IASP Advocacy Podcast 9.12.25

Good morning, School Leaders, This week's IASP Advocacy Podcast recaps important takeaways from the September 9th State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting. Here are some highlights: 📊 School Accountability Timeline Draft 1 of the new accountability rule is complete. Draft 2 will be released in October, followed by another 30-day comment period. SBOE is on track to vote in December, with first school letter grades issued in Fall 2026. 💰 Federal Flexibility Waiver Indiana is preparing to send a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education this month. Goal: maximize flexibility and allow educators to focus on reading, STEM access, and high school opportunities—rather than just compliance. 🚍 Chronic Absenteeism Absenteeism has improved since its peak (21.1% in 2022). Still, nearly 1 in 3 seniors are chronically absent. Data shows significant gaps in proficiency for chronically absent students: ELA: 23.5% proficiency vs. 43% for regular attenders. Math: 19.5% proficiency vs. 45.3%. 📚 Teacher Preparation & Literacy Education prep programs reviewed for alignment with the Science of Reading. Results: 70% of Cohort 1 programs rated Good or Strong; others must improve within one year or risk losing accreditation. Next step: review of secondary literacy programs. 📖 Adolescent Literacy Focus New urgency around grades 6–8, where 42% of students are not reading at grade level. IDOE will pilot outcomes-based contracts with vetted vendors, ensuring schools only pay for interventions that deliver results. Supports include: ILEARN checkpoints, Lexile data, curricular advisory lists, summer learning labs, and Indiana Learning Lab resources.