INDIANAPOLIS — A new statewide survey shows that although most Hoosier kids attending private schools are continuing to learn cursive, far fewer Indiana public schools currently teach the writing style to younger students.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) surveyed 1,770 schools across Indiana this fall. Of the 1,386 respondents, 91% of state-accredited non-public schools are teaching cursive writing, but only 52% of public schools reported teaching it.
The survey was part of an ongoing, yearslong push to bring cursive writing back to Hoosier schools, spearheaded by Republican Sen. Jean Leising. She said the new survey data indicates that many Hoosier students attending public schools are at a “clear disadvantage,” and vowed to renew her legislative efforts to require cursive instruction.
“My concerns originally centered around making sure our children could sign their names on legal documents and read historical texts, but it is now much larger than that,” Leising said in a statement Monday. “They need to have the necessary motor skills and strong cognitive ability to succeed academically and professionally, and learning cursive writing can only further support their development.”
The “Cursive Writing Survey” was sent out in August and September to all schools and corporations teaching grades K-6. Local administrators had until Oct. 1 to submit their responses.
1386 schools (78%) participated in the IDOE survey. A little over 80% were traditional public schools, 16.7% were state-accredited non-public schools, and 2.9% were charter schools.
Of those schools that responded, 809 reported that cursive writing instruction is taking place in their classrooms. In the majority of schools where cursive is taught, instruction is primarily administered to students in grades two through four.
See the full story here.
