Education
‘Success coaches’ to hit Indiana colleges after budget approval
Less than half of Hoosier college students finish their degrees on time, according to state data — but some may soon have help from new “success coaches.” The Indiana State Budget Committee on Friday approved $2.5 million to embed 31 success coaches in higher education institutions across the state. Officials also nabbed funding boosts for […]
New Indiana initiatives bolster efforts to get more Hoosier students educated beyond high school
Thousands of letters from Indiana’s higher education intuitions have already been delivered to Hoosier students as part of a new statewide program that seeks to put more kids on track for college. The partnership between the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) and nearly 40 colleges and universities — equal to 80% of all those […]
Indiana ‘leading the way’ as officials work out massive plan to redesign high school requirements
Indiana’s education leaders are still chipping away at a massive redesign of Hoosier high school curriculum and diploma requirements, but one national expert has already lauded state officials for their work. The praise came during Wednesday’s State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting from Patricia Levesque, CEO of ExcelinEd, a national education policy organization founded by […]
Millions enrolled in new student loan repayment program
WASHINGTON — More than 4 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education. Of those, 89,500 are from Indiana. With the pause of more than three years on federal student loan repayments coming to an end in October, […]
Fewer Hoosier kids take advantage of free summer meals, despite ongoing hunger challenges
Thousands of Hoosier kids are missing out on free breakfast and lunch, even though nutrition advocates say many Indiana families continue to struggle with hunger and food insecurity. That’s according to a new report by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a national nonprofit that aims to reduce poverty-related hunger. FRAC’s report indicates that […]
First Lady Jill Biden discusses student mental health needs during Westfield High School visit
Students’ mental health was top-of-mind Wednesday for First Lady Jill Biden, who traveled to Westfield High School to speak with students and counselors. Biden visited the suburban public school just north of Indianapolis alongside U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Their two-hour stay included a presentation from students in the school’s student mental health club. […]
JAG post-graduation jobs program to expand in Indiana
The number of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) programs in Indiana will double from 125 to 250 by the end of the next school year, according to a release from Gov. Eric Holcomb. “Every day, Indiana’s JAG program is helping more Hoosier students achieve their career and personal goals — all while helping ensure our […]
No more school textbook bills for Indiana parents — but what other fees can still be charged?
Hoosier parents are no longer on the hook for textbook costs, but many are seeing bills for other fees increasingly being charged by schools. State lawmakers dedicated $160 million in the new state budget to eliminate textbook and curriculum fees, starting with the 2023-24 academic year. While the new law was championed by state officials, […]
Readin’ 9 to 5: Dolly Parton Imagination Library kicks off statewide in Indiana
Hoping to pour up a few extra cups of reading ambition for Hoosier kids, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library officially expanded to all of Indiana on Thursday. The program gifts free, high quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five on a monthly basis, regardless of family income. Although some Indiana municipalities already participate […]
Families urge FSSA to halt proposed ABA therapy cuts
Indianapolis parents Breanna and Dakota Powell have two autistic children, ages 3 and 6, and spent years in early intervention services but saw little improvement — until they started Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, or ABA therapy for short. “ABA has shown my children their voice,” Breanna Powell said, adding that her daughter recently said her […]
Foster children sue DCS in class action suit
Ten children in the state’s foster care system sued the Indiana Department of Child services (DCS) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana on Wednesday, alleging that the agency failed to provide for the children’s care and left them in placements known to be “dangerous.” “DCS’s system failures are well-known to […]
New IREAD-3 scores show no significant progress among Indiana’s third graders on 2023 exams
One in five Hoosier third graders continue to struggle with foundational reading skills, according to new standardized test results released Wednesday. Data from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) shows 81.9% out of the roughly 82,000 third graders at public and private schools in Indiana passed the 2023 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination, also called […]