Actions to Take and Education Bills to Be Concurred at the Statehouse on Monday, 4/10

We're getting close to the end. The General Assembly is expected to conclude on April 21.

Actions to Take Today

SB 567

​Contact your legislator to tell them that you oppose Muncie to be included in SB 567. You can read more about the state of SB 567 here.  

Currently the bill has passed the Senate and House, but the House made amendments, so it has returned to the Senate for a concurrence vote. 

The Muncie community is rallying hard to make sure this doesn't happen. Their next protest is on April 11 between 5 and 6 p.m. Details are here.

HB 1384

Contact your legislator to tell them that you opposed HB 1384. 

ISTA summarizes the current state of this bill best: "This bill originally focused on the calculation of graduation rates, but an amendment was added in the House Education committee that would enable D and F private voucher schools to skirt the existing accountability standards.

Under current law, if a private voucher school has two consecutive years as a D or F school, it loses its right to receive vouchers. Under this bill, the state board of education would be allowed to annually grant a waiver or a delay of that accountability sanction, if, "a majority of students demonstrated academic improvement," from the prior year.

The new private school standard of demonstrating academic improvement is not the same thing as standardized test scores, which drives accountability for public schools. The bill would also remove a second window for enrolling students in voucher schools occurring in the second semester. The Senate, on 2nd reading, restored the second semester window for private schools." 

HB 1384 passed both the House and Senate, but returns to the House for a concurrence vote due to amendments the Senate added. 

You can read more on HB 1384 here. 

Education Bills to Be Concurred by the Senate

More details can be found here. 

SB 182 - Superintendent contracts. Provides that a contract entered into or renewed after June 30, 2017, between a governing body and its superintendent is subject to the following conditions: (1) The contract must, with an exception for an extension, be for a term of at least one year and not more than three years. (2) If the contract contains a provision that establishes an amount the governing body must pay to the superintendent to buy out the contract, the amount may not be more than an amount equal to the lesser of: (A) the superintendent's salary for any one year under the contract; or (B) $250,000. Provides that a superintendent (in addition to a principal under current law) may initiate the cancellation of a teacher's contract by providing notice to the teacher of the superintendent's preliminary decision.

SB 355 - Child abuse education and policies. Requires, not later than July 1, 2018, the department of education (department) to make available model educational materials and model response policies and reporting procedures concerning child abuse and child sexual abuse to assist schools with the implementation of: (1) child abuse and child sexual abuse education programs in kindergarten through grade 12; and (2) child abuse and child sexual abuse response and reporting policies. (Current law requires the department to make available the model educational materials and model response policies and reporting procedures concerning child abuse and child sexual abuse to assist schools with the implementation of: (1) child abuse and child sexual abuse education programs in grades 2 through 5; and (2) child abuse and child sexual abuse response and reporting policies.) Requires that the: (1) materials and guidelines provided to assist a safe school committee in developing a plan and policy for a school include the model educational materials and the model response policies and reporting procedures; and (2) plan and policy developed by the safe school committee; must address the issues of child abuse and child sexual abuse. Requires the child abuse and child sexual abuse response and reporting policies to include information on the duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Beginning in 2018, requires, not later than December 15 of each year, a public school, including a charter school and an accredited nonpublic school, to provide age appropriate and research and evidence based instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school that employs one or more employees may not establish a policy that restricts or delays the duty of an employee or individual to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Provides that the legislative council is urged to assign to the education interim study committee during the 2017 legislative interim the topic of teacher training requirements regarding student behavior and health issues.

SB 423 - Sanctuary policies and postsecondary educational institutions. Prohibits a postsecondary educational institution from enacting or implementing an ordinance, a resolution, a rule, or a policy that prohibits or in any way restricts an employee of the postsecondary educational institution from taking certain actions with regard to information of the citizenship or immigration status of an individual.

SB 504 - Programs and services for charter schools. Requires that educational service centers provide services to a participating charter or certain nonpublic schools upon the request of the charter school. (This is in addition to current law that requires educational service centers to provide services to a participating school corporation upon request of the school corporation.) Allows charter schools or certain nonpublic school individually, in collaboration with other school corporations, charter schools, nonpublic schools or school corporations and charter schools or nonpublic schools acting jointly, and through the educational services centers, to undertake action to reduce noninstructional expenditures and allocate the resulting savings to student instruction and learning. Makes conforming changes to include charter schools and certain nonpublic schools in the actions that may be undertaken. 

Education Bills to Be Concurred by the House

More details can be found here. 

HB 1281 - Various higher education matters. Allows the commission for higher education (commission) to extend, with limitations, eligibility for certain grants or reductions in tuition or fees for recipients who used the grants or reductions in tuition or fees at postsecondary educational institutions that have closed. Amends provisions regarding renewal of certain scholarships and tuition and fee remissions. Changes the term "professional degree program" to "professional degree program or accelerated graduate degree program" and amends the definition. Amends the provision regarding the use of renewals and extensions of certain grants or reductions in tuition or fees for professional degree programs or accelerated graduate degree programs. Allows recipients of certain grants, scholarships, or remissions of fees to: (1) use, with certain limitations, funds from the grants, scholarships, or remissions of fees to pay for costs associated with prior learning assessments that the student attempts to earn during the academic year in which the student receives the grants, scholarships, or remissions of fees; and (2) count anticipated credit hours for prior learning assessments toward attendance requirements. Establishes the tuition and fee exemption reimbursement fund to provide reimbursement to state educational institutions for certain tuition and fee remissions. Provides that the commission, in coordination with the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, shall administer the primary care shortage area scholarship. (Current law provides that the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine shall administer the scholarship.) Requires a scholarship recipient to enter into an agreement with the commission (instead of the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine). Requires the commission to: (1) study and make recommendations regarding the benefits of a reverse transfer policy for Indiana students and prepare a report regarding the recommendations; and (2) submit, not later than November 1, 2017, the report to the budget agency and legislative council.

HB 1449 - Teacher induction pilot program. Makes changes to who may submit a plan to participate in the career pathways and mentorship program. Establishes the Indiana new educator induction program (program) to give new teachers, principals, and administrators mentoring support. Provides that grants for the program may be made from the system for teacher and student advancement grant fund. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2018, and each July thereafter, the state board of education shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly regarding the status of the program. Establishes the Indiana educator residency pilot program. Urges the legislative council to assign to the education interim study committee for study during the 2017 legislative interim the topic of teacher residency programs. Urges the legislative council to assign to the education interim study committee for study during the 2017 legislative interim the topic of new teacher induction program