Choice Weekly Update
January 10, 2020
Special Education for Vouchers (SV)
- SV Sign Off ends today. All schools reporting SV must sign off and upload a signed summary report in the STN Application Center by 4:00 p.m.
Special Education Endorsement Forms (SF)
These signed forms are required to be uploaded by January 21. A payment will not be made for any student who does not have a signed form uploaded to the STN Application Center before the deadline.
Choice Student Applications, Period 2
Applications may be submitted through the end of the day on January 15. It is highly recommended that you verify the data that has been submitted before the window closes. The School Choice Scholarship Report, found in the STN Application Center, generates a detailed list of students and the info that has been entered for each approved application.
Calendars
February Regional Meetings
- February 10, Seymour
- February 12, Evansville
- February 13, Fort Wayne
- February 17, LaPorte
- February 18, Indy (South)
- February 20, Indy (North)
TitleCon 20/20: Creating a Vision for the Future
Registration opens today, Friday, January 10. Sponsorship Opportunities for TitleCon 20/20 are also open, requests are due via JotForm by January 31 – contact Christen Peterson with questions.
Updated and Consolidated Consultation Forms for LEA and NPS
For this upcoming spring consultation cycle, the Title Grants & Supports Division is releasing an updated Consolidated Consultation Form with Letter of Intent for LEA and NPS. The updated form can be found here, under the Initial Consultation Meeting tab. Please see Dr. McCormick’s Weekly Update for more details.
Spring 2020 LEA and NPS Climate Survey
Last week, IDOE's Title Grants & Support Division released, via Dr. McCormick’s Weekly Newsletter, two climate surveys, one for local education agencies (LEA)and another for non-public Schools (NPS). The close date is Friday, February 7. The surveys focus on the working relationships between LEA and NPS, with the emphasis on spring consultation and equitable services. We look forward to hearing from you.
Please share with educators and parents!
Indiana’s Alternate Assessment Stakeholder Feedback Survey
Indiana is considering making alterations to the alternate assessment beginning with the 2021-2022 school year for students with significant intellectual disabilities in order to better meet the needs of this population of students. Potential considerations would be to include a small number of observation ratings (e.g., 3-5 per quarter) and allow for educators to submit other evidence to support the mastery of skills. Indiana would like to elicit stakeholder feedback as we consider this new design. Please complete this survey by January 17 to submit feedback.
Spring 2020 ILEARN Initial Order Deadline Approaching
Corporations and schools must report any paper accommodations via the DOE-TA, Indiana IEP, and/or Indiana ILP by January 30 to generate an initial order shipment of paper materials ahead of the Spring 2020 test windows (ILEARN 3-8 and ECAs). Corporations and schools requesting paper tests for students with accommodations after this date must do so during the additional orders window for the appropriate assessment. Contact the Indiana Assessment Help Desk with any questions (airindianahelpdesk@air.org or 866-298-4256).
WIDA Access Test Window Opens January 13
The WIDA ACCESS test window is open January 13 to February 28. Per ESSA, all identified English learners are required to participate in the annual English language proficiency assessment.
WIDA ACCESS Onsite Monitoring
OSA will conduct unannounced onsite monitoring visits during the WIDA ACCESS testing window beginning January 13. Please ensure that school administrators and staff are aware that these onsite visits will be conducted. Click here for more details.
Indiana's One Percent Cap Waiver Extension Request Submitted to USED on Monday, January 6
Thank you to all who submitted feedback to IDOE’s proposed One Percent Waiver Extension Request. This feedback was addressed and included in the submission to USED. The final document can be found here on our website.
One Percent Cap on Alternate Assessment Participation Justification Survey
Pursuant to ESSA section 1111 (b)(2)(D)(i)(I), states are limited to the total number of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed statewide with an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards to 1.0% of the total number of students in the state who are assessed in that subject.
Indiana assessed 1.14% of students using Indiana’s Alternate Measure (I AM) during the 2018-19 school year. While 1.14% is still above the 1.0% cap, it should be noted that Indiana assessed 0.07% fewer students than during the 2017-18 school year using Indiana Standards Tool for Alternate Reporting (ISTAR).
Indiana requested a waiver extension to this 1.0% cap on participation. This waiver included a plan and timeline. Part of the plan requires corporations that assess more than 1.0 % of the tested population on I AM in any subject area to submit information to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) justifying the need to exceed the 1.0% threshold for the 2019-20 school year.
Superintendents, Special Education Directors, and Corporation Test Coordinators from those corporations over the 1% will be contacted on Monday, January 13 via email with directions for completing the required submission. Questions should be communicated to Stephanie Thompson and Sarah Mohr.
Accommodations Training
The Pretest Workshops are almost complete. Schools must review the accessibility features and accommodations on assessments by viewing the individual trainings for ISTEP, ILEARN, I AM, and WIDA. If you have questions about accommodations please contact Karen Davies, Accessibility Specialist. Karen can also be reached by phone at (317)232-2079.
Testing Accommodations (TA)
IStep grade 10 retest, IStep grade 10 first time administration, and ILearn Biology ECA assessment windows will be in progress during the month of February. Check the TA 2020 layout for specific assessment windows.
Now is the time to be verifying student accommodations via TIDE. If you find incorrect accommodation data, update the finalized IEP with correct accommodations for special education students; or submit a TA file via the STN Application Center to correct accommodations for students who qualify as English Learners, for 504 plans, or who have a CSEP.
Submitting accommodations on the day of or the day before an assessment may delay the student's ability to participate in the assessment.
Reporting Guidance for Early Graduates
Students should not be exited on EM with code 34 (Early Graduate) unless they have met ALL graduation requirements, including passing the Graduation Qualifying Exams or meeting a Graduation Pathway.
Students who have completed their credit requirements only and are no longer enrolled and attending do not qualify as early graduates. These students are considered dropouts because they are no longer attending classes and have not completed all graduation requirements. These students should be exited on EM with an appropriate dropout exit code until they have completed the Graduation Qualify Exams (GQE) or Graduation Pathway. Once they have satisfied the requirements, the exit code may be updated to report the student as an early graduate (code 34.)
Students who are no longer enrolled and attending, but who still need to be available in TIDE for IStep+ grade 10 re-test must be provided to IDOE. Please contact the Office of Student Assessments for assistance in providing the required information.
Reports Currently Open
- DOE EM 2020 (Enrollment and Mobility)
- DOE IR 2020 (IRead-3 Exemption)
- DOE TA 2020 (Testing Accommodations)
- DOE CP 2020 (Certified Positions)
- DOE CE 2020 (Certified Employee)
- DOE CC 2020 (Course Completion)
Help Us Help You
STN Support:
- To contact the HelpDesk, click this link to create a work order.
- Please provide correct email address and phone number in the work order.
- STN Support is also available by phone at 317.232.0808.
Choice Scholarship Program
Kathryn Roth, Senior Choice Specialist
David Ryan, Choice Specialist
Brittany Elliott, Choice Senior Support Specialist
Email: ChoiceSchool@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov/choice
Location: 115 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-233-2200