It has been an active weather week in Indiana. Early in the week, several of our school communities in northern Indiana were dealing with tornadoes, and today, several schools in southern Indiana closed due to the anticipated impacts of Hurricane Helene. As we head into the weekend, I hope everyone stays safe and has a seamless return to class on Monday.
Despite the unpredictable and, in some cases, destructive weather, this week also included several celebrations for Indiana schools. First, on Tuesday night, Indiana’s very own Mr. Richard Goodall was named the WINNER of America’s Got Talent! A custodian at West Vigo Middle School for over 23 years, the world was first introduced to Mr. Richard back in May when his audition for America’s Got Talent went viral and earned him the Golden Buzzer, advancing him to the live competition rounds. On Tuesday’s show, Mr. Richard’s dreams came true as he was named this season’s winner, taking home a $1 million prize! Check out Mr. Richard’s final performance of Journey’s “Faithfully,” which he got to do with members of Journey! Congratulations, Mr. Richard! Indiana is so proud of you, and we are sure your star will continue to shine.
Speaking of shining stars… this week we also recognized 16 Indiana schools that were named 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools!
- Daviess County - Barr-Reeve Middle/High School, Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc.
- Floyd County - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Hamilton County - St. Theodore Guerin High School, Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
- Johnson County - Saints Francis & Clare of Assisi Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- LaGrange County - Meadowview Elementary School, Westview School Corporation
- Lake County - St. Thomas More School, Diocese of Gary
- Marion County - Heritage Christian School, Heritage Christian School District
- Marion County - Paramount Cottage Home, Paramount Schools of Excellence
- Marion County - Roncalli High School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Marion County - St. Pius X Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Montgomery County - Ladoga Elementary School, South Montgomery Community School Corporation
- Porter County - Porter Lakes Elementary School, Porter Township School Corporation
- Posey County - Saint Wendel Catholic School, Diocese of Evansville
- Tippecanoe County - West Lafayette Elementary School, West Lafayette Community School Corporation
- Vanderburgh County - Oak Hill Elementary School, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
- Warren County - Pine Village Elementary School, MSD Warren County
Congratulations to our 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools!
The celebrations continued on Wednesday as we honored approximately 300 schools at the Statehouse for hitting the state’s 95% reading goal, and, later in the day, recognized the first students in the state to participate in Indiana’s newly-developed early childhood education registered apprenticeship program. Stay tuned for more on these celebrations next week…
Thank you, as always, to the many students, educators, and staff who make our schools great, and stay safe!
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REMINDER: Implementation Guidance for Newly Enacted Education Laws
Following the close of each legislative session, 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. Any future updates will be added to this comprehensive guidance document and shared via the weekly newsletter.
REMINDER: Mandatory and Voluntary Graduation Rate Audit
All schools that are subject to the mandatory graduation rate audit of the 2024 cohort have been notified by email. If you did not receive an email and/or are unsure if your school was selected, please check the list of mandatory audit schools (enrollment key: “AccountabilityCommunity”). Every high school should review their 2024 cohort. If there are students in the 2024 cohort with an incorrect (non-graduate) cohort status, please submit those students on the voluntary graduation rate audit. All schools are welcome to participate in the voluntary graduation rate audit, and it is the final opportunity to request a change to the 2024 cohort. The mandatory and voluntary graduation rate audits will be open from Wednesday, October 2, through Friday, October 25. Contact IDOE’s Office of Accountability with any questions.
NEW: Apply for the I AM English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Blueprints Committee
IDOE is seeking educators to apply for the I AM ELA and Mathematics Blueprint Committee to advise on I AM item specifications aligned with the updated Indiana Content Connectors. The committee will meet in-person in Noblesville from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on Monday, November 4. Participants will receive a $150 honorarium for their time. Submit this JotForm to indicate interest by Friday, October 4. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
REMINDER: Updated IREAD Guidance - 2024-2025 School Year
Beginning this school year, all second grade students will participate in the spring administration of IREAD. New Indiana legislation updated guidance schools must use when making decisions about grade-level promotion, instructional plans, and Good Cause Exemption (GCE) eligibility. The purpose of a GCE has significantly changed from past years. Beginning with the 2024-2025 IREAD test administration, a GCE now serves to exempt an eligible student from retention if the student does not pass IREAD in third grade. New resources for IREAD can be found here and on IDOE’s IREAD webpage.
Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
NEW: Enhancements Coming to the Licensing Verification Information System (LVIS)
IDOE will launch LVIS enhancements on Thursday, October 3, introducing a new process for school corporation approval of Emergency Permits, Transition to Teaching Permits, and Alternative Special Education Licenses for all LVIS-enabled School Corporation Authority users. Another enhancement includes a new process to report Adjunct Permit teachers within your corporation. Additionally, an integration with the Indiana Learning Lab will enable educators to link professional development activities to their LVIS Professional Growth Plan. See this handout for more information. Contact IDOE’s Office of Educator Licensing or call 317-232-9010 with any questions.
NEW: Substitute Teacher Applications
LVIS upgrades will now allow school corporation approvers to return an application for a substitute teacher permit to the applicant if locally required documents are missing, such as a transcript, or if the applicant has not yet completed the local hiring process. IDOE does not require any documentation to apply for a substitute permit. If documentation is required by the corporation before approving the application, the applicant must provide the necessary documents to the school directly. School approvers should not deny a substitute permit in LVIS unless the applicant is not employed by the district. Contact IDOE’s Office of Educator Licensing or call 317-232-9010 with any questions.
REMINDER: Elementary Math Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Guidelines
Pursuant to House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1243, IDOE has published elementary math EPP guidelines for the successful incorporation of best practices within these programs. Access this new guidance here. Contact IDOE’s Director of Higher Education and EPPs Scott Bogan with additional questions.
NEW: Additional Opportunities to Recognize Indiana Educators
Throughout the year, numerous opportunities are available 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 IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent.
REMINDER: Recommendations Open for Distinguished Educators Recognition
IDOE 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. Recommendations must be submitted by Saturday, November 30. Contact IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Preferred Universal Screener Approval Committee Interest Survey
IDOE partners with Indiana educators to review universal screeners in alignment with Indiana Code (IC) 20-35.5 and Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 1 (2024) and now seeks qualified educators and other stakeholders to review assessment program documentation. Interested individuals must complete the 2024-2025 Preferred Universal Screener Approval Committee educator or community member interest survey by Friday, October 4. Completion of the interest survey is not an indication of commitment and is non-binding. Additional information regarding universal screener assessments can be found on IDOE’s Dyslexia webpage. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with questions.
NEW: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
The following are great free resources you can use with your staff in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month: KnowBe4 has a free resource kit available which includes a weekly activities planner and resource guide. The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is featuring Secure Our World resources and a free resource kit. And finally, Infosec is serving up a recipe for a great month of cybersecurity activities. Contact IDOE’s Office of Information Technology with additional questions.
NEW: Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) Submissions Open Tuesday, October 1
NCSR is a no-cost, anonymous, annual cybersecurity self-assessment designed to measure gaps and capabilities of school cybersecurity programs and based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF). The number of Indiana schools completing this process has grown by 720% since 2021! Consider completing this year's NCSR by registering here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Information Technology with additional questions.
REMINDER: Attendance Insights Dashboard Updates Weekly
Schools should regularly check their Attendance Insights dashboard in EdData to ensure data is flowing to IDOE as expected. School data teams have access to the status, quality, and recency of this data through Data Exchange, but the Attendance Insights dashboard provides visualizations of this data for both the current and past years. This dashboard is refreshed weekly; Monday morning dashboard insights should display the most-recent data sent to IDOE from schools the prior week. Contact your local data team with questions regarding this dashboard. Local data teams may contact IDOE’s Office of Information Technology with additional questions.
REMINDER: Difficult to Fill Teacher Positions
IDOE is collecting information as a result of requirements regarding teacher statistics in IC 20-19-3-20. The purpose of this survey is to identify positions which are "critical shortage areas, as determined by unfilled vacancies." This survey collects information about the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years and should be completed by each school corporation and charter school. Please submit this survey by Friday, October 11. It is important this survey be completed even if your school corporation did not have vacancies which meet the “difficult to fill” definition used in the survey. Contact IDOE with any questions.
REMINDER: INView Integrated with Indiana GPS Dashboard
INview has now been integrated into the Indiana GPS Dashboard. This integration combines the data Hoosiers interact with the most on INView with the user-friendly functionality of Indiana GPS. Bringing this education data together in one location will make it easier for educators, parents, and other stakeholders to find the answers they need. Complete this JotForm with any questions or suggestions.
REMINDER: K12 Six Offers Free Cybersecurity Resources
K12 Six offers free cybersecurity resources that do not require a membership to access. These are included in the K12SIX Essentials Series including the K12 SIX Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook v1.1. All of these resources are being updated for the 2024-2025 school year, so check back for the updated versions releasing soon. K12 Six also maintains a map of attacks against schools throughout the country. Contact Brad Hagg with any questions.
NEW: Curricular Material Memo
Please read this memo regarding submission of the curricular material cost report which opens Tuesday, October 1, and closes Thursday, October 31. The form to submit curricular material costs can be found here. Contact doetextbooks@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Mandatory Public School Corporation Fee Survey
HEA 1243 requires public school corporations to annually report all fees charged to families, including the total collected under each fee, to IDOE. IDOE will then post the results of each corporation’s survey online for the public. Fees included in this submission must include any charges for activities, events, or supplies that are used during the school day; this does not include fees charged for students to participate in extracurricular activities. See this memo for detailed instructions and a link to access step-by-step instructions. All public school corporations must submit this survey to IDOE by Thursday, October 31. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance curricular materials team with additional questions.
REMINDER: Fall Count Day is Tuesday, October 1
School corporations are strongly encouraged to verify their data validations in the DEX Validation Portal to ensure their October certification data is accurate. The October certification includes membership and multilingual learner counts that generate funding in the state tuition support formula. Please work with your SIS vendor and/or data reporting staff if you need assistance. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Finance with additional questions.
REMINDER: School Improvement Plan (SIP) Submissions Due Friday, October 4
In accordance with IC 20-31-5-1, public and state-accredited non-public schools must develop a strategic and continuous three-year SIP, and review these plans on a regular basis. All Indiana schools must submit SIPs during the 2025-2026 school year. Use of IDOE’s ESSA-aligned SIP template is recommended, however, schools may use any template as long as all required portions are included. This memo provides additional information regarding SIPs. Schools that are identified under the federal accountability model as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI), or Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) are required to submit SIPs and comprehensive needs assessments (CNAs) annually. Submissions for CSI, ATSI, and TSI schools only are due Friday, October 4, using this JotForm. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
REMINDER: 3E Grant Encumbrance Deadline and Reimbursement Requests
The 3E Grant encumbrance deadline is Monday, September 30. All 3E grantees must encumber all funds by the deadline and regularly submit reimbursement requests to IDOE. Reimbursement forms should be completed, signed by the preparer, and submitted to DOECares@doe.in.gov on the first and 15th of each month. Grantees must keep receipts, invoices, staff time and effort logs and all other relevant documentation of your grant expenses on file locally, in the case of an audit. These documents do not have to be submitted to IDOE when seeking reimbursement. Contact IDOE's Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities with any questions.
NEW: Easterseals K-12 Assistive Technology Library and Services (ATLAS)
Easterseals has launched a new website for Indiana’s K-12 educators to provide more information on the assistive technology lending library program, accessible educational materials, and more. Join the mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the K-12 ATLAS team.
REMINDER: IIEP Virtual Office Hours
Join IIEP virtual office hours sessions hosted by Public Consulting Group (PCG) on the third Wednesday of each month from 11 a.m to noon E.T. via Microsoft Teams. The sessions will also be recorded and available in the IIEP Documents widget under the Training tab. Register for October’s session to learn more about recent system updates and upcoming changes, followed by a question and answer session. Contact PCG with questions.
REMINDER: Obligate All FY 2023 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 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 Friday, September 20. All FY 2023 Part B funds must be obligated by Monday, September 30. All FY 2023 Part B grant reimbursement requests must be submitted to IDOE’s Part B grants team by Friday, December 13. IDOE’s Office of Special Education Community in Moodle has all forms and related guidance. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education’s Part B Grants team with any questions.
REMINDER: FY 2025 IDEA Part B Applications & Office Hours
Allocations for FY 2025 IDEA, Part B have been posted to IDOE’s Office of Special Education Community in Moodle in the Allocations file of the FY 2025 Grant Information folder. There are three columns of allocations on the spreadsheet: 611, 619, and Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS).
- For LEAs mandated to use Part B funding for CCEIS, the required 15% has been removed from the calculated 611 allocation. The amount in the 611 column is the remaining funding to be budgeted on special education.
- For LEAs not mandated to use CCEIS funds, there will be no amount listed in the third column.
Applications for 611 and 619 are due to the grant management system by the following dates:
- 619 Application: Friday, October 11
- 611 Application: Friday, October 18
- Mandatory CCEIS: Friday, October 25
LEAs can also join office hours sessions for support with application submissions:
Questions should be directed to your LEA’s assigned fiscal specialist to ensure the most effective support; these individuals can be found in Moodle. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education’s Part B Grants team with any questions.
NEW: 2024-2025 K-12 Robotics Competition Grant Recipients
IDOE is pleased to announce the 137 recipients of the 2024-2025 K-12 Robotics Competition Grant. This competitive grant opportunity supports schools and other eligible entities 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: Free Professional Learning Opportunity for Preschool to First Grade Administrators
Pre-K to first grade administrators are invited to join a new learning series to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting children and educators. The series includes participation in a professional learning network, an opportunity to design a concept for an implementation project, and facilitated discussions. Participants will engage in a variety of modes of learning, including asynchronous modules and virtual professional learning communities over five months. There will be a final meeting at the end, in Indianapolis, to share projects. Complete the form by Friday, October 4, to express interest. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
NEW: Early Learning Assessment Collection
This new Learning Lab collection explores the Early Learning Assessment System (KRA and ISPROUT) and provides instructional resource activities for classroom implementation and observation. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with any questions.
NEW: October Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
October PD with IDOE begins next week with The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Citation – It’s Complicated presented by IDOE Director of Digital Learning, Diana Smith. 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.
REMINDER: PD Playbook – Artificial Intelligence (AI)
IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning’s PD Playbook: Artificial Intelligence is now available in the Indiana Learning Lab. This collection aligns with the previously released AI Guidance, offering resources, activities, and recorded workshops to support professional learning. These might be used in staff sessions or as a resource provided to teachers. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: 2025 Summer of Learning Grant Applications Now Open
IDOE’s 2025 Summer of Learning Grant application is open through Friday, October 11. In summer 2024, this grant supported 11 conferences throughout the state, providing opportunities for over 3,000 Indiana educators to learn about teaching and learning in technology-rich environments. Public school corporations and public charter schools may apply to host one of these conference opportunities. School corporations must have completed the 2024 School Tech Plan Survey to be eligible to apply. More information about the grant application can be found in this memo. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: AI Platforms in Indiana Series
Are you interested in seeing the AI platforms teachers and students are using in Indiana? As part of three grant opportunities, corporations across the state adopted AI platforms that met vendor requirements set forth by IDOE. Join us in the Indiana Learning Lab Monday, September 30, through Friday, October 4, for sessions that highlight the capabilities and features of these platforms. Register for these workshops in the Indiana Learning Lab. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Charter School Program (CSP) Quality Counts II Cohort 2 Application Window Extended
CSP Quality Counts II Cohort 2 application window is being extended one week. The new due date is Sunday, October 6, and more information is available here. Contact IDOE’s Office of Title Grants and Support with additional questions.
REMINDER: Quarterly Meeting Schedule for the 2024-2025 School Year
IDOE’s Office of Title Grants and Support will continue hosting a meeting each quarter to provide updates regarding federal grants. The quarterly meetings will be hosted on Thursdays at 10 a.m. ET on the following dates:
Contact TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 Budget Applications
FFY24 Title II and FFY24 Title IV budget applications are due by Monday, September 30. The budget applications are being finalized and will be distributed when available. Contact TitleII@doe.in.gov or TitleIV@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Alternative Household Application for Free and Reduced Eligibility
The new Alternative Household Application for Free and Reduced Eligibility form has been released (replacing the former Textbook Rental Assistance form). LEAs may use this alternative form in determining poverty for a Community Eligibility Program (CEP). Charter schools are encouraged to use this form for reporting poverty counts used in calculating Federal Title Funding through Data Exchange. Contact TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW FROM EDUCATION SERVICE CENTERS OF INDIANA: Join Our Building Thinking Classrooms Network
The Education Service Centers of Indiana are excited to be launching a new opportunity to transform classrooms. The Building Thinking Classrooms Network will connect educators across the state who want to implement the practices outlined in Peter Liljedahl’s book, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics. Four virtual sessions will be offered during the 2024-2025 school year to allow implementers to connect and learn from each other. Click on this link to learn more about this free network and register.
NEW FROM NEXTECH: CSforGood Competition
Challenge your students to help solve a problem in their community by using computer science! Working with a teacher sponsor, teams of three to six students across three divisions: elementary (K-5), middle (6-8) and high (9-12) school, will submit a technology project — either a software application, website, physical computing device or prototype (digital or paper) — that they created to demonstrate how computer science can be used for good when applied to real problems that affect their schools and communities. Finalists from each division will be invited to the Indiana Statehouse to showcase their projects! Learn more here and register your intent to submit projects so more info can be shared. Contact Nextech with any questions.
NEW FROM NEXTECH: CSforAll SCRIPT
Are you ready to create a computer science implementation plan for your district? CSforAll SCRIPT is the nationally recognized Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT) to help districts prepare a custom strategic plan for the implementation of K-12 computer science education. Learn more about this opportunity here! Contact Nextech with any questions.
NEW FROM SCHOOLHOUSE: SAT Bootcamp & College Admissions Workshops
Students are invited to sign up for two virtual, free programs from Schoolhouse to help students prepare for SAT testing and support students throughout the college admissions process. View the fall 2024 programs calendar and the Share Schoolhouse Toolkit for an overview of the programs and links to sign up! Contact Schoolhouse program manager Cassy with additional questions.
NEW: Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Hosts See Yourself In Summit
Join the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and its five talent and industry sector initiatives for the See Yourself In Summit on Thursday, November 21. Students will join us for a day of engaging panel discussions and hands-on demonstrations during the annual See Yourself IN High School Summit. This free event shines a light on Indiana companies, leaders, and young talent working in the state’s fastest-growing industries. Click here to register. Contact Hali Mynatt with any questions.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION (CHE): Indiana’s Pre-Admissions - Your Path to College Sees Second-Year Increases
CHE, in partnership with the state’s higher education institutions, sent out pre-admissions letters to over 67,000 Indiana high school seniors this month, informing them of their pre-admission status to the 39 participating in-state public and private institutions based on their cumulative GPA and/or SAT scores. To receive their official admission notification, students must apply to the institutions via the Common App or the institutions’ websites. Students also need to maintain academic performance, maintain positive disciplinary standing, and meet any additional admissions requirements from the institutions. The Indiana Pre-Admissions web page serves as Indiana’s centralized site to access admissions information for Indiana institutions. Furthermore, the web page now refers students to a new centralized military-focused web page which outlines how to join each branch of the military and explore Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs at Indiana institutions, as well as One Stop to Start, Indiana’s workforce hub. These web pages will allow high school seniors to plan for enrollment, employment, and enlistment after graduation.
REMINDER FROM CROSSROADS OF CONNECTED LEARNING: Indiana Connected Educator Conference
Registration is open for the Indiana Connected Educator’s Conference this fall on Thursday, October 10, at Franklin Central Junior High School. Jon Corripo will be the keynote speakers as you take a journey through the Crossroads of Connected Learning. During your trip there will be a map of breakout sessions to choose from, a delicious picnic lunch, pit stops with vendors, and fun souvenirs to be given away! And if you are a coach, start the trip early with the free Coach Con on Wednesday, October 9. You can find registration for the Coach Con here. Visit the Crossroads of Connected Learning website for more information and to register.
REMINDER FROM THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHER INVESTMENT PROGRAM (AP-TIP): Remote Teacher Collaboratives
AP-TIP at the University of Notre Dame will host the school year’s first round of Remote Teacher Collaboratives on Tuesday, October 1.
- Remote Teacher Collaboratives are live, discussion-based professional workshops. Here, participants delve into high-impact practices that facilitate the instruction of subject-specific content and empower all students.
- We are pleased to extend our professional network this year: all teachers of advanced coursework (e.g. AP, Dual Credit) are invited to attend the 2024-2025 Remote Teacher Collaboratives for their subject area.
- Registration for these sessions is open and free for all participants. Registered teachers can opt to earn PGP Certificates for their participation (1 PGP per session offered).
Learn more about Remote Teacher Collaboratives, review the dates and topics by subject, and register online here.
REMINDER FROM KEEP INDIANA LEARNING: Counselor Connect Professional Development
Check out the professional learning planned so far for this fall! We have many virtual workshops and two in-person workshops this month including Data Day and Engage & Renew. Contact Keep Indiana Learning with questions.
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