As the first semester comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on our collective work over the past 12 months. When we started this journey together in January, our first order of business was to listen and hear from you. We knew that it would take a team of people working together...at the department, on the State Board of Education, and in our schools across the state (plus various stakeholder groups)…in order to make the greatest possible impact for our students. We heard from you about the expressed need for increased alignment to row in the same direction, at the state-, community-, school-, and family-level…all with the purpose of making the most positive impact on Indiana’s students.
In recent months, many of us came together to begin developing the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (Indiana GPS) dashboard, with a focus on re-envisioning the method for measuring how schools are preparing students, starting in early grades and continuing through high school, to maximize lifelong success. Throughout this collaboration, I have been inspired to find we have great momentum in building increased alignment amongst a broad variety of stakeholders. We have greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn from and with you!
Our team would like to extend our sincere thanks to partners from various stakeholder groups who have come to the table (or the Zoom/Teams call!) to engage on these important issues and provide thoughts:
- Educators
- Community organizations
- Other state agencies
- Colleges and universities
- Philanthropy
- Parents
- Advocacy groups
- Business and industry
- The Indiana General Assembly
- Policy experts
Your input has been invaluable and has definitely shaped the way forward on this effort. Thanks to these ongoing conversations, the Indiana GPS dashboard is well on its way to implementation.
As you know, earlier this fall, Indiana’s State Board of Education approved a set of five characteristics that our state will elevate as key characteristics an Indiana high school graduate should possess:
- Academic mastery;
- Career and postsecondary readiness: credentials and experiences;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Work ethic; and
- Civic, financial, and digital literacy.
This week, the board took another step toward implementation by voting to approve a set of recommended indicators. Developed in collaboration with you, these indicators signal students’ performance across all grade levels. Please take a look (here for grades K-8 and here for grades 9-12) – we look forward to continued input and partnership from educators across the state as we develop the data infrastructure and build out the aspirational indicators for a fall 2022 launch.
In addition to Indiana GPS, 2021 has provided an opportunity for partnership on a variety of other strategic priorities within our three pillars. Here are just a few of many highlights of the great things we accomplished together for Indiana students this year.
- The Crossing the Finish Line initiative, a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University, allowed students who were close to completing a high-demand postsecondary credential to receive free tuition, fees, books, and certain other expenses for completing this valuable coursework over the summer. The initiative served nearly 1,900 K-12 students from more than 275 high schools, saving them and their families over $1.4 million in tuition/fee awards and textbooks. This includes over 700 total (additional) credential completions for students across the state!
- You gave us feedback on Indiana’s priorities for literacy and STEM education, which will ultimately mold the launch of literacy and STEM initiatives in 2022.
- A partnership with Schoolhouse.world opened up free, live tutoring options for Indiana’s middle and high school students.
- We streamlined the required coursework for teachers to earn full special education licensure through a partnership with the University of Indianapolis’ Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) known as Indiana Special Education Assisted Licensure (I-SEAL). I-SEAL also provides financial assistance and scholarships to educators while they complete these requirements – and it’s still open for applicants!
- We expanded the Indiana Learning Lab to provide a one-stop-shop for instructional resources, professional development opportunities, and other best practices. This includes online communities focused on supporting literacy instruction, digital learning, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), etc.
- We launched a monthly video series called Teachers Who Shaped Us to elevate the teaching profession. Each video captures the story of the educators who made a life-changing impact on the life of a prominent Hoosier.
- Despite COVID-19, we kept our kids in the classroom. Our newly developed real-time data infrastructure tells us that approximately 89-92% of students are attending school “in person” every day, with an additional 2-3% who attend virtually full-time as their selected learning. (Only 1-2% of students were “virtual due to COVID” on a weekly basis.)
- We’ve encouraged strategic, community partnerships by way of the Student Learning Recovery Grant Program and Fund, which supports local accelerated learning plans. We deployed $122 million to organizations across the state in June of 2021 and anticipate awarding nearly $28 million in additional funding in the coming days.
Congratulations to each of you for completing the first semester and always keeping students first. Our team looks forward to our continued, shared work ahead and seizing the opportunity in the new year! Now, take a breather…relax, rejuvenate, enjoy your family and friends, and Happy Holidays! Thank you for all you do!
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NEW: IREAD-3 Spring 2022 Participation Guidance
Schools looking ahead to the IREAD-3 assessment window (March 7-18, 2022) should review these participation reminders and share them with any educators planning to administer IREAD-3 to students this spring:
- All students enrolled in grade three must participate in IREAD-3 this spring.
- Any grade four student who does not have a passing IREAD-3 score and has not been granted a Good Cause Exemption (GCE) must participate in IREAD-3 this spring.
- Grade five students will not participate in IREAD-3 this school year due to the cancellation of testing in spring 2020.
- Students enrolled in grade 6 and beyond will not participate in IREAD-3.
Permissioned staff can generate the IREAD-3 Status Report in Learning Connection to confirm the IREAD-3 results and GCE status for each student enrolled in their school. A student must be officially enrolled at your school in order to appear on your school’s IREAD-3 Status Report. Check with your local Learning Connection administrator for assistance with permissions to this administrative report, and IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with additional policy questions.
NEW: IREAD-3 Spring 2022 Initial Orders Extract - Report Paper Accommodations by Wednesday, December 29
Corporations must report paper accommodations via Indiana IEP, Indiana ILP, and/or their school information systems (SIS) by Wednesday, December 29, for students participating in IREAD-3 this spring to ensure regular print and large print tests arrive in corporations on February 21, 2022. Corporations and schools will be able to place orders for any regular print, large print, or braille paper tests during the additional order window, as needed. Contact the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with questions.
NEW: Fall 2021 ILEARN Biology ECA Preliminary Results Available in the Online Reporting System (ORS) on January 24, 2022
Preliminary results for students who participated in the recent Fall 2021 ILEARN Biology ECA will become available for schools to download on Monday, January 24. Please plan now for secure, timely communication of these results with all parents of students who tested this month. Final results will be available in ORS on Tuesday, March 8, after rescore requests are processed and data quality control checks are completed. Contact the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with questions.
REMINDER: Non-Public Schools Interested in Applying for the National Blue Ribbon Award
Assessment percentiles that can be used to assist non-public schools in the application process for the 2022 Blue Ribbon awards are available in the IDOE School Accountability & Accreditation Moodle Community (Awards > Blue Ribbon), using enrollment key “AccountabilityCommunity.” The Blue Ribbon award application process for non-public schools is administered through the Council for American Private Education (CAPE), and the deadline for applications is January 7, 2022. Please email schoolaccountability@doe.in.gov with any questions regarding the assessment percentiles.
NEW: Data Exchange - October Data Certification Now Provisionally Closed
The October certification period has closed. This means schools that have not certified their October counts may still do so, but the only data corrections being approved are those requested by IDOE staff in response to a school-submitted ticket. Schools are still expected to sign off for each certification window and should use the sign-off documents as supporting evidence for any audit processes involving their data. Nearly 70% of schools have now certified their October counts. Questions about Data Exchange may be submitted here.
REMINDER: Verifying Virtual Status for Period 1 Membership
Accurate attendance data will be used in reconciliation of ADM, as signaled by the Indiana General Assembly. In order to ensure students certified for the September Membership count (Period 1) have an accurate virtual status, IDOE will be calculating percent of virtual instruction based on all attendance data from the school where the student was certified for Membership through Friday, December 31. If this calculation indicates a student’s virtual program status should be changed (from “virtual” to “not virtual” or from “not virtual” to “virtual”), we will notify the school of the change, and the school will need to re-sign their Membership Certification in Data Exchange. Please make sure your attendance records are being submitted to IDOE in a timely manner. We will update September virtual program statuses beginning the first week of January 2022. While attendance data will change for everyone, only schools where a student’s virtual program status changes will need to re-sign their September ADM. There will be no changes in the overall numbers of students certified for any school corporation -- only potential changes in the funding level for those who have been certified. Questions about how funding changes will be handled can be directed to schoolfinance@doe.in.gov.
REMINDER: Deadline to Complete Nimble Applicant Tracking System Opt-In Form
All Indiana superintendents and/or HR directors are encouraged to review the information related to the Nimble Applicant Tracking System and statewide job board enhancements here. The deadline to complete the opt-in form has been extended to Monday, December 20. Questions may be directed to Rebecca Estes.
REMINDER: Extra Yard for Teachers Summit
In partnership with the College Football Playoff Indianapolis Host Committee, IDOE invites Indiana teachers to sign up for an exclusive opportunity to participate in the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit on January 8, 2022. This annual event is designed to empower and inspire educators with guest speakers, giveaways, networking experiences, and professional development. Attendees will also enjoy food, music, drink, a prize bag, and a post-summit reception. Attendance is limited, so register early while tickets are still available! Questions may be directed to Rebecca Estes.
REMINDER: Smart Snacks in School Requirements
As a reminder, all schools participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs (including the Seamless Summer Option) must comply with federal Smart Snacks in School standards for food and beverages sold to students during the defined school day (from midnight before the start of the school day until 30 minutes after dismissal). These standards apply to food and beverages sold a la carte, in a school store or library, vending machines, coffee carts, smoothie bars, and any other venues where food and beverages are sold to students - even if they are not operated by the school food service program. The state of Indiana has also instituted a policy that allows for a maximum of two fundraisers per school building, per school year that do not meet the Smart Snacks in School standards for food and beverages. To learn more about these standards as well as resources available to help your school comply, check out the latest edition of IDOE’s School Nutrition newsletter. Contact your assigned field specialist with any questions.
REMINDER: IDOE Seeking Public Comment On Waiver Extension Request To Federal 1% Cap On Alternate Assessments
IDOE is seeking public comment on its request for a waiver extension on the number of students who can be tested using an alternate assessment on annual statewide tests. Indiana requires all students enrolled in public and non-public K-12 schools to be assessed either with accommodations, without accommodations, or with an alternate assessment. For each subject in which assessments are administered, the total number of students assessed in that subject using an alternate assessment may not exceed 1% of the total number of students in the state. The proposed waiver extension request is available for review here. Any individual or organization may submit written comments on the proposed waiver extension pursuant to 34 C.F.R.§200.6(c)(4). Public comment will be accepted through Friday, December 24. Please direct any questions to IDOE’s Office of Special Education.
NEW: Human Organ & Blood Donor Program Curriculum Resources Now Available
High school health education curriculum instruction regarding the human organ donor program and blood donor program, as required by IC 20-30-5-16, is now available on the academic standards Health and Wellness (2017) webpage, and was created in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Donor Network, and Donate Life Indiana (DLI). Visit DLI’s educator webpage to peruse resources, presentations, accounts from transplant and donor recipients, or book speakers for an organ donation presentation. Please contact Andi Amburget Atherine, Education Specialist at the Indiana Donor Network, with any questions regarding DLI resources, and the Office of Teaching and Learning with questions on academic standards resources.
NEW: January Professional Development with IDOE
Join us for a wide range of sessions in the Indiana Learning Lab on Wednesdays from 4 to 4:30 p.m. ET throughout January. More information on these sessions, led by members of the IDOE team, can be found here. To register for upcoming workshops, create a free Learning Lab account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Learning Lab website and using your school email to log in. Please contact the Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Virtual Voyagers: Microlearning in Support of Virtual and Hybrid Programs
Join IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning and guest speakers as they host a variety of 45-minute sessions in January and February 2022 on topics relevant to virtual and hybrid programs. See this flyer for more information and to register. Please contact the Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
Office of Title Grants and Supports
NEW: Free Professional Development Opportunity from Playworks
IDOE has partnered with Playworks to provide free training opportunities to local educational agencies (LEAs) that operate an afterschool and/or summer program for students. There are several training options available, and topics include group management, team building, and creating inclusive environments for students. Check out more information on training here. For questions, contact Erin Busk.
NEW FROM THE 500 FESTIVAL: Register for the 500 Festival KidsFit Program
Registration is now open for the 500 Festival KidsFit program. This free program for all Indiana schools and youth-serving organizations reaches tens of thousands of K-6 students across the state each year, encouraging students to be more active and pursue a healthy lifestyle. These 10- and 12-week class curriculums are aligned with Indiana’s academic standards. Registration closes on December 31. More information is available here. Please contact Sara Adams with the 500 Festival with any questions.
REMINDER: The National Council Of Teachers Of Mathematics: 2022 Regional Conference and Exposition
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) will hold the NCTM 2022 Regional Conference and Exposition at the Indianapolis Convention Center from March 16-18, 2022. The program theme of “Refresh, Reflect, and Reconnect” will provide a great opportunity for PK-12 mathematics teachers to connect with one another, exchange ideas, and learn from some of the most influential mathematics educators in the country.
The registration site is now open, and early registration rates will be available through January 19, 2022. The Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) is excited to serve as the host affiliate for this event. ICTM members who register for the NCTM Regional Conference and Exposition will get free ICTM membership for 2022. For more information and to register, visit https://www.nctm.org/indy2022/. Contact nctmregionals@showcare.com with questions.
REMINDER FROM THE DISTRESSED UNIT APPEAL BOARD: Fiscal Indicators Dashboard Updated
The Distressed Unit Appeals Board has refreshed the data on its fiscal indicators dashboard. All superintendents (or their designee) are required by IC 5-13-7-8 to submit a written report to their local board of finance during their annual meeting in January assessing the financial condition of the school corporation based on these indicators. Contact indicators@duab.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER FROM REACH HIGHER, COMMON APP, COLLEGE WISE & THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION: Counselors Invited to Celebrate Excellence in College Counseling
On January 7, 2022, high school counselors and counselors from community-based organizations are invited to the Excellence in College Counseling event, which will recognize the noteworthy accomplishments of Indiana’s school counselors with a full schedule of professional development. The programming will focus on sharing resources and best practices to support students seeking high-quality postsecondary options that fit their needs and dreams. Excellence in College Counseling takes place during College Football's 2022 championship weekend and prior to the College Football Playoff Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers Summit. More information and registration are available here. Please contact Meredith Lombardi with any questions.
All Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) newsletters are located in one convenient location. Please find past issues here.
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