Friday, April 15, 2011

Requested Action: Return I-ELDA Testing Materials by April 30

The testing window for the I-ELDA will come to a close on April 30. All testing should be completed and materials returned to Northwest AEA by the end of the month.

Follow the below mentioned guidelines when returning materials:
  • Return Listening/Speaking CDs
  • Return all BAS (tested and not tested)
  • BAS must be returned with a completed 2011 Iowa-ELDA BAS Return Header Form (available on the Northwest AEA website)
  • Do not bend or damage BAS in any way—damaged BAS will delay the receipt of district test results
  • Destroy all other test materials according to your school’s policy for secured materials (You are allowed to keep the K-2 student books and/or the 4-page standard record sheet for the student’s cumulative file)
Districts should return BAS for scoring by United States Postal Service (USPS - Return Receipt Requested or Request Delivery Confirmation with a Tracking Number), United Parcel Service (UPS) or Federal Express (FedEx), for tracking purposes.

Materials should be sent to the following:


Attn: Teresa Angerman

Northwest AEA

1520 Morningside Avenue

Sioux City, IA 51106


A PowerPoint is available on the Northwest AEA website that includes instructions about the process described above.

New Security Features for Professional Development Registration Effective April 18

Beginning next Monday, April 18, 2011, educators registering for professional development activities on the Heartland AEA website will notice some new choices and several increased security features. You will still be able to browse the professional development catalog without making any changes to your account profile, but once an activity is added to the shopping cart, a new login screen will appear. This login screen is where you will begin to create a unique passcode (password) and establish security questions and answers.

In 2010, Heartland AEA processed 28,980 professional development registrations, and most of those registrations were completed online and included payment in the form of credit card numbers or district purchase orders. In an effort to protect educators’ personal information, these new security features have been programmed into Heartland AEA’s online professional development registration system.

Instructions for New Security Features

If you have previously registered for a Heartland AEA professional development activity, please enter your first and last name and the login method that you previously used, either your Social Security number or your driver’s license number. Then enter the set-up passcode, eduCation2010. Now click the LOG IN button. You will be taken to a screen where you will create your unique passcode and choose from several security questions. Once you have selected and answered the two security questions, click on CONTINUE. The new screen will allow you to update your account records. You will have the option of including three possible login identification numbers: Social Security number, driver’s license number or Iowa BOEE folder number. In the future, you will be able to log in with any of the numbers you have provided along with your unique passcode.

If you have never registered before for a Heartland AEA professional development activity, please enter your first and last name and the login method that you prefer to use. Then enter the set-up passcode, eduCation2010. Now click the CREATE NEW ACCOUNT button. You will be taken to a screen where you will create your unique passcode and choose from several security questions. Once you have selected and answered the two security questions, click on CONTINUE. The new screen will allow you to set up an account. You will have the option of including three possible login identification numbers: Social Security number, driver’s license number or Iowa BOEE folder number. In the future, you will be able to log in with any of the numbers you have provided along with your unique passcode.

If you forget your passcode, there is a button on the login page that you can click. An e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address on record with instruction on how to reset your passcode. Heartland’s Professional Development secretaries will not be able to tell you your passcode if you forget it; they will only be able to reset it to eduCation2010 after you provide them with the answers to your security questions. You will then be able to create a new passcode.


Transcript Changes

Another improvement that begins on April 18 focuses on transcripts that participants receive after successfully completing a course. Currently, 3 copies of a transcript, listing a single course, are sent to participants after grades are entered. Thus, if a participant takes 4 courses he or she will receive 12 pages of transcripts. The new system will send 1 transcript that lists all of the courses successfully completed in the prior 5 years. It is our hope that this will make recordkeeping and renewing educator licenses a much easier process. Course participants will still be able to request a transcript (2 copies) with their complete course history for $10.


If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the Professional Development Department at profdev@aea11.k12.ia.us (800) 255-0405 ext. 14701.

Changes to Earning Graduate Credit through Drake University

Due to recently updated federal guidelines, some requirements for Drake credit will change effective July 1, 2011. Heartland AEA 11 will continue to offer license renewal credit (LR) as before and Drake graduate credit for courses meeting the guidelines. However, if a participant seeks to use the graduate credit towards a master’s degree program, they must earn EDMA credit (new opportunity). As always, educators are encouraged to check with their university to determine what (if any) courses can be applied to a master’s program. Click here to download a grid that highlights the guidelines.

Also effective July 1, 2011, Drake University will no longer offer graduate credit for conferences, workshops or clinics. License renewal credits may still be earned if the conference, workshop or clinic meets the requirements.

If you have questions about these changes and new guidelines, please contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@aea11.k12.ia.us or at (800) 255-0405 ext. 14379.

Additional Spring HEART Training

We have scheduled several additional HEART classes specifically to help with schools that will have a change in leadership, schools that are in need to train a backup HEART administrator and those that would like a refresher. The class will cover using the HEART achievement and behavior reports, as well as all of the tools and tricks needed to manage security, cleanup and entering data into HEART.

Space is limited, so if interested please register for the class that fits your schedule:


April 21 from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Activity Number: AS003792111107
https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/AS003792111107INV*


May 9 from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Activity Number: AS003792111108
https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/AS003792111108INV*


May 12 from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Activity Number: AS003792111109
https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/AS003792111109INV*


Each class covers the same content as previous HEART Overview for Administrators classes. All classes will be held in the Computer Lab at the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive).


If you have questions about HEART, contact Connor Hood at chood@aea11.k12.ia.us or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14506.

Iowa Culture and Language Conference, Nov. 8-9

As you schedule next year’s professional development activities, consider the Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) on November 8-9, 2011, as an excellent way of providing all teachers with timely, research-based information on serving ELLs in your districts.

Janette Klingner is scheduled to do an all day pre-conference session November 7, on IDM (RTI) and ESL. Other pre-conference (full-day) presenters include Margarita Calderon, Jane Hill & Anne Lundquist, and Soccoro Herrera. More information will be available soon.

The main conference on November 8-9 will provide an opportunity to attend sessions with an abundance of well-known experts in the ESL field. Margo Gottlieb, an expert in assessment who co-authored the TESOL standards, will be presenting on assessment, standards and core curriculum. Catherine Collier, a well-known and referenced expert in the SPED/ESL arena will also be presenting.

Many other experts are scheduled to present at ICLC; the complete list will be posted on the Northwest AEA website soon.

Our Kids Summer Institute for working with ELL students

The 2011 Our Kids Summer Institute will be held June 23 and 24 and will provide participants with the opportunity to network with other educational professionals and to discover new strategies for working with English language learners in Iowa.

Cadre 2 Power Up administrators and teachers teams will receive a stipend from William Penn University and all other participants will receive a $125 stipend from the Iowa Department of Education. In order to receive a stipend, you must attend both full days and sign-in.


Register through the Heartland Professional Development catalog using activity number ES006232311201.

Superintendents: April HAA Minutes

Click here to download the minutes from the April HAA meeting. The handouts are 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

Please be reminded that next month’s HAA meeting will take place at the Heartland Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive) in Room 13.

Revised Flowchart for Evaluator Approval

Click here to download a revision of the flowchart for evaluator approval.

AEA Customer Survey: Thank you for participating!

We sincerely thank the 3,449 individuals who took the time to complete the annual AEA Customer Satisfaction survey. The data collected from the survey will be used to make important program decisions that benefit all schools in the Heartland region. Please be sure to extend our sincere gratitude to your school staff who contributed their thoughts and input!

Earn a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa was awarded a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs in the U. S. Department of Education to fund students wishing to acquire a Ph.D. in special education. The grant requires full-time study and the program can be completed in 3-4 years—which would be fully funded by the grant. It is designed to support strong candidates who are interested in leadership positions, particularly in colleges and universities as teacher trainers and/or educational researchers.

For more information, click here to download an informational flyer or contact John Hosp (john-hosp@uiowa.edu) or Bill Therrien (bill-therrien@uiowa.edu) Co-Directors, Special Education Leaders for Iowa (SELIA), Associate Professors, Department of Teaching and Learning.


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.

Tuition Scholarships for Summer Global Education Course

With a three-day, two-credit summer institute sponsored by The Stanley Foundation and UI International Programs, plus a tuition scholarship which covers the cost, teachers will be ready to take on the world!

This year's all-new Global Education Summer Institute for Teachers at The University of Iowa will help teachers incorporate global learning into the classroom, regardless of discipline -- writing, science, social studies and everything in between -- to meet Iowa's Core Curriculum requirements.


The Institute is taught by University of Iowa Professor Greg Hamot with a variety of guest lecturers, including nationally-known Ohio State University professor of social studies and global education, Merry Merryfield.

To learn more about this incredible opportunity, including registration information, deadlines and course details, visit the website below.
http://international.uiowa.edu/outreach/k12/summer-institute.asp

Only 20 middle, junior, and high school teachers will be selected to attend this year's institute and will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition and housing.

Questions can be directed to Karen Wachsmuth, International Programs Outreach Coordinator, at karen-wachsmuth@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-0345.

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.