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The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) understands the challenges schools are facing during this time of remote learning, and our staff is eager to support you! Our newly designed remote learning resource page provides a searchable database of online, offline, and TV and video resources.
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Families First Coronavirus Response Act Impact on School Corporations Shared
School officials and school employees are seeking additional information on the extent to which the Families First Coronavirus Response Act applies to a school corporation and what protections it may provide to its employees. The Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA) has created a guidance document for school corporations on matters they should be aware of regarding the federal act.
Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest COVID-19 Information
IDOE is committed to providing guidance and support through streamlined communications. IDOE’s COVID-19 webpage offers access to a variety of resources, including links to our COVID-19 FAQ document and Dr. McCormick’s Weekly Webinar for School Leaders. Send questions regarding additional communications or access to IDOE Chief Communications Strategist, Holly Stachler.
UPDATED FEMA Public Assistance Information
Additional guidance for schools has been provided in support of those submitting Requests for Public Assistance (RPA). The deadline for submitting the RPA has been extended to May 30. If your district is not seeking reimbursement at this time, completing the application will preserve your ability to do so in the future. Additional information and access to the application can be found here.
Holiday Closing
All state agencies will be closed today, Friday, April 10, in observance of Good Friday. State agencies will resume regular hours on Monday, April 13.
2020 Assessment Guidance
The Office of Student Assessment (OSA) updated recent assessment guidance for assessment deployment and reporting. Review the attached memo for clarification. Please send all questions here.
Funding for PSAT/NMSQT Fall 2020 Administration
The State of Indiana provides funds to measure students’ college- and career-readiness, indicate student academic strengths and challenges, and provide additional support to students. PSAT/NMSQT may be used by schools during school year 2020-2021 for this purpose. Review this guidance for details.
DELAYED: ILEARN Winter 2020 (February) Biology End-of-Course (ECA) Rescore Request Window
The ILEARN Winter 2020 Biology ECA rescore request window is delayed based on the extended closure of school facilities. OSA will communicate details to schools once this window is rescheduled during late Summer.
Office of School Transportation
Per Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order 20-16, IDOE has waived the requirement to conduct bus evacuation drills and seat belt use instruction during the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year, as normally required under IC 20-27-3-65.
Common School Loans
To assist school corporations with an immediate need to purchase technology and related equipment, the Office of School Finance will accept applications for construction and technology loans from school corporations and school corporation career and technical education schools, from April 6, 2020 through April 24. Petitions must be received by the Office of School Finance by April 24 to be considered. Please read the Spring Common School Advancement memo, and review the Common School AV to ADM List for information. Please send all questions here. The application deadline is April 24.
Procurement/Bidding Process
Please read the attached memo regarding the school procurement and bidding process used by school corporations. The memo builds on recent communications released by the State Board of Accounts as a result of COVID-19.
Summer School Estimates
Due to COVID-19 and its operational impact on school corporations and charter schools, IDOE is extending the window to submit the Estimated Instructional Costs Report and List of Courses for Summer School 2020 to June 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. The submission deadline is June 1.
FY 2021 Indirect Cost Rates
The window to submit an application for FY 2021 Indirect Cost Rates has been extended to April 30. Local education agencies, 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. Please email the application and required material here. The application deadline is is April 30.
April Tuition Support Payment
The Office of School Finance has recalculated FY 2020 Basic Grant funding for school corporations and charter schools. The FY 2020 State Tuition Support Worksheet can be viewed and printed from the School Finance Application Center. The April 15, 2020, Basic Grant reflects actual February 2020 average daily membership (ADM) non-virtual and virtual student counts. Please read the April Tuition Support Payment memo which can be found in MOODLE Finance. The State Tuition Support Payment Distribution date is April 15.
Fall 2020 ADM Estimate
The window for school corporations and charter schools to submit a September 2020 membership estimate has been extended to May 1. The membership estimate should reflect the count of virtual and non-virtual students anticipated to be enrolled and attending the school corporation or charter school in September. Officials will submit the ADM estimate in the School Finance Application Center (State Aid). Please contact Melissa Ambre with any questions. The deadline for submission is May 1.
Clarification on School Calendar Updates for the Remainder of the 2019-2020 School Year
IDOE expects that once a corporation or school determines a plan for providing instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, that the calendar for the individual school(s) will be updated in DOE-Online through the end of the school year. If changes later become necessary, the calendar should be updated to reflect the changes. For simplicity, schools should utilize one of two codes for the remainder of the school year, COVID-19 Closure or COVID -19 ELearning. (Holidays that were already to be scheduled off and vacation days already scheduled should be left on the calendar.) The “COVID-19 Closure” code should be utilized for any day where instruction was canceled due to COVID-19. These days may have been used for professional development for staff, teacher workdays, or closures. The “COVID-19 eLearning” code should be utilized for any day where instruction occurred due to COVID-19, whether the instruction occurred through an eLearning platform or through other remote learning opportunities. Detailed calendar guidance can be found here. Please email all calendar questions here.
EdPlan Connect- New Feature in IIEP
With EdPlan Connect, parents/guardians can sign documents electronically and stay up to date with student progress. For more information to share with school personnel, please click here. Guidance for parents on EdPlan connect is available here. Please note this feature will be live through the end of the school year.
Office of Special Education COVID-19 Medicaid Webpage Available
Just a reminder to all LEAs that the Office of Special Education’s School-Based Medicaid webpage contains many COVID-19 updates regarding telemedicine expansion, relaxing HIPPA restrictions, and links for helping families with Medicaid eligibility and enrolling students in coverage. More can be found here, or by contacting Tracy Brunner or Patrick Rhodes.
Frequently Used Daily Accommodations Resource Released
IDOE’s Office of Special Education, in collaboration with the Indiana IEP Resource Center (IEPRC), has developed a list of daily accommodations that are frequently used by students in the brick and mortar setting, and examples of how these accommodations can be applied remotely when implementing continuous learning. View Continuous Learning and Accommodations guidance here.
Guidance on Grading
IDOE has released this guidance on issuing grades for the current grading period. Please send all questions to IDOE’s Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Jennifer Jensen.
NCAA Initial-Eligibility Requirements
The NCAA has released a statement regarding initial-eligibility requirements in light of COVID-19. Please read this document for updated information regarding NCAA initial-eligibility.
Important Information Regarding 2019-2020 Teacher Evaluations
Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-20, this guidance regarding 2019-2020 teacher evaluations has been issued. Questions regarding this guidance document should be directed to Robin Leclaire.
2020-2021 Teacher Leaders Bootcamp Application Window Now Open
In partnership with our sponsors KI, Schmidt Associates, and Gibraltar Design, IDOE has opened the application window for teachers interested in participating in the 2020-2021 Teacher Leaders Bootcamp Cohort 2. For more information or to apply, click here.
2021 Teacher of the Year Selection Process Update
IDOE recognizes that some districts may not have the capacity to complete a typical selection process and would like to extend flexibility for the 2021 Teacher of the Year nomination process. Details can be found here.
Revised Comprehensive Needs Assessment/School Improvement Plan (CNA/SIP) Template Is Now Available
The CNA/SIP template is now available here and fulfills all school improvement plan mandates under state law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) schools, and CNA requirements for Title I Schoolwide Programs. Plans are due Friday, October 2, 2020. Technical assistance will be provided via virtual support or by phone. To schedule a time, please email John Purcell. Please click here to determine if your school is CSI and/or TSI.
Federal Fiscal Waiver
IDOE requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) to extend federal spending deadlines and remove certain programmatic and fiscal requirements. Although USED has already approved IDOE’s waiver, which is detailed in FAQ #2. IDOE must offer the ability for the public to provide input. The public survey can be found here, and will be available through April 24. Questions may be sent to Nathan Williamson.
CARES Act Guidance and Waiver to Extend Spending Deadlines
IDOE has released guidance regarding the CARES Act, which includes an estimate of funding that have been sent to LEAs, to Superintendents, Title Program Administrators, and Treasurers. IDOE recently received a waiver from the USED that extends spending deadlines for federal funds from 2018-2019, and a waiver of the 15 percent carryover limitation for Title I 2019-2020 funds. Questions may be sent to Nathan Williamson.
New Guidance: Cohort One and Two Innovation Grants
The Office of Charter Schools has released new guidance and timelines for the Cohort One and Cohort Two Innovation Grants as a result of COVID-19. Please see the CSP website for details.
Advanced Placement (AP) Updates From the College Board
College Board released detailed information regarding spring online AP exams for educators and for students. Please use this form to notify College Board if a student is in need of a device or internet service for purposes of AP testing.
Initial Indiana Census Response Higher Than National Average
It has been one week since the 2020 Census officially started. As of April 6, Indiana has a response rate of 49 percent, which is above the national rate of 45 percent. Dubois County leads the state with a 62 percent response rate. As schools communicate with their parents and school communities, please continue to encourage participation in the census. IDOE has a variety of resources available here.
Monitoring Student Well-Being at Home
The Department of Child Services created this helpful document for educators to monitor student well-being while working from home.
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