Happy Holidays to You & Yours!

Click the image for a holiday greeting from Heartland AEA! Warm wishes to you and your families throughout the holidays and in the coming year.

Winter Break Hours and Van Delivery Schedule

Please note the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and send and receive items through our van mail.

All Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, 2017.

• Regular Van Delivery: Dec. 19-22
• No Van Delivery: Dec. 23-Jan. 2
• Regular Van Delivery Resumes: Jan. 3

Wishing you a happy holiday season from Heartland AEA!

Registration is Open for the Secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) Initial Redesign Meeting

The initial planning meeting for the Heartland AEA Regional Career and Technical Education Partnership will be held on Jan. 6, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the DMACC Ankeny Campus (Building 5, Rooms 1240 E,D,F,G). All superintendents (or designee) are strongly encouraged to attend. Register at this link.

The partnership is being formed as required by HF 2392 in the Iowa Code to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering high-quality secondary career and technical education programs.

During the initial meeting, an interim partnership will establish by-laws governing the group (e.g., committees, how it makes decisions, how the work is done, fiscal agent, etc.). View the draft template for the regional partnership bylaws.

The longer-term purpose and function of the partnership includes the development of a multi-year plan. The plan is required to address:

• The processes and procedures by which all secondary CTE programs within the region will meet the state-developed program approval process
• The feasibility of developing centers within and across the regions to improve access to high-quality CTE and concurrent enrollment opportunities for all students
• Developing a budget for the state vocational dollars assigned to the regional partnership that is tied to the multi-year plan

Date: Jan. 6, 2017
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ankeny DMACC Campus, 2006 South Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny
Building 5, DMACC Conference Center
Rooms 1240 E, D, F, G
Registration

ISFIS Budget Workshops Scheduled for 2017

Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents. These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in just one highly productive day. This year there will be an additional hour at the end of each session for districts who would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection.

The ISFIS budget workshops at Heartland AEA are Jan. 23 and Feb. 15. Cost to attend is $250 per district. Register online.

Workshop participants will receive information about:

• Budget process, changes for the upcoming fiscal year, legislative update and other items of general budget interest.
• Unspent Authorized Budget portions reserved for categorical purposes and strategies to fully utilize categorical resources.
• Completed Certified Budget and strategies to set maximum certainty of property tax rate if SSA is not set by the publication deadline.
• Data and tools related to the budget process.
• Access to a district specific PowerPoint presentation based on the district’s certified budget file.
• District Specific 5-Year Financial Projection Plan including a Sample Working Line Item Budget Template.
• Unlimited phone and email support about the Certified Budget.
• Complimentary assistance if a district’s budget is appealed to the State Appeal Board.

For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.

Sample ELPA21 Parent Letter Available in Numerous Languages

As previously shared, a sample parent ELPA21 letter has been developed for districts to use for communication to parents. While it’s not required that districts use the sample letter, it will serve as a good model for districts who desire to develop their own communication. For districts that wish to utilize the document, place on district letterhead and add additional information as deemed necessary and appropriate for your context.

In addition, the Title III Network has begun collaboration on translations for the sample ELPA21 parent letter so districts may communicate with family members in a language most easily understood. Several translations are currently available and have been posted on the English Language Learners Community Agora. Additional languages will be posted to this statewide site as they become available. Follow these steps to access the translations.

Announcing Two Contests for Students and Teachers in Iowa

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Call to Serve Contest
The Iowa Department of Human Rights and the State of Iowa MLK Day Planning Committee are hosting the 7th annual statewide MLK Call 2 Serve contest to promote the 2017 Martin Luther King Day of Service. Deadline for submission is Dec. 23, 2016. For more information, contact Kim Cheeks at kim.cheeks@iowa.gov or (515) 281-3274 or visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of African Americans' website at: https://humanrights.iowa.gov/cas/saa/news.

Write Women Back Into History Video Contest
To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of Women (with financial support from the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women) is hosting its 2nd annual Women’s History Month video contest to celebrate women’s history. Entries are open to students in grades 5-12 and schools/organizations that work with students in grades 5-12. Deadline for submission is March 1, 2017. For more information, contact Contact Kristen Corey at women@iowa.gov or (515) 281-4470/800-558-4427 or visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of Women’s website at: https://humanrights.iowa.gov/cas/icsw.

Happy Holidays to You & Yours!

​

Click the image for a holiday greeting from Heartland AEA! Warm wishes to you and your families throughout the holidays and in the coming year.

Winter Break Hours and Van Delivery Schedule

Please note the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and send and receive items through our van mail.

All Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, 2017.

• Regular Van Delivery: Dec. 19-22
• No Van Delivery: Dec. 23-Jan. 2
• Regular Van Delivery Resumes: Jan. 3

Wishing you a happy holiday season from Heartland AEA!

Save the Date: Secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) Initial Redesign Meeting

The initial planning meeting for the Heartland AEA Regional Career and Technical Education Partnership will be held on Jan. 6, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the DMACC Ankeny Campus (Building 5, Rooms 1240 E,D,F,G). All superintendents (or designee) are strongly encouraged to attend.

The partnership is being formed as required by HF 2392 in the Iowa Code to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering high-quality secondary career and technical education programs.

During the initial meeting, an interim partnership will establish by-laws governing the group (e.g., committees, how it makes decisions, how the work is done, fiscal agent, etc.). View the draft template for the regional partnership bylaws.

• The longer-term purpose and function of the partnership includes the development of a multi-year plan. The plan is required to address:
• The processes and procedures by which all secondary CTE programs within the region will meet the state-developed program approval process
• The feasibility of developing centers within and across the regions to improve access to high-quality CTE and concurrent enrollment opportunities for all students

Developing a budget for the state vocational dollars assigned to the regional partnership that is tied to the multi-year plan

Save the Date: Secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) Initial Redesign Meeting

Date: Jan. 6, 2017
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ankeny DMACC Campus, 2006 South Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny
Building 5, DMACC Conference Center
Rooms 1240 E, D, F, G
Registration

ISFIS Budget Workshops Scheduled for 2017

Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents. These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in just one highly productive day. This year there will be an additional hour at the end of each session for districts who would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection.

The ISFIS budget workshops at Heartland AEA are Jan. 23 and Feb. 15. Cost to attend is $250 per district. Register online.

Workshop participants will receive information about:

• Budget process, changes for the upcoming fiscal year, legislative update and other items of general budget interest.

• Unspent Authorized Budget portions reserved for categorical purposes and strategies to fully utilize categorical resources.

• Completed Certified Budget and strategies to set maximum certainty of property tax rate if SSA is not set by the publication deadline.

• Data and tools related to the budget process.

• Access to a district specific PowerPoint presentation based on the district’s certified budget file.

• District Specific 5-Year Financial Projection Plan including a Sample Working Line Item Budget Template.

• Unlimited phone and email support about the Certified Budget.

• Complimentary assistance if a district’s budget is appealed to the State Appeal Board.

For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.

Mark Your Calendar For This Important Statewide AEA Event: Legislative Education Advocacy Day, Feb. 1-2, 2017

School administrators from across Iowa will come together to network, learn the most up-to-date legislative insight and meet face-to-face with legislators at the Iowa Capitol, Feb. 1-2, 2017. Learn more about ESSA from Iowa Department of Education Director Dr. Ryan Wise as well as current education issues from Iowa education legislative liaisons, then, meet with your local legislators. For more information and to register, visit this site.

Keynoter Announced for Celebrating Iowa’s Success Conference

PRESS Senior Literacy Specialist for the Minnesota Center for Reading Research and educator Kathy Patton will keynote Celebrating Iowa’s Success Conference on Jan. 23, 2017, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. In her keynote, Kathy will share effective components of an intervention and essential elements needed for student growth.

Joining Kathy in the program is Scott Slechta, 2016 Iowa Teacher of the Year, who will discuss the role of a teacher as a reading teacher in all disciplines; how educators teach reading skills for both informational text and literary text, and how the goal as teachers is to instill the love of reading for information and for entertainment.

Celebrating Iowa’s Success!
Date: Jan. 23, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines
Register: Register at this link by Jan. 9, 2017
Target audience: District / Building Administrators, Classroom Teacher Reading, Reading Support Teacher, Instructional Coach

For more information, contact Mary Jane Stites or Mark Crady, Coordinators of C4K Training Cadre, at mstites@heartlandaea.org or mcrady@heartlandaea.org.

DMACC Ames Center Surplus

DMACC Ames Center has the following surplus items available. If interested, contact Julie Klocke with DMACC Purchasing at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu.

190 black stackable chairs

Capitol Girls Helps Girls in Grades 7-12 Experience Government in Action

In partnership with the Girl Scouts, the Iowa Department of Human Rights' Office on the Status of Women hosts an annual event for girls in grades 7-12 throughout Iowa called Capitol Girls. On Feb. 9, 2017, girls from across Iowa will convene in Des Moines at the Iowa State Capitol to learn about the workings of the Iowa General Assembly and will have an opportunity to meet with the Lt. Governor, female legislators, and other key government leaders to learn about how state laws and budgets are developed and passed. For more information, click here for the 2017 Capitol Girls flyer, visit the Girl Scouts website or email women@iowa.gov.

Interim Study of Iowa’s Teacher Leadership System Shows Positive Results

The first school districts to launch teacher leadership plans through Iowa’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System reported a positive impact on educators’ professional climate and classroom instruction, according to an interim evaluation report released by the Iowa Department of Education.

Teachers and administrators in the first 115 school districts chosen to launch teacher leadership plans – 39 districts in the 2014-15 school year and 76 in 2015-16 – reported greater availability, frequency and quality of teacher leadership roles, support through professional development, and collaboration among teachers compared to school districts that had not yet entered the system. Teachers and administrators also reported the system had improved instruction, teacher satisfaction and professional climate. Read the full report here.

Input Sought on Draft Social Studies Standards

Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise announced he’s seeking input from Iowans on a draft of proposed statewide social studies standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Online survey is open through Jan. 9 and public forums will seek feedback on the draft standards. The online survey is available at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RLVQ52P. Iowans also can provide feedback at three public forums, either in person at three different sites across the state or remotely from satellite sites using video conferencing. The public forum sites and dates are located on the Department’s website.

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

Our Goals

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

Heartland Administrators’ Association Meeting Reminder

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will meet Dec. 6 from Noon - 1:00 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center, 8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston, IA. For up-to-date meeting information and agenda, refer to the HAA Google Site. 

This is also Day 2 of the Visible Learning Institute with an emphasis on leadership actions that have the greatest impact on student outcomes.

Winter Break Hours and Van Delivery Schedule

Please note the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and send and receive items through our van mail.

All Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, 2017.

• Regular Van Delivery: Dec. 19-22
• No Van Delivery: Dec. 23-Jan. 2
• Regular Van Delivery Resumes: Jan. 3

Wishing you a happy holiday season from Heartland AEA!

ISFIS Budget Workshops Scheduled for 2017

Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents. These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in just one highly productive day. This year there will be an additional hour at the end of each session for districts who would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection.

The ISFIS budget workshops at Heartland AEA are Jan. 23 and Feb. 15. Cost to attend is $250 per district. Register online.

Workshop participants will receive information about:

• Budget process, changes for the upcoming fiscal year, legislative update and other items of general budget interest.

• Unspent Authorized Budget portions reserved for categorical purposes and strategies to fully utilize categorical resources.

• Completed Certified Budget and strategies to set maximum certainty of property tax rate if SSA is not set by the publication deadline.

• Data and tools related to the budget process.

• Access to a district specific PowerPoint presentation based on the district’s certified budget file.

• District Specific 5-Year Financial Projection Plan including a Sample Working Line Item Budget Template.

• Unlimited phone and email support about the Certified Budget.

• Complimentary assistance if a district’s budget is appealed to the State Appeal Board.

For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.

Important ELPA21 Updates: Score Reporting Guide, Sample Parent Letter, Online Reporting System

The following updates are provided by the Iowa Department of Education.

• The Score Reporting Interpretation Guide has been updated to include appendices that provide additional context to better understand the Individual Student Reports.

• A sample parent letter has been developed for districts to use for communication to parents. While it is not required that districts use the attached letter, it will serve as a good model for districts who desire to develop their own communication. For districts that wish to utilize the document, put on district letterhead and add additional information as deemed necessary and appropriate for your context.

• The Title III Network is collaborating on translations for the sample parent letter, but the timeline for when those will become available is still unknown. It may not be in time for the 2015-16 scores, but we will work hard to have as many languages as possible available for the upcoming spring 2017 administration and reporting period. Work with your Title III consultant to access the translations as they become available.

• There have been several changes to the Online Reporting System based on feedback from stakeholders from the field:

• The comparison data will be suppressed on the PRINT VERSION of Individual Student Reports to protect student privacy (due to low N sizes of ELs in many districts). The comparison data will be available in the online system for district use, but it will not show on the printed score reports that are sent home to parents.

• The numeric values utilized to indicate proficiency determinations (-1, 0, 1) have been changed to the corresponding text values (Emerging, Progression, Proficient). This should help to clear up any confusion that exists regarding proficiency determinations.

Celebrating Iowa’s Success Conference - School Teams Invited to Present

Iowa's schools are implementing successful reading interventions every day! These efforts are being supported with a symposium to share effective practices in reading interventions. If you would like to share your school’s interventions and/or instructional strategies with supportive data, consider being a part of the Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids (C4K) annual event and share your knowledge and successes with other educators in our state.

School teams are invited to apply to present during a breakout session. Proposals are due by Dec. 9, 2016.

Celebrating Iowa’s Success!
Jan. 23, 2017
Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines
Registration link

For more information, contact Mary Jane Stites or Mark Crady, Coordinators of C4K Training Cadre, at mstites@heartlandaea.org or mcrady@heartlandaea.org.

PRESS Training Coming to Storm Lake and Des Moines in January

PRESS (Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites) Trainings are two-day learning opportunities for training cadre members, agency consultants and school leadership teams. The goal for PRESS and C4K is to train district and nonpublic school staff to use PRESS interventions for literacy at the targeted levels in grades K-6 while developing AEA and state capacity to support implementation within the Universal Instruction and Intervention System facilitation guides.

PRESS is integrating with the C4K statewide system and a variety of learning opportunities and resources for Iowa educators will be available to help establish a school-based system and practices for all K-6 students in order to become capable readers.

Registration Links:

Closing date for registration will be one week prior to the PRESS event.

Storm Lake
Jan. 12-13, 2017
Buena Vista University
Registration Link

Des Moines
Jan. 25-26, 2017
Plymouth Congregational Church
Registration Link

Save the Date! Our Kids Summer Institute 2017

Start early to identify your EL/general education teams who would like to attend this conference and watch for more information about Title III supports for attendees.

DMACC Ankeny Surplus

DMACC Ankeny Campus has the following surplus items available. If interested, contact Julie Klocke with DMACC Purchasing at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu.

Various sizes of steel shelving units

Office Desk measuring 6.5’ x 9’ x 30 in

15 Computer desks with monitor window (monitor below), keyboard tray, and shelving for tower

30 sled based desks

Message board with letters (3’ x 2’)

Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Program Taking Applications

With over $5 million in awarded grants, the Voya Unsung HeroesTM Awards Program has proven to be an A+ program with educators. Each year, 100 educators in K-12 are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. If you or someone you know has an idea for an outstanding educational project, you’re encouraged you to apply for the Voya Unsung Heroes program by April 30, 2017.

Early Literacy - New Guidance and Communication Resources

Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise recently emailed superintendents and AEA chief administrators with Early Literacy Guidance on Third Grade Retention as part of Iowa Code 279.68. As you know, the retention requirement of this law is scheduled to take effect in May 2018.

The Department approached this guidance as they do other state initiatives, by honoring local decision-making within statewide parameters. While a student’s reading ability must be the largest factor in the third-grade retention decision, that determination will not be made using a single measure, nor in the absence of other factors. Additionally, retention will not be considered for any third-grade student who is eligible for – and completes – an intensive summer reading program, nor for any student who qualifies for an exemption.

The Department has developed some materials to help you navigate questions from your communities. A fact sheet, answers to common questions document, and sample letter to parents are available here.

Questions about the new guidance can be directed to Barbara Ohlund at barbara.ohlund@iowa.gov.

Dec. 2016 Each and Every Child Newsletter

Welcome to the December issue of Each and Every Child. There's magic, and then there's this Cedar Falls elementary school. It relies on seamless strategies and practices to produce simply the best delivery of education in Iowa for students on Individualized Education Programs.

Dec. 2016 School Leader Update

The Iowa Department of Education’s Dec. 2016 School Leader Update is now available.