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Dear John,
January and February are celebration months for non-public schools. And yes, we have much to celebrate! Our Lutheran schools celebrated National Lutheran Schools Week this week and simultaneously, schools across the country have been celebrating National School Choice Week. Next week, our Catholic Schools will be celebrating National Catholic Schools Week. Our state and our country are so blessed with so many quality non-public school choices, and in states like Indiana, these choices are both affordable and accessible. What a blessing and what a contribution to the common good! Let’s celebrate!
The INPEA Team,
John, Chris, Andrea, and Beatrice
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2024 Legislative Session Updates
It has been a busy month in the Indiana General Assembly. As the bills move out of committee, we will need our stakeholders ready to engage with their legislators. Watch John Elcesser’s legislative engagement video, linked below, to learn about the importance of being engaged this session.
Bills We Are Following
INPEA is tracking close to 50 bills related to education. Here are a few of the bills we are following:
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HB 1001 Education and Higher Education Matters: Makes some changes to the Career Scholarship Account (CSA) program. This bill passed out of third reading in the House.
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HB 1002 Enforcement of Equal Educational Opportunity: Defines "antisemitism," specifies that the public policy of the state is to provide educational opportunities free of religious discrimination, and provides that antisemitism is discrimination on the basis of religion. This bill passed out of third reading in the House.
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HB 1042 Transition to Teaching Scholarships: Provides additional money for these scholarships. This bill passed out of third reading in the House.
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HB 1233 Robotics Competition Program: John Elcesser testified in support of amending the bill to include third-party accredited non-public schools. This bill passed out of third reading in the House.
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HB 1243 Various Education and Workforce Related Matters: Addresses high school diploma requirements, adds the requirement of a computer science course starting with the graduating class of 2029. This bill passed out of the House Education Committee.
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HB 1380 Various Education Matters: Among other things, this bill fixes the eligibility birthdate issue with the SGO and ESA programs. Heads to the House for a third reading.
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SB 1 Reading Skills: This bill includes a number of new regulations impacting our schools as it relates to reading instruction, intervention, and remediation. It would also impact retention decisions as it relates to passage on IREAD 3. Senate Appropriations will hear the bill.
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SB 6 Reading Proficiency: Would require IDOE to develop a method of identifying struggling readers in grades 4-8 and develop guidance for supporting these students. This bill passed out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee.
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SB 8 Higher Education Matters: Would require all Indiana high schools to provide access to Indiana College Core and submit an implementation plan to the Commission for Higher Education.
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Legislative Liaison Corner
This information can be copied and pasted into your school communications:
Stay Connected This Legislative Session!
The Indiana Non-Public Education Association (INPEA) is the voice of non-public schools at the Statehouse. INPEA’s 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)
Although it is not a budget year, INPEA needs ALL parents to stay engaged this legislative session in order to protect and defend religious liberty and the gains we have made in school choice. Please follow INPEA on Twitter or Facebook and subscribe to their newsletters to stay abreast of what’s happening at the Statehouse so you can respond when you are needed!
Want more information? You can check out the Statehouse Express Podcast and also view the 2024 legislative advocacy video.
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Data Survey Due TODAY, January 26!
The 2023-2024 INPEA Data Survey was sent to all K-12 schools on January 9. Thank you to everyone who has already completed the survey. We ask that all surveys be completed by Friday, January 26. Preschools will receive a survey to complete in February.
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ILEARN Checkpoints Pilot Opportunity
IDOE invites schools to opt in to the ILEARN Checkpoints Pilot for the 2024-2025 school year. Schools can sign up to pilot the three checkpoints included in the ILEARN through-year design, but will still participate in the same statewide summative assessment. Refer to the following resources for an overview of the opportunity, reasons for participating, and how to sign up.
IDOE hosted several Q & A sessions about the ILEARN Checkpoints Pilot opportunity. Log in or create a free Indiana Learning Lab account to view this recording of this live session. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with any questions regarding this opportunity.
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Indiana Literacy Cadre New Cohort
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, you can watch a recording of INPEA’s recent information session with the team at Marian University’s Center for Vibrant Schools.
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Structured Literacy
By Dr. Anne Elsener
If you have been following the news and information about the science of reading, you have likely heard the phrase structured literacy. Here, I’ll share a summary of what structured literacy is and how you can learn more.
Structured literacy involves explicit instruction of aspects of language needed for successful reading and writing. For word recognition, this includes phoneme-grapheme connections, morphemes, syllable patterns, and orthography. For comprehension and written composition, this includes vocabulary, sentence structure, and text structure.
Teaching using a structured literacy approach involves more than just what content to teach. A structured literacy approach to teaching also involves principles of effective instruction rooted in evidence-based teaching practices. These teaching practices include direct and systematic instruction in which language content is explicitly taught along a sequential scope and sequence. Students also have opportunities for practice using multimodal learning strategies and continual review to increase retention of learning. These teaching practices also include giving students immediate corrective feedback on errors and responding to assessment data with any needed scaffolds to ensure mastery.
With a structured literacy approach, you can expect to see the students learning about the key components of language, which includes phonology, orthography, syntax, morphology, semantics, and text structure. This content about language is taught with instructional methods that involve explicit, systematic and sequential instruction; cumulative practice; interactive engagement; immediate feedback; and data-driven planning.
To learn more, see these resources from the International Dyslexia Association:
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Professional Development Opportunities from the Center for Vibrant Schools
The Center for Vibrant Schools provides professional development opportunities throughout the year to train individuals in the Orton-Gillingham Approach. Individuals interested in asynchronous virtual training can enroll in Lessons in Language, which includes a training manual, blending cards, and 10 modules covering the science of reading, phonics instruction, dyslexia, and more. Click here to learn more and enroll.
For more robust training, the Center for Vibrant Schools offers a training called Lessons in Language+, which builds on the 10 online modules with four live virtual training sessions. Click here for more information.
The Center for Vibrant Schools hosts a regular Speakers Bureau to highlight and discuss different topics impacting students, teachers, and schools. At our next Speakers Bureau, individuals from the National Center on Education and the Economy will be discussing the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, how United States’ scores compare internationally, and what schools can do to address challenges students face.
Join us at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 8 at Huntington Hall (2916 West 30th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222). Click here to register. This event is free and open to the public.
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Programs That Lead to Successful Careers
At Ivy Tech, we don’t just care about graduation day. We care about every day after. That’s why our 70+ programs are all designed to prepare students for high-paying, high demand jobs. Every program, from Cybersecurity to Nursing to Welding, was created in response to the needs of Indiana’s job market and built to prepare students for their next steps, whether that’s immediately starting a career or continuing their education at a four-year school.
No matter their program, students can benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and receive hands-on experience that makes them stand out. Ivy Tech’s partnerships with local employers mean students can participate in apprenticeships and internships, often with the chance for full-time employment after graduation. And resources like the Tutoring Center and Ivy+ Career Link are there to support them every step of the way.
Interested in learning more about how Ivy Tech prepares students for whatever comes next? Visit ivytech.edu/programs to get started.
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Spanish Visiting Teacher Program
The Visiting Teachers from Spain Program is an international cooperation initiative between the education authorities of Spain and the United States. The program is promoted by the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain in the United States in collaboration with Departments of Education and school districts in more than 30 states. More than 10,000 Spanish visiting teachers have participated over the past 35 years.
This program enables school districts, as well as private and charter schools, to hire highly-qualified native Spanish speakers to teach at K-12 level. Teachers will come on a J-1 Cultural Exchange Visa, valid for up to three years. Teachers’ contracts are renewed on a yearly basis provided they have a positive evaluation and they continue in good standing to maintain their J-1 visa status.
Participating districts employ these teachers in accordance with state regulations and policies and pay them according to their experience and certification level.
At the end of the program, visiting teachers are expected to return to Spain to complete the cultural exchange sharing their experiences at their schools.
Review details about the 2024-2025 school year Spanish Visiting Teacher Program here and learn more about the responsibilities of being a host school here. Districts can express interest by completing the application form here. Priority will be given to applications completed by Sunday, March 31.
Join IDOE, the Embassy of Spain, and Sagamore on Wednesday, February 7, at 2 p.m. ET to learn more about hosting a visiting teacher from Spain. Register here. Contact Anne Marie Milligan with any questions.
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IU Teacher Travel Grant Program
GEEO Teacher Travel Programs is partnering with Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies to provide eleven grants to Indiana-based educators (K-12) for summer 2024. Recipients of the grant will receive a $1,000 credit from Indiana University towards the cost of their program fee for IU’s Central Europe program on June 16th-29th.
All participants receive free classroom materials, a PD certificate, and the option to receive graduate credit. Additionally, GEEO allows non-educator guests to join trips, should the recipient wish to bring any. To apply, educators may fill out an application here. There is no deadline to apply, but as applications are accepted on a rolling basis, those who apply earlier will have better chances.
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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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