Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) have formed a new organization, the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing (IAEP), to support and bid food and related items in a cooperative purchasing process for the school year of 2011-2012. Click here for a schedule of upcoming meetings for the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing (IAEP). The meeting agenda for each site will include an update on procurement activities to date, the organization of the IAEP, participation by schools and answers to your questions.
A hard copy of the letter will be mailed to food service managers next week and will be emailed to business managers today.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Title I Workshop to be May 16
The Department of Education's annual Title I workshop for Heartland-area schools will be held on Monday, May 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Room 13B of the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive). Teachers/administrators can register through the Heartland Professional Development Catalog using activity number RE011792111101.
Curriculum Network: April Curriculum Network Meeting
The April Curriculum Network meeting will be held on Friday, April 1 in Room 13 A & B of the Johnston Regional Education Center. The morning will begin with four breakout sessions. Jason Glass of the Iowa Department of Education is scheduled to join the group around 11:00 a.m. The agenda can be accessed at http://curriculumnet.pbworks.com/w/page/38079162/April-2011-Agenda
Iowa AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey open until April 8
This is a gentle reminder that the AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey will remain open until Friday, April 8, 2011. The survey provides us with your insight on how to improve our services to your school(s), staff and students.
We recently sent a reminder email this week and will send another in early April to insure that all district staff have a chance to participate. Since the survey is anonymous, we have no way of knowing who has contributed and who has not. You and each of your staff members are only asked to fill out the survey once. After you complete the survey, you may disregard the reminder notices.
The survey can be accessed at http://survey.aea267.k12.ia.us/survey/6358/122f/
Please encourage all of your staff to participate. If you have already completed the survey, we thank you for your support!
We recently sent a reminder email this week and will send another in early April to insure that all district staff have a chance to participate. Since the survey is anonymous, we have no way of knowing who has contributed and who has not. You and each of your staff members are only asked to fill out the survey once. After you complete the survey, you may disregard the reminder notices.
The survey can be accessed at http://survey.aea267.k12.ia.us/survey/6358/122f/
Please encourage all of your staff to participate. If you have already completed the survey, we thank you for your support!
Heartland AEA PEC to host April Workshops for Parents and Students
The Heartland Parent & Educator Connection will be hosting two workshops in April for students on IEPs and their families. The Transition Times workshop will be held April 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., and the Managing Challenging Behavior workshop will be held April 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Please share the link below with parents and students who may be interested in attending.
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/parents/PEC/Workshops.html
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/parents/PEC/Workshops.html
Elementary Student Opportunity: ISU AMS Severe Weather Poster Contest
The Iowa State University Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society will be hosting a poster contest which is open to all elementary students (grades K-6) in the state of Iowa. It will be judged on the basis of how well students can illustrate what they and their families can do to prepare for severe weather events in Iowa. For more information, click here or visit the ISU AMS Poster webpage:
www.meteor.iastate.edu/ams/posters.php
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
www.meteor.iastate.edu/ams/posters.php
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Summer 2011 Paraeducator Generalist Certificate Program
Heartland AEA is an approved provider for Paraeducator Generalist Certificate Program. Click here for a flyer that contains information and a schedule of paraeducator classes being offered this summer through Heartland AEA.
‘Eat to Compete’ course for Educators of Student Athletes
ISU Extension has created a course for teachers, coaches & athletic directors to help them assist student athletes and parents in learning about good nutrition for student athletes. Register through the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog using activity number AC000199171201. Click here for more information.
Heartland AEA Learning Team Provides Input on Standards-Based Progress Reporting
NOTE: This fall Heartland AEA implemented a new way of approaching professional learning within the agency. Heartland’s workgroups have formed learning teams that plan for the professional learning that is specific to their group’s needs. Groups were very creative and thoughtful as they designed plans that incorporated formats for learning that represented new ways of thinking. One learning team in particular has been studying standards-based progress reporting, a topic that has been discussed widely in local media outlets in the past few weeks. The team has prepared the article below with the purpose of reporting on some of their learning about standards-based reporting.
Response to DM Register articles regarding standards-based grading and reporting
On Monday, February 7, the Des Moines Register published an article titled, “A New Way to Grade.” Its subject was the Waukee school district’s intention of moving to standards-based progress reports in middle school and eliminating letter grades. A subsequent article appeared on March 9 regarding Waukee Board decisions. Depending on whether you read these in paper form or online, you may or may not have seen community members’ reactions to the ideas within the articles. Actions moving toward changing the way schools report student learning can be emotionally charged.
Our learning team at Heartland AEA has been studying this very issue this school year. We have investigated how standards-based grading and reporting practices might look in schools that are implementing standards, such as the Iowa Core, for example. The team is reading and studying from voices in the field and is also looking at schools and systems that are currently implementing standards-based grading and reporting practices in Iowa, the nation and even Canada. The purpose of this article is not to defend Waukee Board decisions; our purpose is to convey some of our learning about standards-based grading and reporting.
Fundamentally, a change to standards-based grading and reporting practices has at its core improved communication to students and parents regarding student achievement of learning targets. Our historical system of letter grades A-B-C-D-F has traditionally conveyed a very general sense of how well a student is doing. In this traditional system that tends to sort students, it has not necessarily been clear what an A means, or a B or an F. We usually just associate these grades with a sense of well being: “Letter grade A means doing really well; Letter grade D means doing poorly and close to failing,” etc. But traditional letter grades on a report typically tell us no more than that sense of well being. What’s included in that A? Was it pure academic achievement of standards or objectives? Or did this student bring in supplies for a charity fundraiser or bring a box of tissues for extra credit or points? Did another student have perfect attendance and really good behavior but not exhibit solid achievement of learning targets—yet received a high letter grade because behaviors were worked in? Other things to think about are our traditional methods of teachers’ using points converted to percentages converted to letter grades, often starting in late intermediate or middle grades and continuing into high school. What do these percentages mean, exactly? What does number crunching do for communication of a student’s genuine progress toward achievement of learning targets?
Our Heartland learning team has found the study of standards-based reporting and grading practices interesting and provocative. We have learned that standards-based grading and reporting helps students and parents know with much more clarity how the student is demonstrating what she knows and can do with standards (and/or perhaps other indicators) and how well. If the assumed purpose of grading and reporting is to communicate clearly a student’s achievement of learning targets, and if that achievement report is not influenced by behavior, then sometimes this is by means other than traditional letter grades—or it might be traditional letter grades along with clear, specific performance level descriptors or other indicators.
Our team has done a thorough book study of one book so far (O’Connor, 2009) and has discussed other prominent voices in the field, all of whom agree on basic principles. We offer the following recommendations for school or district study of this issue, for those schools or districts interested in pursuing better understanding of what the Waukee schools—and Ankeny and the Des Moines diocesan school communities—are undergoing in terms of standards-based grading and reporting:
Heartland Grading & Reporting Learning Team members:
Becca Lindahl, Teresa Bellinghausen, Julie Hukee, Lynn McCartney, Jennifer Riedemann, Mary Schmidt
Response to DM Register articles regarding standards-based grading and reporting
On Monday, February 7, the Des Moines Register published an article titled, “A New Way to Grade.” Its subject was the Waukee school district’s intention of moving to standards-based progress reports in middle school and eliminating letter grades. A subsequent article appeared on March 9 regarding Waukee Board decisions. Depending on whether you read these in paper form or online, you may or may not have seen community members’ reactions to the ideas within the articles. Actions moving toward changing the way schools report student learning can be emotionally charged.
Our learning team at Heartland AEA has been studying this very issue this school year. We have investigated how standards-based grading and reporting practices might look in schools that are implementing standards, such as the Iowa Core, for example. The team is reading and studying from voices in the field and is also looking at schools and systems that are currently implementing standards-based grading and reporting practices in Iowa, the nation and even Canada. The purpose of this article is not to defend Waukee Board decisions; our purpose is to convey some of our learning about standards-based grading and reporting.
Fundamentally, a change to standards-based grading and reporting practices has at its core improved communication to students and parents regarding student achievement of learning targets. Our historical system of letter grades A-B-C-D-F has traditionally conveyed a very general sense of how well a student is doing. In this traditional system that tends to sort students, it has not necessarily been clear what an A means, or a B or an F. We usually just associate these grades with a sense of well being: “Letter grade A means doing really well; Letter grade D means doing poorly and close to failing,” etc. But traditional letter grades on a report typically tell us no more than that sense of well being. What’s included in that A? Was it pure academic achievement of standards or objectives? Or did this student bring in supplies for a charity fundraiser or bring a box of tissues for extra credit or points? Did another student have perfect attendance and really good behavior but not exhibit solid achievement of learning targets—yet received a high letter grade because behaviors were worked in? Other things to think about are our traditional methods of teachers’ using points converted to percentages converted to letter grades, often starting in late intermediate or middle grades and continuing into high school. What do these percentages mean, exactly? What does number crunching do for communication of a student’s genuine progress toward achievement of learning targets?
Our Heartland learning team has found the study of standards-based reporting and grading practices interesting and provocative. We have learned that standards-based grading and reporting helps students and parents know with much more clarity how the student is demonstrating what she knows and can do with standards (and/or perhaps other indicators) and how well. If the assumed purpose of grading and reporting is to communicate clearly a student’s achievement of learning targets, and if that achievement report is not influenced by behavior, then sometimes this is by means other than traditional letter grades—or it might be traditional letter grades along with clear, specific performance level descriptors or other indicators.
Our team has done a thorough book study of one book so far (O’Connor, 2009) and has discussed other prominent voices in the field, all of whom agree on basic principles. We offer the following recommendations for school or district study of this issue, for those schools or districts interested in pursuing better understanding of what the Waukee schools—and Ankeny and the Des Moines diocesan school communities—are undergoing in terms of standards-based grading and reporting:
Guskey, T.R. (2000, December). Grading policies that work against standards ... and how to fix them. NASSP Bulletin. Retrieved January 21, 2006 from www.looksmartwomensports.com/p/articles/mi_qa3696/is_200012/ai_n8921332Our Heartland learning team has found this topic to be exciting and challenging to study. We offer this article in the spirit of learning together about an issue that can draw the opinion of virtually everyone who has been through school. Since the Register articles appeared, there may have been comments or arguments in your district or school. We welcome hearing about how you may have begun discussion in this area.
Guskey, T. R. (2006). Making high school grades meaningful. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(9), 670-675.
Guskey, T. R. & Bailey J. M. (2001). Developing grading and reporting systems for student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Marzano, R. J. (2006). Classroom assessment and grading that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
O’Connor, K. (2009). How to grade for learning K-12: Linking grades to standards (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
O’Connor, K. (2011). A repair kit for grading: 15 fixes for broken grades (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction and understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (See Chapter 8 specifically.)
Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair isn’t always equal: Assessing and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Heartland Grading & Reporting Learning Team members:
Becca Lindahl, Teresa Bellinghausen, Julie Hukee, Lynn McCartney, Jennifer Riedemann, Mary Schmidt
Remodeled Library Leads to Better Access & More Check-Out Opportunities
We’ve just completed our finishing touches to our remodeled library in the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive). The library was reconfigured so AEA staff and district visitors would have better access to library services and all the instructional materials (children/young adult books, professional materials, videos, audiobooks, etc.). We encourage you and your staff to browse during the day, evenings and weekends. Click here for a handout that explains how educators in Heartland’s service area can self-checkout books and journals. There will also be a paper copy at the front desk and in the library.
Individuals with Special Needs Sought to Demonstrate Social Media Tools
Family to Family Iowa is looking for young presenters (middle-school age through age 25) who can demonstrate how to use a form of social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to adults attending the spring Family to Family conference held April 27-28 in Johnston, Iowa. Because Family to Family Iowa is a statewide network of navigators who provide assistance to families of children with special needs (developmental, behavioral, emotional, physical), the presenters would preferably have a special need. Parents or teachers are welcome to accompany and support presenters. Presenters will sit at tables and demonstrate to groups of about 10 persons at a time for about 20 minutes. The time of the presentation will be 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.
For more information or to nominate a young presenter, please contact Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us or 515-270-0405 ext. 14587 by April 7.
For more information about Family to Family Iowa, contact Martha Hanley at martha-hanley@uiowa.edu or 319-356-0886.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
For more information or to nominate a young presenter, please contact Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us or 515-270-0405 ext. 14587 by April 7.
For more information about Family to Family Iowa, contact Martha Hanley at martha-hanley@uiowa.edu or 319-356-0886.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Iowa EdTech CoPi Seeking Teachers for eCurriculum Development
Please consider sharing this information with your teachers. This is an opportunity for teachers to gain skills teaching in the online environment. It would be in addition to current teaching responsibilities and funded through an ARRA Technology grant.
Are you passionate about teaching and learning and ready to explore the boundaries of technologies? Do you teach in the areas of Algebra I, English I, Physical Science or Social Studies? If so, you are invited to apply to become part of a select statewide team who will be implementing a new digital eCurriculum.
Here are some benefits to becoming a part of this team:
To register, complete the Survey of Commitment http://survey.aea267.k12.ia.us/survey/6415/1a63/
For additional information, please contact Nancy Movall at nmovall@gwaea.org. Deadline to register is April 20, 2011.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Are you passionate about teaching and learning and ready to explore the boundaries of technologies? Do you teach in the areas of Algebra I, English I, Physical Science or Social Studies? If so, you are invited to apply to become part of a select statewide team who will be implementing a new digital eCurriculum.
Here are some benefits to becoming a part of this team:
- You will be among the first to implement a statewide eCurriculum.
- You will engage in continuous professional dialogue aimed at collectively shaping 21st century learning in Iowa.
- You will be connected and supported by a community of innovative practitioners.
- You will receive training and professional development in facilitating eLearning and Communities of Practice.
- You will be reimbursed for your time and contributions (stipend).
To register, complete the Survey of Commitment http://survey.aea267.k12.ia.us/survey/6415/1a63/
For additional information, please contact Nancy Movall at nmovall@gwaea.org. Deadline to register is April 20, 2011.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Amendments to Iowa's Administrative Rules of Special Education
The state board recently made technical and conforming changes to Iowa’s rules. Since those changes are not numerous, the Department is providing an insert for your copies of the 2010 rules. Underlines are additions and strikethroughs are deletions. Click here for the amendment insert.
Latest offerings showcased in new Professional Development blog
Check out our new Professional Development blog by going to the link below. See the latest professional development offerings at Heartland and provide feedback on courses you've attended. The blog includes direct links to register online for featured courses. Please share with others!
http://pdblog.aea11.k12.ia.us/
http://pdblog.aea11.k12.ia.us/
Superintendents: March HAA Meeting Minutes
Click here to download the minutes from the March HAA meeting. The minutes and handouts are also posted on Heartland’s website under the Heartland Networks link which is located under the Leaders tab on the front page of the website. You can also bookmark this address: http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/leaders/ldr/admin.html
Heartland Telephone Systems to Be Taken Down, March 14-16
The telephone systems of all Heartland AEA branch offices need to be taken down for system upgrades. The upgrade will be performed next week when most schools are on spring break to try to reduce as much impact on our offices, staff and clients as possible. Below is the tentative schedule for the upgrades. Each site will require 2-3 hours of down time to complete the work. Branch secretaries will be kept informed as much as possible regarding specific timelines so if you have questions please use other means of communication with them as necessary.
Carroll, Guthrie Center, Adel & Indianola offices – March 14
Newton & Knoxville offices – March 15
Ames & Johnston offices (Johnston after hours) – March 16
During the upgrades the offices will not be able to receive new voicemail messages but AEA staff will be able to check existing messages from a mobile phone or land line connection. The Johnston upgrade has been scheduled for after-hours to minimize impact on staff access to voicemail services. During the after-hours upgrade for the Johnston office on March 16, there will be no access to voicemail from any location.
We hope for a very smooth upgrade and will coordinate with each office individually if there are schedule changes.
Carroll, Guthrie Center, Adel & Indianola offices – March 14
Newton & Knoxville offices – March 15
Ames & Johnston offices (Johnston after hours) – March 16
During the upgrades the offices will not be able to receive new voicemail messages but AEA staff will be able to check existing messages from a mobile phone or land line connection. The Johnston upgrade has been scheduled for after-hours to minimize impact on staff access to voicemail services. During the after-hours upgrade for the Johnston office on March 16, there will be no access to voicemail from any location.
We hope for a very smooth upgrade and will coordinate with each office individually if there are schedule changes.
March World of Media Available
The March World of Media is online at http://wom.aea11.k12.ia.us. For your convenience, you can add the RSS feed to your iGoogle page. Highlights include the following:
- iPads
- New DVDs
- Iowa Core teaching videos
- Digital stories
ISU Marian Daniells Scholarships for Mathematics Students
The Iowa State University Mathematics Department needs your help in identifying talented students for their Marian Daniells Scholarships. Scholarship recipients must be entering ISU this fall as Mathematics majors. Depending upon students’ performance, the awards are renewable annually for students who continue as Mathematics majors.
If you know of such a student, please write a short email and telling of the student's mathematical abilities and achievements. See http://www.math.iastate.edu/Scholarships/MarianDaniells.html for details about these awards.
The ISU Mathematics department does not require students to apply for these scholarships, but instead relies on teacher input and admission information to identify outstanding students.
Please email your recommendations to Dr. James Wilson at jawilson@iastate.edu by Wednesday, March 23, 2011. If you have questions, you may contact by Dr. Wilson by email or (515) 294-9816.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
If you know of such a student, please write a short email and telling of the student's mathematical abilities and achievements. See http://www.math.iastate.edu/Scholarships/MarianDaniells.html for details about these awards.
The ISU Mathematics department does not require students to apply for these scholarships, but instead relies on teacher input and admission information to identify outstanding students.
Please email your recommendations to Dr. James Wilson at jawilson@iastate.edu by Wednesday, March 23, 2011. If you have questions, you may contact by Dr. Wilson by email or (515) 294-9816.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Opportunities to Join Iowa Council for Early ACCESS
The Iowa Council for Early ACCESS has openings available on the Council. Some of the openings are for partial terms so the governor may appoint someone for 1-3 year terms. The Council meets five times per year and will reimburse members for meals, travel and lodging. If they are not compensated to attend the council meeting, members are eligible for a $100 honorarium.
The current openings include the following:
https://openup.iowa.gov/
If you have any questions, contact Marion Kresse, Early ACCESS Consultant, at mkresse@dhs.state.ia.us or (515) 281-8472.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
The current openings include the following:
- 5 at-large positions
- 4 Parents
- 1 Insurance representative
- 1 Head Start representative
- 1 Provider of early intervention services
https://openup.iowa.gov/
If you have any questions, contact Marion Kresse, Early ACCESS Consultant, at mkresse@dhs.state.ia.us or (515) 281-8472.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Requested Action: DMACC Seeking Adjunct Instructors
DMACC is seeking qualified instructors to teach in a number of college programs. Please forward the email found by clicking here to your teachers and retirees who may be interested in applying for adjunct teaching openings at DMACC. Daytime, evening and summer positions are posted on the DMACC website at https://jobs.dmacc.edu throughout the year. They are in great need of daytime instructors.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Updated Special Education Procedures and Documents now Available
Please find the updated editions of the Special Education Procedures, Special Education Procedures Documentation Guide and the March 1, 2011 Release Notes. Key changes include:
- Deferring standards-based IEP requirements to July 1, 2011
- Extended Educational Decision Maker procedures
- Early Childhood Setting Code procedures that reflect December 1, 2010 Web IEP changes
- Clarification of the two IMS codes (RRC & RRT) that denote a return to general education
Handwriting Without Tears® Founder to present in July
This summer Heartland AEA will host a Handwriting Without Tears® workshop presented by founder and developer, Jan Z. Olsen. This unique opportunity will allow teachers to learn handwriting instruction and strategies to help struggling writers. Click here for an informational flyer, and please distribute it to teachers who may be interested.
AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey to Launch March 7
It’s that time of year again when we ask that you fill out the AEA Customer Satisfaction survey. Next Monday, March 7 you and your staff will receive an email asking to complete the 2010-11 AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey. The Subject line of the email will read “Response Requested: AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey.” The survey will be available March 7 through April 8.
The survey provides us with your insight on how to improve our services to your school(s) and students. The more feedback we receive, the more comfortable we will feel making program decisions that benefit all schools in the Heartland area.
We will send reminders in March and early April to insure that all district staff have a chance to participate. Since the survey is anonymous, we have no way of knowing who has contributed and who has not. You are only asked to fill out the survey once. After you complete the survey, you may disregard the reminder notices. Please remind all your staff to participate.
We look forward to your input!
The survey provides us with your insight on how to improve our services to your school(s) and students. The more feedback we receive, the more comfortable we will feel making program decisions that benefit all schools in the Heartland area.
We will send reminders in March and early April to insure that all district staff have a chance to participate. Since the survey is anonymous, we have no way of knowing who has contributed and who has not. You are only asked to fill out the survey once. After you complete the survey, you may disregard the reminder notices. Please remind all your staff to participate.
We look forward to your input!
New Iowa AEA Online Databases for 2011-12
Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are pleased to announce the Iowa AEA Online resources for 2011-2012. These resources continue to be provided at no cost to accredited public and non-public PreK-12 schools. Heartland users will find that some past resources have changed or been replaced.
Learn more about available online resources at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/library/OnlineDatabases.
- CultureGrams is a new resource
- SIRS Issues Researcher is a new resource
- Britannica Digital Library replaces World Book
- Gale eResources replaces part of EBSCO
- DEStreaming will not be offered statewide--stay tuned for more information and options for accessing that content
- BookFLIX
- Teen Health & Wellness
- Soundzabound
- Atomic Learning's ATT and 21st Century Skills
Learn more about available online resources at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/library/OnlineDatabases.
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