Posted: Mon, 04/25/2016 - 10:42am Updated: Tue, 01/01/2019 - 11:12am

• Tips for Engaging Your Indiana Legislators
• 2019 Legislative Priorities

Legislative Priority Pitches

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Demand school safety remain a focus by expanding resources, enhancing readiness, and strengthening relationships. Priority Quick Facts Existing funding mechanisms can create a lack of flexibility and inequity. Only 25% of Indiana’s charter schools and 38% of Indiana’s accredited non-public schools have a trained school safety specialist through the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy. This compares to 100% of traditional public school participation.

School Safety Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Increase appropriations for drug-free schools to support the social emotional well-being of all Indiana students. Priority Quick Facts In the past month, 16.7% of Indiana high school students used a drug other than alcohol or tobacco, and 6.3% used a drug other than alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana. For every $1 invested in social emotional learning prevention strategies, communities see a return of $11.

Drug-Free Schools Fact Sheet

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Student Learning. Support funding opportunities for teacher mentoring programs. Priority Quick Facts IDOE data indicates 35% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching. For every dollar invested in comprehensive teacher induction programs, the state sees a 50% increase on investment.

Teacher Mentoring Programs Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Advocate for the continuation of Teacher Appreciation Grants. Priority Quick Facts According to Indiana Department of Education’s Indiana Teacher Survey: Your Voice Matters, 88% of teachers who responded were unsatisfied with their salaries. Among teachers responding interest in leaving the profession, pay was the number one reason communicated through the survey.

Teacher Appreciation Grant Fact Sheet

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Operational Effectiveness. Ensure Indiana’s reciprocity statutes create more opportunities for educators to teach in the Hoosier state. Priority Quick Facts Indiana does not have full reciprocity by statute for out-of-state teachers. This limits districts’ abilities to attract qualified, licensed teachers to fill vacant teaching positions in the state. Full reciprocity agreements allow states to work through variations in licensing systems to coordinate license transfers and fill vacant teaching positions with qualified candidates.

Reciprocity Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Operational Effectiveness. Restore communication disorder emergency permits for speech language pathologists. Priority Quick Facts IDOE-issued emergency permits for Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) ended on July 1, 2018. During years 2017-2018, IDOE issued 34 emergency permits impacting 23 school corporations.

Communication Disorder Emergency Permit Fact Sheet

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Increase licensing flexibility for Career Specialist and Workplace Specialist. Priority Quick Facts In 2017-2018, ten (10) initial Career Specialist permits were issued to bring sector specialists into the classroom to teach technical fields. In order to maintain and build current student opportunities, this number must increase. In 2017-2018, IDOE issued 676 emergency permits for STEM and CTE fields; thus, reflecting a shortage.

Workplace and Career Specialist Licensing Flexibility Fact Sheet

 

 

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Increase assessment system efficiency by aligning ISTAR-KR, IREAD-3, and ILEARN. Priority Quick Fact To minimize the number of assessments required and to streamline data, the reading level indicator should be provided through ILEARN, and the administration of IREAD-3 should be limited to only those students requiring additional reading remediation and instructional supports.

Assessment Alignment Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Support a transparent, single accountability system for Hoosier families. Priority Quick Facts ESSA requires states to count every child for accountability purposes. Releasing two different school grades creates a communications challenge.

Single Accountability Fact Sheet

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Operational Effectiveness. Advocate for an increase in tuition support and request a funding increase for the following instructional and operational areas: 1) assessment, 2) curricular reimbursement, and 3) English Learners. Priority Quick Facts IDOE is requesting a 3% increase in tuition support for both fiscal year 2019 and 2020. The current inflation rate is approximately 2.7%. If tuition support had kept pace with inflation rates since 2010, school corporations would have seen $270 million additional dollars in 2018.

Budget Advocacy Items Fact Sheet

 

 

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. School Improvement. Advocate for charter school quality by holding authorizers accountable for academic and fiscal responsibilities. Priority Quick Facts Indiana’s commitment to quality charter school programing must extend beyond the award of Federal funds and fall upon the authorizer to make responsible, fiscal, and academic charter school approvals. Currently, there is no formal system for evaluating authorizers, nor is there a system for communicating to parents the quality of the authorizer in an easily understood format, such as an A-F grade. Since 2010, 13 charter schools have closed with an outstanding loan balance of $6,956,059. These dollars will not be repaid to the State. Of the 85 charter schools operated by eight authorizers, 23 received a D or F State letter grade for 2018 or 27% compared to 14% of traditional public schools. Of the 85 charter schools operated by eight authorizers, 38 received a D or F Federal letter grade for 2018 or 44% compared to 17% of traditional public schools.

Charter Authorizer Accountability Fact Sheet

 

 

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Student Learning. Advocate for an increase in STEM funding to $20M over the biennium. Priority Quick Facts Improve STEM Instruction: 100% of IN K-12 teachers will be trained in problem-based and inquiry-based approaches to learning by 2025. Scale Evidence-Based Curriculum in Classrooms: 100% of IN schools will implement integrated, evidence-based STEM curriculum by 2025. Foster Early STEM Career Exposure: 100% of IN schools will create and sustain robust STEM-related business and industry partnerships in order to inform curriculum, instruction, and student experiences to foster college-and-career readiness.

STEM Funding Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Student Learning. Advocate for innovative high school models such as Pathways-Technology Early College High School (P-TECH). Priority Quick Facts P-TECH students will graduate with their high school diploma, along with an associate degree upon completion of grade 14 in order to meet the challenges and required skills of the 21st Century workforce. P-TECH is an innovative partnership between a school district, a community college(s), and one or more local high-growth industry employer(s).

Innovative High School Models Fact Sheet

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Student Learning. Expect an inclusive K-12 environment. Priority Quick Facts Indiana is in the top five states for national suicide rates for young people ages 15-24. LGBTQ youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.

Expect an Inclusive K-12 Environment Fact Sheet

 

 

 

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Student Learning. Advocate to extend kindergarten ADM cut-off date. Priority Quick Facts The intended amendment could affect: 2,170 children born between August 1 and November 1; or 2,044 children born between August 1 and October 1.

Kindergarten ADM Fact Sheet

IDOE 2019 Legislative Priority Pitch. Operational Effectiveness. Allow schools to retain 100% of their Medicaid program funds. Priority Quick Facts One hundred seventy-three school corporations claim Medicaid reimbursement. These unrestricted federal dollars address funding issues by helping schools pay for costly equipment, supplies, educator and parent training, and staff salaries. If this 3% provision is removed from statute, these corporations would see an additional $355,000 to support related services for eligible students.

Medicaid Retention Fact Sheet

 

The government affairs team advocates on behalf of the legislative and policy positions of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The team also partners with local school districts, superintendents, principals, and advocates on their behalf. The team converses with senators and representatives, testifies in committee hearings and other legislative venues, and communicates with school and community leaders across the state as representatives of the superintendent and IDOE.

 2018 IDOE Legislative Guidance

2018 IDOE Legislative Guidance

The 2018 legislative session ended on Wednesday March 14, 2018.  IDOE is in the process of issuing official guidance, and that guidance will be posted below.  Additionally, we will be posting guidance on our web site incrementally, so please check back often.  Sign up for Dr. McCormick’s weekly updates for important information.

Posted HEA/SEA Guidance Documents
09/17/2018 HEA 1230 HEA 1230 - School Safety (Safety Advances from Common School Fund)
08/28/2018 SEA 52 SEA 52 - Low THC Hemp Extract Guidance
08/15/2018 SEA 172 SEA 172 - Computer Science Guidance
08/06/2018   Unplanned Fire Alarm Activation Guidance from the Indiana State Fire Marshal
07/31/2018 HEA 217 HEA 217 - Initial Dyslexia Guidance
07/27/2018 SEA 1316 SEA 1316 - College Choice 529 Plan Guidance
07/26/2018 HEA 1002 HEA 1002  Enrollment Release Guidance
07/20/2018 HEA 1230 HEA 1230 School Safety (Audit Guidance)
07/13/2018 HEA 1230 HEA 1230 - Cyberbullying Guidance (3 of 3)
07/13/2018 SEA 303 SEA 303 - Homebound Student Reporting Guidance (2 of 4)
07/06/2018 SEA 303 SEA 303 - Various Education Matters (3 of 4)
06/26/2018 HEA 1230 HEA 1230 Human Trafficking Training Guidance (2 of 3)
06/26/2018 HEA 1024
06/15/2018 HEA 1001
06/08/2018 HEA 1420
05/25/2018 HEA 1230 HEA 1230 - School Safety Guidance (Barricading Doors)
05/25/2018 HEA 1426 HEA 1426 - Various Education Matters Guidance (2 of 4)
05/25/2018 SEA 236 SEA 236 - Say's Firefly Guidance
05/18/2018 SEA 65 SEA 65 - Instruction on Human Sexuality
SEA 65 - Model Consent Form (Human Sexuality)
05/11/2018 SEA 24 SEA 24 - Student Possession and Use of Sunscreen (IC 20-34-3-22)
04/27/2018 SEA 303 SEA 303 – Various Education Matters 1 of 3 (transportation, appropriate vehicles, transportation of foster care students, and transportation of homeless students)
04/27/2018 SEA 354 SEA 354 - Freeway School Guidance Memo
04/20/2018 HEA 1001 HEA 1001 - Kindergarten Entrance Guidance
04/13/2018 SEA 230 SEA 230 - Suicide Training Guidance

 Required Teacher Trainings

 Archived: 2017 IDOE Legislative Guidance

2017 IDOE Legislative Guidance

The 2017 legislative session ended on Friday April 21, 2017.  IDOE is in the process of issuing official guidance and that guidance is posted below. Please sign up for Dr. McCormick’s weekly updates for important information. Additionally, we will be posting guidance on our web site incrementally.

Posted HEA/SEA Guidance Documents
11/27/2017   Model Policy – Indiana Student Religious Civil Liberties Act
08/25/2017   TAG Guidance for Interlocals, SpEd Coops, Joint Services, and CTE Teachers
08/18/2017 SEA 475 SEA 475 Developmental Delay Guidance
08/17/2017 SEA 29 SEA 29 Cursive Writing Survey
07/28/2017 SEA 108 SEA 108 Public School Transfer Guidance
07/28/2017 HEA 1079 HEA 1079 Expanded Criminal History and Child Protection
07/25/2017 HEA 1009 HEA 1009 Guidance
07/14/2017 HEA 1384 HEA 1384 Social Worker Guidance
06/30/2017 HEA 1004 HEA 1004 PreK Guidance
06/30/2017 HEA 1136 HEA 1136 Latch Key Services Guidance
06/30/2017 SEA 196 SEA 196 School Debt Service Obligations Guidance
06/23/2017 SEA 409 SEA 409 Collective Bargaining Update
06/23/2017 SEA 407 SEA 407 Education Matters Update
06/23/2017 SEA 248 SEA 248 School Consolidation Guidance
06/23/2017 SEA 182 SEA 182 Superintendent Contract Guidance
06/16/2017 HEA 1001 TAG Guidance HEA 1001
06/16/2017 SEA 108 SEA 108 Educationally Related Nonclassroom Activity Guidance
06/08/2017 SEA 355 and 447 Child Abuse Education and Policies (IC 5-2-10.1-12; IC 20- 19-3-11; IC 20-26-5-35.5; IC 20-30-5-5.7) and Child Services (IC 20-28-3-4.5
08/22/2017 SEA 392 FAQ SEA 392 FAQ Document
06/02/2017 SEA 392 Stock Emergency Medications (IC 20-34-4.5)
06/02/2017 HEA 1430 Suicide Awareness and Prevention Guidance (IC 20-26-5-34.4; IC 20- 28-3-6)
06/02/2017   Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse/Neglect
06/02/2017   Expanded Criminal History (ECH) Checks, Expanded Child Protection Index (ECPI) Checks, Reference Checks and Confidentiality Agreements
05/26/2017 SEA 198 SEA 198 Guidance
05/24/2017 HB 1001 Changes on the Horizon for School Connectivity
05/24/2017 SEA 337 & 29 High School Electives
05/23/2017 SEA 108 Education Matters (IC 20-27-9-5)
05/23/2017 HEA 1384 Public Law 251-2017 - Various education matters (IC 20-26-13-11; IC 20-26-13-11.3; IC 20-32-4-13)
05/23/2017 HEA 1003 Student Assessments (IC 20-28-11.5-10(a))
05/23/2017 HEA 1507 School Buses (IC 20-27-9-7)

Current Federal Issues

Helpful Links

For more information please contact Michael Brown, Legislative Affairs Director, at mbrown@doe.in.gov.