It’s not often that I catch the morning television news, but on Wednesday, I happened to be getting ready for the day and finishing up a call when something on TV caught my attention. Good Morning America had a segment focused on science of reading, and specifically, the “Mississippi Miracle.” You can check it out here.
If you aren’t familiar, the Mississippi Miracle refers to the dramatic increase in literacy rates in Mississippi from 2013 to 2022. In 2013, Mississippi ranked 50th in the nation in fourth grade reading levels. In 2022, they climbed to 21st in the nation! This was made possible through a statewide strategy that pairs teachers with trained literacy coaches, emphasizes phonics instruction and high-quality instructional materials, and prioritizes early testing, individual reading plans, and parent/family engagement. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this example has been an inspiration to Indiana and many other states as we face similar challenges when it comes to literacy.
I encourage you to take a moment to watch this segment. It’s a great reminder that Indiana is not alone in this challenge, but that we have an opportunity to lead in this space and urgently impact students. By continuing to elevate science of reading in Indiana schools, we are making an impact together, and we are changing lives…because as literacy coach Katie Williamson says in the video, “If you can read, you can accomplish anything.”
Let’s finish the week strong, and let’s continue to improve for our students. Thank you for all that you do!
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REMINDER: Science of Reading Curriculum Advisory List
House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1558 requires the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to review and publish a list of high-quality curricular materials aligned to science of reading. IDOE has heard from several schools that some vendors are stating that their curriculum is aligned to HEA 1558–as a reminder, list development is in progress and no vendors have been notified of their status at this time. We continue to caution corporations and schools from purchasing or executing new, long-term contracts until the formalized list is provided in the spring of 2024. Contact IDOE's Literacy Center with any questions.
REMINDER: Legislatively-Required Posting of School Performance Reports (by October 15, 2023)
In lieu of issuing letter grades for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, HEA 1591 requires IDOE to develop a school performance report for public and state accredited non-public schools. The statutory deadline for schools to embed their performance report on their school website homepage was Sunday, October 15. If you have not already done so, please click here for additional instructions. As a reminder, once the school performance report has been added to your school website homepage, please complete the following Jotform to confirm your school’s compliance with HEA 1591. Contact IDOE's Office of Accountability with any questions.
NEW: Educator and Student PSAT/NMSQT Score Access
Educators can now access PSAT/NMSQT scores for students who tested before Saturday, October 14. Staff may contact their corporation’s/school’s data access manager for access to College Board’s K-12 Reporting Portal. Students who tested by Saturday, October 14, will have access to their scores via their College Board student account beginning Monday, November 6. Students who provided a phone number to access the BigFuture Connections app will receive a text message once scores are available. Students with College Board accounts may also view their scores by logging into their College Board account. Remaining scores will become available to educators on Tuesday, November 14, and students on Thursday, November 16. Contact College Board with any questions.
NEW: ILEARN & IREAD-3 Practice Tests and Test Delivery System (TDS) User Guide
The 2023-2024 TDS User Guide is now available to assist schools in administering ILEARN and IREAD-3 practice tests, which become available Monday, November 6. Test Administrators will administer practice tests to students in preparation for spring test administrations via TDS. Scripts to administer practice tests can be found via the Resources page on the Indiana Assessment Portal. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with questions regarding policy and procedures and the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with technical issues.
REMINDER: Register for Upcoming College Board Training Opportunities
School staff involved in PSAT and SAT School Day Testing can register for College Board training opportunities to support test administration and post-testing data use. View workshops and webinars here. Live workshops to support PSAT data use and test preparation for the SAT School Day around the state throughout November. Recordings will be available for webinars following the live event. Contact College Board with any questions.
NEW: Licensing Verification and Information System (LVIS) Unavailable Due to Upgrade
The Office of Educator Licensing is preparing to transition to LVIS360, an upgraded online licensing system. During the transition to the new system, the LVIS portal will be unavailable to users beginning Tuesday, November 7, at 5 p.m. ET until Monday, November 13. at 7 a.m. ET. Please share this information with your building administrators and corporation-level approvers for substitute permits and other teaching permits, as they will not have access to LVIS to do approvals during this time.
REMINDER: Indiana STEM (I-STEM) Educator Expansion Program Registration Now Available
IDOE is partnering with Educational Service Centers (ESCs) of Indiana to launch the I-STEM partnership. I-STEM provides support for both currently licensed teachers in non-STEM areas and prospective teachers who are not licensed and hold a bachelor’s degree to become licensed to teach in a STEM content area. IDOE has identified eligible STEM content areas as life science, chemistry, earth/space science, physics, physical science, computer science, technology education, and mathematics. Click here for more information and registration. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
NEW: More Cybersecurity Resources
Cybersecurity Awareness Month may be over, but the threats to schools from cyber criminals never lets up. Here are three incredible free resources to improve your planning and posture while ensuring that you will qualify for federal funds through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP):
NEW: Estimated 2023 Summer School Reimbursement
IDOE's Office of School Finance has determined the estimate for reimbursement of summer school costs based on the 2023 Summer School Final Cost Reports submitted by eligible school corporations and charter schools. The payment for 2023 summer school programs will occur the week of Monday, November 20. Additional information and the detailed list of distributions can be found here. Please contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions before Thursday, November 9.
NEW: Next Generation School Improvement Grant Prioritized Expert Partners
The Office of School Support and Transformation is pleased to announce the prioritized expert partners for the Next Generation School Improvement Grant. These organizations passed a rigorous evaluation process to qualify as a prioritized expert partner. The contact information for these partners is listed below. Contact Georgia Watson with any questions.
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Empower Schools, Inc., 9 Menlo St. Boston, MA, 02135
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SkyBound Education, LLC, 601 S. Meridian St., Suite 1L, Indianapolis, IN 46225
- Contact: Adam Jones, founder & CEO, (317) 650-8330
NEW: 2022-2023 Alternative Education Funding
The 2022-2023 school year alternative education grant distributions have been processed by IDOE's Office of School Finance and LEA’s will receive funds beginning Thursday, November 2. Any LEA that submitted a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Report by the July deadline for an approved alternative education program for the 2022-2023 academic year will receive Alternative Education FTE funds at $602.02 per FTE. Contact studentpathways_alted@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: High Ability Program Grant Final Report
The 2022-2023 (fiscal year 2023) High Ability Program (HAP) Final Report is due Sunday, December 31. All schools that received FY 2023 High Ability funds must complete this report via JotForm. Contact studentpathways_highability@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 High Ability Office Hours
High ability office hours for the 2023-2024 school year will be open to anyone who has questions or concerns regarding high ability programming. Please see the high ability office hours schedule here. Contact studentpathways_highability@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 Student Pathways Monthly Webinars
IDOE's Student Pathways and Opportunities team will host monthly webinars for alternative education, graduation pathways, high ability, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act during the 2023-2024 school year. All webinar dates and the links to join can be found here. Registration is not required. Contact Studentpathways@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Family Engagement Grant Opportunity
IN*SOURCE has been awarded the Statewide Family Engagement Center Grant from the U.S. Department of Education and is working with IDOE to award five school districts in Indiana a five-year grant that will allow them to hire or supplement the salary of a family engagement coordinator, receive professional development for staff, technical assistance for families, and pay for family engagement expenses. This is an opportunity for school districts that would like to work on improving family engagement to support families and students. For more information, please click here. IN*SOURCE will host a Q&A webinar on Monday, November 13, at 1 p.m. ET. Contact Dawn McGrath with any questions.
NEW: Updated Secondary English Learner (EL) Toolkit Now Available
IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education is pleased to share the updated Secondary English Learner Toolkit. This resource provides guidance on a variety of topics pertaining to secondary EL students, such as awarding credits, scheduling EL services, differentiation, and more. This resource can also be found in the Indiana EL Community in Moodle. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with questions.
NEW: 2023-2024 Refugee Student Data Collection for Refugee School Impact Grant
IDOE is collecting information on students with refugee status who meet the U.S. Office of Refugee and Resettlement (ORR) eligibility requirements enrolled in Indiana schools as of Friday, October 1. This data will be used to generate allocations for the 2023-2024 Refugee School Impact Grant (RSIG). RSIG is a voluntary federal grant from ORR administered to schools to support the needs of this student population. LEAs that enrolled eligible students may download the report template and submit their data via this Jotform by Thursday, November 30. Please note that only LEAs enrolling eligible students interested in receiving RSIG funding should complete the submission. Please contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with questions.
REMINDER: Maintenance of Effort Training for Part B Funding on Wednesday, November 8
IDOE’s Office of Special Education will review the new Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement for Part B funding on Wednesday, November 8, at 11 a.m. ET. All special education directors and stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Additional MOE support resources are available in the Special Education Community in Moodle. The MOE template will be released this week. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with questions.
NEW: 2023-2024 K-12 Robotics Competition Grant Recipients
IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce the 168 recipients of the 2023-2024 K-12 Robotics Competition Grant. This competitive grant opportunity supports schools in providing opportunities to increase interest and improve STEM skills through participation in competitive robotics programs. Review this memo for more information and the list of recipients. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: Digital Learning Parent and Family Support Grant Recipients
IDOE is pleased to announce 31 recipients of the 2023-2024 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. View this memo for a full list of grant recipients. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: 2023-2024 Competitive Science of Reading Grant Award Update
Schools and corporations that submitted proposals for the 2023-2024 Competitive Science of Reading Grant will be notified of their status on Friday, November 10. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with any questions.
NEW: Virtual Learning Professional Development (PD) Series
Join us for Virtual Learning Essentials, a series of presentations from experts, researchers, and authors, featuring deep dives into essential elements of virtual learning. This series kicks off on Tuesday, November 14, at 4 p.m. ET with Improving Virtual Instruction Using the 4E Framework, featuring Dr. Jered Borup from George Mason University. Register here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: November PD with IDOE - Helping Your Beginning Reader at Home
November PD with IDOE continues next week on Wednesday, November 8, at 4 p.m. ET with Helping Your Beginning Reader At Home presented by the IDOE’s Director of Kindergarten Readiness, Dr. Kelli Servizzi, IDOE’s Digital Learning Specialist, Matt White, and Stefanie Husejnovic, Kindergarten Teacher at MSD Decatur Township. View a full list of the November sessions here. To register for workshops or view on-demand sessions, create a free account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Indiana Learning Lab directly and use your school email address to log in. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Register for Future-Focused Learning Series School Year Support Workshops
The Future-Focused Learning Series from IDOE and the Education Service Centers of Indiana (ESCI) will host five live professional development workshops in regions across the state to support the 2023 Indiana Academic Standards, Early Learning Standards, and Integrated STEM Standards implementation. Register for these full-day, School Year Support Workshops now via the Future-Focused Learning Series webpage. Contact ESCI with any questions.
NEW: Professional Development Opportunity for Supporting Student Literacy in the Secondary Space
This live professional development opportunity will be held on Wednesday, November 29, from 4 to 4:30 p.m. ET. During this session, participants will receive instructional strategies related to assessing, developing, and supporting literacy skills across content areas in the secondary school setting. Administrators, instructional coaches, and educators across all disciplines are encouraged to register for this informative session. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: Partnering for Preschool Series Continues Thursday, November 9
Join IDOE in the Indiana Learning Lab for Partnering for Preschool: Nurturing Success in Early Education, a targeted learning series to support success in preschool and early education. The series continues Thursday, November 9, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET with a session on measuring quality in a preschool program. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana Academic Standards Resources Available in the Indiana Learning Lab
Vertical articulation guides for English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are now available in the Indiana Learning Lab. These resources provide an overview of the progression of the updated K-12 Indiana Academic Standards. Correlation guides for ELA, Mathematics, and Computer Science to help educators cross reference the 2020 and 2023 standards will become available soon. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: Register for Transitions 101 - Let’s Get Started
Join IDOE, the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL), and the Indiana Head Start Association on Wednesday, December 6, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET for a session to explore the basics of smooth transitions for children and families whether transitioning into services or kindergarten. This session will feature how Early Learning Standards prepare students for kindergarten, review a toolkit of transition tools, and learn how family engagement can assist in the overall process for children. Register for this session now. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
NEW: Desktop and Onsite Monitoring
The desktop and onsite monitoring documents have been revised and will begin to be used for the monitoring cycle beginning in late November. You may review the documents along with a “cheat sheet” of evidence to be reviewed for each indicator. The format has been changed to an Excel spreadsheet with built-in functions with a goal of increasing efficiency in completion and review. Please take a moment to review the documents found on the Title Grants and Support Moodle site. Contact your grant specialist or TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Title Con 2024 - Call for Proposals
The Title Grants and Support team is excited to announce Title Con 2024 held April 10 and 11, 2024, in Plainfield. Title Con 2024 will bring together hundreds of Indiana educators and school personnel from across the state to learn and build stronger federal programs for student growth and achievement. Title Con seeks dynamic presentations on topics related to Title grants and federal funding that align with the theme of “The Student Behind the Funding.” Please review the call for proposal form for more information. All submissions are due by January 5, 2024. Contact Caitlin Laurino with any questions.
REMINDER: Coffee Chats
Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join the Title Grants and Support team for monthly Coffee Chats. Coffee Chats have moved to the last Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. ET. The link will always be the same. Join via Microsoft Teams here. October’s topic will cover family engagement. Contact TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions or suggestions for topics.
NEW FROM KEEP INDIANA LEARNING: New Digital PSAT & SAT Workshop
Join Keep Indiana Learning on Monday, November 27, to learn about changes to the 2024 digital SAT Suite of Assessments. This workshop will discuss educator collaboration across subjects to prepare students, types of assessment questions, and best practices to prepare for PSAT and SAT testing. Participants will receive information to share with parents to help their children better understand and prepare for the tests. Learn more and register here. Contact Keep Indiana Learning with any questions.
NEW FROM NEXTECH: A Virtual Computer Science Conference for Indiana Students
Modeled after tech and educational conferences, Nextech Navigate is a virtual computer science conference designed to inspire rising freshmen (current grade eight students) and current high school students (grades nine through 12) to pursue a post-secondary path in computer science and technology. At Nextech Navigate, students are empowered to make their own agenda by choosing sessions tailored to personal interest. All eligible students in Indiana are invited to attend this four-hour, virtual conference on February 5, 2024. Register here and contact sarah@nextech.org with questions.
REMINDER FROM INDIANA GROWN FOR SCHOOLS NETWORK: Harvest of the Month
Harvest of the Month provides lessons and activities for students, families, and communities to engage in hands-on learning opportunities to explore, taste, and understand the importance of eating fresh local produce. The Indiana Grown for Schools Network has lessons and activities that have been aligned with Indiana Academic Standards for a variety of different products. You will also find updated videos, fact posters, and more to support student engagement! All materials are free and can be downloaded by visiting the Indiana Grown for Schools Network Harvest of the Month database. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email the Indiana Grown for Schools Network’s Farm to School Coordinator, Brianna Goode.
REMINDER FROM THE AMERICAN DAIRY ASSOCIATION (ADAI): Grant Opportunity
The “Refuel with Milk” School Extracurricular Grant is now accepting applications. ADAI is supporting Indiana school-based youth athletics and other extracurricular groups by granting upright coolers to keep milk cold and readily available after student workouts, practices and/or games. Click here for more information and to begin the application. Contact Sheri Shipp with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE INDIANA FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (FSSA): Boosting Child Care Access Through $25M Fund
FSSA’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning has announced the $25 million Employer-Sponsored Child Care Fund, a new initiative in collaboration with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The fund aims to mobilize the business community to bolster child care benefits for their employees by providing seed funding for employers and community-based non-profit organizations working on behalf of local employers to create or expand child care benefits to address growing local needs. Visit the Employer-Sponsored Child Care Fund webpage to learn more, review frequently-asked questions and the application guide, and access the link to apply. Interested applicants can also register for an upcoming informational webinar at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, October 31. Applications are open through Wednesday, November 22. Contact the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR): Arbor Day Poster Contest
Indiana schools are encouraged to have their fifth grade students participate in an Arbor Day poster contest, helping students learn more about the important role of trees in the state’s urban and forest communities. All Indiana schools and homeschooling families/co-ops are eligible to participate by submitting their winning poster to the statewide contest by March 1, 2024. One poster will be accepted per school. More information is available here. Contact DNR Urban Forestry Director Jacob Roos with questions.
REMINDER FROM THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES OF INDIANA (ACEC): Civil Engineering Presentations for National Engineers Week
Each year, ACEC Indiana coordinates an effort to organize volunteers in the civil engineering profession to speak at elementary, middle, and high schools across Indiana during National Engineers Week (February 18-24, 2024). “EWeek” is dedicated to promoting engineering as a potential career in young students by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Teachers may request up to five presentations/sessions to host an engineer in the classroom and ACEC will accommodate at least one from every teacher (potentially more, based on volunteer availability). Learn more at ACEC’s website and request presentations/sessions using this link.
REMINDER FROM THE CENTRAL INDIANA CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP (CICP): See Yourself In Summit
Join CICP and its five talent and industry sector initiatives for the See Yourself In Summit on Thursday, November 16, or Friday, November 17. Attendees will hear about Indiana’s industries of the future and learn from innovative teachers about how they are preparing students through unique programs and projects. Click here to register. Questions may be directed to Raquel Bahamonde.
REMINDER FROM INDIANA ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED: Annual Conference
The Indiana Association for the Gifted will be hosting its annual conference Sunday, December 3, through Tuesday, December 5, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. This is an opportunity for high ability educators from across the state to come together and learn about best practices and innovations in high ability education. Sessions are geared toward teachers, coordinators, counselors, administrators and parents. More information and registration can be found here.
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