The 2023 legislative session is officially in full swing. As bills continue to be filed and assigned to their respective committees, many education bills are beginning to emerge. Some of the filed bills will never receive a hearing, and some will move through the four-month process. We will work with Governor Holcomb, members of the General Assembly, and other stakeholders throughout the budget session and into implementation when legislation from this session becomes law.
In our last weekly update newsletter, I recapped the Governor’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, which includes the request for an historic investment in K-12 tuition support. Our team shares these priorities and is eager to dig in and work together to advance them through the legislative process. In addition to the priorities outlined by the Governor, IDOE is partnering with the General Assembly on key measures targeting literacy and STEM. Here’s a quick overview!
Literacy
We have a statewide goal of 95% of third grade students demonstrating reading proficiency skills and passing IREAD-3 by 2027. We know that students who pass the IREAD-3 assessment by grade three are roughly 35% more likely to graduate high school. Currently, one in five Indiana third grade students is not proficient in key literacy skills.
As part of his agenda, Governor Holcomb has proposed a $20 million incentive program to recognize schools and teachers that improve students’ passing rate on IREAD-3. To help more students learn to read, IDOE proposes additional support for schools and students in greatest need of literacy support.
Specifically, our agency bill elevates the science of reading as best practice for literacy instruction and establishes an evidence-based, science of reading literacy support plan for Indiana elementary schools with less than 70% of students passing IREAD-3. This represents 243 of our state’s 1,051 elementary schools that would be targeted to gain additional support. This includes:
- Using approved “science of reading” focused curriculum and assessment,
- Utilizing a science of reading trained instructional coach,
- Administering IREAD-3 to grade two students as an early indicator of proficiency, allowing for earlier intervention and support, and
- Using a prescribed formative assessment to increase data-driven instructional practices and provide targeted instruction at the individual level.
STEM
STEM education is essential to meeting the demands of a complex and competitive workforce reliant on critical thinking and communication skills. Research also suggests that high-quality instructional materials, accompanied by professional development to help teachers use those materials, can improve student achievement.
As part of his agenda, Governor Holcomb has proposed an additional $120 million per year to cover curricular materials for the families of over one million students at all traditional public and charter schools as well as students who qualify for free and reduced lunch at non-public schools.
Our team at IDOE is also working to identify additional ways of increasing access to high-quality, engaging STEM educational experiences, including expanding access to professional development for STEM educators.
Other priorities
In addition to the proposals contained in our agency bill and Governor Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, IDOE will also work closely with the Indiana General Assembly to address challenges brought forward by reviewing transparent data and discussions with stakeholders.
Those measures include, but are not limited to:
- Increasing the tuition support formula
- Securing additional funding to support the growing costs associated with serving special education and English learner student populations,
- Making high school diploma requirements more flexible and relevant to students,
- Increasing access to high-value postsecondary credentials before high school graduation, as well as the number of students earning these credentials,
- Improving access to high-quality work-based learning opportunities,
- Expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities,
- Prioritizing the health and overall well-being of our students, and
- Strengthening Indiana’s educator pipeline.
Unprecedented collaboration amongst a wide variety of stakeholders, including educators, parents, community leaders, and employers, has helped shape a comprehensive legislative agenda for K-12 education. Each stakeholder has a role to play in the weeks ahead, and IDOE will work closely with Governor Holcomb and the General Assembly to advance policies that put the needs of our students first.
We look forward to this ongoing collaboration, and as always, thank you for all that you do for students!
|
REMINDER: 2022-2023 Notice of Intent to Seek Performance Based Accreditation Submission Window
The submission window for non-public schools to submit a notice of intent to seek performance-based (state) accreditation is open and will close on Sunday, April 30. A notice of intent must be submitted prior to the school year for which accreditation would begin. This document serves as a notice of intent to seek state accreditation but does not constitute the final petition to be submitted. Once the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) receives this notice and verifies the applicant’s eligibility for accreditation, the applicant will be provided with a petition template, which must be completed and submitted to IDOE. A notice of intent may be found here. Contact IDOE's Office of Accountability with any questions.
NEW: PSAT/NMSQT Fall 2023 Testing Dates
Fall 2023 will be the first new digital administration of the PSAT/NMSQT, which allows for greater scheduling flexibility. Schools may schedule PSAT/NMSQT testing anytime from Monday, October 9, through Friday, October 27. The 2023-2024 Assessment Windows document is updated on IDOE’s Assessment webpage to reflect these new PSAT/NMSQT dates. Any makeup testing for student absence or testing invalidation should also fall within this three-week window. Information regarding the process to register for the digital PSAT/NMSQT will be provided later this year. Contact College Board with any questions.
REMINDER: Educator Recruitment and Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Indiana superintendents or human resources directors interested in the next opportunity to opt-in to the full Nimble ATS may complete this JotForm by Friday, January 27. This free upgrade for schools currently utilizing the job posting only feature is designed to significantly enhance local capabilities around educator recruitment. The initialization for new ATS users will take place in late February. Additional information about the statewide partnership with Nimble can be found here. Contact Rebecca Estes with any questions.
REMINDER: School Year 2022-2023 Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) - Request
To collect accurate information about the use of TAG funds, please complete this quick questionnaire by Monday, January 16. Contact TAG@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: Your Input is Needed
IDOE and our partner, Resultant, are seeking educators, school administrators, and interventionists to complete a short survey regarding student performance data and how they are used locally. The information gathered via this survey will help IDOE in the development of an innovative Early Warning Indicator tool that can predict and identify students at risk of not graduating high school on time or achieving postsecondary success. You can access the survey here.
In addition to this survey, IDOE is hosting a series of virtual, one-hour focus groups throughout January. If you would like to participate, please sign up here. If you wish to participate but cannot make any of the scheduled times, please reach out to mthielmeyer@resultant.com to schedule a meeting.
NEW: School Office Hours Schedule
School office hours will be held on Tuesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 19, for training on the student academic record (SAR), formerly course completion (CC) collection.
REMINDER: State Ed-ID Portal Now Available for New Student Test Numbers (STN) and School Personnel Numbers (SPN)
The transition to the new Ed-ID portal is now complete. Ed-IDs for students (also known as STNs) as well as Ed-IDs for staff (also known as SPNs) can now be requested through the portal. This process replaces the old approach to generating IDs for educators and students and allows for more versatility in the generation and use of IDs. It will also improve the management of IDs through a centralized service. More information is available in this memo. Details are now posted on the Ed-ID website. Contact link@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: E-Rate Match for Fiber Construction Now Available
IDOE is participating in the E-Rate Match Program for special construction projects. Available to any Indiana public school for fiscal year (FY) 2023 (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024), the program increases the discount rate for special construction charges for high-speed broadband that meets the FCC's long-term connectivity targets up to an additional 10% to match the state funding on a one-to-one dollar basis. Full application details are available here. Contact Brad Hagg with any questions.
REMINDER: Important Data Reporting Change - Student Academic Record Collection to Replace Course Completion Collection
These changes being implemented for reporting course enrollments and outcomes will impact all schools that report course level data to IDOE. These updates are occurring to improve the completeness of academic records for each student, to support metrics on the Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard, and to monitor progress on Graduation Pathways. The full memo is available here and the related frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is available here. Contact IDOE's Data Exchange Team with any questions.
NEW: February Membership Count Date
The spring membership count date of pupils enrolled in each school corporation and charter school is Wednesday, February 1. IDOE will use membership data to determine January to June 2023 Basic Grant distributions. Please refer to the Data Exchange for additional guidance concerning membership for enrollment and membership for adult learners. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
NEW: Summer School Estimates
The window to submit the Estimated Cost Report for Summer School 2023 will open on Wednesday, February 1. Please read this memo and frequently asked questions (FAQ) document for information regarding eligible courses, important dates, and financial provisions. Detailed information about the summer school program and how to report is included in this presentation. Contact Teresa Hemmerle or Joe Engelstad.
REMINDER: Form 9 Financial Data Submission
Tuesday, January 31, is the deadline to submit Form 9 financial data for the period of July to December 2022. The Form 9 application can be accessed via the LINK Portal. Once in the portal, the financial administrator will navigate to the “Form 9 Financial Data” tile. Please review the Form 9 Overview for instructions. Additional guidance can be found in the Public School Finance Community on Moodle. Contact form9@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Full-Time Teacher Benefit Survey
Please read this memo regarding collection of full-time teacher benefit data between Friday, December 16, and Friday, February 17, for inclusion in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Full-Time Teacher Salary and Benefits Report. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions.
NEW: Recipients of Next Generation School Improvement Grant Announced
The Office of School Support and Transformation is pleased to announce the recipients of the Next Generation School Improvement Grant, a federally funded initiative to transform educational opportunities in schools identified for additional support under Indiana’s approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Grant recipients include:
- Indianapolis Public Schools
- Kokomo School Corporation
- Perry Central Community School Corporation
Grant recipients will receive one year’s worth of planning funds followed by funding for three years of implementation. More information can be found in the Next Generation School Improvement Grant Award Summary. Contact Georgia Watson with any questions.
NEW: Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS) Principles Courses
The 2023-2024 IDOE Course Titles and Descriptions includes updated course descriptions from the Governor's Workforce Cabinet's Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the NLPS courses. Below is guidance regarding taking the Principles courses as electives:
- Schools are encouraged to only offer the Principles courses when students choose to continue in a pathway leading to the Concentrator A and B courses.
-
Students may take NLPS courses as electives, inclusive of the Principles courses if a meeting is held with a school counselor to determine if seats are available. For example, if a student is in another non-CTE pathway that does not require a Principles course for completion, but the student has an opening in his schedule and an interest in taking the Principles course as an elective, this may be permitted. It is not recommended that a school offer this course, or any NLPS courses to all students when it does not lead to a CTE concentrator completion.
Contact IDOE's Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
REMINDER: Graduation Pathways Career and Technical Education (CTE) Concentrator C Average Clarification
If a student is enrolled in a CTE Concentrator program of study to fulfil the Bucket 3 requirement for their Graduation Pathway, they must complete the required courses with a C average. As long as the grade is within the C range for your school district’s grading scale, concentrator status will be approved for Graduation Pathways. The specific GPA for the C average is a local decision determined by each school district. Contact IDOE's Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
REMINDER: January Graduation Pathways Webinar
IDOE’s Student Pathways and Opportunities team will host the Graduation Pathways January webinar on Thursday, January 26, 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: Project AWARE Goes to the Park Grant Program
Project AWARE, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA), will be offering funds and technical assistance to support local parks departments and community organizations in supporting youth mental health in outdoor park spaces. School administrators are encouraged to share this opportunity as this grant will provide funding to local parks departments, not-for-profits, and community groups. Applicants are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 for each funding stream. Applications can be found here. Contact jsperry@health.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: PREPaRE Workshop 2 Trainings
Additional PREPaRE: Workshop 2 trainings will be held in Indianapolis and Mishawaka this witner andspring. The National Association of School Psychologist’s PREPaRE model provides school personnel with comprehensive training on how to establish and serve on school crisis response teams. Indianapolis training sessions will be held on Wednesday, March 1, and Tuesday, March 7, and attendance both days is required. Please click here for more information. Registration will close on Friday, February 10. The Mishawaka training sessions will be held on Thursday, April 20, and Friday, April 21, and attendance both days is required. Please click here for more information. Registration will close on Monday, March 20. Contact tcgmiller@gmail.com or info@projectawarein.org with any questions.
NEW: Office of Student Support and Accessibility Moodle Community Now Available
IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility Community is now available on Moodle. The community will feature resources for all special populations including special education and English learning (EL), PD opportunities, and technical assistance (TA) resources. Sign up and enroll in the Office of Student Support and Accessibility Community in Moodle here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
NEW: Office Hours with IN*SOURCE and IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness
Join office hours from noon to 1 p.m. and at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 24, with Dr. Kelli Servizzi, IDOE Director of Kindergarten Readiness, and Lesa Paddack, Assistant Director of IN*SOURCE. Discussion will include important components of kindergarten readiness such as preparing children for preschool, necessary kindergarten readiness skills, and the supportive framework that IDOE and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) have regarding transition values to help students be ready for kindergarten. Join the office hours here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: PATINS Project Opportunities and Resources for Indiana Educators
Indiana educators can now borrow the Magnifier and Table Together (MATT) Connect Tablet/Magnifier from the PATINS Assistive Technology Lending Library. Complete the loan request form to borrow technology at no cost. Contact the PATINS Project with any questions
NEW: Upcoming EL Office Hours: EL Teacher Coursework Funding
Join IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education for EL Office Hours on Thursday, January 19, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET. This session will focus on the Indiana Teachers of English Learners Licensure (I-TELL) initiative, which provides funding for EL teacher licensing coursework. Attendees can learn more about the program and ask questions about participation. Visit the I-TELL webpage for more information and visit the EL PD Opportunities Calendar for the meeting link and to submit topics for discussion. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
NEW: Sign Up Now - WIDA Standards PD Workshops
IDOE is offering a free, WIDA-facilitated two-part hybrid workshop titled Teacher Leaders: Planning with the Standards designed to support teacher leaders, coaches, and others who provide local PD and support for using the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition.
- Virtual Teacher Leaders: Planning with the Standards Workshop: Thursday, March 16, from 3 to 4 p.m. E.T
- In-Person Teacher Leaders: Planning with the Standards Workshop: Thursday, March 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET at MSD Warren Township 975 North Post Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46219
View the WIDA flyer for more information, including participant expectations. Register for the workshop here. Registration is limited to two participants per corporation and closes on Friday, February 17. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
REMINDER: IEP TA Center
The IEP TA Center, formerly known as the Indiana IEP Resource Center, continues to offer regional training at no cost to Indiana educators. View the training catalog and register for upcoming workshops. Upcoming workshops for January include:
- Best Practices for Writing Skill-Based Measurable Goals and Progress Monitoring on Tuesday, January 24, in Indianapolis, IN
- Best Practices for Writing Skill-Based Measurable Goals and Progress Monitoring on Wednesday, January 25, in Jeffersonville, IN
- Developing Behavior Intervention Plans on Thursday, January 26, in Merrillville, IN
- Developing Behavior Intervention Plans on Tuesday, January 31 in Indianapolis, IN
Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with questions.
NEW: Register for Indiana STEM and Literacy Cadre Informational Webinars
IDOE and the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis are working to highlight the importance and support the work of foundational literacy and STEM skills through the Indiana Literacy Cadre and the Indiana STEM Cadre. Learn more about both of these opportunities by registering for one of the informational webinars hosted by CELL:
Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: Digital Learning Parent and Family Support Grant Recipients
IDOE has announced 23 recipients of the 2022-2023 Digital Learning Parent and Family Support Grant. This grant allows a school or corporation to design a plan to support parents and families with topics related to educational technology and blended/virtual learning environments. See this memo for a full list of grant recipients. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Week of the Young Child (WOYC) Public Visual Photography and Artwork Display
In recognition of the WOYC Saturday, April 1, through Friday, April 7, IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness is organizing a public, visual display at the Indiana Statehouse reflecting the work of early learning educators and students across the state. Find out more about participating here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
REMINDER: #INLovesReading Through Purposeful Play
Join IDOE in the Indiana Learning Lab for #INLovesReading Through Purposeful Play, a kindergarten readiness series from January through March. The next session is Tuesday, January 17, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. This series will explore principles for the science of reading through purposeful play in early learning environments. A full schedule can be found in the Indiana Learning Lab. Please plan to join us live to learn more about the brain, comprehension, phonics, vocabulary, writing, and diverse learners and their families. All sessions will be recorded for later viewing. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
REMINDER: January Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
January PD with IDOE continues next week with Why We Stay: A Fireside Chat with Some of Indiana’s Top Teacher Talent. View a full list of the January sessions here. Previous January sessions are available on demand in the Indiana Learning Lab. 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. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Applications Open for Governor’s 2023 STEM Team
Governor. Eric. J. Holcomb, Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner, and Treasurer of State Daniel Elliott invite Indiana high school students to apply for the 2023 Governor’s STEM Team. This program honors four outstanding high school students for their exceptional efforts and accomplishments in one of the STEM disciplines. Winning students each receive a $1,000 deposit into an Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings plan and letterman jackets identifying them as members of the Governor’s STEM Team. Applications may be submitted via this Jotform through Friday, February 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana Course Access Portal (iCAP) Reimbursement
IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning is offering an opportunity for schools to receive reimbursement for students enrolling in the Indiana Course Access Portal (iCAP) for the 2023-2024 school year. Indiana Code 20-30-16 currently offers over 180 course options from seven course providers. Applications are open through Friday, January 20. Please see this memo for more information. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Title Con 2023 - Requests for Questions from the Field
One of Title Con’s keynote sessions will include a moderated discussion and those planning to attend Title Con are encouraged to submit questions they have for IDOE in areas such as academics, finance, student pathways and opportunities, and technology. The Title Con planning committee will include a selection of these questions for the moderated discussion. Please submit questions to titlei@doe.in.gov.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (IDOH): School Wellness Grant Opportunity
IDOH's DNPA is applying for a competitive grant provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and is calling for letters of interest (LOI) from schools to participate in the Indiana Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Funding Opportunity. If IDOH is awarded this grant, one priority school would receive up to $100,000 per year for five years from October 2023 to September 2028 for school wellness initiatives. Schools eligible to submit a letter of interest are those with a school year (SY) 2022-2023 total enrollment of at least 1,000 students and a SY 2022-2023 free and reduced lunch rate of approximately 60% or higher. Please review the call for letters of interest for more information. LOIs of two pages or less must be emailed to Jenna Sperry and Emma Smythe by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 25.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA LANGUAGE ROADMAP PROJECT: Funding Available for Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency Language Assessments
The Indiana Language Roadmap Project is offering funding assistance for language proficiency exams for high school students planning to obtain Indiana’s Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency. Students must be nominated by an educator, counselor, or parent. Individuals may nominate more than one student, but preference will be given to students taking proficiency exams for less commonly-taught languages, with financial need, and from a variety of school districts. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through Wednesday, February 15. Complete the nomination form here. Visit the IDOE Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency webpage for more information and contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
NEW FROM THE NORTHERN INDIANA EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER (NIESC): Digitize your District Request Forms with Google - Indiana Learning Lab Session
Is your district still passing around request forms for field trips, bus usage, or conference/travel requests? Learn how you can utilize Google Docs Templates to make these forms available to staff, save time, and never lose a form again. Join Darlene Kennedy, Director of Technology Integration at NIESC in the Indiana Learning Lab on Tuesday, January 24, at 2 p.m. ET to learn how to create custom corporation forms and utilize form copies for your schools. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN (CEC): 2023 CEC Convention & Expo
The 2023 CEC Convention & Expo will be held from Wednesday, March 1, through Saturday, March 4, in Louisville, Kentucky. Join the CEC to learn, share, grow, and connect with special education professionals around the world. All educators, supervisors, and support staff members are eligible for a special discount of $70 off registration by using the code INDIANA23. Register for the CEC Convention & Expo here. Contact CEC with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE INDIANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Work-Based Learning IMPACT Summit
Attend the inaugural Work-Based Learning IMPACT Summit, including the 17th Annual IMPACT Awards! The summit is a convening of best practices and sharing of ideas toward growth and partnership within workforce and education. It will take place Tuesday, February 21. The 17th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon will be held as part of the Summit. Those who are interested can register to attend the entire summit or register for only the IMPACT Awards program, which will celebrate Hoosier interns, internship supervisors, employers, and career development professionals. Contact the Indiana Chamber with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHER INVESTMENT PROGRAM (AP-TIP): Remote Teacher Collaboratives
The Advanced Placement Teacher Investment Program (AP-TIP) at the University of Notre Dame invites AP teachers to attend the next round of Remote Teacher Collaboratives on Thursday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET. These one-hour, online sessions offer a convenient space for AP math, science, computer science, English, and history teachers to connect, share, and learn from AP leaders. Learn more, see the full schedule, and register online here. Contact AP-TIP with any questions.
|
