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The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recognizes Indiana schools for their tireless efforts toward re-entry for the 2020-2021 school year. While the COVID-19 pandemic remains fluid, preparation and planning based on the current status is appreciated.
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Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funding Available
In collaboration among IDOE, Governor’s Office, the Commission for Higher Education, and the Indiana State Board of Education, the state expects to award dozens of grants through the GEER Fund to support device availability, Internet connectivity, and educator capacity. Traditional public school corporations, public charter schools, accredited non-public schools, higher education institutions, and other education-related entities are eligible to apply. The deadline is Friday, July 17. To apply, click here. Questions may be sent here.
COVID-19 Communications Update
Dr. McCormick will not be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, June 30. School leaders are encouraged to monitor this publication weekly for updates regarding future webinar opportunities. Additionally, as a reminder, IDOE’s COVID-19 FAQ document is updated regularly and available here. Please contact Holly Stachler with questions.
Important IN-CLASS Update Information
IDOE is committed to continuously updating the IN-CLASS Considerations as the fluid nature of COVID-19 influences guidance. Updates are highlighted with a change log in the back of the document located here. Please contact Holly Stachler with questions.
IDOE continues to provide clear and timely guidance related to bills passed during the 2020 legislative session. Find the latest releases below and a curation of all 2020 legislative guidance here.
Guidance on House Enrolled Act 1305 – Graduation Rate Calculation
Please read this memo for information regarding mobility code changes, starting with the 2025 cohort, for those students who withdraw because of a sincerely held religious belief. Please see this form which must be completed for these students.
Guidance on Senate Enrolled Act 398 – Patriotic Youth Membership Organizations (1 of 2)
Please read this memo for information allowing patriotic youth membership organizations to provide information to students on school property.
Guidance for Collecting Data on Home Internet Access
Indiana schools are urged to move forward with efforts to collect information about home Internet access through your student information system (SIS) during the school registration process. Please read this memo for guidance about what data elements to collect and Indiana’s alignment with national data collection efforts.
Data Exchange Guidance Available
IDOE will begin implementation of the Data Exchange System in the 2020-2021 school year. A training video has been released to help LEAs prepare for the new system. The training video includes information on the Ed-Fi data standard, the Data Exchange System, Roles within Data Exchange, and guidance on how to prepare for implementation. The training video can be found here. IDOE will collect the Non-Certified Employees (NE), Attendance (AT), and Calendar (CL) information via Data Exchange next year. Additional information related to the implementation can be found here.
Please Review Draft Average Daily Membership (ADM) and Course Completion Report
Last week, schools received e-mails with access to a preliminary report regarding ADM and Course Completion. This new report provides the public with information about the relationship between ADM funding and course completion. Specifically, IDOE must prepare a report for the 2019-2020 school year by December 1, for each school corporation, charter, and choice school detailing fall and spring ADM, enrollment numbers, the number of students participating in the statewide assessment, and the number of students enrolled in the school that are 20 years of age or older. Each school should review their draft report and the guidance IDOE has released about this report on its legislative guidance page (see House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1066 – Various Education Matters 4 of 5). The final report will be created after Period 2 data for 2019-2020 is finalized.
Retirement of Compass
As part of modernizing agency data systems, IDOE is retiring Compass. The launch of INview, the platform replacing Compass, was announced earlier this year. Details regarding INview and the retirement plan for Compass are available here.
Guidance on COVID-19 Impact on Licensure Applicants
IDOE’s Educator Licensing team has prepared a YouTube video providing key information explaining the policy modifications and waivers resulting COVID-19-related closures and cancellations, and the impact on licensure applicants. Please contact Nina King with any questions.
Upcoming 2020 Cohort Deadlines
The deadline for schools to submit RT/EM records to exit students from the 2020 cohort is June 30. Schools should check their cohort reports in Learning Connection for accuracy. Guidance on how to fix common errors can be found in the Accountability and Accreditation Community in Moodle (enrollment key: "AccountabilityCommunity"). Questions should be sent here.
2018 Grad Rate Five-Year Audit
IDOE will again be conducting a voluntary audit of the 2018 five-year graduation rate. Additional information is available here.
Lexile® and Quantile® Measures: Summer Professional Development for Educators
In our effort to help schools anticipate potential achievement amid curricular demands once schools reopen, the Office of Student Assessment (OSA) partnered with MetaMetrics to estimate students’ projected Lexile and Quantile measures. In anticipation of releasing these data to schools this fall, three training sessions will be provided to help calibrate educators’ understanding of Lexile and Quantile measures. Three subsequent sessions will provide an overview of the projected measures and how educators can use them to help students. Please share this memo with educators in your corporation or school. Contact OSA with any questions.
ISTEP+ Spring 2020 First Time Administration Results Publish July 1
Final results for ISTEP+ Spring 2020 First Time Administration (FTA) will be available in the Online Reporting System (ORS) beginning July 1. These results were impacted by COVID-19 test cancelations: students did not complete minimum thresholds of the assessment to receive a scale score or subscores. OSA is only able to provide test attempt data for this administration. Students who completed any portion of the assessment will receive an “Undetermined” score, which can be submitted as a test attempt to fulfill Graduation Waiver requirements as needed. A special ISTEP+ Spring 2020 Letter to Families is available to explain these results to parents.
2020-2021 Formative Assessment Grant Application Window Opens July 7
The Formative Assessment Grant application window for School Year 2020-2021 is open July 7 - August 7. Schools should review the grant overview, approved assessment programs memo, and instructions for submitting an application as needed to support the application process. Schools may also review this FAQ addressing common questions about the Formative Assessment Grant’s relationship to dyslexia screeners.
The State of Indiana reallocated some state funds due to state and community needs related to COVID-19. Review this memo for fiscal details specific to the 2020-2021 Formative Assessment Grant allocation reduction.
Office of Special Education Releases Guidance on Virtual Due Process Hearings
With the uncertainty of school buildings closing again in the future, IDOE has provided guidance for independent hearing officers (IHOs), parents, and schools for conducting special education due process hearings through a virtual platform. Please read this guidance.
Leadership Development Opportunity Announcement
The Office of Special Education is excited to announce the 2020-2021 Aspiring Special Education Leaders Institute (Institute). The Institute is a one-year leadership development program designed to improve outcomes for all students by preparing a diverse group of educators for leadership roles in special education. The application deadline is July 17. Learn more and apply here.
Guidance on Student Enrollment in Alternative Education
Indiana Code lists five criteria for students to be eligible to enroll in an Alternative Education program. Please review this memo for guidance about students who may meet the established criteria.
Upcoming Digital Learning Webinar - Getting Copyrighteous
Join us on Tuesday, June 30 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) for a webinar with Diana Gill, Indiana educator and author of our summer book study selection, Copyrighteous. Learn about being a responsible creator and respecting copyright while creating an engaging classroom with the support that you need. Register for the webinar here.
STEM School Certification and Recertification Process and Evaluation Rubric
The STEM School Certification process is now open for the 2020-2021 school year. Schools in Cohort 2 will also be submitting for recertification. Submissions are due October 30, 2020. Access the 2020-2021 STEM School Certification Guide here and updated rubric here. A webinar explaining the application process will be available soon and will be located on the IDOE’s STEM Education page. Contact Shannon Dick 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 public charter school teachers. All summer 2020 opportunities have shifted to a virtual format. More information can be found here. Contact Jake Koressel with questions.
Charter School Dyslexia Data Reporting Must Be Submitted by June 30
Indiana Code 20-35.5 et. seq., as created by SEA 217 (2018) known as the “Dyslexia Law,” requires all public and charter schools to report dyslexia screening data to IDOE. If your charter school administered the universal (initial) screener to students during the 2019-2020 school year, this data must be submitted by June 30. Please submit this information to IDOE here. Contact Joe Risch for additional information.
SEA 246 Resources
The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction has created an example memorandum of understanding (MOU) to assist schools and providers with meeting the requirements of Senate Enrolled Act 246. Please see additional resources here.
CARES Act Direct Grants
IDOE is utilizing a portion of its state-level set-aside to provide further support to LEAs and educationally-related entities with needs prioritized upon special populations, rural locales, hard-hit areas, and institutions that serve juveniles. This direct grant opportunity is due June 30. Submission information and additional details can be found in this memo.
Virtual Annual Meeting Guidance Available
IDOE’s Title Grants and Support Team has created digital resources to support LEAs in conducting their annual Title I meeting in a virtual, or small group format due to COVID-19. The Title I meetings resource guide provides digital resources in a variety of categories to assist schools when large group meetings are not feasible due to health or other considerations. Additional guidance for hosting Title I meetings virtually, or convening the annual meeting during parent teacher conferences is also available. All resources have been posted on IDOE’s COVID-19 Resources for Indiana Schools page for accessibility.
Guidance Available Through Title Grants Fiscal Handbook
IDOE’s Title Grants and Support team has created a Fiscal Handbook to support LEAs. It includes guidance for understanding state and federal grant requirements and grant implementation. Click here to access the Fiscal Guidance Handbook on the Title Grants landing page.
Guidance Offered in Understanding INtelligrants Training Video
IDOE’s Title Grants and Support Team has created a summary breaking down the INtelligrants virtual training video into shortened segments. The “cheat sheet” provides links to important topics covered in the training. Please click here to access the INtelligrants Virtual Training Cheat Sheet and feel free to contact Title Grants with any questions or concerns.
Non-Public School-Centered INtelligrants Virtual Training
On July 27, IDOE will offer a virtual training opportunity on the new INtelligrants e-grants management system. The session will he be held from 2:30-3:30 p.m. (EST) using Microsoft Teams. The training will be available here. It is suggested that those interested in the July 27 session watch any videos pertaining to the Consolidated Application prior to the training to prepare for the Non-Public Section within the Pre-Application.
Indiana Dual Language Newsletter Now Available
Please click here to find opportunities and resources in the latest version of the Indiana Dual Language Newsletter. Newsletter highlights include upcoming events and helpful resources.
IDOE Principal Toolkit
IDOE has created this webpage dedicated to providing school principals access to resources to support leaders in challenging times. IDOE will continually update this resource to include up to relevant support and guidance.
Excessive Education Fund Transfer List- UPDATE
Please read the updated memo regarding the Excessive Education Fund Transfer List based on Form 9 financial data filed by school corporations. Please send any questions here. The deadline is July 31.
CARES Act Fund Numbers
The Office of School Finance has added new fund numbers for reporting CARES Act expenditures. Please read this memo for details. Please send any questions here.
School Technology Advancement Applications
Beginning June 22 and ending July 17, the Office of School Finance will accept School Technology Advancement Applications. Additional information will follow next week.
Office of School Finance Annual Budget Workshop
Due to COVID-19, the Office of School Finance will not hold its Annual Budget Workshop in June. In lieu of the workshop, staff will record and post a WebEx that includes state tuition support and other updates.
FY 2021 Membership Count Dates
IDOE will collect an average daily membership count of students in fall 2020 and spring 2021. The fall count date is September 18, and the spring count date is February 1, 2021. IDOE will use both counts to calculate FY 2021 Basic Grant distributions. Please read this memo for additional information.
Annual Financial Report
I.C. 5-3-1-3 requires the secretary of each public school corporation to publish an Annual Financial Report (AFR). The report must be published one time annually, not earlier than August 1, or later than August 15 of each year. The statute also requires IDOE to develop guidelines for the preparation and formatting of the report. Guidelines are available here and can also be found in MOODLE Finance. The submission deadline is August 15.
2020 Census Completion Rate
As of June 24, Indiana’s 2020 Census response rate is 66.1 percent which is slightly higher than the national average of 61.6 percent. Please encourage staff and families to complete the census. The result will be a lifelong impact on student and community success. Click here for IDOE census resources.
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