Parke Heritage Middle School awarded multi-million dollar Next Generation School Improvement Grant from IDOE

Parke Heritage Middle School has been awarded a Next Generation School Improvement Grant (Next Gen SIG) from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), securing up to $250,000 in planning funds over the next year and up to $2.5 million in implementation funding over the following three years.

The initiative will begin at Parke Heritage Middle School. The work will build on four years of intentional efforts to strengthen the middle school experience, expand student voice, deepen community partnerships, and create new opportunities for students to explore their interests and prepare for the future.

“Four years ago, we started asking a different question at Parke Heritage: What could middle school look like if we truly designed it around our students?” said Lisa Wrightsman, principal of Parke Heritage Middle School. “Since then, we have built programs and opportunities that give our students more voice, more experiences, and more ways to find their strengths—from our House System and service opportunities to career exploration, high school credit, and hands-on learning. This grant gives us the chance to dream bigger, try new things, and build on the work our students and staff have already made possible.” 

Launched by IDOE in 2021–22, Next Gen SIG takes a systemic approach to school improvement, empowering local school communities to drive decision-making and design innovative solutions tailored to student needs. Parke Heritage was one of five schools selected statewide for Cohort 6 from a competitive pool of 45 applicants. Less than 1% of Indiana schools will ever receive this prestigious grant. 

A central focus of Parke Heritage’s plan is to transform personalized and differentiated instruction so that students have more opportunities to understand their own academic growth, learn in ways that meet their individual needs, and take greater ownership of their learning. The school will strengthen co-teaching and instructional practices, develop new educator capacity, and explore greater flexibility in staffing, scheduling, and school-level decision-making.

“Investing in our students means investing in the adults and systems that support them,” said Dr. Michael Schimpf, Superintendent.

Grant funds will also support several key objectives, including creating a more coherent instructional experience across grades 6–8, expanding professional learning and embedded coaching for educators, strengthening pathways for educators to build special education expertise, and creating more structured opportunities for students, families, and community members to shape the future of Parke Heritage.

Beth Faust, NCP Curriculum Director & Federal Grants Specialist, sees the potential of the initiative extending well beyond the middle school. “I’m most excited about what this opportunity can mean for our entire community and for the success of every child,” Faust said. “We have an opportunity to strengthen the connection between elementary and high school while making the middle school years a meaningful bridge between the two. This is a chance to think differently about how we support students and help them build a strong foundation for what comes next.”

The first year will center on planning and design to establish a strong foundation for implementation in years two through four. Through this work, Parke Heritage aims to create a more personalized, connected, and student-centered middle school experience that strengthens learning and opens new possibilities for students across North Central Parke.