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
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.
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
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 TeachersThere 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: DL004299991101Transition/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 LifeDate: 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: DL004292111106Transition/Preparing Students for Postsecondary Life
Date: October 27, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education Center
Activity number: DL004292111105Transition: Preparing For Life After High School
Date: June 28 & 29, 2010
Location: Johnston Regional Education CenterActivity number: DL003692111101
Veteran Special Education Teachers IEP Training Scheduling OptionsVeteran 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
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 Consultantnwelter@aea11.k12.ia.us
Brianna Sayre-Geiser, Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant for Early Childhoodbsayregeiser@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
Click here for information and a schedule of 2010-2011 course offerings for the Mandt System.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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 timelineInterested 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.
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.
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=1225The 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.
