An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for August 14, 2020

indiana department of education - doctor jennifer mccormick - superintendent of public instruction
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Dr. Mac

 

On Wednesday, Governor Holcomb announced a proposed ADM Count Date Delay. Read Dr. McCormick’s statement regarding this announcement here.


COVID-19 Updates and Guidance

Information Regarding Dr. McCormick’s Webinar for School Leaders

Dr. McCormick will not be hosting a bi-weekly webinar on Tuesday, August 18. Continue to monitor this publication for the most recent updates regarding future webinars.

 

Legislative Updates and Guidance

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) continues to provide clear and timely guidance related to bills passed during the 2020 legislative session. Find a curation of all 2020 legislative guidance here.

 

IDOE Newsletters Centrally Located for Convenience

All IDOE newsletters can be found in one convenient location. See August updates and past issues here.

 

Office of Student Assessment

New! Key Updates for 2020-2021 School Year

There are several changes regarding assessment for the 2020-2021 school year, including changes in high school test administration and accommodations. Please review this information for additional details.

New! Remote Guidance

IDOE offers this supplemental resource delineating remote proctoring guidance for the upcoming school year. The Office of Assessment is committed to reviewing scenarios with your teams if additional clarifications are needed for the administration of valid assessments.  

New! LEARN Winter 2020 (February) Biology End-of-Course-Assessment (ECA) Rescore Request Window Opens Monday

Beginning Monday, parents and schools may view, discuss, and if needed, request rescores of eligible open-ended items on behalf of students who participated in the Winter 2020 (February) ILEARN Biology ECA. Parents must visit the school during the defined window (August 17-28) to meet with the principal and participate in the rescore process, which includes signing a non-disclosure agreement before viewing any test content in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE). Schools should review the 2019-2020 Request an Item Rescore Module for details about this process in TIDE. 

Please email questions to the Cambium Assessment Helpdesk or contact by phone at 866-298-4256.

New! Live Binder for Case Conference Committees

IDOE partnered with Project SUCCESS to build a Live Binder filled with resources for Case Conference Committees. This resource is available on the ESSA’s 1 percent Cap on Alternate Assessment Participation page and can be found here.

New! Tools for Teachers Trainings

Tools for Teachers is an easy-to-search website featuring lessons and activities designed to save teachers time. It includes accessibility resources, formative assessment strategies, activities, and other resources aligned to Indiana Academic Standards. Tools for Teachers will be available to all teachers through TIDE on September 14. In preparation for its launch, IDOE will be hosting trainings for educators and administrators. Register below:

  • September 1      4-4:30 p.m. (EDT)   For Administrators     Register

  • September 3      4-4:30 p.m. (EDT)   For Administrators     Register

    September 15    4-5 p.m. (EDT)        For Educators            Register

  • September 17    4-5 p.m. (EDT)        For Educators            Register


New! ISPROUT 2020-2021 Data Collection and Remote Guidance

ISPROUT data collection periods (i.e., test windows) have been updated for the 2020-2021 school year. There are four data collection times for teachers to input appropriate scores for students as appropriate. Additional details are available in this memo. Remote/virtual learning is impacting many early learning programs. As a result, OSA and the Office of Special Education have provided guidance to assist programs as their instructional environments may change.

Update: OSA Website and Guidance Refresh

OSA updated several guidance documents, including the 2020-2021 Indiana Assessments Policy Manual, which was posted to the website following Indiana State Board of Education approval. New guidance documents and resources for the 2020-2021 school year will be posted to OSA’s website over the next several business days. Please contact OSA if you have questions regarding these updates.

Updates to Indiana IIEP (IIEP)

The IIEP system was recently updated to ensure alignment with the 2020-2021 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance. Corporation Test Coordinators (CTCs) should share updates with Special Education Directors and appropriate staff.  Additional changes articulated in the Release Notes define text changes for IREAD-3 and Graduation Pathways. These changes do not impact accommodations available for students. Indiana IEP Resource Center has created a video demonstrating the updates. More details are available in this memo.

 

Office of Academics / School Improvement

New! Alternative Education Grant Renewal

The 2020-2021 Alternative Education Grant Renewal Application is currently open through Friday, October 9. Please read this memo for information on renewing existing Alternative Education grants for the 2020-2021 academic year. Questions about the grant renewal should be directed to Kimb Stewart.

Update: Resource Allocation Review Webinar and FAQ 

As required by ESSA, IDOE will soon begin the resource allocation review process. This is done to ensure school improvement efforts in local education agencies (LEAs) with CSI or ATSI schools are adequately leveraging resources to promote equity and excellence for all students. Please review the recorded webinar here and the FAQ here.

Update: CNA/SIP Template Presentations Available

Recordings of the CNA/SIP template presentations are available for schools to access on the Office of School Improvement’s School Improvement Plans webpage. These include overviews of the revised consolidated CNA/SIP template, and guidance for facilitating a gap analysis and conducting a root cause analysis. For questions about the template or assistance in school improvement planning, contact John Purcell.

Reminder: Save the Date for Training on Closing Educational Learning Gaps

Please join IDOE for an October 14 training webinar focused on closing learning gaps. Additional information is available here.

 

Office of Academics / Special Education

New! Resources Available for Out-of-School Instruction

The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) has issued a brief regarding the differences between remote learning, homebound, and homeschool instruction. Please click here for additional information.

New! COVID-19-Related Guidance for Special Populations

The Office of Special Education has created a new resource that includes guidance for providing instruction to special populations amid COVID-19.  The information includes face masks, toileting protocols, steps for interacting with students who require close contact, and physical intervention/ restraint protocols. For additional information, contact Sarah Mohr.

Reminder: IIEP Accommodations Course Must Be Completed by September 30

A Moodle course outlining the Indiana IEP (IIEP) Accommodations page is now available (course name: IIEP Accommodations). This course is mandatory for all IIEP users and must be completed by September 30. Pleases find instructions on how to enroll in the course here.

Update: IIEP August 2020 Updates

Important updates to the Indiana IEP (IIEP) system will be released on August 14. Click here to view the releases. The information is also available on the Office of Special Education’s Moodle page under “August 2020 Release Notes” in the “Upcoming Releases” folder. For additional information, please contact Emma Everson.

Reminder: Indiana Resource Network Support Available to Schools

The Office of Special Education funds many of the Indiana Resource Network centers which support schools on all topics related to special education. Information and videos are provided so that school personnel can review the offerings from each center. Contact Kristan Sievers-Coffer for additional information. 

 

Office of Academics / Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness

New! Secondary EL Toolkit Now Available

IDOE’s EL team and state EL leaders have released the Secondary EL Toolkit. Please read, reference, and share this resource. Educators from across the state collaborated to create this toolkit. The four chapters that relate to newcomers, students with limited and interrupted formal education, scheduling, credits, differentiation, and long-term ELs are just some of the topics highlighted in the toolkit.

New! SEL PD for Special Area Teachers

IDOE’s Office of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness team is partnering with art, music, health, and physical education teachers to host a live webinar on how to embedded SEL into these respective classroom environments. Webinar will take place August 20 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. (EDT). See additional information here.

 

Office of Academics / Teaching and Learning

New! Early Intervention Grant (EIG) 2020-2021

The 2020-2021 Indiana Literacy Early Intervention Grant (EIG) is focused on improving early literacy. This grant is open to all accredited public, charter, and non-public schools that contain kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. Grant funds are to be used to better equip teachers to meet the needs of students, to enhance student engagement, and to increase student literacy achievement. In order to participate, each school corporation, charter, or private school must complete this Request to Participate form by September 4. Additional information about the 2020-2021 Early Intervention Grant (EIG) can be found here. All questions can be sent to Rose Tomishima.

Update: Upcoming Webinars - Teaching In a Digital World Series

Our “Teaching in a Digital World” webinar series will continue over the next three weeks. Each week we will cover a different topic related to the three pillars for digital learning: Leadership, Teaching and Learning, and Community Engagement. Visit our Teaching In a Digital World webpage to get links to recorded webinars and slide decks.  

August 18 -     Episode 3: Student Engagement (click here to register)

August 25 -     Episode 4: Check for Understanding (click here to register)

September 1 - Episode 5: Differentiation (registration coming soon) 

Contact Jennifer Watson with any questions. 

Update: Digital Learning Capacity Building Grant - Call for Applications

IDOE recognizes the need to build the capacity of teachers to deliver highly-effective digital learning. To aid schools/districts in building this capacity, IDOE is launching the Digital Learning Capacity Building Grant. Through this innovative program, grants will be awarded to schools/districts that develop comprehensive plans to bring blended and digital learning training to their teachers through micro-credentialing. Read this memo for additional information. The application deadline for the first round of this grant is Friday, August 28, at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).

Update: Virtual Support from Indiana University High School

As a way to support Hoosier high school partners, Indiana University High School is making a "starter kit" of online high school course material freely available to Indiana high school teachers. Course material packets will include a module of introductory course lessons and assignments, and a User Guide for implementing the first virtual course module and building subsequent virtual course materials. The User Guide contains the “Anatomy of an Online Course Module” infographic, instructions for identifying and creating standards-based online content, guidance for assessments showcasing student understanding and hold students accountable, and suggestions for choosing relevant supplemental virtual resources and tools. Contact Rebecca C. Itow for access to materials.

 

Office of Academics / Title Grants

New! Additional CARES Act Federal Guidance

On Wednesday, July 29, the Office of Non-Public Education published six additional guidance responses pertaining to the GEER and ESSER Funds. You can find the additional resource here.

New! Data Base of Evidence-Based Interventions for ESSA Available

IDOE has developed a clearinghouse of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that meet ESSA’s threshold. This means that the interventions in the clearinghouse have been vetted by IDOE and are viable choices for LEAs pursing school improvement grant (SIG) funds. The EBI Clearinghouse can be found on the SIG webpage. Please read the guidance for using the clearinghouse and reach out to Gina Romano with any questions.

New! High Ability Virtual Learning Team Members Sought

IDOE's Office of High Ability is looking for innovative high ability teacher leaders who are virtual differentiation and enrichment experts to develop resources specific to the virtual high ability learner. Nominations should be submitted on behalf of high ability teachers of all grades and all disciplines. If you are one of these teachers or you know one of these teachers, please contact Whitney Coake with your nomination.

Reminder: Federally-Funded Course Supporting Student Enrollment Available

The Office of Charter Schools and Special Programs is sponsoring a federally-funded course to support student enrollment. Although geared toward charter schools as a condition of the federal grant stream, other entities like traditional public school corporations may wish to participate as well. Course completion is worth 45 PGP credits. Please click here for additional information and to submit an application for the course.

Office of School Finance

Reminder: Form 9

Please read the following memo regarding updates for the July to December 2020 Form 9 financial data submission. The due date for the financial data is January 31, 2021. If you have questions, please email us at Form 9 and include your four digit school corporation in the subject line. 

Reminder: 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, and send any questions here. 

Reminder: Summer School

The window to submit the Final Instructional Costs Report for Summer School 2020 is open. In order to be eligible to receive a summer school payment, the report must be submitted, or re-submitted as often as necessary, on or before the submission deadline of September 11. The link to access the report is posted in the Summer School folder in Moodle Finance and on IDOE's website. If you have additional questions about the Final Instructional Costs Report for Summer School 2020, please contact Kathryn Roth or Teresa Hemmerle. The submission deadline is September 11.

Reminder: 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 of and format of the AFR. The guidelines can be found in MOODLE FinanceThe report submission deadline is August 15.

 


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