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Sen. Koch: First Public School Corporation Transfer Report Released

Last updated on Thursday, January 18, 2018

(STATEHOUSE) - The Indiana Department of Education (DOE) has released the first Public Corporation Transfer Report pursuant to Senate Enrolled Act 30, authored by State Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) during the 2017 legislative session.

SEA 30 requires the Indiana Department of Education to provide all school corporations with more specific data about transfers to charter schools, voucher schools or other public schools through inter-district public school transfers each spring and fall semester. The data only gives information about where the students transferred without revealing any personally identifiable information. SEA 30 also requires this data to be posted on the Department of Education's website.

"Having this information will help our public schools better understand why families are exercising their educational choice options," Koch said. "By knowing where they are going, our public schools will have a better idea of why some students are leaving and can take steps to address real or perceived shortcomings."

"Dr. Jennifer McCormick and the Indiana Department of Education have done an excellent job fulfilling the vision of SEA 30. This data will provide state policymakers and local school leaders with critical information necessary to understand decisions made by parents with respect to where they send their children to school and, more important, why," Koch says.

With the data, Koch says leaders can better understand what factors can influence that decision. Koch says it's worth noting that public school choice accounts for more transfers than the voucher program.

"We are seeing many different reasons why parents utilize education options, and that those decisions are much more nuanced than the rhetoric surrounding them suggests," he added. "Produced twice a year, this information will be a useful tool for school improvement and a valuable source of information for the public."

To view the report, click here.

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