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New Statewide Grant Offers Help Paying For Children’s Tutoring

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New Statewide Grant Offers Help Paying For Children’s Tutoring

  • Staff Report
INDIANAPOLIS—Is your child struggling in math or English? Check to see if they are eligible for this new Indiana grant. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced on Wednesday the creation of Indiana Learns, a statewide grant program offering up to $1,000 for math and English/language arts tutoring and approved out-of-school academic programs for qualifying families. It’s another attempt to address the well-documented learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Parents and families play such an important role in a child’s education, not only through reading to and supporting them at home but also through additional high-quality tutoring to further support their learning,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education. “This grant will increase access to tutoring opportunities for our students who need it most, regardless of a parent or family’s ability to afford this additional support.”

The program is a result of House Enrolled Act 1251, signed into law earlier this year by Gov. Eric Holcomb. IDOE selected The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit, as a partner to operate the two-year program.

“These tutoring grants give families the power to choose engaging, high-quality academic support for their students,” said Seana Murphy, senior director of Indiana Learns. “We look forward to partnering with families and schools to help Hoosier students succeed.”

Results of a study conducted by the National Center for Assessment in conjunction with IDOE show that students experienced a moderate to significant academic impact in English/language arts and a significant impact in math following pandemic-related learning disruptions. After one year of intensive support, results show that learning is stabilizing or recovering for many students.

However, proficiency rates for specific student populations—including Black and Hispanic students, English learner students, low-income students and students with disabilities—remain significantly below both pre-pandemic levels and their grade-level peers.

To qualify for an Indiana Learns tutoring grant, students must:

  • Legally reside in Indiana.
  • Be enrolled at a traditional public, charter or accredited non-public school.
  • Qualify for Federal Free or Reduced Lunches.
  • Have scored Below Proficiency in both math and English/language arts on ILEARN as a third or fourth grader in 2022.

If your child meets these requirements, register at IndianaLearns.org to set up an account and find participating learning partners. This online platform will be available starting Oct. 1.

Funds can be used on approved virtual and in-person tutoring opportunities listed in the online platform. Examples of qualifying expenses include private tutoring, small group tutoring, or academic-focused camps held during school breaks.

Much more information, including for schools and potential learning partners, can be found at IndianaLearns.org.

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