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Last updated on Wednesday, August 1, 2018
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Today, the Indiana State Board of Education (Board) took action to provide Hoosier students additional options in their course of study and potential careers and unanimously approved four teacher prep programs to provide more opportunities for aspiring teachers.
The Board unanimously approved Wa-Nee's Recreation Vehicle (RV) Construction Pathway as a Locally Created Pathway (LCP) as part of the Graduation Pathways policy for Hoosier students. The RV Construction Pathway was developed in collaboration with businesses, community organizations, educators, and parents across the district. Wa-Nee's primary industry partner was Thor Industries, but has partnered with other K-12 institutions (Elkhart Area Career Center), higher education (Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University), and a community organization (the Horizon Education Alliance). Additionally, course development was informed and tied to local industry needs.
The primary course emphasis for this LCP will be on construction and participating students will earn a Thor-recognized RV Construction certification. In order to earn this certification, students will have to demonstrate proper application and usage of skills and techniques found in the RV industry. Students must pass the same assessments used to measure attainment of these skills by Thor's probationary employees or trainees. After students earn this certification, students will be immediately eligible for a starting pay of $16.00 to $36.00 per hour. Upon their successful employment for two weeks, LCP completers will be fast tracked to tier 2 pay of $20.00 to $45.00 per hour. According to Thor, there are currently 100-200 job openings with a projected 500-600 over the next 5 years. For the Elkhart area, this pathway is directly aligned with high-demand jobs.
The goal is to have 30 students complete this LCP annually, with all of them obtaining high-wage, high-demand jobs in the RV Manufacturing Industry.
The passage of the Recreation Vehicles Construction LCP will now be available for other schools in Indiana to consider using as well. For more information, the approved LCP can be found here.
Individuals who are seeking to become teachers also gained additional opportunities with the approval of accreditation status for a brand new School of Education at Indiana University Purdue University - Indianapolis (IUPUI). The Board approved of the action unanimously.
The Board also unanimously approved of Indiana University Southeast (IUS) to offer a "Teachers of English Learners" licensure addition program at the undergraduate and graduate level. For approximately the past 10 years, IUS has been providing English Learner (EL) licensure through a joint program with IU Bloomington. In response to the increasing need for qualified EL instructors within area school districts, IUS is now able to offer a local option for teachers or teacher candidates seeking to add EL licensure.
The Board also unanimously approved continued accreditation for the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education at USI as well as the Indiana Wesleyan University Education Unit.
Finally, the Board approved granting Choice Scholarship waivers to Holy Cross Central School, by a vote of 7-3 and to Holy Angels Catholic School by a vote of 8-2. The Board determined that Holy Cross Central School and Holy Angels Catholic School provided evidence that a majority of the school's students demonstrated academic improvement during the preceding school year.
The next State Board of Education Business Meeting will take place Wednesday, September 5, 2018 Indiana State Library, Room 211, 315 W Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
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