Education secretary: More cooperation between K-12 and higher ed possible

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana’s secretary of education said families can expect closer cooperation than ever between K-12 and higher education.

Dr. Katie Jenner, the secretary of education for Indiana, will take on a dual role as commissioner for higher education when Commissioner Chris Lowery retires next month. In an interview with News 8 for All INdiana Politics, Jenner said there is already greater cooperation between the K-12 and higher education sectors to ensure students are ready for what comes after high school graduation, whether that’s getting a traditional four-year degree or obtaining a technical certification.

“The cooperation opportunity is always there,” Jenner said. “When you look at the high school redesign with our high school students able to earn a credential of value, those credentials of value are typically a year or so of college, and then can be stacked into a future opportunity. There’s a lot of opportunity ahead to just really encourage that collaboration between K-12 and higher education.”

This year marks the second school year under Indiana’s new school literacy law, which requires students to repeat the third grade if they fail the IREAD exam three times. State lawmakers have further clarified language surrounding students who are English language learners or have special needs. Those students can qualify for good-cause exemptions to the literacy test law.

Jenner said official enrollment numbers next month will show how many third graders were held back due to their IREAD scores, as well as how many students were allowed to move up to fourth grade due to good-cause exemptions. She said state law now requires schools to work closely with students who qualify for those good-cause exemptions to ensure they are still able to read proficiently.

“We know we’ll have a significant percentage who are special education students or English learners who came in within the past couple of years,” Jenner said. “So, we absolutely anticipate seeing some of those good-cause exemptions who move on to fourth grade.”

All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.

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