An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for July 19, 2019

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Dr. Mac

2020 Indiana Teacher of the Year Nominees

 

The Indiana Department of Education is pleased to announce our 2020 Indiana Teacher of the Year Nominees. Get to know our nominees here.

Legislative Updates and Guidance

Please read this important information regarding an active event warning system grant opportunity.

 

Office of School Building Physical Security and Safety

Register Now for the Next School Safety Specialist Academy

The Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy has opened registration for the 2019-2020 Basic Training class. To receive certification as a school safety specialist, each participant is required to attend basic training. More information can be found here.

Secured School Safety Grant Period Now Open

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has opened the application period for the Fiscal Year 2020 Secured School Safety Grant. The Notice of Funding Opportunity contains several updates and changes. The application period will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 2. More information can be found here.

 

Office of Assessment

2019-2020 Formative (Interim) Assessment Grant Distributions Approved

The Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) approved funding distributions for the 2019-2020 Formative (Interim) Assessment Grant. SBOE also reopened the assessment program approval window through October 1. Review this memo for details and distribution amounts. 

Updated I AM Item Specifications and Blueprints Posted to the Indiana Department of Education Website

IDOE and American Institutes for Research (AIR) conducted a Cognitive Laboratory Study in the Fall of 2018 to learn more about how students taking I AM interact with different item types. Based on the results of this study, several I AM Item Specifications were edited to remove item types no longer being considered for the alternate assessment and confirmed by educator committees. In addition, a small number of I AM Blueprints were revised to address minor editorial errors. Please refer to this memo to note the documents that were updated and posted to the IDOE website.

Summer 2019 ISTEP+ Grade 10 Retest Onsite Monitoring

The Office of Student Assessment (OSA) will conduct unannounced onsite monitoring visits during the Summer 2019 ISTEP+ Grade 10 Retest window beginning July 22. Please ensure that school administrators and staff are aware these onsite visits will be conducted. Click here for more details.

 

Office of School Improvement

Elementary Literacy Family Guides

As we inch closer to “Back To School Night” and the beginning of school, your IDOE literacy team has created Literacy Family Guides for each elementary grade level K-5. These guides are meant to share grade-level skills and ideas for how parents can become involved in their child's education. Please contact Rose Tomishima with any questions.

Upcoming School Improvement Conference -”Sailing Toward Proficiency”

The Inaugural School Improvement Conference, “Sailing Toward Proficiency," will be held on Thursday, September 5, at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Indianapolis. This conference will feature keynote speaker Gerry Brooks and numerous breakout sessions presented by the Office of School Improvement staff. Register here, as space is limited for this free event. There will be sessions on cultural competency, chronic absenteeism, dyslexia, literacy, math, alternative education, the Opportunity Myth, Root Cause Analysis, and much more. Contact Melissa Blossom with any questions.

Individuals Sought to Review Variety of Standards

IDOE reviews standards on a six-year cycle. The secondary English language arts, literacy, media, publications, journalism, math, and social studies standards are next to be reviewed. Educators in grades 9-12 and higher education who would be interested in joining these work groups are encouraged to please fill out this form. Please contact Dr. Jennifer Jensen with any questions.

Expulsion Officer Training Opportunities Scheduled

IDOE will host three training opportunities for expulsion officers. This training will include important information for those who are already serving in this capacity and for those who may be new to the role. An opportunity for questions, scenarios, and information on new and longstanding laws and protocols will be covered in this four-hour training facilitated by a state expert. Sessions will be held in Indianapolis, South Bend, and Jasper. Click on each city for registration dates, times, and locations.

Dyslexia Resource Guide Available

IDOE is excited to announce the release of the dyslexia resource guide for IC 20-35.5, et seq., as created by SEA 217 (2018). This resource guide is a compendium of all reference materials, forms, and guidance documents needed for the successful implementation of IC 20-35.5, et seq. The dyslexia resource guide may be downloaded from IDOE’s dyslexia website.

Dyslexia Professional Awareness

IC 20-35.5-6-2(B), as created by SEA 217 (2018), states the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will ensure all teachers working for school corporations and charter schools receive professional awareness on dyslexia. This professional awareness will include information on the characteristics of dyslexia, evidence-based interventions, and evidence- based accommodations for dyslexia. This information is offered through IDOE’s Moodle course website. Please visit IDOE’s dyslexia page under the “Dyslexia Professional Awareness” tab for a link to the professional awareness course, and directions on how to set up and log into IDOE’s Moodle website.

Additional Resources Available for the Arkansas Rapid Automized Name Screener

IDOE has released new documents and videos to enhance schools’ knowledge and usability of the Arkansas Rapid Automized Name Screener (AR-RAN). IDOE has released a revised version of the screener, a tutorial video on how to give the AR-RAN, and a frequently asked question (FAQ) document for the screener. IDOE has also created a section in the FAQ document providing sample cut scores and explaining how to calculate cut scores for the AR-RAN. For additional clarity, IDOE has created a video showing how to calculate AR-RAN cut scores in Excel. Please visit IDOE’s dyslexia website to access all of these resources under the “Dyslexia Screeners” tab.

MTTS Implementation Regional Trainings

Join IDOE for a day of training on how Multi-Tiered Systems of Support can be implemented in your school and/or district. Districts are encouraged to come in teams of two – four educators (administrators, general education teachers, student services, and/or special education teachers). Please register at this link for the date and location that works for your team. If you have any questions, please contact Christy Berger.

2019-2020 High Ability Grant Allocations and Applications Now Available

IDOE is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 high ability allocations and application are now available. The High Ability Grant Application, along with the high ability and identification grant amounts, will be issued to all LEA’s on Friday, July 19. Additional supporting resources are available here. The application window will open Friday, July 19, and will close on Monday, September 9.

Please Read the Monthly Math Newsletter

The math team has just released their July newsletter. Click here to find research, resources, opportunities for the field, and so much more. Sign up here if you are not currently on our mailing list.

Check Out the High Ability and Advanced Placement Newsletter

This month, the High Ability and Advanced Placement newsletter offers information about the 2019-2020 grant, Advanced Placement news, free Shared Inquiry professional development, social-emotional resources, and more.

Prepare for the New School Year with the Counselor Newsletter

Please read the July school counselor newsletter for exciting summer self-care tips and funding opportunities for the 2019-2020 school year.

 

Office of School Finance

Summer School

The window for public and charter schools to submit the Final Instructional Costs Report for Summer School 2019 will open on July 29. Eligible schools are posted in this memo. The link to access the report is posted on the Office of School Finance website, or it can be accessed directly by clicking on this link. If you have questions about the Final Instructional Costs Report for Summer School 2019, please contact Kathryn Roth or Melissa Ambre.

State Tuition Support

The Office of School Finance has distributed the July tuition support payment. Both the FY 2020 State Tuition Support worksheet and Form 54 Monthly Distribution Report are available by clicking this link. Click here to view the memo. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Ambre or Amy Pattison.

Form 9 Financial Data

Form 9 financial information is due for the period of January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019. Click here for Form 9 guidance, which includes the updated Chart of Accounts. Any questions should be emailed to the Form 9 inbox.

 

Office of Technology

Update: Changes Ahead for Accessing all IDOE Systems

IDOE is prepared to begin the rollout of Unified Access. For the past few weeks, public school corporations have submitted registration information. Superintendents in these registered corporations should expect an email in the coming week with directions to log in and identify their Data Security Coordinator. IDOE has collected domain information from 364 of the public corps/charters, 293 for Google G-Suite, and 70 for Microsoft 365. IDOE will be configuring these domains next week.

School Districts Encouraged to Register Domain Information

If your public school corporation has not yet registered domain information, please complete the process as soon as possible. See the attached memo for additional details regarding this process. Please send all questions to this email.

 

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.

McKinney-Vento 2019-2022 Request for Proposals

The 2019-2022 McKinney-Vento request for proposals (RFP) is now available. The competitive grant proposals are due August 30. Please see the McKinney-Vento website for the RFP, rubric, budget, and required templates. In order to adjust to ESSA requirements, the structure of the McKinney-Vento grant has changed to promote coordination within regions and improved services for homeless children and youth.

 

Office of Innovation

Computer Science Honor Society

Interested in encouraging secondary students’ enthusiasm for computer science, honoring academic excellence, and promoting service? Consider starting a Computer Science Honor Society at your school. Visit the Computer Science Teachers Association website for more information.

CSTA Equity Fellowship

Are you committed to improving equitable access and achievement in computer science? Do you want to work at the national level by sharing your expertise? If so, consider applying to become a CSTA Equity Fellow. Find more information here.

Girls Who Code

The beginning of a new school year is upon us, and that means it’s time to start thinking about renewing your school’s existing Girls Who Code club, or consider starting a new one. Click here for more information, and contact Jake Koressel with any questions.

Registration is Now Open for Indiana’s Third Annual K-12 Computer Science Education Conference

Indiana’s Third Annual Flipping the Switch conference will take place on September 16-17. Register for the event here. Session proposals can be submitted here. Direct questions to Michele Roberts, Director of Computing Outreach for the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering.

Educators Rising

How do you cultivate student interest in the teaching profession? Consider integrating Educators Rising into your current Career and Technical Education course offerings or starting an Educators Rising club. IDOE, in partnership with the Indiana State Teachers Association, is hosting an informational webinar about Educators Rising on August 21, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Registration for the webinar can be found here.

 

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Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here.  

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An Update from the Indiana Department of Education is created by the Office of Communications, and  is distributed every Friday.