Drew Catt and Mike Shaw, the authors of our latest report "Indiana’s Schooling Deserts," used Geographic Information System software to map Indiana families’ drive times to traditional public, magnet, charter and voucher-participating private schools. This first-of-its-kind mapping allowed us to identify where three kinds of “schooling deserts” exist. Learn more about them in this slide show, which simplifies the complex report. For more resources related to this research, including our podcast and an interactive mapping tool, visit www.edchoice.org/blog/new-analysis-maps-k-12-schooling-deserts-in-choice-rich-indiana/

1. INDIANA'S SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
edchoice.org/INSchoolingDeserts
BREAKING DOWN
Identifying Hoosier Communities Lacking
Highly Rated Schools, Multi-Sector Options

2. Indiana has arguably the most robust K–12
educational choice environment in the U.S.
Vouchers Tax-Credit
Scholarships
Charter Schools
Magnet Schools Inter- & Intra-
District Transfers

3. In theory, that array of options is available to every
Hoosier student, and our research found that most
students live within 30 minutes of a charter, magnet
or voucher-participating private school.

4. That does not mean all parts of the
state have equitable access to options,
creating “schooling deserts.”

5. Using Geographic Information System (GIS)
software, we calculated drive times from
highly rated schools of any type as well as
all charter, magnet and voucher-participating
schools to determine the location of
schooling deserts across the state.

6. For the most part, the schooling deserts we identified
are in rural areas of the state, and they reflect one
or more of these characteristics:
• An A-rated desert, where families lack access to
A-rated schools;
• A choice desert, where families lack access to charter,
magnet and voucher-participating private schools
• An educational opportunity zone, where students
have reasonable access only to a D- or F-rated
school of any type

7. An “educational opportunity zone” describes
an area of the state that desperately needs to
improve existing options and/or invest in new,
highly rated schooling options.

8. Where do the school ratings
in this report come from?

9. Each year, the Indiana State Board of Education
gives all of these types of schools A–F ratings,
which are largely based on students’ state
standardized test scores.
A B D
FC

10. Unlike some states, Indiana can compare schools’
ratings fairly uniformly because most private schools
had been administering the state test prior to the
implementation of the voucher program in 2011.

11. Poor ratings have
consequences in Indiana.

12. Private schools may not accept new voucher
students when rated “D” or “F” for two
or more consecutive years.
F
Rating
F
Rating

13. Public schools risk closure or state
takeover for persistently low grades.

14. For this report, we use these school ratings to
determine whether a school is “highly rated” or
not, but it is important to understand that their
reliance on test scores, subjective weighting and
lack of qualitative measures may not accurately
reflect schools’ range of educational outcomes.

15. We know from
research on public
and private school
parents in Indiana that
families have different
preferences when it
comes to choosing and
assessing their child’s
school.
WHY INDIANA
PARENTS CHOOSE
A Cross-Sector Survey of Parents’ Views in a
Robust School Choice Environment
Andrew D. Catt
Evan Rhinesmith, Ph.D.
edchoice.org/WhyINParentsChoose

16. That is why this report identifies not just
communities that lack access to highly
rated schools, but also parts of the state
that are devoid of educational options.

17. What did we find?

18. 90% of Hoosier families are a 15-minute
drive or less from an A-rated K–8 school
of any type (traditional public, magnet,
charter or voucher-participating private)
90% of Hoosier families are a
21-minute drive from an A-rated
high school of any type
100% of Indiana students are
within 45 minutes of an A-rated
school of any grade and any type
15 minute drive
21 minute drive
45 minute drive

19. That’s the good news,
but thousands of Hoosier students
fall into schooling deserts.

20. K–8 SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
The A-rated K–8 school
deserts are found in the
warm areas with the red
boundaries. An estimated
3,699 K–8 students
live within those A-rated
deserts.
A-Rated Deserts (K–8)
An estimated 3,699 primary students live without reasonable access to A-rated grade schools
SCHOOLS SERVING AT LEAST ONE GRADE K–8 “A” RATED IN 2016–17
K–8 Voucher (n=121)K–8 Traditional Public (n=352) K–8 Magnet (n=6)K–8 Charter (n=9)
0 50 100
MILES
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
30
32
36
40
44
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)

21. K–8 SCHOOLING DESERTS:
Traditional public and voucher-participating private schools tend to
provide more drivable options to K–8 families, especially in rural areas.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
All Schools Traditional Public Schools Voucher-Participating Privates Charters
MINUTES FROM AN “A” SCHOOL SERVING AT LEAST ONE GRADE K–8 (2016–17)
PERCENTOFINDIANA’SK–8POPULATION(AGES5TO14)
A-Rated Drive Times by Sector (K–8)
Nine out of 10 students live within 15 minutes of an A-rated grade school

22. K–8 SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
But when it comes to
options of any kind, about
24,810 K–8 students live
in a K–8 choice desert,
meaning they are 30
minutes or more away
from any charter, magnet
or voucher-participating
private school that might
serve them.
Choice Deserts (K–8)
An estimated 24,810 primary students live without reasonable access to a K–8 school of choice
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
30
32
36
40
44
48
52
55
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
0 10050
MILES

23. K–8 SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
Look at the purple shaded
boundaries with the
grad caps. These are the
attendance zones for
D- and F-rated traditional
K–8 public schools that
happen to overlap with
choice deserts, where
families’ options are also
D- and F-rated.
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
30
32
36
40
44
48
52
55
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
Educational Opportunity Zones (K–8)
An estimated 35,860 primary students live without reasonable access from a non-D or F-rated charter, magnet, or
voucher-participating high school, and some of these students live within failing district attendance zones
0 10050
MILES
SCHOOLS “D” OR “F” RATED IN 2016–17
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES 2013–14
K–8 with Attendance Boundary in “Non-Failing” Choice Desert (n=14)
Boundaries for Above Schools Opportunity Zone

24. K–8 SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
What we call educational
opportunity zones are
shaded bright pink,
meaning K–8 students in
those areas have access
only to their zoned D- or
F-rated traditional public
school and poorly rated
alternatives (if any) within
a 30-mile radius.
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
30
32
36
40
44
48
52
55
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
Educational Opportunity Zones (K–8)
An estimated 35,860 primary students live without reasonable access from a non-D or F-rated charter, magnet, or
voucher-participating high school, and some of these students live within failing district attendance zones
0 10050
MILES
SCHOOLS “D” OR “F” RATED IN 2016–17
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES 2013–14
K–8 with Attendance Boundary in “Non-Failing” Choice Desert (n=14)
Boundaries for Above Schools Opportunity Zone

25. K–8 SCHOOLING
DESERTS:
And we know K–8
students live in these
opportunity zones.
Disbursement of K–8 Students
Overlap of various deserts exists within medium- and low-density areas
INDIANA BLOCK GROUPS 2018 DOT-DENSITY THEME
= 10 K–8 Students (Age 5 to 14)
0 50 100
MILES
Distribution of K–8 Students

26. Though we can’t say exactly how many
students live within these opportunity
zones because of data limitations, we
do know that about 7,000 K–8 students
attend the D- or F-rated schools
marked on our map.

27. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
The A-rated high school
deserts are found in the
warm areas with the red
boundaries. An estimated
6,668 high school
students live within
those deserts.
A-Rated Deserts (9–12)
An estimated 6,668 secondary students live without access to A-rated high schools
SCHOOLS SERVING AT LEAST ONE HIGH SCHOOL GRADE 9–12 “A” RATED IN 2016–17
9–12 Voucher (n=32)9–12 Traditional Public (n=119) 9–12 Charter (n=7)
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
30
32
36
40
44
48
52
55
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
0 10050
MILES

28. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
Traditional public and voucher-participating private high schools
tend to provide more drivable options to high school families,
especially in rural areas.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
All Schools Traditional Public Schools Voucher-Participating Privates Charters
MINUTES FROM AN “A” SCHOOL SERVING AT LEAST ONE GRADE 9–12 (2016–17)
PERCENTOFINDIANA’S9–12POPULATION(AGES15TO19)
A-Rated Drive Times by Sector (9–12)
Nine out of 10 students live within 21 minutes of an A-rated high school

29. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
But when it comes to
options of any kind, about
45,072 high school
students live in a high
school choice desert.
That’s nearly one in 10
students.
Choice Deserts (9–12)
An estimated 45,072 secondary students live without reasonable access to a high school of choice
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
79
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
0 10050
MILES

30. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
Look at the purple shaded
boundaries with the
grad caps. These are the
attendance zones for
D- and F-rated traditional
public high schools that
happen to overlap with
choice deserts, where
families’ options are also
D- and F-rated.
Educational Opportunity Zones (9–12)
An estimated 52,661 secondary students live without reasonable access from a non-D or F-rated charter, magnet,
or voucher-participating high school, and some of these students live within failing district attendance zones
0 10050
MILES
SCHOOLS “D” OR “F” RATED IN 2016–17
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES 2013–14
9–12 with Attendance Boundary in “Non-Failing” Choice Desert (n=4)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
79
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
Boundaries for Above Schools Opportunity Zone

31. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
What we call educational
opportunity zones are
shaded bright pink,
meaning high school
students in those areas
have access only to their
zoned D- or F-rated
traditional public
school and poorly rated
alternatives (if any) within
a 30-mile radius.
Educational Opportunity Zones (9–12)
An estimated 52,661 secondary students live without reasonable access from a non-D or F-rated charter, magnet,
or voucher-participating high school, and some of these students live within failing district attendance zones
0 10050
MILES
SCHOOLS “D” OR “F” RATED IN 2016–17
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES 2013–14
9–12 with Attendance Boundary in “Non-Failing” Choice Desert (n=4)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
79
DRIVETIME(MINUTES)
Boundaries for Above Schools Opportunity Zone

32. HIGH SCHOOL DESERTS:
And we know high school
students live in these
opportunity zones.
Disbursement of High Schoolers
INDIANA BLOCK GROUPS 2018 DOT-DENSITY THEME
= 10 High Schoolers (Age 15 to 19)
0 10050
MILES
Overlap of various deserts exists within medium- and low-density areas
Distribution of High Schoolers

33. Though we can’t say exactly how many
students live within these opportunity zones
because of data limitations, we do know that
about 400 high school students attend the
D- or F-rated schools marked on our map.

34. Why are these data important?

35. These deserts provide opportunities for policymakers,
educators and entrepreneurs to invest in high-quality
educational options. The improvement of educational
options and performance in these communities
represent a straightforward way to come closer to
equitable educational opportunities across Indiana.

36. For more details, please download
the full report by visiting
EDCHOICE.ORG/INSchoolingDeserts
Have questions? Contact our research
team at research@edchoice.org.