Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Update from Iowa DE

The following message is from the Department of Education regarding the status of Evaluator Approval training which was previously in the Administrator Connection. We wanted to give you a chance to see it again as a reminder.

For the last two years the Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Program state advisory committee has been working on the structure and focus of Level III renewal of the evaluator’s license. This work has been based on the experience and input from practicing administrators who have been involved with the training for Level I and Level II renewal and their experience in applying the previous training at the local school level. At this point, what is available to any person needing renewal at Level III is described as follows:

• Four credit hours are needed for renewal of the administrator license at Level III.
• Everyone will need to take the Assessing Academic Rigor course which is currently available in all of the AEAs. This option will count for two of the four credits needed.

In addition:

• In state Administrators may take another course for credit with researched based content which aligns with the work of their district or their own individual professional development. This course must be an AEA licensure renewal credit or a semester credit from a regionally accredited institution.
• They make take the Fierce Conversations course which is a two-credit course offered through each of the AEAs.

Furthermore:

• Out-of-state: Individuals coming from out-of-state will be required to take the I-Evaluate on-line class for full administrative licensure. Please contact Fred Kinne at (515) 281-3587 or fred.kinne@iowa.gov for further information.

Given new leadership at the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Program Advisory Committee and others will be working to review the direction and focus of the current plans beyond what is currently established as described above. This review will be conducted over the next six months to a year. Those who need to renew at Level III before July 2012 are advised to participate in the arrangement as described above. Any administrator who does not need to renew at Level III for another year or more may decide if they want to wait and determine if any changes in the training for evaluator approval Level III would be more appropriate for their work.

Click here for a FAQ sheet and here for a flowchart for decision making to help address more specific questions. Please submit any additional questions to: matt.ludwig@iowa.gov or connie.maxson@iowa.gov and those will be addressed in future updates and FAQ documents that will be shared with all administrators across the state.