Data requested by Chalkbeat shows, for the first time since the policy was put in place, how it plays out in schools.

The Senate’s 4.9 percent education spending increase is a little more than increases in years past and slightly higher than the House proposed.

Senate lawmakers have traditionally been more skeptical about virtual schools than their House counterparts.

While the number of online school students earning zero credits has decreased from 2017 to 2018, that figure still remains particularly high at some schools.

In Indiana, the number of foster children rose 60 percent between 2012 and 2016.

House education committee members voted 9-0 Monday to amend a Senate bill, further watering it down while folding in measures from similar bills.

The report, expected to be presented to the Indiana State Board of Education next week, showed that 40 percent of students in foster care attend schools rated C, D, or F.

The provision was added to a bill that would change some rules about alternative teacher licenses, which passed the committee unanimously as well.

The experiences of parents and students who spoke to Chalkbeat varied widely — some said the virtual schools were a "lifesaver." Others called them a "waste of time."

Teachers participated in a teacher pay-themed story slam co-hosted by the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Chalkbeat, and Teachers Lounge Indy.