|
|
|
|
|
|
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is joining a national initiative providing holiday greeting cards to US military troops around the world. Please read this letter from Dr. McCormick, encouraging Indiana schools to support this great program.
|
Blue Ribbon Schools Award
IDOE congratulates schools earning the Blue Ribbon Schools Award. Go to this link for a listing of award recipients and information about the Blue Ribbon Schools program.
AIR Remains Focused on Delivering Indiana’s ILEARN Despite Sale to Cambium Learning
The company delivering Indiana’s ILEARN assessment is being sold to Cambium Learning. Please note the following considerations regarding this transition:
-
The closing of this sale of AIR’s assessment division is not yet final, but anticipated in December 2019.
-
The contract with AIR to provide ILEARN currently ends in 2020, with optional one-year renewals until 2022.
-
ILEARN was built for successful deployment utilizing any vendor since the contract terms are limited to only five years.
-
IDOE works closely with AIR to ensure all contractual obligations are met regardless of the holding structure of their organization.
This information is simply provided to assure schools that there is no anticipated impact on ILEARN due to the sale of AIR’s assessment division to Cambium Learning.
Systems Readiness Test: September 30 - October 4
All schools are required to complete a systems readiness test (SRT) to prepare for online testing. An SRT is a simulation of online testing at the local level that ensures student testing devices and local school networks are correctly configured to support online testing. An SRT helps schools identify and resolve any potential technical issues prior to operational testing, when a technical issue could affect a student’s test score.
-
CTCs, STCs, and technology leaders should review the Systems Readiness Test Guide for assistance with planning, implementing, and resolving issues found in the SRT.
-
Test Administrators (TAs) must review the SRT Test Administrator’s Script prior to administering the SRT to students.
-
TAs are not required to have completed TA Certification prior to administering the September 30-October 4 SRT. Test Administrators must be TA certified prior to administering the November 18-27 SRT, if applicable.
-
Schools only need to participate in one SRT window unless technical issues require additional system tests.
AIR’s Updated Folder Structure – Available on October 1
A new folder structure will be in place on the Indiana Assessment Portal to allow all user roles easier access to resources related to the ILEARN, I AM, IREAD-3, and/or ISTEP+ assessments. Please email the Indiana Assessments Help Desk or call 866-298-4256 if you have any questions.
2019-2020 ILEARN and I AM Resources Available October 1 – Share with Educators!
IDOE and AIR will release several new ILEARN and I AM resources on October 1:
-
The new 2019-2020 I AM Educator Brochure will be available on IDOE's website.
-
The new 2019-2020 I AM Family Brochure (English and Spanish) will be available on IDOE's website.
-
The Understanding I AM Webinar, updated for the 2019-2020 school year, will be available on the I AM Portal.
-
The Test Administrator (TA) Certification Course for educators administering ILEARN, IREAD-3, and/or ISTEP+ assessments, will be ready for TAs to access from the “Test Administrators and Educators” and “Corporation Test Coordinators” pages of the Indiana Assessment Portal.
-
The ILEARN and I AM Released Items Repositories (RIRs) and updated RIR Quick Guides will be available on the Indiana Assessment Portal.
-
The 2019-2020 ILEARN and I AM RIR Scoring Guides will be posted to the respective ILEARN and I AM “Sample Items and Scoring” pages of IDOE's website.
-
The ILEARN 3-8 and Biology Online Practice Tests will be available for download via the Secure Browser in the Indiana Assessment Portal. While AIR and IDOE continue to develop the detailed ILEARN 3-8 Online Practice Test Scripts for release in early January, schools may use the Practice Test User Guide from the Indiana Assessment Portal if they wish to administer these practice tests in the interim.
-
The 2019-2020 ILEARN Scheduling and Timing Guidance will post to IDOE’s website. This guidance will reflect several updates and clarifications based on educator feedback and lessons learned from the 2018-2019 school year.
Update - Changes Ahead for Accessing All IDOE Systems
Indiana educators will soon be able to use their local G-Suite for Education or Microsoft’s 365 username/passwords to login to IDOE systems! IDOE has configured domain information for 605 public corps/charters and non-public, accredited schools. Those schools that do not have one of these products should consider using one or the other to streamline access to IDOE systems. Please note that as additional systems go live, these credentials will be used to access new systems. The list of organizations that have been configured and current status of onboarding is available here. If your accredited school or corporation is not on this list, please search your email for the instructions (keyword: LINK Portal). If you need assistance, please use this email.
State Accountability for 2018-2019
Many state policymakers have called to “hold harmless” the A-F letter grades of elementary and middle schools for 2018-2019 due to the first administration of the ILEARN assessment. In order to hold schools harmless, the Indiana General Assembly must amend Indiana Code. Neither IDOE nor the State Board has the authority to hold schools harmless.
IDOE's proposed timeline for state accountability estimated that schools would receive the 2018-2019 state accountability report cards in mid-October. Given the potential legislative action for “hold harmless,” this timeline is no longer applicable. IDOE will provide updated timeline information as more information regarding potential legislative action becomes available.
Federal Accountability for 2018-2019
There will be no “hold harmless” for federal accountability determinations. For 2018-2019, schools will receive a federal rating of either exceeds expectations, meets expectations, approaches expectations, or does not meet expectations based on all applicable indicators. Schools will not receive an A-F grade for federal purposes. For additional information on the Federal accountability ratings, please participate in the Moodle course on Federal accountability found here (course title: ESSA Accountability; course enrollment key: ESSAaccountability) and review resources available in our School Accountability and Accreditation Community in Moodle (School Accountability and Accreditation Community).
Calculating Growth for School Accountability
Please see this guidance document for an explanation of how growth is calculated for state and federal accountability.
Attention High School Principals: Important Dates for Grad Rate Calculation
The process for the 2019 Graduation Rate is entering its final stages and it is imperative that you check your 2019 cohort report in Learning Connection for accuracy. Important dates coming up:
-
September 30 – Last day for a student to meet graduation requirements to be a 2019 graduate
-
October 4 – Last day to submit graduates to IDOE
-
October 9 – 2019 Graduation Rate Audit window opens
-
November 1 – 2019 Graduation Rate Audit window closes
-
December 31 – Deadline for IDOE to publish 2019 Graduation Rate
Information about the 2019 Graduation Rate Audit can be found in the School Accountability and Accreditation Community here. All questions should be directed to the Office of School Accountability.
IDOE’s The Science of Happiness Course - Enrollment Opens October 1
Student and educator social-emotional wellness is a top priority for the IDOE. In January, IDOE released the social-emotional competencies for K-12 students. In partnership with Butler University, IDOE has created The Science of Happiness course, designed for educators to promote their own social-emotional wellness. Participants in this optional course will earn 45 professional growth plan points after successfully completing the course. Please promote The Science of Happiness with educators in your district by sharing this short promotional video.
Find details about the technical requirements of the course for administrators and technology directors here. Enrollment opens October 1. Visit this link to enroll.
Science Foundations Guidance is Now Available
Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is accepting applications for the fourth cohort of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship. The scholarship provides 200 students up to $7,500 per year (renewable up to four years) in exchange for agreeing to teach in Indiana for five consecutive years. Students interested in applying must:
-
Be in the top 20 percent of their class, or have a top 20 percent ACT/SAT score
-
Have teacher, counselor, or administrator complete a nomination form
-
Submit a completed application and nomination form
New Community of Practice Available for Schools with Preschool Programs
IDOE has launched a Community of Practice (CoP) for Indiana Administrators from public and private schools, with an existing preschool program, or are looking to begin one. To be a part of this growing online community, please contact Pre-K Expansion Specialist, Sarah Parks-Reese.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness September Newsletter Now Available
SEBW Monthly covers information on SEL, Project AWARE, school social work, school nurses, chronic absenteeism, and more. To access the newsletter, click here.
Attendance Awareness #AttendanceMatters
Every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. Too many absences can not only affect achievement for the absent student but also can disrupt learning for the entire class.
Make chronic absence a priority and identify contributing factors in your school. Click here for to access the chronic absenteeism toolkit.
School Improvement Newsletter
The Office of School Improvement has released the #INspirEDleaders September newsletter. Access the latest newsletter here for tips on completing CNA/SIP, setting high expectations, and a new leadership spotlight.
Literacy Newsletter
The October #INspirEDlit Newsletter features a phonics overview, literacy framework information, and dyslexia awareness. Learn more here.
Curricular Material Reimbursement 2019 - 2020
Public school corporations and charter schools may apply for curricular material reimbursement for the 2019-2020 school year by submitting both student-level and claim data between October 1 and October 31. Prior to submitting data, officials should review the curricular material data layout (DOE-TB). Reimbursement Claim Form Instructions are located on Moodle in the Public School Finance Community. Please email questions regarding curricular material reimbursement here. The submission deadline is October 31.
Fall Submission of Membership (ME)
All school corporation and charter school students who were enrolled and expected in attendance on September 13 must be reported in membership. The submission period for this data collection ends on September 25. The counts will be used to determine Basic Grant distributions for qualifying school corporations and charter schools. Please read the Membership (DOE-ME) layout which can be found in Data Layouts. For questions regarding membership, please email Melissa Ambre. The cleanup deadline is September 25.
Fall Submission of Membership (MA) Adult Learners
All Adult Learner charter students who were enrolled and expected in attendance on September 13 must be reported in membership. The submission period for this data collection ends on September 25. The counts will be used to determine Adult Learner distributions to qualifying charter schools. Please read the Membership (DOE-MA) layout which can be found in Data Layouts. For questions regarding the FTE count, please email Melissa Ambre. The cleanup deadline is September 25.
Common School Loan Application
The Office of School Finance is accepting applications for construction and technology loans from public school corporations and school corporation career and technical education schools through October 4. Petitions must be received by October 4 to be considered. Information may be found in the Public School Finance Community of Moodle under Common School Loans/ Fall. If you have questions concerning this process, please send questions here. The submission deadline is October 4.
Updates to Form 9 Financial Data Submission
As part of the July to December, 2019 Form 9 financial data submission process, IDOE will implement additional steps in order to comply with federal reporting and documentation requirements as well as transparency reporting in association with state transparency requirements. Click on this memo to read more about steps five to eight of the reporting process. Please email all questions here. The deadline is January 31, 2020.
Supplemental Financial Reporting
In July 2020, IDOE will implement a new platform for school corporations to upload financial data. As part of this process, a new Form 9 step in compliance will be added, with state transparency requirements outlined in IC 5-14-3.7-3 for submission of January to June 2020 detailed expenditure data. Click on memo to read about the change. The deadline is July 31, 2020.
Dual Language Program Grant Information
As part of IDOE’s continued support of bilingual education, the Office of Title Grants and Support is pleased to announce the expansion of the Indiana Dual Language Immersion Program grant. This expansion will offer funding to new as well as existing programs. There are four different funding tiers in order to encourage the growth of new programs while also providing support for the programs that continue to grow by grade level each year. Please see the attached memo for more information. The deadline for submission is November 8.
Staffing Report
The 2018-2019 Title I Staffing Report collection window will be open until Thursday, October 31. This report collects data on Title I funded staff from the 2018-2019 school year. All school corporations and charter schools that received Title I, Part A funding in SY 2018-2019 and funded positions using Title I, Part A dollars in SY 2018-2019 are required to submit this report. The Title I Staffing Report homepage can be accessed via this link. DOE Online credentials will be needed for login (note this is not the Title I application center login).
Title Encumbrance and Liquidation Deadlines
With the upcoming September 30 encumbrance deadline for several grants, please utilize this resource to ensure that your local education agency (LEA) obligates and liquidates respective federal grants in time to ensure full utilization of federal funds. If you have questions, please contact your assigned grants specialist by LEA, which can be found here. Questions can also be sent to Nathan Williamson.
NEW! Federal Grants Newsletter
Federal Grants and Support has a new monthly newsletter, #INspirEDgrants. The newsletter contains helpful information, resources, and ideas to consider in thinking about Title Grants. We invite you to take a moment to review and subscribe here.
2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
Do you have students interested in becoming a U.S. Presidential Scholar? The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. The memo and application process can be found here. Please contact Ben Carter with questions.
Indiana Academy of Science STEM Partnership
IDOE has entered into an exciting STEM partnership with the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS), designed to connect high school science and math educators to IAS members. The goal of the partnership is to build a collaborative network focused on shared research, shared resources, and enhanced instructional practices leading to improved student achievement.
We want to identify 50 teachers, preferably a science and math teacher from the same high school, and match them with an Indiana scientist. There will be four meetings per year (October 29, 2019, December 3, 2019, February 4, 2020, and March 21, 2020), led by IAS members and facilitated by IDOE representatives. Interested teachers can register here.
Fifth-Annual Indiana STEM Education Conference
Registration is OPEN for the Fifth-Annual Indiana STEM Education Conference. It will be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. The conference will have new features addressing the STEM education needs of K-12 teachers and schools. This year’s theme will focus on Indiana’s STEM Education Strategic Plan. An afternoon professional development workshop to help you earn workforce-related hours will be offered. The cost for registration is $95 if you register by Friday, December 20, and $110 if you register after December 20. The conference is an opportunity for STEM teachers and STEM schools to present effective lessons, policies, partnerships, assessments, and STEM education strategies. Presenter proposals are due by October 30. You can register for the conference here. Presenter proposals can be submitted here.
Design Principles for eLearning Days
Are you looking for support as your district considers implementing eLearning Days? Have you been doing eLearning Days for a while, but want to get some new ideas? Join the eLearning Lab webinar at 4pm Eastern on October 8 when IDOE Senior Digital Learning Specialist, Jennifer Watson, shares best practices on designing and structuring eLearning Days. Please register here.
Fall eLearning Book Club
The 2019 fall eLearning book club will be kicking off on October 7. This fall we will be reading Shake Up Learning by Kasey Bell. The book club is a great opportunity to participate in professional development when and where it’s convenient for you in a blog discussion. The book club will last seven weeks and will be worth up to 14 PGPs (two PGPs per week of participation). Click here to register for the book club and then visit the book club blog here.
Indiana Connected Educators (ICE) Conference: Designed for Learning
Registration is open! Designed for Learning takes place October 17 and18, at Noblesville High School. This year’s conference focuses on the role of design in education, and features multiple learning tracks with more than 150 sessions, Indiana thought leaders, and pre-conference workshops. Click here to start your registration today.
HECC Conference (Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators)
Registration is open! This year's conference is November 6-8, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center Downtown Indianapolis. The schedule features relevant and interactive learning on implementing and managing K-12 technology, workshops from top industry leaders, five nationally recognized spotlight speakers, and the largest dedicated K-12 Technology Exhibitor showcase. Click here to begin your registration.
STEM and Computer Science Curriculum Showcase
IDOE is hosting a STEM and Computer Science Curriculum Showcase at Conner Prairie on Monday, October 21 from 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. EST. Join us to learn from various STEM and computer science curriculum providers about what you can do to provide your students with high-quality STEM and computer science experiences at ALL grade levels. Attendance at this event is required of all schools/districts planning to apply for an IDOE STEM Acceleration Grant, but the event is open to all that are interested. This opportunity may also help you to plan how your school/district will comply with the requirements of IC 20-30-5-23. Register here. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.
Announcing STEM Acceleration Grant
IDOE has launched the STEM Acceleration Grant - Cohort 3. The grant will provide funding for programs impacting the 2020-2021 school year. Funds may be used for stipends, professional development/training, and the acquisition of instructional materials necessary to implement selected STEM curriculum. Additionally, funds may be used to increase school/community partnerships to provide early STEM career exposure for students. Click on this link to review the STEM Acceleration Grant Memorandum. Contact Dr. Christy Hilton with questions.
The Chinese Education Connection is offering the opportunity for Indiana educators to teach abroad during the Summer of 2020. More information can be found on this website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
