Graduation Pathways Updates and Guidance
Exploring Pathways Through the Swiss Model of Apprenticeships – Webex Recording Now Available
The Swiss model of apprenticeships has received a great deal of attention in recent months from the Indiana General Assembly and the U.S. Secretary of Education. This Webex from Thursday, August 9, explored the Swiss model of Career & Technical Education and how Indiana can adopt best practices in implementing Graduation Pathways. Additional resources can be found here.
Office of School Assessment
Register Now for I AM Webinars
Statewide assessment is changing in Indiana. Join us for "What Is New With I AM" by attending one of the overview trainings highlighted in this flyer. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will provide additional content-specific training opportunities for I AM in September.
IREAD-3 Summer Results Available
Final Individual Student Reports and school data files for summer IREAD-3 assessments are now available in Pearson AccessNext. Aggegrated data is embargoed until notification from IDOE.
Test Security & Integrity Training
Corporation Test Coordinators (CTCs) and/or School Test Coordinators (STCs) are required to provide Test Security training to all school staff. CTCs should ensure all school staff sign the 2018-2019 Indiana Testing Security and Integrity Agreement by September 30.
CTCs received several training resources to assist with conducting this required training on August 6 via the Assessment listserv message. Superintendents should confirm their CTCs complete the CTC Test Security & Integrity Training and develop a plan to ensure all staff complete the training by September 30.
Please review these resources for additional information:
ISTEP+ Grade 10 Summer Retest Window Remains Open through August 17
The ISTEP+ Grade 10 Summer Retest window is open through August 17. The Summer Retest will only be administered online, except for students with formally documented paper-testing accommodations. As noted last week, retest opportunities must be offered to eligible students. The Indiana Online Testing Guide and other helpful resources can be found in the Indiana Resource Center. Contact the Pearson Help Desk at 866-683-6668 if additional assistance is needed.
The Summer Week 2 ISTEP+ ECA Test Window is Open
The ISTEP+ ECA Week 2 window is open August 23 to August 29. This assessment is offered online only. Electronic reports will be available September 10.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Writing Field Test
WIDA is beginning the Writing Field Test recruitment process earlier this year. Last year, 445 students from 16 different schools in Indiana were involved in the field test. WIDA is field testing all grades and tiers this year and has an overall goal of 10,000 students. Please help WIDA make this year's Writing Field Test a success! Click here to view the flyer.
Office of School Finance
2018 Summer School Final Costs Report
The window to begin submitting the Final Instructional Costs Report for Summer School 2018 opened Monday, July 30. In order to be eligible to receive a summer school payment, the report must be submitted before the submission deadline, Friday, September 14. The link to access the report is posted on our website. Information on the summer school program can be found in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection, under Files and Bookmarks in the Summer School folder.
September 14 Membership Count Date
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will collect an average daily membership (ADM) count of students on September 14. (I.C. 20-43-4-2) This is the only ADM count that will be used for Basic and Complexity Grant funding for the 2018-2019 school year. Additionally, IDOE will take a second count of eligible pupils enrolled in each school corporation and charter school on February 1, 2019. The February count is for information purposes only. Please read the Membership (DOE-ME) layout which provides the reporting phases for each count. IDOE will post the DOE-ME layout in the Data Collection and Reporting Community of the Learning Connection in the near future. If you have any questions concerning the count dates, please contact Amy Pattison or Melissa Ambre.
Office of School Accountability
Instructional Day Waivers for the 2018-2019 School Year
All public and accredited nonpublic schools must conduct at least 180 instructional days during a given school year. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) may grant a waiver of a particular amount of cancelled days so long as the school submits a waiver request, and the cancellations are due to extraordinary circumstances. See all the details here.
Training for School Corporation Data Personnel
The Office of School Accountability has created a three-video Moodle training course regarding cohorts. The videos describe cohorts, the mandatory graduation rate audit, and changes in expectations for students exiting after the 2017-2018 school year. The course can be found here under keyword “accountability2018." An account is necessary to access the Moodle training. Please send all questions here.
Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances
Updated Pathway Resource Now Available
This resource has been developed to help schools understand and plan Career and Technical Education course sequencing.
Computer Science Education
Please click here to view guidance related to the requirements of IC 20-30-5-23. Direct any questions to Jake Koressel, Computer Science Specialist.
Office of School Improvement
Regional Meetings Announced for AP Math, Science, and English Teachers
During the 2018-19 school year, AP-TIP IN is sponsoring a series of Teacher Regional Network Meetings for AP math, science and English teachers in the northern, central, and southern parts of Indiana. These meetings are free to teachers and will be held at AP-TIP IN high schools in these regions. The Teacher Regional Network Meetings will provide a venue for teachers to work on topics, strategies, and share best practices in their content areas. For more information, please read this attachment.
Creating Strong Classroom Assessment: Professional Development
Join the offices of Assessment and School Improvement for free professional development targeting strong practices in classroom assessment. Learn how to create and use various assessment strategies in the classrooms to determine true measures of student progress and achievement. Sessions will be held throughout the state to make attending more convenient. View this flyer for more information and to register.
Literacy Team August Newsletter
The Indiana Department of Education's Literacy Team is excited to share monthly updates. Check out their August newsletter to learn more.
Office of Title Grants and Support
Title III and Non-English Speaking Program Reporting
The Title III and Non-English Speaking Program (NESP) Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and Financial End Reports (FERs) are now open for submission. Program APRs are due September 30 and FERs are due December 31. Submission details and other supporting documents can be found in the APR and FER Memo released by the Office of Title Grants and Support.
Sign Up Now for the Annual English Learner and Title III Director Meetings
It’s not too late to register for the 2018 IDOE English Learner and Title III Directors’ Meetings. The meetings will be held August 15-16, at MSD Lawrence Township schools. The August 15 session will be for new directions. The August 16 meeting will be for new and returning directors.
Potential IRS Penalties Related to the Provision of Equitable Services: All LEAs with Nonpublic Schools
For LEAs wishing to contract to deliver nonpublic equitable services under covered programs, such as Title I, Part A, the distinctions between independent contractors and employees need to be considered. Federal program administrators and school business officials should review this technical assistance memorandum to ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Service witholdings.
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