What a month of celebrations it has been! 

Last week, 16 Hoosier schools were recognized as National Blue Ribbon schools and half of them are non-public schools! Indiana had the most non-public schools of any state to receive this recognition. Congratulations to these schools on this achievement - we are proud of you! 

• Heritage Christian School (Association of Christian Schools International)
• Roncalli High School (Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
• Saint Wendel Catholic School (Diocese of Evansville)
• Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi Catholic School (Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
• St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic School (Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
• St. Pius X Catholic School (Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
• St. Theodore Guerin High School (Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana)
• St. Thomas More School (Diocese of Gary)

Also last week, 400+ attendees joined us for INPAC 2024! We had two incredible days of professional development, networking, and fellowship. INPAC also served as the official kick-off to INPEA’s 50th Anniversary celebration year and we marked this milestone with a new video, new logo, and cupcakes. We look forward to many more celebrations in the coming year! 

Finally, October is National Principals’ Month. In Indiana, we are blessed to have so many incredible leaders in our non-public schools. Principals, we celebrate you and appreciate all you do for Hoosier children!

The INPEA Team,

John, Chris, Andrea, and Beatrice

INPAC 2024 Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended INPAC last week! Last week, we welcomed a record number of attendees at INPAC for two days of networking, learning, and celebrating how we are Rooted in a Legacy of Leading. 

We kicked off the conference with an incredible pre-conference on AI featuring local and national experts. Keynote speakers Chike Aguh and Kim Strobel delivered powerful messages and more than 20 speakers and panelists shared their knowledge. Thursday’s dinner featured a celebration of INPEA’s 50th Anniversary, a keynote from EdChoice CEO Robert Enlow, and a special recognition of John Elcesser, who was presented with the Sagamore of the Wabash award.

Later this week, attendees will be sent a conference survey to complete. We appreciate your feedback!

Across the Finish Line Legislative Engagement

Thank you to all of the schools that have participated in our monthly Across the Finish Line coalition calls. We know the school year is just getting started so we are grateful for the time already spent gearing up for the 2025 legislative session! 

In August, we covered how to host legislators in your school. You can find a copy of that presentation plus additional resources at the links below. 

Join our next coalition call to learn more about how to engage your school families. We’ll be talking about how to identify school choice stories, choosing parents to testify, and resources available to prepare families for engagement during the 2025 legislative session. 

Any regional host schools that would like to schedule a follow-up Zoom to assist in their preparations, reach out to Andrea.

Across the Finish Line Coalition Call #3

Tuesday, October 1, 2024  

11:00-11:30 AM ET

Register

INPEA 50th Anniversary

INPEA kicked off our 50th anniversary celebration year at INPAC last week. We look forward to celebrating with our non-pub friends in the coming months! At INPAC, we unveiled our new logo and the first installment of our anniversary videos, which you can download at the link below.  

Stay tuned for more details about these events:

INPEA Day at the Statehouse

Monday, January 27, 2025

INPEA 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Indiana Roof Ballroom 

IDOE Updates

Preferred Universal Screener Approval Committee Interest Survey

IDOE partners with Indiana educators to review universal screeners in alignment with Indiana Code (IC) 20-35.5 and Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 1 (2024) and now seeks qualified educators and other stakeholders to review assessment program documentation. Interested individuals must complete the 2024-2025 Preferred Universal Screener Approval Committee educator or community member interest survey by Friday, October 4. Completion of the interest survey is not an indication of commitment and is non-binding. Additional information regarding universal screener assessments can be found on IDOE’s dyslexia webpage. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with questions.

Updated IREAD Guidance - 2024-2025 School Year

Beginning this school year, all second grade students will participate in the spring administration of IREAD. New Indiana legislation updated guidance schools must use when making decisions about grade-level promotion, instructional plans, and Good Cause Exemption (GCE) eligibility. The purpose of a GCE has significantly changed from past years. Beginning with the 2024-2025 IREAD test administration, a GCE now serves to exempt an eligible student from retention if the student does not pass IREAD in third grade. New resources for IREAD can be found here and on IDOE’s IREAD webpage.

• Process & Considerations for Issuing a Good Cause Exemption
• IREAD Frequently Asked Questions 
• Communication Guidance for Incoming Kindergarten Students: IREAD Assessment Outcomes
• GCE Parent Letter Template (English | Spanish)
• After the GCE: Students with Disabilities
• After the GCE: English Learners

Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The following are great free resources you can use with your staff in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month: KnowBe4 has a free resource kit available which includes a weekly activities planner and resource guide. The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is featuring Secure Our World resources and a free resource kit. And Infosec is serving up a recipe for a great month of cybersecurity activities. Contact IDOE’s Office of Information Technology with additional questions.

Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) Submissions Open Tuesday, October 1

NCSR is a no-cost, anonymous, annual cybersecurity self-assessment designed to measure gaps and capabilities of school cybersecurity programs and based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF). Consider completing this year's NCSR by registering here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Information Technology with additional questions.

INPEC 2025

As you make plans for next school year, please remember to save the date for INPEC on September 18 and 19, 2025. Here are the preliminary registration costs for INPEC 2025:

Early Bird Rate (Member Schools)

1-10 Registrants: $190

11-25 Registrants: $180

26+ Registrants: $165

Standard Rate

INPEA Member: $240/registrant

Non-Member: $290/registrant

For INPEC 2025, in keeping with our 50th Anniversary theme, we will be asking our INPEA friends to help us choose our keynote speakers. Let’s invite back one (or two) of our best keynoters from past conferences. We’ve had some great ones! You may also know a new one who will be great too. We want YOUR input! Stay tuned for more details.

Congratulations, K-12 Robotics Competition Grant Recipients!

Congratulations to these INPEA member schools for receiving the K-12 Robotics Competition Grant!

Bishop Chatard High School, Indianapolis

Central Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School, Lafayette

Christ the King Catholic School, Indianapolis

Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne

Covenant Christian High School, Indianapolis

Faith Christian School, Lafayette

Guerin Catholic High School, Noblesville

Holy Redeemer School, Evansville

Illiana Christian High School, Dyer

Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Indianapolis

Resurrection School, Evansville

Saint Luke School, Indianapolis

Saint Susanna School, Plainfield

Saint Thomas Aquinas School, Indianapolis

Traders Point Christian Schools, Whitestown

Washington Catholic Middle/High School, Washington

Save the Date: Indiana Work-Based Learning Conference

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce invites INPEA schools to attend the Indiana Work-Based Learning Conference on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville. 

For more information and to register, visit 2025 Indiana Work-Based Learning Conference - Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

The registration fee for non-public schools is $175 per attendee. Conference themes include topics of how to engage employers, to course competency and career outcome alignment, addressing equitable accesses to work-based learning, policy/programs/resources, and more. 

Ivy Tech: Indiana’s Best Value in Higher Education

College is a major investment, but with Ivy Tech, it doesn’t have to be an expensive one! We offer the lowest tuition in the state and with Ivy+ Tuition & Textbooks, students get a seamless experience while saving even more money. Students pay only $16.50 per credit hour for textbooks and are charged a flat tuition rate for 12+ hours, meaning they pay the same price for 12, 15, or even 18 credit hours!

Looking for additional support? Ivy Tech has over $100 million available in financial aid like scholarships, grants, and work-study. In order to qualify, students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and use Ivy Tech’s school code: 009917.

Contact: Khaliah Williams

Contact: Mike Rivard

Contact: Joy Roberts

Contact: Katie Lash

Contact: Dr. Ken Britt

Contact: Rob Pizzauro

Contact: Cathy Tooley

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