A Message from Dr. McCormick 03/30/2018

 

Indiana Department of Education
Friday, March 30, 2018

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jennifer McCormick

Dear Educators,

I was humbled and honored to be among those speaking to the thousands taking part in the March for Our Lives rally at the Statehouse. It was an incredible moment to share with our young people. 

March is Disability Awareness Month. As educators, we work every day to practice, teach, and model inclusiveness. The Indiana Department of Education is proud to support the message behind this awareness month all year long. Thank you for all the time and effort you invest in helping our students reach their full potential. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer McCormick 

 

Office of Assessment

ISTAR Part 2 Tier Assignments Available April 9

Corporation Test Coordinators and Test Examiners can access student tier assignments for ISTAR Part 2 on the EAS Admin site by clicking on the Reports tab beginning April 9.

ISTEP+ Part 2 and ISTAR Part 2 Onsite Monitoring

The Office of Student Assessment will be conducting unannounced onsite monitoring visits during the ISTEP+ Part 2 and ISTAR Part 2 testing windows beginning the week of April 16. Please ensure that school administrators and staff are aware that these onsite visits will be conducted. Click here for more details.

AP Exam Guidance

The Indiana Department of Education revisited the guidance for payment of 2018 AP Exams to ensure alignment to legislation. This memo further delineates the priorities of payment associated with the May exams. 


Office of Educator Effectiveness

New Teacher Focus Groups 

The Office of Educator Effectiveness is conducting New Teacher Focus Groups at the regional Education Service Centers during the month of April. Each single-session focus group will offer first and second year teachers an opportunity to provide feedback to the Indiana Department of Education. The information gathered from these state-wide focus groups will help guide strategic planning and the design of future outreach programs related to recruitment and retention. For dates and times, please contact your local Education Service Center Director. For general inquiries, please contact Chris Kates, Office of Educator Effectiveness Specialist. 


Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances

The Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances is happy to announce that applications will be accepted for the Work Based Learning Teachers & Counselors in Industry Summer Internship Project.

Purpose: Work Based Learning Teachers & Counselors in Industry is a summer internship project that allows Indiana teachers and counselors to gain valuable industry knowledge while completing an internship with a partnering business or industry. They will have the opportunity to apply the principles of Work Based Learning and to meet and work with other CTE teachers. The experience will also build stronger partnerships with local businesses and industries and allow the participant to gain valuable experience and knowledge about local companies while expanding program partnerships. 

Stipend: The hourly rate paid to participating teachers and school counselors for their internship activities is $20 per hour.  For teachers, a minimum of 40 hours and a maximum of 100 hours of internship activities must take place; for school counselors, a maximum of 40 hours of internship activities must take place.

Applications: For those interested in the WBL School Counselors in Industry Project, access the application here.

For those interested in the the WBL Teachers in Industry Project, access the application here.

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on April 16, 2018. to Stefany Deckard, State CTE Director. Late applications will not be accepted. 


Office of School Accountability 

Schools Can Correct Five-year Graduation Rates for 2016 Cohort

The Indiana Department of Education is providing the opportunity this year for schools to audit the five-year graduation rate of the 2016 cohort beginning April 2. This audit is purely voluntary and will work similarly to the audit process that has been in place for the voluntary four-year graduation rate the last three years. Please see the attached memo for more information. 


Office of School Technology

2018 Tech Plan Closing

This is the final weekend for 2018 Tech Plan submissions. The window will officially close April 2. 

Sign Up for Indiana Course Access Program (iCAP)

As the pilot phase of iCAP moves forward with nearly 100 online courses offered by multiple providers, we want to ensure your school is poised to take advantage of this opportunity. Once each school identifies individuals to serve as points of contact for the program, training on how the program works will follow. Signing up is easy—just follow the appropriate link below.

We appreciate the initial response to the request for school corporations to identify their iCAP support team. You can now verify the school points of contact for your district using this search tool. If your school corporation is not on the list, please complete this form. Questions can be directed here.

Register Now! Fourth Annual Student Digital Leadership Conference Set for April 21

Hoosier Student Digital Leaders (HSDL) is a network for school programs providing students with the opportunity to develop digital leadership skills in technology integration and innovation. This is accomplished by assisting the school community with technology support and through positive models of digital citizenship. The 4th annual spring conference is Saturday, April 21, in Indianapolis. The Indiana Department of Education has partnered with Travis Allen’s organization, Students Leading Education (SLED), to present “Leaders of Today.” The event is free for students in grades three through 12 and their advisors. Learn more about the event and register here. 

Registration Now Open for Summer of eLearning Conferences

There will be 19 conferences held across the state throughout the summer. Learn more about the Summer of eLearning here.


Office of Student Services

Enrollment Restrictions and Denial of Enrollment

Please see the attached information for guidance on the appropriate use of the certificate of incapacity.


Office of Finance

Indirect Costs 

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

ESSA Form 9 Guidance

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. If you have any questions, please email either Melissa Ambre, LaTrice Akers, or Amy Pattison

2018 Budget Workshop Notice

Please see the attached information about the Annual School Budget Workshop to be held on June 27 at the Pike Performing Arts Center. 


Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning

Are you interested in signing up for the On My Way Pre-K program, but not sure where to begin? The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) can help with the new On My Way Pre-K pilot program website. The site provides information on the program, application process, and frequently asked questions. If you have any questions, contact Beth Barrett, OECOSL Pre-K Manager, at 317-234-8882, or via email. 


Office of Title Grants and Support

Title I Supplement not Supplant Guidance

Under ESSA, LEAs now have greater fiscal flexibility under Title I, Part A in terms of the supplement not supplant provision. Title I Program Administrators, Chief Financial Officers and Business Managers, and other stakeholders in the Title I program are encouraged to participate in a Webex Webinar on Tuesday, April 17, at 10 a.m. EST (Password TitleI, Conference Line 1-877-422-1931; Code 140 029 8577) to learn about this new flexibility. This guidance document has additional information.  

Charter Schools

Charter school board members of a charter school established after July 1, 2017 must submit a Conflict of Interest form to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Please see this template for guidance. If a form for a respective board member has not already been submitted to IDOE, please submit by April 30 to Beatriz Pacheco.

Innovation Grants Available to Charter Schools

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) offers a competitive technical assistance grant opportunity for all Indiana charter schools through its Charter School Program Quality Counts Grant. The release of Innovation Grants to charter schools focuses on four priority areas. These areas include professional development; instructional supplies and technology; parent, family, and community outreach; and supporting all students. Please see the Charter School Program website for more information, including the application, rubric, and budget, which are due May 1. Please contact Cole Dietrich with any questions.

Dual Language Immersion Pilot Grant Program

The Office of Title Grants and Support has released the 2018-2019 application for the Dual Language Immersion Pilot Grant Program. This competitive grant program is designed for Indiana LEAs seeking to develop a new dual language immersion program in which at least 50 percent of instruction will be conducted in a language other than English. Instruction must begin in either kindergarten or first grade, with implementation beginning in either the 2018-2019 or 2019-2020 school year. For more information, please contact Nicole Leach. Applications are due by 1 p.m. on Friday, May 11. 

2017-2018 Non-English Speaking Program Reallocations

The Office of Title Grants and Support has released reallocations of 2017-2018 Non-English Speaking Program (NESP) funds to participating LEAs with an English Learner (EL) population percentage of five percent or greater and additional reallocated funds for LEAs with an EL population of 18 percent or greater. All participating LEAs must submit a Budget Amendment Form by April 27 to request their reallocated funds. 

NESP and Title III Funding for New and Significantly Expanded Charters

New charter schools that opened in the 2017-2018 school year are eligible to apply for initial allocations for both the 2017-2019 Title III and 2017-2018 NESP grants. Significantly expanded charter schools (those whose EL population increased by 50 percent or more from the previous school year) are eligible to apply for a revised funding allocation based on their most recent EL count submitted to the Indiana Department of Education on the 2017-2018 Language Minority (LM) data collection. 


Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here

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