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Dear Friends,
I wanted to send you a personal note so that you heard this from me directly. On Monday, April 22, I informed the INPEA Board that I plan to retire after the next legislative session (May/June 2025). At that time, I will be in my 18th year as Executive Director of INPEA and it seemed like the right time for me to shift gears and for INPEA to recruit its next leader. I am telling you now because I wanted the INPEA Board to have over a year to conduct the search process and to plan for a transition.
This is not goodbye because I (we) have a lot of work to do before June 2025. I will say that my experience as INPEA’s Executive Director is, and has been, one of the greatest blessings of my life. To work every day with people who are passionate about mission and the students entrusted to their care, whether that be INPEA staff, the INPEA Board, or the school leaders and teachers who serve our schools, is a true gift! To all of you who have enriched my life – thank you! Much more about the search and transition later.
But as I said, June 2025 is a long way off and we have lots of work to do! That includes universal choice in 2025! So let’s get it done!
God bless,
John
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Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6-10, 2024
Thank you, teachers! We appreciate all you do to educate Hoosier students attending our non-public schools across our state.
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2025 Legislative Session Planning
The 2025 legislative session has the potential to be transformative for Hoosier families and non-public schools as we work toward universal vouchers. To do this, we must have engagement from our non-pub stakeholders in every corner of our state. We need your help and our work starts now!
Please join us for a 2025 legislative strategy virtual planning session on either May 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET or May 2 at 10:00 a.m. ET. INPEA and Institute for Quality Education leaders will outline what stakeholders can be doing NOW to prepare for the next legislative session. We will share a timeline of what needs to happen between now and April 2025 - schools will be asked to commit to engaging with their legislators during this time.
It is important that someone from your school participate in one of these sessions so you can plan for your engagement in the coming school year. The audience for these sessions is school leaders, board members, pastors, and legislative liaisons. You only need to attend one session.
May 1 2024, 2:00 p.m. ET
Register Here
May 2 2024, 10:00 a.m. ET
Register Here
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INPAC 2024: Rooted in a Legacy of Leading
The INPAC Planning Committee is excited to announce details for the 2024 administrators’ conference. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the kick off to INPEA’s 50th anniversary with a conference centered around our theme of “Rooted in a Legacy of Leading. ”
There are so many outstanding sessions that you will want to bring a team with you! We have built a program featuring dynamic speakers in topics related to four learning strands:
- All Things Indiana
- Leadership of Learning
- Organizational Leadership
- Workforce Development
INPAC 2024 kicks off with a pre-conference focused on AI and its role in educational technology. We are excited to welcome a panel of AI experts who will also lead the pre-conference breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Panelists will include John Sowash, founder and owner of Sowash Ventures; Dr. Joy Lopez, director of information technology and innovation at Sacred Heart Schools in California and frequent contributor to the National Catholic Education Association; and Diana Smith, Director of Digital Learning at IDOE.
Our Thursday afternoon keynote speaker is Chike Aguh, a recognized authority on the future of work, economic opportunity, and innovation. He currently serves as Senior Advisor at Harvard University’s Project On Workforce, Senior Fellow on Workforce at Northeastern University’s Burnes Center for Social Change, and Senior Advisor at the McChrystal Group.
Our Friday morning keynote speaker is Kim Strobel, a renowned motivational speaker with a global reach, inspiring schools, businesses, and organizations to prioritize happiness and strive for greater fulfillment in life. She is the author of Teach Happy: Small Steps to Big Joy, a book that acknowledges the hardness and heart of the teaching profession but also provides a clear path to reclaiming joy and happiness within and outside of this profession.
We hope you will join us for INPAC 2024 on September 26 & 27, 2024 at the Renaissance Hotel in Carmel. Registration will open in mid-May. You can find more information here.
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Special Education Services - ADAC Advocacy
Do you have questions as you prepare for your special education consultations with your LEA? Do you need clarity on aspects of IDEA or Article 7? Need help on how to prepare for consultation?
INPEA’s special consultants, ADAC, will be available by Zoom to answer questions and provide guidance and support on April 30 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. ET. Please register for your preferred session time at the link below.
Depending on interest, additional Zoom calls may be scheduled. If you are unable to participate in the April 30 Zoom meetings but interested in connecting with ADAC, please contact Andrea Anderson at aanderson@inpea.org.
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Deadlines and Reminders
April 26
Potential close of public comment period 1 on high school diploma redesign. Submit feedback here.
May 1
Literacy Cadre Cohort 3 application deadline (funding for literacy coach required for schools with <70% IREAD-3 pass rate at 2/3 of cost in yr1 and 1/3 cost in yr2). Apply here.
May 10
Keys to Literacy training registration deadline for summer session (meets PD requirements for Early Literacy Endorsement/license renewal, $1200 stipend for completion—includes principals, voucher for free Praxis exam). For more information, visit https://keystoliteracy.com/idoe-cohort-information/.
Literacy Resources
In our March newsletter, we shared a list of literacy resources available to educators. Our friends at The Lutheran Schools Partnership created a on-pager that lists all of the literacy-related professional development opportunities available. You can download that sheet at the link below.
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Thank You, School Donors
Every year we ask our member schools to consider giving to INPEA above and beyond their annual dues so we can continue to make strides in legislation, professional development, and consultation for Indiana's non-public schools. We want to thank the following schools who stepped up so far this school year to donate money above their individual school membership dues, as of April 24, 2024:
Bishop Chatard High School
Bishop Noll Institute
Blackhawk Christian Schools
Cardinal Ritter High School
Cathedral High School
Crown Point Christian School
DeMotte Christian School
Heritage Christian School
Highland Christian School
Illiana Christian High School
Mater Dei High School
Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School
Roncalli High School
Saint Joseph High School
St. Joseph Catholic Grade School
St. Peter’s Lutheran School
St. Theodore Guerin High School
Tabernacle Christian School
If your school has the ability and the heart to give to our annual fund campaign, you can find more information on giving online or sending in a check here. Or feel free to reach out to Beatrice Bursten for more information.
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Get Ready for Fall Classes with Tuesdays@TheTech
Summer is the perfect time for students to prepare for college! If any of your students are still trying to decide what’s next after graduation, they can explore their options at Tuesdays@TheTech. Each Tuesday, Ivy Tech campuses around the state open their doors to new, current, and prospective students to help them navigate the college journey. Students can get assistance with applying for financial aid, learning about program options, exploring career paths, and more.
Encourage your students to visit Ivy Tech this summer so they’re ready to start classes this fall! You can learn more at ivytech.edu/tuesdays.
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It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the more vocabulary a reader knows in a text, the better they will understand the text (Beck et al., 2013). This means that vocabulary knowledge is crucial for comprehension!
Here are two easy-to-implement instructional practices that can boost vocabulary learning:
- Teach meanings of new vocabulary words with student friendly connections to what students already know because word meanings are learned in connection to known words and concepts (Willingham, D. 2017). Have students complete a graphic organizer that includes identifying synonyms and examples of new vocabulary words.
- Explicitly teach pronunciation and spelling of vocabulary words along with word meanings because knowledge of how to spell a word enhances memory of vocabulary words (Rosenthal & Ehri, 2008). Have students pronounce new vocabulary words syllable by syllable and notice what spelling patterns are in the word.
Resources:
Direct Instruction Vocabulary Routine:
This 15-minute video provides an overview of the role of vocabulary in reading, how to select tier 2 words, and a lesson template to introduce vocabulary words to students.
Bringing Words to Life by Beck, McKeown, & Kucan: This book provides a robust synthesis of research in effective instruction of vocabulary along with strategies teachers can use right away for choosing which vocabulary words to teach; teaching vocabulary in both early and later grades; and how to assess vocabulary knowledge teachers.
Citations:
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing Words to Life. The Guilford Press.
Rosenthal, J., & Ehri, L. (2008). The mnemonic value of orthography for vocabulary learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 175-191.
Willingham, D. (2017). The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads. Jossey-Bass.
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Welcome Smekens Education, INPEA’s Newest Business Partner
For more than 20 years Smekens Education has been helping Indiana non-public schools improve instruction and achievement in reading and writing by providing practical and engaging professional development.
The experienced team of literacy consultants and coaches at Smekens empower K-12 educators with research-based best-practice strategies that are tightly aligned with the Indiana Academic Standards.
Depending on a school’s unique needs and budget, Smekens Education supports professional growth in a variety of ways, including:
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Save the Dates:
INPAC 2024
Indiana Non-Public Administrators' Conference
September 26 & 27, 2024
Indianapolis Renaissance Hotel North (Carmel)
INPEC 2025
Indiana Non-Public Educators' Conference
September 18 & 19, 2025 - NEW DATES!
Indiana Convention Center (Downtown Indianapolis)
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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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