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Public Schools Week is February 24-28. Nine out of 10 students in the United States attend public schools. Plan to join the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) in recognizing Indiana’s public schools.
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Assessment is the Topic in Joint House and Senate Legislative Meeting
On Monday, February 10, a joint education committee meeting was held to discuss the State's assessment system, including the role of Indiana state standards. To note, four assessment vendors presented their programs. To view the full committee video, please click on this link.
Website Created to Assist Indiana Districts and Schools in Promoting Participation
The upcoming U.S. Census will determine the federal funds schools receive. Click here to access IDOE's census resources for superintendents, principals, teachers, and families.
Winter 2020 ILEARN Biology End-of-Course Assessment (ECA) Test Window Continues
Students who completed the high school biology course at second trimester must participate in the Winter 2020 Biology ECA test window, open now through Thursday, February 27.Corporation Test Coordinator’s (CTCs) must report any formal accommodations via the Indiana IEP (IIEP), DOE-TA, and/or the Indiana ILP (IILP) before students begin testing. The paper test window continues through Thursday, February 20. Please contact the AIR Indiana Assessment Help Desk with any questions.
ISTEP+ and ILEARN Biology ECA Response Alerts
During the ISTEP+ and ILEARN Biology ECA online testing windows (including the practice test windows), student responses in AIR’s Test Delivery System (TDS) are flagged for review and posted to the CTC’s Secure Inbox if the text of the student response raises concern. An email alert is sent to the CTC when a new file is posted to the Secure Inbox. Due to the sensitive nature of some alerts (e.g., self-harm, abuse reports, etc.), CTCs are required to review and take appropriate action locally as quickly as possible. Please contact your CTC for more information.
Share with Educators! First Year TA Webinars for New I AM TAs Begins Monday, February, 24
IDOE and AIR will be hosting four webinars for new I AM TAs beginning Monday, February 24. Registration is available on the I AM Portal through Tuesday, March 10 (the date of the final training). As a reminder, educators must register themselves and log into the training in order for AIR to track their attendance. This is a required training for anyone who did not administer I AM in 2019. For questions about registration, please contact the AIR Help Desk with questions about registration. For more information about training for I AM, please refer to the 2019-2020 AIR Training Schedule for Indiana Schools.
Paper Accommodations for Alternate Testers and Alternate Indication of Response
IDOE will be shipping one set of paper materials per school per grade level for I AM to reduce printing unnecessary materials. If students will be sharing these resources, TAs must confirm students have Alternate Indication of Response noted in the IEP and in TIDE to communicate their responses. TAs will be unable to reuse materials after they have been marked by a student if this accommodation is utilized. Erasing marks in an assessment booklet and/or duplicating the materials is a test security violation. Additional paper materials can be ordered by the CTC through the Additional Materials Order Window, which opens March 30. These materials must be approved by IDOE. Please contact the Office of Student Assessment with questions.
Graduation Rate - The Four-Year Clock (Installment #5)
This fifth installment of Managing Your Graduation Rate uses the 2020 cohort as an example of how the calendar of cohort deadlines plays out over a four-year period. These dates may be subject to change and the calendar for each cohort should be verified annually. Knowing the key dates for each cohort will help schools manage their cohorts to successful conclusions. Read the full issue here.
2018-2019 A-F Accountability Appeal Procedures
The State Board of Education has posted the 2018-2019 A-F Accountability Appeal Procedures on its website. A copy of these procedures is available here.
School Connectivity Funds
The distribution of connectivity funds is shifting from a bi-annual distribution to an annual distribution. Schools will receive connectivity funds in the June timeframe. Please read this memo for more information. If you have questions, please email Tracy Brown or reach her by phone at 317-232-6974.
February State Tuition Support Payment
Today, the Office of School Finance released the February payment of State Tuition Support. The payment reflects funding associated with updated special education counts. More information can be found in this memo. If you have questions, please email Melissa Ambre.
Curricular Material Reimbursement
The Office of School Finance distributed curricular material reimbursement funds today to qualifying school corporations and charter schools. Please use this email to share any questions.
February 3 Membership Count
The second membership count date for the 2019-2020 school year was February 3. The membership data clean up phase opened February 13 and closes February 21. The data will be used to calculate January to June Basic Grant funds. Specific information regarding the layout can be found here. Please read the following memo for additional information regarding the count. If you have questions, please contact Melissa Ambre.
Form 9 Submission Period Open
The window to upload Form 9 financial data for the period of July to December 2019 is now open. Local education agencies (LEAs) may submit financial data in DOE Online until February 26. Please use this email to share any questions.
Summer School Estimates
The window to submit the Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses for Summer School 2020 opened February 5 and closes April 1. Please see this memo for information regarding eligible courses, important dates, and financial provisions. Detailed information about the summer school program and how to report is included in Summer School 101. If you have questions, please contact Kathryn Roth or Melissa Ambre.
Subawards or Subcontracts?
Sarah Henry, IDOE Office of School Finance, and Eric Russell, Crowe, will present a webinar on subawards and subcontracts. The webinar will air on February 19 at 10 a.m. ET. Please email any questions you would like to see addressed here and reference “Webinar” in the subject line.
FY 2021 Indirect Cost Rates
The Office of School Finance is accepting applications from LEAs eligible to receive FY 2021 indirect cost rates. Entities, including school corporations and charter schools, that provided Form 9 financial information for FY 2019 are eligible to receive a restricted and an unrestricted indirect cost rate for FY 2021. New charter schools are eligible to apply, but will be subject to the median rate. Application material is located in Moodle.
LINK Portal access for Special Education Cooperatives
Indiana educators are now able to use their school-provided email credentials to log-in to IDOE systems via the LINK portal. This allows all public and non-public accredited schools to use Google’s G-Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365, for the login and password for future IDOE applications. Schools without one of these products should consider using one or the other to streamline access to IDOE systems. IDOE is ready to configure this same access for Special Education Cooperatives. Please see this memo for details on how to connect your Special Education Cooperative’s domain.
Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Roadshows:
It is not too late to register for one of the RDA Roadshows. There are three locations available, including:
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Friday, February 21 – New Albany/Floyd
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Tuesday, February 25 – Ft. Wayne
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Thursday, February 27- Crown Point
The Roadshow scheduled for Thursday, February 20 in Vincennes has been cancelled. Participants will be given priority enrollment for the New Albany/Floyd location. To register, please click here.
From the Director February Newsletter:
The Office of Special Education’s monthly newsletter, From the Director, is now available. To read the newsletter, click here.
Early Learning Newsletter
The February edition of #INspirEDearly, IDOE’s Early Learning Newsletter, is now available here! To get future editions emailed to you, subscribe on IDOE’s Early Learning Website.
February Edition of Aspire Higher
IDOE Office of High Ability’s February newsletter, Aspire Higher, is out. Included in this month’s edition is the newly released opportunity for Higher Education tuition reimbursement along with upcoming professional development and conference opportunities for both high ability and advanced placement.
Digital Course Curation Training Opportunity
IDOE is offering a two-day training to build the capacity of instructional leaders in digital course curation. The training is open to one person per district and will take place at Ball State University April 15-16. Space is limited and participants will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register here. Contact Jennifer Watson for additional information.
February is Indiana Digital Learning Month
Indiana Digital Learning Month 2020 offers many opportunities throughout February to learn about strengthening student learning experiences with the effective use of technology in instructional practices. This is an opportunity for educators to learn from others and to share their own digital learning stories. Check out Indiana Digital Learning Month events here. Visit the Digital Learning Day website and register your local events.
Professional Development Book Club Opportunity
All educators in the state of Indiana are invited to join the conversation. We will be reading Don't Ditch That Tech by Indiana educators Matt Miller, Nate Ridgway, and Angelia Ridgway beginning February 17. Visit DOE's Moodle home page, search for the course Don't Ditch That Tech, log into your Moodle account (or create one if you don't have one), and use the enrollment key "dontditch" to join the course. Contact Meri Carnahan for additional information.
Call for K-5 Computer Science Teachers
IDOE is working to bring a diverse team of Indiana K-5 computer science educators together to develop a standards-aligned computer science scope and sequence, complete with scaffolded activities for each standard at each grade level within the K-2 and 3-5 grade bands. Complete this form by Monday, February 17, to indicate interest. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.
Computer Science Professional Development for K-12 Educators
IDOE is working with five organizations including CodeHS, IndianaComputes!, IU School of Informatics and Computing, Nextech, and Project Lead The Way to bring FREE computer science professional development to Indiana K-12 traditional public and charter school teachers. More information can be found here. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.
Workforce & Innovation Newsletter
Have you read the Workforce & Innovation newsletter? Each monthly newsletter contains information to support educators with relevant and equitable educational opportunities within STEM, computer science, work-based learning, and digital learning. See the February newsletter here.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness SEBW) February Newsletter Available
SEBW Monthly covers information on SEL, MTSS, educator wellness, school social work, and more. To access the newsletter click here.
School Improvement Newsletter
The Office of School Improvement has released the #INspirEDleaders February newsletter. Access the latest newsletter here for new OSI resources and upcoming events.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness (SEBW) February Newsletter Available
SEBW Monthly covers information on SEL, MTSS, educator wellness, school social work, and more. To access the newsletter click here.
Title Con 20/20 Update
The breakout session schedule, which includes the titles, dates, and times for sessions, is now available on the Title Con 20/20 website. Please note the dates and times are tentative, and subject to change, as planning continues. Additional details on the presenters and full descriptions will be coming soon. As a reminder, space is limited for the conference, and we are extremely close to capacity. If you have not registered as of yet, please do so today.
Updated School Prayer Guidance
The U.S. Department of Education released its updated school prayer guidance. Due to these updates, IDOE has also updated its policies to include a new complaint process and complaint form for alleged violation of employee or student right to participate in constitutionally protected prayer. Contact Nathan Williamson with any questions.
INtelligrants Video #2
The second video of IDOE’s series focused on the Consolidated Application is available on the INtelligrants landing page. IDOE is releasing short videos regarding the roll-out of INtelligrants, the new grants management system that will house all funding streams through IDOE. A few grants are being piloted. The next grant areas to utilize the system will be Titles I, II, III, IV, RLIS, and immigrant influx. Due to the complex nature of these funds and several changes that take advantage of the new system features, please look for weekly resources.
21st Century Community Learning Center Cohort 10 Request for Proposal
The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) Cohort 10 Request for Proposal is now available. This funding supports the creation of community learning centers providing academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for youth, particularly youth who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Applications are due August 12. Both LEA and non-LEA applicants are welcome to apply. To access the application, including eligibility requirements (pages nine and 10), click here.
Additional Coursework Funding for Teachers Seeking English Learner, Dual Language, or High Ability Licensure
Please review this memo for teachers wanting to participate in additional coursework in the licensure areas of English learners, dual language, or high ability. The deadline for an LEA representative to submit the form on the behalf of teachers within the district or charter school is March 9. Questions can be sent to Nathan Williamson.
First-Year Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools Grant Opportunity
LEAs with schools who were a first-year Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school, based upon the 2018-2019 federal accountability ratings, are eligible for single school planning grants. LEAs with four or more CSI schools are eligible for further funding to develop a district improvement model. A webinar was held recently to explain this further, for the applications due March 17. Recorded materials can be found here.
Guidance for New Career and Technical Education (CTE) Courses
The Office of CTE within the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet has released guidance for new courses listed in IDOE’s 2020-2021 Course Titles and Descriptions. CTE has also developed a new Nonstandard Course Waiver to support the development and use of these new courses. IDOE will provide a link to the CTE guidance and the new CTE Nonstandard Course Waiver on IDOE’s Course Titles and Descriptions page and Dual Credit page. Please contact Anthony Harl at the Office of CTE with any questions.
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