In The News
In participation with the Milken Family Foundation and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC), the Indiana Department of Education announced today Traci Druschke of Oak Hill Elementary School as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award. To read more click here.
Assessment
To support the upcoming ISTEP+ and IREAD-3 test administration windows, we crafted this guidance which addresses the determination of grade-level assessments during the upcoming cycles for each assessment type.
The Office of Student Assessment initiated a listserv this week for technology coordinators defined in Pearson Access. The first communication highlighted steps to minimize errors for the upcoming test administration windows. ISTEP+ Part 1 begins February 27.
Finance
Today, DOE will distribute textbook reimbursement funds to qualifying school corporations and charter schools. The per student funding amount is approximately $81.62. Please contact Ashley Sims-Martin, Office of School Finance, at 317-232-9186 with questions on the textbook reimbursement amount.
Licensing
The Office of Educator Licensing now has a Live Chat customer service option! The new Live Chat feature is currently available Monday-Friday from 9-11 a.m. with plans to expand availability as application volume increases later this spring. It can be accessed by clicking the Live Chat icon on the left side of the Licensing homepage. Education Licensing is currently the only program area of the DOE trying this feature.
Required Survey
Indiana Code requires IDOE to provide a survey to principals and recently licensed teachers on their assessment of the quality of Indiana teacher preparation programs. The survey is to be provided during the second academic semester and must close no later than August 1 of each year. Principals will soon be receiving an email message with instructions and a link to the principal survey. Teachers will complete their survey as a part of the online license renewal application process. Results of both surveys will be in an online matrix. Click here for more info.
Out of District Reporting
Indiana Code requires public school corporations that accept out of district students to report the date by which transfer requests must be received by the school corporation. If your school accepts out of district students, please use the following link to report School Corporation name, Corporation Number, date by which requests to transfer must be received, and name and email of the person submitting the report. Please submit your information no later than July 7, 2017.
Diploma Seals and Congratulatory Letters
Each year, Indiana accredited high schools are asked to submit the total number of students who are expected to graduate with a Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors and Core 40 with Technical Honors Diploma. The Indiana Department of Education uses this information to provide diploma seals and congratulatory letters to schools for each recipient. Click here for info about ordering.
CTE Incentive Funds
The Department of Education is distributing CTE performance grant funds on behalf of the Department of Workforce Development within the next few days. These grant funds are in addition to state and federal CTE funding. For information on how those funds are awarded and dollar amounts, please click here.
ESSA and DCS
Per the requirements set forth in the ESSA, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) would like to collaborate with local school corporations to establish a Point of Contact (POC). DCS sent a letter to superintendents in December; they received some responses, but not all. This list indicates those who have already responded. Though the deadline for edits to the draft checklist has lapsed, further feedback is appreciated so this effort can be a collaborative process between the local schools and DCS.
Additional Opportunities
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) will be offering free, hands-on classroom presentations to Indiana elementary schools in April. IDEM employees will present fun, engaging, and informative presentations that provide students in grades K-6 with examples of environmental careers while teaching them about our environment. The deadline for schools to request presentations is March 3, 2017. Visit IDEM Earth Day Celebration website at www.idem.in.gov/iee/2380.htm.
Weekly Updates
Miss an update? View previous weekly updates here.
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