On February 24, 2017, all of the authors of the state-of-the-state manuscripts published in the "Journal of Education Finance" met in Cincinnati, Ohio, to participate in a roundtable discussion focused on recent legislative actions in 38 states. A majority of those papers were revised to reflect a final report on legislative actions…

This report presents an overview defining what constitutes a charter school and how the existing 22 charter schools in Indiana are funded. 36 charter schools have been approved in Indiana as of Spring 2005. Of these, 22 schools have already begun operating, 10 are slated to open in the coming years, 2 have been closed down before they opened, and…

Homeschooling is quickly becoming a significant educational phenomenon. According to the Indiana Department of Education, the number of Indiana homeschooled children has increased by 400 percent over the past eight years, with a current enrollment total of 22,403. Furthermore, this number likely understates the true number of Indiana homeschooled…

In July of 2007, the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University was contracted by the state legislature to conduct an evaluation of the Indiana charter schools. The current study reports the results of an evaluation that has been designed to ensure that all objectives of the provisions of HEA 1001-2007 are fulfilled.…

Charter schools are given greater autonomy than traditional public schools, and in return they are held more accountable to the public. As such, if a charter school fails to meet its educational objectives, the charter may be revoked or not renewed. Revocation is the withdrawal of a school's charter during its term, while renewal relates to the…

While the concept of choice is not new to families able to take advantage of the available options, the idea of giving parents nearly total freedom in selecting their children's public school is new. Proponents of choice claim it results in higher test scores, fewer dropouts, and more involved parents. Critics maintain that there is no proof of…

This report has describes how the young Indianapolis charter school initiative can claim a number of successes: (1) Many community leaders have stepped forward to spearhead the creation of charter schools, bringing new energy and resources into public education; (2) Parents have flocked to the new schools, lining up on waiting lists and noting…

The Indiana General Assembly passed charter school enabling legislation in 2001, and the first charter schools opened their doors for the 2002-03 school year. As of fall 2008, 49 charter schools are operating in Indiana. A total of 17 of these schools are sponsored by the City of Indianapolis, Office of the Mayor, 29 schools are sponsored by…

THE LEGAL POSITION OF STUDENT TEACHERS WAS STUDIED. A SURVEY OF STATUTES, ATTORNEY GENERALS' OPINIONS, AND CASE LAWS IN 10 STATES WAS CONDUCTED. THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF STUDENT TEACHING SURVEYED WERE (1) THE LIABILITY FOR PUPIL INJURY, (2) THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE PUPIL CONDUCT, AND (3) THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SCHOOL CORPORATIONS AND OF…

This booklet provides data on a series of related measures of child and family well-being in Indiana, following national guidelines established by the Kids Count project to help Americans better understand the problems faced by children and adolescents and to foster greater commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and their…

This Kids Count report is the third in a series examining statewide trends in the well-being of Indiana's children. The report combines statistics of special concern in Indiana with 10 national Kids Count well-being indicators: (1) percent low birthweight; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) birth rate to unmarried teens ages 15…

This Kids Count report is the second in a series examining statewide trends in the well-being of Indiana's children. After an introduction and an explanation of the statistics, sections of the statistical report contain data on several indicators of well-being: (1) Indiana's children and their families, including population estimates, ethnicity,…