Latest news with #KatieJenner
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana unveils draft of A-F school grades model valuing tests and student skills
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released its first draft of its new grading model for schools that, for the first time in the state's history, takes into account not just test scores, but also a student's unique educational experience. The department was tasked with creating a new A-F school grading model after lawmakers passed House Bill 1498 this legislative session. Now, the state must create a new methodology for grading how schools perform and hand out letter grades for each campus by the end of 2026. On June 4, 2025, state leaders presented the first draft of the grading model to the Indiana State Board of Education and Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner says it elevates academic mastery and skill development to be successful after high school. 'While the specifics will iterate along the way, our primary goal will remain the same: to ensure that our future accountability model values all of the key characteristics essential to student success, as well as every student's unique pathway,' Jenner said in a statement. The board must approve the grading criteria by the end of 2025, but it will have a series of public hearings and likely publish a second draft before the model reaches its final vote. This first draft of the grading model was made with the foundation of considering the five characteristics already used in the state's 'Graduates Prepared to Succeed' platform, which gathers data points to evaluate schools on: To evaluate academic mastery, the state will look at standardized test scores from ILEARN, IREAD and the SAT. To grade career and postsecondary readiness, they will see how many diploma seals are earned. To grade work ethic, the state will look at attendance rates. Evaluating the civic, financial and digital literacy will come from the required coursework mandatory for all students in those fields. Grading the communication and collaboration characteristics is being formulated. This draft of how schools will be graded looks at specific points in a student's K-12 journey, with an emphasis on grades 3-8, 10th grade and 12th grade. The letter grades for schools in this first draft are based on the 0-100 scale with an 'F' grade meaning schools only got 0-59 points, a 'D' grade 60-69 points, a 'C' grade 70-79 points, a 'B' grade 80-89 points and an 'A' grade is 90-100 points. At the elementary level, schools will be graded on how well students perform on ELA and math standardized testing, as well as reading proficiency, specifically among third graders. Attendance will also be a factor in how schools are graded. Schools teaching students in grades 4-6 will be graded on how well students perform on math, science and social studies tests, as well as whether students are progressing academically compared to the prior year. More background on this move: Indiana schools will again receive A-F grades, but how they will be measured undecided High schools will be judged, in part, on students' SAT performance, graduation rates, work-based learning, and certain credentials or college-level credits earned. The draft also includes a possibility of grading schools on how many English language learning students meet their language proficiency goals that year. While the formal 30-day public feedback window isn't technically open yet, parents can submit feedback to the IDOE on this first draft starting now. Anyone who wishes to submit feedback can do so through an online Jotform. Once the 30-day public comment period opens later this summer, the IDOE will also hold a public hearing where anyone can provide comments in person. A second draft is expected to be shared late summer or early fall, in which another 30-day window of public comment will happen. Keep up with school news: Sign up for Study Hall, IndyStar's free weekly education newsletter.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Concord, Baugo present work-based learning apprenticeship programs to state leader
ELKHART — Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner visited Concord schools on Tuesday to learn more about the district's preparations toward Indiana's new graduation requirements and celebrate accomplishments recently made in the district. 'Really it comes down to some key things of how do we help every student to know their value, know the possibilities for their life's path and really help them discover their purpose and set them on that best path for success,' Jenner said. 'It's keeping kids number one every single day, all the time, and connecting them to their dream job.' Superintendent Dan Funston told her about the district's invitation to be a part of the Carnegie Foundation's Future High School Network among just 24 nationwide and brought students and staff alongside him to discuss how the district is redesigning the high school experience with help from the Indiana Department of Education. One of those students was Concord alumni Bianca Jimenez-Ortiz, who spoke about her time at Concord in the apprenticeship program. Jimenez-Ortiz graduated from Grace College on Saturday and was the nation's first paralegal apprentice graduate, through the Horizon Education Alliance. 'Even being at college, I was able to test out of some criminal, business law and baseline classes because of the experiences that I had at the prosecutor's office,' she said. 'I was the first paralegal apprentice in the United States, which is really exciting.' Jimenez-Ortiz said she's been seeing doors open for her continually. 'It's truly the greatest testimony of what this program does and how investing in it is something that we should be doing,' she said. Jimenez Ortiz was joined by younger cohort students: Taylynn Calhoun, a first-grade and paraprofessional educator-apprentice at Ox Bow; Karen Villanueva, a third-grade and paraprofessional educator-apprentice at West Side; Will Delio, work-based learning student at Elkhart Environmental Center and the Aquatic Biology Lab at Elkhart Public Works; Lucas Prough, work-based learning at Notre Dame Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics Facility; and Ty Zartman of Jimtown, a second-year apprentice at Hoosier Crane. 'It's important to have these work-based learning experiences to create connections in your life,' Prough said. 'Having these connections in high school is going to impact my future largely.' Todd Cook of Hoosier Crane joined Zartman at Concord to talk about the business' partnership with HEA and the schools. Hoosier Crane has one of the longest running apprenticeship programs the schools offer. 'We've done internships at Hoosier Crane over the years; we've probably had 30-40 interns over the years in my 18 years there,' he said. 'The youth apprenticeship program came to us about six years ago. The concept, the idea, honestly, I embraced it wholeheartedly as a leader in the organization because it self-served.' Cook said the internship program would simply introduce students to business and then they'd move on. With the apprenticeship program, they're training students to do what they do and today about 10% of the workforce nationwide is youth apprentices. Cook said interestingly, the team members also perform better when apprenticeships are around. 'They don't want to take shortcuts, they want to show you how it's done,' he said. 'This is how you do it the right way … So it's risen our existing talent in our own employee base throughout the company and really.' Jenner said that businesses across Indiana are shifting, like Hoosier Crane from interns to apprenticeships, because it creates a better return on investment. Becca Roberts, Concord High School College and Career Readiness adviser, said 145 students interested in apprenticeships were vetted by guidance counselors and then 20 were interviewed. 'I'm here to say to businesses, we need you. The kids are eager to learn in an actual work-place setting,' Roberts said. Baugo Community Schools Superintendent Byron Sanders also stopped by with some of his district's students and employees the districts partner with. 'All of this work Concord does in Elkhart County, we're duplicating a lot of work, so it's important for us to work together and Baugo's been a major partner in everything we're trying to do,' Funston said. Funston said Concord has 22 apprentices and Baugo has 14, and said he believes it might be the most in the state. 'We have a system that doesn't create redundancies,' Sanders added. 'It's been a problem for schools. Everybody's tasked with the same responsibility to try to get exposure for students and then we seem to bombard our business partners in the community with district after district after district trying to do the same things and so we recognize that working together is smarter and not harder.' Funston also announced during the visit that West Side Elementary School was reported as the highest achieving 50%+ EL school in the state of Indiana. With an IREAD percentage up over 20%, Funston said they anticipate testing later in the year to be over 35%. Jenner also visited West Side to celebrate their success and discuss early literacy.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rockport Elementary celebrates 95 percent literacy rate with state leaders
ROCKPORT, Ind. (WEHT) — Indiana's Secretary of Education paid a special visit to congratulate an Indiana school system. Rockport Elementary is celebrating South Spencer School Corporation's 95 percent literacy rate. South Spencer schools welcomed Dr. Katie Jenner to the school to see what can happens when students, teachers and the community work together to grow young minds. 'Today a reader, tomorrow a leader'… a mantra written across the hall walls as students welcome Dr. Jenner. 'What we see is as a State…we averaged about 0.6 percent increase. Schools in the literacy cadre, like [Rockport Elementary], On average increased 2.5 percent. This [increase] includes students who may have special education needs,' says Dr. Jenner. She says that's the largest single year increase documented ever, and schools not participating in a cadre only increased by .2 percent. Hadi Shrine Half Pot reaches over $140K Leaders say the difference is a two year program that uses literacy specialists to help teachers implement the best methods for any students struggling with reading skills. '…looking at the data, understanding 'are they struggling with phonics?' 'Is the student maybe struggling with phonemic awareness or comprehension?'…really working and supporting the teacher to make sure we're doing everything we can to move the needle for that student,' says Dr. Jenner. At a second elementary school in the corporation, Luce Elementary, every single third grader received a passing score on their IRead3. IRead3, the state reading exam, also received a 100 percent pass rate for Mrs. Schipps second graders at Rockport. 'Getting parents to buy in is one thing that we're working on a lot…getting parents to realize that we can't just put them in front of a tablet. They have to be read to. They have to have actual books in front of them,' says Janet Schipps. Dr. Jenner got to speak directly with the students and see their hard work in action. 'I absolutely like to get on the floor and talk to the students and hear what they're learning…see if they're actually sounding out the words rather than guessing at the words,' says Dr. Jenner. With 600 elementary schools across Indiana, she says over $170 million was invested into Indiana teachers last year. They'll continue to focus on ensuring they can provide the educational resources needed in every community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
03-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana officials detail partners for new high school diploma options
Gov. Mike Braun and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner announced three specific diploma options Wednesday for students weighing future plans for college, the military or direct employment after high school. The specific partnerships are based on requirements laid out in the state's new high school diploma, approved by the State Board of Education in December. State lawmakers called for the board to establish the new diploma. Wednesday's announcement focused on options for students who earn the 'honors plus' readiness diploma seal. The new diploma, set to take effect with the Class of 2029, gives students the choice of a minimum baseline diploma that calls for 42 credits, up from 40, and three diploma readiness seals that signify more in-depth study. They include the honors seal and the honors plus seal. They span three areas of future goals – college enrollment, military enlistment and workforce employment. Students can earn an additional 56 to 64 credits depending on their schedules. 'Today, by working with our partners, including many in the private sector, we have an opportunity to not only improve outcomes for students statewide, but also strengthen our state economy for years to come,' Braun said in a release. The new partnerships provide guarantees and opportunities for students who earn the honors plus readiness seals on their diplomas. Officials said more partnerships are expected. The partnerships include: Enrollment honors plus seal – seven state colleges and universities guarantee automatic acceptance to students who earn the enrollment honors plus seal. The schools are Purdue University, Indiana University, Ball State University, Indiana State University, the University of Southern Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. State officials hope the new requirements can improve Indiana's college enrollment numbers. The data from 2022 shows just 53% of graduates planned to attend college. Of those students, just 51% graduated from college. Employment honors plus seal — students who earn this seal can receive career support and connections to the state's top employers. Students will be eligible for direct entry into the Central Midwest Carpenters Union apprenticeship. State leaders said they're working on similar programs with Operating Engineers Local 150 and other unions. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is actively recruiting businesses across the state to invite and encourage them to join the employment diploma program. Enlistment honors plus seal – students will be qualified to join the Indiana National Guard and other military branches. Students accepted by the Indiana National Guard can earn college credits for completing training, reducing the time and cost required to complete a degree. They will also gain direct access to veteran mentors, military career counselors, and college ROTC liaisons, who can provide college and career guidance. They'll also be able to access priority job placement programs for military professionals that offer job interviews for federal employment and private sector jobs. Enlistments declined by 41% from 2018 to 2022. Indiana National Guard enlistments over the same period declined 38%. The rate of decline is worse in Indiana than in other states, officials said previously. Originally controversial, the new diploma structure won approval and support after more than a year of input from parents, K-12 educators, colleges and businesses. The state hopes to increase college enrollment, reverse a decline in military enlistments and reduce chronic student absenteeism. 'Indiana is leading the way when it comes to redesigning the high school experience to ensure these four years are as valuable as possible for students, and I could not be more excited about the opportunity ahead to continue to grow our partnerships in this work,' said Jenner. 'In many ways, the adoption of the final diploma rule was only the beginning of our journey, and today's announcement is the logical next step as many of the same partners who helped us to develop the readiness seals are now solidifying their value for students.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Area schools contribute to record state graduation rate
ELKHART — The 2024 graduating classes for Concord Community Schools and Elkhart Community Schools contributed to the highest graduation rate on record in Indiana. Across the state, 90.23 percent students graduated from high school, which is up from 88.98 percent in 2023. 'Over the past year, we have celebrated a number of successes in K-12 education, and there is urgency to continue this positive momentum for Indiana students,' Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a statement. 'As a state, we have seen literacy rates increase for the third consecutive year, chronic absenteeism rates improve for the second year in a row, and today, the highest state graduation rate on record.' She attributed the improvement in student outcomes to a collaboration of educators, families and communities. 'Together, we must continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal in 2025, ensuring we keep improving our education system in Indiana and increasing opportunities for students,' she said. Indiana students can graduate in one of two ways. One way is with waivers, which are intended to help students in special circumstances, including those who transfer to a new school. The other way is without waivers. Some students, including those who transfer to an Indiana school from another state or non-accredited private school or have other extenuating circumstances are eligible for graduation waivers. But those students must still meet all of the coursework, credit and employability skills requirements. They must also maintain a 'C' average in required courses, an attendance rate of 95 percent, and fulfilling all other state and local graduation requirements. According to the Indiana Department of Education, Elkhart Community Schools' 2024 graduating class had a graduation rate of 94.45 percent with waivers. Concord Community Schools had a graduation rate of 94.09 percent with waivers. The 2024 state graduation rate without waivers is 87.53 percent, which is up from 84.92 percent in 2023. Elkhart Community Schools' 2024 graduation class had a non-waiver graduation rate of 94.45 percent, which is up from 90.15 percent in 2023. Concord Community Schools had a non-waiver graduation rate of 92.80 percent, which is up from 92.75 percent in 2023. 'We're happy with our success the past two years,' said Seth Molnar, Concord High School principal. 'Last year, we were 92 percent … that's the highest graduation rate we've had in 15 years. We beat that this past year, so we're really excited with all the progress we've made in this building, helping our students find paths to graduation. A kudos to our parents, our students and our staff. We worked incredibly hard to increase those numbers.' Across the state, graduation rates increased for Black, Hispanic, White and English-learner students. The state graduation rates also increased for students in special education and students receiving free and reduced-price meals. Cary Anderson, Elkhart High School principal, said he is excited about the 94.45 percent graduation rate for the high school, but that is not the only piece he and his staff are looking at. 'It's not just graduation rates we're looking at,' Anderson said. 'We're looking at everything. We're looking at our college-bound kids, we're looking at our career-bound kids, and doing everything we can to meet their needs.' Anderson said the school is trying to graduate students who come back to the school community and work in the business community to help the community be better at large. He said the school is not just trying to graduate students, but graduate students with a focus, which will prepare the students for their next roles in life.
