our research partners → Indiana Department of Education

Indiana Department of Education

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Our partnership

WEPC’s partnership with IDOE began in 2022 with a focus on studying the policies and practices influencing English learners, students with disabilities, and the teachers who teach them. Starting in 2025, the second phase of this partnership examines the impacts of state investments in improving early literacy and innovative approaches to preparing students for postsecondary opportunities, while continuing our research on the special educator workforce through the SPARC Center and on statewide patterns found in student IEP data.

Related research

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The Effects of Grade Retention in Indiana Schools
K-12, Early literacy, Educational opportunity
The Effects of Grade Retention in Indiana Schools
K-12, Early literacy, Educational opportunity

Analysis of the impacts of the threat of grade retention and retention itself in Indiana public schools.

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K-12, Early literacy, Educational opportunity
Special Education Substantially Improves Learning: Evidence from Three States
K-12, Special education, Educational opportunity
Special Education Substantially Improves Learning: Evidence from Three States
K-12, Special education, Educational opportunity

Special education serves more than one in seven U.S. students, yet its causal impact remains understudied. In this paper, we estimate the effect of individualized supports with an event-study design that tracks achievement around initial classification. The research shows students’ scores decline prior to placement and rise sharply afterward. Overall, individualized supports substantially increase learning productivity.

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K-12, Special education, Educational opportunity
Service Delivery Models: Impacts for Students With and Without Disabilities
K-12, Special education, Co-teaching
Service Delivery Models: Impacts for Students With and Without Disabilities
K-12, Special education, Co-teaching

This research study offers some of the field’s first causal evidence of how different service delivery models impact student achievement and behavior.

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K-12, Special education, Co-teaching
Reclassifying English Learners
K-12, Multilingual learners, Educational opportunity
Reclassifying English Learners
K-12, Multilingual learners, Educational opportunity

The authors of this study use data from Indiana to examine the causal effects of English learner reclassification on later student outcomes, including test scores and attendance rates.

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K-12, Multilingual learners, Educational opportunity
Understanding Special Education Services at Scale Using IEP Data
K-12, Special education
Understanding Special Education Services at Scale Using IEP Data
K-12, Special education

Indiana requires schools to submit student Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) into a centralized database, making it possible to analyze IEPs on a statewide scale and uncover novel insights about their content. Using rigorous quantitative methods, WEPC researchers are identifying patterns related to IEP goals, services, placements, and more.

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K-12, Special education