As you know, whether through reading the weekly newsletter or seeing the front page news across the state, last week, we announced the largest financial investment in literacy in the history of our state with tremendous support from Lilly Endowment. This combined $111 million investment is intentionally focused on providing support, tools, and resources for our educators who teach reading–providing an increased focus on Science of Reading strategies.
We know the incredible impact that great teachers make every day, and we also know that student learning really takes off when we have our schools and educators…as well as our parents and families working together to do everything we can to support that child.
In recognition of this, earlier this week we announced Indiana Learns, another first-of-its-kind partnership (this time with The Mind Trust) aimed at helping fourth and fifth grade students recover from the academic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in math and reading.
While day-in and day-out, schools provide remediation, interventions, and support for students throughout the school day, many students need additional support outside of school hours. In some cases, these out-of-school tutoring opportunities are just to catch up.
And while some parents and families are able to pay for small group tutoring…others know their child needs additional tutoring to help them grow and learn, but they may not be able to afford the cost.
With the launch of Indiana Learns, parents and families with students who qualify for free and reduced lunch and who are below proficiency in both English/language arts and math will have access to up to $1,000 to spend on high-dosage tutoring for their children.
At the same time, we know that many of our current certified educators stay after school to do everything they can to best support students, and with this investment, teachers will have the opportunity to be compensated for this additional support as well.
So what does this mean for our students? Let me get real on this…I spoke to a school principal earlier this week who shared a story that embodies the impact we hope to see across the state as a result of this initiative.
This principal shared that they had one student in particular who was really struggling academically. The student was very outgoing but didn’t love coming to school. In addition, the student had received primarily virtual learning during the pandemic, causing further growth delays.
The school utilized federal funds to compensate some of their top teachers to provide high-dosage tutoring over a period of several weeks. Just in that small amount of time, this student made great gains, and his parents expressed that “he felt successful for the first time in a long time.”
This microgrant for parents will ensure more Hoosier students have access to tutoring support, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay, and ultimately, access to high-quality educational opportunities which we know matter to a students’ lifelong success.
I want to thank our partners at The Mind Trust for taking this idea and bringing it to life. I also want to thank Dr. Matt Prusiecki, Superintendent of MSD of Decatur Township, Dr. Aleesia Johnson, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, and Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, Director of Public Education and CEO of Muncie Community Schools for joining us Wednesday to pledge their schools’ financial matching support, and Dr. Todd Bess, Executive Director of the Indiana Association of School Principals for encouraging others to do the same.
If you would like to learn more about this partnership and how you can help maximize the impact for your students, review additional program specifics here and contact Seana Murphy, senior director of Indiana Learns at smurphy@indianalearns.org.
As always, thank you for making an impact for our communities, our state, and above all, our students!
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NEW: 2022 Preliminary Federal Accountability Report Cards Now Available
As of this morning, Friday, August 26, the 2021-2022 federal accountability report cards are available in the Accountability Portal for all public schools. These ratings are embargoed to give schools an opportunity to review the ratings and underlying data and to request an audit if necessary. The audit window will close on Friday, September 16, at 11:59 p.m. ET. More information regarding the Federal Accountability Rating calculation can be found in the Federal Accountability System folder in the Accountability & Accreditation Community in Moodle (Enrollment Key: AccountabilityCommunity). More information regarding submitting an audit can be found in the audit guidance document. Contact the Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) Office of Accountability with any questions.
REMINDER: Corporation Amendment Deadline Next Week
The corporation amendment window for the 2022-2023 school year closes on Wednesday, August 31. Corporations and schools with school profile changes should submit a corporation amendment request with supporting documentation via the Jotform before the window closes. Please note: corporations and schools without any school profile changes do not need to submit a request. Contact schoolaccountability@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana’s Assessment Implementation Advisory Group (AIAG) Nomination Form Closes Friday, August 26
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). Please complete this form by Friday, August 26, to indicate your 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.
REMINDER: ISTEP+ Scores Available in Online Reporting System (ORS) Through December 2022
Score results for the ISTEP+ continue to be available in ORS through December. ORS will then migrate to the Centralized Reporting System (CRS) and will not contain ISTEP+ data. Schools that need student score reports from ISTEP+ must download data prior to ensure that records are maintained. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
REMINDER: Apply for the ILEARN Science Blueprint Committee by Friday, September 2
IDOE's Office of Student Assessment will host the ILEARN Science Blueprint Committee to create the new science assessment blueprint for the updated Indiana science standards. The committee will advise on key test design elements such as defining reporting categories, considering overall test length, and setting priority levels for assessing specific performance expectations. The committee will be held in-person from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 5, in Indianapolis. IDOE seeks to build a diverse and inclusive committee that reflects the vast student populations throughout the state. Grade four and six science and high school biology teachers, special education teachers, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, computer science experts, and data coaches are invited to apply. Participants will receive a stipend or substitute reimbursement rate of $150. Submit this JotForm to indicate interest by Friday, September 2. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
REMINDER: Requirements for Indiana School Psychologists Residing Out of State Practicing Telehealth
Indiana school psychologists residing outside Indiana and practicing telehealth within Indiana must fill out State Form 56084 to comply with Indiana law per Indiana Code (IC) 25-1-9.5-9. Additionally, employers of out-of-state school psychologists or school administrators responsible for administering contracts on behalf of school psychologists will need to fill out State Form 56085. Completed forms must be returned to engagement@doe.in.gov. Contact Emily Black or Courtney Hott with any questions
NEW: Webinar on Educator Recruitment and Applicant Tracking System
Indiana superintendents and/or human resources directors are invited to register for one of two Q&A webinars to learn more about the next opportunity to opt-in to the full Nimble Applicant Tracking System. This free upgrade for schools currently utilizing the job posting only feature is designed to significantly enhance local capabilities around educator recruitment.
Contact Senior Director of Educator Talent Rebecca Estes 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: Date Exchange Upgrade Planned for 2024
Data Exchange (DEX) will be moving to Ed-Fi 6.0 for the 2024-2025 school year. This upgrade includes the latest technical updates provided by Ed-Fi, including enhanced data standards and security advancements. This will result in minimal changes to the Data Exchange portal user interface. Additional information regarding project timelines, deliverables, and vendor certification will be provided at a later date. Contact IDOE's Data Exchange Team with any questions.
NEW: Student Information System (SIS) Vendor Status Update
Harmony, Skyward Qmaltive, and FACTS have been badged for the August 2022 badging requirements. A complete list of vendors working to become Indiana Ed-Fi certified can be found on the Data Exchange webpage.
UPDATE: 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. Key contacts (staff types) including superintendent, financial contact, special education director, principal, and Data Exchange contact, among others are needed for the current 2022-2023 school year even if those contacts were provided in the 2021-2022 school year. Contact information will need to be provided annually. Key contacts are utilized for communication purposes and do not allow access to Data Exchange validation portal. Key contacts are also utilized for INview and I-Champ.
IDOE recommends staff types be entered and managed in their local SIS. However, all three options below are available:
- Provide staff classifications in the local SIS following the recommended way to roll-over data from year to year per vendor’s instructions,
- Add a staff type manually for the 2023 school year via the Security Portal, or
- Upload template 011_StaffAssociation_StaffEdOrgAssignmentAssociation into Data Exchange, found here.
Schools utilizing options two and three may cause overriding or loss of data. Schools should connect with their SIS vendors to better understand how to avoid data loss when providing data via multiple methods. Security coordinator instructions can be found here. Contact link@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: School Office Hours Schedule
Below is a list of topics that will be covered during School Office Hours and the corresponding dates. This list is also posted on Moodle in the mid-week announcements:
- Tuesday, August 30, and Thursday, September 1, focus: Graduate and Pupil Enrollment
- Tuesday, September 13, and Thursday, September 15, focus: Curricular Materials Assistance
- Tuesday, September 20, and Thursday, September 22, focus: TBD
- Tuesday, September 27, and Thursday, September 29, focus: Special Education
REMINDER: 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: 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: School Safety Specialist Academy Basic Training
Registration is now open for Basic Training Group 24 of the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy and will close Friday, October 14. Basic Training will be held in the traditional format consisting of three total days in person. Additionally, specialists must complete online courses to be certified. To register, please visit the Training Opportunities webpage and complete the registration forms. To ensure successful registration, all forms must be completed and returned by Friday, October 14. Contact Steve Balko with any questions.
REMINDER: Summer School Final Cost Report
The Summer School Final Cost Report submission window is now open. Information regarding the summer school program can be found in Moodle. Contact Teresa Hemmerle or Joe Engelstad with any questions.
REMINDER: Annual Financial Report (AFR)
The deadline for schools to publish an Annual Financial Report was Monday, August 15. Guidelines are available here and can also be found in Moodle Finance. All AFRs must be emailed to IDOE by Wednesday, August 31. Contact AFR@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Feedback Request - 1003 School Improvement Grant
IDOE is requesting feedback from administrators and families on the request to extend the period of allowable use of fiscal year (FY) 2019 and FY 2020 School Improvement Grants. Please complete this JotForm by Tuesday, September 20. Contact IDOE’s School Support and Transformation team 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: Survey on Essential Skills and Traits for Student Success After High School
IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities partnered with Inspire Success to conduct research related to House Bill 1251 (2022). The research, which includes a survey for key stakeholders, is focused on the skills and traits that are most essential for student success after high school. The identification of essential skills will help inform a reduction in the number of academic standards. Please share this survey with other educators, employers, and military personnel. The deadline for responses is Wednesday, August 31. Contact IDOE's Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities with any questions.
NEW: College and Career Resources Now Available
Resources to support students with college and career exploration are now available on the IDOE website. This includes the new Indiana Career Explorer, a free career exploration tool provided by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to aid students in career exploration and course/graduation planning. Schools that are interested in onboarding their students to the new Indiana Career Explorer can complete this form. If you have questions about implementation, email INCE@doe.in.gov. For technical questions, please contact incehelp@dwd.in.gov.
REMINDER: Parent Survey in Collaboration with Gallup
IDOE is partnering with Gallup – a world leader in education research – to better understand the challenges facing families and students in Indiana. Earlier this month, surveys were sent at random via U.S. postal mail to household across state of Indiana. IDOE is interested in knowing about the attitudes and opinions of K-12 parents regarding their children’s education experiences and interactions with their schools. The survey parents are receiving from Gallup and IDOE is legitimate, and we hope to hear from as many parents as possible. Contact IDOE's Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement with any questions.
NEW: Apply for Special Education Student and Parent Stakeholder Groups
IDOE will establish a stakeholder group of transition-age students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP), ages 14 to 22, who are willing to participate in discussions surrounding Indiana's State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) in hopes to increase youth involvement in statewide decisions. This group would focus on graduation and drop out trends for IEP students, secondary transitions for students over 14, and post-school outcomes for former IEP students. The parent/family stakeholder group will expand to discuss similar topics, as well as assessments, school discipline, disability representation across categories, parent involvement, school environment, and more. All stakeholder group sessions will be held virtually, and the tentative initial student stakeholder group would be held from 1 to 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 7. Apply here to be considered for either stakeholder group. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: WIDA Professional Development for Educators - Collaboration Practices
Join IDOE's Office of English Learning and Migrant Education on Tuesday, September 13, in Franklin Township for a free, all-day WIDA-facilitated workshop that will investigate practices that support language development and accessible instruction for English learners through teacher collaboration, student collaboration, and leadership support. For more information regarding the session and to sign up, view the registration form. Spaces are limited. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Part B Grant Period Closes Friday, September 30
All FY 2021 Part B grant funds must be encumbered by the close of the grant period on Friday, September 30. All FY 2021 Part B grant reimbursement requests must be submitted by Thursday, December 15. The last day to submit completed FY 2021 Part B Grant Proportionate Share Waiver Requests is Tuesday, August 16. Please contact partbgrants@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Upcoming Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) 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 in navigating changes to SEEC funding. This is an opportunity for schools to ask questions regarding new information recently released or situations specific to their corporation. No registration is needed, and you may join here from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 31. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Register for Get Your LEAD On Opportunities
IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility is excited to announce a partnership with Get Your Teach On to provide professional development opportunities to Indiana school leaders. These opportunities are designed to ignite leaders' passion for education, expand on current IDOE initiatives to support and elevate the educator profession, and make students want to come to school and learn while developing relationships. The sessions also promote positive educational outcomes to develop the whole learner. Click here for more information on upcoming opportunities or to register. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
NEW: 2022-2023 Digital Learning Coach Mini Grant
Applications for the 2022-2023 Digital Learning Coach Mini Grant are now open. This competitive grant opportunity is available to anyone who spends at least half of their contracted time in the role of a digital learning coach at an Indiana public school. The grant application window will be open until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 14. See this memo for additional information. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Constitution Day Educational Programming Reminder
Constitution Day serves as a reminder and celebration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. In accordance with federal law and IC 20-30-5-1 it is required that any educational institution that receives federal funds must hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for their students. Helpful information and resources can be found here as educators prepare for Constitution Day. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
UPDATE: Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Educator Series: 2022 Kindergarten and Grade One Science Standards & Frameworks
Join IDOE’s STEM team and expert educator Kristen Poindexter to learn more about the 2022 Kindergarten Science Standards and Frameworks on Monday, August 29, at 4 p.m. ET in the Indiana Learning Lab. On Thursday, September 1, at 4 p.m. ET, expert educator Dawn Bick will present over the 2022 Grade One Science Standards and Frameworks. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Health and Physical Education Standards Review
Pursuant to IC 20-31-3, IDOE reviews Indiana Academic Standards every six years. The Health and Physical Education standards were last reviewed in 2017 and are once again ready for review. IDOE is seeking K-12 Health and Physical Education educators to take part in these standards review committees. Any educators interested in being part of the standards committee must complete this JotForm by Monday, September 12. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: K-8 STEM Certification Open Office Hours
Join IDOE’s STEM team during open office hours to discuss questions regarding the 2022-2023 K-8 STEM School Certification process. Join us at one of the following times to ask questions, get feedback, and share ideas.
Contact stemcertification@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: August Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
The final August PD with IDOE will be held Wednesday, August 31, in the Indiana Learning Lab with Supporting Secondary English Learners led by IDOE English Learner and Dual Language Specialist Chelsea Isley and Technical Assistance Specialist Tonya Schepers. View the August flyer for a complete list of recorded sessions from August. 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. If you have missed the first few August sessions, they are available on demand in the Learning Lab as well. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Summer of Learning Encore LIVE in the Indiana Learning Lab
IDOE’s Summer of Learning conferences may have ended, but the learning has not. Throughout September and October, each conference will share favorite sessions in the Indiana Learning Lab during Summer of Learning Encore LIVE. More details will be available soon. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (IDOH): Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) Professional Development Sessions
IDOH’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA) is sponsoring three free CATCH professional development training sessions for PE teachers, health educators, and before and afterschool professionals this September. CATCH trainers will provide resources, hands-on activities, and information on inclusive and adapted play. This activity-based training will focus on easy ways to engage students and teach lessons that inspire movement and healthy lifestyle habits, and more. Each participant will be provided access to resources and tools to improve the health and well-being of their students. Five to 10 CATCH curricula will be raffled off at each training session listed below:
- South Region: Tuesday, September 20, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. at Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County in Bedford. Register here.
- Central Region: Wednesday, September 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. at Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis. Register here.
- North Region: Thursday, September 22, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. at Baker Youth Club in Warsaw. Registration coming soon.
For more information on CATCH, please visit https://catch.org/. Contact Emma Smythe, youth physical activity coordinator, IDOH, DNPA with any questions.
NEW FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR TODD YOUNG: Academy Day
High school students who are interested in learning more about attending one of the nation’s service academies are invited to attend Academy Day on Monday, August 29 at the Indiana National Guard Lawrence Armory. This meeting is an opportunity for students to learn more about the admissions process and what life is like at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Representatives from each academy will be on hand to answer questions about these schools. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., with presentations beginning at 4 p.m.. Contact academy_nominations@young.senate.gov with any questions.
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