Your Voice Matters!
The Indiana Department of Education is making decisions now
Make Afterschool a Priority in Indiana's Every Student Succeeds Plan
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all participating states to submit a state plan for review by the US Department of Education. The Indiana Department of Education welcomes your comments and ideas related to any part of the Indiana ESSA plan components.
The Indiana Department of Education team will be reading your comments as part of their plan design.
What's most important to you?
Use your voice now to make a difference!
If you would like additional information, the
Afterschool Alliance, has put together a tool, the
ESSA Playbook which offers comprehensive information and guidance.
IDOE link to add your comments:
Here are some sample talking points from the Afterschool Alliance to make OST a priority in ESSA. You can add any of these into the supporting all students comment section.
- List afterschool as an allowable use of funds in the state plan for Title 1
- Identify afterschool and summer programs as an intervention for schools identified for targeted support
- List afterschool as an evidence-based intervention in supporting student success. Afterschool can enhance academic and non-academic indicators, including attendance, behavior, coursework, health/wellness, STEM, and college and career readiness. Quality summer learning programs can help close the achievement gap and reduce the "summer slide."
- Include afterschool in state and local needs assessments
- Recommend opening up some teacher trainings to community educators to expand learning beyond school hours.
- Recognize afterschool and summer programs as evidence-based supports that help provide a well-rounded supportive education for students that districts can choose
- Identify afterschool STEM programming as a strategy to provide students the hands-on engagement that develops their interests, confidence and experience in career building pathways.
- For the school quality and student success indicators, adopt a dashboard of multiple that includes participation in a afterschool and summer programs.
- Lift up STEM as a priority along with math and literacy
- Include afterschool staff with school day teachers in joint training in the areas of positive youth development, race and equity issues, and hands-on STEM and more.
- Provide teachers with real-world training and experience in diverse settings, including afterschool and summer programs, as part of the process for earning their hours of practice and observation.
- Encourage local districts to build on STEM learning during the regular school day by using Title IV, Part A funds to provide afterschool STEM programs that of hands- on engagement and help students develop their interests, confidence, and experience in career building pathways.
STEM and ESSA:
Resources to Advocate for Opportunities to Advance Afterschool and Informal STEM Education
The STEM Education Coalition Policy Forum and the Afterschool Alliance have collaborated to develop
THIS TOOLKIT of materials that include:
- A list of the legislative opportunities in ESSA for afterschool STEM
- Talking points
- Sample letters
- Factsheets about STEM in Indiana
These resources case help you make the case at the state and local level for STEM education and how to integrate afterschool and informal learning strategies into overall plans to improve STEM learning.
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