IndianaIndiana elementary schools screen young students for reading gaps
Elementary schools screen young students for reading gaps, while parents can seek review of athletic rule decisions and state officials prepare education reports.
What it does
Elementary schools give students in kindergarten through grade 2 an approved early reading screener to check for literacy skill gaps.
Parents may ask a review panel to reconsider an athletic association's decision about a rule applied to their student.
The education secretary reports on school employee paid leave and identifies ways to measure civic learning in schools and colleges.
The commission reviews college accreditors and reports whether other agencies or methods could accredit state colleges and their degree programs.
Argument forParents may get easier-to-read results from early reading screeners, which could help schools spot skill gaps and guide classroom support.
Argument againstSchools may have to add testing work for young students, and reimbursement may not cover costs above the assessment price or be available without funding.
More detail
Elementary schools administer an approved early reading screener to students in kindergarten through grade 2. This applies to public schools, charter schools, state-accredited nonpublic schools, and eligible schools. The screener must meet the listed requirements for an approved universal screener. The assessment provisions take effect July 1, 2026.
The association's case review panel considers a parent's referral and issues a written decision. The process concerns a student's parent's disagreement with an association decision applying or interpreting an association rule for that student. A parent who disagrees with the association's decision about a rule may accept it or refer the case to the panel within 30 days. The panel may uphold, change, or cancel the decision, and its decision applies only to that student. The panel must issue its written decision within 10 business days after the meeting where it considers the case.
The secretary of education reviews school employee paid leave and civic learning measures, then reports findings to the General Assembly. The leave review covers school corporations and their employee leave policies; the civic measures cover kindergarten through grade 12 and postsecondary education. The leave review identifies school corporations' paid leave for childbirth, adoption, foster care placement, and stillbirth. Stillbirth means a birth after 20 weeks of pregnancy that is not a live birth. Both reports are due by December 1, 2026. These sections expire July 1, 2027.
The commission evaluates college accreditors and reports possible alternatives to the General Assembly. The review concerns Indiana state educational institutions and the degree programs they offer. The review covers agencies that accredit state institutions or their degree programs, as well as innovative agencies and other possible ways to accredit programs. The report is due by December 1, 2026. This section expires July 1, 2027.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 5Public Law 120Latest
- Mar 5Signed by the Governor Mike BraunBecame Law
- Feb 27Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 310: yeas 34, nays 14
- Vote recorded SB 199 - Raatz. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded SB 199 - Behning. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 27Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- Feb 27Signed by the SpeakerMajor
- Feb 27Signed by the President Pro TemporeMajor
- Feb 27Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 404: yeas 62, nays 32
- Feb 26Senator Walker K added as conferee
- Feb 26Senator Hunley removed as conferee
- Feb 26Representative Teshka added as conferee
- Feb 26Representative Teshka removed as advisor
- Feb 26Representative Smith V removed as conferee
- Feb 26CCR # 1 filed in the SenateMinor
- Feb 26CCR # 1 filed in the HouseMinor
- Feb 19Senate dissented from House amendments
- Feb 19Senate advisors appointed: Yoder, Rogers
- Feb 19House advisors appointed: King, Teshka, DeLaney, Klinker, Pfaff
- Feb 19House conferees appointed: Behning, Smith V
- Feb 19Senate conferees appointed: Raatz, Hunley
- Feb 18Returned to the Senate with amendmentsMinor
- Feb 18Motion to dissent filedMinor
- Feb 17Third reading: passed; Roll Call 266: yeas 67, nays 28Passed House
- Vote recorded SB 199 - Behning - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 16Amendment #1 (Behning) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Vote recorded SB 199 - Behning - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Feb 16Amendment #3 (DeLaney) failed; voice voteMajor
- Feb 16Amendment #4 (DeLaney) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Feb 16Amendment #2 (DeLaney) failed; Roll Call 243: yeas 38, nays 52Major
- Feb 16Second reading: amended, ordered engrossedMinor
- Feb 12Committee report: amend do pass, adoptedMinor
- Feb 2First reading: referred to Committee on EducationMinor
- Jan 29Referred to the HouseMinor
- Vote recorded SB 199 - Raatz - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 29Third reading: passed; Roll Call 138: yeas 46, nays 2Passed Senate
- Jan 29House sponsor: Representative Behning
- Jan 29Cosponsors: Representatives King, Teshka
- Jan 28Amendment #6 (Raatz) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Jan 28Reread second time: amended, ordered engrossedMinor
- Jan 27Placed back on second readingMinor
- Jan 26Amendment #3 (Raatz) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Jan 26Second reading: amended, ordered engrossedMinor
- Jan 26Amendment #5 (Raatz) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Jan 15Committee report: amend do pass, adoptedMinor
- Jan 8Senator Rogers added as second author
- Jan 5Authored by Senator Raatz
- Jan 5First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career DevelopmentIntroduced
Education