Friday, August 27, 2010

Early Childhood Professional Development: Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards Overviews

Sign up today for one of these sessions which provide teachers and administrators with a brief overview of the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards. Any state voluntary grant recipients (teachers and administrators) who have not yet received the basic overview training of the IQPPS should consider taking the course. Register through the Heartland Professional Development Catalog.

Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards Overview

Time: Friday, September 3 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Adel Public Library

Activity Number: EC007999991101

or
Time: Wednesday, September 8 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Room 11 of the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive)

Activity Number: EC007992111101

Iowa Core Update: Leadership for the Iowa Core

Iowa Core training is just around the corner. Click here for a flyer that contains the registration information for Leadership for the Iowa Core, Year Three, Day One. The Iowa Core team looks forward to our continued partnership with you and your leadership team.

Site Visit Preparation for K-12 School Counseling Programs

Is your K-12 School Counseling Program ready for a site visit? Join Julie Melcher, School Improvement Consultant from the Department of Education, and Susen Schirmer, PLLC from Heartland AEA, for a morning workshop in preparing your K-12 School Counseling program for your DE Site Visit for 2010-11. The workshop will be held on September 1, 2010 in the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive).

To register, go to the Professional development course catalog on the Heartland AEA website at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/CN005292111101INV
.

While you are in the mindset for improving your counseling programs, make sure to check out other professional learning opportunities listed below.


Counselor Academy II is a four-day training that will help individual counselors focus on the use of data to drive their school counseling program. For registration, see the Heartland Professional Development Catalog
.

Counselor Academy III is a four-day training that will help individual counselors write, revise or refine school counseling curriculum. For registration, see the Heartland Professional Development Catalog.

The Iowa National Guard Youth Program is happy to offer a two-day training for educators titled, Living in the New Normal. This training is conducted by the Military Child Education Coalition and provides those working with military children a wealth of information and resources (those attending will leave with a tote bag filled with resources). All materials, the training, as well as breakfast and lunch both days are provided at no cost to the attendee. Additionally, those completing the training may choose to pay for either one graduate credit or a CEU. The training will take place on September 28 and 29 at Camp Dodge in Johnston. For more information and registration, please go to www.MilitaryChild.org
.

IHaveAPlan Iowa training is available to districts and individual educators free of charge. The trainings for individual educators at Heartland AEA are on the Heartland Professional Development Catalog. To arrange training in your district (minimum participation applies) please contact Tracy Havener from the Iowa College Student Aid Commission at Tracy.Havener@iowa.gov.

Becoming a Learning School Conference; October 14 & 15, 2010

Join Joellen Killion, Deputy Executive Director of the National Staff Development Council and author of Becoming a Learning School, for this exciting professional development opportunity on October 14 and 15, 2010 at Adventureland Inn, Altoona. In the professional learning community of a school, an effective collaborative team is necessary to improve learning for each and every student.

This collaborative process, referenced multiple times in the outcomes of the Iowa Core, is foundational to the successful implementation of any school reform effort. The Becoming a Learning School Conference will provide strategies and tools to:
  • Strengthen school and district culture
  • Establish a focus on common goals
  • Clarify roles of the stakeholders in the school
  • Troubleshoot issues that are perceived as barriers to professional learning
  • Build a strong evaluation system that ensures revisions are based on student needs
Collaborative Teams: If you don't have one, this is how to get it started. If you have one, this is how to measure against standards to improve! To register, go to the Heartland Professional Development Catalog at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH

The activity number is
SI012099991101.

TESOL Seminars offered at Heartland AEA

Heartland AEA will be hosting three online Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) seminars that we are happy to bring to you at no cost to you or your district. We encourage you and your staff to come and enjoy the seminars, taking and using the information that is beneficial to you and your students.

To register for any of these seminars, please go to the Heartland Professional Development Catalog located on the front page of our website or at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH

Why Are We Still Teaching the Wrong Grammar the Wrong Way?
Time: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Location: Room 13 of the Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) at 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
Activity Number: ES005692111101


In this seminar the presenter critiques the standard pedagogical model then attempts to simplify it to a more elegant system that might be applied in practice. Alternative approaches might require viewing grammar, not as a discrete, sentence-level system but as both big lexis and small text. Likewise, teachers might be better off aiming to inculcate, not rules, but a “feel” for the way that the systems interrelate.


The Multilevel ESOL Class: A Multitude of Opportunities for Language Development
Time: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 from
2:00-3:30 p.m
Location: The Learning Center at the Johnston REC
Activity Number: ES0056-92111102

In this seminar, participants examine ways to organize multilevel classrooms, consider the principles of effective multilevel instruction and work with specific presentation and group management strategies that address the challenges of multilevel instruction and enhance its benefits.


A Focus on Academic Oral Language and Vocabulary Instruction in Language Learning

Time: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Location: Lower Level of Zion Lutheran Church (4300 Beaver Ave., Des Moines)
Activity Number: ES005699991101

This seminar will address the role of oral language and vocabulary development in K-12 students’ school success. It will then explore a number of effective and practical ways to teach academic language and the vocabulary of the content areas of math, science and social studies.

TransACT Webinar Series Offered through the DE

The Iowa Department of Education has partnered with TransACT to provide basic user-training sessions designed specifically for Iowa school districts. Click here to download an informational flyer.

Curriculum Network: September 3 Curriculum Network Meeting

The first Curriculum Network Meeting for the 2010-2011 year will be held on Friday, September 3, 2010. The meeting will go from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and will be held in Rooms 3, 4 & the ICN of the Johnston Regional Education Center. The agenda is available at http://curriculumnet.pbworks.com/September-3%2C-2010-Agenda.

Topics for this meeting include a district perspective of instructional rounds and the latest on the inclusion of the Common Core in the Iowa Core.

Superintendents: Heartland Administrators Association Meetings 2010-2011

To our superintendent colleagues, we invite you to join us for our monthly Heartland Administrator Association (HAA) meetings. The meetings are a time to come together, collaborate and discuss educational laws and standards and district-wide issues.

All monthly meetings, with the exception of the May, will be held at the West Des Moines Learning Resource Center. The May meeting will take place in the Johnston Regional Education Center. Meetings are always the first Tuesday of every month and begin at 9:00 a.m. This year’s first HAA meeting will be on September 7, 2010 (the Tuesday after Labor Day).

Agendas will always be available for download in the Administrator Connection on Fridays prior to the meetings. Be sure to check next week's update for the September agenda!


Dates for the 2010-2011 year are the following:

September 7

October 5

November 2

December 7

January 4
February 1

March 1

April 5

May 3


If you have suggestions for agenda items please contact your representative on the Superintendent's Advisory Council (listed below) or Sharon Kurns at skurns@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Area 1: John Kinley, Gilbert
Area 2: Brian Horn, Madrid

Area 3: Steve Smith, Guthrie Center

Area 4: Randy Flack, Knoxville

Area 5: Mark Wittmer, Pella

Areas 6 & 7: Tom Narak, West Des Moines

Chairperson: Tom Downs, Southeast Polk

Area 8: Nancy Sebring, Des Moines

Area 9: Luvern Gubbels, Des Moines Diocese

Area 10: Doug Williams, DMACC

Organization and Facility Changes at Heartland AEA

We’d like to provide you with an update on changes to our agency’s leadership team and to our facilities.

Three partnership directors have left the Agency. We have absorbed two of the partership director vacancies, and in those regions, districts have been assigned to other partnership directors. Our third and most recent vacancy has been filled with an interim partnership director serving in Regions 6 & 7. The Agency has chosen Dr. Kristi Flugum Upah to fill that role for 2010-2011. Dr. Upah has been with the Agency for 17 years, and she will serve the Ames, Ballard, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert and Roland Story school districts.

Heartland AEA closed two offices during the summer, Woodside (Ankeny) and Newton. Woodside staff were relocated to the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive. The sound booth formerly in the Woodside office was also relocated to the Johnston REC. Newton office staff were relocated to the former Emerson Hough Elementary School building at 700 North 4th Avenue East in Newton. The relocation of the office to Emerson Hough allows Heartland a great opportunity to partner with the Newton Schools. Future plans for the new Newton office will include the creation of classroom space that can be used for professional development classes and agency meetings.

The Administrator Connection: A ‘Hub’ for Ideas and Feedback

Please consider using the Administrator Connection as a means of exchanging ideas, offering feedback and sharing information. You may post a comment by clicking on an article title, scrolling to the bottom of the page and leaving a comment in the field. A more direct route to leaving a comment is to click “Comments” under the article (shown below) and the Comment field will appear. Note: Posts are moderated by the Heartland Communications Department.


Friday, August 20, 2010

Download 2010-2011 Special Education Procedures Manual

Last week, it was communicated that this year's Special Education Procedures Manuals were available by contacting your Heartland AEA Regional Office. The manual is also available to download off the Heartland website. First go to the Educators tab on the front page. Click on the Special Education link and then click on the link named, “Resources”. The manual is the first attachment listed on the resources page. You can also download the manual directly by following the below listed link.
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/sped/resources/proceduresmanual2010.pdf

Receive Level 1 Investigator Training through Heartland AEA

Iowa Code Chapter 280, section 280.17 requires all public and non-public schools to annually appoint a Level I Investigator and alternate(s) to investigate complaints regarding abuse of students by school employees and volunteers. Click here for more information and a class schedule on Level 1 Investigator Training available through Heartland AEA.

Gifted and Talented Opportunities Available to Your School

Will your district be receiving a Department of Education Site Visit this year or next? If so, you are invited to attend "Best Practices in Gifted Education: Site Visit Preparation" on September 10 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive). Please register through the Professional Development Catalog using activity number GT007692111101. There is no charge for this session, but please be sure to register.

Do you have new teachers of gifted in your building or district? They are invited to attend the "New GT Teacher Orientation" to be held September 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Johnston Regional Education Center. Attendees are asked to register through the Professional Development Catalog using activity number GT007792111101. There is no charge for this session, but please be sure to register.


Heartland will be offering the following three Gifted and Talented Academy sessions.

Academy I is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts new to the G/T Academy experience. The focus is comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Participants may earn three relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 10, and the first session is September 22.


Academy II is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I. The focus is curriculum and instruction. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 28, and the first session is October 12.


Academy III is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I and II. The focus is gifted and talented program evaluation. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 25, and the first session is October 7.


Drake credits for each Academy experience are applicable to the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement. Visit the Heartland Professional Development Catalog and search using the activity numbers below.
Gifted and Talented Academy I - GT006792111101

Gifted and Talented Academy II - GT006992111101

Gifted and Talented Academy III - GT007592111101


The Heartland Professional Development Catalog is available at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH

If you have questions about these or other gifted and talented capacity building opportunities, please contact Mary Schmidt, Gifted Education Consultant, at mschmidt@aea11.k12.ia.us or (515) 270-0405, extension 14375.

Iowa Culture and Language Conference, New Time and Place!

The Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) is shaking things up for its 25th year. Rather than chancing Iowa’s unpredictable winter, this year’s conference will be held November 1-3, 2010 and in a new location, the Marriott Coralville Hotel and Conference Center (300 E. 9th St., Coralville, IA).

Highly acclaimed speakers have been invited to speak at the conference. The mission of the annual event is to advocate for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and their families, educators and service providers. Schools are encouraged to bring a team.


Register before September 15 to receive the early bird rate of $125. Registration can be done through the Northwest AEA Web site at http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/en/upcoming_events/iowa_culture_language_conference/

Microsoft Cy Pres Settlement ICN Session

If you have registered for one of the Microsoft Cy Pres Settlement ICN sessions August 23-25, you may want to make a copy of the claims administrator form as a reference. Click here to download the form. Participants may send questions to ClaimsAdmin@IowaSchoolMicrosoftSettlement.com during the session--include ICN in the subject line. The presenters will answer them on-air. DVD copies of ICN session will be available for checkout from the Heartland professional library; and the recording will also be posted online at http://aea111.eduvision.tv.

Heartland AEA's Annual Progress Report Now Available

The Agency's Annual Progress Report (APR) for the 2008-2009 school year is now available. You can access the APR at https://www.edinfo.state.ia.us/web/aea_apr_summary_staticweb.asp

You can also access the report via the Agency's website by clicking on the "About Us" link in the upper lefthand side of the homepage and then scrolling down to “Annual Progress Report”.


Any questions or comments about the APR can be directed to Kristi Upah, Assistant Director of Innovation & Accountability, at
kupah@aea11.k12.ia.us or (800) 362-2720.

Reading Recovery: High Impact, Short Duration

During the 2009-10 school year, 73% of children who had a complete Reading Recovery intervention met grade-level expectations in literacy. Prior to Reading Recovery services, these children had the lowest achievement in literacy learning in first grade. Students met individually with a specially-trained teacher for 30 minutes each day for an average of 16 weeks. Click here for the complete report.

Iowa Staff Development Council Membership

The Iowa Staff Development Council (ISDC) Board would like to encourage interested school personnel to consider membership in ISDC. For more information, please go to http://www.iasdc.org/NEW_Membership.html or click here for a brochure.

Administrator Connection: Last Week's Edition and Archive

We realize that it is a busy time of the year, and some may not have had time to view the Administrator Connection from last week. We encourage you to review the below highlights of last week’s Administrator Connection readily available for your view.

Furthermore, all Administrator Connection articles are archived on the right-hand side of the blog page. Click on the date span you want to view, and the blog will take you to that week’s edition.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Welcome message from Paula Vincent, Chief Administrator of Heartland AEA

Dear area school administrators:

Best wishes for an exciting school year. It is indeed an invigorating time to be involved in education... nationally the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is in the process of reauthorization with likely changes in the status of federal accountability measures. Our own state is facing changes in leadership at the department of education and will be impacted in a way that is unknown with regard to the gubernatorial race. Locally, all schools are working to implement the Iowa Core, etc.

It is my belief that among all of these imminent changes is one constant and that is the great need for all children, young adults and their families to have access to the highest quality learning opportunities. I am appreciative of the opportunity to join with you in your commitment to assure our educational systems meet this responsibility.


As we have the opportunity to “begin again”, I would offer this reflection from Charles Handy:
“In an uncertain world, where all we know for sure is that nothing is sure, we are going to need organizations that are continually renewing themselves, reinventing themselves, reinvigorating themselves. These are the learning organizations, the ones with the learning habit.”
We are committed to rapid, continuous learning at Heartland AEA. One means of learning with you is through this Heartland AEA Administrator Connection blog. The Administrator Connection is updated every Friday (excluding holidays and summer vacation) to inform area superintendents, principals, curriculum directors and other school leaders of important announcements, agency news, professional development opportunities and other key information items. Please consider using the Administrator Connection as a means of exchanging ideas, offering feedback and sharing information with each other.

At Heartland AEA, we will do our best to be a valued partner with you in our joint efforts to assure quality outcomes for those we serve. Please do not hesitate to contact your partnership director or me with questions, comments and suggestions at any time.

Best regards,

Paula Vincent
Chief Administrator

2010-2011 Special Education Procedures Manuals Now Available

You may contact your Heartland AEA Regional Office to order copies of the 2010-2011 Special Education Procedures Manual. Ask for the regional secretary. Click here to find regional office contact information.

Registration Reminder: ICN on Serving Students with Disabilities in Accredited Nonpublic Schools

The Department of Education is sponsoring an ICN session on serving students with disabilities in accredited nonpublic schools. This session will discuss the consultation process required by the IDEA and services required under Iowa Code section 256.12.

The ICN presentation is September 8, 2010 from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Sites will be offered in each AEA. This session is open to the public, but is designed for AEA personnel, LEA personnel, accredited nonpublic school personnel and parents of students with disabilities who attend accredited nonpublic schools. There is no cost. Registration is open until Tuesday, August 31, 2010.


For more information and to register, go to the following link:
http://www.iptv.org/iowa_database/event-detail.cfm?ID=10530

Training Updates for Special Education Teachers

The start of another school year is upon us! We wanted to remind you about training for your special education teachers.

New Special Education Teachers

There will again be IEP training for your new special education teachers. Any special education teacher new to the state of Iowa must receive this training to be able to meet the requirements for writing an IEP in Iowa. Below is the registration information. There is a session starting next week, one on September 14, and another on September 27.


Secondary Special Education Teachers

There will also be sessions to improve transition planning held again this year with funding to pay for teachers to attend. (Please note there is no funding available for New Special Education Teacher Training). The dates are below. More information will come out regarding amounts of funding available.

All Special Education Teachers
Finally, a short webinar has been developed. We would like all special education teachers to view it. While there are not significant changes in the IEP for your veteran special education teachers, there are a few. We also think there is a need for some updates and reminders based on data we are seeing here at the AEA. Scroll down below the registration information for more details on the webinar. You can access the webinar and all handouts at
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/online/vet_IEP.html

Below are lists of courses. To register for a course, go to the Heartland AEA Professional Development Course Catalog and
enter the course's activity code number in the the correct field on the page. The course catalog is at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH

New Teacher IEP Training Classes

IEP Training: Special Educators New to Heartland Area (EC, Elem & Secondary)
Dates: August 9, 10 & October 4, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive)

Activity number: DL004692111101


IEP Training: Special Educators New to Heartland Area (EC, Elem & Secondary)
Dates: September 14, 15 & October 26, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive)
Activity number: DL004692111102


IEP Training: Special Educators New to Heartland Area (EC, Elem & Secondary)
Dates: September 27, 28 & November 8, 2010
Location: Ames AEA Office (511 S. 17th Street)
Activity number: DL004692111103


Transition Classes
Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life

Date: October 6, 2010
Location: Carrollton Inn, Carroll, IA
Activity number: DL004299991101


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life
Date: October 11, 2010

Location: Ames AEA Office

Activity number: DL004292111102


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life

Date: October 11, 2010

Location: Ames AEA Office

Activity number: DL004292111101


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life

Date: October 20, 2010
Location: Newton AEA Office

Activity number: DL004292111104


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life

Date: October 20, 2010

Location: Newton AEA Office

Activity number: DL004292111103


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life
Date: October 27, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education Center

Activity number: DL004292111106


Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life
Date: October 27, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education Center
Activity number: DL004292111105


Transition: Preparing For Life After High School
Date: June 28 & 29, 2010

Location: Johnston Regional Education Center

Activity number: DL003692111101

Veteran Special Education Teachers IEP Training Scheduling Options

Veteran Special Education Teachers IEP training has been prepared in a different manner for Fall 2010. Due to the content requiring updates and reviews, the duration of training is condensed this year. A webinar has been recorded and is available for LEA and AEA staff to access via the Internet or by use of recorded DVDs. The webinar includes approximately 60 minutes of recorded information with an additional 20-30 minutes of site-based activities. When planning this training for your teachers, please make the following considerations:

Internet access.
All portions of the webinar will be available via the Heartland website. DVDs will also be available through each regional office if Internet connectivity is problematic for any sites.

Collaboration Opportunities.
The information contained in the webinar as well as activities throughout the webinar are best completed in a group. Please consider scheduling time(s) for teachers to participant in a collaborative and meaningful manner. Additionally, if you would like to invite Heartland personnel serving your building/district to participant collaboratively, please do so.

Facilitation.
It may be beneficial to designate an experienced special education teacher in your district as the facilitator for this material. Please work with your Partnership Director if you would like to have AEA personnel facilitate this training session with your staff.

Materials.
The web address and link will provide access to all video portions of the webinar as well as training materials. Please plan to provide copies of the supporting documents for your teachers to use during the training available at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/online/vet_IEP.html

Early Childhood Changes at Heartland AEA

Beginning in July, Natalie Welter assumed the agency-wide Early Childhood Consultant responsibilities formerly held by Cathy Eddy. In addition, Brianna Sayre-Geiser joined the team as an agency-wide Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant for Early Childhood. Natalie and Brianna have extensive experience in early childhood as teachers and consultants. They will be working closely together to provide leadership and professional development to early childhood staff, practitioners, administrators and the professional learning team for topics related to young children and quality preschool programming. In addition, they will be part of the State of Iowa Early Childhood Leadership Network.

Please feel free to contact Natalie, Brianna, Jerry Gruba or Wendy Robinson with any questions related to Iowa Early Learning Standards, Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards, Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program, curriculum and assessment for early childhood, professional development needs for early childhood programs or other early childhood topics.

Natalie Welter, Early Childhood Consultant

nwelter@aea11.k12.ia.us

Brianna Sayre-Geiser, Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant for Early Childhood

bsayregeiser@aea11.k12.ia.us

Jerry Gruba, Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education

jgruba@aea11.k12.ia.us

Wendy Robinson, Assistant Director of Learning Development and Support

wrobinson@aea11.k12.ia.us

Mandt Courses Offered at Heartland AEA

Click here for information and a schedule of 2010-2011 course offerings for the Mandt System.

New Training Module for Section 103B

Heartland AEA’s online training system has been updated to include a course to meet the requirements of Section 103B of the Iowa Code. This requires that employees who come in contact with children and may need to do physical restraint or confinement receive training. This course meets the requirements for basic training, but you may have staff who need more specific or deeper training.

This course provides an overview of Chapter 103 of Iowa code, including: rules on the use of corporal punishment and reasonable force; disciplinary alternatives to seclusion and restraint; the safe and effective use of physical restraint, confinement and detention; crisis prevention, intervention and de-escalation techniques; student and staff debriefing after a crisis; and positive behavior interventions and supports.


The information for the training, including how to access the training and the password, has been sent to each district's contact person. If you need information, have a new contact person or need to know the name of your contact person, please contact Evan Abbey at eabbey@aea11.k12.ia.us.


Recently we received information from the Department of Education answering some questions that we have heard frequently. Please see the responses below.

Who is required to receive training?
It is a local decision, but anybody who is expected to do physical confinement or physical restraint must be trained. Some districts give all staff some intro-level training, and others target based on job description or class roster assignment.

How often should staff receive training?

Again, it is a local decision. Law doesn't require annual, but requires "adequate and periodic" training. Many districts do annual to be safe. Others include it in new staff orientation, and have built it into their districts' professional development calendars.


Are there consequences of failing to train staff?
It would depend on the facts of each case. If an untrained staff responded to an unexpected emergency, then there is almost certainly no likelihood of citation. The DE has cited districts that have allowed untrained staff to routinely use or assist with seclusion and restraint. The consequences to a teacher would also depend on the facts of each case, and this intersects with the immunities language in the rules (staff with questions should consult their organization's attorney).

DIBELS Next Assessment Materials and Training

We are writing to update you about the distribution and training of Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Next (DIBELS Next) assessment materials for the 2010-2011 school year.

Heartland AEA will again provide assessment materials and access to the DIBELS Next Data System website at no cost to your district (https://dibels.uoregon.edu/
). DIBELS Next assesses literacy skills and assists teachers and literacy teams in identifying those students who may be in need of additional instruction. There are new measures that have been added to DIBELS Next, new directions and new reading passages for all grade levels.

To ensure consistency in the training across all schools, and to provide schools with as much flexibility in training as possible, all of the training on the DIBELS measures will be available through pre-recorded webinars. These recordings will be available to schools through Heartland’s webpage, or in cases where internet accessibility is a concern, a DVD may be requested.


Starting August 16, 2010, buildings can access these webinars on the Heartland website. To locate these recordings, click on the Educator tab, then Professional Development: Initiatives. Choose the DIBELS Next Training Resources. The following recommended training activities for each module would include watching the recorded presentation, completing the included practice activities, and completing a Check for Understanding task following each module.


Each school will be connected with a Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant (PLLC) who can provide you with support in planning, organizing and facilitating DIBELS Next training as needed. The consultant will also be your contact to ask additional questions about the training content and the DIBELS data system.


Questions regarding administration and scoring, training and/or use of the DIBELS Next Data System website can be directed to Wendy Robinson at (515) 270-0405, extension 14548 or your Partnership Director. Questions regarding materials may be directed to Teri Hazen at (515) 270-0405, extension 14465.

Heartland AEA Orientation for New Administrators

As a new building/district administrator, or a new administrator in the Heartland AEA area, we hope you will join us for our New Administrator Orientation on August 27, 2010 Your day will be full of opportunities to network, learn and build upon the foundation for our partnership.

We will address subjects such as the Iowa Core, comprehensive school improvement, accountability reporting, Child Find, and general survival skills for new administrators. We will also help you learn more about Heartland AEA resources, programs and services, and you will have an opportunity to choose some breakout sessions in the area of special education or online resources to support teaching and learning for your students and staff.


The session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room 18 at the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston.


To register, go to http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/pd_learning/index.html and click on Professional Development Catalog. At the bottom of the page enter the activity number, AD013492111101, and follow the prompts. There is no charge for this session.


If you have any questions, contact Kim Thuente, Assistant Director of Curriculum & Instruction at kthuente@aea11.k12.ia.us or by phone at (515) 270-0405 or (800) 255-0405, extension 14372.

Instructional Decision Making (IDM) Evaluation Update

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for participating in Instructional Decision Making (IDM) training and/or implementing IDM practices in your school. We are pleased to announce that we are returning the 2009-10 implementation data that was collected last spring in 73 buildings. Data will be delivered the week of August 16. The package will include a cover letter and a DVD with the following files:
  • A webinar recording to assist schools with navigating the files and interpreting results (New!)
  • A README file to assist schools with interpreting the results
  • Implementation results: Building- and agency-level
  • Special education eligibility results: Building- and agency-level (New!)
  • PESA indicators and evidence criteria
We continue to strive to make the data collection process timely and more efficient. We appreciate your willingness to partner with us in our efforts to better support the schools we serve; we welcome any feedback you have regarding this process. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to helping all children succeed.

If you have any questions about the IDM implementation results, please contact Alecia Rahn-Blakeslee at arahn@aea11.k12.ia.us, Brad Niebling at bniebling@aea11.k12.ia.us or Shannon Harken sharken@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Principals: Time Sensitive National Board Certification Application

Iowa is one of 19 states that have been selected by the Southern Education Regional Board (SREB) to field test the process that will eventually result in National Board Certification for Principals (NBTPS). To view the NBTPS resource guide, click here. Iowa will have 20 "slots" allotted the 600 applicants that they will admit to the program. Those principals who are fortunate enough to be selected will be able to participate at no cost and if successful, will be given NBPTS certified status.

Tight timeline

Interested principals have until August 31, 2010 to submit their initial intent to apply. After applying, principals will be given information on next steps by SREB and will be notified by September 15 if they have been chosen. A principal FAQ has been developed by SREB and is also attached here.

Criteria for eligibility
  • BA degree
  • Three years of experience
  • Possesses a valid state license
Note:Having received national or state awards is not a pre-requisite for consideration, nor is having been an NBC certified teacher. They're looking for a representative sample of principals.

Process for applying
If interested, visit the to the SREB web site at http://www.sreb.org/ to indicate initial interest. You will be asked to complete a seven-item demographic fact sheet. SREB will notify selected principals after the application process closes at the end of August. Iowa has a targeted demographic profile which will form the basis for their selection. To view the demographic profile, click here.

Click here for PowerPoint presentation covering the field test process. There will be an emphasis on performance assessments of real tasks, not simulations or research papers. The entire pilot lasts 18 months.

The SREB encourages all Heartland area principals to apply.

Help Parents and Families Save with Iowa’s Tuition and Textbook Credits

Many families are often unaware of Iowa’s tuition and textbook credits. It can truly make a difference on their state tax returns. The Iowa State University Extension has provided a flyer about available tax credits on eligible K-12 education expenses. The flyer can be downloaded by clicking here. Please feel free to distribute the flyer in your newsletters, at registrations, open houses and/or parent-teacher conferences.

Student Invitation to the United States Senate Youth Program

The state of Iowa has accepted an invitation to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. The program is designed to give young Americans a working knowledge of American political life.

Each year, two Iowa students have the opportunity to spend a week in Washington, D.C. The William Randolph Hearst Foundation pays all expenses. In addition, the two Iowa high school representatives each receive a $5,000 scholarship, subject to scholarship conditions and requirements. The selection of the two Iowa high school representatives is based solely on the outstanding ability and demonstrated leadership qualities of elected junior or senior high school student officers for the 2010-11 school year.

Each high school may nominate only one student. Click here for a brochure about the USSYP Program. Student application materials are attached here or may be downloaded from the Iowa Department of Education’s Web site at
http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=939&Itemid=1225

The completed applications must be submitted to Kim Thuente at Heartland AEA 11 by September 27, 2010. Nominees selected from the applicants will be required to take a qualifying examination on October 20, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. in the Johnston Regional Education Center Computer Lab (6500 Corporate Drive). The qualifying examination consists of a 45-minute multiple-choice, matching and T/F test with questions about U.S politics, government and the U.S. Constitution. The top five scoring students will then complete a 45-minute essay exam.

The essays and application materials from the top five scoring students will be submitted to the Iowa DE by October 29 for selection of the two Iowa delegates and alternates.

If you have questions please contact Kim Thuente at kthuente@aea11.k12.ia.us or (515) 270-0405 or (800) 255-0405 extension 14372.