A Message from Dr. McCormick 8/25/17

 

Indiana Department of Education
Friday, August 25, 2017

 

Dear Educators:

With the school year underway, I want to thank you for such a strong start. I had the pleasure of attending several 2017-18 kickoffs around the state, and I am excited for the school year ahead. Our partnerships over this next school year will make us successful, and in the coming months we could use your voice regarding the current discussions around Graduation Pathways. It is vital we hear from you. Meeting dates and times can be found here. School administrators are encouraged to attend to hear the discussion and share any thoughts. Please consider this opportunity as we work toward providing the best education for our students.

Once again want to share the dates of our 2017 Fall Teacher and Community meetings with your community stakeholders, staff, and parents. Please share this link with them and encourage them to sign up. 

Sincerely,
Dr. Jennifer McCormick
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Indiana Department of Education

Dr. Jennifer McCormick

Assessment
PSAT Bulk Registration Webinar: New and experienced Bulk Registration users who are responsible for preparing and submitting registration files for SAT School Day or PSAT assessments will receive a step-by-step walkthrough of the process, what has changed, and tips for success. Register here: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 1:00 p.m. EST

ISTAR Standard Setting: The State Board of Education approved ISTAR Performance Level Descriptors and Scale Scores on August 22. This memo highlights the approved cut scores. School and corporation reporting begins September 15.

Online Testing Expectations and Waiver Request Process: The Office of Student Assessment defined online testing expectations for 2017-18 and information regarding the new waiver request process. Please see this memo.

Legislative Updates
We have provided information on SEA 29. This information regarding cursive writing legislation was previously provided on August 4. Please take a minute to review the memo and survey. We are also providing information regarding Teacher Appreciation Grants for interlocal cooperations, special education cooperatives, joint services, and career and technical education center teachers.
 For more information on previous pieces of legislation, please visit our webpage.

Graduation Pathways Panel Update
The Graduation Pathways Panel is holding meetings to discuss the future of Indiana students’ pathways to graduation. Meeting dates and times can be found here. School administrators are encouraged to attend upcoming meetings to hear the discussion/share public comment. Public comments are restricted to three minutes per person and allowed at the beginning of each meeting. It is critical your voice is heard.

IDOE Meetings for Teachers, Parents, and the Community
We have already kicked off our Teacher and Community Meetings with Dr. McCormick. For these meetings, we invite teachers, parents, and members of the community to attend. Please share this link with and encourage those in your community to sign up and attend. 
Please note the September 11 Teacher and Community Meeting at Valparaiso University is from 6:30-8:00 p.m. EST (5:30-7:00 p.m. CT). Please spread the word and note the time zone difference.

IDOE Meetings for Superintendents, Principals, Board Members, and Business Officials
Beginning this month, we invite superintendents, principals, school business officials, and leadership team members to attend the Regional Meetings with Dr. McCormick. Click here to view the full list of meetings and to RSVP.

21st Century Community Learning Centers
In accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), IDOE will provide a list of external providers for 21st Century Community Learning Centers. This process will ensure organizations and individuals selected demonstrate expertise in working with before and after school programming. To determine whether your organization qualifies to be on the IDOE list, please complete this form by December 15. For questions, please contact Cole Dietrich.

Policy on Public Charter School Access to State and Federal CTE Funds
As part of an on-going review of the policies and procedures related to the Carl D. Perkins funds and State CTE Course funding, public charter schools are eligible recipients of both federal Perkins and state CTE course funding. For more information, please review this memo.

School Improvement and Title IV Peer Reviewers
IDOE is currently seeking peer reviewers for School Improvement and Title IV Grant applications. If you have experience in these areas and would like to serve as a peer reviewer, please complete this form. For information on School Improvement Grants, please contact Dwayne Marshall. For information regarding Title IV Grants, please contact Cole Dietrich.

Office of Title Grants and Support
The Office of Title Grants and Support has released the school improvement 1003a formula (one-year) and 1003g competitive (up to four years) grants for Title I served focus and priority schools. The applications, list of eligible schools, and technical assistance documents can be found here. The deadline to apply for 1003a is September 30. The deadline to apply for 1003g is October 27.

Office of Special Education
The Office of Special Education publishes a biweekly newsletter filled with updates and information. Click here for the latest news from the Office of Special Education.

Social Media
Follow IDOE and Dr. McCormick on social media: IDOE TwitterDr. McCormick TwitterFacebook, and Instagram


Weekly Updates
Miss an update? View previous weekly updates here.

 
 

A message from Dr. McCormick will be sent every Friday.