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

indiana department of education - doctor jennifer mccormick - superintendent of public instruction
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Dr. Mac

Be sure to register for Title Con: Striving for Results and the pre-conference workshops! The conference will be held April 23-24 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis-PNC Center. Content is geared toward program administrators, superintendents, fiscal representatives, and title-funded staff. There will be opportunities for TSI/CSI schools to meet with School Improvement Summit technical assistance partners.

 

IDOE will also be hosting three pre-conference workshops on April 22. These sessions will cover: Fiscal Guidance, McKinney-Vento Liaisons, and Title 101: New Program Administrators. The workshops will be held at the Indiana Government Center South. Please visit the Title Con 2019 website for additional details.

 


Graduation Pathways Guidance and Updates

Locally-Created Pathways

The 2019-2020 Locally-Created Pathway application process opens today, March 1, and continues through April 30. The application can be found here. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and the State Board of Education will host a Webex explaining the Locally-Created Pathway application process. The Webex will take place on Friday, March 8, from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. EST. Registration for the upcoming Webex is available here. Please contact Ben Carter for additional information. 

 

Office of Assessment

IREAD-3 Short Video for Families and Educators

This three-minute video provides important information for families and educators regarding the purpose of and preparation for IREAD-3. 

I AM Test Length

The 2019 I AM assessment will utilize both legacy ISTAR items and newly constructed I AM items due to the transition from ISTAR to I AM. This transition to build an item pool for future administrations will require a slightly longer assessment than previous years. For more information regarding I AM test length, please see this memo.

I AM Ancillaries Now Available!

The new I AM Test Administrator’s Manual (TAM) is now available on the Indiana Assessment Portal. The TAM is located in the “Educator Resources” folder.

Winter 2019 ILEARN Biology ECA Satisfaction Survey – Share with Schools!

IDOE welcomes feedback from schools related to the recent ILEARN Biology ECA test window. Please share this survey with school personnel involved with test administration last month. Your feedback will help our staff improve processes for future test windows.

Winter 2019 ILEARN Biology ECA – Ship Paper Tests by Thursday, March 7!

CTCs must call FedEx to arrange pickup of all secure test materials. Test materials picked up after Thursday, March 7 will not be scored. CTCs should review the ILEARN TCM or contact the AIR Help Desk for assistance, as needed.

Reminder: Indiana Educators Needed to Score ILEARN Assessment Items – Share with Educators!

IDOE encourages current Indiana educators to apply to score open-ended items appearing on ILEARN assessments through March 15. Compensation for current Indiana educators is now $16.00/hour for this opportunity. Interested educators should complete this application. Please share this flyer with educators, and contact AIR with any questions.

 

Office of School Improvement

March Literacy Newsletter

Dive into teaching with anchor charts, interactive reading tools, and dyslexia updates in this month’s IDOE Literacy newsletter. With spring break approaching, take some time to grow yourself and explore professional growth book suggestions. In this edition, we are also looking for feedback on the Literacy Framework. Please look for and complete the short survey contained in the newsletter. Thank you for all you do!

High Ability Newsletter

Please read the High Ability and Advanced Placement Newsletter, Aspire Higher, found at: Aspire Higher, Volume 4. This month, you will find information about new Advanced Placement curriculum, the grant amendment process, resources, inspiration, and incredible FREE professional development opportunities!

 

Office of Educator Licensing

Indiana Educator Standards for Public Comment

As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our educator standards are aligned to the most current state and national standards, we invite you to review draft REPA 3 educator standards in the following areas:

  • Computer Science

  • Middle School English/Language Arts

  • Middle School Mathematics

  • Middle School Science

The above draft standards reflect the content knowledge and pedagogical skills required of a beginning teacher in the above content areas, as identified by representatives from higher education, content specialists, and practicing educators. The standards also form the foundation upon which our content and pedagogical licensure tests are based, as well as the framework to which teacher preparation programs in the above areas must be aligned.

A copy of the draft standards and public feedback will be shared with the Indiana State Board of Education prior to their approval.

If you are interested in providing public comment, please visit the following link(s):

The links will remain open until April 8.

 

Office of Title Grants and Support

U.S. Department of Education Quality Counts Charter School Program

IDOE is hosting two informational sessions regarding access to U.S. Department of Education Quality Counts Grant funding. The first session is targeted towards traditional public school leaders. The second session is targeted to charter school authorizers and organizers. Click here for more information. 

Title Talk Monthly Newsletter Now Available

Gain an overview of grants and learn more about the Federal Programs Advisory Board in this month's Title Talk newsletter

 

Office of Innovation

2019 District Tech Plans Due at the End of March

2019 District Tech Plans are due to IDOE by the end of this month. Learn more here.

8th Grade Requirement for College and Career Planning

Per Indiana Code 20-30-5-14, each school in a school corporation, and each charter school, must provide students in eighth grade use of either Indiana Career Explorer or an alternative Internet-based system that provides students with college and career planning resources. The alternative Internet-based system must be approved by the State Board of Education. Additional information can be found here. Please contact Ben Carter for additional information. 

Cyber Learning Experience and Competition for Young Women

See this memo for information about Girls Go CyberStart (for high school students) and Cyber FastTrack (for college students). This is a free experience, and no prior cyber experience is necessary.

Elementary CS Fundamentals Workshops

Computer Science Fundamentals workshops provide participants with an introduction 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.

Integrating CS in Middle School 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. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.

Applications for Spanish Visiting Teacher Program

Applications for the SY 2019-2020 Spanish Visiting Teacher Program can be found here. The application deadline is March 22.

SY 2018-2019 Staff Performance Evaluation Plan Feedback

SY 2018-2019 Staff Performance Evaluation Plan Feedback forms have been emailed to Superintendents for consideration when preparing for the SY 2019-2020 submission (due September 20). If you have questions or need assistance, please email Dr. Chris Kates.  

 

Office of Information Technology

Draft Annual Performance Reports Available March 4

The 2017-2018 Annual Performance Reports (APR) will be available to schools for review in DOE Online on Monday, March 4. The report will be accessible to Corporation Administrators under the Annual Performance Report menu item. The report will be released publicly through Compass the following week on Friday, March 15th. More information on the report is available here. Questions on the report can be directed to Jeff Milkey.

 

IDOE in the News

Awards for Excellence Recipients Announced

IDOE is proud to announce the winners of the annual Awards for Excellence program. The event celebrates outstanding work in Career and Technical Education throughout Indiana. Learn more here.

 

 

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