A Message from Dr. McCormick 06/01/2018

 

Indiana Department of Education
Friday, June 1, 2018

 

 

 

 

Dr McCormick Updated headshot

Dear Educators, 

As we enter the final days of this school year, I want to thank you for all you do to keep your students safe and to create a secure environment for learning to take place. Now more than ever, our students, parents, and communities must have faith and trust that their children are safe while under our care. In Indiana, we are leaders in school safety and security. Through our School Safety Academy, local and state partnerships, and a constant desire to learn and improve, we are doing everything in our power to keep our students safe and our schools secure. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer McCormick 

   
 

Assessment

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): 2017 Mathematics and Reading Results

NAEP assessments are given annually to measure proficiency of Indiana students. Indiana did not experience a significant score change during the last two years, however, Indiana has the sixth highest growth score in the nation. Click here for the report.

REMINDER: Register Now for ILEARN Assessment Literacy Professional Development

Open slots remain for the upcoming online sessions that will highlight the new ILEARN assessment system, test blueprints, and item specifications. Use this chart to review the available registration opportunities for one or more sessions. Schools may access a variety of resources (e.g., PowerPoints, Released Items Repository User Guide) on AIR’s Indiana Assessment Portal.


Office of School Building Physical Security and Safety

Law Enforcement Presence in Schools Data Required

Indiana Code 20-34-6-1 requires each school corporation to submit data to the Indiana Department of Education related to law enforcement presence in schools. Please share this link with your superintendent to complete this data collection.


Office of Student Services

Positive School Discipline and Bullying Surveys

The Indiana Department of Education will conduct surveys on positive school discipline and bullying in response to bills passed by the Indiana General Assembly. Please read this guidance for important information.


Office of Finance

Guidance on Transfer Tuition

The Indiana General Assembly passed legislation resulting in amendments to both transfer tuition and curricular materials reimbursement. Please see this information for guidance.


Office of School Improvement

Public Comment Sought for Proposed Ethnic Studies Course

We are seeking public comment regarding the proposed draft Ethnic Studies course for Indiana. Please use this form to submit your comments. This will be a high school level, one-semester course, that must be offered by all high schools, but is not required for graduation. Five members of the Indiana Department of Education External Culture Committee met on May 22 to review the draft Ethnicity Act standards and made suggestions for additions and edits. The members included two high school social studies teachers who currently teach ethnicity courses, one retired educator/administrator, one education professor, and one community member. We will take this public comment and reconvene virtually or in person to finalize these standards before release in early July. Comments will be accepted through June 8.

Important Information on the 2018-2019 Elementary Reading Plan

All State Board-accredited schools with a section of kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3 are required to submit an Elementary Reading Plan. The 2018-2019 Reading Plan is now open and will close on June 30. Please find updated guidance for the Reading Plan submission. Questions may be directed to Amy Heath.

Submissions are made via IDOE Online. Principals will utilize their username/password logins to access IDOE Online. 


Office of Educator Effectiveness

Reminder - IDOE Teacher Survey: Your Voice Matters 

Thank you for supporting your teachers in completing the 2018 IDOE Teacher Survey: Your Voice Matters. We have more than 18,000 teachers who have completed the survey, and we are half-way through the survey window. Encourage teachers, whether still in school or out for the summer, to take 15 minutes to complete the survey prior to June 15. It is so important to make sure that each teacher voice is heard. Contact Shari Switzer with any questions. Some helpful tips to encourage teacher participation:

  • Download the survey link for your district and send it out to those in need.
  • Email all of the teachers in your district asking them to check for a survey from support+idoe@panoramaed.com and to please complete it.
  • If teachers indicate that they did not receive one, please share the appropriate school backup survey link with them. Alternatively, you might consider including the backup link with your email so that they can take the survey right there as needed. 

If you have any questions about this or need help locating your backup link, please reach out to support+IDOE@panoramaed.com


Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances

Computer Science Professional Development Opportunities Available for K-12 Educators

By the 2021-2022 school year, Senate Bill 172 requires each public school to:

  • Offer a computer science (CS) course at least once each school year to high school students, and;
  • Include computer science in the school’s science curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through grade 12.

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is developing and identifying computer science professional development opportunities for K-12 educators. Upcoming Indiana CS professional development opportunities are located on the IDOE computer science website located here.

Innovative Educator Conference Scheduled for June 20 at Ball State University

Ball State University, with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Department of Education, recently completed Indiana’s first statewide, high school pitch competition, Innovate WithIN. There were more than 80 teams from 65 high schools competing within nine regions before the state finals on April 9.

Continuing to build on that momentum, and as preparations for next year are starting, an Innovative Educator Conference will be held June 20 at the Ball State University Alumni Center.

This year’s keynote speaker is Don Wettrick, Innovation Coordinator at Noblesville High School. He will be kicking our day off by providing you with resources and ideas on how you can take small steps in the classroom to introduce entrepreneurial thinking to your students. During lunch, Kelli Jones, from Be Nimble, will discuss the importance of minorities in technology.

Between the above sessions, we are offering two paths for our educators this year. One path is geared toward those with an interest in entrepreneurial activities in the classroom, and how to assist students who want to participate in next year’s Innovate WithIN competition. The other path has been created to address the imminent computer science curriculum coming to our K-12 schools. The pathway can be chosen after registration. 

This conference is free and is a great opportunity for Indiana educators as we strive to make Indiana a leader in entrepreneurship and computer science education.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Candy Dodd with Ball State University.


Education Innovation and Research Grant Opportunity

Competitive Funding Opportunity Available From the U.S. Department of Education

The Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant provides funding for recipients to create or scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve achievement and attainment of high-need K-12 students. 

If your district has more than 350 students in Average Daily Attendance and would like more information about the EIR grant, please visit the EIR 2018 Competition Page. All EIR applications are due by June 5.  


IDOE in the News 

The Indiana Department of Education Announces 2018-2019 Dual Immersion Grant Recipients

Department of Education Announces Beginning of Summer Food Service Program 


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.

 

 

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