Each year, the General Assembly strives to create the best education environment possible for Hoosier students. This session was no different. House Republicans worked hard to bring high-quality preschool education to more at-risk children in our state with the responsible expansion of the On My Way Pre-K pilot program. We also addressed the many issues with ISTEP and built on legislation from last year to effectively replace ISTEP with a newer, more efficient statewide assessment.
I authored legislation to expand the current pre-K pilot program we have in place from five to 20 counties across the state. On My Way Pre-K was established in 2014 and currently serves almost 2,300 low-income students in Allen, Lake, Marion, Jackson and Vanderburgh counties. While our current program is reaching many at-risk, four-year-olds, a critical demographic that is missing is our rural communities. When selecting additional counties, preference will be given to areas most in need and primarily rural areas. Eligibility for the program will still be limited to only high-quality providers, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used wisely, and enrolled children learn valuable skills during their pre-K experience.
This expansion will make for a more diverse and representative sampling of Hoosier communities for the longitudinal study that is accompanying the five-year pilot program. Additionally, this legislation would allow high-quality pre-K providers to receive grants to build up their capacity to eventually serve more children. It would also incorporate the option of online, in-home learning programs, which can serve children in remote areas lacking high-quality providers. While online programs are by no means a substitute for traditional, early education, programs like this have already demonstrated very promising results in other states.
For families considering the On My Way Pre-K program, the income threshold will remain at 127 percent of the federal poverty level, with priority given to children who are most in need. If the programs are at capacity in the original five counties, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration could raise the income eligibility to 185 percent of the poverty level, broadening access to low-income families.
I also authored legislation to replace the outdated ISTEP with a new statewide assessment system. I-LEARN, Indiana’s Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network, will eliminate scoring delays, software glitches and discrepancies that are present in the ISTEP test. The new exam will also be done in one testing window at the end of the school year and provide more timely results, resulting in a better determination of a student’s proficiency and growth toward Indiana standards. In addition, this legislation will provide new, multiple pathways for students to choose from in achieving graduation requirements.
Hoosiers can be proud with both of these bills, which passed with bipartisan support and have already been signed into law. I am glad the General Assembly was able to work together to support young Hoosiers as they begin and continue on in their academic careers. We have adjourned Sine Die, meaning we finished our legislative business for the 2017 session. You can still continue to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at 317-232-9643 or h91@iga.in.gov. You can also sign up to get regular e-mail updates with my e-newsletter at www.in.gov/h91.
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State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) represents portions of Hendricks and Marion counties.
Behning serves as the chair of the House Committee on Education.
A high-resolution photo of Behning can be downloaded by clicking here.
