, it includes free after care and a day camp on Fridays. For middle schoolers, it includes free transportation.

It’s a big change from a typical summer, when the district would hold summer school at one elementary for a small group of students identified as needing extra help. So far around 4,000 students have already enrolled, said district spokesperson Dana Altemeyer. Recruiting teachers hasn’t been a problem, Altemeyer said, and the district has already hired around 200.

“With the pandemic, we have some students that have some unfinished learning so we need to get them up to speed,” Altemeyer said.

There are also other options for educators looking for a break from the rigor of leading a classroom. Indianapolis teacher Lillian Barkes opted to tutor underserved students in the city through a nonprofit. She said she appreciated the pay IPS offered teachers, but she ultimately was looking for more freedom and flexibility — and a break from lesson planning.

“When you work with kids that live in poverty or come from traumatic backgrounds, the pandemic really heightened that,” she said. “A lot of people didn’t get the help that they need. … I think it’s really starting to show. All of that contributes to the burnout that we are feeling.”

Where do parents stand on COVID-19 vaccines for students? Indiana health officials want to know.

2021-05-06T20:29:39+00:00

In a survey ahead of the next school year, Indiana health officials want to know whether parents intend to have their children receive the COVID-19 vaccine once they’re eligible — or what concerns are stopping them.

With teens ages 16 and over already able to get vaccinated and federal approval expected as early as next week for vaccine use for children ages 12 to 15, vaccination rates among children could affect restrictions in schools this fall, the state’s top health official said.

“My goal would be, if we’ve got the bulk of high school students and junior high students vaccinated, that they hopefully go back to school without having to wear masks,” said Indiana State Health Department Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box. “They definitely don’t have to be quarantined.”

State health officials will use the survey results to tailor messages to parents encouraging vaccination and gauge interest in vaccination clinics at schools, Box said.

The voluntary, anonymous survey will be distributed to families through district, charter, and private schools. Schools, which will get the survey Friday, can choose whether to send it out. Researchers aim to finish collecting data by mid- to late June.

The survey also asks whether parents think indoor extracurriculars for middle- and high-schoolers should be limited to students who have been vaccinated.

Unlike in some other parts of the country, many schools in Indiana reopened for in-person instruction at the beginning of the school year. While schools have reported nearly 47,000 COVID-19 cases among students, teachers, and staff, school leaders and health officials believe those cases stem from activities outside of school and are not widely spreading in classrooms.

Still, positive cases in schools have sidelined many students ordered to quarantine after being exposed to the virus, even though officials say few end up falling ill.

The survey could also offer insights into the needs of different communities, such as in rural, urban, and suburban areas or among people of different races.

“From a public health perspective, it’s helpful to know: Where do we currently stand? How do parents feel? What are the information gaps?” said Nir Menachemi, the lead researcher from the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health.

Elementary-aged children could soon be vaccinated, too, with Pfizer studying the use of its vaccine in younger children and expecting to seek approval for ages 2 to 11 in September.

Vaccinating school-age children could help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community, Menachemi said: “If we don’t vaccinate kids, people who are susceptible and elderly and might have a much higher likelihood of a bad bout with the disease can always get it from a child.”

Indiana’s vaccination rate ranks in the bottom fifth of states, with 28% of the state fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times’ vaccine tracker.

These Indiana schools will get the most money per student in latest stimulus package

2021-05-03T19:18:47+00:00

School leaders at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy are dreaming about offering everything from daily small-group tutoring sessions to safer classrooms next year as they start to address the instruction students missed during the pandemic. And, this time, they have the resources to make it happen.

The Indiana charter school is expected to receive more than $14,000 per student from the country’s third stimulus package — the most of any school in the state.

Schools serving high-poverty students, among the campuses hardest hit by COVID-19, will receive the most per student in federal relief. In Indiana, the top five districts and charter schools expected to get the most money per student — and many others high on that list — are in Gary, where de-industrialization has caused economic decline, population loss, and neglect. For some schools, the federal money could essentially double their typical annual state funding.

For Thea Bowman, a Phalen Leadership Academies school in Gary, the stimulus funds are even more of a boon. The school usually receives around $7,000 per student in state funding. The unprecedented boost in federal money prompted the charter network to solicit ideas for how to spend it from students, teachers, and families.

“It’s a massive influx of funds for our schools and for our [students] and obviously we want to use it to have the biggest impact we can,” said CEO and founder of the Phalen charter network, Earl Martin Phalen. “We’re incredibly excited.”

Nationwide, $130 billion will be directed to K-12 schools under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Indiana will receive $1.8 billion for schools, most of which will be allocated to districts and charters based on a measure of poverty. On average, the package will send $2,500 per student to schools, but around 90 public districts and charter networks in Indiana are expected to receive more.

This comes on the heels of two other federal stimulus packages, which helped districts cover the unexpected costs such as purchasing devices and internet hotspots caused by the sudden switch to remote learning.

Most Indiana schools have not yet finalized their spending plans. There’s more flexibility this round, allowing schools to spend on mental health services, cleaning supplies, summer programs, education technology, and building improvements that reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure. However, at least 20% of the money must be used to address learning loss.

Gary Community Schools, which serves a city with one of the highest poverty rates in the state, is set to receive $9,814 per student. The district will prioritize providing additional enrichment activities and improving facilities, Emergency Manager Paige McNulty said in an email.

Also on the list of priorities are summer programs and restorative justice training for staff in partnership with the Gary Police Department. Final plans will need to be approved by the state, which took control of the district in 2017.

Aspire Charter Academy, which is also in Gary, is set to receive $13,216 per student — $5,000 more per student than it received from the state for 2019-20. The school declined an interview, but said in a statement it would use the money to address “immediate needs,” then focus on supporting staff and implementing programs to address any learning loss.

Phalen said his network’s schools, including Thea Bowman, will prioritize new programming — such as summer school or daily small-group tutoring — improving air quality, purchasing new curriculum, and adding mental health resources for students and families.

Another network school, The James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy in Indianapolis, is also among the biggest beneficiaries in the state, expected to receive $8,971 per student. Phalen said that could help support the school’s free workforce development program for adults, which launched earlier this year in response to the spike in unemployment caused by the pandemic.

Final decisions won’t be made for 60 to 90 days, as schools continue to gather opinions from their communities. But even with all of the added support, Phalen said it could take years to get students back on track with their learning. He hopes that with this one-time stream of federal cash, schools will prove that they can improve student outcomes when given additional money, bolstering any future demands for more funding.

“What a blessing to have such an infusion of resources,” Phalen said. “To have the ability to do the things we dream of doing with our students and staff.”

View the list of total distribution amounts for each school below or here.

Sam Park contributed to this story.

To take in-person ILEARN tests or not? Indiana remote learners face a tough choice

2021-04-22T21:24:48+00:00

Colleen Wojciechowski was surprised to learn that her youngest child was required to return to Indianapolis Public Schools this week for ILEARN testing.

The middle schooler has been learning from home since the start of the school year. So, when standardized testing season rolled around, Wojciechowski figured there would be a virtual option similar to the remote Advanced Placement tests the College Board offered high schoolers last spring. That wasn’t the case.

Indiana moved forward with the federally mandated standardized exam this week despite dozens of districts pushing to cancel it given this year’s unusual circumstances. The start of testing forced families of remote learners across Indiana, including Wojciechowski, to face a difficult decision: Do they risk their child being exposed to COVID-19 or suffering emotional trauma by returning to school after more than a year of remote learning?

“If AP could figure out how to do it from home, why couldn’t they figure out how to do it from home?” Wojciechowski asked. “We’re not staying home just because we want to bake brownies all day. We are staying home because we are trying to put one less child in the classroom. We are trying to be helpful.”

It’s unclear how many families have opted out of the test, with no statewide data available yet and the testing window open through mid-May. Typically, the number of Indiana students who sit out the test is very low. In 2019-20, the last time tests were administered, 99.6% of students in grades 3-8 took the English and math tests, according to state data.

Normally, the state ties ILEARN results to school and teacher ratings. But Indiana lawmakers are poised to pass a provision to protect schools and teachers from consequences of low scores this year. And the Indiana Department of Education has requested waivers from the federal education department to not penalize districts for having fewer than 95% of students participate in testing — a threshold likely more difficult for schools to reach as students are quarantined, sick, or opted out.

The state expects to hear back this month on its waiver requests, according to IDOE. But testing started anyway — adding to the concerns of parents considering opting out.

“We did weigh it because we care about public education,” said Marc McAleavey, whose children also attend IPS. “We care about the leaders and the administrators and the teachers. We don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the quality of education and resources available.”

The state has no formal process for opting out of ILEARN. McAleavey and his wife ultimately decided their children would not attend school for testing, and emailed their teachers and administrators.

McAleavey was concerned about COVID-19 exposure because his children aren’t old enough to be vaccinated. He also didn’t want his children’s first experience returning to the classroom to be a rigorous test. They’ve already displayed anxiety about leaving the house and going inside public buildings, he said.

“We don’t want our kids to have this negative association with going to school,” McAleavey said. “By requiring these students to come to school to take the test, we are convinced that it will have unnecessary stress and trauma and anxiety for our kids.”

Kristen Morzy, a northwest Indiana parent, also opted her children out of ILEARN, as did many of her friends. She had thought about opting out for years, but said suspending standardized tests last year proved to her that they are “completely unnecessary.”

In response to parent concerns, IDOE spokesperson Holly Lawson said it’s crucial to establish a baseline understanding of what students know, especially in English and math, to help educators analyze the impact of the disruptions in instruction caused by the pandemic.

“While assessment data is one important step in identifying and addressing students’ learning needs, we believe it’s important that schools and students are not penalized,” Lawson said in an email.

So far the state has seen “strong” participation in assessments, Lawson said. Earlier this spring 97% of third graders completed the state standardized literacy test IREAD-3.

Most Indiana school districts have returned to some form of in-person learning, with 93.6% of schools back in classrooms full time and 5.7% running hybrid schedules, according to IDOE. But that doesn’t account for the families within those districts who opted to remain remote, an option that appears especially popular among urban districts.

Fort Wayne Community Schools was among the districts pushing for ILEARN to be cancelled. Nearly a quarter of the district’s elementary students are still fully remote, as are 30% of its middle school students. Schools keep remote students separate from their in-person classmates while testing, said district spokesperson Krista Stockman. At middle schools, hybrid students will switch to virtual learning all week to create more space for social distancing.

Administrators were happy with the turnout on the first day of testing, Stockman said, although one school reported 84% participation — below the typical 95% bar.

Wojciechowski decided to have her IPS middle schooler take the tests. The family had opted to continue with remote learning largely to free up space for social distancing in crowded classrooms for students who needed to return. But her two older children — one in college at Indiana University and one in high school — are both attending classes in person.

Still, the return to school for her youngest child will be daunting. Wojciechowski said she discussed it with her daughter to try to ease her fears. They’re comforted knowing many teachers are already vaccinated.

“We really believe they are going to take every precaution,” she said. “I really want her to see that, with safety things in place, this is as safe as we could be.”

State plans COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Indianapolis high school students

2021-04-21T19:48:20+00:00

Marion County schools will have the opportunity to partner with Indiana to provide free field trips to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next week so students who are 16 and older can receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Indiana State Department of Health is partnering with IMS and Indiana University Health to offer visits for eligible students who have parental consent to receive the Pfizer vaccine. The event is planned for April 30, though health officials are still gauging interest from schools, a spokesperson said.

The effort comes weeks after the state opened vaccinations to ages 16 and up, and months after many Indiana schools reopened for in-person learning. Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for teens as young as 16.

During the required 15- or 30-minute observation period after receiving their shots, students may tour the speedway, according to the event flier.

Pike Township plans to participate in the event, Superintendent Flora Reichanadter said. The biggest challenge will be scheduling buses to transport students, while also transporting virtual learners to schools to take ILEARN tests.

“The more students vaccinated, the better chance of keeping students in the classrooms for the 2021-2022 school year,” Reichanadter said by email. “Our goal is to send as many students as we can.”

The state is still working out how and where vaccinated students will receive their second dose, according to an FAQ provided to schools.

Indianapolis Public Schools is also offering vaccinations to its students. The district has partnered with Walmart to host a clinic at Arsenal Technical High School on May 1. Appointments are available for IPS students, staff, and families from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students under the age of 18 will have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

‘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.

Indiana will leave school mask mandate in place when statewide requirement ends

2021-03-23T23:22:15+00:00

Indiana will continue to require that most teachers, students, and staff wear face coverings in school through the end of the academic year, even after the statewide mask mandate lifts April 6.

Outside of schools, face coverings and social distancing will remain recommended statewide, though not required, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday evening. As the state relaxes its coronavirus restrictions, local governments can still set stricter rules on mask requirements or capacity limits on social gatherings such as high school graduations or proms.

Holcomb also said he expects all Indiana schools to offer full-time in-person instruction at the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“Thankfully, all our teachers have the opportunity to be vaccinated now, and our schools are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for COVID expenses,” Holcomb said.

About 90% of Indiana schools are already operating in person full time, with many others on hybrid schedules, he added.

State education and health officials are working to update health guidance for the next school year.

Indiana will open vaccinations March 31 to everyone 16 and older. Teachers in Indiana have been eligible for the vaccine since early March through a federal directive.

Indiana schools will get nearly $2 billion more in federal stimulus funding. Tell us how your district should spend its share.

2021-03-23T20:38:22+00:00

Indiana schools will receive nearly $2 billion through the third round of federal pandemic stimulus funding, and most of that will go directly to districts and charter networks.

School leaders will have a lot of flexibility to determine how to spend the money, though the federal government has said they must use at least 20% to address learning gaps that have developed during the pandemic.

How would you like to see your district or charter school spend the money? What priorities should school leaders keep in mind? Tell us in the survey below.

If you are having trouble viewing this form on mobile, go here.

At these Indianapolis schools, nurses help catch academic problems

2021-03-19T22:04:39+00:00

Each month, a small team at St. Monica Catholic School gathers to compare notes on the school’s 390 students. The staff members talk not only about which students are struggling in class but also about which are visiting the nurse — and what patterns might emerge.

The 1½ -hour meeting is a simple strategy. Including the school nurse on the academic tracking team pays real dividends, Principal Eric Schommer said. Nothing falls through the cracks.

A nurse, for example, may notice that a student consistently visits with a stomachache during math class. Talk to the student, and it may turn out the problem is actually with understanding math, and the school should address it with tutoring or homework help.

“Sometimes the grades don’t demonstrate that the student is struggling,” Schommer added.

School nurses are getting renewed attention and heavier workloads during the coronavirus pandemic. But they also can play a crucial role in supporting students academically, by providing health care that improves children’s ability to learn and by collecting data to help identify students who are likely to fall behind.

It’s a valuable moment for schools to think about providing student health care, advocates say. Students are grappling with the trauma of the coronavirus. And schools have a rare opportunity to invest in health services because of the surge of federal funding they are receiving.

Last year, St. Monica started working with the Paramount Health Data Project, which is trying to bring a similar approach to more Indiana schools. The Indianapolis nonprofit is currently partnering with eight schools to increase the role of nurses in academics by helping them collect and analyze data on student health.

When students visit, the nurse collects information on the health concern that brought them to the office. The data project then combines that information with student test scores to come up with reports that help each school anticipate possible lower academic achievement based on health data, said Addie Angelov, executive director of the project.

“This is a unique piece of data that would give Indiana schools an edge in making up those learning losses that we know everyone is navigating,” Angelov said.

Because the approach ties health care to academic results, schools that are using the program can pay for nurses by tapping federal funding for educating students in poverty, Angelov said.

The idea for the project began about seven years ago at the Paramount School of Excellence, an Indianapolis charter network that has been piloting the program.

Through a partnership with a local hospital, Paramount leader Tommy Reddicks reaped a trove of health data on students. When he combined that data with the school’s academic reports, he saw that certain health problems that are common among children in poverty, such as persistent headaches or skin conditions, correlated with lower academic performance, he said.

That suggested conditions in a student’s home, such as poor air quality or mold, could affect academics, Reddicks said.

Now Paramount works with Angelov and the data project to produce reports on student health and academic outcomes at the network’s three schools. By using nurse visits, the schools identify hundreds of students each year for academic help, Reddicks said.

One benefit of the approach is that it is fast. Because Paramount typically looks at test results over time to identify students who need support, it can take several months to catch problems. With health data, the school can spot students who might need help sooner.

The schools might be sweeping in some students who would have been fine academically, Reddicks acknowledged, but because the interventions are a relatively light lift, he doesn’t think they have a downside.

Now Reddicks is pitching the strategy to other educators.

“We need to tell principals, not only is this the best thing for kids, but this will raise test scores,” Reddicks said. “This will help you change your culture. This involves another active member in your academic team.”

It’s hard to get a clear picture of the number of nurses in Indiana schools. More than 400 Indiana districts and charter schools reported employing 1,165 nurses last school year. That data might miss some: The state doesn’t always include schools that contract with hospitals or health networks to hire and train their nurses.

The appropriate number of students per nurse also depends on the specific needs of each school. Although it’s a relatively small school, St. Monica has had a full-time nurse for at least a decade. It’s a crucial service because many of their students come from low-income or immigrant families and lack access to regular medical care, Schommer said.

Improving health care for children has long-term benefits, said Claire Fiddian-Green, the president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, an Indianapolis philanthropy that funds health and education initiatives. (The Fairbanks Foundation also supports Chalkbeat. Learn more about our funding here.)

“There’s a lot of data to show that education and health are intrinsically linked,” Fiddian-Green said. “Health affects the ability to succeed in school. And then, in turn, education outcomes affect future health outcomes.”

How Indiana schools are preparing to give ILEARN during a pandemic

2021-03-17T21:35:47+00:00

A few weeks after Enlace Academy middle schoolers are expected to return to classrooms in person for the first time in more than a year, they will begin taking state standardized tests.

Students will be used to it — even when learning remotely, they have been coming in person for assessments this year.

Those who remain remote can take tests in a small group setting, in the evening, or even on the weekend.

Indiana requires schools to give the state’s standardized test for students in grades three through eight in person this April and May. Indiana is likely to suspend consequences for schools, but dozens of districts still have pushed for the state to cancel ILEARN this year. Indiana education leaders, however, are committed to giving the exams, which are federally required.

Administering the exam during a pandemic will pose new logistical obstacles for schools, such as providing transportation and testing supervision for remote students.

Indiana is in a better position than are many other states. Nearly all schools are offering in-person classes, with 90% operating in person full time, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

But even schools that are open in person may struggle to get students to take tests. Some students will miss the exam because they are out of school due to quarantine or illness. And families who opted for their children to study remotely may feel unsafe sending them for in-person testing.

The federal government typically requires that 95% of students take the state test. A spokeswoman for Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said the state is seeking a waiver from that requirement.

Enlace has had early success getting students to participate in tests in person, said Kevin Kubacki, executive director for the Neighborhood Charter Network, which runs the school.

The charter school educates 600 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. All students in sixth through eighth grades have been remote since the start of the school year, and about a quarter of elementary school students are currently learning online by choice.

When the school tested English language learners, about 98% took the exam, Kubacki said.

The school offers flexible testing options, such as letting students come in on weekends, to make families safe, he said.

“We pair it with very strong communication to the families around the importance of why we’re doing the assessments,” Kubacki said. “We need to be able to gather data on students to be able to identify what are their needs.”

Holly Lawson, a spokeswoman with the Indiana Department of Education, said the required third-grade reading test, which is currently being administered, has had high completion rates. During the first week, about 80% of students completed the test, above the rate at that time last year, Lawson said.

“Looking ahead, we’re confident we’ll see strong completion rates with other spring assessments as well, including ILEARN,” Lawson said.

Some schools anticipate, however, that even getting students who are enrolled in person to take the test could be a challenge.

Many of those students have missed weeks of school because they had the coronavirus or had to quarantine after being exposed to someone who had it.

That’s a particular worry for Stephanie Hofer, assistant superintendent of Decatur Township schools, a 6,800-student district in Indianapolis. Hofer expects the same quarantining that disrupted the school year could stymie efforts to test all of the district’s students.

“If they’re done quarantining and the assessment window is still open, we still will do our very best to get them in,” Hofer said. “But that is absolutely a concern that we have not had to worry about before.”

For many educators, the burdens of testing are not worth it.

Dozens of Indiana districts, including groups in Marion County and northeast Indiana, have called for the state to suspend standardized tests because of the coronavirus.

Many educators were already frustrated by the ILEARN exams. Students don’t face consequences if they don’t pass. But the test results are supposed to be a large chunk of the formula used to judge the quality of elementary and middle schools on the state’s A-F grading system. They are also used for teacher evaluations.

Gov. Eric Holcomb and lawmakers from both chambers have said they support suspending the consequences tied to low test results, the latest in a series of measures to hold schools harmless from drops in scores over the last five years.

That will assuage the fears of some educators. But others say that in a year when many students missed out on months of in-person schooling, tests will waste valuable time that could be used for instruction.

Because of the pandemic, the test results simply won’t be comparable to other years, said Krista Stockman, a spokeswoman for Fort Wayne schools.

Fort Wayne was one of 39 northeast Indiana school systems that recently sent a letter to Indiana leaders, asking for the state to skip ILEARN this year and instead use results from other assessments schools already give during the year.

“We’re not asking for the state to drop standardized testing,” Stockman said. “We’re not saying that there’s not a place for standardized testing. But this year, we think there’s other ways that you can get pretty good data and not go through ILEARN.”

The impact of the pandemic varies widely across Indiana. In the Bluffton-Harrison school district, a rural community outside Fort Wayne, the 1,600 students have been in classrooms all school year. Just 47 students are currently enrolled remotely, Superintendent Brad Yates said.

But Yates still believes the state should skip ILEARN because time is so precious, he said. Tally up the hours students spend on the math section of ILEARN, for example, and they miss about five days of math instruction.

Indiana lawmakers shield schools from funding loss due to virtual learning in the pandemic

2021-03-16T22:29:08+00:00

Alleviating a big worry for education leaders, Indiana legislators agreed Tuesday to provide full funding to most public schools for students studying virtually in the pandemic.

The long-expected funding fix, which state political leaders widely supported, now heads to the governor’s desk. The change will shield schools from losing as much as $161 million this spring, based on estimates from the fall.

The state will fund students who attend remotely due to the coronavirus as though they were attending in person under the measure, which applies to schools that traditionally operate in person. Last fall, state officials approved a temporary measure on an emergency basis.

The Senate signed off on the final bill 44 to 4 Tuesday.

“We did what we said we were going to do,” said Sen. Jeff Raatz, an author of the bill. “It shows the General Assembly recognized the difficulties presented by COVID and the extra effort that school districts had to put forth.”

Indiana has long provided virtual schools with less funding per student because those schools are presumed to have lower costs. Since 2019, virtual schools have received 85% of the per-student allotment for in-person instruction.

But that policy ignited an avalanche of worry this year that schools that typically operate in person would precipitously lose funding. Many districts began the school year remotely because of the pandemic, and thousands of families chose virtual options.

Indiana schools receive funding based on enrollment counts in September and February. As of September, about 360,000 Indiana students were enrolled in school virtually because of COVID-19, according to data collected by the Indiana Department of Education.

It’s likely that fewer students are learning remotely this semester because several large school districts that began the year largely online have brought more students in person. Data from the February student count is not yet available. But nearly all Indiana schools now have in-person options and 90% have returned to fully in-person instruction, according to the Department of Education.

After approving a similar stopgap measure last fall, the Indiana State Board of Education left spring funding to lawmakers, who returned to session in January.

The funding increase does not cover students who were already enrolled in online programs before the pandemic, or students who are enrolled in online-only schools.

The change only applies to the 2020-21 school year, despite efforts from some Democratic lawmakers to extend it to next school year.

But virtual funding could be different for all schools next year. Amid the pandemic, online-only schools have seized the opportunity to lobby for increased funding for virtual education going forward. And they have some powerful allies — including Indiana House Republicans, who have proposed full funding for all virtual education.

Indiana teachers and school staff will be eligible for vaccines at any clinic Monday

2021-03-10T22:17:29+00:00

Indiana teachers, school staff, and childcare providers will be eligible for vaccines at any clinic in the state beginning Monday.

At the direction of the White House, the state will allow educators and school staff to get vaccinated at all of the state’s roughly 400 vaccination sites, according to state officials. For the past week, educators were eligible for vaccines, but only at pharmacies partnering with the federal government for vaccines.

Those who will be eligible for vaccines now include teachers, Head Start and Early Start staff, child care providers, classroom aides, bus drivers, janitors, counselors, administrators, cafeteria workers, and substitute teachers. Staff must provide identification at vaccination appointments.

The expansion in eligibility to state sites was required by the federal government, said Gov. Eric Holcomb, who had chosen not to prioritize teachers for the vaccine before the federal intervention.

“We had a plan. We were executing that plan very methodically,” Holcomb said. Expanding eligibility to teachers “will have an impact on getting to that list of folks with comorbidities.”

“We were using data to drive all our decisions about those who are most at risk,” Holcomb said.

The announcement comes a week after Indiana teachers became eligible for vaccines at certain sites that participate in the federal pharmacy program, such as Kroger, Walmart, and Meijer. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden said he wants every teacher, school staffer, and child care worker in the U.S. to get at least one shot in March.

Teachers have lobbied Indiana to give them priority access to vaccines for months to little avail. The state has become an outlier, and at least some teachers are eligible for vaccines in 45 states, including all of Indiana’s neighbors, according to Education Week.

Currently, all Hoosiers 50 years old and older — along with those with certain health conditions that make them vulnerable to complications from the coronavirus — are eligible for the vaccine.

Going forward, the state plans to continue its age-based approach to eligibility. Next, people ages 40 to 50 will be eligible, state officials said.

All Indiana teachers now eligible for COVID vaccines — but only at certain sites

2021-03-03T21:32:25+00:00

Under a new federal directive, Hoosier teachers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines at certain pharmacies, a shift in a state that spent months defending its age-based vaccination plan.

Teachers who are not eligible for vaccines based on age through the state will only be able to get vaccinated at pharmacies in the federal program, including Kroger, Meijer, and Walmart, said Gov. Eric Holcomb at a briefing Wednesday.

Educators should schedule directly with the pharmacies rather than through the state website or phone system. A list of sites is available on the state website.

If a teacher lives in a county without one of those pharmacies, Holcomb said, “you might have to go a county over if you’re a teacher because you are eligible under that federal program.”

Teachers who are not eligible based on the state criteria will not be able to go to other sites, such as hospitals and mass vaccination locations.

Vaccines earmarked for educators are separate from the overall allocation the state receives, said Indiana State Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver.

The announcement comes a day after President Joe Biden said he wants every teacher, school staffer, and child care worker in the U.S. to get at least one shot in March.

The details are still uncertain because Indiana officials first learned of the federal effort at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Holcomb said.

Vaccine eligibility for Indiana’s 79,000 teachers has been controversial for months. As of this week, 34 states, including all of Indiana’s neighbors, are vaccinating at least some teachers, according to Education Week.

“Age is the single biggest factor that contributes to your risk,” said Holcomb. By prioritizing certain professions for vaccines, “you’ll be pushing some out who are more at risk.”

Currently, Hoosiers 50 years old and older — along with those with certain health conditions that make them vulnerable to complications from the coronavirus — are eligible for the vaccine at any of the state’s nearly 400 sites. About 20,000 teachers are currently eligible for vaccines because they meet age criteria, Holcomb said.

The state plans to continue its age-based approach to eligibility, which officials say aims to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. Next, people ages 40 to 50 will be eligible, state officials said. That will make another 18,000 teachers eligible at any location, Holcomb said.

When campuses were closed, this Indiana high school cracked open its doors for a handful of students

2021-02-25T23:39:18+00:00

Before COVID-19 forced his high school to close, Paris King was enthusiastic in algebra class.

Smart and outgoing, he was the kind of student who would vigorously debate whether to use the elimination method or graphing to solve an equation. Once he understood a concept, the ninth grader was quick to help classmates.

He put in extra time, coming to tutoring on Saturdays, said Erica Mellinger, his math teacher at KIPP Indy Legacy High School in Indianapolis.

But when the pandemic forced KIPP to close the campus nearly a year ago, he started to struggle. Watching recorded lessons alone, 14-year-old King stopped turning in some schoolwork. His grades plummeted.

Stuck at home, King was bored, he said. “We didn’t know what to do.”

The coronavirus unexpectedly left thousands of Indiana high schoolers in charge of their own education in a way they had never been before. Schools scrambled to make sure students had computers, internet, and access to lessons at home.

But even if they had those tools, instead of learning alongside others overseen by teachers, teenagers were expected to learn at home in the same environment where they played video games and hung out with family. For some, that version of school proved especially difficult.

Watching previously thriving students like King flounder alarmed leaders at KIPP Indy. Just weeks after schools closed last March, they came up with a plan: They would bring students who were struggling the most back to campus.

It was an exception that needed special permission from the county health department. The students still attended classes virtually — while teachers and classmates logged on from home. About 15 students participated from the school building in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, supervised by staff.

“We can do the very best we can in a remote setting, but it’s impossible to replicate the level of support that we’re able to provide in person for students,” said Andy Seibert, executive director of KIPP Indy, which also runs an elementary school and a middle school. All are part of the KIPP national charter network.

Many school systems have prioritized bringing younger students back in person first, in part because they are less likely to get severely ill or to spread the virus, but also because of concerns that they struggle to learn remotely and parents need child care.

But the first students KIPP Indy decided to bring back were the small group of high schoolers who were rapidly falling behind. Those students simply have fewer years to catch up, Seibert said.

“The stakes are higher for high school students,” he said. “The older students get, the more important it is that they’re making progress and staying on track.”

Over the past year, spikes in COVID-19 cases have pushed Legacy to flip back and forth between fully remote learning and classroom instruction. But for much of that time, King has gone to school in person.

When the school year started, King would go to the Legacy campus, where a small group of students studied in the cafeteria. By January, students had moved to the KIPP elementary and middle school building, where a community center ran a remote learning site for KIPP students in all grades. Each morning, King’s mother dropped him off at the school on her way to work as a manager at a hotel.

On a Thursday in January, King got to campus, sat down at a lunch table, and fell asleep at about 7:45 a.m. Just after 9 a.m., he slipped into the classroom where one other high schooler was sitting with their teacher. He found a spot in an armchair in the corner and quickly signed on to his remote history class.

At the remote learning site, Leeta Robertson, who usually teaches performing arts, oversaw a handful of high schoolers. Rather than teaching subject matter, Robertson helped keep students on track. She could watch their screens on her own laptop. If they were late to a virtual class, she reminded them. And if they had technical problems, she helped.

“It’s the school setting. So your mindset as a teenager is just totally different,” Robertson said.

Before he came back in person, King would try to do schoolwork at home with his older brother. But if he felt like his teachers were overworking him, he would stop, he said. Sometimes, he would just watch his younger cousin play video games.

At the remote learning site, it’s different.

“I’m more focused,” King said. “My game isn’t there to distract me.”

That Thursday, King sat at his laptop in the corner for world history. The teacher pressed students to describe a painting and what it revealed about French society before the revolution.

“Exactly, Paris, that’s going to be important,” said his teacher, as King typed his observations in the chat box.

When Legacy first closed the campus last March, students were supposed to watch prerecorded lessons from teachers. But educators quickly realized students weren’t engaged. This school year, video classes were live, so students could interact with each other and the teacher.

In this virtual class, King was attentive. Even when his phone beeped with an alert, he ignored it and continued typing in the assignment sheet.

That focus in class shows in King’s grades. After plunging last spring, his grade point average is now above 3.5. He seldom misses classes. In person and online, he interacts with teachers and other students, part of what he likes about school.

After history class ended, he stood up and walked around the room to chat with classmates.

“I kind of mess with them so they can wake up,” King said.

Principal David Spencer said King is a leader in class in a way that’s unusual for high schoolers: He makes sure others are participating. When students talk in small groups about class material, King not only answers questions but also helps pull answers out of others.

When COVID-19 first closed the campus, moments like that suddenly disappeared. But bit by bit, the school has been trying to bring them back.

Legacy recently revived a meeting that helped build community and get students excited about school. Before the pandemic, students started each morning by gathering in the cafeteria. School staff would shout out students who did well the day before, chanting and clapping. It generated a “camaraderie and spirit,” recalled Mellinger, the teacher for King’s advisory group, which meets before regular classes.

By late January, Legacy reopened in person, and about 60% of high schoolers returned to campus. Still, it’s impossible to have large assemblies safely in the middle of a pandemic, Spencer said. So last month, to spark some of the same enthusiasm, Legacy started weekly, virtual meetings.

In her advisory classroom, Mellinger projects the meeting on the smartboard. From home, students watch on laptops.

It’s King, at school in person, who uses the chat box to ask students at home questions — making sure they are participating.

Frustrated teachers lose access to vaccine waitlists as Indiana cracks down

2021-02-23T21:32:51+00:00

Over a single week, Shannon Brown heard that four of her teacher friends had gotten COVID-19 vaccinations because they were on waitlists at Walmarts.

An Indianapolis high school teacher, Brown, 31, called five Walmart stores and eventually got on three standby lists for vaccines left over when people miss appointments. About a week later, all three stores told her they were removing her from the waitlist or moving her down in priority, Brown said.

“It is still incredibly frustrating to be placed in this precarious position,” Brown said. “There’s no way to keep a bubble when you’re a teacher.”

Brown was likely removed from those standby lists because even vaccine waitlists are supposed to target state priority groups, and teachers are not currently eligible for vaccinations, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

Brown was not alone. The controversy has ricocheted around social media in recent days, as other teachers eager for vaccines shared similar stories in posts that went viral. Frustrated posters said that Indiana would rather let vaccines go to waste than inoculate educators.

In a statement, Walmart spokesman Kevin Thompson said social media rumors were not true, and the pharmacies are in line with the state on “the shared goal of never letting a dose go to waste.”

The Indiana State Department of Health issued a statement denying that vaccine was going to waste:

“Never wasting a dose is of the utmost importance in the state’s vaccine plan. The Indiana Department of Health has never told a clinic to discard unused doses. We ask every clinic to keep a standby list of people who meet current eligibility requirements so that every dose can be administered, and only one one-hundredth of the doses we have received have been wasted, primarily due to a vial or syringe breaking.”

When to vaccinate Indiana educators has been contentious for months. Some teachers are already eligible for vaccines in at least 30 states, including all of Indiana’s neighbors, according to Education Week.

But Indiana officials have not yet said when they will make educators eligible.

The state is vaccinating Hoosiers who are 60 years old and older. State officials said earlier this month that vaccinations will next be open to people 50 and older and those with certain health conditions that make them especially vulnerable to the virus.

Hoosier teachers have gotten shots in the meantime by signing up on standby lists and when health officials offered surplus vaccines. In the first weeks of distribution, educators in Evansville, Vincennes, and Knox County received vaccinations from extra available doses.

But in a Jan. 30 letter, Indiana State Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver reiterated eligibility guidelines and told clinics that vaccine standby lists “should reflect only people who are considered at high risk for hospitalization and death from a COVID-19 infection.”

For Brown, learning that teachers do not even have access to vaccines through waitlists is just the latest frustration.

Indiana teachers expected to get priority access to vaccines, she said. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccinating teachers before some of the groups who are currently eligible in Indiana.

“I feel like everyone who we thanked at the beginning of the pandemic — outside of health care workers — suddenly doesn’t matter,” said Brown.

Why COVID could fuel a surge in funding for Indiana virtual schools

2021-02-16T22:13:59+00:00

A year into a pandemic that has forced more than 350,000 Hoosier students to learn remotely, Indiana House lawmakers have proposed full funding for schools that provide virtual education — including online-only schools that have long received lower allocations.

Nearly 18,000 students now attend dedicated virtual schools — a 65% jump from last school year. That figure is dwarfed by the number of children in brick-and-mortar schools who are now learning virtually due to the pandemic.

The proposal to inject more money into virtual education, part of the draft budget released by the House Republicans last week, is a victory for advocates of online-only schools who say growing awareness is helping them win support for full funding. Indiana has long funded virtual schools at a lower rate than in-person schools based on the theory that online education is less costly than traditional instruction.

Just two years ago, lawmakers cut virtual funding even further because of years of low performance. The schools now receive 85% of the per-student allotment that the state provides for in-person instruction.

But as the coronavirus upended education in Indiana, hundreds of thousands of families experienced their first virtual instruction. Schools that once shunned online education have been forced to embrace it.

“A lot of people had misconceptions about online,” said Jeff Kwitowski, senior vice president of public affairs at Stride, a for-profit virtual school operator that used to be called K12. “There are a lot of folks who just didn’t realize what it really takes — all of the support that it takes.”

Amid fears that schools that usually operate in person would face a precipitous loss in funding, the state Board of Education intervened to provide the full allocation for students who were learning remotely in the fall because of the coronavirus.

A plan to extend that policy to spring has won wide support from many Indiana lawmakers.

That decision opened the door for online-only schools to seek more money, and they are winning some powerful allies.

In a briefing before the draft budget was released, House Speaker Todd Huston said that while he has previously supported full funding for virtual schools, the pandemic now has led some skeptical lawmakers to see the light.

Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, a critic of virtual schools, framed it differently: “They’re trying to take advantage of the circumstances.”

The state should not increase funding because it still does not know how much it costs to educate students in virtual schools, Delaney argued.

That sentiment was echoed by some Republican lawmakers in the state Senate.

“I’m in favor, at this point in time, to leave everything exactly the way it is until we learn what’s best for students,” Sen. Jeff Raatz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, told Chalkbeat before the House budget was released.

In a committee hearing last month, Senate Appropriations Chairman Ryan Mishler raised concerns about providing full funding for students who are virtual due to COVID-19 because he believes it would be a mistake to encourage students to learn remotely.

Virtual schools have a troubled history in Indiana. The state’s first online school closed due to chronic poor performance. A study released last year found that students fell further behind after transferring to virtual charter schools.

The problems go beyond academic results.

Last year, two defunct virtual schools were accused of misspending more than $85 million in state funding. And last month, auditors alleged another virtual school owes the state more than $300,000 because it inaccurately described its program as operating more than 50% in-person — a model that would entitle it to full state funding.

Proponents of virtual education say that those problems are isolated. They also argue that cutting funding because of poor academic performance makes little sense.

“You don’t improve performance with fewer resources. It’s just counterintuitive,” said Elizabeth Sliger, head of school for Indiana Digital Learning School, which is run by Stride.

Pointing to a jump in the high school graduation rate last year, Sliger said the school is improving. But low state funding ties her hands, she argued.

Because virtual schools get less state funding than brick-and-mortar campuses, they have less money to support students who are behind, Sliger said. “Virtual doesn’t mean easy or cheap.”

The pandemic has helped fuel rapid expansion at Indiana Digital Learning School, which now enrolls 6,000 students.

Sherri Shell, whose daughter is in first grade, plans to keep her in Indiana Digital Learning School even after the coronavirus numbers improve.

Her daughter, who has autism, struggled at her first school and was eventually sent to a special needs school, where she was unhappy.

At Indiana Digital Learning School, Shell said, her daughter is doing better. She likes her teacher and she can take breaks when she is frustrated.

Shell said she would like her daughter to have more live instruction. “They could do a lot more if they had the full funding that brick-and-mortar schools do,” Shell said.

While online schools save money because they don’t have to pay for such expenses as transportation and building maintenance, these costs are typically covered by property taxes at traditional public schools.

State funding is supposed to support the cost of instruction, and it should be the same for online instruction, virtual school supporters say.

But skeptics of virtual education say that there can be other cost savings at virtual programs, including the need for significantly fewer teachers.

Students in virtual schools often work independently for much of the day, doing assignments and watching videos without a live teacher. Virtual schools also rely on parents to supervise their children, especially in early grades.

Indiana Digital Learning School has about 28 students per teacher, officials said. Statewide, public schools have an average of 17 students per teacher, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“There’s no question that with more money they could afford more teaching,” said Delaney, a Democrat on the House Education Committee. “The question is, would they deliver it?”

When the school year started, Amy Thornburg chose the virtual option the district offered. But there was no live instruction or support from a dedicated teacher. Thornburg pulled her two children out. She enrolled one daughter in a charter school for students with autism and the other in Indiana Digital Learning School.

Her third grader only spends about an hour a day in a live video class with a teacher at Indiana Digital Learning School. The rest of the day she works independently.

The schedule works for their family, Thornburg said, because she is working from home during the pandemic and her daughter is tech-savvy and interested in school.

Overseeing virtual school is an exhausting, time-consuming responsibility, said Thornburg, a nonprofit management consultant. But she said she likes being involved in her daughter’s education, and her daughter enjoys the flexibility.

“I will say my local school has more competition now than I ever thought that they would,” Thornburg said. “This is a viable option for my daughter now.”

Indiana will allow shorter quarantines — or require none at all — when COVID-19 hits classrooms

2021-02-03T22:09:06+00:00

Citing “rare” spread of the coronavirus in schools, Indiana health officials will no longer require students and teachers to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID-19 in a classroom where everyone is masked and remaining at least 3 feet apart.

For students and teachers still required to quarantine after close contact, schools can shorten those periods under relaxed quarantine guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead of a 14-day quarantine, students and teachers can return — with masks — after 10 days if they never develop symptoms or after seven to eight days if they test negative.

“We hope that these steps will help decrease the disruption that COVID-19 continues to cause in our educational system,” Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said during a Wednesday press conference.

State officials also held fast to their decision not to prioritize teachers for vaccination while dealing with a limited supply of doses. So far, Indiana has opened vaccination to people 65 and older, aiming to first inoculate those at highest risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.

Next in line will be people who may be more vulnerable because of medical conditions, state officials said, adding that Indiana doesn’t have enough vaccines for its 2 million essential workers, including teachers. While many other states are already vaccinating teachers, some Indiana educators have resorted to finding local waitlists to receive leftover doses.

“Our critical infrastructure, which our teachers would be included in — that has always been in Phase 2,” Box said, noting that Indiana is still in Phase 1B. “When we had to first put in a preliminary plan back in October, we talked a lot and walked through many of these things, knowing that vaccines would be scarce.”

The loosening of quarantine requirements, effective Monday, comes as state officials say schools are reporting little transmission in classrooms. Saying the state hopes to reduce the burden of quarantines, Box cited an unnamed southern Indiana district where nearly 98% of more than 1,900 students quarantined never became ill, and three-fourths of staff quarantines resulted from exposures outside of school.

Indiana had previously defined a “close contact” in school as someone within 6 feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes or more. But Box said most schools arrange classrooms to accommodate only a distance of 3 to 4 feet in classrooms.

Quarantining and contact tracing will still be required in cases of COVID-19 exposure in classrooms where masks are not being worn all the time and in school settings outside the classroom, such as during lunch or sports.

State officials also announced Wednesday that they will distribute 1.6 million KN95 masks, more hand sanitizer, and rapid tests to schools. They hope the antigen tests, which use a nasal swab, will help schools immediately identify positive cases.

Indiana has dropped down to a seven-day test positivity rate of 7.7%. This school year, Indiana schools have reported more than 36,000 cases of COVID-19 among students, teachers, and staff.

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.

Indiana bill would offer $150 million for COVID learning recovery

2021-01-28T22:15:18+00:00

A bill speeding through the Indiana House would provide a $150 million boost for programs that aim to help students who have fallen behind in school during the pandemic.

A top priority for House Republicans, HB 1008 won unanimous support from committee members Wednesday, an early step in the legislative process. Students across the country missed out on months of in-person instruction during the pandemic, and research shows that many have fallen behind academically — raising fears that children will suffer educationally for years to come.

The current proposal would allow local schools, universities, and other organizations to apply for $150 million in competitive grants to help students catch up.

The commitment to fund learning recovery drew praise from everyone who spoke at a hearing Wednesday. But some advocates argued that only schools and districts should be eligible for the grants because they have the expertise and responsibility to help students catch up.

“If we truly want to make the best use of these dollars, we recommend that grant recipients be professionals in teaching and learning,” said John O’Neal, a lobbyist for the Indiana State Teachers Association.

“The bill as written takes the approach that pretty much anyone or any group can do this,” O’Neal said. “But if we’ve learned anything over the last year, with remote learning and the challenges during the pandemic — especially parents — it’s that not everyone can do this work.”

An administrator in the Evansville schools, bill author Wendy McNamara said she believes efforts should focus on enrichment for children, and she had seen students thrive in programs from the local Boys & Girls Club. If grants were restricted to schools, similar community organizations would not be eligible.

“If you exclude groups like Boys & Girls Club or whatever it might be, I fear that we’re missing out on an opportunity,” said McNamara, R-Evansville. “Sometimes students are going to learn in a different atmosphere other than what they are exposed to in a school building each day.”

In Indianapolis, organizations and educators have already begun planning for a summer program that would include community groups.

The Mind Trust, which supports Indianapolis charter schools, and the United Way of Central Indiana, announced last week that they will spend $500,000 to devise a plan for summer learning in partnership with schools and community organizations.

The effort will build on the network of community learning sites for students in remote schooling that The Mind Trust helped fund and coordinate this year.

“It’s going to take years and years to mitigate a lot of the academic hardships that have happened in the past 12 months,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. Given the scale of the challenge, “it’s unfair for us to put all the onus on schools, and if the community can step up and play a critical role, then that’s only going to ensure that schools have more capacity.”

While there is some disagreement over the best approach, politicians and advocates agree that increasing remediation efforts is essential.

Educators across the state are seeing in their classrooms how the coronavirus has hampered student learning. Eddie Rangel, executive director of Adelante Schools, said that when teachers assessed students in the fall, the results were “really alarming.”

First-grade students, for example, struggled with reading after missing months of kindergarten. Many could not hear and break apart the sounds in words in order to read them, for example. And because they were reading so slowly, they struggled to comprehend what they read.

Creating a summer program for students will be crucial to help fill gaps, Rangel said. But doing so will be a costly logistical challenge because staff need to plan transportation for students and ensure the program they offer is safe.

“If we were to wave a magic wand, it wouldn’t be your traditional remediation program,” Rangel said. “It would look more like a camp. Because another big piece that’s missing for kids is the social-emotional learning and being around kids — being able to build relationships with their peers.”

Indiana parent sues education board over virtual funding in the pandemic

2021-01-27T23:18:42+00:00

An Indianapolis mother is suing the Indiana State Board of Education over a policy that sought to prevent brick-and-mortar schools from facing funding cuts when students were educated virtually due to the coronavirus.

Letrisha Weber, who has two children who attend virtual schools in Indiana, argued that a rule to fully fund students who attend remotely because of the pandemic violates several laws and is unfair to children who were already enrolled in virtual schools.

The suit seeks to increase money for online-only schools that existed before the pandemic by threatening the funding bump that the state awarded schools that shifted to remote learning due to the coronavirus.

Indiana typically provides 85% of the per-pupil allocation for virtual school students. With the rise of virtual education this fall, school leaders were afraid state support would plummet. To stave off cuts, the state board used emergency powers to approve a widely supported policy to increase per-pupil funding for students who would normally be in classrooms but are learning online because of the pandemic.

The new policy left funding at 85% for students such as Weber’s, who were already enrolled in online programs last year or students who transferred to virtual charter schools.

“The timing of when the student went online determines the ‘worth’ of the student and some students are worth 15% less than others,” Weber said in a press release from the Indiana Chapter of the National Coalition for Public School Options. “In my opinion, all students are equal and should be funded equally.”

The coalition lobbies in support of virtual schools. In a September letter to the state board arguing that the proposed virtual funding policy was unfair, Weber said she was the chair of the Indiana chapter of Public School Options and a member of the board of the national coalition.

Virtual schools have traditionally received less money in Indiana, and lawmakers further cut per-student funding for virtual schools in 2019 after years of dismal performance. A year ago, a special investigation by state auditors found that officials from two Indiana virtual charter schools misspent more than $85 million in state funding.

The complaint, filed this week in the Marion County Superior Court, names the Indiana State Board of Education and Executive Director Brian Murphy. It calls for the court to invalidate the rule and prevent the state from appropriating money under it “until the General Assembly fully and fairly allocates funding for all public school students.”

The spokeswoman for the Indiana State Board of Education declined to comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit claims the rule fully funding schools exceeds the state board’s rulemaking authority, goes beyond the scope of the governor’s emergency order, and violates the equal protection provisions of the U.S. and Indiana constitutions.

But one legal expert said the plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail.

“My guess is this lawsuit will be quickly dismissed,” said Brad Desnoyer, an associate professor at Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law.

It made sense for the board to maintain funding for schools that would have faced a funding cliff because those campuses still had fixed costs for maintaining buildings, he said. Fully virtual schools simply don’t have the same expenses.

For the courts to overturn an agency rule, it must be considered “arbitrary and capricious,” Desnoyer said.

“This is not an arbitrary rule. This decision was made to keep our schools funded,” Desnoyer said. “What she’s asking for is so detrimental to the students of Indiana that I don’t see it happening.”

The purpose of the lawsuit is to boost funding for fully virtual schools, not to reduce funding for brick-and-mortar schools, Ann Coriden, the Columbus attorney representing Weber, wrote in an email.

“This lawsuit is not about reducing funding for others. Ms. Weber would like the legislature to fully and fairly fund all public school students, including her children,” Coriden wrote. “The rule adopted by SBOE creates a situation where two students at the same school receiving the same education can be funded at different levels. Ms. Weber does not believe her children are worth only $0.85, when another student participating in the same program is worth $1.00. This is patently unfair and should be addressed by the legislature.”

When the state board made the funding change in September, it relied on special power granted by the governor during the pandemic. But the board did not make the same change for spring funding, because staff said its authority was limited to a public health emergency and it was unclear whether the outbreak would improve.

Five months later, with thousands of Hoosier students enrolled virtually and the pandemic unabated, lawmakers have pledged to keep school funding intact.

The same day the lawsuit was filed, the Indiana House approved a bill that would continue the policy of fully funding some virtual students for the spring semester. The change must be approved by the Senate and the governor before going into effect.

Complaints prompt federal investigation into special education in Indiana during pandemic

2021-01-15T01:49:39+00:00

Federal investigators are examining whether Indiana has failed to provide appropriate special education services through remote learning during the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened the investigation this week because of multiple complaints filed with the state that schools’ virtual learning plans did not include individualized services for students with disabilities. At least three other similar investigations were opened this week across the country.

Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner, who took office this week, said she’s seeking more information about the special education complaints that have been filed. In a statement, she added that she will “provide every available support to help our districts and schools meet the needs of Indiana’s special education students.”

Indiana special education advocates say they’re not surprised by the federal scrutiny after hearing from many families frustrated by the lack of services and poor communication. Families have filed 72 special education complaints to the state since July, on top of untold numbers of other cases that never rise to formal complaints.

“This has been such a horrible year,” said Kim Dodson, who leads The Arc of Indiana, an advocacy organization. “It is hard for everybody involved, but the most important thing is we still need to make sure our students are getting the education that they deserve and need.”

Schools have been expected to continue meeting special education requirements despite the turbulent effects of the pandemic. State and federal officials waived some rules, such as the length of the school year or testing requirements, but still called on schools to hold case conferences, give students accommodations, and provide services such as therapies or interventions — even if students were learning remotely.

Federal officials referenced a case in which a family said Hamilton Southeastern Schools failed to provide therapies to their severely disabled son when schools switched to virtual learning last spring. Instead, his school gave him a “one size fits all” virtual program, according to the family’s request for a due process hearing: “It provides him with no educational benefit whatsoever.”

The family’s attorney, Tom Blessing, said he hopes the federal investigation will make schools “wake up and realize that they actually have to comply with [special education law] even during a pandemic.”

The family has since resolved the issue with the district. Hamilton Southeastern spokeswoman Emily Pace Abbotts wrote in an email that the district has developed virtual instruction plans with families “in order to better meet the needs of each student,” considered compensatory services when virtual services weren’t possible, and sometimes offered in-person services.

A look at dozens of special education complaints investigated by the state since last March illustrate the breadth of the challenges — and the negative impact on students who don’t get the support they need.

Complaints described cases where in-person accommodations didn’t translate to virtual learning: One student should have had a virtual math quiz read aloud to them, and another didn’t get breaks in their online schedule.

One student withdrew from their school after not receiving services during remote learning. The school didn’t follow the Individualized Education Program calling for 30 minutes of speech therapy each week, an investigation found, and it didn’t provide a special device for the student to use at home to help with reading comprehension.

In one complaint, state officials found a school took too long to provide student records requested by a parent — but didn’t call for corrective action in part “based on the circumstances of the pandemic.”

Jacob Allen, CEO of Indianapolis charter school PilotED, said the pandemic added significant challenges to the already complicated special education processes. His school didn’t respond quickly enough to evaluating a new student for special education services at the beginning of the year, according to the state’s investigation of a complaint.

With instruction completely upended, schools had to adapt to different ways of providing special education services when families were also feeling overwhelmed. Allen acknowledged that his school struggled at first to meet the needs.

The laws “are written for an in-person environment,” Allen said. “When you have students showing up every single day, Monday through Friday, you also have an everyday chance to engage with a parent or guardian who’s picking that student up.”

Rather than investigating individual districts, the federal investigation is scrutinizing the Indiana Department of Education. It’s not clear what effect that could have on special education services, where local districts are largely responsible and the state plays an enforcement role. The investigation could look into how the state provided information to schools on following special education law or how the state responded to families’ complaints.

It’s also not clear how timely the investigation could be. Dodson, the special education advocate, worries that a lengthy inquiry could mean potential problems won’t get fixed before learning environments return to being largely in person.

“Yes, it’s a big issue. Yes, it needs to be addressed,” she said. “We’ve been doing this long enough now that this should not be a consistent fight that families have to make.”

The department has also opened up investigations into Los Angeles Unified, Seattle Public Schools, and Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools, according to letters obtained by Chalkbeat. The four investigations — each announced in letters dated Tuesday of this week — all cite “disturbing reports involving the District’s provision of educational services to children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Los Angeles Unified appreciates the concerns of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and we will cooperate in its investigation,” a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified said in a statement. “Until it is safe and appropriate to resume in-person services, we’ll continue to do our best to help those most in need with individual and small-group support in an online setting.”

A spokesperson for Fairfax County schools said the district had just received notice yesterday of the investigation and could not offer an immediate response. A spokesperson said Seattle Public Schools planned to fully cooperate with the investigation, according to the Seattle Times.

Matt Barnum and Aaricka Washington contributed to this story.

Indiana teachers frustrated over longer wait for COVID-19 vaccine

2021-01-13T21:22:12+00:00

As teachers in some other states line up for the COVID-19 vaccine, Indiana educators wonder when their turn will come.

It’s unclear when Indiana teachers will be eligible for the vaccine, but they will likely have to wait several weeks until Hoosiers age 60 and older and people with medical conditions receive their shots — putting them further back in line than they hoped to be.

“We are told that we are essential and important, and yet we are not on any list. We aren’t told what our plans are,” said Franklin Township elementary school teacher Sheila Sego.

Early on, Indiana health officials said teachers and other essential workers could be eligible for the vaccine after health care workers and nursing home residents. That would have been in line with federal recommendations that consider teachers to be “frontline essential workers.”

But when the state launched its vaccination plan last week, health officials decided to use its limited doses to first inoculate those at highest risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.

“Our goal is to reduce deaths and hospitalizations, and that makes this the right approach,” state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said Wednesday. “Our system is working, and we are going to stick with it.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb said the strategy for prioritizing the most at-risk people for the vaccine “hasn’t changed.” When the vaccine could become more widely available depends heavily on how many doses the state receives each week. The state does not have enough vaccines for everyone who wants it, but state health officials said they are working to expand efforts as quickly as possible.

About 220,000 Hoosiers have received the first dose of the COVID-19, health officials said. Indiana officials haven’t outlined plans beyond vaccinating older Hoosiers, which could take until February depending on vaccine availability and demand. Last week, health officials said the state could move next to those with medical conditions that put them at higher risk.

The Indiana State Teachers Association called last week for the state to prioritize teachers for the vaccine in order to keep schools open as coronavirus case numbers remain high. The state pushed to open schools for in-person learning at the beginning of the year, but many schools have dealt with periodic closures due to high community spread, outbreaks or widespread exposure to positive cases in schools, and staffing shortages while teachers are sick or quarantined.

“For months, teachers have put their lives at risk to ensure Hoosier children receive a quality education during the pandemic — all while being told they would be prioritized when the moment came for a vaccine,” ISTA President Keith Gambill said in a statement.

To reopen classrooms, many schools have required students and teachers to wear masks, limited visitors, spaced desks apart, and divided students into shifts to reduce the number of people in classrooms.

Sego points out that most teachers don’t have the option of working from home, and despite the precautions, many often spend hours each day in groups of 25 to 35 students. Social distancing isn’t always possible, and students don’t always wear their masks properly.

The vaccine would “give some peace of mind that they are safe at their place of employment,” Sego said. Sego had COVID-19 in the fall but does not know where she contracted the virus.

Indiana schools have reported more than 30,000 COVID-19 cases among students, teachers, and staff since the start of the school year, though the data is likely incomplete because not all schools are contributing numbers and cases can be difficult to report.

Some Indiana teachers in Vincennes and Evansville received the vaccine early, jumping to claim open appointments or leftover doses.

It’s not immediately clear how vaccines could change school policies on quarantining or other precautions.

Indianapolis Public Schools teacher Nathan Sopke said he’s frustrated that local and state health officials aren’t saying when teachers could be vaccinated.

“There’s not an excuse for this,” he said. “It just shows the lack of compassion toward educators.”

Sopke said he would get the vaccine as soon as it’s available. He’s seen how serious the disease can be after having COVID-19 and losing his dad to complications related to the coronavirus.

Teachers have worked to protect students’ health and their own while adapting to rapid changes in both in-person and remote instruction, Sopke said. It’s critical to get all students safely back into classrooms — especially in his district and others that serve mostly students from low-income families who may be at risk of falling behind their peers.

Vaccinating teachers would be the first step, he said.

“Teachers are going to die, and then people are going to say, well, maybe they should have got the vaccine,” Sopke said.

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.

8 Indiana education stories to watch in 2021

2020-12-22T22:24:37+00:00

This year left an indelible mark on education, with the pandemic forcing fast changes and ushering in a new era of e-learning.

But as we say goodbye to 2020 and look ahead to a fresh year, expect many of the same pandemic effects and uncertainties to roll into 2021.

Will Indiana schools be able to keep classrooms open through the winter? How will the vaccine affect what’s happening in schools? What will happen to the thousands of students who didn’t enroll in schools this year?

Here are eight Indiana education stories to watch in 2021.

Will the vaccine cure schools’ staffing challenges?

Indiana lists teachers among the second wave to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Nationally, health officials say the second wave of vaccinations could start in February.

State officials hope that inoculating teachers will help keep schools open, by avoiding a shift to remote learning when too many teachers have to quarantine. But that could depend on how many teachers opt to get the vaccine.

Plus, the vaccine is still being tested in children. While students and the general public wait for vaccine availability, community spread could remain high, threatening schools’ ability to stay open.

It’s not clear whether schools or the state will mandate or incentivize vaccinations among teachers or students, or how schools could change their coronavirus policies for those who receive the vaccine.

What will happen with standardized tests?

Indiana is still marching toward standardized tests as scheduled, with special instructions for schools on how to give the test to remote learners. Still, some hold out hope that a new presidential administration could relieve states from their duty to test students — or that state lawmakers will decide once again to nullify the consequences of low passing rates.

How much extra money will schools get for teacher pay and coronavirus costs?

Gloomy forecasts for school funding have cleared up, with a chance for slightly sunnier skies. State leaders seem hopeful about giving schools a small boost in the upcoming budget — but how much will it cover?

From the federal government, a second coronavirus relief deal will send $54 billion to K-12 public schools, about four times what they received from the first stimulus package in March.

Will Indiana tamp down the virus enough to keep schools open this winter?

Indiana has been “on fire” with COVID-19 cases, in the words of Gov. Eric Holcomb earlier this month, and stands out nationally as one of the states with the highest rates of new cases. In some parts of Indiana, the recent rise in cases has led to canceling in-person classes until the numbers settle down — including in Indianapolis, where health officials shuttered school buildings until at least Jan. 4.

Some districts are already pressing pause on returning after winter break, building in a week of remote learning to allow families to quarantine after traveling or visiting family over the holidays.

How will online lessons stack up against in-person learning?

At the end of the year, Indiana hopes to have an attendance tally of how many days each student learned remotely and how many they spent in person. How that data could be used remains to be seen but could offer valuable insights into how students or districts that spent more time online fared compared with those with more in-person instruction.

Will thousands of students return to schools in 2021?

In line with a nationwide enrollment dip, Indiana saw the number of students in public schools drop by about 15,000 students this year, a 1.5% decline — mostly driven by families keeping preschoolers and kindergartners at home. With funding tied to enrollment, and with thousands of children missing out on critical early education years, whether or not enrollment will rebound next year could have a profound effect on schools.

How will schools continue to address learning loss?

Schools are already forging ahead, addressing gaps caused by COVID-19 disruptions while teaching new material. Educators could continue to get a clearer picture of learning loss as the year progresses, particularly among vulnerable students, where experts predict the disparities may be largest. Lawmakers could search for ways to help students catch up, such as putting more money toward academic interventions.

What will new A-F grades show?

State policymakers are reexamining Indiana’s A-F school grading system, revisiting the discussion over how to best measure schools and student progress. They’re expected to present new recommendations next month on how the controversial system could change.

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.

Indiana’s COVID enrollment dip driven by 10,000 fewer preschoolers, kindergartners

2020-12-10T20:23:26+00:00

When Pike Township opened a new child care center in 2019, it was expected to grow each year. But instead of expanding this fall, enrollment at the fledgling preschool fell by nearly 40% from last year to 130 children.

At the same time, the number of kindergartners in the Indianapolis district dipped by more than 20%.

Pike Township is not alone. As Indiana parents keep their children home because of the coronavirus and opt out of online learning, districts are reporting the largest enrollment drops among young children. About 10,000 fewer preschool and kindergarten students enrolled in Indiana schools this fall, a Chalkbeat analysis found. That 10% decline drove statewide enrollment losses compared with last year.

The trend could have significant repercussions for thousands of Hoosier children who are missing out on early education that experts say is crucial to developing the social and self-regulation skills to thrive in school. That could be particularly severe for students from low-income families and English language learners, who often benefit the most from early childhood education. Even Indiana’s youngest students could benefit from programs to help them rebound from the educational disruptions wrought by COVID.

If the missing students enroll next year, schools and parents will need to decide whether to hold them back a grade or to put them into kindergarten or first grade without the preparation they would normally receive. Educators will have classes with students at widely different levels. How prepared children are will depend not only on whether they missed school last year but also on the kind of experiences their parents are able to offer during the pandemic.

“My concern is that some students have better access to resources than others. And so it unevens the playing field,” Pike Superintendent Flora Reichanadter said.

In kindergarten, students are learning pre-reading skills. “If they enter first grade without those reading skills, they’re going to be behind,” she added. “Now, it doesn’t mean that we can’t catch them up, but they walked in with a disadvantage.”

Indiana doesn’t require children to attend school until they are 7 years old, so parents can keep their children out of school if they hesitate to send them in person during a pandemic, worry about putting them in front of a screen for hours, or cannot supervise virtual instruction.

The most important benefits children get from preschool and kindergarten are soft skills, like learning to listen to teachers and work with other students, many experts and educators say.

Research shows that when it comes to learning those skills, “the earlier the better,” said Chloe Gibbs, an economist at the University of Notre Dame who studies early childhood education. As a result, catching children up could prove difficult, she said. Communities, schools, and policymakers should try to help families as soon as possible, such as by connecting them with learning materials or parenting resources.

“Are there ways that we can try to supplement what’s going on in the home to recreate some of these things, so that it’s not a lost year?” Gibbs said. “We really should be thinking carefully about, what can we do to target resources and attention and time to the kids who need it most?”

Experts and advocates are touting programs to help students who have missed months of in-person instruction recover from the disruption. That includes support for ambitious ideas like tutoring corps or expanded summer school. The focus of those discussions is usually students who are already in school. But Gibbs argued those types of programs could also play a vital role in helping children who miss preschool and kindergarten.

One of the most important questions is which students are missing out on early childhood education, said Daphna Bassok, a professor at the University of Virginia who is studying preschool and kindergarten enrollment trends in Virginia during COVID. In Virginia, by far the largest decline in preschool participation is among students from low-income families.

That’s concerning because it suggests that delays in school enrollment could exacerbate inequality, she said.

“The implications really differ if what you’re doing instead of going to kindergarten is a really engaging thing,” Bassok said. “The type of experiences kids are having this year really, really range.”

Across the state, enrollment is down by about 1.6% for all grades combined. The bulk of the decline is in preschool and kindergarten. Kindergarten enrollment fell by about 5,700 students this year, down 7% from last year. More than 65% of districts have fewer kindergartners this year than in 2020.

Springs Valley Community Schools, an 800-student district in French Lick, has one of the highest rates of enrollment decline in Indiana. The elementary school, which offered in-person instruction until it was forced to go remote last week, enrolled 46 kindergartners this year, about 40% fewer than last year.

Because enrollment was so much lower than expected, one of the kindergarten teachers shifted to another grade, Superintendent Trevor Apple said. The three remaining kindergarten classes have about 15 students each — a few students less than in a typical year.

For now, the rural school district can withstand the financial hit that results from state funding cuts because of lower enrollment, Apple said. But he hopes that the dip is temporary due to the pandemic and that the district sees enrollment rebound next year, he said.

“I’m slightly concerned but I’m hoping that it just will bounce back,” Apple said. “I’m going to suspend my judgment until next fall.”

Enrollment declines in Indiana are steepest in preschool, which is optional and only offered at some districts. Declines could also be unusually large because many school systems, including Pike, charge families fees because the state does not provide the same funding as it does for K-12 education. Many private child care centers that are not affiliated with districts — and not included in state enrollment data — also offer preschool programs.

Preschool has been growing in Indiana in recent years, with more students enrolled in public school programs each year. This fall that trend reversed, and over 4,000 fewer students enrolled in district-run preschool, a drop of almost 20% from last year.

Pike will furlough one preschool teacher at the end of the semester and reduce hours for several assistants because preschool enrollment is lower than projected, according to the district. Kindergarten teachers are protected from furloughs or layoffs by their contract, Reichanadter said.

There is other evidence that preschool participation is down. Low-income families in Indiana are eligible for vouchers from On My Way Pre-K, a limited program that began in 2015. The vouchers pay for tuition at high-quality school-based and private preschools.

On My Way Pre-K scholarships plummeted this year. About 2,000 children participated in the program, down over 40% from 2019-20. In Marion County, participation fell by nearly 70% to about 350 children.

Declines in participation are particularly large in urban communities across the state, said Marni Lemons, a spokeswoman for Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

“We believe this reflects families’ uncertainties related to the coronavirus and uncertainty relating to school being held in person or online,” Lemons said.

Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee contributed to this story.

Indiana teachers will be part of the second phase to receive COVID vaccine

2020-12-02T22:47:56+00:00

Indiana teachers are expected to be part of the second phase of Hoosiers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, state officials said at a press briefing Wednesday.

The state will make the first doses of the vaccine available to front-line health care workers who are likely to have contact with COVID patients, State Health Commissioner Kristina Box said. The state hopes to have enough vaccine for those front-line workers and long-term care residents by the end of this month, she said.

Schoolteachers would be part of the second phase of workers eligible for the vaccine, said Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer for the Indiana State Department of Health. That group is expansive, including such people as firefighters, police, and retail workers, according to a preliminary state plan.

“Teachers are part of our critical infrastructure workforce,” said Weaver, who did not say when the second phase of vaccinations will begin.

“A lot about who we’re going to start vaccinating will depend on how much vaccine we get, when we’ll be getting it, and what is the safety and efficacy for that vaccine,” she said. “We are already in full planning mode to be able to start vaccinating that critical infrastructure when we have the vaccine and we’re ready to do so.”

Many Indiana schools have halted in-person instruction in recent weeks amid a surge in COVID cases across the Midwest. Last month, the Marion County Public Health Department limited schools to virtual instruction across Indianapolis at least until Jan. 15 because of rising COVID cases.

Staffing shortages have forced some schools and districts to close campuses because teachers and support staff were out sick or required to quarantine.

Weaver said she anticipates teachers being vaccinated will help schools stay open. Weaver also said new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reducing the length of quarantines could mitigate staffing shortages at schools.

The guidance issued Wednesday allows for quarantines of 10 days if people do not have symptoms or seven days if they also test negative for COVID. The CDC still recommends a more conservative 14-day quarantine, with the shorter options as alternatives.

States must submit details to the federal government by Friday on who should receive the first available vaccines. A federal advisory panel recommended Tuesday that health care workers, as well as residents and staff of nursing and long-term care facilities, should be the first to be vaccinated.

The vaccine will not be mandatory for any of the groups, Gov. Eric Holcomb said.

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?”

Indiana teachers union calls on lawmakers to expand bargaining rights amid COVID

2020-11-16T20:56:13+00:00

At a time when educators’ jobs have become more difficult because of the pandemic, Indiana’s largest teachers union is calling on lawmakers to restore the right to bargain over working conditions, such as hours, prep time, and class sizes.

The Indiana State Teachers Association, which represents nearly 40,000 educators, said that some districts are deciding how to respond to the coronavirus without substantive input from educators. If unions had the right to bargain for better working conditions, more teachers would have a voice in those decisions.

“The right to come together to negotiate the terms of our work allows us to create better learning conditions for our students and better workplaces for ourselves and those who will follow us as educators in the future,” ISTA President Keith Gambill said at a union press conference Monday ahead of the start of the legislative session.

The state stripped Indiana teachers unions of the right to bargain over most work conditions in 2011, as part of a controversial overhaul of collective bargaining.

It’s not clear whether the Republican majority, which pushed to restrict collective bargaining, would seriously consider reinstating some bargaining rights.

At a legislative preview hosted by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Monday, lawmakers didn’t address bargaining rights, but did touch on several other education issues, including the need to help students catch up after months of disruption in their education and how to fund virtual instruction.

The coronavirus pandemic is sparking new frustration among educators after a year of pressure on lawmakers to boost school funding and teacher pay.

Pointing to a union survey, Gambill said that 95% of teachers said their workload increased and 86% said they were more stressed during COVID.

Indianapolis teacher Jack Hesser said that while all jobs are more stressful during the pandemic, expectations of teachers have dramatically changed.

“We’ve doubled and tripled the workload given to our educators,” Hesser said. “We’ve given our teachers this impossible choice between … work outside of school for free or fail our students.”

A middle school science teacher from Richmond schools, Tiauna Washington said she spends hours each Sunday at school preparing for the week by making copies, making videos, setting up labs, and planning both in-person and virtual lessons.

“This combination of refusing to pay teachers what they are worth and expecting them to do more and more with less and less is just totally unsustainable,” Washington said.

ISTA is also continuing calls to pay Indiana teachers more, to start salaries at $40,000 per year, and for the state to increase funding for education.

The movement to increase teacher pay and education funding in Indiana gained momentum last year, but whether teachers will be able to sustain pressure on lawmakers is uncertain. A year ago, a Red for Ed rally at the statehouse drew so many teachers that districts canceled school for about half the state’s students.

Lawmakers, however, delayed substantively addressing the issue until the biannual budget is crafted in 2021. Amid the economic toll of the pandemic, the union may have a harder time winning an increase in school funding or teacher pay despite vocal support from the governor.

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.”

School enrollment dropped by almost 15,000 across Indiana

2020-11-06T23:06:29+00:00

Nearly 15,000 fewer students are enrolled in Indiana schools this school year than last year, a dip of about 1.5% that mirrors declines seen across the country amid the pandemic.

Many urban, suburban, and rural Indiana districts had fewer students this year, according to state data released Friday. At the same time, in a sign that some families were choosing online schools, enrollment surged at a virtual charter school and in a tiny district that runs several online schools.

It is unclear precisely what factors contributed to the dip. The state has not yet released detailed enrollment data, including information by grade level, race, or school. The drop is part of a national trend. In Chicago, for example, enrollment fell by 4% this year. One reason for lower enrollment nationally is parents are not sending their children to kindergarten, with some school systems seeing drops as steep as 15%.

In Indiana, enrollment appears to be lower at all types of schools, although it held steady in some districts. At Fort Wayne Community Schools, one of the largest school systems in the state, enrollment dropped by almost 800 students, about 3% down from last school year. Last week, Indianapolis Public Schools said enrollment was down nearly 4% and attributed the decline in part to fewer students enrolling in kindergarten.

Many suburban and rural districts also had fewer students this year. In the Hamilton Southeastern district outside of Indianapolis, enrollment was about 400 students lower this year, a decline of almost 2%. In Benton Community Schools, a rural district that educates about 1,600 students, enrollment was down by almost 6% or about 100 students.

While many Indiana districts lost students, a handful saw significant increases. Indiana Connections Academy, a large virtual charter school, enrolled 6,700 students — a jump of almost 40% over last year.

Union Schools, a rural district that operates several statewide virtual schools managed by the for-profit K12 Inc., had an even larger increase in enrollment. The district now educates 6,500 students, almost 50% more than last year.

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 officials give flexibility on length of school days but hesitate to loosen too many rules

2020-10-07T16:37:53+00:00

Indiana education officials will allow a handful of school systems to take an unconventional approach to the length of their school year during the pandemic.

With the changes approved Wednesday, a few districts — including Center Grove Schools and Paramount charter network in Indianapolis — can offer longer school days to take advantage of in-person learning and cut back on e-learning days to help with planning.

They will still give the same number of hours of instruction as a normal school year but don’t have to do it in the standard 180 days.

“Under the current environment, every day with our students is a gift, and we treasure each moment for student instruction,” Brown County Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack told the State Board of Education.

About a dozen school systems sought to use a new state law, crafted before the pandemic, that aimed to lessen the burden of state training and reporting requirements. With the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, they hoped to gain temporary flexibility as they take on different instructional models, relieve administrative tasks, and prepare to quickly adapt if the pandemic worsens.

But state education officials balked at waiving several training requirements in areas they saw as critical, including police training, bullying, and child suicide awareness and prevention. They only allowed schools to skip an annual report on data that’s already publicly available and requirements on addressing gang activity.

“I think right now the safety of our kids is even more heightened,” said board member Pat Mapes, superintendent of Perry Township Schools, “and that the areas of minimal standards of training — police departments as well as suicide training — is very important for everyone to go through.”

Board member Pete Miller, a former Republican state senator, countered that the state has tacked on too many annual requirements for schools.

“No one is saying that suicide prevention and these other items are not important. What we’re saying is that these are your non-academic things we’re asking schools to do,” Miller said. “And then pretty soon you’ve got the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of these non-academic things.”

The board also drew a line on how schools approach instruction to prevent significant reductions in school time.

Switzerland County Schools, for example, can do two-hour delayed starts once a quarter for professional development, but the board denied another district’s request for early dismissals on Fridays.

Baugo Community Schools’ request would have cut short educational time for students to help teachers manage the increased workloads of instructing both in-person and remote students simultaneously.

“Our problem is that we are having our teachers do two things at the same time. They are working incredibly hard and are giving enormous amounts of personal time to make this happen,” Baugo school officials wrote in a memo. “We recognize that during this pandemic, a flexible, virtual option is important but it has required a much more significant amount of time from teachers than anticipated.”

Schools can continue to ask for flexibility throughout the year, and state board members expect this round will signal what they deem acceptable. The waivers could also inform education policy in the future, as lawmakers will examine what districts requested and the effects of the changes.

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.

7 things to watch as Indianapolis Public Schools begins to return to classrooms

2020-10-05T21:17:45+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools’ younger students headed back to classrooms Monday to resume in-person learning for the first time since March.

It’s part of a phased reopening plan that brings prekindergarten through third grade into buildings this week, followed by a week of remote learning over what was supposed to be fall break. The rest of the district starts in-person classes the week of Oct. 19, with grades 7-12 coming in only twice a week on a hybrid schedule.

The state’s largest district, which serves about 33,000 students in neighborhood, magnet, and independently run schools, took a cautious reopening approach and is among the last to return to school buildings this year. Many other districts have already started dealing with the changes and challenges of in-person instruction through the coronavirus crisis — including having positive cases in school.

It’s not clear if classrooms will be able to stay open all year. The district wants to take advantage of lower positivity rates to teach students in person while it seems safe to do so — but officials say they’re prepared to pivot back to remote learning if needed.

Here are a few things to watch as IPS reopens classrooms during the pandemic.

Will students want to return in person?

It’s not clear yet how many students will choose to return to classrooms — and how many want to stay virtual. That could affect classroom sizes and school bus routes.

Families had to notify the district by last week if they wanted to remain in the 100% e-learning option. The district has closed sites that provided child care and remote learning support.

It’s also yet to be seen what the district’s overall enrollment numbers look like. Washington Township, for example, which also started fully virtually, saw a small number of students leave the district because they needed in-person options, school officials have said at board meetings.

Will schools be able to stay open?

The district is monitoring the seven-day average positivity rate in Indianapolis. If it dips below 5%, where it’s currently hovering, IPS could decide to further open up for older students to learn full time in person.

But if the rate rises above 11%, the district could limit in-person learning.

In addition to trends in positivity rates, the district is monitoring the availability of tests and the turnaround time for results, contract tracing capabilities, average student and staff attendance, and the availability of substitute teachers.

What happens if there are positive cases?

In addition to safety precautions such as social distancing and required mask-wearing, IPS has COVID-19 response teams in each school. The district’s protocols call for people who test positive to quarantine for at least 10 days and go three days without a fever before returning. Close contacts to a positive case will quarantine for 14 days.

The district is developing its own dashboard for publicly reporting cases. IPS schools do not appear to be reporting to the state’s database on school cases yet.

Will in-person learning be more engaging?

Like with many schools, fewer students have been engaging daily in remote lessons than they typically do in person. But after a month of e-learning, IPS increased its average daily attendance rates to about 80%, up from about 70% when the school year started, according to a board presentation.

In-person attendance rates are usually well above 90% across the state. IPS reported a 92% attendance rate in 2018-19, the most recent year available in state data.

IPS officials have said they believe in-person instruction is better for students, and they anticipate needing to help students catch up after some learning loss. Schools will start testing students in early November to gauge where they stand academically.

Are students able to get to school?

One of the most complicated factors to coordinate for IPS will be transportation, as the district adjusts its routes to accommodate social distancing on buses. With only one student per seat, the district will have to run more bus routes.

Officials have sought to ease the transportation crunch by asking families if they can bring their students to school and having more families who live near their schools to walk instead of ride the bus.

While the district will have more crossing guards, some parents have raised concerns about their students navigating busy intersections on the way to school. IPS is hosting a transportation Q&A for families on Tuesday night.

How will teachers handle both in-person and remote learners?

Some teachers will be instructing in-person students and remote learners at the same time — a challenge even for experienced educators. That’s because the district has moved away from early plans to centralize e-learning, in order to allow students to remain with teachers from their usual schools.

To teach two sets of students at the same time, teachers will use technology in the classroom — laptops, projector screens, white boards, and smartboards. The district has also sought to provide training opportunities and have schools identify teachers who can help others with technology.

But schools can also find ways to divide students among grade level teams, such as having one teacher assigned to remote learners, according to a board presentation.

How will the district cope with the extra costs?

The district is watching the extra expenses of spreading out classroom setups, adding more bus routes, and providing more technology, while also preparing for a potential drop in state funding because of the pandemic’s effects on the economy.

While federal relief funds and donations have helped cover the costs, the district also took on some debt to pay for each student to have a laptop or tablet.

The district has also installed touchless water fountains and provided supplies such as hand sanitizer and masks.

To woo home-schoolers, a new Indiana virtual school offers $1,700 stipends

2020-10-01T16:43:24+00:00

When Amy Cannon heard about a new home education program that promised support from trained teachers and a $1,700 stipend for supplies, she was intrigued. Her daughter struggled with e-learning in the spring, and she wanted to home-school her 5- and 7-year-old children.

“I don’t think I would have felt confident enough to home-school without the support,” said Cannon, an Indianapolis stay-at-home mother. “Going in person wasn’t an option for our family, and seeing how virtual school has gone, I’m so glad we’ve home-schooled.”

Cannon’s children enrolled in a new K-6 public virtual school, called Tech Trep Academy, that caters to home-schoolers. Families have the flexibility to teach their children however they wish because the school doesn’t require students to take traditional classes or complete homework. Officials assume students are in attendance unless a parent says otherwise.

But unlike traditional home schooling, Tech Trep is publicly funded.

Within weeks of launching, it’s come under scrutiny for wooing families with dollars, which state education officials say could be an illegal enrollment incentive. The state will pay more than $860,000 toward Tech Trep this school year with scant assurance that the money will be spent on education. The Middlebury Community Schools district is overseeing the school and stands to gain nearly $1,000 in state funding for each student it enrolls.

The program’s unusual approach has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. It’s not certain if that attention will curtail Tech Trep’s growth in Indiana.

“They’re diverting money from public control for private benefit,” said Rep. Ed DeLaney, an Indianapolis Democrat who sits on the House education committee. “If you wanted to create a situation for chaos … this is the structure you would set up.”

Rep. Bob Behning, the chair of the House education committee, raised concerns about whether the program fits into current state law and how much it could cost if it attracts families who are currently home schooling without state funding.

“It appears to be realistically more support for home-schoolers than what I think the current definition of virtual education is,” said Behning, an Indianapolis Republican. “We may need to do a better job of defining what a program like this looks like and how we are going to fund it moving forward.”

‘It’s not a blank check’

The school, which is called Inspire Digital Learning School in state records, accepts virtual students from across Indiana. It has enrolled 173 students this year, fewer than 20% of whom live in Middlebury boundaries. Daily management is handled by Tech Trep, a Utah-based for-profit that runs virtual programs under the same brand in several states, including Idaho, Wyoming, and Tennessee.

The company is hiring five certified teachers, or about one per 35 students, according to Middlebury. Teachers advise parents and review learning plans and student work. Tech Trep will also arrange for students to take required state tests.

The district plans to closely oversee the management company, according to officials. Middlebury has staff monitoring enrollment, services for English language learners, special education, testing, and accuracy in reporting data. The district will also track student performance by requiring students to meet goals every two weeks, and students will receive report cards with their grades.

“This is certainly not a hands-off type of partnership,” said Middlebury Assistant Superintendent Robby Goodman. “We want to know what our students are learning. We want to make sure that they’re being held accountable. We want to see their progress.”

Goodman said the school is designed to attract parents who want their children to learn at home even though they are too young to study online independently.

Cannon never intended to home-school. When the pandemic ends, she plans to send her children back to school. But this year, she believes the support Tech Trep offers is especially valuable to her as a new home-schooler. When she submits work showing what her children have learned, the teacher writes feedback and notes of encouragement for them. And her children are taking online classes in science and social studies that meet once a month.

The funding has helped the family pay for textbooks, math manipulatives, refurbished Chromebooks, and piano lessons, Cannon said.

“It’s being monitored,” she said. “It’s not a blank check to spend the money on whatever you want. It’s to get your kids supplies for school.”

A warning from the state

The education stipend is one of the most unusual and controversial elements of Tech Trep’s program. Parents can use it not only for textbooks, but also for music lessons, educational toys, museum passes, and even Netflix subscriptions if they plan to access its educational content, said Janet Cox, program director for Tech Trep in Indiana. When the program launched, parents could make purchases themselves and request reimbursement from Tech Trep after submitting receipts.

Home school support programs in other states also offer this type of financial benefit to families. But in Indiana, Tech Trep is hitting a speed bump. In September, officials from the Indiana Department of Education told Middlebury administrators that they could not offer the stipend because it violates a state law meant to prevent incentives from influencing enrollment choices, according to spokesman Adam Baker.

As a result, Tech Trep has tweaked how parents receive the $1,700 benefit. Instead of buying items themselves, the company will make the purchases for them, according to a letter from Tech Trep to parents that the department of education shared with Chalkbeat.

Cox and Middlebury did not respond to questions from Chalkbeat about new restrictions on the stipend or if parents would be reimbursed for purchases they made before the new policy.

In a Facebook group for parents, Cox said Tech Trep would make sure it was within the law. But, she added, “we will honor our promises to parents as well and not leave you stuck with expenses for educational materials that you bought expecting us to pay for.”

In the same Facebook group, a post from Tech Trep promised it would approve additional online sites where parents could choose materials that the school would purchase for them.

Baker referred questions about the legality of the arrangement to the State Board of Accounts. “We do not audit or approve expenditures,” he wrote.

The State Board of Accounts did not respond to questions from Chalkbeat.

Indiana’s troubled history of virtual schools

Even before the pandemic made online schooling a more popular option, district-run schools across the state have been launching lucrative virtual programs run by outside companies. Like Tech Trep, many of them are created to compete with fast-growing virtual charter schools.

State lawmakers have raised concerns about whether school districts can properly oversee large, statewide virtual programs, and they banned districts from chartering virtual schools after two online schools under the watch of the Daleville district siphoned tens of millions of dollars in public money.

A state audit found that Indiana Virtual School and its sister school, Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy, misspent more than $85 million over three years.

The state hasn’t stopped districts from starting their own online schools — which aren’t subject to the oversight called for in state charter laws.

Districts can make a lot of money through online schools. In Modoc, Indiana, for example, a booming virtual school tripled enrollment for Union School Corp. and rescued the tiny rural district from budget shortfalls.

Where the public funding goes

The state will pay more than $4,990 for each student who enrolls in Tech Trep. Middlebury will keep a 20% cut for oversight, and Tech Trep will receive the rest, or nearly $4,000 per student, to run the program and pay for supplies for families, according to the contract.

For the 173 students enrolled this year, the state will hand out more than $860,000. And that could be just the beginning. A Tech Trep partnership with a rural district in Idaho helped fuel surging enrollment. Two years after launching, it grew to about 1,000 students, according to reporting by Idaho Ed News.

Because virtual students and teachers don’t come to school in person, experts and advocates worry that many students are not actually attending classes or studying class material. Indiana law requires elementary school students to have at least five hours of instructional time, but at virtual schools, that doesn’t mean they have to be online for five hours a day.

Although Tech Trep requires parents to submit student work every other week, when it comes to attendance, it uses the honor system. It counts students as absent only if parents explicitly say their children are not in school, said Cox.

The Indiana Department of Education requires schools to submit calendars. The department offers guidance and leaves it up to corporations to ensure they provide enough hours, Baker wrote.

“If we discover they have not provided sufficient instructional days or instructional time, we will take action up to and including tuition support reductions for failure to provide 180 days of instruction,” he said.

A critical time for home education

Middlebury officials said that in light of problems with other virtual schools, they are working to ensure they provide proper oversight of Tech Trep. For example, they will require the company to provide semi-annual financial reports that show how the money the company receives is spent.

Despite the problems virtual schools have had in Indiana, families want alternative options, said Goodman, the assistant superintendent. Middlebury already offers online high school courses, he said. Tech Trep seemed like a good option for younger children, who need more parental support.

“It’s important for us to make sure we have the pulse of what our families are needing and wanting and asking for,” Goodman said.

At a moment when many parents are anxious about the health risks of the coronavirus and frustrated that their children are spending hours on computers each day, Tech Trep is appealing to families from across the state.

When schools closed down last spring, Shaina Dwiel had to educate her 6- and 8-year-old daughters at home. But she didn’t want her children to spend hours online learning each day. So this year, she decided to home-school.

Dwiel, a stay-at-home mom in Bloomington — 200 miles south of Middlebury — enrolled her daughters in Tech Trep because it helps pay for curriculum and classes such as ballet while also giving her flexibility.

“If we’re going to all have to school at home,” Dwiel said, “we want to do it our way.”

By blending elements of home schooling and elements of traditional public school, Tech Trep could be an ideal fit for some families, Cox said. While parents direct how their students learn, the program provides support including state-certified teachers, curriculum advisers, educational materials, and parent training sessions.

“If I can provide something to those kids who aren’t successful in public school, but maybe need more support than traditional home schooling,” she said, “it’s just another choice.”

Online learning blurs the home schooling line

Interestingly, the most vocal criticism of Tech Trep comes from home-school parents, who see the model as potentially threatening their liberty.

In early August, Kylene and Bryan Varner drove nearly three hours to attend a Middlebury school board meeting. The home-school parents raised a host of concerns about Tech Trep — from how the district would monitor issues such as attendance to whether it would violate state law to give money to families.

Indiana has among the most lax home schooling regulations in the country. Home-schoolers don’t need to take state tests, provide documentation of their education, or tell officials that they are educating their children at home. They are only required to track the number of days of instruction.

As a result, it’s impossible to say how much students are learning, whether they are keeping up with peers in public schools, or even how many Indiana students are home-schooled.

Historically, parents have often chosen to home-school to avoid government involvement in their children’s education. Many parents oppose taking public funding in part because doing so invites state scrutiny of the education they are providing. Those same parents are often vocal critics of publicly funded virtual schools because they blur the distinction between public education and home schooling. Tech Trep goes a step further by specifically targeting home-school families.

With its new program, Bryan Varner told the board, Middlebury is “creating a poison pill … which may be used to encroach on home-school liberties and parental rights for the entire state of Indiana.”

Although publicly funded home-school support programs are common in some states and communities, their reputations are mixed. In California, for example, charter schools that specifically serve home-school families stirred controversy last year, because parents were using state funding to buy luxuries such as Disneyland passes.

Some advocates for oversight of home schooling say that well-run programs can have clear benefits. In Alaska, for example, a program supports families while still imposing restrictions on what they can spend public money on and requirements to monitor children’s education, said Rachel Coleman of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a group that supports regulation of home schooling.

“It is simply the case that having access programs like the ones in Alaska improve the education that children receive,” Coleman said — and accountability measures are key to ensuring programs are not “pocketing a bunch of public money.”

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.”

Seeking re-election, Holcomb highlights progress on teacher pay — and what comes next

2020-09-28T17:57:50+00:00

Chalkbeat is profiling the education stances of the two major-party candidates for Indiana governor in the 2020 election. Read about Democratic challenger Dr. Woody Myers’ education plans here.

Six months ago, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb mustered his executive power to take an extreme step at the start of the pandemic: Close the schools.

It was perhaps one of the biggest decisions any governor has made in recent history. A few months later, Holcomb made another significant call in declaring that students could return to classrooms.

Holcomb’s response to the coronavirus pandemic will likely factor significantly into whether voters secure him a second term as Indiana’s governor. A moderate Republican, Holcomb can also point to several ways he’s responded to educators’ concerns, such as pledging twice to free up more money for schools so they can spend more on teacher salaries, supporting a hold-harmless measure on low test scores, and putting to rest a controversy over possible school funding cuts this summer.

“I know that a great economy is based on a great workforce. A great workforce is developed by a great education system. And a great education depends on great teachers,” Holcomb told Chalkbeat.

But Holcomb has also been criticized by Indiana teachers, who turned out in record numbers last year at a Statehouse rally to pressure lawmakers to take action on teacher pay, standardized testing, and school funding. While Holcomb has promised to study the teacher pay issue and have experts bring policy suggestions, he hasn’t yet delivered the results. One of his promises to raise teacher pay in the future may no longer be financially viable in a pandemic economy.

And Holcomb, who has spent his career working for Indiana’s GOP, appeared to have a strained relationship with fellow Republican Jennifer McCormick, the state’s education leader who has advocated for teachers. In a splashy move last week, McCormick crossed party lines to support Holcomb’s opponent in the governor’s race.

Holcomb supported stripping voters of the opportunity to elect a state superintendent, instead giving the governor the power to choose the state’s top education official.

Holcomb’s campaign declined an interview request from Chalkbeat. Holcomb responded to questions by email about what he’s learned about education politics and how the state can continue supporting schools through the pandemic.

On increasing teacher pay:

Holcomb said his teacher pay commission will release its report in December, “in time for leaders to discuss ways to get more dollars into teacher paychecks.”

The budget constraints caused by the pandemic will make those recommendations even more important, he said.

“We do need to recruit more teachers, especially teachers from minority communities, and we need to do more to keep the great teachers who are already in the profession,” Holcomb wrote. “Increasing their compensation is one way to do that.”

He noted that he believes the state has made progress on teacher pay, since nearly every school district offered some kind of salary increase in last year’s teacher contracts. Holcomb highlighted Indiana’s regular incremental increases to school funding and paying down $150 million in schools’ pension liabilities, which helped some districts offer raises but resulted in little savings for others, as IndyStar reported last year.

On school funding in the next budget:

State revenues have declined during the pandemic, which means state lawmakers will likely have to shape a smaller two-year budget.

“Some difficult choices will need to be made,” Holcomb said. “Having said that, education will remain our top priority.”

On education politics:

Holcomb said he didn’t think education politics caused a lot of friction, casting it instead as “a lot of passion surrounding education issues.”

Holcomb didn’t address tensions, highlighting instead moments of consensus, such as lawmakers’ swift, bipartisan move to protect schools and teachers from low ILEARN results when Indiana switched to the new standardized test.

“Of course, there’s never unanimity on all issues, but in Indiana we’ve shown that we can work together to get things done, and that’s certainly been the case when it comes to education and will continue to be my intent,” he said.

On naming a secretary of education:

Holcomb said he’s looking for an education leader who is “honest, hungry, and humble and has the needs of students at heart. I want a leader that’s creative and is thinking about education in a holistic sense... meaning K-12, higher education, career training, and can collaborate with superintendents, principals, teacher organizations, and parents.”

On education in the pandemic:

Throughout his response to Chalkbeat’s questions, Holcomb praised the work of educators to respond to the challenges of teaching through the coronavirus crisis and noted the state’s efforts to close the digital divide even before the pandemic started. He also acknowledged that the pandemic will exacerbate inequities in education among the most vulnerable students.

“It will be important for us, as a state, to stay focused on student learning... and knowing where we are now and how we will be better after this,” he said.

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.

School of adaptation: How an Indianapolis high school is getting to know students virtually

2020-09-21T23:38:55+00:00

At 8 a.m. on a recent Friday at KIPP Indy Legacy High School, the teachers are dancing in the empty cafeteria.

The halls of the building are quiet because the school’s 250 students are logging on virtually. For teachers who will spend most of the day alone, the 45-second dance ritual generates a burst of energy to help fuel them through a long day ahead.

Then, for the next 19 minutes, teachers prepare for the day — reciting school values, discussing lessons, and setting goals. The meetings are also a moment to share what’s going on in their lives outside of school.

“You can’t be your best self at work if you are holding in all of these things,” Principal David Spencer told Chalkbeat. “We have been forced to make these very personal connections.”

Teachers at Legacy are among thousands in the U.S. leading classes over video this fall. Without the daily interactions in classrooms and halls that help them get to know students, they are spending the first weeks of school building relationships. Because they are not in the same room with students, teachers are striving to find new ways to keep their attention in class and push them to do schoolwork.

Educators must do more than muddle through remote learning at Legacy. The stakes are too high to let hardship derail high school even during a pandemic.

But it’s not easy. The coronavirus has upended students’ lives and education. While going to class virtually, they also are looking after younger siblings, working jobs, and dealing with illnesses in their families.

Over the coming months, Chalkbeat will follow how the pandemic is changing life for students, families, and educators at Legacy in Martindale-Brightwood, a predominantly Black neighborhood northeast of downtown. The high school, which currently has students in ninth and 10th grades, began the year entirely online. Leaders are expected to decide in the coming days whether to bring students back in person next month.

In the morning meeting, Spencer flashes a slide of grade-point averages for his teachers. Average GPAs are improving, but they are still low. Ninth graders averaged about 2.1 on a four-point scale, while 10th graders averaged 1.6.

This is what Spencer said keeps him up at night. Those figures are about a point lower than he would expect if students were attending in person. Many KIPP students are eligible for Indiana’s college promise program, which offers free tuition to state schools. In order to receive the funding, however, students must have a 2.5 GPA.

“What happens right now, COVID or not, is going to impact what your junior and senior year look like,” Spencer said later. “So much of high school dictates what the rest of your life looks like.”

Shelene Baiyee teaches a remote lesson in chemistry and Principal David Spencer sets up a computer at KIPP Indy Legacy High School.

The technical problems start just a few minutes into Shelene Baiyee’s first-period chemistry class. Some students aren’t able to type their responses to questions in an online assignment on ions and isotopes. Her internet connection falters, and students struggle to hear her clearly.

“Do you remember what an isotope is?” Baiyee asks a student. As she waits for an answer, she murmurs to herself under her breath, “Can you hear me?” before calling on another student whose microphone is already on.

About halfway through her lesson, Baiyee’s audio breaks up so badly that Principal Spencer steps in to bring her his laptop, after he observed the problems while watching her lesson. With the extra laptop, she gets going again with her slides on one computer and her audio on another.

A first-year chemistry teacher less than six months out of college, Baiyee is optimistic and eager to improve. Two days before, Baiyee and a colleague watched videos of each others’ lessons to spot ways they could be better. The other teacher suggested tips for keeping students focused, such as narrating what is happening in the class and cold-calling on students. But it’s hard to practice those strategies if the audio breaks up so badly they cannot hear the lesson.

It’s especially frustrating when internet problems hinder lessons because staff at Legacy have put so much work into making sure students log on. When schools abruptly switched to remote learning in the spring, Legacy relied on recorded videos and homework. But attendance was lower than they wanted, and staff felt like ”the connection that made our school what it was was missing,” Spencer said.

So this fall Legacy changed its approach, and teachers hold live lessons that students are expected to attend for several periods each day. Because virtual classes can be exhausting, the school cut back on the hours students spend in class, Spencer said. Teachers typically lead lessons half the week.

When teachers are not instructing, they help out by taking attendance in colleagues’ classes and calling to track down missing students. At the start of the year, if students missed an entire day, they could get as many as five calls. Sometimes, a call is all it takes to roust a student who overslept. Other times, calls reveal that students are having issues with computers or internet connections the school can help troubleshoot.

“We made a commitment to do whatever it takes,” said Spencer, who believes the unrelenting follow-up during the first month of school has paid off. Legacy is averaging about 94% attendance each day.

With all the internet problems, Baiyee’s class that morning stands out in frustration and obstacles requiring last-minute improvisation, she said.

As a new teacher, “there’s always just so many things to think about,” she said, and technology problems add one more worry to that list.

But Baiyee keeps up her enthusiasm for atoms, ions, and electrons. “If you’re not excited, what makes you think they’re going to be excited?” she asked. “You have to show that you’re as invested in the subject as they should be.”

Kara Davis-Myers’ teaches with three screens, so she can watch students complete assignments as well as their videos.

Down the hall, writing teacher Kara Davis-Myers runs a virtual class with two laptops — her own and one borrowed from an administrator — and an extra monitor. On one screen, she welcomes students as they log on; on another she shares her screen; and on the third she looks at the assignments they are completing in real time.

That day, her students are writing neutral summaries of an opinion piece from the New York Times about whether athletes should kneel during the national anthem.

While students write in Google Classroom, Davis-Myers simultaneously monitors their behavior and reads their work — repeating what the assignment asks for and what they are doing well.

“I love the text evidence that you chose. Explain why you chose it,” she tells one student. “Very strong.”

“Way to go back and edit for paragraphs one through five,” she tells another. “I would say, delete this for now,” she adds, highlighting some text on her screen.

“All right, awesome,” Davis-Myers tells the class, before pausing to caution another student, “if there’s a reason your camera’s not on, I need to know.”

In person, Davis-Myers’ ninth-grade composition class usually relies on small-group discussions. Because that’s not feasible virtually, she spends more time talking, calling on students to unmute or submit answers in the video chat box.

As a teacher, “you have to just be pumped up. You have to be full of energy,” she said. “You just have to give a lot — which is exhausting.”

When Davis-Myers thought about coming back remotely, she was anxious she wouldn’t get to know new students. But in some ways, she’s now managed to feel closer to them.

This year, administrators eased some of the school’s strict rules because of the pandemic and economic hardship. While they decided students must have their cameras on so teachers know whether they are there and can be called on, Spencer said, now students are allowed to wear do-rags and bonnets over their hair.

“We don’t know all of the things that could impact whether or not students could get their hair cut or get their hair done,” Spencer said. “Our students should not feel like, ‘for the next four hours, I have to feel vulnerable in front of everyone because I have to have my camera on.’”

Davis-Myers believes the relaxed rules have helped make students more comfortable. And the requirement that they keep their cameras on has offered a peek into students’ environments.

All that has helped Davis-Myers forge bonds with her new students.

“It’s like they’re more themselves because they’re feeling comfortable in what they’re wearing and who they are,” she said about remote learning. “It’s more natural than I thought it would be.”

IPS plans a staggered in-person return after a cautious online start

2020-09-15T22:00:08+00:00

After a cautious start, Indianapolis Public Schools plans to reopen classrooms in person for students in all grades next month.

The plan is based on improved coronavirus data in Marion County. Students up to fifth grade will return full time, and middle and high schoolers will return for two days of in-person learning each week. The city’s average positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive for the coronavirus — has hovered near 5% for several weeks, according to state data.

“We have been watching our health data very closely and are excited to have seen some movement,” said Superintendent Aleesia Johnson at a media briefing Tuesday.

The plan will be presented to the school board Tuesday, but members do not need to approve it because the resolution to return virtually gave the administration latitude in reopening, according to a district spokeswoman. It could affect close to 33,000 students who attend schools tied to IPS, although some independent innovation schools are already operating in person. Families will have the option to sign up for virtual instruction.

The decision to reopen classrooms is a significant step for the district, which first chose to return 100% virtually in July when positivity rates were higher and many feared the outbreak was getting worse. IPS is now one of just two districts in Marion County that have not resumed in-person instruction. The other, Washington Township, approved a plan Tuesday to return in person.

The IPS reopening will be phased in over the first three weeks of October. Students in prekindergarten through third grade will return for a week of in-person school on Oct. 5. The next week, which was initially part of a fall break, all students will have remote learning.

Classrooms will reopen for all students on Oct. 19. Elementary school children will attend full-time in person, and sixth through 12th grade students will attend in person two days per week and study remotely three days per week.

While the safety concerns of reopening in person weigh heavily on most school leaders, there are also many reasons to return. Parents rely on schools to provide childcare. And they are a crucial connection for the most vulnerable children, providing food and access to healthcare.

At the same time, the education students receive remotely is unlikely to be as good as it would be in-person. In IPS, the average attendance rate has reached almost 80%, but that’s lower than the district would expect in person, officials said.

Even students who attend class may struggle to stay motivated staring at a screen. And it’s especially challenging, parents say, for small children to focus on online classes.

IPS will offer an optional full-time virtual program. It is still in the works, but it may vary by school, said Warren Morgan, the district’s chief academics officer. That’s different from the plan outlined in the summer when the district had intended to have a small number of teachers educate students from multiple elementary schools.

Virtual instruction could entail teachers educating students both in-person and remotely, creating specialized sections for virtual students, or relying on other staff in the building, Morgan said.

“We’re learning from other districts,” he said. “A big piece of that is actually gathering the data of how many students actually opt in.”

After IPS announced plans to return to school virtually, county and state officials have released more guidance. The Marion County Public Health Department allows in-person classes to continue for some students if the positivity rate remains below 13%. IPS is creating its own metrics that are similar to the county guidelines but slightly more cautious. If the rate goes above 11%, only pre-K through third-grade students would remain in person.

Other districts across Indiana that began the school year virtually are now grappling with the same question of when and how to resume in person. School systems including Hamilton Southeastern, South Bend, and Portage have either returned or begun discussing plans to reopen.

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.

Indiana education officials change school funding rules for virtual learning in the pandemic

2020-09-02T13:16:33+00:00

Exercising special power granted during the pandemic, Indiana education officials rewrote school funding rules Wednesday to prevent cuts for virtual learning due to the coronavirus.

The State Board of Education created a new rule to address funding for students who would normally be in classrooms but are learning online because of the pandemic — including students in hybrid or all-virtual options, and those at schools that haven’t reopened for in-person instruction. The state will fully fund those students this fall, as though they were attending in-person.

The change aims to keep school funding steady through the pandemic and comes in response to a recent warning that schools could receive reduced state support if they don’t return to in-person learning.

Without the new rule, schools would see their per-student funding drop to 85% for online students — a loss that would equate, for example, to $28 million for Indianapolis Public Schools, which is staying all-virtual for at least two months.

The board unanimously approved the change, which only applies to the fall and leaves the virtual funding issue up in the air for the spring. Board member Pete Miller stressed that while they were creating an exception, he still believes students learn best in person.

“In effect, we’re doing a workaround to an existing statute — this incentivizes the virtual instruction,” Miller said. “My hope is that schools will continue to seek to provide in-person instruction wherever it’s possible. And obviously I say that fully aware of all the challenges with all of that.”

The state board’s move does not apply to students who were already enrolled in online programs before the pandemic, or to students who transferred to virtual charter schools.

But it would protect full funding for new students who switched from in-person learning last spring to district-run online schools this fall, such as at Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.’s Virtual Academy, which has seen enrollment skyrocket to roughly 20 times its previous size.

State board members took a different tactic for addressing the issue than what Gov. Eric Holcomb called upon them to do last month. Holcomb had suggested delaying the September student count day used to determine funding in the fall, to buy time for lawmakers to act or for the virus to subside enough to allow students to return to classrooms.

But Holcomb’s proposal left much uncertainty and raised some logistical issues. Under that plan, schools could have still seen retroactive cuts if lawmakers failed to act. Districts and teachers unions would have had to bargain contracts in the fall without knowing how much school funding would come in that year. Teacher bonuses could have been delayed, since the funding pot is divided among districts based on enrollment. And schools that had significantly underestimated fall enrollment would have had to wait months for their funding to be corrected.

The state board’s action avoids some of those complications and ensures full funding for the fall. But Denny Costerison, executive director of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, stressed that it doesn’t solve everything, and lawmakers still need to address the question of virtual funding in the spring.

“It gets us hopefully a step closer to the final solution of this,” Costerison said. “We’ve gone around the barn here on it — how are we going to count these students that are virtual because of COVID, not because of any other choice but that?”

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that she appreciated the move to protect “the funding we so desperately need this fall.”

“Their vote will allow us to continue to make the critical safety decisions necessary in the best interest of our students and staff whether remotely or in-person,” Johnson said. “However, the need for a permanent solution still exists and we look forward to continuing this discussion with our legislators.”

During Wednesday’s short meeting, State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick asked for an explanation why the state board was not addressing funding for the spring. The agency has limited authority to take this kind of action during a public health emergency, state board attorney Chad Ranney said, and it’s not clear what the effects of the pandemic will look like next year.

“If there were a vaccine tomorrow, then students would be able to return in person in a safe environment,” Ranney said. “We want to be able to check the conditions on the ground, before we make a decision, before we have to.”

This Indianapolis school reopened carefully. Why didn’t students come back?

2020-08-31T09:00:00+00:00

It wasn’t technically the first day of school.

Tindley Summit Academy in Indianapolis had started the year with two weeks of online learning to let coronavirus cases subside, but this was the first day back in classrooms since March. The morning still had that buzzy excitement to it, though maybe the jitters were amplified by how different school would look this year.

I was dispatched to the first day back by the public radio show and podcast “This American Life,” in partnership with Chalkbeat, to see how reopening would go. This week’s episode of “This American Life” explores the national angst and anxiety over how students can safely return to classrooms during the pandemic — and Indiana has been on the front lines of that issue.

I’d been following Tindley Summit’s reopening plans since early August. Principal David McGuire knew that letting me watch the school welcome students back into the building could mean I’d end up scrutinizing their response if they encountered a positive case at Summit. COVID-19, school leaders told me, was a reality that they were just going to have to deal with.

But I don’t think any of us expected what happened on the first day back.

Drop-off goes by without a hitch. The kids settle into their classrooms pretty quickly. All that planning is paying off. Mr. McGuire and I speed walk through the school, and we see kids patiently waiting to use the bathrooms, where they’re only allowed to use every other stall to maintain space. He points out a sixth grade class reading “The Outsiders” at their desks that have shields set up on them like little cubicles. The kids don’t even fuss that much about wearing their masks. It seems like a smooth start to being back in school. Except… for one thing. As we pass by a second grade classroom, we both notice that there’s only a single kid in it.

Listen to the episode of “This American Life” below, or download the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora. Find more information on other ways to tune in and how to subscribe to “This American Life” here.

This American Life ep. 715: Long-Awaited Asteroid Finally Hits Earth

How Indianapolis Public Schools plans to pay for $27 million in coronavirus costs

2020-08-28T00:43:37+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools will take on over $5 million in debt to help pay for tech devices for e-learning during the pandemic.

The state’s largest district, which returned to school entirely virtually last week, is spending over $27 million to respond to the coronavirus, with the largest chunk going to laptops and tablets for all students and wireless hotspots for those without home internet, according to district officials. A significant portion of the coronavirus-related costs will be reimbursed by federal sources, but just how much funding the district will receive remains uncertain.

“We are absolutely thankful for the federal funding we’ve received and philanthropy that we’ve received,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. “But we also know that there are some additional gaps that we need to cover in terms of the cost to go fully 1-to-1.”

The school board decided unanimously Thursday to issue over $5 million in bonds, which will help cover technology purchases since March.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the district about $4.4 million for expenses such as buying personal protective equipment, and the district also expects $11 million to $14 million in other federal coronavirus relief funding for schools. The district plans to pay for the remaining coronavirus-related costs with philanthropic funding and reserves.

The final cost “depends upon the degree and the duration of this COVID impact” on the economy and families “and how we choose to respond to that,” said IPS chief financial officer Weston Young.

IPS also faces uncertainty over just how much state funding it will receive this year. Indiana law provides less funding for students who attend school virtually. The district could lose out on as much as $28 million unless lawmakers change that policy, according to the district.

Johnson said she is hopeful that lawmakers will fully fund schools, and IPS has not begun planning for cuts. But, she said, “if we were to be funded at the 85% level, given the impact of a reduction, we would have no choice but to make significant and, quite frankly, severe cuts that would be really catastrophic.”

IPS could save some money by beginning the school year entirely online. But how much it saves hinges on whether it pays all staff members. When schools closed due to the coronavirus in March, IPS continued to pay hourly staff the same amount they would have if school was in session.

IPS is currently paying all employees, Johnson said. The human resources department is reviewing whether staff have enough work in their current roles, and if not, whether they can take on other responsibilities to support the district, she said.

Although the district has different staffing needs because students are studying remotely, when classrooms reopen it will need those support staff. Some skilled workers, such as bus drivers, are in high demand.

By far the largest coronavirus-related cost for the district was purchasing devices. IPS is spending $16.5 million on devices for students, about a third of which will be paid for with the bonds. That includes about 20,000 Chromebooks, 12,000 iPads, and 7,000 wireless hotspots.

The technology is essential for virtual instruction. When classrooms closed in the spring, IPS elementary and middle school students received paper assignments because the district did not know whether families had devices or internet access. IPS estimated as many as 40% of students did not have reliable broadband. The district repurposed devices from various parts of the school system to provide high school students with laptops. This year, IPS has pledged to provide every student a device.

After a remote start, an Indianapolis district sets a strict bar for reopening

2020-08-27T02:21:54+00:00

Six weeks after Washington Township became the first Indianapolis school district to decide to reopen entirely online, the board approved a coronavirus threshold for when students will be able to return to classrooms.

The district, which enrolls about 11,000 students, will begin reopening schools when the average positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive the coronavirus — reaches 5% in Marion County for two weeks. Elementary schools would return full time. Middle and high school students would remain indefinitely on a hybrid schedule where they attend in person some days and virtually on other days.

In a sign of how widely coronavirus plans vary, the metric is significantly more conservative than guidance from the local health department and than the approaches taken by several neighboring school districts, which have already returned to classrooms. But Indianapolis Public Schools, which began the year entirely remotely, is also pegging its reopening to a 5% positivity rate.

The positivity rate in Marion County is currently 6.9%, according to the Marion County Public Health Department. County guidelines allow partial school reopenings if the rate is below 13%.

The board discussed the plan for more than two hours Wednesday and voted after weeks of deliberation on the best way to approach reopening. Board members split on using 5% positivity as the measure for reopening classrooms. Only three of the five board members voted for the plan. One member abstained.

“I think the percentages are too conservative,” said board member John Fencl, who voted against the plan and argued that the costs of keeping students out of school were too high.

For students in early grades, remote learning and spending time on Zoom is especially difficult, Fencl said. And even older students are struggling socially and emotionally.

“There is a need to get back in school,” he said.

Anxiety over the potential health risks of reopening too soon, however, led other board members to support the conservative approach.

“Obviously I want our kids to be back in school too. None of this is lost on me or any of us,” board member Donald Kite said. But he ultimately supported a strict standard for reopening to help protect students, teachers, staff, and parents.

“I’d rather somebody call me and folks who support this a nervous Nelly than to be cavalier when it comes to health.”

If school buildings reopen under the plan, students will gradually return, giving schools time to ramp up. Kindergartners and first graders will come back first, with later grades joining over the next two weeks.

The Washington Township school district made news in July when the board voted to reopen schools entirely virtually because coronavirus cases were rising. In the weeks that followed, several Indiana schools and districts also shifted to entirely virtual plans.

One reason why school districts have pursued such different reopening plans is because state and county officials have taken a relatively hands-off approach. The Marion County Public Health Department did not release clear metrics for when and how schools should reopen until July 30, after several school districts had already called off in-person instruction.

The state released school reopening guidance on Wednesday, weeks after many students returned to classrooms.

The new hybrid model: How an Indianapolis middle school is trying to balance safety with face time

2020-08-19T23:11:19+00:00

Outside Chapel Hill 7th and 8th Grade Center, metal benches are arranged in clusters for an experiment in open-air learning. Inside, signs caution students and staff to wear face masks, keep 6 feet apart, and avoid drinking from the water fountain.

But the biggest change at the Indianapolis junior high school, which enrolls over 1,300 students and reopened last week, is that fewer than half the students are on campus each day.

Chapel Hill, in the west side district of Wayne Township, is using a hybrid model to teach during the coronavirus pandemic. Students come to campus two days a week and study from home the rest of the week, working on materials independently or meeting with teachers and classmates by video. About 300 students are signed up for fully online school.

To make hybrid instruction work, Chapel Hill had to invent a new approach. Educators must create lessons for the children in the building and those who are at home, and make the most of the time spent together in person.

Education leaders hope that with hybrid instruction and safety measures such as masks and outdoor classes, students will be able to get the benefits of attending in person while reducing the likelihood of transmitting the disease. At Chapel Hill, classrooms that once held over 30 students now have 15 or fewer, and there is more space for social distancing in the cafeteria and hallways.

“We missed our kids,” said Principal Kelin Mark. “For us to give them the opportunity as a district, where they can come in even for a couple of days, we think is going to help them socially, academically, personally.”

Last month, the Marion County Public Health Department issued guidance requiring most middle and high schools to use hybrid or remote instruction, citing the current coronavirus infection rates in the county. Elementary school students can attend in person full time. Some Indianapolis school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, have switched to entirely remote instruction. But most of the county’s districts are using a hybrid model like the one in Wayne.

Elsewhere, though, hybrid instruction may be the least popular plan for restarting schools, national research suggests. When the Center on Reinventing Public Education surveyed a nationally representative sample of districts in late July, about 12% were planning to reopen with a hybrid model. Almost 40% of districts planned to fully open in person, and 14% planned to reopen with remote learning. Information was not available for the others.

Hybrid reopening plans were more common in urban and suburban districts, where about 20% of districts were planning to use the approach. Because much of the country saw a surge in coronavirus infections over the summer and school district plans are in flux, the survey results could be outdated, said Betheny Gross, associate director of the CRPE.

The clear advantage of hybrid instruction is that “you at least get some face time with the kids,” Gross said. But hybrid schools still face some of the same challenges as entirely remote options. “The biggest question is figuring out how to keep kids productively engaged when they’re at home,” Gross said.

At Chapel Hill, students who enroll in the entirely virtual option log on for video lessons taught by Chapel Hill teachers during what are traditionally prep periods, said Dominic Day, the Wayne curriculum coordinator for secondary schools. Those teachers are paid for the extra work.

In the hybrid model, teachers don’t teach in-person and online students at the same time, Day said. Instead, teachers focus on working with students who are in the classroom, essentially spending two days a week teaching each cohort.

On days when students are at home, they are expected to work independently, following a daily schedule that includes practice work, tests, and recorded videos of the teachers, Day said. On Fridays, no students attend in person. Instead they spend some time working independently at home and some time meeting with teachers and classmates over video.

When students are at school, the district is encouraging teachers to focus on the kind of learning that is hard to do independently, Day said. It’s a good time, for example, for collaborative work, using the science lab, or tackling real-world applications of math skills.

“We know that it’s not a perfect situation,” Day said. But he said the district would try to make it equal to the quality of education before the pandemic “or even a better experience.”

Math teacher Sequoia Lee, who is new to Wayne Township this year, is optimistic that she will be able to keep students on track academically using the hybrid model.

“The location is different,” Lee said, because students are practicing skills at home. But teachers are always making decisions about what concepts are most important and where to devote their limited time. “These kids are smart,” she said. “They can blaze through some of these lessons.”

Lee is more worried about the social side of teaching during a pandemic. She used to be able to tell when children were having rough days and quickly check on them. Now, most days they will be at home, and if she connects by video, they might be uncomfortable opening up to a teacher with their family in the background. Even at school, the new health guidelines could constrain such interactions.

“It’s a relationship,” Lee said. “Just imagine being in a relationship and you can’t really show too much affection — whether it’s a high five, a hug, or a smile.”

Indiana will start tracking COVID-19 cases in schools

2020-08-19T19:44:13+00:00

Indiana will start matching COVID-19 tests to student records to notify schools of positive cases and create a public dashboard tracking the spread of the coronavirus in schools, the state’s top health official announced Wednesday.

The state aims to launch the public dashboard next month. Schools will be asked to submit numbers daily on new positive cases among students, teachers, and staff, said Dr. Kristina Box, the state’s health commissioner.

The move to publicize COVID-19 cases in schools comes as many students across the state have returned to classrooms this month. In Greenfield, the district saw a positive case on the first day back. In some instances, positive cases have forced schools to ask more than 100 close contacts to isolate or even temporarily close buildings.

“I cannot say this enough: The actions you take outside of school are just as important as those that you take inside the school building,” Box said.

She urged students and teachers to wear masks, cooperate with contact tracing, and finish the full period of quarantining before returning to school.

A mix of frustration and relief as IPS goes back to school, all online

2020-08-18T00:04:03+00:00

Yajayra Guzman’s day began with tears.

Her son got upset when they had trouble logging on for his first day of online preschool. Her daughter, a first-grader who remembers in-person school, didn’t like the virtual substitute.

“She was just crying, saying that this was boring, that this is not what school is like — that she doesn’t get it, and she doesn’t know what are they talking about,” Guzman said.

Then, Guzman herself started to fall apart. She loved her children’s school but keeping them enrolled and engaged felt increasingly untenable.

Indianapolis Public Schools, which has more than 25,000 students in district-run schools, began the year entirely online today, joining a national experiment in remote instruction amid the coronovirus pandemic. It will test whether the school experience can be replicated online, whether students will learn as much with remote instruction as they would’ve in classrooms, and whether online school can be more than a stopgap measure.

And the results will be measured household by household, day by day.

For Guzman, even high-quality online instruction won’t solve her essential problem: She and her husband both work full time, and most days her children will be with her mother, who does not speak English and won’t be able to help them navigate virtual school.

“I would not mind if they were a little bit older. ... They would know how to read. They would know their numbers,” said Guzman, who took time off work to help her children with the start of school. But without her there to supervise, she said, “they’re going to be left behind.”

Now, Guzman is considering withdrawing her children from IPS and enrolling them in Warren Township, which is offering in-person instruction.

Present in the classroom

Although IPS offered a hastily developed version of remote instruction when schools closed due to the coronavirus in March, officials say this time will be different. All students will get district-provided Chromebooks and iPads. Students will be expected to follow a daily schedule. And teachers will spend more time leading their classes through live video.

For Juli Cooper, who teaches sixth and seventh grade at School 87 northwest of downtown, the morning began with setting expectations. Rather than teach from home, she chose to go to her classroom so students could see her present at the school building. She wanted them to know she took remote school seriously, and that they should, too.

As she worked with a small group on vocabulary, Cooper looked at a grid of student faces on her monitor. She checked in with them one by one to be sure they knew the next steps to make flashcards. She guided them through the process of logging on for art, their next lesson. When she gave them the choice to stay on the video call or log off while they worked, faces began slowly disappearing until the screen was empty.

The first morning went unexpectedly smoothly, Cooper said, with all but one of her 28 students logging on. Cooper spent hours preparing for the year, figuring out how to transform lessons for the internet. She tried to think of everything students would’ve had in the classroom, even sending home bags of rubber bands for their index cards. “It’s like your first year teaching again,” said Cooper, who has taught for 19 years.

‘The easiest day’

There have been some bumps in the road for IPS. On Sunday before school started, IPS announced that a technical glitch could sometimes prevent teachers and classmates from seeing video of students, although audio should work for everyone. The district is updating accounts to fix the issue and expects it to be resolved by Tuesday morning, the statement said.

Some families struggled with technical problems, child care, and other barriers on the first day of school. Others seemed happy to send their children back to virtual classes, posting cheerful photos on social media of them studying at desks.

Whether students, especially young children, have a good experience with remote instruction will likely hinge on whether their parents are able to supervise closely or get help from others.

Hannah Northup, who has a daughter in kindergarten and a son in third grade, said that the first day went really well — especially compared with the chaos of the spring. She and her husband both work, and managing remote learning last school year was overwhelming. So this fall, they are using money in a child care flexible spending account to pay someone to help.

The woman they hired has experience in education and spent the day supervising the children when they learned online. “I know we are very fortunate. Not all parents are getting to do this,” Northup said. “It’s been the easiest day for me as far as e-learning goes.”

For Brittany Hernandez, whose son is in preschool, the morning also began relatively smoothly. He joined his class online to meet his preschool teacher. With Hernandez by his side, he did school work on his tablet, and while he was often distracted, he was also excited by some of the work.

Hernandez left her job as an insurance agent earlier this year, but she hopes to go back to work soon. She’s unsure how she will handle child care once she does. “If we continue doing virtual,” she said, “I really don’t know how it’s gonna be for us once I start working.”

Sites will offer free child care, e-learning support to Indianapolis children

2020-08-14T21:28:22+00:00

Several Indianapolis nonprofits are creating a multi-site community child care network that will provide e-learning supervision for students whose schools are operating remotely this year.

The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis nonprofit that supports schools, is organizing the effort and giving $200,000 in grants to the sites. The child care will be free, and 11 sites will begin operating by Aug. 24 and run at least until Oct. 16, according to a release from the organization.

The sites will initially have space for at least 500 students. Providers will focus on serving students who attend schools in Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries, but other students can participate based on need. For more information visit CommunityLearningSites.org. All sites will provide daily breakfast and lunch.

Thousands of Indianapolis students will be in school remotely this year, putting intense pressure on working parents whose children are learning virtually and lack child care. Districts including IPS and multiple charter schools shifted to virtual instruction for the start of the year because of coronavirus safety concerns.

“Marginalized families in Indianapolis continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden as a result of COVID-19,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, in a statement. “As many schools make the understandable decision to begin the new school year virtually, families continue to tell us and our community partners that they need support navigating the many obstacles they currently face.”

The sites aim to address the concern that children without sufficient academic supervision and support at home will fall behind in school. The Mind Trust is also looking to hire facilitators to work with small groups of students at the sites on e-learning.

The Mind Trust chose the child care providers based on their interest, capacity to begin programming, and location in high-need areas, according to the release. The sites can use the funding for personnel costs, facility costs, wireless infrastructure, meals, personal protective equipment, and transportation support for families.

The child care sites are:

Chaney Microlearning Center
Christamore House
Cornerstone Lutheran Church Indianapolis, in partnership with Shepherd Community Center
Crossroads AME Church
Edna Martin Christian Center
Freedom Academy Inc. (The Reset Center)
Hawthorne Community Center
Kids Inc., in partnership with Shepherd Community Center
Shepherd Community Center
Tabernacle Presbyterian Church
Westside Missionary Baptist Church

Update: Aug. 14, 2020: This story has been updated to reflect a change in location for a child care site. Child care will be offered at Shepherd Community Center.

Indiana blocks some charter schools from $10 million coronavirus relief grant program

2020-08-14T19:43:04+00:00

A $10 million grant program meant to help Indiana schools grapple with the impact of the coronavirus is pitting charter and traditional public schools against each other and creating tension over how to divvy up federal aid.

The state notified several Indiana charter schools last week that they had won competitive grants to help them serve the most vulnerable students. But then the schools learned that restrictions that weren’t mentioned in the initial application would prevent them from accepting the grant.

The Indiana Department of Education is withholding federally funded coronavirus relief grants from schools that also received money through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, according to interviews with and documents shared by school leaders.

Dozens of Indiana charter schools received federal PPP funds — forgivable loans aimed at helping small businesses continue paying employees during the pandemic. Charter schools qualified for the loans because they are run by nonprofits, but traditional public school districts were not eligible.

The loans to charter schools drew outrage from some people because charter schools were still receiving public funding and some have wealthy benefactors. (Chalkbeat is also a nonprofit and received federal paycheck protection funding.)

The two funding streams have different purposes. While schools must spend the PPP money on salaries and facilities in order for the loans to be forgiven, the Indiana Department of Education grants are meant to help schools serve students and could go to other expenses, such as technology. The grants are a small slice of Indiana’s federal CARES Act allocation, which included $215 million for schools.

In a memo to schools in May, the department told schools it would prioritize applications from rural districts with limited resources; hard-hit areas; education-related organizations like juvenile correctional facilities; and schools that serve at-risk students, such as English learners and homeless students.

For Matchbook Learning at School 63, the grant seemed like a natural fit. Nearly 37% of the school’s 600 students are English language learners, and 98% come from low-income families. The school’s west side Indianapolis neighborhood has also been hit hard by the coronavirus, said Eric McGuire, director of personalization. Matchbook planned to use the grant to hire a social worker with experience in therapy to help students deal with trauma, officials said.

But after learning that the school was awarded more than $77,000, Matchbook leaders realized the school wasn’t eligible. To receive the funding, they’d need to formally state that the school had not gotten a PPP loan. Matchbook received a $753,000 PPP loan, according to CEO Amy Swann.

“This grant was specifically intended for schools and communities like ours,” McGuire said. “We’re just so frustrated and upset and devastated for our families and our kids.”

The Indiana Department of Education did not respond to several requests for comment from Chalkbeat.

This is just the latest dispute over school funding during the pandemic. As schools have incurred millions of dollars in extra costs to cope with the coronavirus, the argument over how to distribute federal assistance has put private, charter, and traditional public schools in competition for money.

Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos ignited controversy when her department initially put out guidance that would have directed more federal money than expected to private schools. In Indiana, State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick instructed schools to ignore that guidance in favor of a more straightforward reading of the law that directs more money to public schools.

Schools across the state are also waiting to see whether the Indiana legislature will provide them full funding for students who attend virtually this school year or leave in place a law that only funds virtual students at 85%.

Charter school leaders and advocates say that the Indiana Department of Education’s decision to withhold the coronavirus relief grants from some schools conflicts with McCormick’s public statements about supporting students who are most in need.

“This seems like a political decision, rather than a decision that was based on the merits,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis nonprofit that supports charter schools. “It is surprising that an elected official that has staked her tenure on resisting politics is now doing the very same thing that she spent the last four years criticizing.”

Brown called the exclusion “disgraceful” and said it will harm Black, Latino, and low-income students who attend Indianapolis charter schools.

The decision made Kristie Sweeney, head of school for Southeast Neighborhood School of Excellence, feel like McCormick was “getting back at us because she’s not a charter school supporter,” she said. The policy prioritizes “the students most in need who go to traditional public schools, not students most in need whose parents elect to have choice.”

Sweeney said it was especially frustrating because she had no indication that her school wouldn’t be eligible. The staff spent significant time preparing the application. Last week, the school heard it would receive almost $130,000 to purchase Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots. But now the award won’t materialize because the school received a $742,100 PPP loan, according to Sweeney.

Indiana charter school leaders and advocates point out that charter schools lack access to many sources of education funding, such as property taxes that help pay for facilities and transportation, and ballot referendums to supplement budgets.

Indiana governor proposes moving fall student count date to avoid school funding cuts

2020-08-12T18:58:12+00:00

Pushing back on a move last week to cut state aid to schools that stay fully remote, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed Wednesday keeping funding levels steady through the fall.

Holcomb’s proposal would stave off cuts for a few months — and buy time either for students to return to classrooms or for Indiana lawmakers to discuss potential changes to a state law that otherwise would reduce state dollars for students learning mostly online.

He suggested delaying the Sept. 18 count date of student enrollment that’s used to calculate school funding. By postponing the count date until at least December, schools won’t immediately see their funding dip.

But Holcomb’s proposal does not guarantee that schools will be fully funded for the whole school year. It’s unclear whether the spread of the coronavirus will subside and remain low enough for all schools to safely reopen classrooms for full-time in-person instruction. Several districts plan to re-evaluate later this fall whether to reopen classrooms.

If students don’t return, fully funding virtual education during the pandemic would require legislative action — and at least one leading lawmaker has already cast doubt over whether the Republican majority will fulfill promises to protect schools.

Holcomb’s senior education adviser Katie Jenner said the move still offers “near-term” certainty for schools.

“Obviously what we wanted to do is lock in right now and say at this point, you do not need to be concerned about this,” Holcomb said. “And how we then address virtual education, we’ll have time to do that.”

In a statement, Holcomb said legislative leaders “share my commitment to fund schools to the full extent during this uncertain and unprecedented time.”

In a press release, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate leader Rodric Bray offered support for the move. Bray, who alarmed districts last week by outlining reductions to schools not offering in-person learning, said lawmakers could “take a fresh look at these statutes in light of the pandemic to ensure schools are adequately funded.”

State schools Superintendent Jennifer McCormick said she is still reviewing the benefits and consequences of Holcomb’s proposal.

“This delay is just that — a delay,” McCormick said in a statement. “Hoosier schools deserve a solution to secure 100 percent funding as districts are bargaining, budgeting, and preparing for the next 18 months.”

Postponing count day will likely soothe some school leaders’ anxieties, but the state still needs to deal with how a funding formula written for virtual charter and other online schools gets applied more broadly during a pandemic, said Denny Costerison, executive director of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials.

“We have more time to deal with the issue, but no, it does not solve the overriding issue of what will be the funding levels for schools that have decided to do full-time virtual or a hybrid model,” he said.

Holcomb’s proposal also pushes the school funding debate past the November election, in which he is running for a second term and Republicans are seeking to hold onto a two-thirds majority in the state House.

The Indiana State Board of Education, made up of members appointed by Holcomb and other legislative leaders, would need to call a special meeting to move the count date.

Funding cuts would hurt Indiana schools serving more Black and Latino students

2020-08-12T01:08:05+00:00

Potential cuts to Indiana schools that offer virtual learning but don’t reopen school campuses this fall would harm schools serving more Black and Latino students, according to a Chalkbeat analysis.

Those funding losses would widen systemic inequities already made worse by the health crisis, as Black and Latino families are facing higher coronavirus infection rates, suffering widely from the recession, and often struggling to support at-home learning for their students.

“How much more can you continue to harm the most vulnerable students in our schools?” said Flora Reichanadter, superintendent of Pike Township schools in Indianapolis, which started the school year virtually Tuesday.

Last week, state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray sowed confusion and concern when he appeared to backtrack on state promises that Indiana would fully support schools offering online instruction through the pandemic.

Bray, a Republican, warned schools that they would receive funding cuts if they only offered virtual instruction this fall, due to a law that reduces state dollars by 15% for students learning mostly or all online.

The cuts would come as a significant blow to schools trying to navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic, on the threshold of an economic crisis that threatens to slash future budgets. It’s not clear whether lawmakers will intervene, though many other leading Republicans, such as Gov. Eric Holcomb, House Speaker Todd Huston, and state Superintendent Jennifer McCormick, have pledged to fully fund schools.

When Bray put out his statement, about 40 districts and charter schools were planning to start the year completely remotely, according to a list compiled by the Indiana Department of Education. That’s less than 15% of Indiana districts and charter schools and likely a rough estimate, since the state did not require schools to report their plans and some have been quickly changing.

The schools that planned to start remotely enrolled nearly one-third of all Black students in Indiana, and 30% of Hispanic students last year, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state data. In all, those schools encompassed nearly 20% of the state’s student population, even though they make up a fraction of Indiana’s almost 300 districts and charter school networks.

That’s likely because the communities pausing fully reopening classrooms have been hard-hit by the coronavirus, and the spread has been worse among Black and Latino populations, who tend to have less access to health care and work in essential jobs.

Districts in Indianapolis, northwest Indiana, and South Bend — including Indianapolis Public Schools, Gary Community Schools, South Bend Schools, and others — are starting the year remotely as local health officials are advising caution. IPS, which is 42% Black and 31% Hispanic, estimates it could lose $28 million through these cuts.

“We’re putting Black and Latino families in an impossible situation,” said Cristina Santamaría Graff, an assistant professor of special education and urban teacher education at IUPUI. “When you choose money over life, then there’s a problem.”

A legislative spokeswoman said Bray was not available Tuesday afternoon to comment on Chalkbeat’s analysis, and he did not return a phone message left at his Martinsville law office. The Martinsville school district, of which Bray is a graduate, is among those starting the year remotely.

Indiana leaders have stressed for months that schools can reopen classrooms safely, though they have left the decision largely up to local districts. They planned to provide full funding for students who chose to learn virtually due to health concerns, but Bray said leaders didn’t expect that some school districts would walk back reopening plans when coronavirus cases started to rise.

The funding reduction stems from a law meant to address full-time virtual schools, which receive less state support and took a further hit last year as a warning shot after a multimillion-dollar virtual charter school scam.

The law would technically apply the 15% funding cut to any student receiving more than half of their instruction online, including students choosing a virtual track or students in a hybrid model where they attend classes in-person on alternating days.

But Bray indicated that lawmakers favor changing the law for at least some students. State leaders have “a strong appetite” for fully funding students who opt for virtual learning tracks, Bray said last week, but “there is no guarantee such an exception will be made for schools that don’t give families the option of in-person instruction in a school building.” He didn’t address hybrid models.

State Rep. Ed DeLaney, a Democrat who represents an area that includes three Indianapolis districts starting remotely, said the legislature could solve this problem and shield schools from harm if it wanted to. He pointed to lawmakers agreeing to act early this year to pass a “hold harmless” provision that protected schools from low test scores on the new ILEARN exam.

“I believe children need to be in the classroom,” DeLaney said. “The problem is, in this environment, we need for the moment to use virtual and we can’t punish our students because of this necessity.”

When Black and Latino students in Indiana already encountered technology access obstacles in the spring and generally are less likely to pass standardized exams, graduate from high school, and go to college, “setting them back is just the worst possible thing,” he added.

In the days following Bray’s announcement, some of those roughly 40 districts have changed course — notably, those in Elkhart County will offer in-person options after some back-and-forth discussion with the local health department. Other schools are also set to reassess opening classrooms in the coming weeks or months.

Elkhart Community Schools Superintendent Steve Thalheimer wrote in an email to Chalkbeat that the district crafted a hybrid model after “verbal assurances that there would be a solution to keep 100% funding from lawmakers.”

“If we felt it were safe and viable to have students in buildings full time, we would,” Thalheimer said. “But in instances where we can’t or where we are ordered by officials to be totally online, allowances in this funding have to be made.”

Reichanadter said Pike Township schools could still see the cuts in the fall even if lawmakers restore funding when the legislative session starts in January. But it’s too late for the district to change its plans, and she isn’t sure how it could absorb a 15% cut, which she estimates would amount to $4.4 million.

It especially hurts, Reichanadter said, after the district worked to improve virtual learning by moving to live instruction, buying more technology, and offering learning pods for working families who can’t supervise their children at home.

Funding cuts would reverberate through losses in future years, she added — such as bigger class sizes, fewer support staff, and fewer opportunities like art classes.

“What we bank on here in the urban areas sometimes is when the suburban areas feel a little bit of pain, they seem to get a little more attention,” Reichanadter said. “We hope that there are enough suburban schools across the state being impacted, too…. Suburban districts have a little more influence in the voting booth.”

Why many Indianapolis charter schools are reopening classrooms despite the coronavirus

2020-08-10T20:19:28+00:00

Eight days before the campus reopened to students, more than a dozen teachers at an east side charter school sat mostly alone in quiet classrooms watching a training video of the school nurse downstairs in her own office, one of several coronavirus safety precautions.

School begins this week for Paramount School of Excellence, albeit with plexiglass dividers, assigned lunch seats, and music classes largely without singing. The network expects more than half its students to show up, a sharp contrast with Indianapolis Public Schools, which will begin the year entirely online.

More than 16,000 students attend charter schools within IPS boundaries, over 35% of public schoolers in the area. Charter schools typically have more flexibility in planning than do district schools because they are often smaller, making it easier to communicate directly with teachers, parents, and students. At the same time, they are not constrained by teachers union contracts or the pressure that unions can exert. And many of them are more responsive to parent wishes.

The Indianapolis education system allows parents to choose schools and gives school leaders the freedom to pick curriculum, hire teachers, and direct spending. Now, with limited and delayed oversight from state and county officials, the same philosophy is pushing local education leaders to respond to the pandemic in myriad ways.

“From the outset of this, what we wanted to do is put control in the parents’ hands and say, ‘Hey, this is your choice. Do you want to come back?’ “ said Tommy Reddicks, CEO of the three-school Paramount network. In the absence of a consistent, countywide approach, he said, “we felt like we were in a really good position to do the very best we could to safeguard those students whose parents wanted them in school.”

The Indianapolis mayor’s office, which authorizes the majority of the charter schools in the city, said that about half the 43 schools it oversees will offer some form of in-person instruction.

Whether and how to open schools are not easy decisions for anyone — teachers, parents, and school leaders. There’s no absolute right answer, said Brandon Brown, who leads The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis nonprofit that supports charter schools, and “whatever answer you do end up choosing is going to have negative consequences.”

Tucked on the west side of downtown, School 63 is a publicly funded, privately managed neighborhood school. Operator Matchbook Learning expects about 80% of students at the school to return in person, CEO Amy Swann said.

School 63 has created a hybrid middle school schedule, required masks for all students and staff, and moved some classes outside. But returning in person will be especially tough because it is an innovation school, managed under a contract with IPS that includes busing. With the district operating virtually and not running buses, most families will need to provide their own transportation.

While many school districts have faced pressure from teachers and teachers unions to reopen virtually, charter schools may be less likely to see that pushback since their teachers are not typically unionized. At School 63, one teacher who had come out of retirement was particularly concerned about the health risks of going back to classrooms and she chose to retire again, Swann said. She thinks that for the most part, teachers who are worried are also hopeful and excited.

Swann said it makes sense for schools to make their own decisions because communities vary so widely. Although affluent families with large houses can set aside rooms for virtual learning, “a lot of our kids don’t have that,” she said. Some families live in single rooms with a hot plate. Sixteen percent of students are homeless or in foster care, she said.

“We really need to be guided not by the politics that we’re hearing out there, not by what other people are doing and saying, but by the community we serve and by the health department,” Swann said.

Many schools in IPS serve families facing similar challenges, which is one of the reasons leaders stayed committed to an in-person reopening for weeks before shifting to a virtual start. Now, IPS is hoping to meet the needs of some of those students through “hubs” for children who are homeless or have insecure housing.

Because charter schools and networks are typically smaller than districts, they can more easily make adjustments based on specific details, such as their buildings. Purdue Polytechnic High School, a network of charter schools with three campuses, will run its two Indianapolis schools on a hybrid schedule, with most students coming in two days per week and studying remotely the rest of the week, said Scott Bess, head of schools for the network. At the South Bend campus, which has lower enrollment, the network is planning to have students in person four days a week.

While school leaders rely on public health guidance, Bess said he believes that schools should be given wide latitude because the same plans that work for a small campus like Purdue Polytechnic runs wouldn’t necessarily work for a larger high school.

Schools can’t have it both ways, Bess said, by demanding local control in ordinary times and then deferring to other officials in times of crisis. “We’re making the best decision we can, and if it’s wrong, then that should be on me.”

But even as some charter schools consider the wishes of families and the conditions at their campuses, some educators argue that county health officials should take a stronger role in determining what is safe for the entire community and whether and how schools reopen.

“Administrators or teachers, we were not trained to manage a public health crisis,” said Tim Mulherin, chief executive officer of Irvington Community Schools, a charter network that runs elementary, middle, and high schools on the east side.

One reason why, Mulherin said, is because parents can be confused when they see schools taking such different approaches to health and safety. Irvington elementary school students can return to classrooms part-time, while the middle and high schools are entirely virtual.

“They say it’s an advantage to be somewhat independent,” Mulherin said. “But at a time like this, we sure would like most people to be on the same page.”

‘We will all suffer’: Indianapolis districts respond to threat of funding cuts if they don’t reopen

2020-08-07T22:36:18+00:00

Indianapolis districts pushed back Friday on a leading lawmaker’s statement that schools will face reduced state funding if they don’t reopen classrooms for in-person instruction.

The threat forces schools to make “an impossible choice” between taking deep cuts they can’t afford or putting students, families, and teachers at risk of contracting COVID-19, wrote Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson in an op-ed.

“Our district would face $28 million in cuts as retribution for protecting our children’s health, and anyone who walked a day in our shoes over the past five months would not dare to suggest that schools could operate under the current context with less funding,” Johnson wrote.

State Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray stirred contention with a letter Thursday warning that schools would lose 15% of their per-student funding if they did not offer families the option of returning to classrooms. That’s because the districts would be considered full-time online schools, which receive less funding than brick-and-mortar schools.

Bray said state leaders intended to protect funding for schools that open for at least some in-person instruction, even if families opt to keep students at home on a virtual learning track.

Bray’s stance conflicted with state leaders’ previous pledges to preserve state funding for schools as they navigate instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. While Gov. Eric Holcomb has stressed that he believes schools can safely reopen, he has also left many decisions up to local schools and shielded schools from funding cuts when tax revenues fell amid his stay-at-home order and other restrictions.

“As I’ve said before, I am committed to providing 100 percent funding to schools as they navigate the unprecedented challenges of opening the academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Holcomb said in a statement Friday. “Many schools are returning with classroom instruction thanks to the herculean efforts of our public health officials, educators, students, parents, and communities. They all need our support now more than ever.”

On Friday, Bray clarified that his letter “was neither intended as a change in position, nor as a threat to schools who are choosing not to reopen to in-person instruction… Schools are making significant reopening decisions, and I feel the clarification I provided in my letter is important for school leaders to know so they can make fully informed decisions that will work best for their districts.”

Bray’s letter comes as many districts have already begun the new school year or settled on plans crafted through the summer. In July, several Central Indiana districts walked back ambitious reopening plans as coronavirus cases increased.

“Public health is not something to be trifled with or politicized,” said Pike Township Superintendent Flora Reichanadter in a statement. Her district is starting remotely next week and will review whether schools can open for in-person instruction after Labor Day.

“We all want in-person instruction to resume if, when, and where it is safe to do so. That will not be possible if schools are not provided with the full funding they need to operate,” Reichanadter said. “We will all suffer if there is even the perception that schools are being forced to make decisions that prioritize the funding they need to operate in the safest manner possible, whatever that may be, over the health and well-being of their students.”

IPS decided last week that it could not safely reopen schools and changed course to start the year remotely through October, after the spread of the coronavirus worsened in the city.

“I will not open our schools at risk of the safety of our students, staff, families and community,” Johnson wrote. She ended the op-ed saying, “Indianapolis Public Schools is being asked to do so much more. We cannot do it with less.”

Indiana schools could lose state funding if they don’t open for in-person instruction, top lawmaker warns

2020-08-07T18:54:36+00:00

Indiana schools could lose state funding if they don’t open for in-person instruction this year, the state Senate leader warned school leaders in a letter Thursday.

State leaders have “a strong appetite” for making sure schools offering different options remain fully funded, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray wrote. “However, there is no guarantee such an exception will be made for schools that don’t give families the option of in-person instruction in a school building,” he added.

Districts operating completely remotely would only be eligible for 85% of per-pupil state funding under current state law that gives reduced support for full-time virtual learning, Bray said.

That puts pressure on districts such as Indianapolis Public Schools and Washington Township schools, which chose to start the school year remotely after teachers and families raised concerns over returning to classrooms amid rising coronavirus cases in Indiana.

With the state offering about $5,700 in base funding for each student, IPS likely stands to lose in excess of $20 million through a 15% cut. The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It could push those districts to open their doors by Sept. 18, the fall enrollment count day that typically determines state funding. About 30 districts have started the school year online, state officials have said.

The stance is also contrary to what Indiana’s top education official told schools they could expect earlier this summer. State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick said in a statement late Thursday that she was “extremely disappointed” and urged lawmakers to convene in a special session to ensure schools won’t lose funding.

“Penalizing districts who cannot offer onsite instruction leads to dangerous decision-making,” McCormick said. Schools planning to start remotely were doing so for safety reasons, she said in a tweet, which should be the priority.

Gov. Eric Holcomb did not publicly respond to the letter Friday morning. In June, Holcomb announced the state would not cut money from the state’s 2020 education budget despite tax revenue shortfalls, but he has yet to address the virtual funding concern. Holcomb previously said he supports local district leaders’ decisions for the start of the school year while making it clear he believes it is safe for classrooms to reopen with precautions.

Senate Democrat leader Tim Lanane said the letter was especially unfair given the lack of “clear, uniform standards” from the state or federal government for reopening schools. District leaders were largely pointed toward local health departments for guidance.

Bray’s letter creates confusion during a critical moment for schools, the Indiana State Teachers Association said Friday.

“The law Bray references wasn’t intended for traditional public schools offering remote instruction temporarily during a pandemic — and he knows it,” ISTA President Keith Gambill said in a statement. “Now is not the time for state leaders to be divisive and play politics.”

Learn at your own risk? Indiana schools hope to avoid lawsuits as they reopen

2020-08-06T23:24:46+00:00

Within the first week of reopening schools and welcoming back students and staff, several Indiana districts reported their first coronavirus cases.

In Central Indiana alone at least half a dozen districts saw a teacher or student test positive for the virus last week — a reality the state’s top health official said is unavoidable. State officials aren’t shutting down schools, but insist they may safely remain open but critical for them to take action to avoid a larger outbreak.

But if schools choose to reopen knowing the potential health risk, it raises an important question: How liable are school districts if a student or teacher contracts COVID-19?

Schools have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for students, said Julie Slavens, senior counsel for the Indiana School Boards Association. That opens the door for lawsuits from families or staff if they feel like the district didn’t do enough to protect them.

But it doesn’t mean schools are more liable now than before, she said. Prior to coronavirus, administrators could never promise an entirely risk-free experience, even if the risk was simply catching the flu. And proving both negligence on the behalf of school leaders and that the virus was contracted in a school could be difficult, Slavens said.

Last month, Gov. Eric Holcomb called on the federal government to protect both schools and businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits, which at a minimum could be time consuming and costly. He and 21 other Republican governors wrote a letter asking for “common sense” measures that would shield employers who meet an appropriate standard of care.

The proposed coronavirus relief bill, unveiled by Senate Republicans this week, would answer the call by making it harder for workers to sue their employers. The Wall Street Journal reported it would cap punitive damages, raise the requirements for filing personal-injury cases, and push these cases into federal court.

Some companies, including Walmart and Tyson Foods, already have been sued. The bill, if passed, would apply to schools as well as businesses.

Indiana’s two teachers unions have pushed back against shielding school districts, calling on them to either ensure classrooms are safe or to go to virtual learning. Both the Indiana State Teachers Association and American Federation of Teachers have instructed teachers not to sign any waivers or an “acknowledgement of risk” document before school starts.

“Members of AFT Indiana will not be signing any documents, any waivers to that matter,” said President GlenEva Dunham during a press conference earlier this week. They will also consider protesting or striking against districts they feel are reopening unsafely.

Slavens said those signed waivers aren’t legally binding and couldn’t stop an employee or family from filing a lawsuit. But, if sued, a district may point to that document when laying out the precautions it took.

Jay County Schools is among the districts asking families to sign an acknowledgment of risk. In general, the documents state that individuals assume all risk of injury or death by entering school property and agree to abide by the rules and precautions of the school.

Superintendent Jeremy Gulley said the waiver is an attempt to be honest and transparent with parents, and is not motivated by concerns of a lawsuit, he said. Teachers were not asked to sign one.

“My focus is on getting our kids back safely,” Gulley said. “At the end of the day anyone can sue anyone. … A lawsuit is not driving our consideration of how we take care of our people.”

Fort Wayne Community Schools required families to sign a waiver to participate in extracurriculars, but didn’t require one for teachers or students to attend in-person classes. The document says parents who sign “voluntarily assume all risks” and agree not to hold the schools or staff liable for any injuries or expenses that result from COVID-19.

“If you’re playing football ... ultimately there’s no way to maintain social distancing,” said district spokesperson Krista Stockman. “With school, students are entitled to a free public education, and so we need to put in all the safety procedures that we can to make sure that they can have as safe a learning environment as we can create.”

‘Nothing is perfect in a pandemic’: 5 takeaways from Indiana’s schools chief on reopening

2020-08-06T17:36:05+00:00

Days into the new school year for many Indiana students, district leaders are grappling with how to respond to positive cases, decide when to go virtual, and provide required standardized testing, among other concerns.

State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick addressed the media Thursday by video to answer some of the biggest questions about schools reopening. Here are five takeaways:

1. Administering federally mandated standardized tests could be a problem.

Pursuing waivers from federally mandated, high-stakes tests will be important for the state, McCormick said. Still, she said, the federal government appears to be less interested in granting waivers than in the spring, when leaders took the unprecedented step of excusing schools from standardized tests.

“I’m not sure how fair it is given the fluidity of the situation,” McCormick said about high-stakes tests.

It’s unclear how schools offering only virtual learning will administer the tests. Many don’t usually allow tests to be taken from home and monitored virtually, McCormick said. So far, only 19 of the state’s roughly 300 districts have opted into the extra fall IREAD3 exam, which is optional for fourth graders who missed it last spring.

2. Having thresholds for when schools need to close are critical.

Districts need to have a plan for when to shut down schools or change procedures, which makes setting thresholds that trigger action critical, McCormick said. Those decisions should be made by medical experts, not the department of education, she said.

It’s a call that puts her at odds with Gov. Eric Holcomb and Health Commissioner Kristina Box, who continue to defend not setting statewide benchmarks, saying each area is affected by COVID-19 differently and those decisions should be made locally.

McCormick said she understand the reluctance. “But we do have a lot of superintendents still asking for that.”

3. The number of school districts starting the year online has nearly doubled.

At first, 17 Indiana districts told the state they’d start the year virtually, McCormick said. That number is now up to 31. That still leaves the vast majority of districts opening in person.

“I trust those school districts are making the best decisions they can,” she said. “Nothing is perfect in a pandemic.”

4. Indiana isn’t joining a lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over relief money.

McCormick said Indiana did not join other states in a lawsuit against DeVos’ controversial guidance because state Attorney General Curtis Hill wasn’t interested.

In May McCormick was quick to reject the federal directive, which would have rerouted millions in federal coronavirus relief money to private schools. DeVos was criticized for interpreting the law to benefit her political agenda. On Thursday, McCormick commended the states involved.

“I feel like that was the right thing to do,” she said. “People are playing games and I have no patience for that under a pandemic. Or not under a pandemic, for that matter.”

5. High schools are worried about meeting new graduation requirements.

This year’s freshman class will be the first to fall under the state’s new high school graduation requirements, known as Graduation Pathways, and other students have opted into it early. But administrators are concerned about meeting some of the requirements, including finding internships or offering dual credit or career technical classes entirely online.

A student pursuing nursing may typically earn credit by working in a nursing home, which likely won’t happen this year, McCormick said.

“Those are hard to come by right now,” she said. “It’s the health concerns. Finding those connections and partnerships, they were there in a lot of areas and they will come back. This is just a temporary piece, we hope.”

Reopened schools can’t avoid COVID-19 cases, Indiana’s top health official says

2020-08-05T20:42:29+00:00

Indiana’s top health official said it’s impossible to keep COVID-19 out of the state’s schools as they reopen — but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should close their doors again.

“Having a case of COVID in schools should not be a reason for panic ... or for schools to close,” Health Commissioner Kristina Box said Wednesday. “It’s a reason to take action.”

Her comments come after a growing number of districts statewide reported positive cases among students and staff within the first week of classes. In Central Indiana, that included the Greenfield, Warren, Avon, and Brownsburg school districts, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Box said she still believes schools can reopen safely with precautions, including social distancing, grouping students, and requiring masks. She called on families to do their part by screening their children before sending them to school and having them stay home while waiting for test results.

The conversation is different now than in March, when Gov. Eric Holcomb closed school buildings statewide, she said. In March, the state was worried about COVID-19 cases overwhelming the state’s health care system. While hospitalizations statewide are rising, Box said the focus now is on avoiding an outbreak.

“This does not mean that our schools will be free of COVID,” she said. “What it means is that we all need to take steps to limit the spread.”

The state has declined to set a statewide benchmark — such as a number of cases or community positivity rate — for when a classroom or entire school must close. That should be handled case by case basis, Box repeated.

As for how the state will report and track cases in schools, Box said officials are working to figure that out, including whether releasing data would violate child privacy laws. Schools should ask families to self-report positive cases, she said, and state contact tracers will ask every person who tests positive whether they have been to a school.

“I promise you, I am working very hard to try to get to yes on this,” she said.