It’s a special and important day today, as we pause to honor the selfless men and women who have served our country in the United States military. Throughout our state, many of our schools are hosting Veteran’s Day events that bring together community members young and old for the opportunity to say: thank you.
As Indiana honors the courageous and unwavering commitment of our veterans, we also recognize our schools’ commitment to service members, veterans, as well as students and families connected to our nation’s military. This year, it is an honor to name 64 newly-designated Purple Star schools, as well as 38 schools whose designation has been renewed for another three years. Congratulations to these schools! A complete list can be found here.
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Thank you to the many schools celebrating and honoring our veterans today. And, most importantly, thank you to every Indiana veteran – past and present – for the sacrifices you continue to make to protect and defend our nation and the ideals upon which it was founded.
UPDATE: Legislatively-Required and Other Guidance Surrounding Newly-Enacted Legislation
Following the close of each legislative session, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) immediately begins working to implement newly-enacted legislation impacting K-12 education, which includes compiling guidance for educators. Guidance is a product of robust cross-agency collaboration and partnership with countless stakeholders. New to the document this week:
Any future updates will be added to this comprehensive guidance document and shared via the weekly newsletter.
REMINDER: Third-Party Accreditation Petition Window is Open
Accrediting organizations for K-12 schools that are interested in being recognized by the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) may submit a petition to IDOE for review. A petition must be submitted by Thursday, November 30, prior to the school year for which the organization seeks recognition. Pursuant to statute, IDOE will provide a recommendation to SBOE within six months of receipt of a petition. Additional information and the third-party accreditation petition can be found on IDOE's Accreditation webpage. Contact IDOE's Office of Accountability with any questions.
UPDATE: Educator and Student PSAT/NMSQT Score Access
Educators and students can now access PSAT/NMSQT scores for those who tested before Saturday, October 14. 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.
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.
REMINDER: 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 through 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.
NEW: Educator Preparation Provider Literacy Endorsement Professional Development Grant
Applications for the Educator Preparation Provider Literacy Endorsement Professional Development Grant are now open through 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, December 15. This competitive grant opportunity for educator preparation providers is funded through appropriations by the Indiana General Assembly in the state budget. The 2023-2024 EPP Literacy Endorsement Professional Development Grant is designed to support Indiana-approved educator preparation providers with early childhood, elementary, and/or special education educator licensure programs to provide professional development to preservice teachers who will not be prepared by July 1, 2025, to pass the required Literacy Endorsement assessment. EPPs will be required to utilize IDOE approved professional development vendors. More information regarding the Educator Preparation Provider Literacy Endorsement Professional Development Grant application process can be found here. IDOE will host a webinar on Friday, November 17, at 11 a.m. ET to review the grant guidance and answer questions. Contact Scott Bogan or Renee Baratta with any questions.
NEW: Register to Attend a Webinar on Registered Teacher Apprenticeships (RTAPs)
IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development's Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship will host a webinar on Monday, November 27, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. ET. The webinar will include an in depth introduction and discussion of RTAPs. Click here to register. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
NEW: Nominations Open for Distinguished Educators Recognition
IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent is looking for confidential recommendations of teachers representing the very best educators in Indiana. These emerging leaders must have between five and 15 years of experience, demonstrate leadership beyond the classroom, and positively impact school culture and student achievement. Superintendents and principals may submit recommendations here. Nominations must be submitted by May 26, 2023. Contact Rebecca Estes with any questions.
NEW: Additional Opportunities to Recognize Indiana Educators
Throughout the year, numerous opportunities arise nationwide to acknowledge the incredible work of Indiana educators. IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent has developed this document which will be updated periodically with external opportunities to recognize educators. To submit an educator recognition opportunity not listed, contact Anne Marie Milligan.
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.
REMINDER: 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: November Tuition Support Payment
Please read this memo regarding the Wednesday, November 15, tuition support payment. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
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
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 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.
NEW: Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Release Wednesday, November 15
IDOE’s Office of Special Education will release the 2023 RDA determinations via the LINK Portal on Wednesday, November 15. View the RDA User Guide for information regarding the RDA determination process. Specific information related to the application, staff types (roles), and resources is available in this guide. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Office Hours
IDOE is offering office hours to support local educational agencies with their Part B requirement of MOE. Each session is structured as time for individual questions concerning MOE and appropriate uses of funding, and there will be no formal presentation. Join the sessions below:
Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: Virtual English Learner (EL) Leadership Meeting on Thursday, December 7
IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education will host the winter EL Leadership Meeting virtually from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 7. This interactive meeting is intended for Indiana K-12 EL leaders and administrators and will cover a variety of topics, including EL exit criteria, secondary resources, WIDA ACCESS updates, and more. Registration is not required. Visit the Indiana EL Professional Development Opportunities Calendar for the meeting link. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Updated Secondary English Learner Toolkit Now Available
IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education is pleased to share the updated Secondary English Learner (EL) 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.
REMINDER: 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. Local educational agencies (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: Science of Reading Special Educator Training Series
IDOE is offering a three-part science of reading series designed for special education staff (e.g., special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, paraprofessionals) and features both virtual and in-person opportunities on word recognition, language comprehension, multi-tiered systems of support, and more! Find more information and registration for in-person sessions here; virtual sessions can be viewed live or on-demand in the Indiana Learning Lab. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: Competitive Science of Reading Grant Recipients Announced
IDOE’s Literacy Center is pleased to announce the 72 awardees for the competitive 2023-2024 Science of Reading Grant. This competitive grant opportunity is designed to support state-accredited schools that serve students in kindergarten through grade three and whose educators are interested in implementing evidence-based practices aligned with science of reading and Indiana’s Priorities for Early Literacy. For more information and the list of recipients, view this memo. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with any questions.
NEW: Summer of Learning 2024 Grant Recipients Announced
IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning is pleased to announce the 11 recipients of the 2024 Summer of Learning Grant. The 2024 conference series will continue to offer educators opportunities to connect with innovative, technology-enhanced pedagogy related to supporting Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility, the science of reading, integrated STEM, academic recovery, and designing virtual and blended learning experiences. Additional information regarding the Summer of Learning Conference series will be available in spring 2024. Please see this memo for additional details and a list of all 11 awardees. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Application Now Available for U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools
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 by Friday, December 15. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with questions.
NEW: November Professional Development (PD) with IDOE: Learning Through Experiences with the Migrant Education Program
November PD with IDOE continues next week on Wednesday, November 15, at 4 p.m. ET with Learning Through Experiences with the Migrant Education Program presented by IDOE’s Director of English Learning and Migrant Education, Adam Pitt. 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: Science of Reading Experts Explain Series Continues
Join IDOE and The Reading League Indiana from noon to 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 16, for The Nuts n' Bolts of aligning a Multi-Tiered System of Support for All Readers. The Science of Reading: Experts Explain series runs throughout the 2023-2024 school year and features nationally-renowned reading experts to support schools in shifting instruction toward evidence-based reading and writing instruction. Register for the sessions and view previous sessions on-demand in the Indiana Learning Lab. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with any questions.
REMINDER: Virtual Learning 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.
REMINDER: 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.
REMINDER: 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.
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.
NEW: Ed-Flex Waiver Unavailable
The Ed-Flex Waiver application is currently unavailable while IDOE's Title Grants and Support team works to revise the application. The JotForm will be available again once updates are complete. Current approved waivers are not affected by the revision process at this time. Contact Brittany Kronmiller with any questions.
REMINDER: ESSER II/GEER II Late Liquidation
The U.S. Department of Education released a FAQ document regarding the late liquidation extension request template for grantee use for the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA)/Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) Fund, and the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER II) Fund. A flowchart of the submission process can be found here. Please view this process flowchart for information on how to apply for a late liquidation approval. Use this JotForm to submit necessary information. Submissions are due no later than today, Friday, November 10, 2023. Contact esser@doe.in.gov or geersupport@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 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 RILEY CHILDREN'S HEALTH: Register Now for a Screening of Racing to Respond
Join Riley Children's Health at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, November 20, for a documentary screening of Racing to Respond followed by an evening of conversation designed to create greater awareness of the pediatric mental health crisis facing Indiana. Racing to Respond follows two Hoosier families who have personally experienced the youth mental health crisis in Indiana and are motivated to help educate other parents and advocate for a more comprehensive youth mental health system of care. Register for the event here.
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.
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