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Indiana cannot afford to botch its curriculum reform

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Indiana cannot afford to botch its curriculum reform


Indiana is in the process of revamping its high school curricula. This could be a superb opportunity to rethink some fundamentals about schooling, its role in society and the needs of the future economy.

It is also a good time to re-center the long-term wellbeing of students into the discussion.

However, the last time Indiana made significant changes to school curriculum, we failed badly. That cannot happen again.

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In December 2013, then-Gov. Mike Pence announced an ambitious plan to offer more career-focused education to Hoosier high school kids who weren’t going to college. It was a smart, thoughtful and much-needed addition to our educational landscape. I was an enthusiastic supporter and wrote in support of it.

Almost from the beginning, the execution of that plan was botched. It is worth recounting how a very good idea became very bad public policy, and how the accumulated mistakes of a decade continue to haunt Indiana’s economic performance even now and into the distant future.

The Daniels-era education reforms were successful on almost every important measure.

The push for higher standards revealed itself in test scores, graduation rates and college attendance and success.

They strengthened good local public schools and forced bad ones to change. But not everyone wishes to go to college and, for three generations, we’d cut programs for those students.

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Pence’s plan was met with strong support by business, which offered free curriculum in STEM, and support for students wishing a career route.

My school corporation, led by Jennifer McCormick, developed an award-winning program with a local manufacturing firm.

Things started off well. Then the Department of Workforce Development began to push the state’s board of education.

The Department of Workforce Development had an occupational forecast claiming that, between 2014 and 2024, there’d be a huge demand for high school-only graduates — that is, students who graduated high school and did not go to college. The Department of Workforce Development’s forecast claimed that the state would need 400,000 more high school-only graduates by 2024.

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I did everything I knew how to do in order to explain why this was mistaken.

I used labor demand forecasts from a half dozen economists that said we’d need fewer high school graduates by 2024. I showed them the studies from the 1970s through the 2000s explaining how these forecasts were too flawed to be used as a labor market policy tool.

Nothing I said or wrote had any effect.

The Department of Workforce Development had already run off their economists for saying roughly the same thing. They weren’t at all interested in hearing analysis from anyone who actually knew anything about labor markets. The newer versions of that forecast are still guiding both labor market and education policy in Indiana.

All of this presents the question: How wrong were they?

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A lot.

In 2015, the forecast overstated the demand for high school only graduates in 2014 — that is, the previous year — by 190,000 workers. Yes, you read that correctly. They actually got history wrong. I’ve never seen a forecast that wrong, that quickly. Still, that did not deter their enthusiasm for the forecast.

As of last fall, Indiana has 20,000 more high school graduates working than in 2014. So that forecast of demand for 400,000 more high school graduates is going to be wrong by about 2,000%.

I write this because it is my biggest professional failure.

Had I been more persuasive, I should’ve been able to avoid the train wreck that ensued. I was not, and the state has been trapped by bad human capital policy ever since. It has significantly weakened Indiana’s long-term economic prospects.

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The recovery from the Great Recession was the worst economic expansion in state history. We slipped on every important measure of economic success with some of the worst performances coming in the last five years of the expansion.

The COVID and post-pandemic economy should’ve been very kind to Indiana. Because of our manufacturing intensity, our growth should’ve outpaced the nation. It did not. The reason for 15 years of relative decline is that we have a poorly educated workforce that is getting worse.

That bad labor forecast from 2014 was very influential in the legislature. And how could it not be? It was a false promise of economic growth without actually investing more in education. It didn’t matter that the nation had gone more than two decades without creating a single net new job for someone who hadn’t been to college. The bad forecast drove policy.

Funding for K-12 stalled on a per-student basis and dropped as a share of GDP. Pence’s vision morphed into an anti-college agenda. The state’s workforce development director and the president of our community college system downplayed the benefits of post-secondary education.

By 2017, Indiana introduced career indoctrination down to sixth grade. Among the largest of these were manufacturing occupations and truck drivers. The demand for both is lower today than in 2014.

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Pence’s program to offer career-focused opportunities to older students became a platform for pushing students away from post-secondary education. To their credit, in 2020, the legislature increased the age that career pathways would start. So, today, we wait until children are 13 to provide them bad labor market advice.

The most damaging effect was on college attendance. Indiana peaked in 2015, sending 65 percent of our high school graduates to college, at a time when the national average was 72 percent of students. In the race for a talented workforce, Indiana was well behind and running slower than the pack. Over the past two years, fewer than 53 percent of our high school graduates have gone to college. Until this changes, we will not be contenders in a 21st century economy.

We are now near the very bottom in human capital development, making it an opportune time to compare what Indiana does and aspires to do with that of the nation as a whole. Over the past three decades, more than 100 percent of new jobs in the U.S. have gone to people who attended college, with 8 in 10 going to 4-year degree holders.

Over the same time, the college wage premium has grown. We are now 50 years into an economy that places a premium on human capital. That won’t change, no matter how badly some states prepare.

Indiana is moving in the wrong direction at record speed.

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The period since 2015 is the start of the first decline in educational attainment in Indiana history.

The educational reforms we now consider must reverse this decline. We must consider what students need to know for the next 50 years of work — not what low-wage employers say they need after graduation. We simply cannot fail at this again.

Michael J. Hicks, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University.



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Indiana outfielder makes program history with high MLB Draft selection | Sporting News

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Indiana outfielder makes program history with high MLB Draft selection | Sporting News


The Indiana Hoosiers are officially on the board in the 2025 MLB Draft — and it’s one of the biggest stars in program history who heard his name called. 

Outfielder Devin Taylor was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 48 overall pick in the second round late Sunday night. He became the highest-drafted outfielder in program history and the top selection of the Jeff Mercer era, which began in 2019.

Over the past few months, Taylor had shown up across a wide range of mock drafts. Some projected him as a potential mid-to-late first-rounder, but he slipped a bit on draft night before finally landing with the A’s at 48.

His college career was nothing short of impressive. 

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Taylor was a unanimous All-American in 2025 and picked up eight total All-American honors during his three seasons in Bloomington. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023 — one of just four in program history — and helped lead Indiana to 108 wins, three Big Ten Tournament appearances, and two NCAA Tournament berths.

But Taylor didn’t just produce — he stood out. 

Taylor put together one of the best offensive seasons in the country in 2025, hitting .374 with 18 home runs and nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts. That kind of plate discipline is tough to teach — and it stood out to scouts all spring. With quick hands, raw power, and a mature approach in the box, he became one of the more talked-about hitters in this year’s draft class.

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His selection gives Indiana another strong presence in the early rounds and adds to the growing list of players who’ve gone pro under head coach Jeff Mercer. Taylor was one of the most reliable bats in college baseball over the last few seasons and kept improving each year.

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Scouts are drawn to his clean left-handed swing and ability to stay within himself at the plate. He’s shown he can hit for both average and power, and he doesn’t chase much — all signs that point to a player who could carve out a long-term role as an everyday outfielder.

For the A’s, he fills a real need. Only two outfielders currently rank among their top 10 prospects, so bringing in a polished college bat like Taylor adds immediate depth to the system and fits the timeline of a team still working through its rebuild.

For Oakland, it’s another advanced college bat with upside. And for Indiana, Taylor’s rise is another example of a program continuing to develop high-level talent and stay nationally relevant.



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In effort to erase DEI, Indiana cuts school and college programs. Here’s what got targeted

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In effort to erase DEI, Indiana cuts school and college programs. Here’s what got targeted



In a sweeping policy shift, Indiana state agencies have ended funding for multiple education initiatives and scrubbed dozens of materials that referenced diversity, equity, or inclusion — part of a directive from Gov. Mike Braun to eliminate what his administration calls divisive ideology. The changes affect both K-12 schools and public universities, with impacts on students, teachers, and college outreach efforts.


The executive order, issued earlier this year, required agencies to eliminate all initiatives labeled “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” or DEI, which the administration described as incompatible with “merit, excellence, and innovation.” State reports show that 70 DEI-related trainings, instructional efforts, or programs have been removed so far.

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“Indiana has replaced the divisive, politically charged DEI ideology with Merit, Excellence, and Innovation: a level playing field where every single Hoosier has the chance to get ahead with hard work,” Braun said in a statement.


The executive order touched nearly every corner of the state’s education system. In K-12 schools, the Indiana Department of Education conducted a wide-ranging audit to remove references to equity and inclusion from state academic standards, instructional materials, grant applications and websites. In higher education, a grant program overseen by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education that targeted first-generation students, students of color and others from underrepresented backgrounds was not renewed.


The Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Indiana School for the Deaf — which are both state run — were required to strip DEI-related language from their handbooks and policy documents.

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Programs changed, phased out


Among the most visible cuts is the Padres Estrellas initiative, which embedded Spanish-speaking outreach workers in schools and neighborhoods to help Latino families enroll in the state’s 21st Century Scholars program — a college scholarship for low-income students. The Commission for Higher Education ended the program last month.

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In 2023, CHE Commissioner Chris Lowery described the state’s low college-going rate for Hispanic and other students of color as “unacceptable” and “an emergency.” 


The programs and materials now being phased out are detailed in a 444-page document released by Braun’s office. It includes:


Higher education: 

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  • A STEM teacher recruitment grant used to fund a Black teacher residency program to support schools with teacher shortages in underserved areas will expire in August and will not be renewed. “Instead, that funding may now be directed to an organization that will support STEM teachers based on their merit and not their race,” according to an executive summary of statewide changes.

  • The College Success Program that funded coaches to support “first-generation students of color” at Purdue Northwest, Indiana State University and Valparaiso University will not continue into 2026. 

  • The Career Coaching Grant, “tailored to support minority and low-income students” in considering careers,” will end this year. The Department of Education will then take it over “to ensure grants fund programs in a manner consistent” with Braun’s anti-DEI order.

  • The state’s College Equity Reports on student preparedness and success by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and gender were removed from the CHE website.


K-12 education:


  • Videos on the state online Learning Lab — which are meant for families, teachers and administrators — were removed if they included phrases like “to support diverse learners in inclusive classrooms” or referenced “the essential role of equity and inclusion in the new science standards.” Additional removals are ongoing, according to the report.

  • Academic standards tied to ethnic studies, certain social studies topics and employability skills are undergoing formal review to eliminate language deemed inconsistent with the executive order.

  • A state-issued guide for applying to the High Ability Program grant was revised to remove references to “equity and access” and “underrepresented populations.”

  • The state’s application for a federal charter school grant program will no longer include the phrase “diverse and equitable learning opportunities.”


An Indiana Department of Education spokesperson, in response to questions from WFYI, said the department will continue to “elevate the importance of improving outcomes for all K-12 students.”

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“This means ensuring each student has access to supports based on their unique learning needs,” Courtney Bearsch said in an email. 


Advocates of these programs worry their removal disproportionately harms students already facing systemic barriers. In Marion County, for example, less than 56% of Hispanic students read at grade level by third grade — a key predictor of later academic achievement.


Mark Russell of the Indianapolis Urban League said Braun is now taking a stance that Indiana will “treat everybody the same regardless of their standing or circumstances.”

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Russell worries these new policies, coupled with the Trump administration’s overhaul of the U.S. Education Department, creates an environment where students who would benefit from additional support, will be left behind. 


“It cannot be denied that these steps that have been taken at both the federal and the state level are detrimental to the interest and well-being of at-risk students of all races, stripes, and creeds,” Russell said. 

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Redacting equity from classroom policy


The Department of Education’s purge of DEI references extended beyond K-12 standards, which outline what Indiana students are expected to learn. The department changed grant conditions and pressured national partners to remove DEI language from strategic plans if they wanted to keep working with the state.


A vendor that provides student assessments for the state, Smarter Balanced, removed a DEI page from its website at the department’s request, according to the report. In other cases, national accreditation bodies and technology organizations altered planning documents after being contacted by the department.

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And even a letter from Secretary of Education Katie Jenner to local school leaders was flagged. A draft version of the Teacher of the Year nomination letter, circulated earlier this year, described an ideal candidate as someone who fosters “a school culture of equity and success.”


David Marcotte, executive director of the Indiana Urban Schools Association, said the principles behind DEI are long-standing practices of good teaching, such as understanding students’ backgrounds and helping all feel valued. He said educators will follow the state’s new rules.

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“However, making sure all students feel valued and comfortable each day, regardless of background, will continue to be a goal,” Marcotte said. “It’s called good teaching.”


All of these changes come as Indiana schools are becoming more diverse. The number of students learning English in Indiana nearly doubled since 2012 to just more than 9%. In Marion County, English language learners make up nearly a quarter of all students at public schools. 


Eric Weddle is WFYI’s education team editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.

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Myles Turner on leaving Indiana: ‘At the end of the day it’s not a Cinderella story’

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Myles Turner on leaving Indiana: ‘At the end of the day it’s not a Cinderella story’


Kyrie Irving: 86% of our marriages fail in the NBA. That’s an insane number. I don’t think a lot of people know that number, but 86% of our marriages fail. So, you basically shooting damn near 85%. As soon as you soon as you ask to marry somebody, you basically like, “Yo, this got an 85% chance to fail.” Yeah, I obviously focus on the other 15% and 14% of the married couples because there is magic to that, right? It does take a special person. But the reason why I was asking was when you were 18, 19 coming in, you were 19 cuz you were a day apart in terms of March 24th, March 23rd. How was that in terms of your relationship building afterwards? Cuz now you’re getting to know tons of people. Now you’re Myles Turner known by not just thousands but millions of people. How was relationship building after that? Like figuring out who you are? Myles Turner: I’ve grown so much. I’m going into my 30s and my 20s, I look back on I have zero regrets. Zero. Because it was all part of my process. But to answer your question, what I would say is that when I first got in the league, everybody’s going to bow down. “Oh, you’re Myles Turner. You’re the sh*t. You’re this, this, and that.” You got to you got to figure out who to listen to and who to tune out.” Because I think my problem was I listened to everybody. You know, my mind was very impressionable at that age. -via YouTube / July 13, 2025



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