INDIANAPOLIS – Student Learning, School Improvement, and Operational Effectiveness highlight the 2018 Indiana Department of Education Strategic Policy Priorities released today by Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick.
“The foundation of these policies is to create a rich, innovative and immersive educational environment that challenges our students to be successful lifelong learners,” said Dr. McCormick. “Our 2018 priorities are the result of meeting with hundreds of Hoosiers over the last 11 months. During this time, I met with hardworking and dedicated educators, parents, and community members. The bounty of information shared is at the heart of our desire to ensure our children not just succeed, but achieve their full potential.”
Strategic Priority One focuses on Student Learning. Providing children an early opportunity to learn while aligning efforts among Indiana’s most at-risk students underscores the need to ensure all children have access to educational resources that meet their needs. In addition, Dr. McCormick and her staff will advocate for revised diploma requirements while building upon career exploration and advanced college and career readiness resources.
Dr. McCormick has set School Improvement as Strategic Priority Two. This means working to ensure Indiana’s accountability systems are rigorous, equitable, manageable, and understandable. A student-centered approach requires effective teachers. To accomplish this, we must provide a clear path for those who want to teach and those already instructing in the classroom. This will be achieved by working to offer flexibility in teacher licensing across all disciplines and creating opportunities for teacher-leadership development.
Providing essential support to individual districts is a key to success and why Dr. McCormick’s Strategic Priority Three is Operational Effectiveness. This objective focuses on creating a standard for data practices, addressing reporting and recording concerns and providing flexibility for fiscally distressed schools and districts as just a few examples.
“As evidenced in districts across the State, focused support is an essential tool in building and maintaining highly successful students, taught by highly effective educators, supported by successful schools in engaged communities,” said Dr. McCormick
Dr. McCormick and her staff will work closely with the 2018 Indiana General Assembly to implement each of her strategic priorities. For details regarding Dr. McCormick’s Strategic Policy Priorities, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/2018strategicpriorities.
