Title 20, EDUCATION

Sec. 12. (a) "Nonpublic school" means a school that is not: (1) maintained by a school corporation; or (2) a charter school. (b) The term includes a private school or parochial school. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-1-3.] As added by…

Sec. 13. "Parent" means: (1) the natural father or mother of a child; (2) in the case of adoption, the adopting father or mother of a child; (3) if custody of the child has been awarded in a court proceeding to someone other than the mother or father, the court appointed guardian…

Sec. 13.5. "Political subdivision" has the meaning set forth in IC 36-1-2-13. [Pre-2006 Recodification Citation: 20-26-5-21(c).] As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.75.

Sec. 14. "Principal" refers to the chief administrative officer of a school. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-1-8.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2.

Sec. 14.3. "Property tax" refers to an ad valorem property tax. [2006 Recodification Citation: New.] As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.76.

Sec. 14.5. "Public education corporation" refers to the Indianapolis public education corporation established by IC 20-25.3-3-1. As added by P.L.101-2026, SEC.8.

Sec. 15. "Public school": (1) for purposes of this title (other than IC 20-33-1), means a school maintained by a school corporation; and (2) for purposes of IC 20-33-1, means: (A) a school maintained by a school corporation; or (B) a preschool, an elementary school, or a high sch…

Sec. 15.5. "School based enterprise" means a program that: (1) includes interactions with customers or clients; (2) is a career based course; and (3) includes ongoing business training provided by a teacher. As added by P.L.187-2021, SEC.59 and P.L.216-2021, SEC.7.

Sec. 16. (a) "School corporation", for purposes of this title (except IC 20-20.5-9, IC 20-26-1 through IC 20-26-5, IC 20-26-7, IC 20-26-7.1, IC 20-28-11.5, IC 20-30-8, IC 20-30-16, IC 20-43, and IC 20-50), means a public school corporation established by Indiana law. The term inc…

Sec. 17. "School year" means the period: (1) beginning after June 30 of each year; and (2) ending before July 1 of the following year; except when a different period is specified for a particular purpose. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10…

Sec. 17.5. "Science of reading" means a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research that: (1) requires the explicit, systematic inclusion of the following five (5) essential components: (A) Phonemic awareness. (B) Phonics. (C) Fluency. (D) Vocabulary. (E) Compre…

Sec. 18. "Secondary school" means a high school. [2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: New.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.127-2016, SEC.3; P.L.74-2026, SEC.17.

Sec. 18.1. "Secretary of education" refers to the secretary of education appointed by the governor under IC 20-19-1-1.1. As added by P.L.43-2021, SEC.40.

Sec. 18.3. "Special curriculum" means a course of study embracing subject matter or a teaching methodology that is not generally offered to students of the same age or grade level in the same school corporation. The term does not include: (1) a course of study or a part of a cour…

Sec. 18.5. "Spring count" refers to the spring count of eligible pupils under IC 20-43-4. As added by P.L.205-2013, SEC.223. Amended by P.L.217-2017, SEC.93; P.L.108-2019, SEC.207.

Sec. 18.7. "State accredited nonpublic school" means a nonpublic school that has voluntarily become accredited under IC 20-31-4.1. As added by P.L.92-2020, SEC.12.

Sec. 18.8. "State accredited school" means a public or nonpublic school that is accredited under IC 20-31-4.1. As added by P.L.92-2020, SEC.13.

Sec. 19. "State board" refers to the Indiana state board of education established by IC 20-19-2-2.1. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citations: 20-6.1-1-1; 20-10.1-1-17.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.224-2015, SEC.2; P.L.214-2025, SEC.…

Sec. 2. "ADM", except as otherwise provided by law, refers to current ADM under IC 20-43-4 for the school year ending in the current calendar year. [2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: New.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.2-2006, SEC.73…

Sec. 2.3. "Career specialist permit" refers to a permit described in 511 IAC 16-4-6 or its successor rule. As added by P.L.170-2018, SEC.1.

Sec. 2.4. "Chronically absent" means missing ten percent (10%) or more of a school year for any reason. As added by P.L.208-2025, SEC.1.

Sec. 2.5. "Charter school" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-24-1-4. [2006 Recodification Citation: New.] As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.74.

Sec. 2.7. "Curricular materials" means systematically organized material designed to provide a specific level of instruction in a subject matter category, including: (1) books; (2) hardware that will be consumed, accessed, or used by a single student during a semester or school y…

Sec. 2.8. "Criminal organization" has the meaning set forth in IC 35-45-9-1. As added by P.L.190-2013, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.25-2016, SEC.4.

Sec. 2.9. "Current ADM" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-43-1-10. As added by P.L.205-2013, SEC.221.

Sec. 20.3. "State tuition support" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-43-1-25. [2006 Recodification Citation: New.] As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.78.

Sec. 20.7. "Statewide assessment program" refers to the Indiana's Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) program under IC 20-32-5.1. As added by P.L.242-2017, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.214-2025, SEC.11.

Sec. 21. "Superintendent" means the chief administrative officer of a school corporation. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citations: 20-6.1-1-7; 20-10.1-1-6.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.233-2015, SEC.31.

Sec. 22. (a) "Teacher" means a professional person whose position in a school corporation requires certain educational preparation and licensing and whose primary responsibility is the instruction of students. (b) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e), for purposes of IC …

Sec. 24. "Transfer" with respect to a student refers to the situation in which the student, for all or part of the student's education, attends school in a public school of a school corporation other than the school corporation in which the student has legal settlement. [Pre-2005…

Sec. 25. "Transferor corporation" and "transferee corporation" refer, respectively, in transfer situations to the school corporation of a student's legal settlement and the school corporation where the student attends school. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodific…

Sec. 26. (a) "Transferred student" means a student attending school in a school corporation in which the student does not have legal settlement. (b) For purposes of subsection (a), a student is considered attending school in a school corporation when: (1) the student is confined …

Sec. 26.5. "Truancy prevention measure" means an action designed to: (1) address truancy before a child becomes a habitual truant; and (2) minimize the need for: (A) referrals to a voluntary truancy prevention program; or (B) reports to a juvenile court. As added by P.L.125-2024,…

Sec. 27. "Workplace specialist license" refers to a workplace specialist license described in 511 IAC 17-1-2 or its successor rule. As added by P.L.275-2019, SEC.1.

Sec. 3. "Department" refers to the department of education established by IC 20-19-3-1. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-1-18.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2.

Sec. 3.5. "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that: (1) is neurological in origin and characterized by: (A) difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition; and (B) poor spelling and decoding abilities; (2) typically results from a deficit in the phonological co…

Sec. 4. "Elementary school" means any school that provides instruction for any of the following: (1) Kindergarten. (2) Grade 1. (3) Grade 2. (4) Grade 3. (5) Grade 4. (6) Grade 5. (7) Grade 6. (8) Grade 7. (9) Grade 8. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification C…

Sec. 4.5. "Fall count" refers to the fall count of eligible pupils under IC 20-43-4. As added by P.L.205-2013, SEC.222. Amended by P.L.217-2017, SEC.92; P.L.214-2025, SEC.8.

Sec. 5. "Governing body" means: (1) a board of school commissioners; (2) a metropolitan board of education; (3) a board of trustees; or (4) any other board or commission charged by law with the responsibility of administering the affairs of a school corporation. [Pre-2005 Element…

Sec. 6.3. "Graduation pathway requirement" refers to requirements established by the state board under IC 20-32-4-1.5(b)(1). As added by P.L.242-2017, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.150-2024, SEC.2; P.L.214-2025, SEC.9.

Sec. 6.5. "Habitual truant" refers to a student who has been absent ten (10) days or more from school within a school year without being excused or without being absent under a parental request that has been filed with the school. As added by P.L.246-2013, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.2…

Sec. 7. "High school" means any combination of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-1-16.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2.

Sec. 8. "Indiana physician" means an individual who holds an unlimited license to practice medicine in Indiana. [Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citations: 20-8.1-1-14; 20-9.1-1-10.] As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.2.

Sec. 9. "Individualized education program" means a written statement developed for a child by a group that includes: (1) a representative of the school corporation or public agency responsible for educating the child; (2) the child's teacher; (3) the child's parent, guardian, or …

Sec. 10.5. (a) A national or regional accreditation agency that seeks to be recognized by the state board for purposes of awarding accreditation to nonpublic schools in Indiana shall submit to the state board a completed application for recognition form established by the state b…

Sec. 14. The state board shall do the following: (1) Establish the educational goals of the state, developing standards and objectives for local school corporations. (2) Assess the attainment of the established goals. (3) Assure compliance with established standards and objective…