Buses are rolling in Indiana! Depending on where you live, you or someone you know are likely already back to school (or will be very soon)!
As an educator and a mom, few things compare to the start of a new school year. There is always a lot of energy and anticipation this time of year, as our quiet hallways and classrooms once again come alive with the sound of students eager to reconnect with friends, master a new routine, and have another year of learning, maturing, and preparing for their future ahead.
As always, let’s continue to seek opportunities to “make it better,” keeping our focus on growing and improving for our students, while also taking care of ourselves along the way. Thank you for the important work you lead each and every day. And a special shout out goes to Superintendent Jim Roberts and the team at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation for bringing the energy, enthusiasm, and vocal talent to the start of the year. Check out their creative back to school video here!
Welcome to the NEW school year!
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NEW: Required Screening for Learning Characteristics Related to Dyslexia
Indiana Code 20-35.5 outlines requirements for supporting students who may be at risk for learning characteristics related to dyslexia. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) published updated Dyslexia Programming Guidance for Schools to support the implementation of all requirements, including exceptions to the requirement and acceptable screener assessments. All students in kindergarten through grade two must be screened for learning characteristics related to dyslexia within the first 90 calendar days of school. Additional resources can be found on IDOE’s Dyslexia webpage. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment for support related to dyslexia screening.
NEW: Indiana’s Assessment Implementation Advisory Group (AIAG) Nomination Form Now Open
AIAG is composed of educators across the state and serves to provide classroom, school, and corporation-level input and feedback regarding testing policies and procedures. AIAG meets monthly via Microsoft Teams, and the agenda for each meeting includes current and future statewide assessment programs. IDOE is seeking teachers, counselors, principals, central office personnel, corporation test coordinators (CTCs), and school test coordinators (STCs) who are interested in being considered for AIAG. Please complete this form by Friday, August 26, to indicate interest in serving on Indiana’s AIAG. Educators will be selected to form a representative sample from across the state. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
NEW: ILEARN Social Studies Item Specifications and Blueprint Updates
The ILEARN Social Studies Grade Five Item Specifications and Blueprint have been updated on IDOE’s ILEARN webpage to correspond with the addition of Indiana Academic Standard 5.3.13 for social studies. This additional standard will be assessed on ILEARN-related Social Studies during the 2022-2023 school year. Please contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any ILEARN questions and Office of Teaching and Learning with questions regarding the Indiana Academic Standards.
REMINDER: Nominations Now Open for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors outstanding high school seniors and thereby encourages high attainment among all students. This memo outlines the required qualifications and nomination process. The rubrics for General and CTE applications are now available here. Nominations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 28, in order to be considered. Contact Emily Black with any questions
REMINDER: Requirements for Indiana School Psychologists Practicing Telehealth
Recently enacted legislation allows for Indiana school psychologists to practice via telehealth. Indiana school psychologists residing in Indiana may practice telehealth within Indiana with no additional documentation as long as they are in compliance with IC 25-1-9.5. Indiana school psychologists residing outside Indiana and practicing telehealth within Indiana will need additional documentation to comply with Indiana law per IC 25-1-9.5-9. If you believe your school (public/charter, non-public, or other) employs a licensed Indiana school psychologist who resides out of state and will be practicing telehealth in Indiana, please fill out this Jotform. Contact Emily Black or Courtney Hott with any questions.
NEW: Adjunct Teacher Permit Reporting Requirements
Local governing bodies may hire adjunct teachers and issue adjunct teacher permits under IC 20-28-5-27. School corporations hiring adjunct teachers on locally-issued adjunct teacher permits are required to report certain information to IDOE at the time of employment using this form. To be included in statewide educator workforce data, each adjunct permit holder must create an account in the Licensing Verification and Information System (LVIS) if they do not already have one. Each permit holder must also have a school personnel number (SPN). If the permit holder does not already have an SPN, one can be requested through the STN Application Center. Contact Risa Regnier with any questions.
REMINDER: Attract, Prepare, Retain (APR) Grant Deadline is Today
IDOE is accepting applications for the new Attract, Prepare, and Retain Grant. The grant is available for Indiana’s schools and local partners as they work to expand and diversify Indiana’s educator pipeline and retain high-quality educators. A total of $5 million is available through this grant to support local plans. This funding is allocated as part of the state’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Interested applicants can submit their online application here. Applications are due today, Friday, August 5. Contact eel@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Staff Performance Evaluation Plan Submission
Legal Standard 12 requires each public school corporation to provide a copy of its staff performance evaluation plan to IDOE. School corporations must also submit their staff performance evaluation plan to IDOE for approval in order to qualify for any grant funding related to IC 20-28-11.5-8(d). This includes the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG). Staff performance evaluation plans must be submitted via JotForm by Friday, September 16. For more information, click here. Contact Rebecca Estes with questions.
REMINDER: TAG Policy Submission Required
Information regarding the TAG policy submission can be found here. Local educational agencies (including charter and virtual charter schools) must submit the TAG policy for approval via JotForm by Friday, September 16, to be eligible to receive TAG funding. Contact Rebecca Estes with questions.
NEW: Cybersecurity Resources Available for 2022-2023 School Year
Cybersecurity attacks against schools have risen by over 16% in the past year. In Indiana, the top two categories of attacks have been business email compromise and ransomware attacks. Both of these threats are best mitigated by training users to recognize threat attempts and by adding validation checks. IDOE has free resources available to schools to assist with improving their cybersecurity in these areas. Licenses of KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, Diamond-Level, and PhishER are free and available to all traditional public and non-public schools. This platform allows your team to create training campaigns using the included video content, allows for the creation of artificial phishing campaigns, and provides spot training based on end-user performance. Current subscriptions may be used this school year. If your school does not have a subscription, licenses may be requested in the School Cybersecurity Moodle Community. Invitations to join were sent out to the lead technology leader in each school and additional access may be requested by emailing Brad Hagg.
REMINDER: Data Exchange - The Data Reporting Source of Truth
The 2022-2023 school year establishes Data Exchange as the source of truth for all data reporting. IDOE will transition identities as the source of truth to Data Exchange in late fall/early winter. At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, all school personnel numbers (SPN) and student test numbers (STN) will continue to be created in the STN Application Center and will be available in Data Exchange the following day. Data Exchange resources:
- Data Exchange webpage
- Data Exchange training can be found in the Data Exchange Training and Community course in Moodle (no enrollment key required).
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Data Exchange Knowledge Hub is for those completing manual upload templates, rather than connecting via a student information system (SIS).
Questions about Data Exchange may be submitted here.
REMINDER: School Actions to Complete SIS Setup for 2022-2023
Schools with an Indiana Ed-Fi Certified SIS Vendor will need to establish a connection between their SIS and Data Exchange. At the beginning of the school year, schools should be actively validating and reviewing data in Data Exchange for accuracy in preparation for the first September certification window.
- A SIS vendor certification status list can be found here.
- Schools changing SIS vendors should send vendor changes to link@doe.in.gov.
Additional information on implementation of Data Exchange can be found on the Data Exchange webpage. Questions about Data Exchange may be submitted here.
REMINDER: Designation of Security Coordinators
The LINK Portal is able to recognize all public, charter, and accredited non-public schools’ local Google G-Suite or Microsoft 365 accounts. IDOE configures the organization’s leader as the first account, and then this person logs in to designate up to two security coordinators, who are responsible for overseeing the setup of roles for others in the organization. All superintendents and leaders of non-public schools should log in to the LINK Portal and review/update their security coordinator information.
- Instructions for organization leaders on how to designate/update the security coordinators can be found here.
- New public and Choice schools setup of the LINK Portal can be found here.
- If you are a new superintendent or the organization leader of a non-public school and need the first account configured, please email link@doe.in.gov.
REMINDER: Designation of Key Contacts
Security coordinators for all traditional public, charter, and accredited non-public schools are responsible for making sure that their organization’s key contacts for the 2022-2023 school year are set. These include contacts such as principal, superintendent, financial contact, special education director, and Data Exchange contact, among others.
- Security coordinator instructions can be found here.
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INview displays the superintendent for corporations/charters as well as the principal of each school.
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ICHAMP (Indiana Complaint, Hearings, and Mediation Process) will utilize the following LINK Portal key contacts: superintendent and special education director. It is essential that these two key contacts are reviewed by security coordinators and updated based on any necessary changes.
- The corporation test coordinator official designation remains within DOEOnline for the 2022-2023 school year.
Questions may be directed to link@doe.in.gov.
REMINDER: Graduation Rate
As a reminder, graduation rates for the 2022 school year will be based on data certified by schools in July 2022 and October 2022. Some schools expressed concern about the graduation data in the Data Exchange July certification window, which just closed. The graduation rate will be compiled from the graduate data submitted through Data Exchange for the 2021-2022 school year (July 2022 certification) and the graduate data submitted through Data Exchange for the October 2022 certification. Schools will be able to update their graduation records through the end of September 2022. This means any students who were not submitted as graduates by the July 2022 certification can be submitted in the 2023 school year (October 2022). IDOE understands the critical nature of a school’s graduation rate and is offering this as an additional clarification. Questions about Data Exchange may be submitted here.
REMINDER: SIS Vendor Changes
IDOE-issued Data Exchange credentials (key and secret) are tied to the supporting SIS vendor. If your corporation will be changing or adding an SIS vendor for the 2022-2023 school year, please email link@doe.in.gov with these changes. Your organization will receive a new set of credentials for your new vendor.
NEW: Emergency Preparedness Plans Certification
Within the first 60 calendar days of each school year, superintendents shall certify to IDOE that the emergency preparedness plans for the school corporation and each school in the corporation have been reviewed and revised if necessary. Certification can be completed here. Contact Stephen Balko with any questions.
NEW: Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy
Certified school safety specialists can now register for the Fall 2022 Advanced Training. The training will be held in Indianapolis on Monday, September 26, and Tuesday, September 27. Registration and additional information can be found here. Contact Stephen Balko with any questions.
NEW: Budget Workshop Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Questions raised at the annual Office of School Finance Budget Workshop have been compiled into this FAQ document. Contact schoolfinance@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Budget Workshop Video
The video of the Thursday, June 30, School Finance Budget Workshop can be found in Moodle Finance > Presentations. Contact schoolfinance@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Full-time Teacher Benefit Survey
Please read this memo regarding the full-time teacher benefit survey, which is due by Friday, August 12. Upon completion of the survey, please email the Excel template to IDOE's Office of School Finance.
REMINDER: Teacher Salary Data Reporting
Please read this memo and teacher salary frequently asked questions (FAQ) document for updates regarding a teacher benefits survey, reporting cooperative expenditures, and January 2023 changes to the Chart of Accounts. An overview of the changes was presented at the Thursday, June 30, School Finance Budget Workshop. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
REMINDER: School Improvement Plans
IDOE is accepting Comprehensive Needs Assessment/School Improvement Plans (CNA/SIP) through Friday, October 7. Use of the template fulfills all school improvement plan requirements under state law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as well as requirements for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), Additional Targeted Support schools (ASTI), and CNA requirements for Title I Schoolwide Programs. This memo provides additional information. The SIP template can be downloaded here. Please contact IDOE’s Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
NEW: Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Subsidy
The AP exam subsidy covers the exam fees for English, capstone, mathematics, science, and computer science AP exams taken by Indiana students in grades nine through 12 who are enrolled in an accredited public or non-public school. Read the 2022 AP Exam Subsidy Guidance memo for additional information. Contact studentpathways_highability@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: McKinney-Vento Competitive Grant Released
Through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, IDOE must release funds through a competitive grant to schools for the establishment of projects which promote the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youth, PK-12. This competitive grant is now open in JotForm. Please review the overview slides and instructions for the Consortium Application and Individual School Application. All applications must be submitted no later than 4 p.m. ET, Wednesday, August 24. Contact McKinneyVentoPOC@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: Indiana IEP August 2022 Release Notes
The Indiana IEP August 2022 Release Notes outline the most recent updates within Indiana IEP and are now available in the Office of Special Education Community in Moodle as well as in Indiana IEP. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: The 2022 Indiana IEP Accommodation Course
The 2022 Indiana IEP Accommodation Course is available for all IEP users to access via Moodle. This course provides videos and updates that all IEP data managers and special educators must review to prepare for proper documentation in the 2022-2023 school year. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: Special Education Excess Cost Office Hours
IDOE’s Office of Special Education will continue to hold office hours once a week through the end of November 2022 to support schools navigating changes to the Special Education Excess Cost fund. This is an opportunity for schools to ask questions regarding new information recently released or situations specific to their district. No registration is needed. Join any of the sessions below throughout August from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.
Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
UPDATE: Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Part B Grant Proportionate Share Waiver Requests Due Tuesday, August 16
School corporations seeking a waiver of all or part of their FY 2021 Part B 611 and 619 proportionate share requirement(s) must submit the completed waiver request form and supporting documentation to partbgrants@doe.in.gov by Tuesday, August 16. Following waiver approval, a Part B grant budget modification request is required to transfer funds among budget scopes and must be submitted by Thursday, September 15. Download the waiver request form and instructions from the Office of Special Education Community in Moodle. Contact partbgrants@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: Implementation Guidance for Indiana Standards Revision
IDOE reviews Indiana Academic Standards at least once every six years. Following the passage of House Enrolled Act 1251, IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities partnered with Inspire Success to conduct a research study to define essential postsecondary skills necessary to promote future success in enrollment, employment, and enlistment leading to service. The study will inform a reduction in standards and alignment to essential skills needed for postsecondary success. Additional details regarding the revision, implementation, and assessment of Indiana Academic Standards is available in this memo. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: Summer Leadership Series: Moving Beyond the Primary Grades: The Science of Reading in Grades Three Through 12
The final event in IDOE’s Summer Leadership Series will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 9. Dr. Kelly Williams, Assistant Professor of Special Education and Dyslexia Graduate Certificate Coordinator at Indiana University will present guidance for implementation of the Science of Reading framework in grades three through 12. Join this live presentation in the Indiana Learning Lab. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
UPDATE: 2022-2023 STEM Integration Grant
Applications for the 2022-2023 STEM Integration Grant will close at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 17. This competitive grant opportunity is designed to improve elementary and secondary achievement and participation in STEM learning experiences and is available to all public school corporations and public charter schools that do not have an active STEM Acceleration Grant. More information regarding the STEM Integration Grant application process can be found here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Fall 2022 Digital Learning Grant
Applications for the fall 2022 Digital Learning Grant are now open. This competitive grant opportunity is available to all public school corporations in the state of Indiana that did not receive the Digital Learning Grant in April 2022. The grant application window will be open until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 17. See this memo for specific information on grant strands and how to apply. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: August Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
Wednesday PD with IDOE returns to its regularly scheduled time for the month of August in the Indiana Learning Lab! The first session will be Science of Reading: Supporting Special Education Students, led by IDOE director of special education, Dr. Nancy Holsapple and IDOE director of teaching and learning, Karri Polk-Meek. View the August flyer for a complete list of sessions for the month. To register for workshops, create a free Learning Lab account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Indiana Learning Lab directly and use your school email to log in. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Request for Class Size Reduction Using Title II-A Funds
Schools interested in implementing class size reduction methods can use Title II-A funds for the FFY2022 school year. Please submit the request to begin the approval process. After the request is submitted, the school’s assigned federal grant specialist will send follow-up documentation. Please refer to the resources in the Title Grants and Support Moodle page for more information. Contact Gina Romano with any questions.
REMINDER: Title I Equitable Share Transfer Survey for Program Administrators
Thank you to all who attended the Title Grants and Support Quarterly Meeting. Please take a moment to complete the survey. Responses are requested no later than Monday, August 15. Feedback is greatly appreciated and guides efforts to improve Title Grants and Support. Contact Sarah Benitez with any questions.
NEW FROM THE INLEARNING PARTNERSHIP: August Parent Picnic
The INLearning Partnership August event will be Parent Picnic: A Basket of Support for Parents and Families, with live events from Monday, August 22, through Friday, August 26. Each live event will be held at noon ET in the Indiana Learning Lab. View each topic and register for sessions here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER ON DEAF-BLINDNESS (NCDB) AND ACCESSIBLE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS (ATLAS): Report on Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities and Dual Sensory Loss
NCDB and ATLAS released the first in a series of briefs following a 2021 technical report delineating recommendations for identification and instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities and dual sensory loss. View the brief and report here. Contact the NCDB with any questions.
NEW FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHING (PAEMST): Applications Now Open
Nominations are now open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of STEM education. Up to 108 teachers are recognized each year. Presidential awardees receive:
- A certificate signed by the President of the United States;
- A trip to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities;
- A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation; and
- Access to a network of award-winning teachers from across the country.
For more information, visit paemst.org. Contact info@paemst.org with any questions.
REMINDER FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY (IU): Open Enrollment for Well-Rounded Course Access Courses
IU and IDOE are offering an opportunity for schools to enroll students in free online courses developed and taught by Indiana teachers as part of the well-rounded course access (WRCA) project within the Indiana Course Access Network. Students remain enrolled in their own school, but can take one or more of the following courses that may not be offered at their school or be accessible with their schedule:
- 1508 Citizenship and Civics - Semester course beginning Wednesday, August 3
- 2550 Quantitative Reasoning - Year-long course beginning Wednesday, August 3
- 3012 AP Environmental Science (L) - Year-long course beginning Wednesday, August 3
- 2530 Finite Mathematics through Ivy Tech (Dual Credit) - Year-long course beginning Wednesday, August 3
- 4803 Intro to Computer Science - Semester course beginning Wednesday, August 8
- 1012 English as a New Language - Year-long course beginning Wednesday, August 8
If you have any questions, please contact Mark Conrad, Project Management Specialist at IU.
REMINDER FROM THE INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS (IAPSS): Aspiring Superintendents Encouraged to Apply to the Indiana Aspiring Superintendent Academy (IASA)
IASA is an interactive opportunity for educators who aspire to become a superintendent and utilizes American Association of School Administrators (AASA) curriculum along with a blended learning approach, including face-to-face and virtual sessions. Cohort 3 will begin this August, and Cohort 4 will take place during the spring semester of the 2022-2023 school year. IASA Cohort 3 will consist of six sessions: Wednesday, August 31, through Wednesday, December 14. Each member is assigned a current superintendent as a mentor. Aspiring superintendents can learn more or apply here. Contact Deb Lecklider with any questions.
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