Office of Assessment

Spring ISTEP+ Part 2 – Online Post-Test Activities

CTCs/STCs must complete required post-test activities today, Friday, May 4:

• Mark student tests Complete, if necessary.
• Invalidate test sections, if necessary.
• Mark tests as Do Not Report, if necessary.
• Remove tests in Ready Status, if necessary.
• Stop ALL test sessions.

CTCs/STCs should refer to page 64 of the Online Testing Guide for more details or contact the Pearson Help Desk (866-683-6668) for assistance.

Spring ISTEP+ Part 2 – IDOE Satisfaction Survey Open Through Friday, May 11 

Please complete this survey to share your thoughts on the ISTEP+ Part 2 window and what improvements can be made prior to the ISTEP+ Summer Retest.

IDOE Pretest Workshop – IREAD-3 Summer Retest

Corporations and schools with one or more students who did not pass IREAD-3 this spring should view this recorded WebEx ahead of administering the IREAD-3 summer retest. Schools may use this PowerPoint for local training. Please contact our office with any questions.

ISTEP+ ECA Spring Electronic Report Release Information

CTCs must ensure testing is complete within the online platform before online scoring can begin. Reports are provided during a rolling window based on submission. Online assessment reports are available beginning May 11 and Paper/Pencil Assessment reports are available beginning May 18. 

Office of Educator Effectiveness 

Superintendents: Teacher Survey Coming Soon

Please identify and submit district coordinator names by today, Friday, May 4:

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is eager to hear from teachers across the state. A new survey project will assist IDOE in gathering important data from the field.  If you haven’t done so, please click here TODAY to complete and submit a short form identifying your district coordinator for this survey project. The survey window is scheduled to open May 14 and close June 15.

District Coordinators: IDOE Teacher Survey: Your Voice Matters

District coordinators will be receiving an invitation to attend a webinar on May 9 with Panorama. This will ensure each district coordinator has all of the information needed to ensure strong participation from each district. The webinar will answer the following questions: 

• When and how will teachers receive their survey link?
• How can I drive strong response rates across my district?
• What can we do with the data after the survey administration

Please contact IDOE Director of Educational Effectiveness Shari Switzer with any questions concerning the district coordinator and survey.

2019 Indiana Teacher of the Year (INTOY)

The 2019 INTOY application is available. For general inquiries, please contact Chris Kates, Office of Educator Effectiveness Specialist.  

Legislative Updates and Guidance

Key Information Regarding General Transportation Issues and Transportation of Students

Senate Enrolled Act 303 is a general education issues bill. This wide-ranging legislation has been divided into three sections. The attached memo focuses on the areas of transportation, appropriate vehicles, transportation of foster care children, and transporting children who are homeless. If you have any questions, please email Indiana Department of Education Director of Legislative Affairs Michael Brown.

Office of School Finance

House Enrolled Act 1001 on School Funding

The attached information has updated guidance related to State Tuition Support Payments.

ESSA Form 9 Guidance

Attached you will find updated guidance related to the Indiana Department of Education and Indiana local education agencies federal reporting requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as well as Indiana state law. This resource is meant to provide LEAs with an overview of state and federal reporting requirements for school building level data beginning July 1, 2018. The January 1, 2019 submission of July through December 2018 Form 9 financial data must reflect expenditures at the school building level. Please direct any questions you might have on this document to Form9@doe.in.gov.

Indirect Cost Rate FY 2019

The Office of School Finance is now accepting FY 2019 Indirect Cost Rate applications through June 30. Please read the attached memo for details. If applicable, please email a request for the excel version of the schedules. Additional information is available here. If you have questions, please email either Sarah Henry or Amy Pattison.

Annual School Budget Workshop

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) Office of School Finance will sponsor a budget workshop on Wednesday, June 27. The workshop will be held at the Pike Performing Arts Center, 6701 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis. The program will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) and conclude around 3:00 p.m. Our program will contain numerous areas of interest to school corporations' personnel. The workshop will include presentations on IDOE finance related topics, data collection, an update from the State Board of Accounts, the Department of Local Government Finance, and the IN Employment and Education Relations Board. Program materials will be posted in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection at a later date. We will provide more details as information becomes available. 

Office of Educator Licensing

Discontinuance of Emergency Permits in Communication Disorders

Please see this information regarding changes in the renewal of Emergency Permits in Communication Disorders.

Office of Student Services

National School Nurse Day

A reminder that May 9 is National School Nurse Day. Please take time to recognize the contributions your school nurse makes to the health and learning of all students. For more information regarding school nursing and National School Nurse Day, please see the attached memo. If you have questions, contact Jolene Bracale.  

Office of School Improvement

Music Education Standards Have Been Finalized

The Indiana Department of Education has finalized the new music education standards and they are now posted to the Fine Arts Standards webpage. Additional resources are being developed and will be forthcoming to support the implementation of the standards.

Office of Title Grants and Support 

Webinar Training for Updated Title I Supplement Not Supplant Now Available

Recently, the Indiana Department of Education offered a webinar training for Title I updates. The recordings for supplement not supplant, school wide flexibility, and Head Start implementation, as updated by ESSA, are now available. More information and resources can be found here.

Annual English Learner and Title III Directors’ Meetings

The 2018 IDOE English Learner and Title III Directors’ Meetings will be held August 15-16, at MSD Lawrence Township Schools. As in previous years, the first meeting day will only be for directors new to their roles. The August 16 meeting will be for both new and returning directors. Please sign up via this form.  

Workplace Spanish Standards Now Finalized

The Workplace Spanish standards are now finalized and posted here. Workplace Spanish is a course designed to fuse students' desired future career path with the use of the Spanish language in a variety of scenarios. This course may be implemented in a variety of manners, depending on school need.  

IDOE in the News

New Cybersecurity Initiative Launched

Read more about this commitment to providing cybersecurity investments in K-12 schools across Indiana.

National PE and Sport Week Through May 7

Every day, health and physical education teachers prepare students to live a healthy life. Held annually from May 1 through 7, National PE & Sport Week celebrates and shares the value of effective physical education and sports programs in our schools. During May, look for inspirational success stories and take advantage of free activities, lesson plans, and advocacy resources from the Indiana Society for Health and Physical Education (INSHAPE). Thank you for your professional dedication and commitment to the health and well-being of our students. 

Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here.  

Stay Informed

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