Statehouse policy and politics

The new school year is here, see what’s new for you and your students around cell phones, reading, state testing and more.

Almost three-quarters of the students who didn’t pass the state reading test and were retained in third grade in 2023 got subsidized meals.

State officials writing new graduation requirements want students pursuing an advanced diploma to have work experience.

Proposed changes would eliminate a diploma popular with Indiana’s college-going students while it’s not clear if the state has enough support to help them meet new requirements.

Lawmakers last year relaxed income eligibility rules so that most Indiana families now qualify for the Choice Scholarship program.

Elementary and special education teachers who don’t teach literacy won’t have to earn a new literacy endorsement required by state law.

If voters approve the ballot measure, it could be the first time an Indiana charter school could share in that funding due to a 2023 law.

McCormick vowed to fight portrayals of public education as a boogeyman, as Indiana Republicans lean into support for school choice.

Supporters of the statute say it will help students by making sure they learn about a variety of viewpoints. Critics argue it will intimidate professors and make prospective teachers less prepared to run classrooms well.

Purdue Polytechnic High School Lab School offers personalized curriculum to around 20 students while getting support from the charter school network.

There are some exceptions to the cell phone ban, like if a student needs it to manage their health or the device is part of their Individualized Education Program.

Big changes are ahead for schools, including more support for reading, stricter third grade retention rules, and cellphone bans.

House and Senate lawmakers removed a proposal to allow chaplains in public schools, but schools would still be required to release students for off-campus religious instruction.

A bill at the Indiana Statehouse that aims to hold back more students who fail the state’s reading exam, is advancing. Here’s what its impact could be.

A revised bill targeting absenteeism would require schools to prohibit habitually truant students from extracurricular activities, and would also impose a penalty on parents who make unproven allegations against teachers.

One bill has been stripped of language on civics education to instead focus on allowing chaplains in public schools.

Advocates say a bill to retain third graders could violate the civil rights of 93,000 English learners and conflicts with research on how long it takes to learn a language.

Indiana AG said officials must show that materials posted to ‘Eyes on Education’ were not and are not used or shared.

Colleges have pushed back saying it would harm students and educators.