Aleksandra Appleton
Reporter, Chalkbeat Indiana
Aleksandra Appleton is a reporter for Chalkbeat Indiana. She previously reported on schools in Las Vegas and Fresno, California, where she grew up. Aleks is a graduate of UC San Diego and the Columbia School of Journalism.
Up to $60 million is for the state Department of Education to increase the number of instructional coaches who specialize in phonics-based literacy in elementary schools.
Indiana juniors took the SAT as part of graduation requirements for the first time in 2022.
Students of color showed mostly modest improvement on the IREAD exam, while white students’ scores remained flat from 2021 to 2022.
Adjuncts receive permits directly from a school district rather than the state Department of Education, which has raised questions about consistent teacher quality.
Advocates believe Indiana can create more thorough sex education and still emphasize abstinence as the best option for teenagers while providing them with medically accurate information about sex in order to seek family planning and health services as adults.
The district calculates an on-track rate in order to get a sense of students’ ability to graduate before they reach the critical final years of high school.
The law strengthens previous restrictions, but so far the state does not seem to be enforcing it.
Additional data indicates that groups like English language learners need more intense help to catch up.
The during-school virtual tutoring will focus on K-2 literacy at the district’s low-performing schools emerging schools, but could expand to other grade levels.
One caveat to the gains: There was relatively low attendance, especially on the final day of the pilot.
Amid budget and enrollment challenges, Indianapolis Public Schools officials have a five-point plan for major changes.
Indianapolis has committed COVID aid to retaining staff, academic supports, and infrastructure.
Preschool enrollment in the district rose this year, but other factors will influence its long-term fate
Indianapolis Public Schools offered retention bonuses in late March to 3,200 eligible staff members, but they came with an attendance requirement that staff couldn’t take more than two sick days for the remainder of the semester.
The Republican-dominated Indiana state legislature voted to overturn Gov. Eric Holcomb’s veto of House Enrolled Act 1041, which bans transgender girls from girl’s youth sports.
Whether a student can play a sport, study advanced math, or sing in a choir varies widely by where they attend school, Indianapolis Public School officials said at the latest in a series of meetings that raise the possibility of closing some schools.
As Indiana limits virtual learning, some districts will adjust how they handle school on snow days and on teacher training days.
Education advocates say the proposed middle school civics standards need more specificity, especially in regards to the history of Black Americans and other people of color.
Indiana voters approved seven local property tax increases to send more money to schools, but voted down increases for school construction..
A political newcomer, Andrea Hunley defeated four other Democrats and now goes on to face Republican Evan Shearin in the November general election.
Besides leading Center for Inquiry School 2, IPS principal Andrea Hunley is running for State Senate district 46 in the May 3 primary.
A group of Indiana education leaders is calling for the state to act urgently to address academic disparities for Black students.
School officials hope that Indiana’s low unemployment rate and growing home values will convince voters to pass property tax increases in the May election.
Dubbed enrichment scholarships, Indiana’s voucher-like program will provide each student who qualifies through their score on state tests a $500 grant toward tutoring.
IPS wants to bolster hiring and retention as schools enter their third year of grappling with COVID.
The Indiana Department of Education offered schools the option this year to test second graders on the IREAD-3 in order to identify and help struggling readers earlier.
Indiana schools no longer have to mask, distance or quarantine, something the youngest students and new teachers have never experienced before.
The Indiana legislature didn’t pass restrictions on race and racism or stocking certain material in school libraries, but the bills that did pass are still likely to affect teaching and learning.
A wide-ranging bill to restrict what teachers could say about race and racism died in Indiana despite anticipation that the state would pass it.
Indiana has earmarked millions of federal dollars to train more special education teachers as a shortage looms.