From the Director
IDOE Office of Special Education | October 2021
From the Director's Desk
While autumn is a time of falling leaves, carving pumpkins, and harvesting what we have sown, it is also about preparing our homes for the long hold of winter. In this season of education, we must also get ready for our long road ahead. We must prepare for and address the academic impact that COVID-19 has had on our students, especially our students with special needs. This will take time, but I know that together, students, parents, and educators are up to the task.
Happy fall,
Share and Sign-Up!
If you are receiving this newsletter by email, IDOE encourages you to share it with your colleagues in Special Education. If you received this email as a forward, please sign up via the subscription link located at the bottom of this page.
Updates from the Dispute Resolution Team
Indiana Deaf Education and Assessment of Language (IDEAL) Reminder
In 2019, Governor Eric J. Holcomb signed into law HEA 1484, otherwise known as Indiana Deaf Education and Assessments of Language (IDEAL). Linked here is a brief webinar created in partnership with the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education (CDHHE) that explains the law and the requirements schools have for their deaf and hard of hearing students. Please review the video and reach out to Patrick Rhodes or Sarah Kiefer if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Resolution Meeting Details (Indicator 15)
When involved in a hearing, please enter information related to Indicator 15 via the Indiana Complaints Hearings and Mediations Process (ICHAMP). Planning district directors and local directors should complete the questions, as they are now more closely aligned with IDOE’s reporting requirements. Directions on where and how to input the information is located in the User Guides & Info section under the “School” tab. Please reach out to the ICHAMP Help Desk with questions.
Preparation for State Testing
Please review students' accommodations in Indiana IEP ahead of the fall, winter, and spring testing windows. Ensure that the correct accommodations appear in Indiana IEP and that the IEP with the most current accommodations is finalized. Finalized IEPs are labeled in Indiana IEP and appear in a dark green bar. Only accommodations from finalized IEPs will be pulled to TIDE and provided on the assessment. Please reach out to Angie Vaughn for questions.
School Calendars in IIEP
IDOE has loaded school calendar information from Data Exchange into Indiana IEP to facilitate timeline compliance. IDOE will not complete another import. Any corporation or charter school needing to modify or add to their calendars must do so manually and is encouraged to consult the materials available here. Please contact Colleen Pawlicki with questions.
Logging Services in IIEP
A new Service Logging Wizard is now available in Indiana IEP. This wizard will guide users through steps to assist in logging services for students with disabilities. Services added to the Provisions page in IIEP as “Special Education Services” can be logged using the Service Logging Wizard. The “Reports” tab generates reports for these services for student records. Videos demonstrating the logging services can be found here. Please contact Colleen Pawlicki with questions.
Special Update for Indiana IEP
Data Exchange
IDOE is aware that several schools are having difficulties getting students into Indiana IEP via Data Exchange. After reviewing several cases, there appear to be two primary issues that are the cause of the majority of cases. They are as follows:
Schools are entering STN information in Data Exchange without having created the STN in the Application Center STN Lookup. STNs can only be created in the Application Center at this time.
The student association (also known as enrollment) record(s) are not being completely or correctly entered in the Student Information System (SIS). Data personnel should be entering enrollment information in concert with instructions as posted on the IDOE website. There is also help available via the Moodle Data Exchange community (no enrollment key needed).
Each SIS is different, so you may need to contact your SIS vendor’s support desk for help with specific SIS configurations. IDOE does not have access to any SIS.
Additionally, please be advised that while schools can schedule student history/document transfers in the Indiana IEP system before the student is available in a corporation’s IIEP database, it will not complete until the STN has been populated from Data Exchange. Please reach out to Brandon Myers with questions.
Updates from the Monitoring Team
Initial Evaluations and Transitioning from Part C to Part B
Special Education Directors should have received a memo regarding meeting timelines for initial evaluations and transitioning from Part C to Part B for the 2021-2022 school year. The federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has issued guidance regarding meeting timelines during the pandemic. The memo shares this guidance and discusses the ending of waivers for timelines missed due to the ongoing pandemic. Please reach out to specialeducation@doe.in.gov for questions.
Assessment Accommodations Webinar Series Now Available
IDOE’s Office of Assessment (OSA) and Office of Special Education (OSE), in partnership with IEP Resource Center, have released a webinar series regarding assessment accommodations for the 2021-2022 school year. The webinar series includes separate webinars for the I AM, ILEARN, ISTEP+ Retest, and IREAD-3 assessments. Each video covers new and notable accommodations available for the assessment, tutorials for how those accommodations appear in Indiana IEP, and frequently asked questions and issues related to assessment accommodations. Please reach out to the OSA Helpdesk with questions.
Updates from the Fiscal Team
Upcoming Deadlines
- Wednesday, December 15: Last day to submit a reimbursement request for FY 2019 and FY 2020 funds. The finance office is unable to access the FY 2019 and FY 2020 funds after this date, so any reimbursement requests submitted after this date will be denied. Reimbursement requests should be submitted to specialedpartb@doe.in.gov.
- Wednesday, December 15: All FY 2019 final reports are due. Final reports should be submitted as soon as any grant is fully expended. Email the signed PDF, Excel final reports, and a copy of the final reimbursement request to partbgrants@doe.in.gov. Final reimbursement requests will still need to be submitted to specialedpartb@doe.in.gov for payment.
ARP IDEA Grant Applications Now Available to Local Education Agencies
Allocations, applications for 611 and 619, and guidance for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) IDEA grants have been posted to Moodle. All documents, as well as a folder of free technical assistance resources, can be found in the Office of Special Education (OSE) Moodle Community under Fiscal/Part B Grants/ARP Funding. Please review the ARP IDEA Grants announcement in the OSE Moodle Community for full details, and please direct questions to the local educational agency’s assigned Part B fiscal specialist.
News from the Indiana Resource Network
Learn More About the Indiana Resource Network!
The Indiana Resource Network (IRN) provides (mostly free) professional development opportunities and office hours. Check out upcoming opportunities through this Google Doc.
PATINS Conference
PATINS is hosting the conference Access to Education 2021. This conference is where dedicated educators, who are focused on ensuring that every student has equitable access to curriculum, will come together to experience motivational keynotes, local and national presenter breakout sessions, and opportunities to view the latest assistive technology. Please see the Schedule at a Glance and preview the presentations. The cost is $100 for two days and $50 for a single day. Please register here.
New Resource Available
New in the PATINS Lending Library, VOX™ Books capture children's attention by combining picture books with audio recordings. It makes learning and literacy development exciting. The permanently-attached VOX Reader transforms an ordinary print book into an all-in-one read-along. There's no need for computers, tablets, or CDs. Children simply push a button to listen and read. Learn more on PATINS TV and search "VOX Book" in the Lending Library Catalog to borrow today.
Other Resources
Classroom Resources for Educators
HANDS in Autism® is offering many free resources and tools essential to special needs populations, available to download here, or resources regarding COVID-19, available here. They also host many events designed to educate participants about evidence-based strategies, demonstrate how to use best practices with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across settings, create curriculum and resources, and provide networking opportunities. Please register for the many upcoming trainings and events here.
Sensory Kits Available
Click here to explore sensory ideas and activities for individuals with ASD or a related disability, request a sensory kit(s), or purchase items to donate kits to individuals.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month!
Federal News and Guidance
Return to School Roadmap under IDEA
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) sent a letter to its state and local partners reiterating its commitment to ensuring children with disabilities and their families have successful early intervention and educational experiences in the 2021–2022 school year.
Contact Us
Director of Special Education
Email: specialeducation@doe.in.gov
Website: https://www.in.gov/doe/students/special-education/
Location: Indiana Department of Education Indiana Government Center North 9th Floor 100 N. Senate Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317)232-0570