Sec. 10. (a) It is the policy of the state that the state:

(1) recognizes that nonpublic schools provide education to children in Indiana;

(2) has an interest in ensuring that all Indiana children are well educated in both curricular and extracurricular programs; and

(3) should facilitate the transferability of comparable academic credit between appropriate nonpublic schools and state supported educational institutions.

(b) The state board shall implement a system of recognition of the educational programs of nonpublic schools to fulfill the policy set forth in subsection (a).

(c) The system of recognition described under subsection (b) must:

(1) be voluntary in nature with respect to the nonpublic school;

(2) recognize the characteristics that distinguish nonpublic schools from public schools; and

(3) be a recognition system that is separate from the accreditation standards required of public schools and available to nonpublic schools under section 8(a)(4) of this chapter.

(d) This section does not prohibit a nonpublic school from seeking accreditation under section 8(a)(4) of this chapter.

(e) The department shall waive accreditation standards for an accredited nonpublic alternative school that enters into a contract with a school corporation to provide alternative education services for students who have:

(1) dropped out of high school;

(2) been expelled; or

(3) been sent to the nonpublic alternative school due to the students' lack of success in the public school environment;

to accommodate the nonpublic alternative school's program and student population. A nonpublic alternative school to which this subsection applies is not subject to being placed in a category or designation under IC 20-31-8-4. However, the nonpublic alternative school must comply with all state reporting requirements and submit a school improvement growth model on the anniversary date of the nonpublic alternative school's original accreditation.

(f) The state board may accredit a nonpublic school under this section at the time the nonpublic school begins operation in Indiana.

(g) The state board shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to implement this section.

[Pre-2005 Secondary and Elementary Recodification Citation: 20-1-1-6.2.]

As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.65-2012, SEC.1; P.L.251-2017, SEC.1.