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Dear John,
As we enter the holiday season, the INPEA Team would like to thank you for all that you do for Hoosier families AND for your support of INPEA! We hope that you, your teachers, and your staff find some time for rest and relaxation as we come to the end of 2023. This past year was a good one for non-public school education. We had another successful legislative session. Enrollments are up. Some schools are involved in building campaigns. We had three INPEA schools receive national recognition as Blue Ribbon Schools. There were quite a few State Championship athletic teams from our INPEA schools. And finally, tens of thousands of students have been blessed with another year of excellence in education. God is good! We look forward to many more blessings and successes in 2024!
Have a blessed holiday!
The INPEA Team,
John, Chris, Andrea, and Beatrice
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Gearing Up for the 2024 Legislative Session
The Indiana General Assembly will reconvene for the 2024 legislative session on Monday, January 8. The 2023 session was a tremendous success for school choice and transformative for many Hoosier families but we must continue our advocacy efforts to protect the gains we have made! Our work in 2024 will lay the groundwork for getting universal choice passed in 2025 so even though this is not a budget year, this is still an important session.
Our priorities for the 2024 legislative session are:
- Protect and Defend
- Religious Liberty
- Choice Programs
- Push Back on Additional Regulations
- Technical Fixes (Birthday Eligibility for ESA and SGO)
We need EVERY school to own this responsibility. As we gear up for the 2024 session, we ask each school to help us in the following ways:
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Appoint a Legislative Liaison (grassroots coordinator) to keep school leaders and families informed of what’s happening at the Statehouse that impacts non-public schools. INPEA will provide training for these folks as well as content that can be shared in your school communications.
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Set two public policy goals for the year. Work with school leadership to complete the 2024 Legislative Planning Worksheet.
Join the INPEA team on January 4 for a virtual training to learn about priorities for the 2024 legislative session and how you can best advocate for non-public schools. This session is ideal for school leaders, board members, parents, school Legislative Liaisons, and any other non-public school stakeholders. Please make sure your school is represented! You must register in advance – login information will be sent upon registration.
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INPEA Data Survey Update
The 2023-2024 INPEA Data Survey and login credentials will be sent to schools in early January 2024. We transitioned to a new platform for this survey and we are still in our beta testing stage to address some technical issues. We apologize for the delay but we want to ensure that the survey you receive works correctly! You will have until January 31, 2024 to complete the survey.
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Indiana’s Focus on Reading Mastery
Indiana has made a focus on the Science of Reading a front burner issue with additional legislation focused on reading anticipated in the upcoming session. With the hope of earlier intervention, IDOE now allows students in grade 2 to take the IREAD 3 assessment. Currently, 203 non-public schools take advantage of this opportunity. Is this something your school should consider as well?
Indiana Literacy Cadre
Learn more about the Indiana Literacy Cadre opportunity here. By joining the Indiana Literacy Cadre, schools enter into a 2 year partnership with training and support for K – 3 literacy educators. If interested in joining the next cohort with the Cadre, complete this interest form. If you want to learn more about the Indiana Literacy Cadre from the team at Marian University’s Center for Vibrant Schools, there is a virtual information session at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, January 10th. Register for the information session here.
Science of Reading Modules
Science of Reading modules are open for enrollment on the Indiana Learning Lab. You can enroll here.
Eligible educators who complete the modules, can apply to be considered for one-time stipend, based on availability. Eligible educators include educators and school leaders who serve students in preschool through third grade (including administrators, classroom teachers, reading interventionists, English language teachers, and special education teachers). Eligible educators will have until May 30, 2024 to successfully complete the modules and apply for a stipend.
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Blue Ribbon Schools Reminder
Non-pub schools that have registered to apply for the 2024 Blue Ribbon Schools program can find their assessment percentiles in the IDOE School Accountability & Accreditation Moodle Community. Look under Awards > Blue Ribbon. Use the enrollment key “AccountabilityCommunity” to access the information. The deadline for application is Friday, January 12.
We were thrilled to have three non-public schools recognized in 2023 and we hope to see a few recognized in 2024!
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INPEA Annual Report
Check out the 2022-2023 INPEA Annual Report, The New Faces of School Choice! We are excited to feature the stories of the Becker family from Marian High School in Mishawaka; Maria Emilia Quiroga, a 2023 graduate of Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, and the Harvey family from Christian Academy of Indiana in New Albany. These stories, from different corners of the state, demonstrate the impact of school choice on different types of families. Last school year was an incredible year of engagement and we are pleased to highlight those successes in this annual report. Enjoy!
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CELL Dual Credit Credentials
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) and INvestEd have extended their partnership with the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis through 2025 to continue the Teach Dual Credit Indiana program. By utilizing these grant funds, Teach Dual Credit Indiana provides free graduate courses for Indiana high school educators to become fully credentialed to teach dual credit classes in communications/speech, economics, English, history, political science/government and world languages.
If you are an Indiana dual credit teacher in a non-STEM field such as communications, economics, English, history, political science, or world languages, and need to meet HLC dual credit credentialing requirements, Teach Dual Credit Indiana is available to you. Eligible teachers must have a current classroom teaching assignment in an Indiana public school, including fully state-accredited non-public schools. Due to program funding requirements, priority consideration is given to teachers with a master’s degree who are currently teaching dual credit classes in the content area. Individuals without a master’s degree and/or who plan to teach dual credit courses in the future are also encouraged to apply and will be served based on program availability.
The program is administered by CELL and covers the full cost of tuition, textbooks and fees for in-service teachers to take graduate courses through approved Indiana higher education providers. There is NO COST to you or your school if you are accepted.
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Register for Catapult's Virtual Equitable Services Institute
Catapult Learning invites you to the Virtual ESI for Building Leaders,
a three-day virtual workshop series designed specifically for building-level administrators. Led by Michelle Doyle, a leader in educational consulting and equitable services, these three sessions will cover the essentials of understanding equitable services through federal education programs for students attending private schools. Topics to be covered include ESEA and IDEA funding and how to best access services using non-public schools’ equitable share of funding.
Workshop 1: Title IIA and ESSA Consultation
January 16, 2024
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Workshop 2: Title I
January 17, 2024
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Workshop 3: IDEA
January 18, 2024
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
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Friends of INPEA Year End Gifts
If you are considering your year-end charitable donations, we invite you to join the “Friends of INPEA!” If you'd like to personally help support us financially, please visit our website and learn more about our "Friends of INPEA" designation to become a "Friend" today!
We greatly appreciate all those who are a part of the INPEA family, past and present; and we are truly excited to see what the future holds. Together with the “Friends of INPEA” and our stellar school leaders, there is so much more we can accomplish!
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Using AI to Support Student Learning
The Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools supports students, teachers, and schools at every level to help them shine. The Vibrant Schools Partnerships Program supports schools by providing holistic assistance and coaching in the areas of academics, professional development, and school-business operations. One key area of opportunity is the use of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. The Center for Vibrant Schools recently hosted a Speakers Bureau focused on the use of AI in education. Guest speakers from around the country who specialize in AI shared a variety of ways AI can be used to support student learning, teacher curriculum/lesson plan development, and administrative processes. Here are a few tips from experts in the field:
Matthew Zinn, K12
- Use AI to grade assessments, create tailor-made learning experiences for each student, and assist with administrative tasks;
- Take advantage of learning programs and courses, including Coursera and Duolingo; and
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Learn more by clicking here.
Dr. Erika Wise, Marian University’s Fred S. Klipsch Educators College
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Learn how AI can empower your educators and how to navigate some of the challenges associated with AI by clicking here.
Diana Smith and Dana Calfee, Indiana Department of Education
Jennifer Tyrell, The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Use ChatGPT to generate quiz questions, worksheets, lessons, activities, discussion prompts, etc.;
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Take advantage of numerous professional development opportunities, virtually and in person, to develop their knowledge of AI and how it is used to support learning;
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Explore K-12 STEM lesson plans for ways to integrate STEM and AI in the classroom; and
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Learn about both student competitions and teacher competitions and summer programs by clicking here.
The Center for Vibrant Schools can support you and your school with a wide variety of services, including how to incorporate AI into your school day. Contact us today for more information at vibrantschools@marian.edu.
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Ivy Tech’s spring classes start January 16, 2024
Ivy Tech’s spring term begins January 16, 2024. Encourage your students to make earning college credit one of their New Year's resolutions!
Students still enrolled in high school can get a head start on their future with Ivy Tech’s Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment programs. Each year, over 70,000 high school students earn college credit through Ivy Tech, allowing them to get a jumpstart on college or to head straight into the workforce after graduation. Plus, with transfer options like the Start as a Sophomore Pathway (or Indiana College Core), students can save money on their degree by earning a year’s worth of college credits before they graduate.
Don’t let your students miss out on an affordable start to college! Encourage them to visit ivytech.edu/apply to get started.
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INPEC 2023 Photo Gallery
Check out our INPEC 2023 photo gallery to relive the best moments of the conference! See you in September 2025 for INPEC 2025!
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Save the Date: INPAC 2024!
Indiana Non-Public Administrators' Conference
September 26 & 27, 2024
Indianapolis Renaissance Hotel North (Carmel)
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Thank You to Our Business Partners! | |
Would you like to be come an INPEA Business Partner or know a business that would be a good fit? Check out our website here or contact John Elcesser at jelcesser@inpea.org for more information!
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Mission
The Indiana Non-Public Education Association serves as an advocate,
promotes engagement, and strives for the advancement of non-public schools.
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(317) 236-7329
1400 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
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