Welcome to the Regional Office of Education #3

ISBE is announcing that remote learning will occur for the duration of the suspension of in-person instruction. Districts must develop instructional remote learning to allow for student engagement and continuity of instruction. School districts will not be expected to extend their school year calendar. All Act of God days, remote planning days, and remote learning days will count as actual days of pupil attendance.

• Remote Learning Days Q&A Webinar (March 29, 2020)
• https://www.isbe.net/Documents/23-5RG-E.pdf

ROE #3 REMOTE LEARNING PLAN

Per P.A. 89-205-I effective July 5, 1999, the Regional Board of School Trustees may cancel their regular meeting if there is no pending business.

Since we have no pending business, the regular meeting of the Bond, Christian, Effingham, Fayette, and Montgomery Counties Regional Board of School Trustees scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. is cancelled.

https://lists.roe3.org/RBST/public_notices/RBST-Cancellation-Notice-April-6-2020.pdf

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. at the ROE #3 Professional Development Center in Vandalia, IL.

Job Openings in Bond, Christian, Effingham, Fayette, and Montgomery Districts

The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) recently shared the impact of the Foundational Services funding that was distributed via Regional Offices of Education throughout the State in a variety of professional development programs. A presentation that shows the progress measured in districts participating in those programs can be viewed at https://lists.roe3.org/pd/IARSS_Presentation_2018-07-11.pdf

Many license-holders haven't been in their ELIS accounts since they got their licenses [up to 5 years ago]. Thus, logins and passwords are mysterious combinations that few wrote down.

This isn't a big deal as...

1. The ROE can give them their login.
2. They can choose "forgot password" when logging in.

After providing a login (and possibly answer a secret question . . . we've seen this step come and go) . . . Voila! The password is emailed to the license-holder.

Herein lies a problem . . . some districts changed their domain name since 2013. They went from the old "k12.il.us" format to an "org" format. So, if the paraprofessional or teacher registered with an email address that no longer exists, they cannot get their password emailed to them. That means they will have to call the ISBE Helpline

A new law that takes effect July 1, 2019, reinstates the requirement that a school day consist of a minimum of five hours of instructional time, a provision that previously sunset in 2017. Public Act 101-0012 also allows school districts statewide to utilize e-learning days in lieu of emergency days and maintains flexibility for students to engage in career-connected learning outside of the classroom.

ISBE's 2019-20 school year calendar application is now open for submissions in IWAS. Calendars should be submitted prior to the first day of the school year. If additional time is needed, please contact schoolcalendars@isbe.net. ISBE will provide further guidance on how districts can proceed with instructional day flexibility:

• ISBE One Page Information Guide
• ISBE ISBE Public School Calendar Web Panel

The ROEs of Area 5 have joined together to bring you the necessary academies for renewing your evaluation approval. We have quality presenters who understand your need for material you can USE and not just talk about. See our list of offered academies here

http://www.teachillinois.com

TeachIllinoisis a brand new, 100% online, center for educator professional development. Educators can either self-register, or districts can bulk register their staffs. Upon completion of the material, learners will complete the ISBE Seminar Evaluation Form, after which, the official ISBE Evidence of Completion form will be made available. All e-learning courses are currently free, although in the near future TeachIllinois will start charging a nominal, per-PD-hour fee. New content is added every month, and we welcome suggestions for future courses. Our e-learning platform is robust enough that a PD provider (such as a District) could subscribe and create their own 'channel'.

The Regional Office of Education #3 serving Bond, Christian, Effingham, Fayette and Montgomery Counties is currently offered on the first and third Fridays of the month in our Hillsboro office as well as on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in our Taylorville office.

The TASC test is a high school equivalency test recognized by the State of Illinois and will assess five subject areas: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, as well as measure examinees’ readiness for college and the workforce. Passage of the TASC test will provide the same result as passing the GED test - a high school equivalency diploma from the State of Illinois.

• UPCOMING TASC TEST SCHEDULE IN HILLSBORO (PDF)
• UPCOMING TASC TEST SCHEDULE IN TAYLORVILLE (PDF)
• TASC Test Readiness Assessment Brochure (PDF)

A list of the TASC test study materials can be found on TASCTest.com. Questions can be directed to Sarah Huckstead at the ROE #3 Office in Taylorville at (217) 824-4730.

For residents who are interested in a computer-based test, the GED can be taken at various locations. For the ROE #3 area, testing centers are located in Springfield, Centralia and Mattoon. Other testing locations can be found at the website www.GED.com. Interested test-takers are encouraged to work with their local adult education provider at the community college to help prepare for whichever test they choose to take.