Indianapolis, IN

What potential new rules for holding back students means in Marion County

Published

7 months ago

February 28, 2024

What potential new rules for holding back students means in Marion County

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This story was co-published with Mirror Indy and WFYI.

Grace Martin, a tutor at Vision Academy charter school in Indianapolis, teaches the alphabet.

âAâ makes the sound for âapple.â âIâ is for words like âimportantâ and âice.â

Itâs a lesson she uses with students in kindergarten â but to her surprise, she has to teach it to third graders as well.

âItâs like they â¦ just paused at kindergarten or first grade, and now theyâre in third grade,â Martin said. âIâm helping them pick up on basically two years of learning.â

Itâs a challenge that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic but grew much worse after schools switched to remote learning for part of 2020. Third grade reading scores remain near the lowest point in a decade, and that means thousands of kids lack essential skills necessary to learn as they grow older, such as phonics and comprehension.

Now Marion County educators are preparing for the likely rollout of Senate Bill 1, which would require districts to hold back more students who fail the stateâs elementary school reading exam. That bill emerged as one solution proposed by the Gov. Eric Holcomb administration and state lawmakers after seeing that nearly one in five Indiana students failed the reading test in each of the last three years.

Schools currently have the option to retain students yet few do. In 2023, of the 13,855 third graders who didnât pass the stateâs spring reading exam, according to state data, only about 400 were held back.

Reporters from Chalkbeat Indiana, Mirror Indy, and WFYI contacted educators across Marion County to learn how school administrators and teachers were preparing for the probable changes coming just a year after the state required schools to adopt new reading curriculum.

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Some support the legislation and see benefits in giving students another year to learn how to read. Others, though, worry about what would happen next: a wave of overcrowded classrooms beginning with a âbubbleâ in the third grade.

âThen weâre going to see that bubble go into our middle schools and into our high schools,â Wayne Township Superintendent Jeff Butts said.

Thousands could retake third grade

If enacted, the legislation could have an outsized impact in Marion County.

Thatâs because lawmakers are looking at how many third graders are passing the state standardized exam known as the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination, or IREAD-3. That test, given to all third graders, assesses whether the students are proficient in reading.

In Marion Countyâs public school districts, about 2,700 students were allowed to advance into fourth grade even though they failed IREAD, according to state data. That amounted to 28% of the districtsâ third graders. Statewide, that promotion rate was about 17%.

To be clear, not all of those students would necessarily be held back under Senate Bill 1.

Under the legislation, kids would be given three opportunities by the end of third grade to pass IREAD. Students who donât pass would become eligible for literacy-focused summer school and repeat a year of classroom instruction. But some students â including English language learners with less than two years of learning English, students with disabilities, and those who pass the math portion of state exams â would still move on to fourth grade.

Itâs difficult to know how many students would be affected by the legislation. An online portal from the state Department of Education does not outline how many Marion County students would be exempt, and the state did not answer questions about how that number could be estimated.

Statewide, though, as many as 7,050 students would be held back in 2026, according to the Legislative Services Agency, which advises lawmakers on policymaking. That could cost the state an additional $57 million as the students age.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner, however, says with multiple opportunities for students to take IREAD, retaining the estimated 7,050 students statewide is âa worst-case scenario.â

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âThis number, we should never hit,â Jenner said. âIt would be unacceptable if we do.â

Marion County schools less likely to hold back

State education officials set a goal in 2022 to ensure 95% of Hoosier students pass IREAD by 2027.

Some officials say meeting that goal will require a shift in how schools decide to hold back students.

At two Marion County public school corporations â Indianapolis Public Schools and Lawrence Township â roughly one in three students were sent to fourth grade without passing IREAD. Both districts declined to comment for this story.

At Pike Township, where 29% of third graders advanced to fourth grade without passing IREAD, Superintendent Larry Young noted the likely effect this legislation would have on urban schools during a January school board meeting. He said heâd like lawmakers to also consider studentsâ potential for growth.

âI would ask that they look at trajectory,â Young said. âWe have children that â¦ in the next year or two, not only will they catch up, they will potentially surpass where their age-same peers may potentially be.â

Butts, the Wayne Township superintendent, said there are valid concerns about holding back students. Studies have found that students who were retained dropped out of school and faced negative social-emotional outcomes. Overall, however, research is mixed on whether retention is ultimately beneficial.

âBut we also understand the negative impact of children not being able to read at grade level,â he said. âAnd that gets exponentially more challenging for them as they get into more difficult content.â

Thatâs what Rachelle Fisher, a fourth grade teacher in Franklin Township, is seeing. An educator for nearly two decades, Fisher said she loves to teach reading, but by fourth grade, itâs about content.

âIt is nearly impossible to teach Indiana history and Indiana state science standards to students that are not reading at grade level,â she said.

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Educators say retention isnât the only answer

Some educators support the legislation but question whether it is happening too quickly.

Indiana lawmakers passed legislation last year requiring schools to adopt curricula aligned with the science of reading, an approach to teaching reading that focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. While some districts have already trained staff and introduced this teaching, others are doing so for the first time this school year.

Indianapolis Public Schools, for example, introduced a new reading curriculum this year and while 96% of kindergarten through second grade classrooms were using it as of December, only about half of teachers so far have mastered teaching the new material.

âWe are three months into implementation of something that a year from now will be very well organized and articulated,â Brookside Elementary School 54 Principal Jeremy Baugh told IPS Board Commissioners during a Feb. 20 meeting.

Other educators stressed that a one-size-fits-all approach to retention may not be best for students.

Stephanie Cotter, principal at Beech Groveâs Central Elementary, said her colleagues consider more than test scores when making a decision about retention. A school committee evaluates what interventions have been tried in the past, how many questions were missed on reading exams and whether retention is socially appropriate for a student. They also consider a studentâs size and birthday, and bring parents into the conversation.

A third-grader works through an exercise Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, during a reading intervention class at Central Elementary School in Beech Grove. (Jenna Watson / Mirror Indy)

âWhatâs being proposed is even more constraining compared to whatâs out there,â Cotter said. âWe all want our students to be able to read. We want to hit that 95% target. We want them to have those early literacy skills, and we have to look at specific children and decide, âIs this whatâs best for them at this time?ââ

Cotter and others say retention alone only goes so far. Schools continue to grapple with attendance challenges as students settle into classroom learning after 2020â²s pandemic-driven disruptions. About one in five Hoosier students were considered chronically absent last year, and additional legislation has been introduced this year in response.

Some educators say they hope the state will invest in greater literacy support for students before they reach third grade. That could mean universal preschool or mandatory kindergarten.

Barbara Wellnitz, a tutor with United Wayâs ReadUP program, said she supports efforts to start students in school earlier.

âFully funding pre-K for all children, paying teachers of those children decent wages, and requiring children to attend school by age five would all go a long way toward helping children up their reading skills,â Wellnitz said. âFewer students would face the possibility of retention in all grades.â

Whatâs next

Parents of students who would have been held back have spoken out against the bill, saying they are concerned about the weight put on students taking a test.

Rachel Burke, president of the Indiana Parent Teacher Association, told lawmakers that she knew when her daughter was in first grade that she would struggle to pass the IREAD. But what she didnât know until December of her third grade year was that her child had been having seizures at the rate of dozens per day, and likely missing instruction as a result.

Even after receiving medication, she didnât have enough time between December and the March testing window to catch up, Burke said. She failed, and had to take summer school and repeat the test, but those results were lost.

Now that sheâs at the top of her class, itâs clear that holding her back would not have been the right course, Burke said.

âSheâs not unique. There are kids whose parents die who take the test the next day. There are kids whose houses burned down who have to take this test the next day,â Burke said. âKids are people. Theyâre not statistics. There has to be some room.â

But at the Statehouse, the bill continues to advance. It passed out of the House on Tuesday and now returns to the Senate before heading to Holcombâs desk.

Thatâs good news to Martin, the tutor, who said she agrees with the proposal. She said no parent wants to hear that their child needs to be held back, but itâs about making sure they have âthat extra support that they need to set them up for success.â

âWhere do you want your kids to be at? Do you want to pass your kid and then heâs gonna continue failing and then heâs gonna graduate and he actually didnât retain anything?â Martin said. âNo, you canât do that. You got to put the kid first.â

Aleksandra Appleton, Amelia Pak-Harvey, and MJ Slaby from Chalkbeat Indiana contributed to this article. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Contact the bureau at in.tips@chalkbeat.org

Carley Lanich and Emily Hopkins from Mirror Indy contributed to this article. Mirror Indy is a nonprofit news organization covering Indianapolis.

Eric Weddle from WFYI contributed to this article.

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Indianapolis, IN

Police Interceptor from 'Blues Brothers 2000' to be auctioned in Indianapolis

Published

6 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Police Interceptor from 'Blues Brothers 2000' to be auctioned in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The police car that Dan Akroyd drove in “Blues Brothers 2000” will be auctioned in October in Indianapolis.

The Ford Police Interceptor in the 1998 sequel to the original “Blues Brothers” comedy, released in 1980, will be sold Oct. 5 during Mecum Auctions’ Indy Fall Special 2024 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Akroyd’s character Elwood Blues drove the car in one scene that led to a crash with what Guinness World Records calls the largest car pileup on film: 50 cars. In the scene, Elwood Blues drives from the crash, turns to the band members and tells them, “Don’t look back.”

Akroyd formerly owned the 1991 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that carries a 351 CI V-8 engine — with $15,000 worth of modifications — and a blue interior. The car will be sold with documentation connecting it to the movie.

Mecum says Akroyd sold the car to the Slippery Noodle Inn in downtown Indianapolis.

Photos show the car for sale has an autograph and inscription from the actor on the dashboard.

The Indy Fall Special will be Mecum’s second autumn auction in Indianapolis. The auction will include 1,000 classic and collector vehicles.

Tickets to the show will be $30 for a single-day ticket, and $75 for the three-day event from Oct. 3-5. Children 12 and younger get in free.

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Indianapolis, IN

Metta World Peace talks about mental health at Indianapolis high school

Published

16 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Metta World Peace talks about mental health at Indianapolis high school

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Former NBA player Metta World Peace and other panelists on Thursday participated in the Circle City Classic’s mental health panel discussion.

The nonprofit Indiana Black Expo‘s Circle City Classic, in its 40th year, will conclude Saturday with a parade and football game.

The former Indiana Pacers player once known as Ron Artest shared his personal mental health journey and the importance of removing the stigma around seeking help. “It’s been going on before us, during our time here, and after us so it’s the opportunity to give tools, some encouragement and some support.”

Thursday’s event was billed as the first time World Peace has spoken about mental health in Indiana. He says he was particularly happy to talk to youths at Warren Central High School as they navigate changes in their lives. “It’s good to be back here, especially in Indiana, to talk about the stigmas with mental health, especially when you’re trying to become a professional, exit high school or college. What’s next?”

Cara Holdsclaw, the chief operating officer of Indiana Black Expo (IBE), says, after receiving good feedback regarding talking about mental health during IBE’s Summer Celebration in June, organizers of the Circle City Classic thought continuing the discussion was important. “We want to make sure that people know it’s OK to ask for help if they know something might not be right, and to be able to seek the help that you may need, or be able to see that somebody else in your family or friends need help as well,” Holdsclaw said.

As Masimba Taylor, the principal of Warren Central High School, sees it, the mental health discussion with students was very needed. “They always bring up mental health, and so the fact that the young people are talking about it, the fact that they’re asking for more information, and asking for help, so if we can provide even just a small bit or the opportunity to hear from professionals, then it’s everything.”

Student and football player Madden Beriault says listening to a former professional athlete tell his story and give advice is a great way for him to better his own mental health as he navigates school and sports. “Being a student-athlete is a lot of different things on your plate and a lot of different stresses from a lot of different angles, so hopefully learn how to cope with different types of stress.”

While some people may not have the resources to get the mental health support they need, World Peace — also known as Metta Sandiford-Artest — says it’s important to continue to believe in yourself even when the journey gets rough. “Practice breathing. Practice meditation. Make sure you stay spiritual and remember your core values and keep your families first. But, I also believe in collaborating with others across the board. Sometimes it’s hard to go through things on your own.”

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Indianapolis, IN

What are the largest development projects in downtown Indianapolis? IU Health leads boom.

Published

1 day ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

What are the largest development projects in downtown Indianapolis? IU Health leads boom.

With at least $5 billion in the development pipeline, downtown Indianapolis is experiencing a commercial boom that will change the fabric of the city over the next four years.

The development projects span multiple industries, including hospitality, health, retail and residential housing. The downtown investments could also contribute taxes to an even more lucrative development in the more distant future. Most of the priciest developments outlined below fall within a special tax plan the city created to fund a potential Major League Soccer Stadium.

Regardless of whether the stadium comes to fruition, these projects suggest the city may be moving forward from the ghost town era of the pandemic and reinventing its physical landscape.

Below are the nine most expensive developments underway downtown.

IU Health Hospital Campus

Cost: $2.3 billion

Where: Southwest corner of 16th Street and Capitol Avenue

The city’s largest development sits on the north side of downtown with IU Health’s construction of its new state-of-the-art hospital complex. The project starts at the southwest corner of 16th Street and Capitol Avenue and stretches south to I-65. With a price tag of more than $2 billion, the project will consolidate IU Health’s Methodist and University hospitals into one large academic medical center.

With three 16-story towers that will alter the Indianapolis skyline, the hospital will contain more than 2 million square feet of space and 864 beds.

Though detailed plans are not yet finalized, the ground floors will include a mix of retail and dining spaces to open the development up to the surrounding community. IU Health officials also expect the opening of the medical campus to attract additional development to the neighborhood. They have said they will work with developers to avoid gentrification in the area.

The project will open in late 2027.

First look: IU Health provides peek at hospital construction, hotel-like design

Signia hotel and convention center expansion

Cost: $710 million

Where: Corner of Illinois Street and Georgia Street

One block from the convention center, a large hole in the ground is slowly but surely taking shape as the largest hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

The $510 million Signia by Hilton hotel will provide an additional 800 hotel rooms in its 40-story tower. Combined with a $200 million, 200,000-square foot expansion of the neighboring convention center, the city will eventually have the capacity to host two conventions at once.

Indianapolis provided more than $600 million in government financing for the project, which is expected to open in 2026.

Once new Signia hotel opens, Indianapolis could host larger conventions or two at once

Circle Centre Mall

Cost: $650 million

Where: 49 W. Maryland St.

After years of speculation and discussions around redevelopment, Hendricks Commercial Properties bought Circle Centre Mall earlier this year, officially signaling a new era for the mall spanning two key blocks of downtown.

Hendricks, developer of the Bottleworks District, envisions a seamless indoor-outdoor experience in the reimagined shopping center, which is expected to contain apartments and office space in addition to retail stores.

Though details are not yet finalized, the total investment for the mall redevelopment is estimated to be around $650 million, according to city documents. Hendricks has yet to announce when it will break ground on the project, which it has said will open by 2028.

CSX Building

Cost: $300 million

Where: 230 S. Pennsylvania St.

Boxcar Development LLC, an investment group led by Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon and the rest of the Simon family, will develop an upscale 13-story, 170-room Shinola hotel and 4,000-seat entertainment venue on the site of the vacant CSX building at 230 S. Pennsylvania St.

The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission voted 8-0 to approve the demolition of the CSX building, after city officials and developers said they could not find a use for the five-story, century-old building.

Developers hope to break ground near the end of 2024 with a targeted opening date of late 2027.

CSX building: Historic preservation commission approves Shinola hotel, demolition of CSX building

Bottleworks expansion

Cost: $300 million

Where: Corner of Massachusetts Avenue and N. College Street

Hendricks Commercial Properties continues to expand its Bottleworks District on the northeast side of downtown to provide a new era of in-office workspaces with two buildings set to open in the next year.

The Lumina Foundation moved into the building at 820 Massachusetts Ave. this year, leasing a 24,000-square-foot office on the top floor. Retail space will cover the ground floor.

City Market redevelopment

Cost: $298 million

Where: 222 E. Market Street

The once bustling City Market campus will undergo a $298 million facelift by Indianapolis-based-Gershman Partners and Indianapolis-based Citimark as the city hopes to once again establish the site as a central dining and gathering place.

Part of the redevelopment includes a conversion of the Gold Building from office space to 350 apartment units. A new tower will house 60 apartments, 8,000 square feet of office space and 22,000 square feet of retail atop the market’s current east wing.

The market closed earlier this year for a multi-year period and is expected to reopen in 2027.

Old City Hall redevelopment

Cost: $268 million

Where: 202 N. Alabama Street

Though redevelopment plans for Old City Hall are still undergoing revisions from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, the transformation of the long-standing civic building is one of the most highly anticipated mixed-use projects in the city’s development pipeline.

Last year, Indianapolis officers selected local developer TWG for the project after a call out for proposals.

Earlier this year, the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority approved a budget of $264 million in READI 2.0 funds for the project, nearly doubling the project from its initial $140 estimated price tag.

501 Indiana Avenue

Cost: $100 million

Where: 501 Indiana Avenue

Along the Indiana Avenue corridor, a two-story office building will soon become a 12-story apartment building, significantly changing the look and feel of the historic area on the northwest side of downtown.

The $100 million-plus development by Indiana Avenue Partners, a joint venture of the Indianapolis-based Arrow Street Development and Chatham Park Development, will include 263 residential units and a parking garage with more than 300 parking spaces and three retail spaces. Purdue University in Indianapolis students are expected to live in the apartment complex.

The project, expected to open in 2026, narrowly passed the Metropolitan Development Commission by a 4-3 vote.

More: Indiana Avenue 12-story development will go up despite lingering height concerns

Elanco Animal Health Global Headquarters

Cost: $100 million

Where: Along the White River between Washington Street and Oliver Avenue

The new Elanco Headquarters, a three-acre research facility near the former site of the GM stamping plant, will open in the spring of 2025 after the state of Indiana awarded the company an incentive package worth $106 million to move its headquarters. The city of Indianapolis pitched in another $64 million in incentives.

The innovative plant, animal and human health district, in partnership with Purdue University, could grow larger with future land purchases.

More: Purdue and Elanco to create 3-acre research facility near former GM stamping plant site

Alysa Guffey covers growth and development for IndyStar. Have a business tip or story? Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com.

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