From the Director
December 2019
Special Education Heroes
Congratulations to Janie Jones, Pam Roberts, Sarah Bailey, Scott Borirab, and Tina Sherwood! They have been named our December Special Education Heroes!
Janie Jones
Janie is nominated by Jessica Jones, Elementary Principal and Janie’s daughter.
Janie has served as an educator for 38 years - all within North Lawrence Community Schools. During her years of service, Janie has filled the roles of resource teacher, building coordinator/teacher for students with severe disabilities, K-6 principal, Director of Special Education for the OLJMG cooperative, and most recently K-5 Special Education resource teacher. Although she "retired" three years ago, Janie continues to work with students with special needs. Jessica states, “ I feel I am better prepared to help our special education students overcome challenges and celebrate successes because of the modeling and advocacy that my mother instilled in me before I even dreamed of becoming an educator.”
Pam Roberts
Pam is nominated by her Special Education Director, Joe Kwisz. Pam serves as the Special Education Coordinator for Old National Trail Special Services, assigned to South Putnam Schools. Pam served as a Special Education Teacher for over 20 years. Pam’s current role allows her to serve as a mentor, liaison and supporter to families. Pam has been a great resource to the administrative team and is regularly available to assist peers and those outside the district. Joe states, “Parents rely on her expertise to navigate challenging situations, and staff rely on her input to assist in serving students. She is a true Special Education Hero!”
Sarah Bailey
Sarah is nominated by her Superintendent, Karen Shuman, Ed.S, Culver Community Schools.Sarah has been a leader for her fellow preschool teachers, elementary staff, and school corporation. While serving as the preschool teacher, Sarah successfully led the Preschool to a Path to Quality 3 Program. In the elementary setting, Sarah has taken the initiative to implement and steward the school wide PBIS adoption. Sarah as devoted many summer hours to ensure PBIS is ready for the start of the school year and has led seven teachers to ensure the integrity of the system. Sarah helped establish the rewards and interventions for all students. Sarah is always ready to assist through action. Karen states, “Sarah is very deserving of this recognition even though she would just say, 'I love my job!'”
Scott Bojrab
Scott is nominated by Jennifer Fisher Ponko. Scott has many years of experience serving students as a school psychologist at several schools. He has the most positive personality and is fun to work with. Faced with a recent increase of students and referrals, he remains a source of support for the Special Education staff.
Tina Sherwood
Tina is nominated by her principal, Ryan Mikus. Tina is more than a shining star at Shelbyville Middle School. Her contributions are a part of the nucleus of the school's success. Tina is the teammate that you can always count on to have a smile and positive attitude to help others. Tina conducts a class called SUCCESS. During SUCCESS Tina works with all students struggling in Math and ELA. Tina has great communication with all the teachers as she works with in the middle school. Tina is on the School Improvement Team and National School to Watch Committee. She understands the big picture when it comes to students of all levels. Tina’s success and effective practices are starting to spread throughout the building. Her problem-solving approach is both appreciated and effective.
Ryan states, “Anytime we’re picking a team, Mrs. Sherwood is always the first one picked!”
Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Matrices Released
Indicators 4,9, &10: Kristan Sievers-Coffer, ksievers@doe.in.gov
Indicator 11: Sarah Mohr, smohr@doe.in.gov
Indicator 12: Jessica Tomasino, JTomasino@doe.in.gov
Indicator 13: Michelle Oja, moja@doe.in.gov
Save the Date! RDA Roadshow Coming in February!
Indianapolis - February 7
Central- February 10
South- February 20 and 21
North- February 26 and 27
Kindergarten LRE Change
Due to a change in data collection specifications from the United States Department of Education, there will be a change in LRE codes for certain students on the December 1, 2020 child count. Currently, all children who are three (3), four (4), or five (5) on December 1 are assigned a preschool LRE code (26-29, 33-38), regardless of whether the child is enrolled in kindergarten. Going forward, students enrolled in kindergarten will be reported using school-age codes (50-57). The change will not affect any students enrolled in PK.
Indiana IEP is being updated to be consistent with this change. Please use pre-existing code specifications for the Dec, 1, 2019 count. For the April 1, 2020 count, schools may report 5-and under kindergartners using either the Dec. 1, 2019 or the Dec. 1, 2020 rules.
Please see the graphic below for an illustration of the most common situations:
Student Accommodations in IIEP and TIDE
In light of the "Accommodations" page update, both Reva Weiss from the Office of Special Education as well as Matthew Johnson and Kristy Wright from IIEPRC, have received a number of questions pertaining to accommodations in IIEP and the TIDE report not matching.
As the spring statewide assessment window is drawing near, please consider the following information:
The TIDE report will not reflect assessment accommodations in the following situations:
1. The accommodations are typed out, rather than selected from the listed items;
2. The accommodations are for ILEARN where the student is taking ISTEP+;
3. The accommodations are not saved correctly in the system; To check that the accommodations are saved, please go to the “Student History” tab, click on “Details” in the finalized IEP, and scroll to where the specific assessment appears. If accommodations are not listed underneath that assessment, they will not populate in TIDE.
4. The accommodations are part of an IEP that is in a proposed state, rather than an accepted state; or
5. The accommodations are selected from the list of daily accommodations, but assessment accommodations were not reviewed or saved to the IEP.
It is crucial that IEPs are reviewed prior to assessment windows opening in order to verify both that the IEP appears as it should and that accommodations are saved appropriately in the IEP system for the TIDE report to populate.
IIEPRC has several announcements posted on their homepage to address the redesign of the page and accommodation issues in Indiana IEP. I have also posted several announcements in Moodle to address the same information.
Please reach out to Reva Weiss (rweiss1@doe.in.gov), Matt Johnson (matthew.johnson@indstate.edu), or Kristy Wright (Kristian.wright@indstate.edu) for further clarification on this topic. Thank you and happy holidays!
Fulfilling Indiana IEP Transfer Requests
When a student enrolls in a new school, state law requires the new school to request the student’s records from the previous school. A school in Indiana receiving a request for records must send the records promptly to the requesting school. I.C. 20-33-2-10(d). A student’s IEP would be part of a record request.
When receiving a transfer request from another school in Indiana IEP, be sure to promptly accept the transfer. Article 7 requires that upon enrollment, the new school immediately provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE), including services comparable to those described in the student’s IEP from the previous school. 511 IAC 7-42-8(e). Additionally, the case conference committee (CCC) must meet within 10 instructional days of the enrollment date of a student who has been receiving special education in another state or another district within the state. 511 IAC 7-42-5(a)(4).
In order to ensure a prompt response and to enable the receiving school to view the IEP within Indiana IEP timely, please respond in a timely manner. Within the system, while the receiving school district can make a request for transfer once it knows the student will be enrolling, the transfer cannot be completed until the student appears at one of the receiving school district’s schools after enrolling through Real Time.
Proposed Alternate Assessment Waiver- Feedback Requested
On Monday December 23rd the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will seek public comment on its request for a waiver extension on the number of students who can be tested using an alternate assessment on annual statewide tests (e.g., 1% assessment). Indiana anticipates that approximately 1.14% students will be assessed using the alternate assessment. Since this exceeds the one percent limit, Indiana must request a waiver extension to the 1% cap for one year (34 C.F.R. §200.6(c)(4)).
More information about this waiver will be posted on the OSE website on December 23rd. Any individual or organization may submit written comments on the proposed waiver extension pursuant to 34 C.F.R.§200.6(c)(4).
2020 Special Education Fiscal Road Show Save the Date!
This spring the Office of Special Education Fiscal Road Show is coming to a school district near you! Mark your calendars now and watch for OSE Moodle community announcements with full details and registration information. Please plan to bring your local Special Ed Fiscal Team – Special Ed Director, Assistant Director(s), Business Officer or Treasurer, Part B Grant Coordinator, Medicaid and/or Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Coordinator(s) – to one of these targeted professional development opportunities regarding Special Education fiscal requirements, recent program changes, updates, and technical assistance. These full day trainings will include sessions on:
→ Part B Grants, including 611 and 619 grant application completion, submission, approval, and audit documentation; calculating local and state Maintenance of Effort (“MOE”); budgeting allowable expenditures per scope for Non-Public Proportionate Share, Special Education, and Voluntary “CEIS”/Coordinated Early Intervening Services;
→ School Medicaid Claiming, including Medicaid Administrative Claiming (“Indiana MAC”) sign up and quarterly claiming requirements, as well as Medicaid provider enrollment and fee-for-service billing for direct medical services (STAY TUNED… by spring 2020, medical claiming may expand to include more than IEP-required services!); and
→ Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Fund, including SEEC application and reimbursement processes and timelines.
Please save the date for one of these Special Education Fiscal RoadShow locations near you!
Thursday, 4/9/20 – MSD Lawrence Township, Indianapolis
Friday, 4/17/20 – New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated Schools, New Albany
Wednesday, 4/22/20 – Whitko Community School Corporation, Larwill
Tuesday, 4/28/20 – Lebanon Community School Corporation, Lebanon
Save the Date Midwest Leadership Conference (MELC) 2020
Updates from the Office of Assessment
Assessment Literacy:
Understanding and Appropriately Using Standardized Assessments Workshop for Indiana Educators at Indiana University
Indiana University is hosting a free one-day workshop on understanding and appropriately using state assessment (e.g., ILEARN/ISTEP+) and interim/benchmark assessments on Friday, February 7, 2020. They only have room for approximately 20 educators, so sign up soon. Based upon demand, there may additional workshop dates. More information about the workshop is included below.
Content: How standardized assessments (state and interim/benchmark) are developed and how educators can appropriately evaluate and interpret those assessments and their results. Participants are encouraged to bring score reports and other test materials, which will be used to illustrate important concepts and to help understand the potential and limitations of standardized testing.
Audience: K-12 administrators, data coaches, teachers, etc.
Date: Friday, February 7, 2020 – 9:00a-3:30p
Location: School of Education, Indiana University
Cost: FREE!
Credit: 6 PGPs
WIDA:
Test Setup in WIDA AMS Now Available!
Student Management and Test Management functionality for the “IN ACCESS for ELLs - 2019-2020” administration in WIDA AMS became available today, December 2. Schools may now manually add ELs and/or update student data, including accommodations, not reported via the DOE-TL data submission in October.
Upcoming WIDA ACCESS Webinars in December
WIDA is hosting the following webinars in December:
- Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Test Administrations
- During Testing: Managing Test Sessions (Online)
- Managing Students in WIDA AMS (Paper)
Dates, times, and event links for each webinar can be found in the Planning Ahead section below. Additional details are available on the 2019-2020 WIDA Webinars Calendar. A recording of each webinar will be posted in the WIDA Secure Portal within one week of the live webinar.
I AM:
Share with Educators! I AM Program Milestones
The I AM Program Milestones document has been updated to reflect a change to the shipping and printing of accommodated materials. The LCI Window dates have also been adjusted to coincide with the posting of the I AM TAM and TCM. Please ensure I AM Test Administrators (TAs) have access to this list of important dates for I AM.
Share with Educators! Registration for the New I AM TA Training Webinars Available on the I AM Portal Today!
Per the 2019-2020 AIR Training Schedule for Indiana Schools, any I AM test administrator (TA) who will be administering I AM for the first time will be required to attend a thirty-minute webinar in addition to completing the I AM TA Online Certification Course (available March 9, 2020). Registration for these webinars is available on the I AM Portal beginning December 2.
IREAD-3:
Hard of Hearing Form Request
IREAD-3 includes items measuring basic phonics skills (sounds in words). The Hard of Hearing (HoH) form removes the requirement to participate in phonics items for students who have a hearing impairment which prevents phonics instruction. Test Coordinators should review this memo for more information about requesting and using the HoH form.
ILEARN:
December 2019 ILEARN Biology End-of-Course Assessment (ECA) Test Window Opened Monday, December 2.
Students who will complete the high school biology course this semester should participate in the ILEARN Biology ECA during the December window, which opened Monday, December 2 and continues through Thursday, December 19. Review this participation guidance, if needed. Please also note these key reminders:
- TAs must have completed the TA Certification Course in the Test Information and Distribution Engine (TIDE) before they will be able to administer this assessment to students.
- TAs must use the 2019-2020 ILEARN Biology ECA Test Administrator’s Manual (TAM) to administer this test to students. The ILEARN Biology ECA TAM is located on the Indiana Assessment Portal.
- Test Coordinators should review the 2019-2020 ILEARN Test Coordinator's Manual (TCM), also on the Indiana Assessment Portal.
- The paper-and-pencil test window will close Thursday, December 12 to support reporting timelines. All student tests must be shipped to the scoring vendor no later than December 19. Tests shipped after this date will not be scored.
- Students’ preliminary results will be available in the Online Reporting System (ORS) 12 business days after students complete testing.
- Contact the AIR Help Desk (airindianahelpdesk@air.org or 866-298-4256) for any technical assistance.
- Contact the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) (INassessment@doe.in.gov or 317-232-9050) with questions about assessment policies and participation requirements and/or to report any test irregularities.
Indiana IEP (IIEP) Update
PCG confirmed that the data flow process into TIDE is fully resolved. If there are any concerns with your data, please ensure the IIEP is finalized following the prescribed protocols. The Indiana IEP Resource Center has a video detailing the steps to ensure accommodations are completed correctly and finalized so that accommodations populate in TIDE.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Reminder
Personally identifiable student information must not be shared via email message (body or attachment). Personal student information includes various combinations of the items listed below, but is not limited to the following:
- STN number
- First and last name or first initial and last name
- Date of birth
- Special education status
- Accommodations
- Location information (i.e. street address)
When emailing IDOE regarding a specific student, only the STN may be sent. Do not include any other identifiable information in the same email. If additional information must be shared, send it in a separate email or contact the Office of Student Assessment by phone at (317) 232-9050. A message containing PII data should be sent via Certified Mail by adding the word “$ecure” to the subject line of the email. This will ensure the message is properly encrypted.
ILEARN Biology ECA Response Alerts
During the ILEARN Biology ECA online testing window (including the practice test window) or after the paper testing window, student responses in the Test Delivery System (TDS) are flagged for review and posted to the CTC’s Secure Inbox** if the text of the student response raises concern. An email alert is sent to the CTC when a new file is posted to the Secure Inbox. The subject line will say: New Document Available in Inbox.
The Secure Inbox is accessed through the Inbox portal card on the Indiana Assessment Portal or through TIDE. Due to the sensitive nature of some alerts (e.g., self-harm, abuse reports, etc.), CTCs are required to review and take appropriate action locally as quickly as possible. For more information on how to access and use the Secure Inbox, please consult the TIDE User Guide.
**Search for Secure Inbox file names similar to this: 11 04 2019 ABC Corporation Alerts
Division of Mental Health and Addiction has Two Funding Opportunities Available
The Division of Mental Health and Addiction has released two Request for Funding (RFF) opportunities, listed below. Details about each RFF and how to apply is available by clicking here.
RFF - 2019 - 12-1 - Community Substance Misuse Prevention and Mental Health Promotion
RFF - 2019 - 12-2 - Substance Misuse Prevention and Mental Health Promotion for Older Adults, Ages 50+
Indiana Inclusive Communication Matters Alternative Assessment Webinar
In this webinar, Indiana Department of Education's Stephanie Thompson and Karen Davies answer questions regarding Indiana's Alternative Assessment, I AM and students with No Mode of Communication. Hosted by Indiana Inclusive Communication Matters and PATINS Project's Daniel McNulty, David Jackson, and Jessica Conrad. If you're administering the upcoming I AM assessment, view the webinar "Your I AM Questions Answered" in its entirety.
Registration is now open for the 2020 Focus on Inclusion Conference! The conference will take place from January 29-31 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Indianapolis.
Visit www.indianaieprc.org/foi2020 for additional information and to register.
Download the Conference Information & Registration Brochure to learn more about our keynote speakers, Adam Saenz, Ph.D. and Michael Bonner. The brochure also includes presenter bios and session descriptions for all concurrent sessions.
The registration deadline is January 10, space permitting. Register today!
New Program Announcement DHH Licensure Program
The Blumberg Center PASS Project, in conjunction with Indiana State University, is excited to announce the formal approval of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Licensure Program. The Deaf/Hard of Hearing Licensure Program consists of 20 credit hours which can be completed in two years. The first class begins on January 14, 2020. It is an online course with one Saturday face-to-face seminar.
In the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Licensure Program candidates will receive the training needed to teach students, preschool through grade 12, with diverse backgrounds and hearing levels. Candidates will leave the program with the qualifications needed to apply for licensure in the state of Indiana and the skills needed to help improve the education of deaf and hard of hearing students and their families by incorporating best practices for teaching, facilitating identity development, and promoting respect and cultural diversity.
There is also a Visual Impairment Licensure Program. To learn more, please contact Robin Thoma at Robin.Thoma@indstate.edu or go to the PASS Project website for all the details.
Upcoming Events with the Office of Special Education and the Indiana Resource Networks (IRNs)
Each week the IRNs host free and/or low cost professional development opportunities across the state (or virtually). Please take a minute to view the various sessions and locations.
Contact Us
Email: specialeducation@doe.in.gov
Website: https://www.doe.in.gov/specialed
Location: 115 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (877) 851-4106