Some students move out of state, but others move in. Some transfer to private schools, while others are now homeschooled. A small number are incarcerated, and some teenagers tragically die. But the sum of these numbers does not approach 27,000. These are the students who need the greatest assistance from family, community and public programs if they are ever to complete their high school education as a first step toward a stable and productive adult life.
Education is a primary concern of Hoosier parents and community leaders.
This high level of interest explains the intense debates over proposed initiatives such as charter schools, higher teacher salaries, school choice vouchers, smaller class sizes, and greater accountability. These potential solutions are worthy of responsible public debate, but that debate will not be fully informed unless we are clear about the challenges and opportunities before us. The state as a whole, and each individual school district, must have an accurate count of student success and failure before appropriate solutions can be devised. Countless state and local efforts aimed at bolstering academic achievement in the Hoosier State already are underway. For example, educators in Richmond and Bluffton have devised creative and successful remediation programs paid for by state education dollars.