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FYI Newsletter November 14, 2011

Quick Scan:

• Indiana Institute Center Providing Model and Training for Teacher Evaluation
• ADA-Indiana Audio Conference
• Instructional Consultation Teams
• Indiana Institute Archived Webinars
• Library Corner
  

Indiana Institute in the News



Indiana Institute Center Providing Model and Training for Teacher Evaluation: The Institute’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) has designed a model for evaluating teacher effectiveness in compliance with a new state law, and it is working with an initial group of 12 Indiana school districts to implement the model.

Called the Indiana Teacher Appraisal and Support System (IN-TASS), the model was developed in collaboration with Hardy Murphy, Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie, Ill., School District 65, and the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The Evanston/District 65 Professional Appraisal System was used as the framework in the development of the IN-TASS.

The Evanston/District 65 Professional Appraisal Model is one of five teacher evaluation models compared in a recent policy brief from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University. The brief, “Revamping the Teacher Evaluation Process,” offers information on SEA 1 and its implications for teacher evaluation. “Strengths of the District 65 model are its clear and simple synthesis of inputs and outputs, and its automatic due process procedures,” the authors of the CEEP report write. “ … These elements are absent from many of the other models included in this brief.”

The focus of the IN-TASS is to facilitate the growth of all education professionals, enhance the quality of classroom instruction and school system supports, and improve student achievement. The initial 12 school districts have committed to implementing IN-TASS and will receive training and support to develop their appraisal plans.

IN-TASS has been approved by the Indiana Department of Education to support Indiana school districts as they develop local systems for teacher appraisal. It will enable districts to comply with Senate Enrolled Act 1, which was approved this year and requires Indiana schools to implement teacher evaluation systems that make significant use of measures of student performance and growth, starting in 2012-13.

The districts will be supported by the IN-TASS Leadership Cadre, a diverse group of experienced educators that has developed a curriculum and training sequence to ensure that locally developed teacher appraisal systems meet quality standards and are aligned with SEA 1. In addition, a research team will assess training, implementation, and outcomes of the effort. It is expected that the IN-TASS curriculum and process will be replicated in Indiana and beyond. For more information on IN-TASS, contact Sandi Cole, Director of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) at cmcole@indiana.edu.

Upcoming



ADA-Indiana Audio Conference: The U.S. Department of Justice has investigated hundreds of complaints about the failure to provide effective communication. Historically, they have received more complaints about failure to provide effective communication than any other issue they have dealt with. In this month’s audio conference, find out more about Effective Communication under the Americans with Disabilities Act.


Attend this session to learn about the obligations of medical providers, lawyers, tax preparers, local and state government agencies, social service providers, and others to ensure that their customers are able to communicate with them.

The audio conference provider, Great Lakes ADA Center, is offering CRC credits, University of Illinois at Chicago CEU’s, or a Certificate of Attendance at no cost for this session. Please sign-up to receive the CEU at the site which you attend (Locations: Bloomington, Columbus, Corydon, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, Versailles, and West Lafayette).

For more information about this session, please contact Matt Norris at (812) 855-6508, or e-mail adainfo@indiana.edu. The Indiana ADA Audio Conference program is sponsored by ADA- Indiana, Great Lakes ADA Center, and the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities.

Across the Courtyard




Instructional Consultation Teams: The Institute’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning recently completed an Annual Report on their work with Instructional Consultation Teams (IC Teams) in Indiana.

IC Teams provide one-on-one support for teachers who are struggling to design instruction that meets the needs of individual students, small groups, and/or whole classes. IC Team members are trained to conduct assessment in reading, writing, math, and behavior as well as collaborative communication and systematic problem solving. Schools that implement IC Teams develop the internal capacity to sustain ongoing professional development, increased student achievement, and efficient use of resources. In school year 2010-2011, 278 schools across nine states had established IC Teams. This number included 45 Indiana schools in six districts. This year, another 10 Indiana schools have begun IC Team training.

For more information, download the IC Team Fact Sheet or watch a 15-minute online tutorial. Contact Jim Ansaldo, Project Coordinator for more information at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail jansaldo@indiana.edu.



Indiana Institute Archived Webinars: Do you have an interest in learning more about best practice early childhood education, school improvement, or transition, supported employment… financial literacy? The work of the Institute’s Centers in these areas have been archived and are available by clicking on the Resources Tab from the Indiana Institute’s homepage.

Library Corner



New Items: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.

The fall edition of the CeDIR Citings Newsletter is available online. In this issue, resources are highlighted that focus on nutrition.

Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2011). Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications. New York: Guilford Press. (Call Number: 46 .V5 2011)

Durand, V. M. (2011). Optimistic parenting: Hope and help for you and your challenging child. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co. (Call Number: 54 .D87)

Nemiroff, M. A., Annunziata, J., & Battuz, C. (2011). Shy spaghetti and excited eggs: A kid's menu of feelings. Washington, DC: Magination Press. (Call Number: 6 .N4)

Riffel, L. A. (2011). Positive behavior support at the tertiary level: Red zone strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. (Call Number: 53 .R47)

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