Board of Education Approves Virtual Academy Changes
The Indiana State Board of Education has approved a move by Ball State University aimed at improving the quality of education for students at the Hoosier Academies Virtual School. The online charter school has received an accountability grade of F in six of the last seven years.
The board voted 6-1 to reduce the administrative fee received by Ball State, which is the authorizer of the charter school, from 3 percent to 1 percent. The board says that will ensure an additional $300,000 per year will be directed to educating students.
By another 6-1 vote, the board voted to freeze enrollment at the virtual school, effective immediately, and prevent re-enrollment from students who drop out. Additionally, siblings of current students will be allowed to enroll.
The board also unanimously approved of the I-LEARN plan memo, which allows the Indiana Department of Education to begin the Request for Proposals process. The bill creating the I-LEARN test, which is the successor to the ISTEP test, was recently signed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb.
You can view the I-LEARN plan memo below: