A Message from Dr. McCormick 02/02/2018

 

Indiana Department of Education
Friday, February 2, 2018

 

 

 

Dear Educators:Dr. Jennifer McCormick

We have a lot of important information to share this week, a reflection of this busy part of the school year. Please take time to review all of the various updates and resources available to you.

The first full week of February brings School Counselor Awareness Week, a time for all of us to show our appreciation for the countless contributions made by these members of our education team. Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer McCormick 

 

Office of Assessment

ISTEP+ Part 1 Practice Test Window Is Open

The ISTEP+ Part 1 Practice Test window is open through March 9. Please review the Practice Test Guidance memo from August. Part 1 test materials are due in corporations on February 12. This includes Examiner’s Manuals and paper testing materials (Practice Tests, Operational Tests, manipulatives, etc.), as applicable. Part 1 Examiner’s Manuals and paper testing mode Practice Tests are available as PDF downloads in the Test Coordinator Corner of Learning Connection. 

Spring 2018 Statewide Readiness Test (SRT) – Wednesday

The Statewide Readiness Test (SRT) begins at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, February 7, with a backup date of Thursday, February 15. The SRT is a final check of local technology configurations and devices prior to live testing for schools testing online. All devices utilized during live testing should be included in the SRT. For detailed guidance, review applicable portions of the Indiana 2017-2018 Online Testing Guide (p. 50 and Appendix 1). Please note: The SRT is not timed. Typically, it takes approximately 30 minutes to conduct the SRT.

Guidance for Testing Students at Alternate Sites

The Department defines this guidance for corporations and schools when planning for the administration of assessments to students who receive instruction at home and other alternate sites (e.g., behavioral centers, residential treatment centers, correctional facilities, etc.). 


Transfer Report FAQ Document Now Available

New Resource Answers Common Questions to Transfer Report

The recently released Transfer Report - showing where students supported with state tuition dollars attend school - continues to generate much interest and many questions. The IDOE will continue to answer specific questions regarding this report. A Frequently Asked Questions document is available to explain some of the more common questions we are receiving such as, “How does the count of students in the Transfer Report differ from the enrollment count for a corporation?” The answer to this question and others is now available on the IDOE website.


Office of Information Technology

School Enrollment Next for Indiana Course Access Portal

The Indiana Course Access Portal (iCAP) is moving to the next phase of its pilot. This phase is where Indiana schools prepare for opening the iCAP catalog courses offered from a central marketplace, created by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The Indiana Course Access Portal is being developed in response to House Enrolled Act 1007 (Now Indiana Code 20-30-16 -1 et seq.) which charged the IDOE to develop a course access program for Indiana. IDOE has approved more than 100 pilot iCAP course options from six providers for the Fall 2018 semester. Schools will be notified by February 10 regarding the process for implementing iCAP at the local level, including identifying a point of contact for the program. The email to superintendents will include details on virtual workshops (aimed at helping schools implement iCAP) to be offered on Tuesday, February 20, at 1 p.m. EST and Tuesday, March 13, at 2 p.m. EST. The iCAP web site is available at https://www.doe.in.gov/icap. Questions can be sent to iCAP.


Updates From the Office of School Finance

Guidance for Local Education Agency School Building Level Data Reporting Under ESSA

Please see the attached guidance regarding ESSA Form 9 guidance on the timing and process for coding Form 9 financial data beginning July 1. This resource is meant to provide Indiana Local Education Agencies with an overview of state and federal reporting requirements for school - building - level data.  

February ADM Count Information

Just a reminder that the second membership count date was February 1. Please be sure building - level personnel and the technology area are aware of this count. Specific information related to opening and closing times can be found in the DOE-ME layout in the Data Collection and Reporting Community of the Learning Connection. If you have any questions, please email Melissa Ambre.   

Curricular Material Reimbursement Estimates

The Office of School Finance has calculated the estimated 2017-2018 curricular material (TB) reimbursement to qualifying school corporations and charter schools. Amounts will be finalized on February 8 and funds distributed on February 15. If you have any questions regarding the reimbursement estimate, please contact Sarah Henry or David Ryan immediately.

Indirect Cost Rate Applications

The Office of School Finance will accept FY 2019 Indirect Cost Rate Applications from February 1 through June 30. Please read the attached memo for details. If you have questions, please email Sarah Henry or Amy Pattison.

2018 Summer School Program

Please refer to this document for important information related to the 2018 Summer School Program, including important dates, reimbursable programs, financial provisions, and other helpful guidance for school corporations.  


Title Grants and Support

IDOE Announces Grantees for Cohort 9 of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program

IDOE is pleased to announce the awarding of $8.4 million to 38 applicants for out-of-school learning, including 10 grantees new to the 21st CCLC program. In order to determine the successful applicants, each application received at least 3 scores from external peer reviewers with direct experience in out-of-school programming. This year’s opportunity was incredibly competitive and we thank all applicants for their efforts. A list of awarded programs and further information are posted on the IDOE 21st CCLC website. 


Office of Educator Effectiveness 

IDOE Job Bank Redirecting to Teachers-Teachers Site

Beginning Monday, February 12, www.doe.in.gov/jobbank will begin redirecting to www.doe.in.gov/teachers-teachers. Please view additional information in this memo.

Teachers-Teachers Webinar Set for February 6

Please join us for our second webinar on Tuesday, February 6, at 10 a.m. EST. During this webinar, Teachers-Teachers staff will highlight different features of the platform including: searching the job seeker database, using groups, advertising job fairs and events, adding users with different roles, and previewing job postings from the job seeker platform. If you are unable to join live, a recording will be available afterwards. Contact Maggie Rowlands with any questions.


Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances

CTE Workshop-Register Now

This February 15 workshop will focus on aligning CTE course offerings to workforce needs and harnessing sector partnerships to localize opportunities. Read about the workshop here.

Career and Technical Education 30A State Funding - DWD Request for Local Data Review

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) 2018-2019 Funding Memo and Chart have been updated by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and approved by the State Board of Education. Please see this memo for additional information.


Join in Celebrating School Counseling Week

School counselors play a significant role in fostering student aspirations, helping students overcome obstacles to learning, and ensuring that students are college and career ready. Read more about how school counselors support learning in Indiana schools.

School counselors are encouraged to join in a friendly week-long competition celebrating the week.


Office of School and Community Nutrition

Sponsors Needed for 2018 Summer Food Service Program

Community partners are needed to assist in expanding the 2018 Summer Food Service Program. Read more about this important program here.

School Food Service Employee of the Year Award

The Office of School and Community Nutrition is now accepting nominations through February 23 for the School Food Service Employee of the Year. You have the opportunity to publicly recognize employees who make outstanding contributions to school food service. For information on how to nominate a deserving school food service employee, please read this announcement and nomination form.  


McKinney-Vento Training Available

IDOE encourages anyone interested in learning more about the education of homeless children to attend this upcoming conference. Learn more by reading this flyer. 


Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here

Stay Up to Date

Did you miss a message? View previous weekly emails here. Want daily updates? Be sure to follow the Department on Twitter and Facebook.

 

 
 

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