An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for March 15, 2019

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

This is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Indiana is prone to hazardous weather, making preparedness planning extremely important. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) encourages schools, families, and communities to plan for potential sever weather.

 

As a reminder, the Statewide Tornado Drill is scheduled to take place March 19, at 10:15 a.m. 

 

Schools can access preparedness information from the Office of School Building Physical Security and Safety here.


Office of Assessment

2019 ILEARN and IREAD-3 Data Forensics Update

As a part of test security protocols, IDOE receives data forensics information from each testing vendor after testing has concluded. Please review this memo for more details.

I AM Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) Window Opens on March 18

Test Administrators (TAs) must complete the Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) for each student prior to the start of any I AM assessments. By completing the LCI, IDOE gains information on the characteristics of the students who participate in the Alternate Assessment.

  • The LCI is a secure data entry interface that will be available on the I AM Portal beginning March 18 through May 17, as a separate portal card.

  • The LCI can only be completed by a Test Administrator (TA) who is certified to administer I AM.

  • The TA and student can access the practice tests and later participate in the operational I AM assessments for which the student is eligible, once the LCI is completed.

For more information regarding the LCI, please refer to the Test Administrator’s Manual available on the I AM Portal.

Alternate Assessment ESSA One-Percent Cap Data Webinar

All interested stakeholders are invited to attend an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, April 10, from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET. The Office of Special Education, Office of Student Assessment, and the Project SUCCESS Resource Center will be hosting a webinar to discuss data related to the one- percent cap on participation on the Alternate Assessment required by ESSA. We will discuss ways to disaggregate LEA and building level data related to the one percent cap. To register, complete the survey here.

 

Office of Information Technology

IDOE Announces Identity Strategy for Accessing all IDOE Systems

In the near future, Indiana educators will be able to use their school provided e-mail credentials to log in to IDOE systems. This spring, IDOE will begin implementing Unified Access, a consolidated point of entry and access management solution for accessing IDOE systems. The change is a result of the retooling of IT systems now underway through the LINK Initiative. What this means for schools using Google’s G-Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365, is that the log in and password used to access these platforms will be used to log in to IDOE platforms and applications. Schools that do not have one of these products should consider using one or the other to streamline access to IDOE systems. Additional information is available here.

Department Announces Important Milestone in Replacement of STN Application Center: Release of Data Exchange Vendor Certification Requirements

IDOE is announcing a significant and tangible step in the replacement of the STN Application Center, the platform used for years to collect data from schools. IDOE will release the Data Exchange vendor certification requirements on March 29. This information is critical for all Student Information Systems deployed in Indiana schools. These documents detail IDOE's specific use of the Ed-Fi data standards for purposes of replacing the STN Application Center, and are intended for use by Student Information System (SIS) vendors. These certification requirements provide the specific guidance SIS vendors will need to create a connection between local Student Information Systems with databases at IDOE. Following the release of these specifications, IDOE will host a vendor session to address questions on April 10, at 1 p.m. EDT. Vendors may register here. Notifications about the Webex will be sent directly to SIS vendors who have previously attended IDOE discussions. In order to ensure all SIS vendors access these requirements promptly, please relay this information to your local SIS provider. Please contact Debbie Dailey with any questions.

Annual Performance Reports for 2017-2018 School Year Ready for Publication

The Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for each school and school corporation have been made publicly available on the IDOE’s Compass site. The APRs are ready for publication in local newspapers during the statutorily defined window of March 15–31. Please note the data explanation page, typically published with the APR, has been updated with a note about a pending resolution of what the IDOE anticipates will be a limited number of proficiency level adjustments from 2018 assessments. The data explanation page provides important context for helping readers understand the APR, and it should be published as part of the APR. The text of this note added to the data explanation page is provided below.

Note for 2019 APR Publication: The Annual Performance Report is based on the best available data at the time of publication. IDOE is aware of several unresolved scoring issues from assessments administered in the 2018 school year. Schools potentially affected by these issues have been notified. When these issues are resolved, IDOE anticipates very limited impact on published school proficiency rates for the 2018 school year. Should a school grade be impacted in the resolution of the scoring issues, IDOE will recommend an alteration of the grade to the State Board of Education. IDOE does not anticipate changes to any school corporation grades. Upon resolution of these scoring issues, IDOE will review any other measures based school accountability and determine what, if any, changes should be made as a result.  

Additional information on the report, including publication requirements, is available here. Questions on the report can be directed to Jeff Milkey.

 

Office of Special Education

Free Paraprofessional Learning Opportunities Available

Project SUCCESS has launched a series of online courses for paraprofessionals designed to provide overviews of special education, support quality classroom instruction, and help maintain a positive learning environment for students. The courses offer practical, universal tips and strategies that can be immediately applied. There is no cost, and participants can register by completing this form. Additional information can be found here.

 

Office of School Finance

Transfer Report 

HEA1009-2017 included a requirement that school corporations must report to IDOE transfers between the Education Fund and Operations Fund. With that, IDOE will add a step to the process of Form 9 financial data submission for January to June 2019, allowing school corporations to report transfers between the Education Fund and the Operations Fund as part of the July 2019 reporting process. More information regarding the new Transfer Report can be found in the Transfer Report memo, found in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection > Files and Bookmarks > Form 9. If you have questions about this information, please email Amy Pattison or call her at 317-232-0843. You can also email the Form 9 inbox.

Save the Date - School Budget Workshop

IDOE's Office of School Finance is sponsoring a budget workshop on Wednesday, June 26. The workshop will be held at the Pike Performing Arts Center, 6701 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis. The program will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) and will contain numerous areas of interest to school corporation personnel. The workshop will include presentations on Department of Education finance-related topics, data collection, and updates from the State Board of Accounts and the Indiana Employment and Education Relations Board.

Indirect Cost Rates

The Office of School Finance is accepting applications for FY 2020 Indirect Cost Rates through March 31. Local education agencies, including  school corporations and charter schools, that provided Form 9 financial data for FY 2018 are eligible to apply for FY 2020 indirect cost rates. New charter schools are eligible to apply but will be subject to the median rate.  Information on the application process and required documents can be found in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection under Files and Bookmarks > Indirect Cost Rates. Please email questions regarding indirect cost rates here

2019 Summer School

The window to submit the Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses for Summer School 2019 is open.The Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses are required to be submitted on or before Monday, April 1. The Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses and the Final Costs Report (available July 29 - September 13, 2019) are required to be submitted by the posted deadlines in order to receive a payment for reimbursement of summer school costs.

The link to submit the Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses is available here. Corporation administrators and school administrators may use their DOE Online credentials to log-in to the report. Detailed information about how to complete the report is included in 2019 Summer School 101. The link to the reports and additional information about the Summer School Program is posted here, and in the Finance Community on the Learning Connection under Files and Bookmarks > Summer School.

Unreimbursed Curricular Material Levy Expense

Today, IDOE Office of School Finance staff will provide school corporations the 2020 Debt Service Fund Levy Calculation for Unreimbursed Curricular Material Expense. Current law allows school corporations the opportunity to impose a debt service rate for unreimbursed curricular material expense for the 2018-2019 school year. If a school corporation chooses to pursue an unreimbursed levy, the proposed levy and tax rate must be advertised and adopted as part of the 2020 school budget process. More information can be found in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection under Files and Bookmarks > Curricular Material.

Estimate Formula Components

Beginning Monday, March 18 through Wednesday, April 3, school officials have the opportunity to review and/or update Legislative Service Agency (LSA) estimates of FY 2020 and FY 2021 funding formula data. IDOE has posted a memo in the Finance Community of the Learning Connection that provides an overview of the data. The estimates can be found in the School Finance Application Center (State Aid) under Corporation Information > Estimate Formula Components here.         

If you believe the LSA data projections are not representative of data for your school corporation, please input the appropriate estimate for both FY 2020 and FY 2021 projections. IDOE will forward a file containing all the estimated components to LSA on or before April 10.  For questions concerning access to State Aid, please contact Melissa Ambre. If you have questions regarding the data, please email David Lusan, Legislative Services Agency, or call him at 317-232-9592.

 

Office of Title Grants and Support

2019 English Learner Summer Roadshow

This summer, the IDOE English Learner team will once again be offering regional learning opportunities for EL teachers and school and district leaders across the state. Sessions at each location will address redefining the role of the EL teacher and promoting cultural proficiency and awareness. Registration is free for all participants and is now open! Additional information is available here.

2019-2020 English Learner Directors’ Meetings 

IDOE will host the 2019-2020 English Learners Directors’ Meetings at MSD Lawrence Township Schools in Indianapolis. The New EL Directors’ Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 13, and the Annual EL Directors’ Meeting for new and returning EL directors will be held on Wednesday, August 14. Both meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register now and provide your input on the topics you hope to see on this year’s agenda.

 

Office of Innovation

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.

Office of School Improvement

New Resources Available for Schools With Underperforming Student Groups

The Office of School Improvement is excited to release this resource guide of supports specifically geared toward schools identified with underperforming student groups (TSI schools). This “playbook” of supports is valuable to every school and addresses the needs of special needs students, culturally responsive teaching practices, and EL learners. Questions about this resource can be directed to Robin LeClaire.

Literacy Framework Feedback Needed

The literacy team is seeking feedback on the Literacy Framework. Share your thoughts with this short survey to make this the best tool for literacy instruction. Click here to complete a short survey. Thank you for your time!

Planning for the Implementation of Senate Enrolled Act 217

IDOE has created a crosswalk document to support schools as they plan for the implementation of Senate Enrolled Act 217, or the new dyslexia law. The document has three columns. One column lists the task, a second column for assigning potential leaders who will be responsible for completing the requirements, and a third column for resources that will help schools in making decisions. Please note that some schools may encounter additional steps to meet all the requirements. The document is available on the IDOE dyslexia website here under the Dyslexia Resource Tab.

Educators Needed to Develop Phase 2 of the Math Framework

IDOE's math team is looking for interested educators to participate in the continuing development of Phase 2 of the Math Framework. Educators will work to develop practical examples for every math standard to be released to the field this summer. Please use the following links for more information and registration.

Questions can be emailed to Robin Conti.

School Improvement Unveils Its Redesigned Website

The Office of School Improvement has launched a redesigned website to ease identifying and accessing the resources available for districts and schools. These resources include a series of trainings to help schools and districts conduct comprehensive needs assessments and develop high-quality school improvement plans. Visitors can view recordings of these trainings online. The trainings can be downloaded into incorporate in district or school-based presentations. These resources have been developed with the needs of Comprehensive Support and Improvement and Targeted Support and Improvement schools in mind. The resources are grounded in best practices for continuous school improvement applicable for all schools.

 

IDOE in the News

2018-2019 Title III Distinguished School District Award Recipient Announced

IDOE has announced the winner of the 2018-2019 Title III Distinguished School District Award. Learn more here.

 

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