Dear Indiana educators, Following the close of each legislative session, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) immediately begins working to implement newly-enacted legislation impacting K-12 education, which includes compiling guidance for educators. As you know, our work at IDOE continues to be centered around our three key pillars:

Student learning and opportunity,

Educator talent, quality, and value, and

System alignment and capacity

As we develop guidance and implement the new laws outlined in the following pages, we will keep at the forefront the need to remain learner-centered and future-focused. The following guidance is a product of robust cross-agency collaboration and partnership with countless stakeholders. Thank you to our educators, families, education advocates, and others who played a role in developing this guidance. Our team at IDOE will continue to update and expand this document as we work our way through the many new laws passed in 2023, and we hope this document can serve as a one-stop-shop as you work to interpret and implement the new laws applicable to your school. Any future updates will be added to this comprehensive guidance document and shared via the weekly newsletter. You might also consider bookmarking this page for convenient access. Thank you again for making your voice heard this legislative session and for our shared work ahead to make the most out of this opportunity and implement the best work that we can for our students! Sincerely, Dr. Katie Jenner Indiana Secretary of Education

Elevating the science of reading As Indiana continues to make historic investments in literacy (now up to $170 million), several new laws were passed during the 2023 legislative session to elevate the science of reading and further support schools in achieving our statewide reading goal of 95% by 2027. HEA 1558 Science of reading Science of reading curriculum for future teachers HEA 1558 requires higher education educator preparation programs to embed the science of reading into their curriculum and prepare future educators to receive a literacy endorsement. This legislation also codifies a statewide definition of the science of reading, which will inform this work.

Rethinking high school During the May 2023 meeting of the SBOE, IDOE presented a first look at the state’s ongoing work to rethink the high school experience. This included an overview of the recently completed Indiana Graduation Landscape Analysis, as well as future, collaborative work that will take place as part of this process. The Graduation Landscape Analysis marks the first step in what will be a collaborative and comprehensive, yet expeditious, process of rethinking high school in Indiana. The analysis included an in-depth look at how Indiana’s graduation pathways and diploma requirements have evolved over time, as well as examples of graduation/diploma practices in other states. The analysis also included stakeholder engagement to begin identifying opportunities to ensure every student has access to rigorous coursework that is individualized and purposeful for their unique path. Moving forward, this work will focus on three key areas: