Indiana Department of Education Action Plan
| Release | Links of Interest |
|---|---|
| 04/03/2009 | IDOE Action Plan |
| 04/03/2009 | April 3, 2009 Podcast |
THE VISION
The academic achievement and career preparation of all Indiana students will be the best in the United States and on par with the most competitive countries in the world.
THE PLAN
- Create and promote a statewide culture of academic excellence, in which at least:
- 90% of students pass both Math and English/Language Arts sections of ISTEP+ and End-of-Course Assessments;
- 25% of all graduates receive a score of 3, 4 or 5 on at least one Advanced Placement exam, a 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam, or receive the equivalent of 3 semester hours of college credit during their high school years; and
- 90% of students graduate from high school.
- Free Indiana schools from unnecessary regulations and eliminate other barriers to developing new and innovative structures for learning.
- Improve instructional quality and enhance school governance and leadership.
- Develop learning support systems that facilitate academic achievement and career preparation.
- Establish high and clear standards for success, keep score, and ensure that resulting school accountability is transparent to the public.
- Provide exceptional customer service while operating with optimal efficiency and aligning all available resources around student learning.
Institute and sustain an emphasis on reading at the elementary level and integrate reading and writing into all content areas to ensure students are able to comprehend and to apply new knowledge across the curriculum and in practical settings.
Advance learning in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) areas. Drive college preparedness by designing and implementing a coherent Advanced Placement (AP) course strategy, including a focus on AP readiness at the middle school level and an aggressive dual-credit strategy.
Focus on middle school success by ensuring an engaging learning environment that demands academic rigor, begins career preparation awareness and builds upon elementary achievement in basic skills.
Integrate Title I, English Language Learners (ELL), High Ability and Special Education programs seamlessly into the learning environment by focusing on meeting the needs of the child and complementing the learning experience.
Create multiple pathways for learning that enable all students to attain postsecondary success.
Create a vibrant statewide Career and Technical Education program through the creation of state of the art Programs of Study that integrate rigorous academic standards, prepare students for postsecondary education and lead to at least an associate degree or nationally recognized certification aligned with industry demand. Promote use of technology in teaching and increase the number of students who graduate with the Core 40 with Technical Honors Diploma. Ensure that every student has an academic experience that meets the student’s needs by having a strong Alternative Education program that encourages our students most at-risk for high school failure by providing new opportunities for success and pre-high school interventions.
Support an adult education program that is focused on preparing adults to participate in postsecondary education and employment, that works collaboratively with other organizations to leverage resources and that is delivered in an efficient student-centered manner.
Engage key stakeholders across the education continuum and throughout the community to form meaningful collaborations that nurture the attitude that academic achievement and career preparation of Indiana students is the top priority of all.
Review and revise all State Board of Education and Department of Education regulations to maximize flexibility.
Expand the learning choices available for students through support for the growth and success of Charter schools, Freeway schools, early college programs and online learning opportunities.
Support the expansion of the New Technology (New Tech) high school model and other innovative educational models.
Foster student-centered and learning-focused educational innovation and entrepreneurship and champion models with a proven track-record of success.
Pursue an aggressive legislative agenda to foster the retention of high-quality teachers by tackling discipline issues and other barriers to their success.
Reform and deregulate existing licensing standards to encourage the appropriate use of subject matter experts in the classroom and in administrative positions.
Increase the percentage of participants in Teach for America, The New Teacher Project, the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship initiative and other alternative certification programs that push the traditional bounds of teacher credentialing with marked, quantifiable success.
Use Title II and related funding strategically to support relevant, effective professional development opportunities.
Provide an effective executive leadership program focused on organizational leadership and best practices.
Ensure that Department-sponsored professional development opportunities promote innovative strategies for instruction and are designed to impact instructional quality in a sustainable and measurable way.
Institute a teacher portal to put longitudinal achievement data in the hands of teachers, facilitate the sharing of best practices and provide access to rich learning resources aligned with Indiana’s academic standards.
Support the creation and maintenance of a safe, healthy and wellness-focused learning environment.
Embrace innovative technologies and improve the operational efficiencies of learning support systems to facilitate student learning.
Provide academic counseling that maximizes each student’s potential.
Pursue efficiencies in student transportation systems.
Pursue an aggressive legislative agenda and revise accreditation standards to strengthen school accountability.
Provide parents and teachers with regular, fair and accurate assessments of their students’ progress by instituting a transparent model for student growth and related tools.
Develop a clear and concise report card for school progress, which will be published regularly and offer school-to-school comparisons.
Realign the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to improve coordination, localize service delivery, and ensure that the IDOE is the source authority for best practices in learning. Institute operational efficiencies to reduce administrative overhead and direct more dollars to innovative learning practices. Streamline necessary reporting.
Automate licensing and other manual processes to facilitate faster, more accurate reporting. Institute a data warehouse and provide quality, timely analysis to enable effective decision-making at the state and local level.
Develop and support the implementation of a statewide technology plan. Improve the IDOE communications system to minimize the time and effort it takes schools to receive assistance from the agency and to ensure consistent, high-quality responses to customer inquiries.
