StandardsInsight Tool Now Available

All school districts now have access to the StandardsInsight Tool, which was developed to provide an in-depth look into the Common Core State Standards. The tool “unpacks” the standards into several categories and has also been adjusted to reflect the Iowa Core Standards. StandardInsights is available thanks to a partnership between the Iowa Department of Education and the Mid-Iowa School Improvement Consortium (MISIC). 

A webinar has been developed to provide information on how to access the Standards Insight Tool. Districts/schools were to identify administrators who will view this initial webinar, as it gives information about how to set up an account for your district/school. http://misiciowa.org/StandardsInsight.html

A second webinar for teachers is also available; this webinar includes information about how teachers can access the district’s account to enter grade level/course specific information about each of the standards. In order for your teachers to have access, you will need to make sure that you have registered your district and set up accounts for your staff. 

Note: The Department of Education has had recent feedback about difficulty and confusion regarding district account set-up and access. We expect further information from the Department soon to help address those technical difficulties. 

For now, if you have technical questions about accessing or using StandardsInsight, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org. You can also contact Deb Hindman at the Iowa Department of Education at deb.hindman@iowa.gov. If you need support in your district or school with your individual efforts to implement Iowa Core, please work with your regional director from Heartland AEA.

Addendum Window for the Microsoft CyPres Program

October is the window for making this years addendum to the Microsoft CyPres Settlement application. The window closes October 31, 2012. Changes can be made to the hardware, software, and teaching strategies sections to reflect what the school will be doing this school year. The last window will open up on August 1, 2013 and close March 31, 2014. The program will come to an end on June 30, 2014. No invoice dated after June 30, 2014 will be eligible for reimbursement. Questions may go to John O'Connell, john.oconnell@mchsi.com.

Students Can Participate in the Stop Bullying Challenge

October is Bullying Prevention Month and www.stopbullying.gov is challenging your students to create a “Stop Bullying Video.” This challenge invites youth ages 13-18 to create a 30 to 60 second video that will inform and motivate youth to prevent bullying, and that promotes an environment where kindness and respect for others matters.

If your students participate in this challenge send us a copy of your video to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us to be featured on our Facebook page!

Save the Date
October 10 is Unity Day sponsored by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Encourage your students to wear orange and send us pictures of your unity day to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us . Learn more at http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp.
   
Register for the Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit which will be held on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 in Des Moines. https://preventbullying.iowa.gov/

2012-13 Staff & Schools and Superintendent Directories Now Available

Click here to download the 2012-13 Heartland AEA Staff & School Directory. Heartland AEA no longer prints bound copies of the directory to be more environmentally friendly and budget conscious.

Also please keep in mind that Heartland AEA has an online staff directory. This electronic directory contains the most up-to-date information about Heartland staff members. To access this directory, visit our homepage and click on the “AEA Staff Directory” link on the top right hand side of the page above the Leaders tab. You can search for Heartland staff members by last name, position or by the school districts they serve.

Click here to download the 2012-13 Heartland AEA Superintendent Directory. A limited supply of these much smaller directories were printed and distributed at the September HAA meeting.

Homework Help Handout for Parents/Students

Click here to find a handout of online resources available through Heartland AEA. Online databases are an excellent resource for reports, references and for fun! Feel free to pass on this handout in school newsletters and at parent-teacher conferences.

Reminder: Multi-tiered Systems of Cultural and Linguistic Support for ELLs

Come for an exciting two days of learning with ESL bilingual expert Cristina Sanchez-Lopez on October 12 and 13, 2012 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines. The workshop will provide guidance to those interested in designing more culturally and linguistically responsive multi-tiered systems of support (including RtI) for all their students with a special focus on ELLs. K-12 classroom and special education/ESL teachers and administrators, internal consultants and practitioners working with ELLs or special education students are encouraged to attend.

Click here to register or register through the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog and put activity number ES006999991301 in the correct field.

Employee and Student Discounts Available Through the Iowa Educators Consortium

Have you checked out the employee and student discounts available through the Iowa Educators Consortium? Check out the discounts on cell phone plans, digital cameras and camcorders, office supplies, software and technology at http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Employee_Student_Discounts.

The Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) is an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization supporting the mission of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. The IEC’s goal is to combine the purchasing power of Iowa schools to offer aggressive pricing on materials, goods and services. In 2010, participating Iowa schools and AEAs saved over $7.5 million.

Reminder: Risky Business Conference to Be Held Oct. 15

Registration is open for the Risky Business Conference to be held October 15 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona. This conference is essential for those working with At-Risk populations. Click here for registration information.
 
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.

DMACC Surplus: Sled Based Desks

Des Moines Area Community College has surplus furniture available for no cost to you. There are a total of 106 soft chair sled based desks available. You can take all or a portion of the desks. Contact Julie Klocke in the DMACC Purchasing department if you would like to see pictures and are interested by e-mail at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu or by phone at (515) 964-6386.

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.