Governor Pence Signs Legislation Improving Education, Workforce Development for Hoosiers

Press Release

At today's Indiana Career Council meeting, Governor Mike Pence signed legislation to provide workforce development opportunities for Hoosiers. Following the meeting, the Governor signed bills that will improve education in Indiana. The Governor's agenda bills are listed in bold below.

"Hoosiers deserve schools that work for all our kids whether they are headed to college or careers, and they deserve more access to adult education," said Governor Pence. "Through the bills I sign today, our state renews its commitment to education innovation and to helping to provide Hoosiers of all ages with the tools they need to succeed in college, in the workplace and in life."

Governor Pence signed the following agenda bills at today's meeting:

HEA 1064, which tasks the Indiana Career Council with conducting a study of career and technical education programs reaching 157,000 students across the state by August 1, 2014. The Career Council will examine current career education programs to determine their impact on college and career readiness, employment and economic opportunity as well as their geographic proximity and collaboration with higher education facilities and faculty.
SEA 330 to create a new performance-oriented program to help adult workers get the skills they need to succeed in today's economy. The bill ensures better skills for adult learners through coordination of education and training in high wage, high demand fields with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the Commission on Higher Education.
HEA 1028, which permits further expansion of adult high schools that serve students who have dropped out of high school before receiving a diploma. With approximately 11 percent of Hoosiers ages 25 to 64 holding less than a high school diploma, the legislation will ensure additional opportunities for learning and growth across the state. The bill requires adult high schools to provide quality learning environments through flexible scheduling, dual credit or industry certification course offerings, and support for students to transition into the workforce.

Governor Pence also signed a non-agenda bill on workforce:

HEA 1213, which requires the Indiana Career Council to appoint a subcommittee to review and make recommendations for improvements to the current Core 40 diploma course offerings.

In addition, Pence signed education agenda bills today:

SEA 321 to allow a charter school operator with multiple charter schools the flexibility to allocate funding across its school campuses in order to best serve the needs of its students.
SEA 205, which provides clarity and guidance for ending State Board of Education intervention for those schools that receive an "F" letter grade for six years under Indiana's current A-F accountability system (turnaround academies), as well as for the affected school corporations and special management teams, in order to minimize academic interruptions for students and educators.
HEA 1319 to provide a study committee regarding further analysis of a Choices for Teachers program, which would provide a stipend to teachers who apply for and get a job teaching in a low-performing public school or a public charter school serving a high percentage of low-income students.

He also signed several non-agenda bills including:

HEA 1321, which authorizes Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to enter into an agreement with a school management team to establish innovation network schools within certain IPS schools.

Source