What We Do

The vision of the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is to elevate the academic achievement and career preparation of all Indiana students to be the best in the United States and on par with the most competitive countries in the world.

Specifically, the department aims to create and promote a statewide culture of academic excellence, based on the following goals: 

• 90% of students will pass both Math and English/Language Arts sections of ISTEP+ and End-of-Course Assessments;
• 25% of all graduates will 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.

Under the leadership of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, Indiana’s students are on course to achieve these goals. Since 2009, the number of students passing both portions of the ISTEP exam has increased to the largest in state history. The number of students graduating high school has jumped more than 8 percentage points to 84.5 percent in 2010, and Indiana can boast the largest increase in students taking Advanced Placement courses in the United States. 

Working in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Education are several important boards and commissions. 

• Indiana’s State Board of Education is an 11-member statutory board that oversees education policymaking for the state. 
• Indiana’s Education Roundtable brings together leaders from K-12, higher education, workforce and state government to improve student achievement and contribute to efforts that ensure our state economy is supported by a strong, well-prepared workforce.
• The Indiana Education Employment Relations Board, under the IDOE, works to promote effective and cooperative relationships between public school teachers and the corporations they serve. 
• The Indiana Charter School Board aims to grow the supply of high-performing charter schools in the state by authorizing and holding accountable a portfolio of quality charter schools.