2023-2024 Parent Survey is Live
IDOE encourages parents and families to complete the annual parent survey following the student’s annual case review (ACR). IDOE provides the following resources and translations to assist LEAs with distributing the survey:
There are paper versions of the survey also available on Moodle. Please have parents and families who are in need of assistance in completing the survey contact IDOE at (317) 232-0570 or specialeducation@doe.in.gov. School personnel should direct any questions or concerns about the parent survey to the OSE Monitoring team.
Rethinking Transition to Employment: Facilitating Individualized Work Experiences for Students with Disabilities
IDOE and the Indiana Family and Social Service Administration (FSSA) Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) are collaborating on a free TransCen virtual workshop series. According to research, children who have meaningful work experiences in high school, including those with disabilities, have better career outcomes as adults. This webinar series is designed to provide secondary transition experts and vocational rehabilitation and community partners with the tools to facilitate community-based transition services. This three-part series includes coaching calls following each webinar for participants more time to ask questions and share successes and challenges. Additional information and registration for each session can be found here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Reminder of New Process to Resolve Conflicts for Membership
Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, IDOE will no longer broker the resolution of data conflicts after the certification date. If, after the certification date, schools are unable to resolve an outstanding conflict, schools may petition the State Board of Education for an adjustment in their average daily membership (ADM) count by providing the Board with evidence supporting an adjustment in their membership claim. The process for petitioning the board will be made available this fall and communicated in Dr. Jenner’s Weekly Update. IDOE wants to make sure each school receives full funding for the students they are serving and completes the Membership count within two to three weeks of the count date. This process will help achieve both of these goals. See this memo for a more complete explanation of this change. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
Part B 611 Application for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Now Available
The Part B 611 grant application for FY 2024 is now available in the Office of Special Education Community in Moodle. Completed applications must be received in IDOE's Grant Management System by Friday, September 15. FY 2024 application workbooks include a checklist to address common errors. Separate documents with instructions for each budget category are also available with the application in Moodle. New charter schools that open for the 2023-2024 school year will be eligible for Part B funding in January 2024, and IDOE will contact them at that time. Contact partbgrants@doe.in.gov with any questions.
IDEA Part B Grant Deadlines and ARP IDEA Grant for FY 2022
- Proportionate share semi annual monitoring reports for January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023 are now due.
- Reimbursement requests for FY 2022 and ARP Part B grants must be submitted by no later than Friday, December 15.
- Final reports for FY 2022 and ARP Part B grants are due 30 days after the final grant reimbursement.
IDEA Part B Maintenance of Fiscal Effort (MOE) Training in October
Please watch for upcoming OSE Moodle community announcements about upcoming Part B MOE training for LEA special education directors and business officers. This important orientation and training regarding a new MOE process being implemented this year will be offered in October. Further details will be announced soon in the OSE Moodle community.
Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Invoice Office Hours
OSE will hold office hours to support schools in navigating the SEEC invoice process. This is an opportunity for schools to learn how to complete and submit IDOE invoices, what documentation is needed, and ask questions. No registration is needed. Please use the links provided below to join either of these upcoming sessions:
Auditory-Verbal Accelerated (AVA) Education Funding Update
AVA funds allotted to IDOE to assist school corporations with the cost of educating students who require auditory verbal education services have been fully allocated. Applications submitted during the 2023-2024 academic school year will not be considered or funded. To fund AVA services, school districts must utilize additional funding streams, such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 611 and 619 awards or SEEC funds. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Rates Update
The list of FMAP rates on the IDOE School Medicaid web page has been updated to include quarterly rates through Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024. The updated rates are also available under Medicaid Resources in the OSE Moodle Community.
FMAP rates determine the amount of federal dollars included in the total amount of Medicaid reimbursements to public school corporations, charter schools, and state schools that submit medical claims for covered mandated school-based services such as therapies, nursing, and mental health services that are provided as required by the educational programs and plans of qualifying students with disabilities. Contact the Office of Special Education with any questions.
Indiana Education Scholarship Account Program
Students with disabilities who have been determined eligible for special education and related services may be eligible for an education scholarship account, or ESA, under IC 20-51.4. If a student has an ESA, the parent may choose to have special education and related services provided by the public school under a service plan (SP), or the parent may choose to have special education funds added to the ESA so that the parent may choose which services to provide and the service providers to provide those services under an Education Scholarship Account Education Service Plan (ESA-SP).
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Which public school works with a parent to develop an ESA-SP?
- The school corporation of legal settlement (SCOLS). The parent is entitled to seek an offer of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) from the student’s SCOLS. The SCOLS shall convene the case conference committee (CCC) upon the parent’s request. An offer of FAPE is documented in a proposed individualized education program (IEP). If the parent declines the IEP, then the SCOLS presents the ESA-SP Activation document to the parent for review and signature. The ESA-SP consists of the proposed IEP and the ESA-SP Activation document. The SCOLS should provide the parent a copy of the proposed IEP and the signed ESA-SP Activation document. The parent is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the ESA-SP.
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Is an ESA-SP needed if the parent elects to have special education and related services provided by the public school where the nonpublic school is located under a SP?
- No. The parent decides whether to accept services under a SP from the public school corporation where the nonpublic school is located (local corporation), or whether the parent wants to choose the special education services and contract with participating entities/provider(s) for some or all services in an ESA-SP. If the parent elects a SP from the local corporation, then the local corporation convenes a CCC meeting to develop the SP. The local corporation is responsible for implementing the SP. Annual CCC meetings are required.
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What are the funding sources for the ESA?
- Education funds for the ESA include: a percentage of the State tuition support funding formula based on average daily membership (ADM) and per pupil allocation for special education-State funds only (APC). ESA funds and the accounts associated with them are administered by the Indiana Treasurer of State (TOS). A parent may elect to have special education services provided under a SP. Under this situation, the TOS will direct APC funds to the local corporation responsible for developing and implementing the SP. If the parent chooses an ESA-SP and contracts with participating entities/provider(s) for some or all services in the ESA-SP, then APC funds will flow from the TOS to the ESA account.
Additional ESA information and resources can be found here.
Educator Licensing Office Hours
The Office of Educator Licensing is offering office hours every Thursday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Please share this link with administrative and instructional teams so they can log in to ask any licensure questions they may have. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Licensing with any questions.
Second Annual Indiana Educator Excellence Awards
During the second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala, IDOE awarded nearly $5 million to schools and educators across the state. The black-tie event celebrates and elevates the work of Indiana’s educators as they support student learning. Special educators recognized at this year’s event included:
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Kalvin Miller, Special Education, Frankton-Lapel Community Schools and Amy Hallam, Special Education, MSD of North Posey County, who received the Exceptional Learner Education Excellence Award. This award recognizes individual educators with over three years of experience, who serve students within their school’s Exceptional Learner Program by leading, teaching, and building community among all educators to ensure students are supported across settings.
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Erin Day, Pre-K Special Education, Greenfield Central School Corporation, awarded the Early Childhood Educator Excellence Award that recognizes individual early childhood educators with over three years of experience who demonstrate a commitment to supporting Indiana’s youngest students in developing kindergarten readiness skills.
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Briana Temple, Instructional Coach, Indianapolis Public Schools, who was recognized with the Dedicated Educator Excellence Award. This award recognizes individual educators with six to 15 years of experience who proactively engage in professional development and seek out opportunities to mentor and learn from other educators.
ICHAMP Access
Please ensure that the special education director at your local education agency (including public school corporations and charter schools) has the appropriate role in your school’s student information system (SIS) to allow them access to ICHAMP. Specifically, please ensure that if you are the director of special education, you have the key contact tag or type of “Special Education Director.” There can be one local director of special education (corporation or charter school level) and one planning district director of special education (network level). Please contact ichamphelpdesk@doe.in.gov with any questions related to ICHAMP access. User guides and information are available on the ICHAMP website.
Dispute Resolution Options and Information
If in a situation where you would like a refresher on common formal and informal dispute resolution options available to schools and parents of students with disabilities, please visit the IDOE’s Dispute Resolution webpage.
Join the PATINS Project for Virtual Office Hours during the School Year
Meet with many PATINS Project staff during virtual office hours on Zoom to chat about Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), Assistive Technology (AT), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Find the full calendar and registration details on the PATINS Virtual Office Hours Site. Please contact the PATINS Project if you need further assistance.
Register Now for Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All Statewide Conference
Registration is open for Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All, a new statewide conference from IDOE and the IEP Technical Assistance (TA) Center. The conference is intended for general educators, special educators, and administrators and will take place at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, November 28, and Wednesday, November 29. Register here, as space is limited! Please contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
Special Education Resource Guide for Special Education Directors
IDOE has partnered with Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) to provide a new special education resource guide for LEA special education directors. View the TAESE LEA Director Resource Guide here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Upcoming Training from the IEP Technical Assistance Center
The IEP TA Center has a variety of upcoming, no-cost workshops for Indiana educators. For additional information on each session, view the training catalog. Register today for relevant sessions, as space is limited. Find additional TA resources on IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility webpage. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility or the IEP TA Center with any questions.
Office Hours with IDOE and IN*SOURCE
IDOE partners with IN*SOURCE to present free monthly webinars on special education topics. Office Hours are offered on the fourth Tuesday of every month from 12 to 1 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. ET. Use this link to join any session and call 800.332.4433 or email insource@insource.org with questions.
Office of Student Support and Accessibility Technical Assistance Office Hours
IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility will host Technical Assistance Office Hours from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET on the first Thursday of each month. The first 20 minutes will cover a relevant topic of choice and the remaining time will be available for questions and discussion. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
Public Comment Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the following public comment opportunity in a notice published in the Federal Register: Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Study of District and School Uses of Federal Education Funds including IDEA Part B funds. The description notes that policymakers are especially interested in comments addressing whether and how these data collections are necessary, used, and how the Department might enhance the quality, utility and clarify of the information collected as well as minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents. Follow this link to review the announcement and instructions for submitting public comments.
In Case You Missed It: Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Director Provides Five Actions and Introduces Over 200 Resources to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline
U.S. Department of Education’s OSEP Director Valerie Williams provided five actions people can take to reduce exclusionary discipline in her final Discipline Discussions blog series, released July 31, 2023. Additionally, Williams announced the launch of a database with more than 200 resources on reducing exclusionary discipline.
From Keep Indiana Learning: PD for Instructional Coaches
A fall and spring cadre is now forming to support new and veteran instructional coaches in strengthening their coaching practices. Learn more about this opportunity and register here. Contact Keep Indiana Learning with any questions.
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