The month of November flew by, and what an exciting month it was in Indiana! From two new Milken Educator Award winners (highlighted next week!), to school visits, to national recognition of our collaborative, solution-oriented work here in Indiana (specifically the Indiana Learning Lab and Indiana GPS), we have a lot of good to celebrate.
We also received some positive recognition from Code.org, the Computer Science Teachers Association, and the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance when they recently released the 2023 State of Computer Science Education. This year’s report highlights Indiana as one of the top states in the nation for computer science! The report recognizes Indiana for adopting nine of the 10 policies recommended by the Code.org Advocacy Coalition, including establishing standards for K-8 computer science and requiring all high schools to offer computer science.
Indiana-specific data from the 2023 report is available here, and I have included a few key takeaways below.
- Indiana ranks sixth nationally in terms of access to computer science at the high school level.
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91% of public high schools in Indiana offered a foundational computer science course during the 2022-2023 school year. (For context, the national average is 57.5 percent.)
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52% of middle schools are teaching foundational computer science education.
- Students in 94% of Indiana’s rural high schools and 84% of small schools have access to computer science.
- 24% of Indiana students enrolled in computer science in 2022-2023 were female.
- Students of all races and ethnicities in Indiana are similarly likely to take foundational computer science.
Indiana’s continued progress in this space would not be possible without the ongoing collaboration between Governor Holcomb, the Indiana General Assembly, as well as educators across Indiana who continue to make computer science a priority. Since 2018, Indiana has invested more than $18 million in computer science, making significant strides in increasing access to computer science across all grade levels, as well as access to professional development opportunities for Indiana educators.
Learning computer science is an increasingly necessary step in preparing students to be productive citizens in our ever-changing, technology-driven world. Thank you for being a key partner in these efforts to elevate and prioritize STEM education in Indiana, and as always, thank you for all that you do for our students!
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NEW: ILEARN Test Administrator’s Manual (TAM) Now Available
The 2023-2024 ILEARN TAM is now available on the Indiana Assessment Portal to provide an overview of roles before, during, and after ILEARN testing. This resource combines the previously-separated ILEARN 3-8, Biology End-of-Course Assessment (ECA), and U.S. Government ECA manuals into one source. Practice tests and scripts for ILEARN assessments are now available to prepare for this year’s testing. Contact the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with any questions.
UPDATE: 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: Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Literacy Endorsement Professional Development Grant
Applications for the EPP 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 in this guidance and FAQ. Contact Scott Bogan or Renee Baratta with any questions.
REMINDER: School Year 2023-2024 Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) Allocations
School year 2023-2024 TAG allocations can be found here. Recipients can anticipate distribution of funds before today, Friday, December 1. Contact TAG@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 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, 2024. Contact Rebecca Estes with any questions.
REMINDER: 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 Educator Expansion Program (I-STEM) Registration Now Available
IDOE is pleased to announce a new partnership with Educational Service Centers (ESCs) of Indiana to strengthen Indiana’s STEM educator pipeline. The I-STEM partnership 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 to learn more and register. Contact IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
NEW: School Cybersecurity Report Released by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and the Multi-State Information Security and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC)
CIS and MS-ISAC have released the K-12 Report: CIS MS-ISAC Cybersecurity Assessment of the 2022–2023 School Year. Findings were also explored in a recent webinar. Data for this report was sourced from schools that completed the National Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) during the 2022-2023 school year. Schools are encouraged to complete the free NCSR each year to measure their cybersecurity posture and growth over time. The NCSR is open through February. More information may be found here.
REMINDER: Membership Conflict Petition Process
Please read this memo regarding the membership conflict petition process. Friday, December 15, is the deadline for a school corporation or charter school to file a petition. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with any questions.
NEW: Annual 1003 Flexibility Waivers
IDOE’s Office of School Support and Transformation is now accepting applications for 1003 flexibility waivers. Flexibility through waivers is offered to help support schools in their design efforts to improve student performance and outcomes, help to improve efficiency of school operations, and to help promote innovative educational approaches to student learning. Interested officials can read more about the opportunity in the memo and Flexibility Guide for Indiana's K-12 Schools. Applications are now open and will be accepted on a rolling basis through Friday, April 5, 2024. Please feel free to contact Georgia Watson with any questions.
NEW: Explore, Engage, and Experience (3E) Grant Reimbursement Requests
All 3E grantees should be regularly submitting reimbursement requests to IDOE. Reimbursement forms should be completed, signed by the preparer, and sent to DOECares@doe.in.gov on the 1st and 15th of each month. Grantees must keep receipts, invoices, staff time and effort logs, and all other relevant documentation of grant expenses on file locally, in the event of an audit. These documents do not have to be submitted to IDOE when seeking reimbursement. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-24 Student Pathways Monthly Webinars
The student pathways team will host monthly webinars for alternative education, graduation pathways, high ability, and McKinney-Vento during the 2023-24 school year. All dates for the 2023-24 school year and the links to join the webinars can be found at this link. No pre-registration is required. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
REMINDER: High Ability Program Grant Final Report
The 2022-23 (fiscal year 2023) High Ability Program (HAP) Final Report is due by Sunday, December 31. All schools that received FY23 High Ability funds must complete this report via JotForm. Contact IDOE’s high ability team with any questions.
REMINDER: Deadline for the Family Engagement Grant Opportunity is December 8
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. The application deadline is Friday, December 8. Contact Dawn McGrath with any questions.
NEW: Request Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Part B Grant Reimbursements by Friday, December 15
All FY 2022 and ARP Part B grants closed on Saturday, September 30. The deadline to claim reimbursements for encumbered expenditures in approved FY 2022 Part B 611, 619, ARP 611, and ARP 619 grant budgets is Friday, December 15. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education grants team with additional questions.
REMINDER: Dual Language (DL) Office Hours - Monitoring Target Language Acquisition
IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education will host DL Office Hours on Tuesday, December 5, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET. Join to explore the Indiana Dual Language Proficiency Targets, review what each proficiency level looks and sounds like, and gain access to resources for formative language assessment throughout the year. Visit the Indiana English Learner (EL) Professional Development Opportunities Calendar for more information and the meeting link. No registration is required. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Virtual 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.
NEW: Apply for Cohort 3 of the Indiana Literacy Cadre
Indiana schools are invited to apply for Cohort 3 of the Indiana Literacy Cadre, a partnership designed to support schools in achieving Indiana’s goal of 95% of students passing IREAD-3 by 2027 through professional development aligned with science of reading for K-3 educators. Visit INLiteracy.org to learn more, and submit an interest form. Contact the Indiana Literacy Cadre with any questions.
NEW: Early Literacy Achievement Grant Recipients Announced
IDOE’s Early Literacy Achievement Grant was established through House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001-2023, to reward schools and teachers for improving students’ foundational reading skills, as evidenced by IREAD-3 data. This memo outlines grant allocations, stipend distribution guidance, and required submissions. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with questions.
NEW: December Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
December PD with IDOE begins Wednesday, December 6, at 4 p.m. ET with 21st Century Community Learning Centers: High-Quality After School Programming. View the full list of December sessions here. November’s workshops are all available on-demand:
To register for workshops, or view on-demand sessions, create a free Learning Lab 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: Virtual Learning Professional Development (PD) Series Continues Thursday, December 7
Join IDOE for Virtual Learning Essentials, a series of presentations from experts, researchers, and authors, featuring deep dives into essential elements of virtual learning. This series continues Thursday, December 7, at 4 p.m. ET with Transitioning to Online Teaching: Building a Student-Centered Classroom. Register for this session here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: 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 by Friday, December 15. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with 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.
NEW FROM INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (IDOH): Annual Statewide Needs Assessment
Hoosiers are asked to respond to the annual IDOH Statewide Needs Assessment by Friday, December 15. The survey is available in both Spanish and English, and asks about the health and wellness of individuals, families, and their communities. Anyone living in Indiana over the age of 18 can take the survey and participants will have the chance to win gift cards for their participation. This is the best way for Hoosiers to let IDOH know their most important health needs. IDOH will use deidentified findings to inform its work and priorities for the next Maternal and Child Health strategic plan. The survey is available here. Please distribute widely with your network and community, and consider sharing this information at upcoming events, via newsletters, or through social media.
NEW FROM THE MARY E. WALSH CENTER FOR THRIVING CHILDREN AT BOSTON COLLEGE: Student Support Landscape Survey for School Principals Available on Monday, December 4
The Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children at Boston College is partnering with IDOE to learn about the strengths and barriers that exist in Indiana’s school communities, as well as the resources and processes in place to help meet students' needs through a landscape survey. If you are a school principal, you may be selected to participate in this survey in early December. Your participation in this survey will help education stakeholders like you to deepen the understanding of the current and needed practice of support to help students succeed in Indiana, and can inform decision-making regarding resource allocation related to student support necessary to narrow the opportunity gap and achievement gap. Please be on the lookout for a survey invitation sent to your email on Monday, December 4, and complete the 15-minute survey to provide your insight. Principals will be offered $35 gift cards as a token of appreciation. Contact the research team at Boston College with any questions.
NEW FROM CAREER GIRLS: Career Exploration Program
Career Girls is founded on the dream that every girl around the world has access to diverse and accomplished women role models to learn from their experiences and discover their own path to empowerment. The program has educator resources, career exploration and college prep. Visit the website or contact Aisha Ali for more information.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA STATE LIBRARY: Letters About Literature Statewide Writing Contest
Letters About Literature is now accepting submissions. Students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write to the author (living or deceased) about how the book affected how they see themselves or how they see the world. Indiana students in grades four through 12 are eligible to enter and submissions are due January 19, 2024. There are three competition levels: Level I - grades four through six, Level II - grades seven and eight, and Level III - grades nine through 12. All winners will be announced in late March 2024 and will receive an invitation to the Virtual Awards Ceremony, as well as a prize pack, including free books, mailed to their home. All Indiana winning letters are published in a booklet that is distributed for free to the winning students. The 2023-2024 Letters About Literature contest for young readers is made possible by the James and Madeleine McMullen Family Foundation and the Indiana State Library Foundation. More information and resources are available on the competition website, including the call for entries, as well as group and individual entry forms.
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