An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for November 16, 2018

indiana department of education - doctor jennifer mccormick - superintendent of public instruction

IN the Know 

Waivers of 180 Instructional Day Rule

 

With winter weather upon us, the Office of School Accountability reminds schools of the Instructional Day Waiver policy. Schools requesting an instructional day waiver are asked to use the link provided in this memo to submit all requests.

 

Important Winter Preparation Information from IDHS

 

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) offers this winter safety information to help prepare for inclement weather. 

Dr. Mac

Office of School Accountability

ESSA Amendment to Federal Accountability

On November 19, 2018, the Indiana Department of Education will be publishing a draft of a proposed amendment to the ESSA plan that affects the federal accountability system. On November 19, the draft amendment will be available for review and submission of public comment here. For a summary of the proposed changes to the federal accountability system, please review the proposed ESSA amendment overview. Please contact the Office of School Accountability with any questions.

Appeal of 2017-2018 State A-F Grade

On November 14, the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) officially placed schools in A-F categories for the 2017-2018 school year. The official placement triggers the second opportunity for schools to submit an appeal to the SBOE regarding the 2017-2018 state A-F grade placements. Appeal requests must be submitted no later than November 28, 2018. Please review the A-F Appeals Process for information on how to submit an appeal.

LEA Annual Report Cards

Beginning with 2017-2018 data, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires each local educational agency (LEA) that receives Title I assistance to prepare and disseminate an annual LEA report card. An LEA report card must be concise and presented in an understandable and uniform format for parents. ESSA requires each LEA to share its report card on its website, or if the LEA does not have a website, in another public manner determined by the LEA.

In order to comply with this requirement, the LEA may develop its own report card in compliance with all reporting requirements, or provide on its website a link to the Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) accountability data for the LEA. All required data points for LEAs and schools will be included on IDOE's Compass site. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, LEAs will be required to provide IDOE the URL location where the LEA has provided its report card for the district and school levels to the public. The submission of this information will be provided through the LEA’s Title I application.

Information on the required data points may be found here. Please email questions here.

 

Locally Created Pathways

Updated Guidance on Locally Created Pathways

As one option for satisfying the Postsecondary-Ready Competencies required by Indiana's Graduation Pathways Policy, adopted by the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) in December 2017, locally created pathways (LCPs) are locally determined competencies and/or assessments that demonstrate a student has the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful after high school. The SBOE approved the LCP application timeline for the 2019-2020 school year and approved guidance for adopting approved LCPs. More information can be found here.

 

Office of Assessment

HELP NEEDED! ILEARN U.S. Government ECA Participation

We need at least 2,000 additional students to participate in this new assessment in order to establish the reporting structure. Building administrators still have time to complete this brief survey ahead of the optional ILEARN U.S. Government ECA (Spring 2019). Thanks for your help!

New! Share with Educators! Understanding and Using Item Specifications Moodle

Want to know more about item specifications and how they can be used in the classroom? Complete the Understanding and Using Item Specifications Moodle found here. Educators earn PGPs upon completion.

NEW! 2019-2020 Indiana Assessment Windows – Share with Educators

The State Board of Education approved the 2019-2020 Indiana Assessment Windows at their November meeting. Please share with all school staff and mark calendars accordingly.

 

Office of Finance

Guidance on Changes to Chart of Accounts

The attached memo provides guidance regarding changes associated with the updated Chart of Accounts. School officials may not make the required transfers until after December 31, when the new Chart of Accounts takes effect. The required transfers and updated fund numbers will be reflected in the January to June 2019 Form 9 financial information submitted on or before July 31, 2019.

 

Office of School Improvement

Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) and School Improvement Plan (SIP) Roadshow

The Office of School Improvement will be offering technical assistance in completing a CNA and SIP. All schools identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) or Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) in the fall of 2018 will be required to complete a unified CNA/SIP for the 2019-2020 school year. Schools identified as CSI and TSI are strongly encouraged to attend one of these informational sessions. View this flyer for more information and to register. Please contact Robin LeClaire for questions.

Schools Asked to Designate Dyslexia Contact Person 

IDOE is creating a list of educators who are leading the implementation of Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 217, or “the dyslexia law.” This contact person does NOT have to be the school corporation or charter schools’ “authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia,” as this person does not have to be in place until July 2019. The designated contact person will receive direct updates and guidance from IDOE on the implementation of SEA 217. Please complete this form and submit the required information no later than December 21. The contact person may be changed at a later date if needed. The guidance and updates will be sent directly to this individual. The information will also be included in Dr. McCormick’s Weekly Update. Contact Joe Risch with any questions.

Educating The Whole Child Summit

In collaboration with the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addictions (DMHA) and the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative (ISMHI) at Indiana University, IDOE is honored to host Indiana’s first Educating the Whole Child Summit. The Summit will be held from 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, through 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the Monroe County Convention Center in Bloomington, Indiana. As IDOE strives to support districts in addressing the whole child, we are providing the funds for two people (one administrator and one school-based personnel) from each Title IV district to attend. Please see attached memo for further information.

Updates on Alternative Courses to Algebra II for the Core 40 Diploma

HEA 1426 provided the opportunity for the State Board of Education (SBOE) to consider alternative courses to Algebra II for the Core 40 diploma. Per Indiana Code, any such course adopted must be at a level of difficulty that aligns to postsecondary standards. A committee of secondary and postsecondary Indiana educators collaborated to produce these proposed standards. The course is titled 'analytical algebra.' The committee agreed that two years of algebra was important for student success beyond high school. We are seeking public comment regarding the proposed analytical algebra standards. Please use this form to submit your comments. The SBOE has not yet approved this course. After a period of public feedback, the new proposed standards will be presented to the SBOE for approval. Comments will be accepted through November 26. Please email Dr. Jennifer Jensen with any questions about this course.

High Ability Publishes First Monthly Newsletter

Please enjoy the first High Ability and Advanced Placement newsletter.

 

Office of Special Education

Additional Information Available on Results Driven Accountability

Indiana is transitioning to a new monitoring system for special education. Results Driven Accountability (RDA) and differentiated support is a way for IDOE to obtain a comprehensive overview of each districts’ program. RDA also provides information on how students with disabilities are performing and gaining equitable access to grade level curriculum. This video is the newest in our Short Share series and explains how the new determinations will be calculated and released. Please contact Sarah Larrison with any questions.

 

Office of Educator Effectiveness

2018-2019 Teacher Appreciation Grant Allocations

Teacher Appreciation Grant allocations for the 2018-2019 school year have been finalized. Please find additional information here

 

Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances

Become a STEM Certified School

STEM education encompasses four academic disciplines - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. STEM guides our vision of ensuring all K-12 Indiana students graduate with critical thinking skills. Indiana students must have access to a world-class STEM education necessary to compete in an innovation-driven economy. STEM will equip students with 21st Century skills, preparing future generations of Hoosiers to thrive in STEM-related businesses and industries.

An IDOE-approved STEM Certification process and application for schools that want to be recognized as STEM Certified School is in place. IDOE hopes to continue creating a STEM school network promoting a collaboration of best practices to promote STEM Education.

Please click here and go to "Becoming a STEM School" for more information. Applications are due December 3.

Indiana Career Explorer Professional Development

Senate Enrolled Act 297 states that beginning July 1, 2019, each school in a school corporation, and each charter school, must include for all students in grade 8 use of either Indiana Career Explorer or an alternative internet-based system providing students with college and career planning resources. A wide array of upcoming professional development webinars on the Indiana Career Explorer career navigation system are listed on the Department of Education website.

Computer Science Education Week is December 3-7

Computer Science Education Week is December 3-7. Join the movement and host an Hour of Code in your classroom, school, or community. Click here to learn more about CS Ed Week and Hour of Code. Contact Jake Koressel with any questions.

Counselors for Computing

See this flyer for information about a FREE opportunity for middle and high school counselors. Attendees will get information and resources to set students on a path toward stable, rewarding, and flexible computing careers that change the world.

Girls Who Code

IDOE has a new partnership with Girls Who Code. Take advantage of this great opportunity and launch a FREE club! More information is available here. Contact Jake Koressel with any questions.

Elementary CS Fundamentals Workshops

These one-or two-day Computer Science Fundamentals workshops provide participants with an intro to computer science and pedagogy, an overview of quality elementary CS curriculum, and strategies for teaching “unplugged” classroom activities. This is a FREE opportunity and sub reimbursement is available. See this informational page for dates, locations, and to sign up. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.

Middle School Integrating CS Workshops

Designed for middle school educators teaching across all subjects, the Integrating Computer Science professional development workshop is designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and instructional strategies to integrate computer science into existing coursework. This is a FREE opportunity, and sub reimbursement is available. See this informational page for dates, locations, and to sign up! Please contact Jake Koressel with any questions.

SCRIPT Computer Science Strategic Planning Workshops

The Strategic CSforALL Resource and Implementation Planning tool (SCRIPT) is an initiative of the CSforALL Consortium. SCRIPT serves as a framework and platform to guide school district staff in the creation of a K-12 Computer Science implementation plan reflecting the unique goals and needs of their school district. Participation in a SCRIPT workshop would be a great way to start planning for how your district will meet the requirements of SEA 172 by 2021 (click here for more details on SEA 172). Please visit our continuously updated list of professional development opportunities to learn more and sign-up for a SCRIPT workshop!  Several workshops are currently planned in various parts of the state. If none of these opportunities work for your district, but you would still like to participate, please indicate your interest here. Please contact Jake Koressel with any questions.

 

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Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here.  

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