By Maribeth Vaughn
GREENFIELD — Each year, local schools are required to publish accountability reports to the public, giving key indicators on how the district is doing and how money is being spent. You can see local reports in today’s Daily Reporter on Page X.
Here’s what you need to know:
1
Why should I read the reports?
You can gauge how your child’s school is performing compared with other schools in the same district or county. Keep in mind that much of the data, however, is a year old. Some schools use these reports for marketing, to help raise awareness about the benefits of a school corporation. A recent school board meeting of Southern Hancock even included a discussion about per-pupil funding in these reports, and administrators encouraged the public to talk to their state lawmakers to raise funding.
2
What can I learn?
Student enrollment for the 2014-15 school year is included. Data also includes the percentage of students on free and reduced-price lunch, percentage of students in special education and vocational education, and college-entrance test scores at high schools. A wage range for teachers is listed. Greenfield-Central, for example, pays teachers $32,434-$63,845.
3
How do I learn more?
The Indiana Department of Education has much of this data broken down in bar graphs and pie charts online. You can even compare how your school corporation fares with state averages in many categories. For more, visit compass.doe.in.gov/dashboard/apr.aspx.
