Commentary

On Oct. 17, Indiana submitted a waiver application to the U.S. Department of Education seeking flexibility and a reduction of red tape from Washington. Under the leadership of Gov. Mike Braun and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner, Indiana is innovating K-12 education from all angles, and the rest of the nation should take note.

Upon taking office in January, Braun expanded eligibility for the Choice Scholarship Program to all families in the Hoosier State, creating a free market K-12 education landscape. Demand for education options has surged, and providers have responded. In Indiana, private school choices have expanded significantly over the past four years, with enrollment up 22 percent.

Indiana also offers robust public school choice, including inter-district and intra-district open enrollment, magnet schools, and public charter schools. Indiana has a robust public charter school community that has grown by approximately 40 percent over the past 10 years, resulting in 120 charter schools collectively enrolling upwards of 50,000 students. Furthermore, Indiana could set a national standard for equitable charter school funding, including both facilities and operations.

The state is leading the nation in the number of microschools, which are small schools created by individuals referred to as education entrepreneurs or by organizations. While microschools are generally private schools, Indiana also has public microschools. For example, the Indiana Microschools Collaborative is a public charter network that exists to “create and support innovative, personalized microschools” across the state, each serving 20-75 students.

This microschools collaborative was developed by one of Indiana’s most innovative public school districts, which is currently part of a small number of schools nationwide that are piloting a competency-based learning model—an alternative to the traditional credit hour.

In this year’s legislative session, Indiana removed a major barrier to creating new schools. Braun’s May signing of House Bill 1515 ensures that all public, charter, and private schools are permitted in every zoning district—paving the way for a surge in new microschools and private schools to meet growing demand.

The state ranks third in the nation for “education choice,” only trailing Florida and Arizona. Yet beyond school choice, Indiana is forging a new frontier for innovation in education. The school facilities where children are educated and the way kids get to school are experiencing forward-thinking initiatives. For example, more than fifty Indianapolis public charter and private schools are taking steps to collaborate by sharing transportation and school buildings to expand offerings for students and enhance efficiency, thereby driving down costs.

As an advocate for academic accountability, school transparency, and empowering parents to determine the best school for their child, Secretary Jenner believes that “every child has a unique purpose and deserves opportunities to be prepared for future success.” Modernizing outdated high school graduation requirements is foundational to preparing students.

In December 2024, the Indiana State Board of Education unanimously approved new high school diploma requirements. Arguably, the result is the new gold standard in the country and a model that other states would be wise to adopt and customize accordingly.

The base Indiana high school diploma now requires 42 credits, up from the previous minimum of 40 credits. It includes new requirements of one credit in personal finance, computer science, communications, and college and career preparation, as well as two credits in STEM-focused courses.

Beyond the base diploma, students can opt to earn readiness seals for Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment and Service, each offered at the “honors” and “honors plus” levels. Students who graduate with the Enrollment Honors Plus seal are automatically accepted at each of Indiana’s seven public colleges and universities.

Braun’s forward-thinking leadership has been a catalyst, spurring partnerships with higher education, business, and industry that will help prepare students for post-high school success. Indiana is investing $7.5 million each year toward career coaching initiatives for students. Additionally, the state commits $10 million per year through Career Scholarship Accounts for students in grades 10 through 12 to obtain career training. The account provides $5,000 per year that can be applied toward work-based learning expenses.

The Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard, or Indiana GPS for short, provides educators with key data points and parents with “meaningful, relevant, and transparent information about school progress and performance.” ILEARN is used to assess students three times during the school year for early and targeted intervention.

Comprehensive and strategic solutions focused on foundational skills, with a $170 million investment, have driven four consecutive years of rising student literacy rates. Fourth-grade Indiana student reading scores moved up to sixth in the country in 2024 from 19th in 2022. Early elementary teachers are equipped with phonics-based science of reading practices. Additionally, $1,000 grants are awarded to families for student learning support. A key strategy is using IREAD in second grade to give parents and teachers an early “on track indicator” to gauge whether students will master foundational reading skills by the end of third grade. There is no wait-and-see approach.

Building on a successful phonics initiative in early grades, Indiana is now targeting adolescent reading in grades six through eight, using outcomes-based contracts that pay vendors only when specific student outcomes are met. Math proficiency strategy and policy further set Indiana apart from the rest of the nation. House Bill 1634 ensures educators use evidence-based instruction, implement math screening, and provide intensive support for students below grade level.

Recognizing that the teacher is the number one school factor in student learning, the Indiana Department of Education rates teacher preparation programs for their alignment with the science of reading to provide transparency, ensure accountability, and incentivize improvement. Once on the job, top-performing teachers may be rewarded with stipends up to $7,500.

Indiana’s bold and comprehensive strategy to advance K-12 education has set a new national benchmark for innovation, accountability, and student-centered reform. The Hoosier State isn’t just participating in the education reform movement—it’s leading it, charting the course for the rest of the nation to follow.

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