From the Director
October 2019
What if…..
As my garden comes to an end, and I am either freezing, canning, or eating the proceeds of my bounty, I started thinking about children who go to bed hungry.
I did some research. The website www.feedingamerica.org, listed information on Indiana. Were you aware that 887,070 people in Indiana struggle with hunger? Did you know 273,380 are children? One in six children go hungry. That is one child too many going hungry!
When I was in the classroom, I would have students tell me the last time they ate was the day before at school. What did I do? I bought crackers, animal cookies, and fruit which I kept in my room. Children cannot learn or focus when they are hungry. Hunger doesn’t recognize age or race.
So I started thinking. Most schools have a clothing pantry for those who may have a need. I have even seen schools who have an area designated for toiletries with a washer and dryer for students to use when needed. Some schools are having a “share” table where uneaten wrapped items can be shared with other children who are still hungry.
But what if…. within our schools, there was an area designated for non-perishable food items? This could be for any elementary, middle, or high school. Children who know they are going home to empty cupboards could grab something from the pantry and take it home to eat!
If your school is already doing this, let me know! If your school isn’t doing this, I would like to challenge you to help stop the hunger of our children.
Let’s help stop the hunger of our children!
Best,
Dr. Nancy J. Holsapple
IDOE’s The Science of Happiness Course - Enroll Now!
In January, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released the social-emotional competencies for K-12 students. In partnership with Butler University, IDOE has created The Science of Happiness course, designed for educators to promote their own social-emotional wellness. Participants will earn 45 professional growth points after successfully completing the course. Please take a look at this short promotional video. Find details about the technical requirements of the course for administrators and technology directors here. To enroll click here. Click on the course name. You will be prompted to either login or create a Moodle account. You will then click on the enroll me button. Questions? Please contact Christy Berger at CBerger@doe.in.gov.
From the field...
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) held the 2019 Teacher Leaders Bootcamp the first week of October. The first of its kind Bootcamp offered selected educators an opportunity to engage in innovative and relevant professional development focused on growing their leadership capacity.
I recently spoke to a participant of the Bootcamp and here are her words:
“It was awesome! Information overload and the ideas are running wild! Now to narrow my “wondering” down! It is going to be a great program. They have taken a huge goal and made it very real and doable! I’m excited and I know the others on my team were also!”
Bonnie Osborn- Special Education teacher at North Putnam Middle School.
Coming Soon- Special Education Shining Star Recognition!
Notice of Procedural Safeguards Update
The Indiana Department of Education SAMPLE Notice of Procedural Safeguards (NOPS) is available for your review here. The following list highlights several of the revisions:
1. The time to request reconsideration of a complaint investigation report is 10 days from the date the report is issued, not 7 days from the date the report was received. (511 IAC 7-45-1)
2. The word “facilities” was removed from conversation around the requirements for unilateral placement of a child in nonpublic school at the public school’s expense. If students are parentally-placed in nonpublic schools or facilities, those facilities must meet the definition of an elementary school or secondary school before a school corporation is required to provide services under a service plan. (511 IAC 7-34)
3. Written notice for any proposed or refused changes to an IEP must include a statement that if a parent challenges the implementation of the IEP by requesting a meeting or mediation, and that method does not resolve the issue to the parent’s satisfaction, the school may implement the IEP on the 11th instructional day after the meeting or mediation unless the parent requests a due process hearing. (511 IAC 7-42-8(a)(3))
4. If a child has participated in a response to intervention (RtI) process and has not made adequate progress within an appropriate period of time, and the school initiates the evaluation, the school must conduct the initial evaluation and convene the CCC within 20 school days of the date the school received consent. The 20 school days is required where the school initiates the evaluation. (511 IAC 7-40-2)
5. Family Policy Compliance Office (formerly the Division of the Family Policy Compliance Office) has a new name and address.
6. The Arc of Indiana and Joseph Maley Foundation were added to the list of agencies on the Resources page.
To see a Word version of NOPS with tracked changes, please email Reva Weiss at rweiss1@doe.in.gov.
FY 2018 Part B Grants: Mark Your Calendars!!
The last day to request reimbursement for the FY 2018 611 or 619 grant is December 15. Reimbursements submitted after this date may not be honored. Fiscal agents may submit for reimbursement for activities or expenses that occurred between the grant approval date and September 30. No more modification requests can be accepted for these two grants.
Final reports for FY 2018 should also be submitted on/before December 15. Reports should be emailed to partbgrants@doe.in.gov.
FY 2020 Grant Information
The Fiscal Year(FY) 2020 Maintenance of Effort (MOE) portion of the applications are not yet available. The Office of Special Education will post an announcement on Moodle when the templates are ready. MOE will be due in December (exact date: TBD). Local education agencies (LEAs) will be asked to submit a copy of their Form 9 with the grant application.
Any FY 2020 611 grant that received conditional approval is able to request reimbursement from the grant. LEAs that do not meet MOE or do not submit their MOE portion of the application by the determined deadline will have reimbursements put on hold until any issues are resolved.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month!
1) Hold a discussion
2) Create a display
3) Implement "soft skills" training
4) Engage student leaders
To learn more about these ideas and for additional ideas and resources, please visit: https://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org/celebrate-ndeam/ and https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/educators.htm
From the Office of Assessment
WIDA Updates
WIDA Professional Learning Interest Survey
WIDA is looking for educators to help inform the design of specific future WIDA Professional Learning (PL) offerings! Please encourage your educators to share their ideas by completing the WIDA PL Survey by October 18.
Upcoming Webinars in October to Prepare for Testing
WIDA is hosting the following Pre-Testing webinars in October:
- Software Updates and Technology Readiness Checklist
- Technology Installations
- Ordering Materials in WIDA AMS
- Test Scheduling
Dates and times for each webinar can be found in the Planning Ahead section below. Registration links 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.
WIDA Screener for Kindergarten Field Testing: Participants Needed!
WIDA is seeking schools that can administer the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten field test to at least 20 students from January 6 to February 28, 2020. This new screener will eventually replace the Kindergarten W-APT. View this flyer for more information and to access the sign up link. Please note that WIDA Screener for Kindergarten is still a test in development, so participating schools will not receive scores for the students they test.
I AM Updates
Share with Educators - Interpreting Summative Reports and Data Webinar Series – Recorded Webinars Posted to IDOE's Website
Recorded webinars for the Interpreting Summative Reports and Data Webinar Series have been posted to IDOE's website. These recorded trainings provide information and guidance for Indiana educators about the ILEARN and I AM assessment reports and data. They can be found on the Sample Items and Scoring pages for both ILEARN and I AM.
Share with Educators - Accessibility and Accommodations Training Module Now Available on the Indiana Portal
AIR’s Accessibility and Accommodations Training module explains how test coordinators can verify the correct accommodations in TIDE ahead of testing for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), ILPs, and Section 504 Plans. This training can be accessed via the Indiana Portal for all Indiana assessment programs.
New 2019-2020 I AM and ILEARN Resources Now Available!
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) developed several new resources, which are now available to corporations and schools. Please share the following resources with educators in your corporation:
Resource Description Location
I AM Educator Brochure This brochure gives educators an overview of the nuances involved with I AM. IDOE Website:
I AM Family Brochure This brochure gives families a high-level overview of what I AM is, why it is administered, when administrator occurs, how inline testing impacts students, and more (available in both English and Spanish). IDOE Website:
Understanding I AM Webinar This module provides an overview of I AM, the alternate assessment for students with significant intellectual disabilities. Indiana Assessment Portal:
ILEARN, ISTEP+, and IREAD-3 Test Administrator (TA) Certification Course All educators must complete this course before they can initiate any practice or operational tests in TIDE. Indiana Assessment Portal: https://ilearn.portal.airast.org/users/educators
I AM and ILEARN Released Items Repositories (RIRs): Additional Items, Scoring Guides, Quick Guide · Additional items for each grade level and content area are available. · RIR scoring guides are posted to accompany the newly released items in the RIR. IDOE Website: I AM: https://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/i-am-sample-items-and-scoring ILEARN: https://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/ilearn-sample-items-and-scoring
· The RIR Quick Guide has been updated for the 2019-2020 school year. Indiana Assessment Portal: I AM:
ILEARN 3-8 and Biology Online Practice Tests Corporations and schools must first download and install AIR’s Secure Browser to student testing devices. Indiana Assessment Portal: https://ilearn.portal.airast.org/users/corporation-test-coordinators
Practice Test User Guide Schools may use this guide to administer online practice tests until the detailed ILEARN 3-8 Online Practice Test Scripts release in early January. Indiana Assessment Portal: https://ilearn.portal.airast.org/users/educators
2019-2020 ILEARN Scheduling and Timing Guidance This guidance reflects updates per educator feedback and lessons learned from the 2018-2019 school year. IDOE Website: https://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/ilearn-policy-and-guidance
ILEARN Updates
New Individual Learning Plan (ILP) System
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recently migrated the ILP system to an electronic format. Please review this memo for more information about the system, as well as information regarding nightly uploads to TIDE.
ISPROUT Updates
Help Desk is Live!
The ISPROUT/KReady technical help desk is available to assist you as you are adding your teachers, students, and utilizing the scoring interface. You can call the help desk at 888-602-8343. Agents are available to assist you at any time. Please be sure to note the agent name and case number after contacting the help desk.
FAQ Updates
The Frequently Asked Questions resource was updated to reflect the new questions from the field as training continues. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will continue to update the resource as the field poses new questions. Please view the Frequently Asked Questions document on the ISPROUT website.
Data Manager Recorded Webinar
The Data Manager Webinar conducted on September 9 is available for new data managers to review or for those needing additional support. Follow this link to request a Data Manager account if your corporation has not yet done so. Data managers working with more than one school district will need to submit a request for each district.
Indiana Inclusive Communication Matters Communication via Eye Gaze
Indiana Resource Network (IRNs) Resource Centers-Free and/or Low Cost Professional Development
Indiana Resource Network (IRNs) Resource Centers-Free and/or Low Cost Professional Development 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. For more information about our resource centers go here or view some of their introductory videos: IN*SOURCE-https://youtu.be/UWBg8bA7wYE PATINS- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7jXsvgRfs&feature=youtu.be Early Childhood-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2htKNKfx7Ms&feature=youtu.be
Free modules provided by the IRNs:
Project SUCCESS paraeducator modules: Click here to enroll.
Course 1: Overview of Special Education
Course 2: Instruction and Standards
Course 3: Formative Assessment
ICTQ Modules: https://ictq.indiana.edu/ictq-hub/hub-modules.html
PBIS District Awareness Training Module: https://pbis.indiana.edu/research-resources/crpbis-district-awareness-canvas-registration.pdf
Indiana IEP Resource Center Modules: https://www.indianaieprc.org/index.php/learning-center
IIEP System
Leadership
Data
MTSS
UDL
Evaluations
IEP Process
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.
Ways to Stay Connected to the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Resource Network (IRNs)
Indiana Department of Education: Dr. McCormick’s Weekly Update: Click here to receive weekly updates.
The Indiana Resource Network (IRN) resource centers:
Project SUCCESS
Newsletter: https://projectsuccessindiana.com/blog/newsletter-sign-up?rq=ps%20did%20you%20know
Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center:
On this page you will find a button to subscribe, the most recent tip, and a link to past tips:
https://instrc.indiana.edu/transition-resources/tuesday-tips.html
The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education:
Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education www.cdhhe.isdh.in.gov
Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing blog http://cdhhe.blogspot.com
Sign up for the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education E-Newsletters at http://bit.ly/CDHHEnewsletter.
Current Deaf Educators can connect in our PLCs at:
Indiana Deaf Educators Google Group http://bit.ly/INDHHteachergroup
Indiana DHH Teachers Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndianaDHHteacher
PBIS Indiana:
For support, questions, training or technical assistance regarding PBIS/MTSS, Restorative Practices, and Classroom Practices: pbis@indiana.edu
For future training dates, news and information: https://pbis.indiana.edu/
Follow this link to complete the quick form to sign up and stay in touch about future events, updates and opportunities with PBIS Indiana: https://pbis.indiana.edu/contact/stay-in-touch.html
PATINS:
PATINS Monthly eNewsletter Signup subscription
Weekly Tuesday evening Twitter Chat
Bi-Weekly PATINS TV (youtube) that can be subscribed to
Weekly Blog that can also be subscribed to
PATINS Calendar of Trainings
INSOURCE:
Sign up for IN*SOURCE’s weekly newsletter: IN*TOUCH WEEKLY!
Indiana School Mental Health Initiative:
Newsletter: email Pam Anderson at pamander@indiana.edu
We also can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
Indiana Resource Center for Autism:
Newsletter: email Pam Anderson at pamander@indiana.edu
We also can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
District level behavior consultants (with that formal title):
email Cathy Pratt at prattc@indiana.edu to be added to that listerv
Speech therapists or occupational therapists:
email Amy Gaffney at amgaffne@iu.edu to be added to the SPOT listerv
Indiana Deaf-Blind Services Project
List serve and a transition newsletter (Transition Briefs): email Lisa.Poff@indstate.edu
YouTube channel and Facebook page
Indiana IEP Resource Center:
IEPRC Insider - www.indianaieprc.org/ieprcinsider
IEPRC Trainings & Workshops – https://www.indianaieprc.org/index.php/workshops
IEPRC Twitter – www.twitter.com/indianaieprc
IEPRC Facebook – www.facebook.com/indianaieprc
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