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On behalf of the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) staff, I wish you and your family a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving break. Your continued hard work for Hoosier students is recognized and appreciated.
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All IDOE newsletters are located in one convenient location. Please find November updates and past issues here.
Reminder: New Safety Training Opportunity Available
The Office of School Building Physical Security and Safety will be offering safety training opportunities for non-school safety specialists. Participants will have the opportunity to earn professional growth points. Additional information can be found here.
Reminder: Public Comment on Indiana’s Request for Flexibility from Federal Accountability Requirements for 2020-2021
IDOE is seeking public comment on its request to the US Department of Education to waive certain federal requirements pertaining to federal accountability for the 2020-2021 school year. This request is in response to the direct impact of COVID-19 on the ability to produce valid, reliable, and comparable accountability data and results for the 2020-2021 school year. Information on the request may be found on IDOE's website. Public comments should be submitted here. IDOE will accept public comment through December 4. Educators with questions regarding the public comment process are asked to send them here.
New! ILEARN Biology ECA Fall 2020 Test Window Opens Monday, November 30
The Biology ECA Fall 2020 test window will be open Monday, November 30 through Thursday, December 17. Students who will complete the high school biology course at the end of this semester should participate during this test window. IDOE realizes some schools may not be able to administer the ILEARN Biology ECA to students during the upcoming fall window due to virtual instruction in many parts of the state. Since student participation in the ILEARN Biology ECA is a federal requirement for Indiana schools, schools should plan to administer the assessment to these students during the next possible test window. Please contact the Office of Student Assessment (OSA) with any questions.
New! 2020-2021 ILEARN Test Coordinator’s Manual (TCM) Now Available
The 2020-2021 ILEARN TCM is now available for download from the Indiana Assessment Portal. The ILEARN TCM provides an overview of ILEARN assessments and related protocols specific to the test coordinator’s role. Please review the manual and notify OSA or the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with any questions.
New! Smarter Balanced Annotated Response Tool (SmART) Available for Educators
SmART is an online resource for exploring English/Language Arts (ELA) Performance Task (PT) Writing Prompt responses. SmART features annotated responses for at least one writing prompt in each grade level and can be accessed here. More information about SmART is noted in this flyer.
New! Alternate Assessment Assurance and Justification Survey Due December 18
Corporations over the 1 percent should complete the Alternate Assessment Assurance and Justification Survey by December 18, as defined in the Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Planning Tool sent Friday, November 13. Survey feedback is needed as a part of Indiana’s 1 Percent Waiver Extension Request submission. Questions regarding this survey should be communicated to Stephanie Thompson and Sarah Mohr.
New! WIDA ACCESS Initial Materials Alternate Delivery Date Request
WIDA ACCESS initial materials orders are scheduled to arrive in corporations on Monday, January 4, 2021. Please complete this form to request an alternate delivery date in the event that your corporation will not be staffed on January 4 to receive and securely store these materials. Requests must be submitted by noon (ET) on Friday, December 11.
New! WIDA Resource: Assessment Best Practices during COVID-19
WIDA created an "Assessment Best Practices During COVID-19" resource to supplement the existing test coordinator and test administrator manuals. This resource provides support to educators administering the WIDA Screener and the WIDA ACCESS assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that this guidance reflects WIDA’s analysis of current best practices. It does not replace or amend guidance provided by the CDC, the State of Indiana, your county, or your school corporation.
Reminder: Text-to-Speech (TTS) Guidance Webinar
IDOE is hosting three webinars to offer more information about the recent guidance regarding TTS. This webinar is for special education directors, Corporation Test Coordinators, administrators, superintendents, and classroom teachers. Dates, times, and registration are available here.
Reminder: Important Update on Teacher Appreciation Grants
Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) distribution information and allocation amounts are now available. Learn more here.
Reminder: Save the Date for the Third “Educating the Whole Child Summit”
The "Educating the Whole Child Summit" will be held virtually on February 24, 2021. Please find additional information, registration, and session proposal links here. Please contact Christy Berger with any additional questions.
New! Office of Special Education (OSE) Offers Bonus Weekly OSE Webinar (WOW) on Child Count
On Monday, November 30, OSE will be presenting a bonus WOW on the topic of Child Count. Please join host Brandon Myers from 2:00-3:00 p.m., (ET), as he discusses each reported data field that must be reported in the DOE/SE data collection. This includes changes and special considerations. You may register for the November 30 webinar here.
In addition to the BONUS WOW, the regularly scheduled Thursday WOW will take place on Thursday, December 3 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (ET). Please register for the December 3 webinar here.
Updated: Indiana Resource Network (IRN) Partnership Spotlight
In addition to OSE, IRNs offer Indiana public schools free or low cost in-person and virtual professional development and technical assistance options. This includes the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education (CDHHE) who promotes positive outcomes for all deaf and hard of hearing children so they can reach their full potential. Please contact Kristan Sievers-Coffer with any questions.
New! Computer Science Education Week - December 7-11
Scheduled to coincide with Grace Hopper’s birthday each year, Computer Science Education Week and Worldwide Hour of Code are just around the corner! This year’s #CSEdWeek is December 7-11. For information on how to get involved and/or host an Hour of Code, visit this page. Be sure to share your activities on social media using the hashtags #CSforIN and #IndianaHoC2020 and tag @EducateIN. For additional information, contact Jake Koressel.
Reminder: IU Turnkey Courses for High School Available for Download
Indiana University’s high school courses are now available for download. As many schools are transitioning to remote learning, these courses can be adapted and adjusted, as needed by Indiana educators. Register here to participate in office hours where educators can ask questions about the materials and implementation. Contact Jennifer Watson with any questions. Continue to watch for additional information on continuous improvements coming with Phase 2.
Reminder: Upcoming EL Leadership Meeting – December 2
Do not miss the next EL Leadership Meeting, which will be held virtually on Wednesday, December 2, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Topics will include updates on WIDA ACCESS testing, 2020 WIDA Standards rollout, and many more EL updates. See the EL PD Opportunities Calendar for access links to the meeting.
State Board of Education Seeking Input for Next State Accountability Rule
The Indiana State Board of Education seeks input on a draft framework to serve as the foundation for the next iteration of the state’s accountability rule. The framework, informational webinars, and input-gathering surveys are available on the Board’s homepage. The deadline is December 4.
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