Public Input Sought for State’s No Child Left Behind Waiver Request

The Iowa Department of Education will give Iowans a chance to weigh in on a plan to request a waiver from requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act during a statewide series of public meetings from January 31 to February 9.

Department leaders will visit all nine Area Education Agencies in Iowa. Click here for a complete schedule of meeting dates, times and locations. (Heartland AEA information is highlighted.) The Department will visit Heartland AEA on Tuesday, February 7.

The Department will present details about Iowa’s waiver request and plans to develop a new accountability system that puts student achievement first but also focuses on student growth and assessments that align with the Iowa Core standards.

In September, the U.S. Department of Education invited states to apply for flexibility from specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans.

Iowa’s application will be submitted by February 21.

States must address the following principles in their waiver applications: College and career-ready expectations for all students; state-developed systems for differentiated recognition, accountability and support; and support for effective instruction and leadership, including new guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.

In a new video, Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass addresses the purpose of Iowa’s waiver request.

Iowans who are unable to attend the public meetings can submit comments in writing to wilma.gajdel@iowa.gov until 4:00 p.m. on February 1.

For more information, go to www.educateiowa.gov.

Last Chance to Save Big on Microsoft Products!

For several years the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC), in partnership with Microsoft and JourneyEd, has provided teachers, students, faculty and staff with discounts on Microsoft Office and Windows software for home use. (Example: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, retail $499, IEC price $89.95). These discounts have been significantly less than what you’d find in retail stores.

The IEC has recently been notified that Microsoft will be discontinuing this program effective March 2012.

If you anticipate needing Microsoft software for your home/personal computer, order today to insure you get the best price possible. Orders can be placed online by going to www.JourneyEd.com/Select.

Please inform teachers, students, faculty and staff that they have a limited time to take advantage of these prices. Note: All students can request this pricing, so parents of kindergartners could even order at these prices.

JourneyEd will continue to provide education pricing on many other software titles and computer products; however, we do not anticipate that pricing on Microsoft products will ever be this low again.

For more information, contact:

Marcy Rodriguez
Academic Superstore
marodriguez@digitalriver.com
(866) 559-0302

Amy Bohn
JourneyEd.com
abohn@digitalriver.com
(800) 876-3507 ext 37426

Workshop Promotes Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Heartland’s Parent & Educator Connection will host a Transition Times Workshop on Thursday, January 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. that will provide information about post-high school employment opportunities for students with disabilities. Families and educators of 7-12th grade students on IEPs and students age 14 and older are invited to attend. Please pass on the attached flyer to students, families and teachers who may be interested in attending.

Originating Site: Heartland AEA 11 Johnston Office (6500 Corporate Drive)
Satellite Sites: Ames High School ICN Room and Panorama High School ICN Room

Reminder: AIW Regional Collaboration Day, Feb. 17

AIW administrators, remember to register your AIW team(s) to attend a regional collaboration day that best suits your needs. The one hosted by Heartland AEA will be Friday, February 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Stilwell Junior High in West Des Moines. It is a great opportunity for your AIW teachers to sit, score and discuss with other AIW teachers classroom artifacts in order to improve instruction. Here is some information that you have already received; this Administrator Connection article is just meant to serve as a reminder.

The Authentic Intellectual Work Regional Collaboration Day is an opportunity for AIW team members to meet and score in content-alike groups with teachers from other schools. The day will be spent scoring teacher tasks, student work, and instruction.

Each teacher is asked to bring the following:
AIW scoring manual and Rules of Thumb

• 8 copies of a task
• 8 copies of student work (with teacher markings, grades, etc. and all student-identifying information removed)
• One 10-15 minute DVD of instruction for every 5 AIW members attending from a given school/district. (Be sure to check the DVD for sound and visual quality; bringing the instruction DVD does not apply to first year AIW schools)

Lunch will be onsite and teachers will have the option of pre-purchasing lunch from the West Des Moines Schools Catering Service ($7.50 through the registration process) or bringing their own.

Please check out the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog for more information and registration for teachers to complete: https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/si013369571201INV&*

If you have questions, please contact your AIW coach. We look forward to seeing you and your teams there!

Reminder: Feb. 20 Sessions Added to Heartland AEA Budget Workshops

Registrations for our February Budget Workshop sessions filled very quickly. In order to ensure that everyone got a chance to participate, we have added a third day with two sessions on February 20. Larry Sigel and Margaret Buckton will facilitate all sessions in the computer lab at the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive. Click here for session descriptions and registration information for this year’s budget workshops.

Online Course Gives An Introduction to Google Apps

An essential component of the 21st century classroom is the use of digital technology. Digital tools not only provide the productivity means to accomplish tasks like previous software, but they create an environment for collaboration, sharing of learning, ongoing peer- and self-assessment and formative guidance and feedback from instructors. Iowa's AEAs have entered a partnership to make Google Apps (a highly powerful and robust suite of digital tools) accessible for Iowa's teachers. This course examines how to use Google Apps in the 21st century classroom as digital tools enhancing collaboration, creativity, and improved student communication.

Please click here for more information or to register for the course beginning January 23.

Please click here for more information or to register for the course beginning February 20.

Please click here for more information or to register for the course beginning April 16.

Intel Elements Series-Educational Leadership in the 21st Century

This interactive e-learning course helps school and district leaders support technology integration that improves teacher effectiveness and enhances student achievement. You will engage with colleagues as you examine strategies to promote and sustain effective technology integration. Through activities and discussions, you will learn how technology can support a collaborative school community. Finally, you will have an opportunity to extend your learning by exploring technology trends in education.

Please click here for more information or to register for this course.

Order Now: I-ELDA Testing Materials

It’s time to order I-ELDA testing material, please see the information below for information on the new ordering process. Several things are new this year for the I-ELDA, click here for a document that summarizes those changes.

Plans are in the works for several workshop offerings this spring. They include sessions on ELL reading, math and sheltered instruction. More information will become available as these plans finalize.

Please feel free to contact us at any time with ESL concerns or questions.
Pat Latham (Regions 1, 2, 7 & 8)
(515) 993-4596, ext 11228
platham@aea11.k12.ia.us

Stephaney Jones-Vo (Regions 3, 5 & 6)
(515) 279-0405, ext 14680
sjonesvo@aea11.k12.ia.us

All information can be found on the I-ELDA website.

The ordering process has two steps:

• The Order and Agreement (New online form) is for your testing materials.
• The Bar Code Template- This is a spread sheet with information to order Bubble Answer Sheets for your students.

Order & Agreement - ONLY ONE ORDER PER DISTRICT
*Do not place a separate order for each building in your district. Both the Order & Agreement and Bar Code Template must be submitted before your order can be processed!

• Ordering I-ELDA materials has changed this year -- it is going to be done online in a Google Doc.
• Enter all information and double check it as this is going to be imported into all other documentation regarding your order.
• If you want a copy of your order and agreement for your records - print before you click on submit. This is also stated at the top of the form.
• You will need to have the results recipient information available at the time you place your order.
• DO NOT FORGET TO CLICK ON "SUBMIT!"

Bar Code Template
Complete and Submit electronically to Teresa Angerman tangerman@nwaea.org.
*Both the Order & Agreement and Bar Code Template must be submitted before your order can be processed!

• These will be filled in the same way they have been done in past years.
• The students' 10 digit state ID number must be included.
• Note: When specifying Public use a 0-zero and for Private use a 1-one.
• Teresa will respond letting you know when she receives your bar code file. (If you do not hear from her- it is your responsibility to follow up.)

I-ELDA Training Registration - New info for Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs Training
January 26, 2012
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
2011 So. 10th Street
Council Bluffs, IA

Summer Workshop Allows Teachers an In-Dept Look at the Life of Lincoln

The following message was sent to us by a 3rd grade teacher from the Applington-Parkersburg CSD in the AEA 267 region.
This is a great opportunity for any K-12 educator to spend a week learning from some of the world's foremost experts on Abraham Lincoln.

How about visits to the incredible Abraham Lincoln Museum and private tours of the Old Capitol, Lincoln's Home, and New Salem?

Or perhaps you will prefer the private tour into the Lincoln vault of precious memorabilia under the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Let the well-organized fellowship take care of you, while you get a new look at our 16th president.

The cost? NOTHING!

Your airfare, hotel, and most meals are all included in the award.

Anyone can win! Apply by being creative with an Abraham Lincoln photo! Also, there is no pressure to join Horace Mann Insurance; they simply sponsor the program with headquarters in Springfield.

For me, this was the most professional learning experience I have had in my teaching career.

Visit the link and apply by February 12, 2012. Good luck!
http://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge/fellowship-program

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.