An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for February 1, 2019

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During February, we celebrate National Career and Technical Education Month and Indiana Digital Learning Month, along with National Digital Learning Day, on February 28. Check out these links for more information and ways your school can participate.

Dr. Mac

Office of School Accountability

Instructional Day Waiver Memo Revised

The Waiver of Instructional Days Policy has been updated for the 2018-2019 school year. This is in response to questions about waivers and severe weather, including what was experienced across the state this week.

Important Updates and Guidance on Algebra II

Please Read About These Important Changes

In response to IC 20-30-10-2.5(b), (b) if a school offers a math course developed under subsection (a), a parent of a student and the student who intends to enroll in the course must provide consent to the school to enroll in the course. The State Board of Education (SBOE) staff has submitted the following:

Students now have the option of an alternative course to Algebra II, entitled Analytical Algebra II. This new course will satisfy the math requirement for all three diploma designations. Student enrollment requires a parental consent form. Please see this memo for critical information about the impact on students with higher education goals. Please contact Brian Murphy with questions.

Additionally, the Department has complied a FAQ regarding Analytical Algebra II. View this document here.

Graduation Pathways Updates and Guidance

Graduation Pathways Update

During the January 2019 State Board of Education meeting, the Indiana Department of Education presented an analysis of Graduation Pathway usage for 2018 graduates based on data received through the Graduate Report. The analysis can be found here. In the analysis, Postsecondary-Ready Competencies were broken down further, to show the number and type of both Industry Certifications and Career and Technical Education Concentrators that were reported. As shown in the analysis, there were some Industry Certifications and CTE Concentrators that were not verifiable in the Indiana Technical Education Reporting System (INTERS), so these are listed on the report as “unknown.”

  • Industry Certifications must be recorded in the INTERS system in order to count for Graduation Pathways. This can be done at any time during the school year, as long as the certification is earned prior to the Spring reporting deadline.

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) Concentrators  are verified through enrollment in INTERS. In order to meet the Postsecondary-Ready Competency of CTE Concentrator in Grad Pathways, the student CTE enrollment must be recorded, along with the amount of credits earned, in INTERS during the reporting period for each school year for each CTE course respectively.

Locally Created Pathways

  • In order to utilize an approved Locally Created Pathway, schools must complete this form prior to submission of the Graduate Report. Additional information on Locally Created Pathways can be found here. Please contact Ben Carter with questions.

Transition from Perkins IV and Perkins V

To allow schools the opportunity to effectively transition from Perkins IV and Perkins V CTE Concentrator Pathways, the following memo has been drafted to provide simple parameters to follow so that short- and long-term outcomes for students will be accomplished. 

Office of Assessment

Accommodations for Spring 2019 Assessments

This memo provides additional details for the Accommodations for Spring 2019 Assessments. Included in this memo is a crosswalk of the accommodations noted in Indiana IEP and the associated tool name in TIDE.

Registration for the I AM Test Administrator Training

Registration is still open for the I AM TA training through Monday, February 4. AIR will be contacting educators on Tuesday, February 5, to confirm registration to the live I AM Test Administrator Training and Certification session. Any educator administering I AM must be signed up for a live training or the live streaming session by February 4. This is a required training for those administering the test this spring. If you have questions regarding these trainings, please contact Stephanie Thompson. If educators do not receive a confirmation from AIR on February 5, please contact the Help Desk here.

Application Window Now Open! Current Indiana Educators Needed to Score ILEARN Assessment Items

Beginning today through March 15, current Indiana educators may apply to score open-ended items appearing on ILEARN assessments. Compensation for current Indiana educators is $16 per hour for this opportunity. Interested educators should complete this application after carefully reviewing the entire job posting. Please share this updated flier with educators, and contact the ILEARN scoring team with any questions.

Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) Policy Regarding Weekend Testing

The Office of Student Assessment received inquiries from the field and defined guidance for schools who plan to administer any Indiana statewide assessment (e.g., ILEARN, IREAD-3, I AM, ISTEP+) to students on weekends during an established assessment window. Please review this guidance and share with your building administrators and others involved in creating local test schedules.

Updated ILEARN FAQ Now Available – Share with Educators!

The Office of Student Assessment compiled a new set of Frequently Asked Questions for ILEARN for corporations and schools. This FAQ provides information regarding test administration, participation, scoring, and other timely topics related to the spring ILEARN assessments. The FAQ is also posted on the “ILEARN Policy and Guidance” page on our website, along with other ILEARN FAQs.

Office of School Finance

Curricular Material Reimbursement

The Office of School Finance has calculated the 2018-2019 curricular material reimbursement payment to qualifying schools and charter schools. Click here for the memo. The per-student funding amount is approximately $79.58. An electronic funds transfer for reimbursement will be made on February 6. Please send all questions here.

February 1 Membership Count is Today

The second membership count date is todayFebruary 1, 2019. Although this is a required membership count for all public school corporations and charter schools, the data will NOT be used in the FY2019 State Tuition Support formula. Specific information related to opening and closing times can be found in the DOE-ME layout in the Data Reporting Community of the Learning Connection. If you have questions, please contact Amy Pattison or Melissa Ambre.

Office of School and Community Nutrition

Webinar Registration

The Office of School and Community Nutrition (SCN) will be hosting Coffee Break Webinars for administrators. Topics include Smart Snacks in School Offices & Wellness Policies, Ensuring Compliance with Special Dietary Needs in Your Schools, and Understanding Resource Management in the School Nutrition Programs and Ways to Support Food Service. Let our SCN team know if you have additional questions or need help registering.

Office of School Improvement

Math Framework Now Available

Phase I of the much anticipated IDOE Math Framework is here! We heard from the field that this resource would be valuable and have made it a reality! Mathematics educators from kindergarten through calculus can use this tool to assist in unpacking standards, vertically articulating their curriculum, identifying relevant academic vocabulary, and enhancing planning and instruction. Please contact Robin Conti with any questions.

Regional Math Professional Development Opportunities

The time to kick off the regional Math Extravaganza professional development is quickly approaching! Space is now limited. Registration information, site locations, dates, and sign-up links can be found here.

New Social-Emotional Resources Added to Website

Today marks another release of Social-Emotional Learning Resources. This week you will find an Education Neuroscience Toolkit, which includes lesson plans, 100 days of Neuroscience, supporting video, and much more. You can access all of our resources here.

Also, IDOE will be hosting a Social-Emotional Learning Q&A WebEx on February 19 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Additional information will be shared in the coming weeks. Please contact Christy Berger, Assistant Director of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness, with any questions.

Waiver for Previous Training and Work Experience for Authorized Reading Specialist Trained in Dyslexia

IDOE acknowledges some educators may have a significant amount of relevant training and work experience providing instruction to struggling readers in an explicit, systematic, sequential multi-sensory way. Based on this person’s training and work experience, he/she may qualify to serve as an “authorized reading specialist trained in dyslexia,” without having to successfully complete an IDOE approved dyslexia training program. This approval form is for those who received training outside the June 2010 to November 2018 approval window and DOES NOT include those who are currently enrolled in, or scheduled to attend, an upcoming IDOE approved dyslexia training program.

Waiver applications may be found here. Please see the application for further instructions. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please allow up to 40 business days for a response. Any additional questions may be sent to Joe Risch.

Dyslexia Intervention Guidance

Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 217, does not endorse a single product or approach for dyslexia intervention. While there is not a specific intervention program schools must use, SEA 217 does have recommended instructional approaches. IDOE has created two documents to aid schools in selecting an intervention program. The “Dyslexia Intervention Program Check” can be used to investigate the fidelity of a dyslexia intervention program. The second document lists the recommended instructional approaches from SEA 217 and provides example approaches that satisfy the recommended approaches from the law. This is not an exhaustive list. IDOE does not  endorse any of these products, but they are offered as examples. These documents can be found on IDOE's dyslexia page.

Diploma Seal Ordering Instructions Available

Diploma seal ordering is live! Click here to read the instructional ordering memo and access the order form online.

 

Office of eLearning

February is Digital Learning Month

Indiana Digital Learning Month 2019 offers many opportunities throughout February for educators to learn more about utilizing technology, to offer increased opportunities and access for students. From webinars and social media-based professional development, to an opportunity to tell your digital learning story, there are so many ways to connect with other educators and learn more about educational technology.

 

Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances

Public Review of Computer Science - Middle Level

The Office of Workforce and STEM Alliances is conducting a public review of the new course framework for Computer Science - Middle Level. To view the course framework and submit feedback, complete this form by Friday, February 22. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.

Employability Skills Standards

Senate Enrolled Act 297 states that not later than July 1, 2019, each school within a school corporation shall include interdisciplinary employability skills standards established by IDOE, in conjunction with the Department of Workforce Development, and approved by the State Board of Education, in the school's curriculum. The Employability Skills Standards are available for public comment here. Questions? Please contact Ben Carter.

 

Office of Information Technology

State Matching Funds Program Announced for Special E-rate Eligible Construction Projects

IDOE is announcing its participation in the E-rate match program for special construction projects. This is available to any public school in Indiana, and is a pilot program for FY2019 (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020), which may then be reviewed and modified as needed. Learn more here.

 

Office of Title Grants

English Learner Program Evaluation Toolkit Resources

The implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act increased accountability for local education agencies as they provide English Learners with evidence-based English language development programs. IDOE's EL team released the English Learner Program Evaluation Toolkit late last year to support LEAs as they conduct comprehensive, collaborative evaluations of their EL programs. A detailed video walk through of the toolkit is now available, and additional supporting resources and training opportunities will be available throughout 2019 on our English Learner Policy and Guidance page.

2018-2019 NESP Reallocations

The Office of Title Grants and Support has released allocations of 2018-2019 NESP funds to participating LEAs with an 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 who wish to use their additional allocated funding must submit a budget amendment form by February 15 to request their reallocated funds.  

 

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