Dear John,

Some of you have been back in school for weeks; others are just getting started. There is nothing like the energy surrounding the beginning of a school year. INPEA has had the pleasure of doing our state tour and meeting with principals groups as they prepare for the new school year. Depending on the year, the tenor of those meetings can vary greatly. This summer, there is an energy and an excitement that is contagious. Indiana’s non-public schools are alive and well! We are truly blessed by some awesome leaders!

Thanks for all you do! We hope that you experience that same energy and excitement at INPEC 2023! See you there!!!

The INPEA Team

John, Chris, Andrea, and Beatrice

Register for INPEC 2023!

September 8 is the early bird registration deadline for INPEC 2023! Have you registered yet? Take a look at the revised INPEC registration brochure - we’ve added even more sessions that will re-energize you and enrich your work. 

Can you pick just one session to go to on Thursday, October 26 at 1:00 p.m.? Here’s the slate:

• Discover AI: Unlock Classroom Potential
• Engaging Secondary (6th-12th) Struggling Learners in Mathematical Practices: Why and How?
• What’s EQ Got to Do with It?
• The Friendship Forward Classroom: Emphasizing Explicit Friendship Skills for Young Children Ages 4-8
• The Teacher Pipeline Project with Ivy Tech and Marian University
• Full STEAM Ahead
• Metacognition: Using Depth of Knowledge to Plan and Assess
• How to Effectively Recruit and Retain Talented Educators
• The Future of Student Support Means Addressing Out-of-School Factors First
• How to Lead Effective Staff Meetings
• Special Education 2023 Trends and Mental Health Partnerships in Schools
• Less Like Cable and More Like Netflix: On-Demand PD in the Indiana Learning Lab
• Dyslexia Screeners: Panel of School Leaders
• Reducing Targeted Violence in Schools
• Play: The Teacher’s Role
• The Importance of Relationships with Various Stakeholders
• IDEA’s 3 Pillars: Maximizing Private School Students’ Equitable Participation in IDEA
• Science of Reading Implementation of IDOE’s Priorities and Research for Early Literacy

Or what about Friday, October 27 at 10:30 a.m.? Here’s the slate:

• Maximizing the Benefits of Small-Group Instruction
• Personalized Learning
• Compassion Fatigue
• Dyslexia 101: Myths, Misconceptions, and Moving Forward
• Leading with Your Core Values and Beliefs
• Building Trusting Relationships: Conflict Resolution, Feedback, and Accountability
• Applying Loose Parts in Learning Environments: A Playful, Standards-Based STREAM Approach
• Help! My Class and I Are Out of Control!
• “Let’s Set Sail!”: A Journey with Purpose and Passion for Reading
• Engagement Strategies That Really Work
• Authenticity! “I’m Tired of Pretending.”
• Understanding Memory Techniques and Applying Them to Your Instruction
• Firm Goals, Flexible Means: Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom
• Reimagining Play-Based Learning in the Pre-K Classroom
• Instill & Cultivate School Culture in Interesting Times
• Special Education in Non-Public Schools Panel
• ILEARN 2.0 - Changes to State Assessments

Can you pick just one from each session to attend????? And these are just two examples! Regardless of the role you play at your school or the length of your tenure, INPEC will have something for you!

We hope to see you October 26 and 27 at the

Indiana Convention Center for INPEC 2023!

September 6th High School Zoom Call

Don’t forget to register for our September 6 Zoom call to explore creative options and best practices for implementing recent changes impacting Indiana high schools. This call will be a discussion format, not a presentation, so please be ready to engage! The target audience for this is high school principals, presidents, guidance counselors, and other administrators. 

High School Zoom Call 

September 6th @ 10:00 am ET.

Dues & Data

Over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for your annual dues statement as well as an enrollment capacity survey INPEA is conducting in partnership with EdChoice and the Institute for Quality Education. This brief survey is focused on collecting data we can use as we work towards universal school choice in the 2025 legislative session. Your participation is important!

INPEA’s annual data survey will go out in mid to late-October. As you are aware, the data collected when used in aggregate can be a great tool in our legislative advocacy efforts. Please make the effort to complete these surveys!

IDOE Updates

Please read the information below for updates relevant to non-public schools.

Indiana CSA Program

House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1002-2023 established the Indiana CSA program. The CSA program is administered by the Indiana Treasurer of State in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. As outlined in state statute, the CSA program provides $5,000 annually to students enrolled in eligible programs to cover the eligible costs of career coaching and navigation services, postsecondary education and training, transportation and equipment, and certification and credentialing examinations. Please read this memo for additional information. 

I-STEM Educator Expansion Program Registration Available

IDOE is partnering with Educational Service Centers (ESCs) of Indiana to launch the I-STEM partnership. I-STEM provides support for both currently licensed teachers in non-STEM areas and prospective teachers who are not licensed and hold a bachelor’s degree to become licensed to teach in a STEM content area. IDOE has identified eligible STEM content areas as life science, chemistry, earth/space science, physics, physical science, computer science, technology education, and mathematics. Click here for more information and registration.

Free Cybersecurity Resources for K-12 Schools

As shared in early February, CISA released “Partnership to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats,” with an accompanying toolkit to provide schools targeted resources to improve their cybersecurity posture. These resources call out very specific actions that schools can take to drastically reduce their cybersecurity risk. Schools are strongly encouraged to review and implement these recommendations as we begin the 2023-2024 school year.

Also, the Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools link below provide access to many great resources that will assist schools as they implement the recommended actions. 

• Online Toolkit: Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats
• Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools
• Secure by Design, Secure by Default
• CISA Releases Updated Cybersecurity Performance Goals

Automated External Defibrillator Survey

As required by Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 369, IDOE is conducting a statewide survey of public schools, charter schools, and state-accredited non-public schools to determine the number of AEDs and AED-related school policies currently in use. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and should be filled out at the building level by the school administrator. Click here to access the survey.

Updates from the State Ombudsman 

Check out the Title Grants Newsletter which is updated every Thursday. Please check for updates that may affect your local school districts and your equitable share of Title funding. New this week: information about enrollment count dates for Title funding equitable shares and ESEA Title VIII, Part F Guidance. 

To access the Title Grants & Support calendar, visit this link, which will automatically update as changes occur. This calendar features Title I-IV and ESSER deadlines, Title Grants events, and other key dates.

Garrett Wilson has recurring office hours to handle federal grant questions every Thursday from 2:00-2:30 p.m. You can join his office hours here. 

Garrett has created an Agreement and Consultation document and Waiver of Services Flow Chart and Form for your use.

Sight Words, High-Frequency Words, Oh My!

By Dr. Anne Elsener

Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools

At the beginning of the year, many teachers send home word lists for students to learn. Research available from the Science of Reading provides steps for teaching these words most effectively. In the document linked below, I provide a summary of this research and a handout teachers can send home for families to help students learn these words by memory.

Future-Focused Learning Series

The Future-Focused Learning Series supports Indiana educators in the implementation of the streamlined and prioritized 2023 Indiana Academic Standards, Early Learning Standards, and Integrated STEM Standards by providing professional learning opportunities and collaboration with other educators. Professional learning opportunities will be available through in-person regional summits hosted by educational service centers across the state in September 2023, workshop-style school year support sessions hosted between November 2023 and March 2024, and online courses available in the Indiana Learning Lab.

Indiana Academic Standards Regional Summits

• September 12: Fort Wayne @ Grand Wayne Convention Center
• September 13: Merrillville @ Avalon Manor
• September 14: Indianapolis @ Ivy Tech
• September 19: Huntingburg @ Huntingburg Event Center
• September 20: Columbus @ The Forge
• September 21: Virtual Events via Zoom 

School Year Support Sessions

• November 16: Leadership Coaching, and PLC Implications
• December 5: Elementary IAS Support
• December 7: Secondary IAS Support
• February 13: Integrated STEM Standards and Approaches for All
• March 7: Early Learning Standards Support

Fall 2023 Updates from Ivy Tech 

Students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree can save thousands of dollars by starting at Ivy Tech! We have transfer agreements with over 100 schools, meaning students can take advantage of Indiana’s best value in higher education while knowing all of their credits will transfer to 4-year institutions. 

We offer three transfer pathways to consider: Guaranteed Admissions, which promises automatic acceptance into our partner schools for specific programs; Transfer as a Junior (TSAP), which prepares students to transfer to any public Indiana university as a junior after 2 years; and Start as a Sophomore (Indiana College Core), through which high school students can earn enough credits to start as a sophomore when they begin college. 

Interested in learning more? Information on all of our transfer options can be found at IvyTech.edu/transfer.

Indiana Learns Tutoring Grant Program Expansion 

The Indiana Department of Education has expanded Indiana Learns to include students in grades third through eighth who scored below proficiency in math or English/language arts on the 2023 ILEARN. The goal of Indiana Learns is to increase access to effective, out-of-school academic support to help students recover from learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the expanded student eligibility, the following program updates are also effective July 2023: 

• Increase in awards for all students with established accounts to $1,000
• Families establishing new accounts will receive $1,000
• Families can re-apply for funds after the initial award has been spent
• School corporations can serve as learning partners, providing tutoring support direct to students, without the match requirement
• Expansion of service opportunity to include tutoring during the school day (e.g., during lunch or any instructional period except reading or math) 
• Individual schools within a school corporation can now apply to serve as learning partners

Interested families can visit IndianaLearns.org to check if their student is now eligible. Families will need to enter a student’s student test number (STN) and date of birth to verify eligibility. Parents can locate their student’s STN on their ILEARN score report or by reaching out to their school’s registrar or office staff. If eligible, families will immediately be able to view available funds and schedule approved services after viewing multiple learning partners that can provide service in their area. 

Update Your Contact Information!

With the new school year comes new changes in administration. Please let us know if you have new leadership at your school so we can update our records and keep you in the loop! Please send an email to Andrea Anderson with new contact information for school leaders. It is important that we have accurate information by September when we send out dues invoices and member surveys. 

Technology Showcase at Lucas Oil Stadium

AVI Systems, the technology sponsor and provider for INPEC 2023, is hosting a technology showcase on September 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium. AVI LIVE - Indianapolis is the Midwest’s largest, free audiovisual exhibition.

The day-long event features all the professional AV, unified collaboration, digital media and broadcast solutions designed for use at businesses, K-12 and higher ed facilities, government entities and healthcare systems. Representatives from 60 technology solution providers will share their latest products on the exhibit floor. It’s a perfect venue to explore solutions for your upcoming projects and get answers to all of your audiovisual questions.

In addition to the exhibit floor, AVI LIVE offers exclusive access to the Innovation Vault where you can see solutions no other systems integrator offers its clients. There is also a keynote address and panel discussion, a behind-the-scenes tour of the tech that runs Lucas Oil Stadium on gameday and many opportunities to win one of many prizes such as a Klipsch home theatre system worth over $5,000, Big screen TV, Colts and Bengals Tickets and many more!  Breakfast, lunch, and happy hour are also provided – all free to attendees.

To register for this FREE event, simply click this link. It only takes a minute to sign up to attend one of the best tech expos in the region.

Contact: Khaliah Williams

Contact: Cathy Tooley

Contact: Dr. Ken Britt

Contact: Dr. Kevin Berkopes

Contact: Alex Urrea

Agudath Israel of America

Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Association of Christian Schools International

Christian Schools International

Diocese of Evansville

Diocese of Fort Wayne- South Bend

Diocese of Gary

Diocese of Lafayette

Indiana Association of Independent Schools

Indiana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod - Indiana District

The Lutheran School Partnership