Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Special Education Grant Assurances Due Monday, July 1
FY 2025 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Grant Assurances templates and instructions for using the Grant Management System are now available in the Office of Special Education Community in Moodle under Part B Grants for Special Education. To reserve the earliest reimbursement effective date for the FY 2025 Part B grant period, public school corporations, charter schools, and state schools must submit correctly completed Assurances for next year’s (FY 2025) Part B grants in the Grant Management System on or before Monday, July 1. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Encumber All FY 2023 Part B Grant Funds by Monday, September 30
To ensure sufficient time for budget modification review and approval, submit all FY 2023 IDEA Part B grant budget modification requests by Monday, September 16. All FY 2023 Part B funds must be encumbered by Monday, September 30. All FY 2023 Part B grant reimbursement requests must be submitted to Part B Grants Reimbursements by Friday, December 13. The form to request FY 2023 Part B Grant Proportionate Share Release will become available on Monday, July 1. The due date for the next round of Part B monitoring reports is Wednesday, July 31. All Part B grant forms and related guidance are available under Part B Grants for Special Education in the Office of Special Education Moodle Community’s Fiscal section. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education Part B Grants team with any questions.
Required Office Hours for Cooperatives/Interlocals Sharing Staff
IDOE’s Office of School Finance and Office of Special Education will host mandatory office hours to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) that share staff with other LEAs. Cooperatives and interlocals are required to attend this meeting. This forum will answer questions and provide support for LEAs to record expenditures properly on Form 9.
Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Part B Reimbursement Request Updates
IDOE has implemented new fiscal monitoring for Part B funds. Reimbursement requests must be submitted within one month of expenses, on the first or 15th of the month. Corporations, cooperatives, and interlocals are no longer permitted to keep reimbursement requests open until the end of the award period. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with questions.
Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Funding Updates
With the end of the fiscal year (FY) coming, IDOE will be unable to process any new requests for SEEC funding contracts from Friday, March 29, through Sunday, June 30, the start of the 2025 fiscal year. LEAs can submit applications for SEEC funding during this period, but contracts for any funds that are granted will not be processed until after Monday, July 1. Local educational agencies (LEAs) should continue paying all vendor invoices. Following contract execution, LEAs will receive notification and may submit invoices for payment. Expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the authorized contract once all supporting documentation is provided, demonstrating that the LEA’s share of cost has been paid. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with additional questions.
RoboKind Grant Opportunity: 2024-2025 School Year
IDOE is offering the RoboKind Grant opportunity for selected corporations or schools to purchase robotic technology and provide professional development endorsed by the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) to improve the social and behavioral skills for students with autism. Successful applicants will receive the curriculum, humanoid robot, applicable training, and infrastructure support at no charge to the district. Information, applications, and the budget form can be found here. Please email the signed application and budget to robokind@doe.in.gov. This grant application closes Monday, June 3. Contact robokind@doe.in.gov with any questions.
Evaluation Timelines Compliance Office Hours
The 2023-2024 Special Education Evaluation (EV) data collection will be finalized on Friday, July 12, through certification in Data Exchange (DEX). This data will be used to conduct the required annual monitoring of the timeliness of evaluations and transitions from First Steps (known as Indicator 11 and Indicator 12).
All special education directors or administrators are strongly encouraged to review the EV data roster published in IDOE’s DEX Validation Portal, which includes information on whether each evaluation met the evaluation timelines before the superintendent or designee signs off. Each LEA is federally-required to complete 100% of its evaluations in a timely manner to avoid findings of noncompliance.
Register below for IDOE’s office hour sessions where special education administrators or data personnel can ask questions, review data for accuracy, and address any unresolved issues.
View this video to assist with this data reporting requirement. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Parent Involvement Survey (Indicator 8) Data Requests
As the 2023-2024 school year comes to a close, school corporations are encouraged to see how many families participated in the parent involvement survey. Corporations can request parent survey results through this JotForm. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Mastering Data Analysis: Unlocking the Potential of Pivot Tables with Early Childhood Data University
The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) EC Data University can equip you with the tools needed to navigate the sometimes overwhelming volume of available data. In the latest tutorial series, DaSy delves into the world of pivot tables, a game-changer in the realm of data analysis. Pivot tables, a feature readily available in Microsoft Excel, can transform raw data into actionable insights. Check out DaSy’s latest blog post to learn more: Mastering Data Analysis: Unlocking the Potential of Pivot Tables with EC Data University.
Due Process Hearing Resolution Data
IDOE’s Office of Special Education is required to collect Part B Due Process Hearing Resolution Data (Indicator 15) and report to the U.S. Department of Education. Indicator 15 measures the percentage of hearing requests that went to resolution session and were resolved through resolution session settlement agreements. Please log into the Indiana Complaint, Hearing, and Mediations Process (I-CHAMP) portal and enter this data for due process hearings your LEA has been involved in for the past year (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024). Directors if you are not certain whether your LEA was involved in a due process hearing in the last fiscal year, please review closed and active hearings in ICHAMP associated with your LEA. Resources are available to help with how to enter resolution data and how to locate closed records.
The first question asked is as follows: What resolution activity was taken?
Response options include:
- Resolution meeting held. If this is selected, additional questions to follow.
- Written agreement to waive resolution. If this is selected, questions end.
- Mediation (511 IAC 7-45-2 State Mediation) in lieu of resolution. If this is selected, questions end.
- None of the above. If this is selected, a textbox will appear to ask for an explanation.
Per Article 7, a resolution meeting is not required if the parent(s) and the LEA agree in writing to waive the resolution meeting OR the parent(s) and LEA use IDOE’s mediation process described in 511 IAC 7-45-2 (State Mediation). If parties agreed in writing to waive the resolution meeting and instead chose to participate in a mediation through a private mediator, the response to this first question should be “Written agreement to waive resolution.” If there was no written agreement to waive the resolution meeting, the response should be “None of the above.” If the LEA made the hearing request, the LEA does not have to convene a resolution meeting. The response to the above question should also be “None of the above.”
Contact the Dispute Resolution Team with any questions.
Call for Proposals - Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All Conference
IDOE and the IEP Technical Assistance (TA) Center are seeking educators to showcase their knowledge and success by presenting at Elevating Education 2024: Improving Outcomes for All on Tuesday, December 3, and Wednesday, December 4, at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center. Submit proposals here by Friday, June 28. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
Corgi Digital Graphic Organizers
Corgi is a free, Google-based application used to engage students in meaningful and accessible learning from CAST. Corgi is an easy suite of digital graphic organizers that supports students in developing content-specific practices and habits of mind. CAST leverages what’s already great about graphic organizers and infuses the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) to make them even more flexible and accessible. Learn more about the features that are built into Corgi including dictation, adding images to your Corgi Guide, a review page for users to monitor their progress, and more. Contact corgi@cast.org with any questions.
Accommodations Toolkit from The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
NCEO’s updated Accommodations Toolkit provides easy-to-use summaries of the academic research literature on specific accommodations for students with disabilities, as well policy analyses. The Accommodations Toolkit is organized by accommodation (e.g., tactile graphics, braille, test breaks, extended time, etc.), with a research fact sheet for each. NCEO also recently published a brief titled “The Basics of Accommodations and Modifications.” This brief clarifies what accommodations and modifications are for both instruction and assessment for students with disabilities.
Nominate an Educator for Teacher of the Year
The Indiana Teacher of the Year Program inspires, rejuvenates, and celebrates the teaching profession by recognizing outstanding teachers from across the state. Local schools are encouraged to participate in an annual selection process and local Teacher(s) of the Year are encouraged to complete the state application process by Friday, July 5. Find more information on the 2025 Indiana Teacher of the Year selection process here. Contact intoy@doe.in.gov with any questions.
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 Friday, May 24. Contact the Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
Register now to attend Get Your Teach On’s Indiana Educator Celebration
Get Your Teach On is hosting an Indiana Educator Celebration in partnership with IDOE on Friday, May 31, at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Attendees can expect giveaways, food, keynote speakers, special guests, and much more. Register here. Contact Anne Marie Milligan with any questions.
Expect, Engage, and Empower: Successful Transitions for All - Individualized Transition Plans, A Roadmap for Success
Roadmaps are essential to the success of an individualized transition plan for a student with a disability. The fifth blog post in a series on secondary transition discusses individualized transition plans and how they help students’ progression to post-school activities. For more information about this initiative or to access previous event recordings and additional updates, visit the Expect, Engage, Empower: Successful Transition for All initiative page. Contact ED’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) planning team with any questions.
Raise the Bar Family Engagement Webinar Series
OSEP has released a family engagement webinar series with evidence based resources on how family engagement improves student learning and success. The six part series includes topics on student success, student engagement and attendance, supporting immigrant and multilingual families, student mental health and well-being, supporting kindergarten readiness and early school success, and supporting college and career pathway success. Learn more about the Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative here.
2024 Indiana Content Connectors Now Available
Updated Indiana Content Connectors, or Indiana’s Alternative Standards, are now available to align with the 2023 Indiana Academic Standards. IDOE engaged with committees of special and general educators and solicited public comment feedback to develop the 2024 Indiana Content Connectors for English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, Social Studies, and Integrated STEM. Each set of content connectors (except Integrated STEM) designates some standards as “essential” for student mastery by the end of the grade or course. The Indiana State Board of Education adopted the new Content Connectors at the most recent meeting. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
High-Quality Curricular Materials Review Committee Applications Now Open
IDOE seeks qualified educators and other stakeholders to serve on high-quality curricular materials review committees for Early Learning Integrated (infant/toddler, preschool, and mixed age groups) and Early Learning Supplemental (student wellbeing, mathematics, science, literacy, handwriting, and family engagement). View this flier and memo for more information and apply using the educator Jotform or community member Jotform. Apply by Friday, May 31. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
ISPROUT/Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA)
As part of Indiana’s new system to measure and support kindergarten readiness, Indiana’s KRA will be available to all public, charter, and non-public schools as an opt-in assessment for fall 2024 kindergarten students. The opt-in window is now open through Monday, July 15. ISPROUT will continue to be required for children in special education for ages three through five, but will also be available as an opt-in assessment for fall 2024 as well. The opt-in window for this opportunity is also open. Previously recorded informational sessions are available. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
IDOE’s Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement Monthly Webinars
IDOE’s Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement is launching a series of monthly webinars taking place through the remainder of 2024. In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re kicking off this series with a conversation about student mental health on Friday, May 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Register here. Contact IDOE's Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement with any questions.
Upcoming PREPaRE Workshops
IDOE, in collaboration with Project AWARE, is providing training opportunities for school personnel using the National Association of School Psychologists’ PREPaRE model. These workshops will provide school personnel with comprehensive training on how to establish and serve on school crisis response teams.
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PREPaRE Workshop 1: Two regional one-day workshops will be offered to school mental health professionals, administrators, and security officers from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time, on Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, August 15. Workshop 1 emphasizes the unique needs and functions of school safety and crisis response teams and the important steps needed to develop cohesive and sustainable teams that integrate school personnel and community service provider roles. The focus of the workshop will explore how to prepare for school crises by developing, exercising, and evaluating crisis preparedness plans. Register here. Space is limited.
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PREPaRE Workshop 2: These two-day workshops will be offered to all professionals within districts who provide mental health crisis intervention services from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time. Workshop 2 teaches participants how to prevent and prepare for psychological trauma, help to reaffirm both the physical health of members of the school community and students’ perceptions that they are safe and secure, evaluate conduct psychological triage, respond to the psychological needs of the school community utilizing a multitiered approach, and examine the effectiveness of school crisis intervention and recovery efforts. Participants must be able to attend both days. The next two-day workshop will be held in La Porte on Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, June 12, and the final in Bedford on Wednesday, August 28, and Thursday, August 29. Learn more here and register here. Space is limited.
Contact Terri Miller or IDOE's Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement with any questions.
Butler University: Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Comprehensive School Mental Health Framework Initiative
Butler University’s College of Education is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for the Comprehensive School Mental Health Initiative. The initiative aims to support Indiana schools in developing a comprehensive approach to addressing the mental health needs within the school community. This RFP seeks responses from school corporations and charter schools interested in a Comprehensive School Mental Health Framework grant. Applicants should note that although there are no minimum fund matching requirements, a sustainability plan is required to demonstrate a long-term commitment to this work. Further, funds awarded through this RFP are intended to supplement, not supplant, any existing funding currently addressing school mental health. Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, June 10. Find more information, the full RFP document, and the application here.
Upcoming Dates |
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Thursday, May 23, from 10 to 11 a.m. ET
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Required Office Hours for Cooperatives/Interlocals Sharing Staff
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Friday, May 24
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Distinguished Educators Recognition nominations due
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Friday, May 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
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Office of Student, School, and Family Engagement Monthly Webinar
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Friday, May 31
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Get Your Teach On Indiana Educator Celebration
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Monday, June 3
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RoboKind Grant Application Deadline
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Monday, June 10, at 5 p.m. ET
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Comprehensive School Mental Health Framework Initiative Proposals Due
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Friday, June 28
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Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All Conference Proposals Due
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Friday, July 5
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Indiana Teacher of the Year application deadline
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Monday, July 15
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Grant for Military-Dependent Children with Severe Disabilities Application Deadline
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