Reminder: ESL Advisory/Networking Meeting, Dec. 4

Please join us December 4, 2012 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 13B of the Heartland AEA Johnston Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston) for an excellent opportunity for teachers and administrators to meet for an hour of networking, learning of the latest ESL opportunities and receive updates about testing and other important Title III information. The agenda to the December meeting is here.

Districts Invited to Participate in Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Pilot

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is inviting schools to participate in the Pilot Test to be administered this spring in grades 3-11. The Pilot Test will be a computer-based administration in the content areas of English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. Items are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and will include selected response, constructed response and performance tasks. All schools that volunteer will have the opportunity to experience the basic functionality of the system. Approximately 10% of the volunteering schools will be selected for the "scientific" study that will yield critical data about the test items and functionality of the online system. Scientifically selected schools will be offered specific in-depth test administration training in the form of webinars and training modules and will be assigned a specific two-week window within the pilot test window to test their students.

Please forward the attached flyer for more details. For the successful implementation of this Pilot, it is important that educational leaders encourage their schools to take advantage of this opportunity.

Registration Open for Public School Budget Workshops

Heartland AEA will once again be hosting school budget workshops for public school district administrators. As we did last year, the workshop days will be split into two sessions, morning and afternoon. The morning sessions are reserved for new managers or those who have less experience. The afternoon sessions are reserved for those who do not need as much assistance. Please choose which day works best in your schedule and which session would best fit your abilities. Below are the dates and session times and descriptions. 

All sessions will be held in the computer lab at the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston) and will be facilitated by Larry Sigel and Margaret Buckton of Iowa School Finance Information Services.

Morning Sessions - New Budget Managers
Morning sessions will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and are reserved for newer superintendents and business managers that haven't been through the budget process or need a little extra guidance. You are not required to have anything completed prior to attending.

To access the catalog and register, click on the date you wish to attend:
February 1, 2013 – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

February 15, 2013 – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

March 6, 2013 – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Afternoon Sessions – Veteran Managers
Afternoon sessions will run from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and are reserved for superintendents and business managers that have been through the budget process several times. Participants must complete and bring their FY12 Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2 and FY13 re-estimated Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2.

To access the catalog and register, click on the date you wish to attend:
February 1, 2013 – 1:00-4:00 p.m.

February 15, 2013 – 1:00-4:00 p.m.

March 6, 2013 – 1:00-4:00 p.m.

The registration fee is $200 per district. So if your district is sending only one participant, the registration fee is $200. If your district is sending two participants, the registration fee is $100 per person. Lunch will NOT be provided.

Content of this work session includes working each district, using the Department of Management (DOM) software, through their Aid and Levy Worksheet to comply with all DOM expectations, including development of the district's Certified Budget and tax certification documentation. The following items will be available to help district leaders with budget communication: an electronic budget document comparing FY 2013 and proposed FY 2014, which generates district-specific graphs and explanations of the degree of change in every budget item, including the ability to note reminders for future reference; a district-specific PowerPoint presentation for presenting the budget to board members, staff and patrons; a sample press release and letter to the editor explaining the budget.

A list of the information and documentation that will be needed to complete your school budget forms for 2013-2014 will be included in your confirmation letter. Please bring a USB flash drive to save your work, and a hand-held calculator (minimum 14 digits) is optional. It is encouraged that both the superintendent and business manager/board secretary attend the workshop.

Superintendents: December 4 HAA Meeting

Download a PDF or Word Doc of the December Heartland Administrators Association meeting agenda. The meeting will be held from 9:00-11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, December 4 at the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive) in Room 13A and B. Please be reminded that Director Glass will be joining us later in the morning to give an update about current educational reform efforts.

Curriculum Network: Jason Glass to Speak at December 7 Meeting

Director Jason Glass will join us at the curriculum network meeting on December 7. He will discuss the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Task Force Report and the upcoming legislative priorities with curriculum directors. The meeting will be held in Rooms 13 A and B of the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive) and will begin at 8:30 a.m. The agenda can be accessed here.

Reminder: EdInsight Cube Training Available, Dec. 11

EdInsight Cube training is limited to participants who have already been trained on EdInsight "canned reports." In this session we will learn how to use the analysis studio or "cube" reporting tools in EdInsight. This part of EdInsight is more complicated to use than the basic reports but has more powerful capabilities. It is helpful but not required to have some background in data analysis, including experience with Excel Pivot Tables or SPSS.

Date: December 11, 2012
Time: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Johnston REC, Computer lab
Instructors: Mike Szymczuk and Connor Hood
Maximum: 15
Note: This class has limited to participants who have already been trained in EdInsight "canned reports."

Space is limited so please register early. Click here to register or register through the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog and put activity number AS005592111302 in the correct field.

Concussion: Return to Learn Webinar, Dec. 4

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is currently working with a federal grant for Traumatic Brain Injury. The Governor’s Advisory Council on Brain Injuries and partners at the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Education have put together a series of free webinars for teachers, school staff, school coaches and AEA staff.

The second webinar, Concussion: Return to Learn, is scheduled for December 4 at 3:45 p.m. It will be presented by Leslie Duinink, M.S., Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, at Central College in Pella. She will discuss strategies to help kids return to the classroom after concussion. 

Register at
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8885862994920504320 

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Contact Megan Hartwig at Megan.Hartwig@idph.iowa.gov for more information.

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.