Friday, January 20, 2012

Iowa Dept. of Ed to Visit Feb. 7 to Seek Public Input on NCLB Waiver Request

The Iowa Department of Education will give Iowans a chance to weigh in on a plan to request a waiver from requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act during a statewide series of public meetings from January 31 to February 9.

The regional meeting for the Heartland AEA area has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2012. The meeting will be streamed from the Heartland ICN Room at 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston. Satellite sites include: Ames High School, Dallas Center-Grimes High School, Newton High School and Knoxville High School. The Department has scheduled meeting times for the following target audiences:

Superintendents
9:00-10:45 a.m.

Administrators and board members
11:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Students
1:30-2:45 p.m.

Teachers
4:00-5:45 p.m.

Parents & Other Community Members
6:00-7:45 p.m.

The Department will present details about Iowa’s waiver request and plans to develop a new accountability system that puts student achievement first but also focuses on student growth and assessments that align with the Iowa Core standards.

In September, the U.S. Department of Education invited states to apply for flexibility from specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans.

Iowa’s application will be submitted by February 21.

States must address the following principles in their waiver applications: College and career-ready expectations for all students; state-developed systems for differentiated recognition, accountability and support; and support for effective instruction and leadership, including new guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.

In a new video, Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass addresses the purpose of Iowa’s waiver request.

Iowans who are unable to attend the public meetings can submit comments in writing to wilma.gajdel@iowa.gov until 4:00 p.m. on February 1.

For more information, go to www.educateiowa.gov.

Transition Times Workshop: Jan. 26

It’s not too late to sign up for next Thursday’s Transition Times Workshop. The workshop will be hosted on Thursday, January 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. and will provide information about post-high school employment opportunities for students with disabilities. Families and educators of 7-12th grade students on IEPs and students age 14 and older are invited to attend. Please pass on the flyer to students, families and teachers who may be interested in attending.

Originating Site: Heartland AEA 11 Johnston Office (6500 Corporate Drive)
Satellite Sites: Ames High School ICN Room and Panorama High School ICN Room

"Living in the New Normal" PD Provided by Iowa National Guard

If you have been following the news, you know Iowa had 3,000 Service Members return from a year-long tour to Afghanistan this past summer. This was the single largest deployment Iowa has experienced since WWII. Additionally, there have been many other units deploy and return from deployment over the last year...as well as others still preparing to deploy. Due to all of this, many children, and their families, throughout the state have been facing various challenges associated with military life. As a result, educators and community members are playing an even greater role in the lives of these children.

The Iowa National Guard Youth and Teen Program is happy to offer a two-day training for educators titled, " Living in the New Normal...Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times." This training is conducted by the Military Child Education Coalition and provides those working with military children a wealth of information (those attending leave with a tote bag filled with resources and materials). All materials, the training, as well as breakfast and lunch both days are provided at no cost to the attendee. Participants have the opportunity to earn educational credits in the form of 1.2 CEU's for $25.00 or 1 hour of graduate credit from Texas A&M- Central Texas for $175.00, payable following the training. Heartland AEA will also offer teacher licensure renewal credit for completing this training.

The training will take place on March 21-22, 2012 at the Iowa Gold Star Museum on Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa (located at 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston, IA 50131). You can register online by visiting:
https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspxSite=MCEC&WebCode=EventDetail&evt_key=8669a8e1-e766-4997-ab1b-75840cbea14e

Please note availability is limited to the first 50 who register, so please register early.


For more information, or if you experience issues completing the online registration form, please contact Jeremy Van Wyk, State Youth Coordinator, at jeremy.vanwyk@us.army.mil or by phone at (515) 252-4040.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Prairie Lakes AEA to Host CBC Workshop for Principals

Our colleagues to the North, Prairie Lakes AEA, will host a three-day summer workshop for principals and assistant principals who wish to learn more about Concept-Based Curriculum (CBC) and how it ties in to the Iowa Core. Dr. Lynn Erickson and Dr. Lois Lanning, both CBC specialists, will facilitate the workshop which runs June 25-27 at the Prairie Lakes Pocahontas office. Click here for an informational flyer and here for a registration form.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.