Indiana Early College Summit 2026

This breakout session provides an overview of and guidance on:
• Indiana's transfer system components (including AP exam equivalencies and the Core Transfer Library)
• The fundamental aspects of the Indiana College Core and benefits of earning dual credit and the ICC
• Intentional course selection for high school students
• Teacher credentialing considerations
• The Academic Performance Grant and My College Core
The session will also introduce a new credential of value option—a CTE pathway/ICC combination that 4-year postsecondary institutions will be able to offer.

Join the presenters as they share a multi-layered approach to Indiana's College GO! Week, highlighting a month-long series of advisory lessons for students in grades 9–12. Discover strategies to foster staff-student relationships and build school-wide engagement through activities like "Find the Alum" and "A-Z College Terms" scavenger hunts. Develop and walk away with a theme for your school’s 2026 College GO! week programming.

Asking questions in the classroom is a valuable, yet nuanced practice. It provides formative feedback for teachers, helps students identify knowledge gaps, and keeps learners engaged. Research shows that the type and timing of questions dramatically shape how deeply students think—and how well they retain content. Join us to explore research-based strategies for effective questioning to boost the impact on learning in your classroom.

Explore Indiana’s newly adopted A-F accountability model, including key changes, how grades will be calculated, and what it means for schools moving forward. Gain a clearer understanding of expectations and how to navigate the upcoming accountability cycle.

Campus libraries are key elements of the collegiate experience, and high school libraries should be the same for Early College high schools. This session explores what role a school librarian can offer to the college-going culture of a dual credit program. College librarians provide a lot of resources for curriculum planning for instructors and research assistance to students. High school librarians can provide these same services and others. This session familiarizes dual credit staff with how school librarians can help support research and writing skills, online LMS and registration, curriculum and syllabi development, and connection with partner universities. The presenters will provide examples of student and teaching success from an endorsed, learning-focused Early College high school.

The Beyond Rigor publication responds to a critical blind spot in state policy: dual enrollment has become a major statewide strategy without being intentionally designed or governed as one. This interactive presentation will take a comprehensive approach to this complex challenge through a three-part structure that connects analysis to policy design and statewide implementation.

Through the IDOE Cambridge Math & Science Grant, Indiana high schools can apply by July 17 for up to $25,000 to launch or expand high-quality Cambridge math and science courses in the 2026–27 or 2027–28 school years. This session will highlight how six Indiana high schools are using Cambridge courses to strengthen college and career readiness, improve student outcomes, and broaden advanced learning in STEM. Attendees will also learn how the grant can support implementation through funding for teacher professional development, instructional resources, and student exam fees.

Today, we’re focused on expanding access to Early College opportunities. But access doesn’t always break down because of a lack of programs. It often breaks down because of a lack of clarity. Mixed messages. Unclear pathways. Assumptions that others “just get it.” Yet, the reality is that the quality of our communication shapes who opts in, who opts out, and who never even considers the opportunity. In this fun and engaging session, Thomas C. Murray will help participants rethink how they communicate around all aspects of the programs they support. From communicating with students to working with families and supporting staff, we’ll explore why gaps in communication exist and how the “curse of knowledge” quietly holds systems back. Participants will walk away with clear, actionable strategies to simplify messaging, strengthen alignment, and ensure each learner and family understands the opportunities in front of them. Expect to laugh, reflect, and leave with ideas you can use right away. Because closing the gap doesn’t start with a new program. It starts with how we communicate the ones we already have.

This session provides insight on meeting Credential of Value (CoV) requirements for the various new diploma Seals and will share updated resources and guidance pertaining to CoV from the state. Attendees will also receive an overview of how the new Credentials of Value list was compiled.

Paper forms and spreadsheet tracking shouldn't be what stands between your students and meaningful work-based learning experiences. Join Lori Williamson of Laville Public Schools and Terry Bybee of Flow Forms as they showcase a purpose-built WBL tracking system featuring automatic deadlines, digital approvals, and centralized record-keeping, all designed to save counselors time and keep programs running smoothly.

Creating a college-going culture includes more than pennants and college t-shirts. Join this panel to learn how three of our endorsed Early College high schools build wall-to-wall college-going cultures—some even dipping into younger grades.

After almost a decade of our Early College Academy, we wanted to do more. We wanted, more than anything, for students within the academy to feel they genuinely had autonomy in the visioning and decision-making. Enter the Early College Leadership Council. In it's second year, sophomores through seniors apply for these positions to be the face and voice of Penn's Early College, and they've already made it better than ever before, organizing everything from service projects to better social media presence, to middle school meet-ups with the incoming Early College class. Here from the sponsor and select students to find out how you could do the same - and it would be more than worth it!