Penn wins $25,000 grant from Indiana DOE for Data-Driven Support

Penn High School has received another Excellence in Education Award from the Indiana Department of Education.

Recently, the Penn Administration learned that Penn earned the Excellence in Data-Driven Support Award and a grant of $25,000. The award was presented at the IDOE’s Educational Excellence Award Gala on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.

The award recognizes the school that has made the most progress in improving achievement for all students. Penn won the award for its increased academic achievement for students as indicated by ILEARN English/Language Arts/Mathematics assessment results, prioritization of initiatives focused on accelerating learning, and implementation of progress monitoring and evidenced-based practices for students in need of extra support.

This is Penn’s second IDOE Educational Excellence Award. In 2023, the IDOE honored Penn with the Excellence in College Readiness Award along with a $250,000 grant.

“Winning the Excellence in Data-Driven Support Award is a reflection of the incredible teamwork that happens every day at Penn,” Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher said. “Our teachers, staff, and students have embraced the idea that using data is about understanding each student and helping them reach their full potential. This award means a lot to our school community because it recognizes the care, intentionality, and dedication that drive our work to make sure every learner has the opportunity to succeed.”

Penn’s commitment to Excellence in Data-Driven Support is reflected in measurable growth across multiple indicators of student success. By intentionally aligning efforts around progress monitoring, evidence-based practices, and accelerated learning opportunities, Penn has elevated achievement for students at all levels. Penn’s targeted Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT preparation has yielded clear improvements in both participation and performance, while the AP program continues to grow in both the number of students served and the individual success of those students.

Penn leads the state in dual-credit attainment. Equally important, Penn is committed to ensuring students on free and reduced lunch and students with an IEP make meaningful growth across benchmarks, underscoring our belief that every learner can thrive when given the right support. Together, these achievements demonstrate Penn’s relentless focus on using data to guide decisions, support student needs, and ensure that every learner has access to rigorous, high-quality opportunities that prepare them for the future.

Penn High School boasts a robust plan to ensure that all students are given the best possible opportunity for growth and success on standardized assessments, including Biology iLearn, PSAT/NMSQT, school-day SAT, and AP Exams.

Focused preparation for the PSAT & SAT begins in ninth grade for all students. Ninth, 10th, and 11th graders participate in a minimum of two benchmark assessments, using the paid Progress Learning (formerly Horizon Education) platform. In addition, they take the PSAT 8/9 in the Spring of freshman year, and the PSAT/NMSQT in the Fall of sophomore and junior years.

Since implementing data-driven learning supports, Penn’s number of National Merit Scholars has increased from six to an anticipated 15 this year. Schoolwide SAT results also reflect growth as a result of efforts to accelerate learning. Forty percent of Penn juniors met the benchmark in math in the first year of the digital format, which increased to 43% in 2025. Even more impressive, Penn’s English-based reading and writing results increased from 65% to 72% of students meeting the benchmark last school year. The percentage of Penn students who met the benchmark on both parts of the SAT was 19% higher than the Indiana state average. 

In 2023, 7.9%, 7.9% and 14.5% of students with an IEP passed both Math, and the English portions of the SAT respectively.  In 2025, 8.5%, 11.3% and 23.9% passed both Math and the English portions of the SAT, reflecting an improvement across each data point. This growth moved Penn High school from ranking No. 27 in 2024 to No. 15 in 2025 when compared to other public school corporations in the state of Indiana.

AP participation grew from 639 students (1,289 exams) in 2021 to 873 students (1,791 exams) in 2025. Success rates rose from 60% to 83%, nearly doubling the number of students scoring a 3+ (385 to 724) which demonstrates significant growth in the number of students participating in this challenging level of coursework, necessitating varying levels of support.  Most importantly, students who are on free and reduced lunch participating in an AP course at Penn High School have more than doubled in the last 5 years from 50 students in 2021 to 108 students in 2025.   Additionally, 55 of the exams taken by free/reduced students in 2021 scored a 3+ with 142 exams receiving this same score in 2025.

In Penn’s most recent accreditation review in 2023, the Cognia evaluation team affirmed that “Leadership is unwavering in its commitment to all parents, community members, and most importantly, the students. Learners’ well-being is at the heart of all decisions the organization makes.” 

This commitment, paired with Penn’s use of evidence-based practices, progress monitoring systems, and inclusive course design, has positioned Penn as a model of data-driven support where equity and achievement go hand in hand. As a result, in September of that school year, Penn was named a Cognia School of Distinction. Cognia is a global nonprofit school improvement organization accrediting 40,000 schools across 90 countries, yet only 96 schools worldwide received this distinction and Penn High School was one of them, the only high school in Indiana to earn this prestigious recognition that year.