Monday, September 16, 2024
Welcome to the ConnectEd Bulletin Board!
This is the place to find opportunities for further professional development, grant and awards opportunities, and much more!
- Save the Date: 2024 State of Education Address
- New Career Pathway Maps Released
- Wisconsin’s Special Educator Induction Program Update
- 2024 Suicide Prevention Summit
- Suicide Prevention Month
- Semi-Annual Webinar - Navigating the DPI Website: Finding New or Timely Student Support, Prevention and Wellness Resources and Training
- 2024-25 Transition Readiness Grant Awards
- Transition Planning Training for Newly Licensed Teachers
- Coming Soon - Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project 2024
- Biweekly Mailing Renamed EdLeaders Dispatch
- Anti-Human Trafficking Webinars for School Staff 2024-25
- Order Your LEAF Tree ID Kit for Fall!
- New School Nurse Orientation Registration Now Open
- We've Moved! Update Your DPI Contacts
- Forward Exam Results Available for Districts
- Registration is Open for DPI’s Emerging School Counselor Cohort (ESCC) - Living It is Different Than Learning It
- Division for Learning Support Leadership Conference
- Adaptive Organizations Foundation Seminar
- Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted Education Annual Conference
- DPI Focuses on Growth-Based Mindset in Updated Student Performance Level Descriptors for Standardized Assessments
Save the Date: 2024 State of Education Address
On Thursday, September 26 at 12 pm CDT, Wisconsin State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jill Underly, will deliver her State of Education address in the Rotunda at the Capitol building in Madison.
Join us in person or watch online, where it will be livestreamed by WisEye.
New Career Pathway Maps Released
Beth Kaminski, State Career Pathways Director, has released two new career pathway maps and two revised career pathway maps:
- Non-Direct Patient Care (NEW!)
- Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (NEW!)
- Advanced Manufacturing (revised)
- Business Administration (revised)
In creating or revising pathways, Beth reaches out to employers, educators, economic and workforce development partners from across the state and within each region to ensure that the career pathways reflect their needs. The first page of each “pathway map” shows the jobs that are available in the pathway, depending on level of education. The subsequent pages of the map are for individual districts to list the academic courses, dual-credit courses, work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, and CTSOs available through their high school.
Wisconsin’s Special Educator Induction Program Update
Wisconsin’s Special Educator Induction Program is ramping up for its second year of support for novice special educators through the local CESAs around the state. By using a three-prong approach involving “just in time” professional learning, coaching sessions, and support networking opportunities, the induction program aims to support first- or second-year special educators and special educators holding a license with stipulations (LWS). If your district has hired new or LWS special educators this year, they are eligible to receive induction support. In addition, any new teachers who participated in the induction program in 2023-24, are eligible for continued coaching and/or support network opportunities in 2024-25. CESAs are currently accepting nominations and registration for participation. Contact your local CESA special education leadership for more information. Click here to learn more about Wisconsin’s Special Educator Induction Program.
2024 Suicide Prevention Summit
Raising Awareness & Hope in the Community
September 19, 2024 | La Crosse, WI
Keynote Presenter: Sara Kohlbeck, Ph.D.
- Increase your understanding of suicide and its prevalence
- Explore the risk factors for specific populations
- Acquire tools for prevention, assessment and intervention
Sessions include:
• Brain injury
• Burnout
• Childhood Trauma
• Resiliency
• Veterans
For more information or to register, please visit the UW La Crosse web site.
Suicide Prevention Month
September is suicide prevention month, and we all play a vital role. Access DPI’s new and timely suicide prevention resources to strengthen your efforts in promoting suicide prevention this month and every day as we support the mental health and well-being of students and families.
New DPI Suicide Prevention Resources:
- The DPI 2024 Annual Model Notice is now available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Arabic, and Karen, and can be used to meet the requirements of WI 115.365 – Assistance to schools for suicide prevention programs. “School boards and the governing body of each private school annually shall inform their professional staff of the resources available from the department and other sources regarding suicide prevention.”
- Curriculum for grades 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12 focused on suicide prevention and promoting student mental health and well-being.
- Postvention module that provides resources and guidance that informs and assists schools in designing postvention protocols to support those affected and to address the aftermath of a suicide.
- A dedicated online module webpage with a description of and link to each module, and a one-page Quick Reference Guide to Online Modules Series listing all of DPI’s suicide prevention modules - Gatekeeper training, Overview and Connections, Postvention, and Suicide Prevention in Health Education Overview.
Timely Suicide Prevention Resources:
- Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Rules Related to School-Based Suicide Prevention
- Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Grants – Due October 2, 2024
- Peer-to-Peer Grant Writing Webinar – September 10 from 2:00 – 2:45 p.m.
- Wisconsin 2023 YRBS Information Sheet – Mental Health Data Summary
The Student Services, Prevention and Wellness team at DPI is available to provide support and technical assistance on suicide prevention. Please reach out to dpisspw@dpi.wi.gov (608) 266-8960.
Semi-Annual Webinar - Navigating the DPI Website: Finding New or Timely Student Support, Prevention and Wellness Resources and Training
A webinar to provide information on how to navigate the DPI website and the SSPW webpages to find new or timely resources or training from SSPW. Will be held on Wednesday, October 9 from 9:00-9:30 a.m. Registration is available here. There is no cost to attend. This will be recorded and linked on our website after completion. Please contact Julie Incitti, julie.incitti@dpi.wi.gov, with any questions.
2024-25 Transition Readiness Grant Awards
The DPI is excited to announce the Transition Readiness Grant (TRG) Awards for the 2024-25 school year. School districts and charter schools under Wis. Stat. 118.40(2r) and (2x) were eligible to compete for funding that supports evidence-based practices related to the successful transition from high school for students with Individualized Education Programs. The $1.5 million fund will support:
- Transportation options (including contracted services or vehicle purchases),
- Competitive Integrated Employment Training (CIE) Programs,
- Post-secondary tuition or supports for students, and
- Transition Training for Staff Members.
For a full list of awards, visit the TRG webpage.
Transition Planning Training for Newly Licensed Teachers
The Transition Improvement Grant will be hosting two in person training opportunities for newly licensed special education teachers. This free training will be hosted on October 15, 2024, at CESA 2 in Whitewater, WI, or on October 17, 2024, at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Stevens Point, WI.
The training is open to any educator new to transition including administrators. Training objectives include:
- Demonstrate ability to write compliant Postsecondary Transition Plans (PTPs)
- Ability to use tools within the PTP
- application to increase efficiency during the PTP writing process
- Increased ability to engage families in transition planning
- Build awareness of PTP resources and supports
Registration is open through October 10, 2024. Further details on the training and a link to register can be found on the event flier. Questions can be directed to Jenny Jacobs at jjacobs@cesa7.org.
Coming Soon - Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project 2024
The Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project (WACP) began in 2023 as a collaborative project between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Arts Board created to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wisconsin Arts Board. The project offers FREE music, lesson plans, and materials created by Wisconsin artists and educators to Wisconsin schools, communities, and libraries. The project continues in 2024 with MORE collaborations, connections and opportunities!
The 2024 WACP will center on the theme of “Curiosity”. As Sir Ken Robinson once said, "If teachers can keep the flame of curiosity burning in children, then pretty much everything else will follow from that. Curiosity is the engine of achievement." This year's project will launch on this website around October 18, 2024. Below are the artists and educators contributing to this year's project. We are grateful to each of them!
To learn more and to see a list of our contributing artists and educators, head to the website.
Biweekly Mailing Renamed EdLeaders Dispatch
As the new school year approaches, the DPI has refreshed its biweekly mailings with a new name— EdLeaders Dispatch—an exciting new look, and a snappy format.
School administrators will continue to receive EdLeaders Dispatch throughout the year as the DPI aims to provide the latest updates from the DPI in a timely manner.
Anti-Human Trafficking Webinars for School Staff 2024-25
The Department of Children and Families, in partnership with DPI, will again provide free learning opportunities in the 2024-25 school year. Click here to view a flier of the trainings with registration. The two sessions are:
- ‘It Happens Here’ Facilitation Guide & Lessons: Training for School Staff & Other Professionals Supporting Anti-Trafficking
- It Happens Here’ Documentary Community Screening & Discussion
Order Your LEAF Tree ID Kit for Fall!
LEAF’s Tree ID Kit includes everything an educator needs to confidently work with students to master the skills of identifying trees that are native to Wisconsin.
The kit pairs well with LEAF’s Field Enhancement 1, Tree Identification lesson or can be used independently as part of any Tree ID lesson.
The kit also includes Climate Change Field Guides that will help students assess the impact a changing climate can have on trees in their communities.
Read more and reserve your kit today!
New School Nurse Orientation Registration Now Open
Recognizing that many school districts do not have the resources to provide their school nurse(s) with targeted professional development, the DPI offers a New School Nurse Orientation and other specifically designed professional development.
DPI’s New School Nurse Orientation is scheduled for October 10-11, 2024, in Stevens Point at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center. This training is for those nurses who will be working for the first time in or with a school district. It is appropriate for school nurses who have worked in a school setting birth to three years. Topics that will be covered include laws that affect school health, information on IEPs and 504 plans, school health records, and delegation in the school setting. Registration and lodging information is on the DPI School Nurse Webpage. Registration will close on October 3, 2024. Discounted lodging closes on September 9, 2024.
We've Moved! Update Your DPI Contacts
As of August 5th, the DPI is now located within the Tommy G. Thompson Building, a few short blocks away from our previous location at GEF-3. Our new address is:
201 West Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone numbers and email addresses for DPI colleagues will remain the same.
Forward Exam Results Available for Districts
School District administrators should have already received access to the 2023-24 Forward Exam results through the DRC INSIGHT Portal. We’ve prepared resources for you and your teams to communicate these changes to your staff and the communities you serve on our Forward Exam Data and Results. Paper ISRs will be mailed to districts in late August. Schools and districts should share ISRs with families and can use the vendor reports for planning purposes. Assessment results will be available later this summer in the secure DPI WISEdash for Districts portal, and publicly available in the WISEdash Public Portal in early fall. WISEdash provides comprehensive, quality assured, and official reporting used for report cards, school and district improvement planning, and public information.
One important result of these improvements is that current Forward assessment results in ELA and mathematics are not comparable to previous year results. This is similar to what happened when assessment or standards changes were made in 2012-13 with the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exams, 2014-15 with the Badger Exam, and in 2015-16 with the Forward Exam (as well as in 2018-19 and 2021-22 in science and social studies, respectively, to reflect updated standards in those disciplines).
We have developed a few resources to help communicate these changes and make them understandable. Several resources are available on the Forward Exam Data and Results webpage. These resources may be helpful for your planning and can assist in answering questions you may receive regarding recent updates to the Forward Exam English language arts and mathematics test designs, as well as the standard setting conducted in June.
Click here to read more about the standard-setting process and Forward Exam improvements.
For more information, please contact Phil Olsen, Assistant Director, Office of Educational Accountability at DPIOSAmail@dpi.wi.gov.
Registration is Open for DPI’s Emerging School Counselor Cohort (ESCC) - Living It is Different Than Learning It
The Emerging School Counselor Cohort is an opportunity for school counselor professionals in the first three years of practice or practicing under a One Year License with Stipulations. The primary goals of the cohort are to: provide just in time information and resources; delve into school counseling and education related content to inform and enhance the school counselor’s practice; create a network of professional support, dialogue, and consultation; learn best practices and ethical considerations; Utilize peer consultancy and tackle problems of practice; and foster relationships and connections with the supports, services, and resources at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and through other statewide and regional agencies. Content will be provided by the school counseling consultant, DPI education consultants, and professional guests covering topic such as the ASCA National Model Implementation, suicide prevention, legal and ethical considerations, the continuum of career readiness, social emotional learning (SEL), compassion resilience, LGBTQ+ support, classroom instruction and management, compassion resilience, and additional topics to be determined by the cohort.
See the ESCC flyer for additional information and to register. Please determine with your business office if the fee will be paid by ACH or direct deposit prior to registering.
Please contact Andréa Donegan at andrea.donegan@dpi.wi.gov or (608) 224-6175 if you have any questions.
Division for Learning Support Leadership Conference
This year, the 40th Annual State Superintendent's Conference on Special Education and Pupil Services Leadership will be an in-person event. It will be a one-day conference on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Our keynote speakers will be Julie Weatherly and Rebecka Peterson. View the Registration Flyer here. Registration is now available here. The cost is $110 per person. Unfortunately, payments will need to be made by check or ACH this year. No credit card payments are accepted. Please determine with your business office if the fee will be paid by ACH or direct deposit prior to registering. Registration will close on Sunday, October 6, 2024. Lodging information is available on our website. Please note the cut-off date for the room block is Sunday, September 15, 2024.
This year we are coordinating our conference with the WCASS fall conference. The WCASS conference will be held on October 17-18, 2024, at the Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. You will need to register separately for both conferences. Please contact Brianna Scott at brianna.scott@dpi.wi.gov with any questions.
Adaptive Organizations Four Day Foundation Seminar
September 17-18; October 15-16, 2024
CESA 1, N25W23131 Paul Rd, Pewaukee, WI
The Adaptive Organizations Foundation Seminar presents a practical set of ideas and tools for developing collaborative groups to be better equipped to resolve complex issues. We encourage early childcare professionals to join us as we grow our capacity to best meet the needs of our youngest learners. Participants will include state agencies staff and partners as well as school district and community provider staff.
For more information, view the flyer.
Click here to register.
Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted Education Annual Conference
October 7-8, 2024
Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted’s annual conference is for teachers, parents, administrators, counselors, coordinators, college students and more! WATG’s Annual Conference is a great opportunity to expand your connections and to find the information you need to help meet the needs of gifted and talented youth. Classroom teachers, administrators, G/T coordinators and resource teachers, college professors, parents, and college students can all benefit from the sessions and learning at this event.
For more information or to register, visit the WATG web site.
DPI Focuses on Growth-Based Mindset in Updated Student Performance Level Descriptors for Standardized Assessments
Following months of extensive engagement with internal and external education partners, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is updating terminology used to describe performance levels on required statewide standardized assessments. The updated terms are intended to foster conversations promoting student potential and growth at every level. Read the press release.
A handout with more detail regarding the update can be found on the DPI’s website. Information on the Wisconsin Student Assessment System can also be found on the DPI’s website.
Wisconsin communities are digging deeper than ever to fund school via Wisconsin Examiner
Stingy state budgets put an increasing burden on local taxpayers.
Growing number of teens have lost interest in school, raising concerns about mental health via Wisconsin Public Radio
School engagement continues to be one of the strongest predictors of mental health among middle and high school students. Unfortunately, a recent survey of 12 -to 18 year olds found they’re less engaged in school than even a year ago.
Local high schools receive grant for building career success via Ashland Daily Press
Ashland, Bayfield High and Winter high schools are among 18 Wisconsin schools to receive a grant to create a model for building success at the secondary level. Recipients of the Career Connected High School grant met last month for a summit to go over what that model could look like, according to a news release from CESA 12.
Wisconsin social studies teachers face restrictions, complaints for teaching elections via Wisconsin Public Radio
Survey from group of social studies teachers found 42 percent report facing restrictions by administration, parents.
A new program is making Driver Education courses more accessible; Here's how via WTMJ
New driver education grants are now available to low-income high school students who struggle to afford driver education courses in Wisconsin.
10 diverse children's books with Wisconsin connections via Post Crescent
Whether you’re looking for a book that represents your family’s experiences or one that teaches your child about those with differing identities, this list of picture books that have Wisconsin ties can start that journey.