Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.

Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

November 2014 School Leader Update

The November 2014 issue of the School Leader Update is available from the Iowa Department of Education. In it, Director Buck writes about IowaCore.gov, an easy-to-understand-and-use website for educators, parents and stakeholders who want to delve into the Iowa Core. Also, read about a new accreditation model that will affect all districts in the state and attorney Nicole Proesch gives you some information that is pertinent to the month of November.

Microsoft Settlement Window Approaching

Remember that the window to apply for the new round of Microsoft money opens on November 10, and closes on December 19.

The Dept. of Education’s webpage contains info about the program itself, about the eligible schools, and also some recently-added resources, including an archived version of John O'Connell's webinar, and the application template.

 
This second site contains a link to the eligible products list. If there is a product that you are interested in, but it isn't listed as eligible or ineligible, you'll want to inquire ASAP about its eligibility so you can have an answer before the application deadline closes.

Write Women Back Into History Contest Announced

The 31st Annual Write Women Back Into History Contest is an opportunity for 6th-9th grade students to submit an original essay on an inspirational woman they feel deserves to be written into history. The theme of this year’s contest is ‘Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives’. Submissions will be accepted through January 23. Winning students will receive awards and be invited to the capitol for a day to be presented to the State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the Governor and Lt. Governor.

Applicants Sought for 2014 STEM Education Award for Inspired Teaching

Recently, the 2014 STEM Education Award for Inspired Teaching sponsored by Kemin Industries was launched to honor educators and their dedication to STEM education in Iowa.

This award will honor one teacher from each of the six STEM regions will be awarded $1,500 award with an additional $1,500 to be used in their classroom.

Anyone can submit a nomination online at stemaward.fluidreview.com from now until December 12, 2014. After a teacher is nominated, they will be asked to fill out an application. They will have until January 9, 2015 to send in their completed application. These forms will then be sent to a panel of judges who will select the six winners who will be announced at the Statewide STEM Conference in March 2015.

Did you know? Primary Resources Available through Britannica Subscription

As part of your subscription to Britannica (through Iowa AEA Online), students can access primary sources in Annals of American History Online.
There are two ways to access:
Visit http://www.america.eb.com/
OR
Visit http://school.eb.com and click on Additional Databases in the top banner.

Annals of American History Online gives a unique view of American history through primary source documents. Discover the backbone of American history, society and culture with a year-by-year documentary of American thought, action and daily life.

Read the original words of more than 1,500 authors who made and analyzed American history through speeches, writings and interviews. Containing over 2,000 primary source documents from 1493 to the present day, plus hundreds of images and multimedia clips, this database is ideal for student research and thought-provoking classroom discussions. Includes a built-in citation generator. For grades 6-12.

The database is purchased by the AEA and requires a username and password assigned to your school. If you do not know your school's username and password, ask your school librarian or contact the Heartland AEA Library at (800) 255-0405 ext. 15799.

Grant Wood AEA to Host Standards-Based Grading Conference in March

Grant Wood AEA is hosted a standards-based grading conference on March 30, 2015. This conference is designed to help educators learn how to effectively develop/design and implement a standards-based grading (SBG) system that aligns with current instruction and assessment practices and supports the Iowa Core and Iowa’s Competency-Based Education model. The keynote speaker will be ASCD author Dr. Cathy Vatterott. In addition, classroom practitioners from across the state will share resources and practices that have led to successful implementation. Nearly 250 educators attended a similar conference in Iowa in 2013 and the feedback received was extremely positive. Registration is $20 and includes lunch. Details are available here.