Pence commends the work of Department of Education, State Board of Education and Indiana General Assembly to ensure continued flexibility for Indiana school districts
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today issued the following statement regarding the renewal of Indiana’s waiver under the federal No Child Left Behind law:
“I have made it a priority to ensure Indiana’s continued commitment to high standards and accountability on behalf of our students, and today’s announcement is great news for children, parents and teachers. I am very pleased that the U.S. Department of Education has again approved Indiana’s No Child Left Behind waiver.
“The approval of Indiana’s waiver maintains the local control of education that school districts, teachers and Hoosier parents have come to expect. The federal Department of Education cites Indiana’s innovative, data-driven approaches to implement college and career ready goals for all Hoosier students, including those in low-performing schools.
“Our commitment to a high quality education for every Hoosier student yields results. Graduation rates are on the rise, ISTEP and end-of-course assessments scores are up, and reading scores continue to show marked improvements. And we’ll continue to support high-quality pre-K programs that emphasize early learning so that more kids are prepared to learn on day one of kindergarten.
“This announcement is a testament to the work of the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana General Assembly, members of the State Board of Education, and the many Indiana educators and subject matter experts who contributed to this successful outcome. I also want to extend my appreciation to every member of the Indiana Congressional delegation, who supported the renewal of Indiana’s waiver.
“Hoosiers can be proud of the ongoing, collaborative effort that has made this renewal possible. My administration remains committed to ensuring that all Hoosier children have access to quality schools, and that education is determined by Hoosier educators and families in their local communities.â€
Governor Pence recently signed into law the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget that puts a priority on education. The budget included $480 million in new funding for K-12 education, $48.6 million in additional funding for Career and Technical Education, $66.3 million for adult high schools and $70 million for teacher performance grants. It also continues the pre-K pilot program implemented last year.
