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

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Dr. Mac

 

Legislative Priorities Announced

 

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick released the Department's 2020 Legislative Priorities on November 14. Learn more here.


Office of Assessment

Share with Educators! Your I AM Assessment Questions Answered

IDOE will be joining PATINS in an upcoming webinar titled, “Your I AM Assessment Questions Answered.” This webinar is for those supporting students taking I AM, including students with No Mode of Communication. The webinar will be held on Monday, November 25, from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. ET. To learn more and to register, please visit the PATINS website.

Systems Readiness Test for Spring 2020 Assessments

All schools participating in Spring ILEARN assessments 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 ensuring 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. The SRT window opens Monday, November 18, and continues through Wednesday, November 27. Schools can select any date and time within the window to conduct an SRT.

Two New 2019-2020 ILEARN Manuals Available for Schools

The 2019-2020 ILEARN Test Coordinator’s Manual (TCM) and the 2019-2020 ILEARN Biology ECA Test Administrator’s Manual (TAM) are now available for download from the ILEARN Assessment Portal. The ILEARN TCM provides an overview of ILEARN assessments and related protocols specific to the test coordinator role. Corporation Test Coordinators (CTCs) must ensure any educators who will administer the ILEARN Biology ECA this school year receive a copy of the ILEARN Biology ECA TAM well in advance of the appropriate test window(s). The Biology TAM contains information Test Administrators will need to administer the ILEARN Biology ECA. Please contact the Office of Student Assessment with any questions.

Fall 2019 ILEARN Biology ECA - Additional Order Window Opens Tuesday

The American Institutes for Research (AIR)’s additional order (AO) window will be open Tuesday, November 19, through Thursday, December 5, in anticipation of next month’s ILEARN Biology End-of-Course Assessment (ECA) test administration. During the AO window, CTCs must place orders in AIR’s Test Information and Distribution Engine (TIDE) for any paper assessments (e.g., regular print, large print, braille, and/or Spanish) needed as accommodations for students participating in next month’s ILEARN Biology ECA. Paper test materials will only be shipped to CTCs who place an AO in TIDE during this window. Contact the AIR Indiana Assessment Help Desk (866-298-4256) with any questions.

ISPROUT for Any Students Ages Three to Five Webinar

Early Learning Centers without Individualized Education Program (IEP) students interested in implementing ISPROUT are invited to attend a webinar to learn more about the process. There will be two webinars that provide an overview of ISPROUT and how to opt-in to implement this tool with your students. The webinars are scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET and Wednesday, November 20, from 1 - 2 p.m. ET. A recording of the webinar will be available for anyone unable to attend one of the sessions. Questions can be sent to Felecia Jordan.

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Office of School Accountability and Accreditation

2018-2019 State and Federal Accountability Audits

The window to submit an audit request for the 2018-2019 accountability determinations closes on Sunday, November 17, at 11:59 p.m. ET. All documentation must be submitted to the online portal by this deadline in order to be considered for review. Instructions for how to request are provided here. Questions may be directed here.

 

Office of School Improvement

2020-2021 Course Titles and Descriptions Released with Guidance

The State Board of Education has approved 2020-2021 Course Titles and Descriptions. The information can be found here.

Preschool Roadshow Begins Next Month

Join us the first week of December for the Preschool Roadshow with IDOE specialists from special education, curriculum and instruction, and assessment. Additional participants will include Research Associate Sally Reed-Crawford, and the Director of the IU Bloomington Early Childhood Center, Michael Conn-Powers. Click here to see dates, locations, and how to register. 

Math Transition Course Capacity Building Funding Available

Grants up to $10,000 are available for high schools to build the capacity to offer the Indiana PRIME Math Transition Course. Designed in collaboration with the Commission for Higher Education, the course will prepare high school students for credit-bearing coursework at post-secondary institutions. The application, due December 6, can be found here. Questions may be sent to Jennifer Jensen.

November Office of School Improvement Newsletter

Included in the newsletter is a Family Engagement Toolkit, guidance on ambitious instruction, and the stories of three educational leaders. Learn more here.

Literacy Newsletter

The November edition of the #INspirEDlit newsletter can be found here. Check out this valuable resource for all literacy teachers.

 

Office of Special Education

The Office of Special Education Has Launches Updated Website

The Office of Special Education has launched their new website. We hope you find it more user-friendly. Check out the new look today.

Do You Know a Special Education Hero?

The Office of Special Education wants to recognize special education staff who are doing a great job at working with students with exceptional abilities. Each month we will feature a new Special Education Hero in our monthly From the Director newsletter. To nominate someone, please fill out this form.

 

Office of Innovation

STEM Acceleration Grant Application Deadline Approaching

The STEM Acceleration grant deadline is Friday, November 22. Funds may be used for stipends, professional development/training, and the acquisition of necessary instructional materials needed to implement selected STEM curriculum. Funds may also be used to increase school/community partnerships to provide early STEM career exposure for students. Please note that attendance at the STEM and Computer Science Curriculum Showcase on October 21, was a requirement to be eligible to apply for this grant. Click on this link to review the grant memo.

An In-Depth Look at the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVB)

On November 18 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET, IDOE will host a webinar in partnership with Dr. Shannon Salyer, National Program Manager for ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP). During this webinar, participants will take a closer look at post-test interpretation and the resources available to students. Register for the webinar here.

 

Office of School Finance

Summer School Distribution

The Office of School Finance has finalized the computation for reimbursement of summer school costs. The summer school payment will be made on November 18. Additional information and the detailed list of distributions is available in this memo. Please contact Kathryn Roth or Melissa Ambre with questions.  

 

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Weekly Updates

View previous weekly updates from Dr. McCormick here.  

Stay Informed

Did you miss a message? View previous weekly emails here. Want daily updates? Be sure to follow the Department on Twitter and Facebook.

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