Dear John,

NEWSFLASH:

Another historic session for School Choice!

In the early hours of this morning, the General Assembly passed their biennial budget that included another round of historical expansions for school choice but more importantly for Hoosiers families! Indiana continues to be a national leader in school choice by taking another step closer to universal choice for all families. With strong leadership by the House and support from the Senate, Indiana both simplified the Choice Scholarship Program and expanded it to more Hoosier families.

The Budget removed the eligibility pathways/tracks (hoops) and increased the financial eligibility to 400% of Free and Reduced Lunch eligibility ($220,000 for a family of 4). The 5 year old birthdate eligibility was moved to October 1st and SGO scholarships can now be used for PreK tuition as well!

Did we get everything we had hoped for? No, but pretty darn close! The fees language died, but maybe we’ll see it next year. 

Over the 12 years of private school choice, our school leaders and school communities have slowly owned the responsibility of engaging in the legislative process. In states like Indiana, it is imperative that the voice of non-public schools be loud and coordinated. It is critical to our schools and the students entrusted to us.

With that said, let me share my heartfelt thanks for all of you that have owned it. Over the past few years our non-public school voice has grown, and we have seen success because of that. It is our hope that our next call to action will be asking you to thank our legislators for another successful session! Many lives have been and will be touched by our efforts. Thank you!

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 8-12

When you think about the impact of your own education, what do you think about?

If I was to make a guess, I would bet that you would think of a teacher or teachers that had an impact on your life. We all have those teachers! Whether you were in need academically, socially, or just had the need to be inspired. We hold an awesome responsibility as educators. We mold and form. We challenge and we motivate. And at a time where there are teacher shortages, the treasure of great teachers is even more profound. I have been promoting the concept of the teacher in me for the past year. Each of you, through your daily interactions with your students, has the opportunity to promote the teaching profession for the next generation of educators. We thank you for all you do! Please know that you are truly appreciated!

John, Andrea, and Beatrice

The INPEA Team

New Choice Expansion Rollout

On May 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET and May 11 at 10:00 a.m. ET, INPEA Executive Director John Elcesser and IQE President and CEO Betsy Wiley will discuss the changes to Indiana’s Choice Program passed in the 2023 Legislative Session.

Register below to participate:

INPEC 2023 Registration is Open

Registration for INPEC 2023 on October 26 and 27 is now open! We hope you are making plans to bring your team to the conference! Keep in mind that there are some funding options available to you. You can use Title IIA funds or EANS funds. We are finalizing the registration brochure, which will contact information about the conference sessions. We hope to share that by mid-May! 

We hope to see you October 26 and 27 at the Indiana Convention Center for INPEC 2023! 

2023-2024 Dues Increase

The INPEA Board has approved a 10% dues increase for the 2023-24 school year. The new dues amounts are: 

PreK: $1.58 per student

K-12: $5.45 per student

If you have questions or concerns, reach out to John Elcesser.

Updated Annual Consultation and Agreement Form

Garrett Wilson has provided this form for schools to use in their upcoming meetings.

Grant Information and State Ombudsman Office Hours 

Check out the Title Grants Newsletter. The Grants team posts weekly updates on Thursdays for Title grants. Please check for updates that may affect your local school districts and your equitable share of Title funding.

The Title Grants and Support team have created a new Title Grants & Support calendar for the field. This calendar will feature Title I-IV and ESSER deadlines, Title Grants events, and other key dates. This link will automatically update as changes occur and is a great resource to bookmark.

Garrett Wilson has recurring office hours to handle federal grant questions every Thursday from 2:00-2:30 p.m. You can join his office hours here. 

Thank You, School Donors!

Every year we ask our member schools to consider giving to INPEA above and beyond their annual dues so we can continue to make strides in legislation, professional development, and consultation for Indiana's non-public schools. We want to thank the following schools who stepped up so far this school year to donate money above their individual school membership dues, as of April 27, 2023:

Cardinal Ritter High School

Cathedral High School

Highland Christian School

Heritage Christian School

Lafayette Central Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School 

Marian High School

Mater Dei High School

Reitz Memorial High School

St. Theodore Guerin High School

If your school has the ability and the heart to give to our annual fund campaign, you can find more information on giving online or sending in a check here. Or feel free to reach out to Beatrice Bursten for more information.

Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools

How to Learn about the Science of Reading

By Dr. Anne Elsener

Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools

Are you an educator who has listened to the “Sold a Story” podcast by Emily Hanford from APM reports or heard the buzz about the science of reading and want to learn more? A quick internet search of “science of reading” will give you over 3 million results to read, watch, listen to, and buy. To help you avoid searching this formidable amount of information, here is a list of resources that will help educators understand and implement evidence-based instructional methods aligned to science of reading research. We also share suggestions and tips on our social media. 

Be sure to follow the Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools on Facebook and Instagram: @muvibrantschools. Happy Learning! 

Social-Emotional Character Development with Friendzy

Are you looking for more ways for students to connect, excel academically, live out their faith in action while mitigating classroom disruptions? 

Then Friendzy’s social-emotional character development program rooted in Scripture is what you’ve been searching for!

Friendzy provides INPEA schools with a holistic framework for PreK-8 classrooms, teaching skills like respect, confidence, problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking– through the lens of Scripture.

The Friendzy program includes: 

• Developmentally appropriate student workbooks
• Teacher curriculum
• Digital supplements and downloads
• Professional development library 
• Pre and post-program surveys
• Parent connections
• 
  

Does this sound too good to be true? Well then, wait until you hear this one:

INPEA members receive:

• 10% off
• Plus, access to exclusive group pricing

Learn more about our program and discounts by booking a free 30-minute program consultation with a Friendzy Partnership Specialist today!

Spring 2023 Updates from Ivy Tech:

Free Summer Tuition and Textbooks for High School Students

 Kate Wallace, Executive Director of Student Communications

Ivy Tech Community College

Help make your students’ goals a reality this summer at Ivy Tech with FREE tuition & textbooks for high school students! Whether they’re just getting started, almost finished, or somewhere in-between, these free courses can help:

• Get started on college goals
• Explore programs and career opportunities
• Move closer to college completion
• Accomplish Indiana College Core courses
• Focus on areas needing attention

Let us know if your student is interested in summer courses starting June 5 by filling out a quick interest form at ivytech.edu/freecourses. An Ivy Tech enrollment specialist will reach out with next steps. 

Indiana Learns Statewide Tutoring Grant Program

Indiana Learns is excited to share that the program has expanded the criteria for eligibility and is now supporting 3rd-8th grade students who also:

• Reside in Indiana
• Are enrolled in an Indiana school
• Qualify for Federal Free or Reduced Lunch in 2022 or no later than October 2023
• Scored below proficiency in either Mathematics or English/Language Arts on ILEARN in 2022. 
• o NOTE: approaching proficiency will not qualify

Indiana Learns is a statewide grant program supporting reading and math growth for eligible young Hoosiers. Qualifying students can access $500 -$1,000 in grant funds to use with approved tutoring providers on

the Indiana Learns platform. Do you know a 3rd-8th grade student who may qualify? Direct them to our website, IndianaLearns.org, where they can check eligibility using their student test number (STN) and date of birth. 

We are also seeking high-quality tutoring providers to serve our students. If your organization is interested in becoming an approved Learning Partner for Indiana Learns, apply now on our online platform!

Contact: Cathy Tooley

Contact: Dr. Ken Britt

Contact: Dr. Kevin Berkopes

Contact: Alex Urrea

Agudath Israel of America

Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Association of Christian Schools International

Christian Schools International

Diocese of Evansville

Diocese of Fort Wayne- South Bend

Diocese of Gary

Diocese of Lafayette

Indiana Association of Independent Schools

Indiana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod - Indiana District

The Lutheran School Partnership