June 9, 2005
No Child Left Behind provides options for Indiana students and parents

Many Indiana parents now have more options when it comes to providing the best possible education for their children.

Yesterday, the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) released the names of 99 schools in Indiana that classify as in need of improvement for the 2005-2006 school year under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The 99 schools deemed in need of improvement must now offer additional educational services and choices for students and parents.

Schools making the list for the first year must offer parents the option of school choice. Under NCLB this means children in these schools can remain enrolled or can choose to attend another public school. Schools that have been in need of improvement for two or more years must offer free tutoring services in addition to school choice.

“Many children qualify to receive extra educational opportunities such as school choice and free tutoring,” said Stephen Jackson, director of the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation’s (GEO) Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC). “The greatest downfall to this choice is that many parents don’t realize the many resources that are available to them.”

PIRC’s goal is to provide parents with information so they can make the best decisions for their children regarding their education. As part of the GEO Foundation, PIRC is a federally funded grant aimed at educating parents about No Child Left Behind.

Any parent interested in learning more about the schools in need of improvement, how schools qualify to be in need of improvement or what services are available to them should contact the GEO Foundation at (317) 524-3770. For a complete list of schools in need of improvement, visit www.geofoundation.org and click on “All Indiana Schools Offering School Choice and Free Tutoring” on the right side of the page.

The GEO Foundation is a not-for-profit educational organization based in Indianapolis supporting improved educational opportunities for all children. GEO is the sponsor of four 21st Century Charter Schools — its Union Station school opened in 2002; three schools are scheduled to open in fall of 2005: Fountain Square (Indianapolis), Gary, Indiana, and Colorado Springs — the Charter School Service Center, the Community Technology and Tutoring Center, and the statewide Parent Information and Resource Center. For more information about GEO, visit www.geofoundation.org.