With School Choice Week underway at the Indiana Statehouse and the Indiana Department of Education releasing the A–F school accountability grades, it’s safe to say there has been a huge focus on education in recent days.
One neighborhood is looking to establish a healthy educational environment for its students by dreaming big. The sky is the limit at the Near Eastside Education Summit held Jan. 30 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Thomas D. Greg School 51. During this free summit, hosted by The Near Eastside Innovation School Steering Committee, members who have children attending area schools and those who work or play in the area are encouraged to let their thoughts and voices be heard. Everyday citizens will get a chance to share their biggest hopes and dreams for their educational community, while assessing what resources are already available to help make them a reality.
“The goal from the start is to get information from the community on what makes for a great school. Our objectives are to come away from the summit knowing what the neighborhood expects, wants and desires,” said CoraLyn Turentine, director of neighborhood engagement at the John H. Boner Community Center, an organization providing a variety of services to residents.
The steering committee has heard a variety of requests thus far. Turentine said many parents simply want their children to attend a high-quality school located in their own neighborhood, and they also want their child to attend a school where parents feel connected to the staff. Big concerns lie in the effectiveness of each teacher and the state’s current A-F grading scale. Turentine noted parents want teachers equipped with skills to meet the individual needs of multiple children and are frustrated with current grading systems for Indiana schools and how success is monitored.
“Many parents are sitting back and thinking about their own school experience and how their children can have the same educational opportunities they had, if not better,” mentioned Turentine, who also oversees the community’s neighborhood and quality-of-life summits. “They want school to be a fun place where their child can engage and discover their talents, and that’s not necessarily happening right now.”
Lynn Smith, director of resource development at the Boner Center, said the community is very tight knit and loyal. This isn’t the first time the neighborhood has convened on a large scale. Several years ago when the Near Eastside Neighborhood Quality of Life plan was developed, more than 531 neighborhood participants spent at least 1,000 volunteer hours helping to build the strategy according to the written plan.
“We are a unique community where our neighbors actually drive our programs. What we learn from any summit, we take back to our leadership and assess those needs,” commented Smith. “It’s not about us; it’s about the community. We may not agree on everything, but at the end of the day, we think about what our neighbors want.”
The Near Eastside Innovation School Steering Committee is a neighborhood-driven, grassroots education group that emerged from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s (LISC) Great Places 2020 Initiative, a visionary community development project transforming strategic places in Marion County neighborhoods into dynamic centers of culture, commerce and community. Each “Great Place” focuses on livability, opportunity, vitality and education. The Near East neighborhoods are a part of that initiative.
Turentine and Smith said the steering committee has a good balance of members composed of neighbors, Boner employees, those surrounding Englewood, Thomas Greg and Near East Area Renewal.
The committee wants attendees to know this is not a time to complain or speak on challenges, but about dreams in a positive environment.
“This is not a town hall meeting,” said Turentine. “It’s a time for neighbors to come and brainstorm together in a way that is positive, uplifting and inspiring.”
There is big push for parents to attend. Members of the Near Eastside Education AmeriCorps will be providing programming for children in pre-school through 12 years old during the summit.
“I’d hate for any parent to think this event is about bringing big names into the room to talk about education reform and policy, because that’s not what this is about. When you’re sitting at the barbershop saying, ‘Man, I wish my kid had a better tutor,’ that’s exactly the kinds of conversations we want to have,” said Turentine.
When asked about The Mind Trust and Indianapolis Public Schools’ partnership to develop Innovation Network Schools, autonomous public schools that will operate under a contract with IPS and will have access to district buildings at no cost, the steering committee said it will look for a consensus at the summit to see if that is something desired. If not, they are still looking to mobilize their vision.
During the summit, lunch will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP on the event’s Facebook site.
For more information or to RSVP, visit facebook.com and search, “Near Eastside Education Summit” or contact CoraLyn Turentine at cturentine@jbncenters.org or (317) 406-6111.
What is the A through F school grading system?
Indiana’s A through F grading system gives parents, students, educators and communities a clear and concise assessment of how well their schools are doing. This system is a new and better way of measuring and reporting school performance each year, as required by state law.
How are letter grades calculated for Indiana schools or districts?
High schools
Performance:
Schools receive English/language arts and math scores based on the percentage of students who passed the end-of-course assessments for each subject by the end of grade 10.
Improvement:
A school’s letter grade may increase, decrease or remain the same based on student improvement from grades 8 to 10 and from grades 10 to 12.
Graduation rate:
Schools receive a score based on their four-year (on-time) graduation rate.
College and career readiness:
Schools receive a score based on the percentage of graduates who receive at least one of the following:
A passing score on an Advanced Placement exam
A passing score on an International Baccalaureate exam
Three college credits
A passing score on an approved industry certification exam
Elementary and middle schools
Performance and improvement:
Schools receive preliminary English/language arts and math scores based on the percentage of students who passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+) or other state assessments.
Growth:
The Indiana Growth Model measures how much progress each student makes during a school year. A school’s preliminary score may increase, decrease or remain the same depending on how many students demonstrate high or low growth on the ISTEP+ exam.
Participation:
A school’s score is lowered if too many of its students are not tested.
Source: Indiana Department of Education
