Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education released the latest scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card.” Indiana’s scores are disappointing and mirror the state’s recently released ILEARN results. In 2019, only 37 percent of Indiana 8th graders demonstrated proficiency in reading and math on NAEP. In 4th grade, 37 percent of students achieved proficiency in reading, while 47 percent were proficient in math. Average scores in reading declined and average scores in math held relatively steady since the test was last administered in 2017. While average scores in […]

Ellen Quigley is the Vice President of Programs at the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation An Interview with Mike Thibideau, Director, Indiana Workforce Recovery Initiative Background In February 2018, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Wellness Council of Indiana announced the Indiana Workforce Recovery Initiative, a strategic partnership with Governor Eric Holcomb and his administration to combat the opioid epidemic. The initiative’s mission is to empower the business community by educating and guiding employers through the steps they can take to help their workers struggling with substance use disorder. The objectives of the initiative are to: Identify, evaluate and disseminate best practices in the workplace that support substance use prevention, […]