From the Director
November 2019
Please Help Us Welcome Traci Tetrick to Her New Role as Assistant Director of the Office of Special Education!
Traci transitions into this position after serving as a complaint investigator on the “Dispute Resolution Team” and virtual learning specialist at the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Prior to working full-time for IDOE, she served as a Special Education Mediator. Traci has taught in inclusive elementary settings in Brownsburg and Plainfield and also served as a Flight Director at the Challenger Learning Center. Her work with at-risk students fueled her passion for creating equitable opportunities for all learners.
Ms. Tetrick earned her B.A. in elementary education from Purdue University and her J.D., cum laude, from Indiana University McKinney School of Law. While in law school, she was an intern at the Indiana Supreme Court, in former Chief Justice Shepard’s chambers. In her free time, Traci enjoys spending time with her three children and exploring the great outdoors.Results Driven Accountability System for the 2019-2020 school year release dates and important information
The new Results Driven Accountability (RDA) System for the 2019-2020 school year will be released the week of November 25. Local education agencies (LEAs) will receive two scores for RDA this year. One will be the required Determination Category that must be issued per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) and the federal office of special education. This will be comprised of your compliance and data matrices. There will be required activities associated with findings issued around noncompliance. LEAs will also receive a score for their results matrix that will be associated with a tier of Technical Assistance (TA). There will be required and optional activities associated with each tier. Once RDA has been released, a TA Plan will be released in the weeks to follow that will specify what requirements there will be for each Determination category and Technical Assistance Tier. If you have any further questions, please contact Brandon Myers at bmyers@doe.in.gov.
Join us for the First Ever Department of Education Preschool Roadshow!
Join us at the first Department of Education Preschool Roadshow with specialists from Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and Assessment. In addition to IDOE specialists, we will also have Research Associate, Sally Reed-Crawford, and the Director of the Early Childhood Center at Indiana University- Bloomington, Michael Conn-Powers.
Time for all events: 9:00 a.m. -3:15 p.m. (registration will start at 8:30 a.m.)
Sessions will include:
- Directory and DEC Recommended practices
- Tableau, LRE Guidance, IDC LRE coding site
- Transition (codes, informed decision, monitoring)
- Early Learning Foundations guidance
- Learn the Signs Act early
- Pre-K expansion
- Social; Emotional Learning
- ISPROUT
To register, please follow this link: Preschool Roadshow
Special Education Heroes
Dear Colleagues:
“The secret of education lies in respecting the student.” –Ralph Emerson
Those of you who work with students with disabilities already know the above secret. You selected this field out of respect for all individuals and you carry out this belief in your work.
Special education staff possess the knowledge, skills, disposition, and values enabling students with exceptional needs to reach their potential. Educators must teach content, but we know it is about so much more than that. Teachers are developing the next generation of learners, our future workforce, and citizens. Without caring and committed special education staff, neither the best curricula, assessments, safe schools, nor the highest standards can ensure our children are prepared for challenges and opportunities -- your talents and skills set you apart.
In addition to their dedication, staff advocate for students with different abilities every day. Special education staff collaborate with their peers to ensure all students’ needs are met. Staff educate colleagues about disabilities and provide students with accommodations, and help implement the principles of the Universal Design for Learning. Special education staff help alleviate parents’ concerns and help them see a bright future for their child.
With special education, the responsibilities are endless. One must teach to challenging standards and do this while sometimes receiving very little gratitude.
The Office of Special Education (OSE) would like to recognize our “Special Education Heroes” through the monthly OSE newsletter. Please nominate individuals (Teachers, Special Education Directors, Special Education Assistant Directors, Superintendents, School Psychologists, Speech Language Pathologists, and related service therapists) who provide a service to exceptional students and deserve recognition as Special Education Staff of the Month. Please nominate individuals by completing the form on this link.
Thank you for helping us show our collective appreciation for all those who make a difference in the lives of our students every day.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nancy Holsapple
Director of the Indiana Office of Special Education
Survey to Determine Best Practices for Teacher Attrition and Retention
Save the Date for Indiana's 2nd Annual Educating the Whole Child Summit
Attend the summit to:
Learn from state and national experts
Work interactively with your district team during dedicated team planning time to leave with a workbook of steps for implementation
Hear how school districts are creating conditions for learning and reallocating resources to address needs of the whole child within school frameworks
Connect to resources and supports
Explore how to create better school-based mental health services and collaborative efforts with community partner
Network with speakers, exhibitors, and other districts outside of presentations
Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Isaiah Pickens, CEO of iOpening Enterprises and
Dr. Adam Saenz, Clinical Director, Oakwood Collaborative
Who Should Attend:
The summit will focus on district implementation and integration of social emotional learning (SEL) and mental health as part of creating the conditions for learning. A substantial amount of time is dedicated to team work and planning time. To this end, we recommend districts send leadership teams in order to get the most they can out of the Summit. However, we recognize that this is not possible for all districts, and so please know we do the best we can to make this meaningful should you only be able to send 1 or 2 people. With this in mind, we would like to offer the following suggestions as to who to include on your team, but also recognize that each team will look different:
Person(s) most responsible within district for overseeing SEL/Mental Health
One or two administrators (this could include your superintendent)
Teacher leaders
Key school-based community mental health provider
Student Services Coordinators
Data Specialist
For now, we have set a max of eight people per district, so as many districts as possible will have a chance to send a team. We will also begin a waiting list and will open it up to larger numbers per district should there be space closer to the event. To have additional names added to wait list, please contact Julia Hillenburg, julhille@iu.edu
Cost:
Early Bird Registration $200; After November 27 the price will be $250. Registration includes breakfast and lunch and free parking. Registration link: http://go.iu.edu/2bZA
Visit the "ISMHI Whole Child Summit" web page to submit presentation proposals, obtain information on exhibitor booths and sponsorships and register to attend at summit: https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/ismhi-whole-child-summit.
Hotel information and Certificate of Attendance information also available on the web page.
More details coming soon. Questions? Please contact Christy Gauss jcgauss@indiana.edu
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 seven 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.
Medicaid-covered IEP Special Ed Transportation Services Q&A
Question: Medicaid covers IEP Special Education Transportation services only on a day when the student receives another Medicaid-covered IEP service such as a therapy service; so, to claim Medicaid reimbursement for the transportation service, must the Local Education Agency (LEA) that is providing the IEP transportation service also provide and claim Medicaid reimbursement for the “other” Medicaid-covered IEP service that the student receives on the same day?
Answer: No. Medicaid’s rule states that covered Special Education IEP transportation services provided on the date the student receives another Medicaid-covered service must be: 1) rendered by the school corporation’s personnel or contractor, 2) listed in a Medicaid enrolled student's IEP, and 3) necessary to enable the student to receive other Medicaid covered services listed in the student's IEP. (Page 2-3-1 of the Medicaid Billing Tool Kit for IEP Services for lists Medicaid-covered IEP services.) The relevant Medicaid bulletin, BT201108 in “Tool Kit” Appendix C, notes that covered IEP Special Ed Transportation services include “a trip from school or home to an off-site Medicaid service provider.” Please review all the applicable details, including Medicaid’s IEP Transportation rule, useful documentation form examples, and discussions of Medicaid coverage limitations, qualified service provider criteria, and documentation requirements, in the following sections of the Medicaid Billing Tool Kit for IEP Services:
CHAPTER 9: SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
APPENDIX C, PAGES C64 THROUGH C67
APPENDIX F, PAGES F8 THROUGH F11
OSEP Has a Resource for That. Spread the News!
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), directly and through its partners and grantees, develops a wide range of research-based products, publications, and resources to assist states, local district personnel, and families to improve results for students with disabilities.
Start Here.
Looking for a place to start? The OSEP IDEAs That Work website is designed to provide easy access to information from research to practice initiatives funded by OSEP that address the provisions of IDEA and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act. This website includes resources, links, and other important information relevant to OSEP’s research to practice efforts.Recognition!!!
Congratulations to Kris Baker! Kris was recognized at CASE/NASDSE as the Early Career Administrator Award recipient! Kris is currently the Special Education Coordinator for Shelbyville Central Schools. Prior to this year, Kris worked for twelve years at Earlywood Educational Services. Thank you Kris for the outstanding work you do for students with disabilities!
Updates from the Office of Assessment
I AM Item Specifications Update
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) identified an issue where some of the zip files containing the updated I AM Item Specifications had not been populating correctly on the website. This issue has been resolved. The grade levels and content areas affected include the following: Mathematics grade 5, Mathematics grade 7, Mathematics grade 9, Mathematics grade 10, and Social Studies grade 5. Please review this memo from July, which outlines the updates for each file.
TIDE/IIEP Nightly Data Flow
For Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) finalized after August 10, 2019, IDOE and Public Consulting Group (PCG) have identified an issue with the Indiana IEP (IIEP) and Test Information and Distribution Engine (TIDE) reports not populating correctly for accommodations. PCG identified the cause of the issue and is working towards resolution quickly. IDOE will provide regular updates regarding this situation via listserv, and any necessary steps to ensure all students taking upcoming assessments are provided appropriate accommodations. Please contact Reva Weiss at RWeiss1@doe.in.gov with any questions.
Stimulus and Response Materials for the I AM Assessment
This memo outlines suggested substitutions and alternatives for stimulus and response materials provided by IDOE on I AM. These suggestions are allowable based on the student’s degree of vision, hearing, and/or physical mobility and do not need to be formally documented unless otherwise indicated.
2019-2020 Learner Characteristics Inventory
The Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) has been updated for the 2019-2020 school year to include homebound as an option for classroom setting and to allow for multiple selections when responding to the question about assistive technology used on I AM. The LCI Window opens Monday, March 16, 2020.
Please review the training found here to learn how the LCI can be used to ensure the correct students have been identified to take the alternate assessment. Please contact Stephanie Thompson at sthompson2@doe.in.gov or 317-234-5601 with any questions.
Updated Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance
The 2019-2020 Accessibility and Accommodations Guidance was updated to reflect recent changes, which are outlined on pages 46 and 47. These updates are aligned with the changes in the IIEP system. Please review the updates to ensure your corporation is following the policies and practices accurately. The new guidance is available now on the IDOE website. Please contact Karen Davies at kdavies@doe.in.gov with any questions.
ILEARN Biology ECA Rescore Request Windows Scheduled for 2019-2020 School Year
Beginning this school year, the fall (December) and winter (February) ILEARN Biology ECA test windows will each be accompanied by a re-score request window. Each re-score request window will open 12 business days after the test window begins. The Fall 2019 ILEARN re-score request window (December 18, 2019 - January 17, 2020) has been extended to accommodate winter breaks. A single spring re-score request window will support ILEARN Biology and ILEARN Grades 3-8 assessments. The Assessment office will share more details about the 2019-2020 ILEARN Re-score Request Process in the coming weeks.
Spring 2020 ILEARN Educator Scoring Opportunity
IDOE is working with AIR to request educators from each corporation to participate in the upcoming scoring windows for ILEARN. Please share this flyer with educators in your corporation or school who are interested in scoring ILEARN items in Spring 2020. We hope to achieve 800 total educators participating in this effort. As noted on the flyer, interested educators may submit applications beginning January 13, 2020. Look for more information to follow.
Updated Assessment Committee Participant Survey
The Office of Assessment invites all educators (e.g., teachers, instructional coaches, building administrators) interested in participating in future assessment committees to complete this new survey. Please complete this survey even if you have already submitted a similar survey in the past. We are refreshing our database to reflect educators’ current roles, recent professional experiences, and updated contact information. Contact us if you have any questions.
ILEARN Reporting FAQ - Share with Educators!
IDOE developed the ILEARN Reporting FAQ to address a variety of questions we have received from corporations, schools, and parents since ILEARN results released a few weeks ago. This FAQ is located under the “Interpreting and Using ILEARN Data” drop down on the Sample Items and Scoring page of our website. Please contact our office with any additional questions not reflected on this document.
IMPORTANT! ISTEP+ Winter 2019 English/Language Arts Test Window
Over the course of Indiana’s transition to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) as test vendor for ISTEP+, IDOE and AIR worked to ensure ISTEP+ assessments would be administered similarly to previous administrations to support comparability.
AIR’s online systems deploy aspects differently than the previous vendor’s systems for some student interactions. IDOE identified these system differences and brought them to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for discussion. The one system difference of concern impacts the deployment of the English/Language Arts (ELA) writing prompt exclusively. Previously, students could copy and paste text from their prewriting/planning space into their final draft space. This functionality was not originally available in AIR’s systems.
Per the TAC’s recommendation, AIR committed to create a copy/paste function in their Test Delivery System to support students’ ability to copy text from the prewriting/planning space to the final draft response box. The update cannot be deployed until November 18. The current ISTEP+ Winter 2019 Retest window is November 4 - December 6.
In response, IDOE is updating the Winter 2019 ELA test window.
Please review the following updates carefully and communicate them with appropriate staff.
- ISTEP+ Mathematics retest window and reporting dates do not change.
- Online and paper practice tests remain unchanged.
- Online test window continues to be November 4 - December 6.
- Paper test window continues to be November 11 - December 2.
- Results continue to be available beginning January 20, 2020.
- ISTEP+ English/Language Arts retest window and reporting dates are updated.
- Updated online practice tests will be available beginning November 11. Paper practice tests remain unchanged. All students testing online must participate in the updated online ELA Part 1 practice test prior to participating in the operational assessment.
- Online test window is now November 18 - December 20.
- Paper test window is now November 18 - December 2.
- Results will be available beginning January 30, 2020.
An updated ISTEP+ 2019-2020 Timeline is available now on the Indiana Assessment Portal.
Undetermined ISTEP+ Summer 2019 Retest Scores Updated in ORS
IDOE and AIR have resolved the proficiency level naming issue associated with results reported as “Undetermined.” Students with undetermined scores previously reflected as “N/A” in ORS now show an overall scale score of “Undetermined.” These reports also now provide open-ended item scores and strand-level proficiency scores where available. No scale scores have changed as a result of this update.
WIDA English Language Development Standards, 2020 Edition
On October 14, the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) announced that the 2020 Edition of the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards is in development and will be released in the late spring of 2020. The 2020 Vision for Standards Flyer shares key information regarding the development and release of the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 Edition. From November 18 to December 15, stakeholders will be given the opportunity to provide input on the draft WIDA ELD Standards via a public survey. Additional information and resources can be found at https://wida.wisc.edu/2020standards.
IICM: Indiana Inclusive Communication Matters Update
You Already have an AT Team!
Each building/district already has specialists with a knowledge base that contributes to the provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication/Assistive Technology for students. Gaps in knowledge can be filled in with consultation from PATINS who can help schools compile the collective information so that appropriate decisions can be made for students.
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