INDIANA – The Indiana Department of Education was recently recognized with two national awards from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), which recognizes the top states in the nation for their solution-driven achievements. The awards were presented during the 2023 Leadership Summit and Ed Forum and specifically recognized the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard and Indiana Learning Lab as outstanding initiatives that address meaningful challenges in teaching and learning.
“Coming into this role, we immediately met with a variety of stakeholders to understand the urgent needs in our state,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This feedback helped to focus our efforts around a number of shared priorities, including elevating science of reading and rethinking the high school experience for Indiana students. Our team has also been laser-focused on ensuring parents, families and educators have access to more transparent, actionable data and other resources in order to best support student learning, hence the development of Indiana GPS and the Indiana Learning Lab. With any excellent solution comes a team of people both at the state and local level committed to making a difference. We are honored by this collective recognition for Indiana and will continue to roll up our sleeves and continue improving for our students.”
Selected for the State Achievement Award for Interoperability, Indiana GPS is an innovative online dashboard that displays a variety of indicators that matter for students, employers and communities. This learner-centered, future-focused dashboard displays how students are building necessary knowledge and skills—in all grades and in all schools. This includes foundational knowledge, such as third grade literacy, as well as longitudinal outcomes, such as median income. This iterative dashboard is the result of more than one year of stakeholder engagement and continues to evolve and improve over time.
Recognized with the State Achievement Award for Professional Learning, the Indiana Learning Lab was built to support educators with 24/7 access to instructional resources, professional development opportunities and other best practices. Founded as the eLearning Lab in 2020 with 6,000 users, the Indiana Learning Lab was originally launched as a local initiative to help educators and families navigate digital learning occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform has since expanded to over 52,000 users and features live, on-demand workshops for educators, as well as live coaching from IDOE staff. Educators also have access to expanded online communities focused on supporting literacy instruction, digital instruction and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) instruction. The Indiana Learning Lab also features a new Parent and Family Support Hub.
“Indiana’s remarkable achievement in earning not just one, but two distinguished SETDA State Achievement Awards speaks volumes about the state’s unwavering commitment to excellence in education,” said Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA. “Both awards stand as a testament to the state’s steadfast support of K-12 students and educators. We commend Indiana’s outstanding efforts and remain inspired by its relentless pursuit of educational innovation and success.”
Launched in 2001 by state education agency leaders, SETDA has become the principal membership association for digital education leaders across the country. The organization and its partners empower members to leverage technology to support learning, teaching and school operations, allowing state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice.
Click here to access Indiana GPS and here to access the Indiana Learning Lab.
