An Update From the Indiana Department of Education for October 14, 2022

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A Message from Dr. Katie Jenner

Katie Jenner Headshot

Research shows that in addition to having positive impacts on teacher satisfaction and retention, high-quality school leadership…an effective school principal…also has a significant impact on whether or not a student comes to school daily (student attendance) and ultimately, impacts their learning progress and achievement

We have over 2,200 schools in Indiana–and therefore, even more school principals and assistant principals who are serving every day to make our schools the best they can be. In conjunction with the national celebration, which occurs each October, Governor Holcomb has declared this week National Principals Week in Indiana, in recognition of our outstanding principals who work daily to cultivate the best possible environment for educator and student growth and development.

Over the next two weeks, I’d like to highlight some of the positive work happening in Indiana schools that would not be possible without the leadership of principals who deeply care about the students and the communities they serve. In particular, I’ll continue to recap our team’s whirlwind tour of southwest Indiana, where over three days, we traveled to nearly 20 different schools across seven counties…and this time, I’ll focus on the high schools we were able to visit along the way.

At each of the schools, it was evident that the principals, educators, and staff were deeply proud of and committed to their students and their performance, all while remaining humble and realistic about challenges they face along the path to growth and success. As leaders at many of the high schools shared, they believe the key to their schools’ and their students’ future success includes community-wide collaboration to jumpstart students’ post-graduation goals, meet the needs of the local workforce, and ensure the future viability of the cities and towns they call home.

One incredible example of this is happening at Warrick County School Corporation, where Superintendent Todd Lambert and Warrick Education Center Principal Drew Gerth walked us through the construction site and vision for the future Warrick Pathways and Career Center, due to open in August 2023. The pathways and career center will serve as a hub for students focusing on skills in health science and advanced manufacturing and will leverage partnerships with local industry to develop the skills most in demand by area employers. At Boonville High School, under the leadership of Principal Mike Whitten, we also learned more about their health science courses in the nationally recognized Project Lead the Way program.

Another high school leaning into the development of in-demand skills for area employers is Benjamin Bosse High School, where Principal Aaron Huff shared about their partnership with Toyota to bring the 4T Academy to the high school. The Academy has students clamoring to be in the class, even if it may not directly align with their interests. The 4T Academy couples on-the-job training with hands-on learning, ultimately offering a conduit to the local auto manufacturing sector upon graduation. One senior told me she was interested in the 4T Academy because it was different from her other classes and she wanted to develop a new set of skills she might not develop elsewhere.

At Corydon Central High School, Principal Keith Marshall talked specifically about the pathways they have available and how students are excited to try new things and find their fit. Among their pathways, they offer a health science pathway for students that connects them with a local healthcare employer. With a little (okay…a lot of!) help from CTE Health Science instructor Katie Broom, I attempted and completed a practice blood draw (check out the picture below!) and also spoke to a student about being a credentialed medical assistant. Through the health science pathway, she is now able to work at an area hospital, and regardless of any twists and turns her life’s path may take, that is a credential she will have for the rest of her life!

Thank you to the principals in each of these buildings, and all of our Indiana principals for your leadership, passion, and determination! And stay tuned for next week’s message, where I’ll share a bit more about this recent school visit and the impactful work being led by our Indiana principals!

Southern IN HS

Office of Accountability

REMINDER: Graduation Rate Audit Window Now Open

The accountability portal is now open for submission of mandatory and voluntary graduation rate audits through Friday, October 28. A list of the mandatory audit schools that were notified in August can be found in the Accountability & Accreditation Community in Moodle (enrollment key: AccountabilityCommunity). Guidance, a voluntary audit template, and documentation requirements can also be found in the Moodle community. Contact the Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) Office of Accountability with any questions.

Office of Student Assessment

NEW: Formative Assessment Grant - Assessment Program Approval Process 

IDOE released materials to vendors regarding the formative assessment program approval process for the 2023-2024 Formative Assessment Grant. All vendors wishing to participate must complete the registration form by Wednesday, November 30. Access this form and additional information via IDOE’s 2023-2024 Formative Grant Guidance for Program Vendors. More information can be found on IDOE’s Formative (Interim) Assessment Grant webpage. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.

 

NEW: PSAT/NMSQT Alternate Administration

Schools completed the primary administration of the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday, October 12, and were required to ship materials the following day on Thursday, October 13. Test materials for the alternate PSAT/NMSQT administration on Tuesday, October 25, will arrive on Wednesday, October 19. Schools must ensure that materials are securely stored prior to testing. See the milestones resource document for more details. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions. 

 

NEW: Digital SAT School Day Coordinator Checklist Now Available

The 2022-2023 Digital SAT School Day Coordinator Checklist is now available on IDOE’s High School Assessment webpage for School Test Coordinators (STCs) as they prepare for the spring 2023 SAT School Day. This resource provides preparation guidance for a successful SAT administration to juniors in the spring. IDOE encourages STCs and additional testing staff to register for the in-person SAT workshops offered by College Board in late October and early November. If you are unable to attend these in-person sessions, register for the virtual workshop on Friday, November 18. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.

Office of Educator Talent

NEW: 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year

Last week, IDOE announced that Tara Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School, has been named the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year. The full release can be found here. More information on the Indiana Teacher of the Year program can be found here. Contact Rebecca Estes with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Educator Recruitment and Applicant Tracking System

Indiana superintendents and/or human resource directors interested in the next opportunity to opt-in to the full Nimble Applicant Tracking System are invited to complete the following JotForm. This free upgrade for schools currently utilizing the job posting only feature is designed to significantly enhance local capabilities around educator recruitment. Additional information about the statewide partnership with Nimble can be found here. Contact Rebecca Estes with any questions.

Office of Information Technology

NEW: Student Test Numbers (STN) and School Personnel Numbers (SPN) Transition to State Ed-ID Portal

IDOE is excited to announce Ed-ID, a new system for generating IDs for students and educators. Ed-ID will provide IDs to educators from early childhood settings through secondary settings. This new approach will allow more versatility for the generation and use of IDs across a variety of state agencies involved in student learning and will improve the management of these IDs through a centralized service. The transition will begin on Wednesday, December 14, with the new Ed-ID portal up and running shortly afterwards. IDOE expects the upgrade to take a one week to 10 days and will communicate when the new Ed-ID portal is available for use. More information may be found in this memo. Contact link@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

UPDATE: October Certification

Certification concluded at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12. IDOE will continue to work with schools that had identified data concerns prior to noon on Wednesday, October 12. For those schools with data concerns, certification can be completed once data is considered valid. Data certified for October includes:

  • Pupil Enrollment
  • Staff Employment (CE)
  • Other Staff Personnel (NE)
  • Multilingual Learners
  • Curricular Materials Assistance
  • Graduate (Graduation rates for the 2021-2022 school year will be based on data certified by schools in July 2022 and October 2022. 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.)

Contact IDOE's Data Exchange Team with any questions.

 

UPDATE: School Office Hours Schedule

There will be no school office hours on Tuesday, October 18, or Thursday, October 20.

 

UPDATE: Student Information System (SIS) Vendor Status

A complete list of vendors working to become Indiana Ed-Fi certified can be found on the Data Exchange webpage.

The following vendors are now certified for August 2022:

  • PowerSchool 

The following vendors are now certified for October 2022:

  • Jupiter
  • RDS

Contact IDOE's Data Exchange Team with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Data Exchange Upgrade Planned for 2023-2024 School Year

Data Exchange (DEX) will be moving to Ed-Fi ODS/API for Suite 3 v6.0 (Data Standard for Suite 3 v4.0a) for the 2023-2024 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.

 

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 SPNs and STNs will continue to be created in the STN Application Center and will be available in Data Exchange the following day. Data Exchange resources include:

Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.

 

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, who then designates up to two security coordinators 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.

Contact link@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Cybersecurity Resources Available

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

Office of School Finance

REMINDER: 2022-2023 Curricular Material

The window is now open through Monday, October 31, to submit curricular material costs through this JotForm. Please read this memo regarding the process for submitting curricular material reimbursement information for the 2022-2023 school year. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions. 

 

REMINDER: Common School Loans

IDOE is accepting applications for common school construction and/or technology loans through Thursday, November 10. Applications can be found in Moodle Finance under Common School. Contact commschofund@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Teacher Salary Data Reporting

Please read this memo regarding upcoming updates to the Chart of Accounts. The guidance takes effect January 1, 2023, for expenditures reported by July 31, 2023. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Form 9 Financial Data July to December 2022

Please read the following memo regarding updates for the July to December 2022 Form 9 financial data submission. The due date for the financial data is January 31, 2023. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions. Please include the school’s four-digit school corporation number in the subject line of the email.

Office of School Support and Transformation

NEW: NextGen School Improvement Grant (SIG) Application Information Coming Soon

IDOE’s School Support and Transformation team will launch NextGen SIG applications beginning Friday, October 21. The application window will be open from Friday, October 21, until Monday, December 5. The NextGen SIGs will be provided on a competitive basis to support planning and implementation of transformational plans in one or more schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and/or Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI). Contact Georgia Watson, assistant director of school transformation, with any questions.

Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement

NEW: Comprehensive School Counseling Grant Opportunity

In partnership with the Indiana School Counseling Association (ISCA), American School Counseling Association (ASCA), and other school counseling stakeholders, IDOE developed and published a new Indiana Model for Comprehensive School Counseling that outlines a developmental framework for school counseling programs in Indiana. In concurrence with the release of the new model, IDOE is releasing the Comprehensive School Counseling grant to provide up to $5 million in competitive grants to schools, corporations, and education service centers to support efforts in the development of a comprehensive school counseling program based on the new model. Details of the grant can be found here. Please email engagement@doe.in.gov with additional questions.  

Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities

NEW: Course Codes for Tracking Graduation Pathways Bucket Two Experiences

IDOE has created three course codes (project-based learning, service-based learning, and work-based learning) that are available for schools and districts to use immediately. These zero credit course codes will allow for the tracking of completion of the Graduation Pathways requirements on transcripts and real-time completion reporting of these experiences to the state. The course descriptions for these course codes can be found here. All IDOE course titles and descriptions can be found here. Contact DOEGradPathways@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

NEW: October Graduation Pathways Monthly Webinar

IDOE’s Student Pathways and Opportunities team will host the Graduation Pathways October webinar on Thursday, October 27, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET via Microsoft Teams. Please use this link to join. Contact DOEGradPathways@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

NEW: Student Pathways Resources

The IDOE Student Pathways and Opportunities team’s webpage contains resources for each of the team’s areas of support. Areas of support and resources can be found at the links below:

Contact StudentPathways@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

REMINDER: McKinney-Vento Liaisons

IDOE and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) have partnered to provide support to the homeless student population by providing navigators to each region of the state who will provide support and resources necessary for the continuation and delivery of services to the homeless community. Navigators will provide systems mapping and navigation support to students and families identified as McKinney-Vento eligible by schools. Navigators will also collaborate with district level McKinney-Vento liaisons to assist eligible students and families with accessing school-based and community-based services, as well as explore and retain wrap-around services in each region. A list of navigators and their contact information can be found here. Contact McKinneyVentoPOC@doe.in.gov with any questions.

Office of Student Support and Accessibility/Special Education

NEW: 2021-2022 English Learner (EL) Count Correction Requests

IDOE is allowing schools to request a review and possible correction to their EL counts from the 2021-2022 school year to allow for a review of any possible discrepancies due to the new system implementation. Public corporation EL counts can be found here, and non-public EL counts can be found here. Submit this request for a review by Friday, October 28. At that time, the following will occur:

  1. IDOE reviews the EL count request submission. 
  2. IDOE’s data team will share a secure file link via email with individuals who submitted the form. Data will indicate students who were and were not included in last year’s EL reporting. Directions will be provided on how to indicate and return data corrections to IDOE securely. 
  3. Schools review, correct, and resubmit data to IDOE by Friday, November 11. 
  4. IDOE reviews and verifies revised EL counts.
  5. Updated 2021-2022 EL Counts are posted to IDOE’s English Learning and Migrant Education webpage.

Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions. 

 

REMINDER: Indiana Learns Learning Partner Application

Indiana Learns is a statewide microgrant program dedicated to empowering families of qualifying fourth and fifth grade students with grants to select from out-of-school tutoring options in reading and math. These tutoring options will be provided through an network of learning partners, vetted and approved to support students. Indiana Learns is now accepting applications to serve as a learning partner. Learning partner applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed for approval monthly. Schools or school corporations may apply to serve as learning partners when they become Champion Plus partners by providing a match of $250 of federal funds per eligible student. This match will allow eligible students to receive $1,000 toward academic recovery. In order to be included in the initial round of Champion Plus partners, you must notify Indiana Learns by tomorrow, Saturday, October 1, though applications will be accepted for future rolling approvals Contact Seana Murphy with Indiana Learns or IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions. 

 

REMINDER: Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Part B Grant Applications Now Due

Applications for FY 2023 Part B 611 and 619 grants are now due. Details on obtaining application forms and instructions and submitting completed applications to the grant management system can be found in the announcements section of the OSE Community on Moodle. FY 2023 Part B grant funds are available through September 30, 2024, to help school corporations, charter schools, and state schools cover the excess costs of providing special education and related services to students with disabilities. Contact partbgrants@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

REMINDER: FY 2021 Part B Reimbursement Requests Due Thursday, December 15

The last day to submit FY 2021 611 and 619 Part B grant reimbursement requests is Thursday, December 15. Reimbursement requests will be honored for approved expenditures that occurred through Friday, September 30. Reimbursement requests must be emailed to specialedpartb@doe.in.gov on or before Thursday, December 15.

 

REMINDER: Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Office Hours

IDOE’s Office of Special Education will continue to hold office hours once a week throughout October to support schools in navigating changes to the SEEC 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, and you may join any of the sessions below from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET.

Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.

Offices of Teaching and Learning, Digital Learning, and Kindergarten Readiness

NEW: Application Now Available for U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools’ Nomination

IDOE is pleased to release the application for nomination to the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) program for 2023. The ED-GRS program is a federal recognition award for school sustainability. Interested corporations and schools are encouraged to review this memo for additional information and submit their applications no later than Friday, December 2. Please contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with questions. 

 

NEW: October Professional Development (PD) Playbook – Virtual Learning Foundations

The Digital Learning team has released a new PD Playbook for the month of October. Virtual Learning Foundations can be used as a starting point for corporations that are looking to implement professional development for high-quality virtual learning. View this resource in the Indiana Learning Lab here. Contact the Office of Digital Learning with any questions.

 

 

UPDATE: Virtual Learning Blitz - A Micro Conference for Leaders - Now Open to Building Leaders

The Virtual Learning Blitz Conference will be held at the University of Notre Dame on Saturday, November 19. This one-day event will focus on the most important research-based strategies for high-quality blended and virtual learning and is geared towards those in curriculum leadership roles. Learn more about the conference and speakers by reading this flyer. Register here to attend this free conference. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Apply to Participate in the Indiana Academic Standards Reduction & Prioritization Committees

Pursuant to Indiana Code 20-31-3-1, IDOE is seeking qualified individuals to participate in the advisory committees to determine the reduction and prioritization of Indiana Academic Standards for kindergarten through grade 12. These committees will hold monthly virtual meetings from February to May 2023 to complete this critical work. Interested educators and community members are encouraged to apply. More information can be found here. Please contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with questions.

 

REMINDER: Digital Citizenship Week

To promote the importance of digital citizenship, IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning will share a variety of resources and learning opportunities throughout the month of October. Get started with a collection of digital citizenship resources in the Learning Lab. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Grade Six Civics Course Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Now Available

IDOE compiled a FAQ document to assist schools as they prepare for the implementation of the new grade six civics course during the 2023-2024 school year. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with questions.

 

REMINDER: Summer of Learning 2023 Grant 

IDOE’s 2023 Summer of Learning Grant application is open through Friday, October 28. This grant will support local school corporations interested in hosting a conference during summer 2023 the Summer of Learning conference series. The conference series will offer opportunities to connect with innovative, technology-enhanced pedagogy related to multiple strands. For more information, see this memo and access presentation slides here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions. 

 

REMINDER: October PD with IDOE

October PD with IDOE sessions continue next week in the Indiana Learning Lab on Wednesday, October 19, at 4 p.m. ET with CS is the “T” in STEM. View the October 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 website directly and use your school email to log in. View previous session via the on-demand learning section. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Public Comment Now Open for Indiana Academic Standards for Health and Physical Education (PE)

The Indiana Academic Standards for Health and PE are available for public comment now through Monday, October 17. Please click here to access links to the public comment forms for specific grade levels, grade bands, and content areas. IDOE invites all stakeholders to share their feedback during this time. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with questions. 

Office of Title Grants and Support

NEW: Title I-A Staffing Report

The Title I-A Staffing Report is no longer required to be submitted. Please contact titlei@doe.in.gov with any questions. 

 

NEW: Late Liquidation Extension Request Template

The U.S. Department of Education announced the release of a Liquidation Extension Request template for grantee use for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Please view this process flowchart for information on how to apply for a late liquidation approval. Use this JotForm to submit necessary information. There will be an open call on Wednesday, October 19, from 11 a.m. to noon via Microsoft Teams. Contact esser@doe.in.gov or geersupport@doe.in.gov with any questions.

 

REMINDER: Charter School Program - Quality Counts Grant Request for Proposal (RFP) Now Available

IDOE’s Office of Charter Schools and Special Programs is pleased to announce the release of the RFP for Cohort 6 of the Charter School Program - Quality Counts Grant. Please visit IDOE’s Charter School Program webpage and navigate to the Quality Counts Grant dropdown menu for grant materials and guidance documents. Applications are due by Monday, October 31, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Contact IDOE’s Office of Charter Schools and Special Programs with any questions.

News From Our Partners

NEWFROM THE INDIANA DIVISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AND INFANCY ONWARD: Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators

The Indiana Division for Early Childhood and Infancy Onward will present a training from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Friday, October 28, to help participants focus on children's social and emotional skills. The session will discuss ideas and strategies to help with challenging behaviors through experiencing, regulating, and expressing emotions while looking at connections and relationship building with children in their care. Certifications for continuing education are available, and tickets are available here. Contact Jessica Tomasino from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration with any questions.

 

NEW FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (DWD): New Career Coaching Site

DWD has unveiled a new career coaching website that serves as a resource for counselors, coaches, and instructors across the state assisting individuals with career goals. This site can help your students and clients hone their skills, sharpen their competitive edge, and create a professional brand with the myriad resources and jobs data provided on the site. Links to Indiana Adult Education Centers and Hoosiers by the Numbers are available, as well as to Indiana Career Explorer, where users can take career assessments and explore in-demand careers. Professional development resources are also accessed through the Career Coaching site. View these resources here. Contact CCInfo@dwd.IN.gov with any questions.

 

NEW FROM PLAYWORKS AND THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (IDOH): Play Leadership Essentials for Early Childhood Educators

Playworks and IDOH are offering a two-day virtual interactive workshop with proven strategies to foster a stronger sense of engagement and enhance opportunities for physical activity. Registration is free, and participants should plan to attend both days of the workshop. Materials will be mailed to each participant upon registration, and all attendees will be entered to win a mini play kit with all the equipment necessary to support Playworks games. Attendees will receive a certificate documenting attendance and content covered. When registering, participants will need to select which two-day session they plan to attend. 

  • Register here for Monday, October 31, and Wednesday, November 2.  
  • Register here for Tuesday, December 13, and Thursday, December 15. 

Contact Abby Roach at Playworks with any questions.

 

NEW FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Flu Season is Coming

Flu season is on its way, and data coming from Australia is indicating there will be a higher incidence of flu this season. Kids younger than age 18 are among those who were most impacted by flu in Australia. The U.S. prepares for flu season by reviewing these trends, so please message to staff and families the importance of getting a flu vaccine. This year’s vaccine protects against four strains of flu and is readily available. As we approach the winter respiratory illness season, it’s also a great time to remind everyone about the importance of good hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of hard surfaces, improving ventilation, and staying home when sick. These general mitigation measures work, so it’s time to make sure they are in place and practiced regularly to prevent illness overall. Contact Lorrie Ramsey at the Indiana Department of Health with any questions.

 

NEW FROM THE INDIANA CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER (CTO) COUNCIL AND THE INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS (IAPSS): The 2022 Candice Dodson EdTech Trailblazer Award

The 2022 Candice Dodson EdTech Trailblazer Award is now open for nominations. Each year, the award is presented to a superintendent or assistant superintendent who has promoted and supported innovative uses of technology in their district and has helped others do the same around the state of Indiana. To submit a candidate for nomination, fill out this form. The winner will be announced at the IAPSS annual meeting in early December. Contact Bill Stein with any questions.

 

NEW FROM THE INDIANA OFFICE OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE): 2021-2022 Industry Certification Funding Amounts

School corporations will soon receive their funding allotment for industry certification exams taken during the 2021-2022 school year. Schools can find the amount they are slated to receive in the linked spreadsheet. These funds were made available through a new line item provided to the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet in the current state budget and have been evenly allotted to all eligible entities based on data submitted prior to Friday, September 2.These funds will be distributed by IDOE, and school corporations can anticipate receiving the funding amount listed in the spreadsheet within the next few weeks. Contact CTE@gov.IN.gov with any questions about the amount of funding or a school's certification data. 

 

NEW: School-Based Mental Health Federal Grants

Two competitive grants have been released from the U.S. Department of Education to help support school districts in increasing the number of school-based mental health providers. The School-Based Mental Health Service Grant program provides competitive grants to help increase the number of school-based mental health providers in your schools. This includes school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists and will be awarded based on need. The notice inviting applications can be found here. Contact Amy Banks with any questions. The Mental Health Services Provider Demonstration grant program provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and districts. The grant program aims to address the supply of school-based mental health professionals. The notice inviting applications can be found here. Contact Tawanda Avery with any questions.

 

NEW FROM THE DIGCIT COALITION: DigCit Connect

The DigCit Coalition will be hosting DigCit Connect, a virtual summit, on Saturday, October 22. This event will feature content on creating a healthy digital culture and practical ideas for supporting students in a digital world. All educators, parents, and families are welcome! Sessions on digital citizenship include topics such as social media, cultivating digital citizens, and district practices and policies. Learn more and register here. Contact Marci Prince from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) with any questions. 

 

NEW FROM HILLENBRAND: Video Resources on Manufacturing

In a new video series, Indiana-based Hillenbrand has prepared five short videos for a classroom environment that dispel myths about manufacturing and provide more information about this diverse, innovative, and global field. 

Over the next decade, the Manufacturing Institute predicts there will be around four million manufacturing jobs to be filled – with Indiana being the nation’s most manufacturing intensive state. For more information about opportunities to partner with Hillenbrand, contact Paul Whitmore, corporate communications manager.

 

NEW FROM THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE (IAS): Science Talent Search

IAS is gearing up for the Science Talent Search for young high school science enthusiasts. Hosted by Ivy Tech under the direction of Dr. Azeem Ahmad, students in grades 11 and 12 are invited to submit research performed in the 2021-2022 school year or in the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers must certify each application, and students may only apply once. After completing the personal data application survey and the consent form by Sunday, October 30, abstracts, posters, and research papers must be submitted by Tuesday, November 15. Late entries will not be accepted. Contact Linda Buff to receive an application packet or with any questions.


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