Latest news with #R-Indianapolis
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana weighs new academic accountability rules; test results less important
Indiana education officials are laying the groundwork for a new A-F accountability system they said is aligned with what Hoosiers agree are the characteristics important to lifelong success. The State Board of Education welcomed the first draft Wednesday on the K-12 measure that will go into effect next year to better prepare students for the future, they said. It dovetails with the state's newly revised diploma that becomes effective with the Class of 2029. It focuses on three areas – students preparing for college, the military or direct employment after high school. 'To best prepare students for the future – whether their next steps include college, a career or military service – we know that both knowledge and real-world skills are essential to their success,' said Gov. Mike Braun in a release. The new characteristics that indicators will measure are academic mastery, career and postsecondary readiness, credentials, experiences and work ethic. The process, built upon multiple rounds of public comment and feedback, is likely to consume most of the year. Its main change, however, is testing assessment scores will no longer be the sole letter grade criteria for school evaluations. A state law, authored by House Education Chairman Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, calls for two drafts, each with a 30-day public comment period. The first public comment period opens later this summer, but officials said the public can provide immediate feedback via Jotform, an online feedback/survey tool. The state also requires the State Board of Education to adopt a final draft of the A-F grading scale by Dec. 31. Democrats argued its results could still be punitive on schools with lower poverty rates. Schools have not received letter grades since 2018 when the DOE moved from the ISTEP exam to a new accountability test called ILEARN. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted testing, and no grades were assigned. Presently, the state's assessment system rates students in grades 3-8 based on academic performance and growth on ILEARN. High school grades are based on SAT scores, graduation rates and college and career readiness. The new grading system is expected to focus on math, English and literacy mastery in the lower grades and a shift toward skill development and work-based opportunities and credentials in high school. To offer feedback, see
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This group will guide IPS's future. Hogsett asked lawmakers to make its meetings private
A new group created by Indiana lawmakers will guide the future of Indianapolis Public Schools and local public charter schools — including as it relates to future school building consolidation and revenue-sharing — but members of the general public may not be included in its meetings. Lawmakers in a late-night move last week shortly before the legislature adjourned for the year exempted the new Indianapolis Local Education Alliance from Indiana's Open Door Law, which ordinarily gives the public the right to attend meetings of governing bodies of public agencies. The move to restrict the public's right to attend future meetings of the local education group was done without public testimony. The change was requested by the city's highest-ranking public official, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, said Rep. Bob Behning. "The mayor did ask for some additional language regarding the Open Door Law," Behning, R-Indianapolis, told the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee late Thursday evening. "We went ahead and clarified at the request of the mayor that it would be not subject ... so they could have an open public meeting if they choose to, but they don't have to." The final version of House Bill 1515, where the language was included, was approved by the House by a 62-30 vote and by the Senate by a 28-22 vote. It's awaiting Gov. Mike Braun's signature. The group's work could have big consequences for the future of how Indianapolis Public Schools and local charter schools are run. It will conduct school facility assessments for all traditional and charter school facilities within the geographic boundaries of IPS. It will make recommendations regarding school facility "structural changes," as well as come up with a process to approve or deny future capital referendum requests. The group will also come up with a template for revenue-sharing agreements between IPS and charter schools. The group's membership is spelled out in the legislation. It will consist of nine members, several of whom will be appointed by the mayor. It will also include IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Hogsett himself, or his designee. There will be two parent representatives. It must complete its work by Dec. 31. During that time, there will be a pause on charter schools opening within the IPS district boundaries, except for those approved by the Indianapolis Charter School Board, which is run mostly by mayoral appointees. State Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, said the purpose of the group is to "figure out how (schools) can combine resources and work together further." The legislation states that although the alliance isn't subject to the public access law, one meeting must be open to the public: the final meeting at which the members vote on the adoption of the facilities and transportation plan. Critics said that's too late for meaningful public testimony. Jesse Brown, a Democrat on the Indianapolis City-County Council and frequent critic of Hogsett's, posted on social media that public officials will "deliberate behind the scenes" instead of in front of constituents. He said Hogsett's administration was "allergic to the public." And IPS' teachers' union, the Indianapolis Education Association, posted on social media: "Who are you hiding from?" However, Hogsett spokeswoman Emily Kaufmann said in a statement that the city and IPS are "aligned on and committed to creating an efficient, transparent structure to carry out the critical work" of the alliance. "As the alliance conducts this work, there will be opportunities for community input and public meetings," Kaufmann said. Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Group to guide future of IPS, charters will meet behind closed doors
Indianapolis Star
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
This group will guide IPS's future. Hogsett asked lawmakers to make its meetings private
A new group created by Indiana lawmakers will guide the future of Indianapolis Public Schools and local public charter schools — including as it relates to future school building consolidation and revenue-sharing — but members of the general public may not be included in its meetings. Lawmakers in a late-night move last week shortly before the legislature adjourned for the year exempted the new Indianapolis Local Education Alliance from Indiana's Open Door Law, which ordinarily gives the public the right to attend meetings of governing bodies of public agencies. The move to restrict the public's right to attend future meetings of the local education group was done without public testimony. The change was requested by the city's highest-ranking public official, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, said Rep. Bob Behning. "The mayor did ask for some additional language regarding the Open Door Law," Behning, R-Indianapolis, told the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee late Thursday evening. "We went ahead and clarified at the request of the mayor that it would be not subject ... so they could have an open public meeting if they choose to, but they don't have to." The final version of House Bill 1515, where the language was included, was approved by the House by a 62-30 vote and by the Senate by a 28-22 vote. It's awaiting Gov. Mike Braun's signature. The group's work could have big consequences for the future of how Indianapolis Public Schools and local charter schools are run. It will conduct school facility assessments for all traditional and charter school facilities within the geographic boundaries of IPS. It will make recommendations regarding school facility "structural changes," as well as come up with a process to approve or deny future capital referendum requests. The group will also come up with a template for revenue-sharing agreements between IPS and charter schools. The group's membership is spelled out in the legislation. It will consist of nine members, several of whom will be appointed by the mayor. It will also include IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Hogsett himself, or his designee. There will be two parent representatives. It must complete its work by Dec. 31. During that time, there will be a pause on charter schools opening within the IPS district boundaries, except for those approved by the Indianapolis Charter School Board, which is run mostly by mayoral appointees. State Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, said the purpose of the group is to "figure out how (schools) can combine resources and work together further." 'Allergic to the public' The legislation states that although the alliance isn't subject to the public access law, one meeting must be open to the public: the final meeting at which the members vote on the adoption of the facilities and transportation plan. Critics said that's too late for meaningful public testimony. Jesse Brown, a Democrat on the Indianapolis City-County Council and frequent critic of Hogsett's, posted on social media that public officials will "deliberate behind the scenes" instead of in front of constituents. He said Hogsett's administration was "allergic to the public." And IPS' teachers' union, the Indianapolis Education Association, posted on social media: "Who are you hiding from?" However, Hogsett spokeswoman Emily Kaufmann said in a statement that the city and IPS are "aligned on and committed to creating an efficient, transparent structure to carry out the critical work" of the alliance. "As the alliance conducts this work, there will be opportunities for community input and public meetings," Kaufmann said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Should DCS, schools be able to keep information from parents? Indiana Senate bill says no
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Monday that aims to keep government entities like the Indiana Department of Child Services and school districts from interfering in parents' rights, despite concerns that it could end up hurting the privacy rights of LGBTQ youth. Approved by a 44-5 vote, Senate Bill 143 would forbid government entities from denying parents access to certain information about their children, and from "advising, directing or coercing" a child to withhold that information from parents. Bill author Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, said the bill "gives parents the rights in Indiana which most of us thought we already had." "We're just making sure that government does not constrain or in any way restrict a parent's right to direct the upbringing, religious instruction, or health of their child," Brown said. "You need a compelling governmental interest to interfere with that relationship." The bill makes an exception for protecting the health and safety of a child, and for active criminal law enforcement investigations involving a parent. It also wouldn't allow parents to decide that their children could access procedures that are banned in Indiana, such as abortion, gender-affirming care or female genital mutilation. "A parent can't say they now have that right," Brown said. "We're not going to allow a parent to supersede us on mutilating their child or (abortion)." The bill now moves on to the House for consideration and it still has a lengthy process to becoming law. A similar legislative effort to enshrine parental rights died in the past, though this year's bill has support from both Republicans and Democrats. However, there is also some bipartisan opposition, with three Republicans and two Democrats voting against it in the Senate on Monday. Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, said he worried about the bill's unintended consequences, though he "strongly agrees" with its goals. Just five years ago, he said, the state decided at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic that it had a compelling interest to close businesses and restrict travel. He doesn't want the government to create more hurdles for parents in the future. "It was a compelling government interest back then," Freeman said. "I don't want to make it easier for government to say, well, because it's a compelling government interest, you have to get your children vaccinated. I don't want to make it easier for the government to act against parents." Some advocates have raised concerns about how the bill would impact transgender children and their families. Christopher Daley, executive director of the Indiana ACLU, said the legislation "encroaches on the privacy rights of minors throughout the state." The organization opposed a similar bill in the past, stating then that the legislation "could have been used to force a teacher to 'out' an LGBTQ student to their parents." But Brown, the bill's author, said that wasn't a concern. "I do not believe that minors have any significant privacy rights," Brown said, "particularly that are being invaded by this bill." Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, also was motivated by the issue of transgender youth, but supported the bill. The legislation "really hits home" where here's from, he said. His constituents lost custody of their child because of a disagreement over the child's transgender identity, Gaskill said, in a case that made national news as the parents sought a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. But the high court ultimately declined to hear the case. "They lost it to the long arm of the state," Gaskill said. "This is long overdue." Still, much of the testimony surrounding the bill related to alleged failures by DCS. Indiana parents Grant and Myranda Phillips, for example, testified that they temporarily lost custody of their two children for nearly a year, and were kept from their children's medical records, after they said DCS incorrectly alleged abuse of a two-month-old infant. It turned out instead that the child was suffering with an undiagnosed connective tissue disorder and DCS eventually dismissed the case, the family said. They have since filed a lawsuit. "We've been healing as a family since getting our children home, and we're trying to use this horrible situation to bring attention to the things that are going on here in Indiana," Grant Phillips said. "The parents going ahead of us into these situations needs these kinds of protections that we did not have." Though he had concerns about the bill, Freeman said its passage was a signal to DCS that the legislature wants the agency to "stay in their lane." A DCS spokesperson said "the Braun administration values parents' rights and their access to information about their children." "DCS has had productive conversations with the bill's author to develop language that complies with disclosure laws and court orders related to the department's ability to release such information," spokesperson Brian Heinemann told IndyStar. "While we cannot comment specifically on open cases involving children or their information due to confidentiality laws," Heinemann said, "we take all allegations of non-compliance seriously and review those for corrective action when substantiated." Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bill protecting parents' rights from DCS, schools passes Indiana Senate
