The February HAA meeting will be held from 9:00-11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4. The guest presenter at the meeting will be Brandon Busteed, Executive Director of Gallup Education. Busteed will share research findings of how schools are increasing student engagement, hope and well-being. An additional session for principals, district administrators and curriculum directors will be hosted that afternoon from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Click here to register for the afternoon session.
As construction on the Johnston REC will start on the other end of the building next week, we will hold the February 4 HAA meeting in Rooms 13 A & B like usual.
Spring HAA Meeting Room Location Changes
The Johnston REC remodeling project will take place February-June 2014. The last three meetings for the 2013-2014 year will be held in the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus (815 8th St, West Des Moines) in Room 117.
March 4, 2014
April 1, 2014
May 6, 2014
The next Curriculum Network meeting will be held on Friday, February 7. As the Johnston REC will be under construction, the meeting will be held at the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus at 815 8th Street in Room 209. The agenda and handouts will be posted on the Curriculum Network Google Site.
Room Location Changes
The Johnston REC remodeling project will take place February-June 2014. The last four meetings for the 2013-2014 year will be held in the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus (815 8th St, West Des Moines).
February 7, 2014 (Room 209)
March 7, 2014 (Room 209)
April 4, 2014 (Room 117)
May 2, 2014 (Room 117)
Click here to download the February 2014 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education. In this issue, you will read about a new name for Response to Intervention (pg.1). Also in this issue, you will learn how TeachIowa.gov saves your district money, in which you can find employees seeking work at no charge to you (pg. 3). And find out why the 2014 Teacher of the Year supports the Iowa Core (pg. 5).
Click here to for a link to the February 2014 edition of the Each & Every Child newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education. This month’s issue outlines specific characteristics of high-growth schools.
Click here for the Iowa School Counseling Framework document that was released earlier this week by the Iowa Department of Education. The release was great timing as it preceded National School Counseling Week, February 3-7, 2014. The recognition week, this year themed "School Counseling: Building Magical Futures," focuses public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors and highlights the tremendous impact they can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
Heartland AEA offers the MackinVIA online resources free of charge to area schools. A component of the online resource is the award-winning interactive ebooks, CyberSmarts, which address Internet safety and digital citizenship. CyberSmarts is available through the MackinVIA portal at www.mackinvia.com, then click "Groups." Students can create an avatar and experience learning simulations that provide hands-on experience in navigating the online world in a safe, controlled environment.
Shannon Miller from the Van Meter district will explain the instructional uses and how CyberSmarts can be used in the classroom. We think teachers will be excited about CyberSmarts—not only the content, but the deep level of interaction and thinking that the students will experience. CyberSmarts will help students make good decisions in an online environment.
The webinar will be held on February 6, 2014 from 3:30-4:15 p.m.
Here is a link to register for this webinar: http://bit.ly/1bghuve
You will receive an e-mail the day before the webinar giving you access information, so please register by February 4 so that this information can be sent to you.
Use the sharing functions below to email this post to interested teachers or post on your professional blog, Twitter, Facebook or Google+ pages.
Presenter
Brandon Busteed will share research findings of how schools are
increasing student engagement, hope and well-being and why these
measures are more important than tests and grades. Mr. Busteed will hold
a presentation for superintendents during the Heartland Administrators’
Association Meeting on Tuesday, February 4, and an additional session
for principals, district administrators and curriculum directors will be
hosted that afternoon from 1:00-3:00 p.m. It will be a great
opportunity for superintendents or principals to bring in school teams.
Click here
to register. Use the sharing functions below to email this post to
interested teachers or post on your professional blog, Twitter, Facebook
or Google+ pages.
The IEC has several new vendor-partners with savings opportunities to offer you this year. Each of our partners has gone through a rigorous bid and evaluation process to insure they are able to provide high quality products, competitive pricing and excellent customer service.
Please forward this notice to others within your school or district who may be interested.
Enablemart, part of the School Health family, offers a complete line of special needs products to help meet your IEP goals.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Diverse_Learning/Enablemart
Egan Supply Company offers a full line of supplies and equipment to clean and maintain your school facilities. Products are supported by a highly experienced team of cleaning and maintenance experts who will provide the service after the sale.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Buildings_Grounds/Custodial_Supplies/Egan_Supply
Henry Schein provides medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals for your school’s health related needs.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Health_First_Aid_Group/Henry_Schein
iCARE is an online anti-bullying application for web and mobile devices. It helps engage an entire school and give students a way to work together to make their schools safe from bullying.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/School_Management_Group/Student_Course_Management/eWalk__iCoach_and_More__Media-
Interior Systems, Inc. specializes in modern school dining transformations that will take your cafeteria from simple to sensational! Increase foodservice revenues, create a school showplace and promote school pride.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Furniture/Cafeteria/Interior_Systems__Inc_
Iowa Prison Industries offers a full line of general cleaning chemicals and supplies for your facilities, including products that comply with Iowa's Green Cleaning mandate for schools and public buildings. Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Buildings_Grounds/Custodial_Supplies/IPI
TLC Sensory makes weighted blankets, lap bags and sensory buddies that were developed by a clinical therapist to help children and adults with Autism, ADHD, Asperger’s and other behavioral challenges.
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Diverse_Learning/TLC_Sensory
Xpedx has the products, expertise, environmental programs and procurement solutions you need to provide healthy, clean environments, reduce costs and meet sustainability goals. 1-2 day quick turnaround to receive most items!
Contact information and pricing: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Buildings_Grounds/Custodial_Supplies/xpedx
View the latest Impacting Lives update at http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/ for stories about the many ways Iowa's AEAs are making a difference.
In this issue:
- Teachers Receive Hands-on Autism Learning Experience
- ISU Students Make Communication Easier for Sam
- Northwest AEA/Schleswig school success: The Power of RTI for Preston
- Helping Districts Navigate Their Changing Populations
- The Road Less Traveled: One Student’s Struggle with Learning
- Northwest AEA/Hunt school success: Mom expresses gratitude for teamwork
- Alex Betz: A Shining Example of the Power of High Expectations
Like a certain article? Make sure to use the sharing functions below each post to email it to interested teachers/community members or post on your professional blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Google+ pages.
Heartland AEA will be
undergoing an exciting project to replace the heating and cooling (HVAC)
system in our Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) at 6500
Corporate Drive. The project will bring important improvements to the
environment of the building, leading to increased comfort for our staff
and visitors. It will also increase the overall energy efficiency of the
building. The project is slated to take place between February 1 and June 1, 2014.
This
means that all meetings and activities during this period, with the
exception of the February 4 HAA meeting, will be relocated to alternate
locations. Most meetings have been moved to the former Walnut Creek
Campus building at 815 8th Street in West Des Moines. We will be calling
the building the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus to avoid
confusion with the current Walnut Creek Campus down the street.
The
West Des Moines Campus building has many rooms, both large and small,
to accommodate different types of meetings. It is handicapped
accessible, has ample parking and is close to various restaurants. We
will do our best to provide as many amenities as possible, including
wireless Internet, some rooms with dedicated LCD projectors and access
to copying and printing. While it won’t have the same amenities as the
Johnston REC, it will be more than adequate to serve as a temporary
meeting space during the remodeling project.
The REC building will be open during the remodeling project except during the week of March 15-22.
No one will be allowed in the building during this week, and there will
be no van delivery to schools. We apologize for any inconvenience this
may cause.
Our goal is to create a better environment in our REC
building, and we thank you in advance for your understanding during
this project. We would appreciate it if you would pass this message on
to everyone in your district or school.
If you have any questions, please contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@heartlandaea.org.
Click here to view photos from the West Des Moines Campus.
The new Special Education Procedures Manual and Special Education Procedure Release Notes, both dated January 15, 2014, are now posted on the Iowa IDEA website at www.iowaideainfo.org. These documents are currently posted on the front page of the IDEA website in addition to their permanent location under the IEP drop down menu > Statewide Special Education Procedures > Manual.
If you have any questions, contact Misty Christensen, Regional Director/Assistant Director of Special Education, at mchristensen@heartlandaea.org.
As you are aware, the new Early Literacy Law (Iowa Code Section 279.68 and IAC 281-62) contains several requirements for Iowa schools that are now in effect. One of the requirements is that schools provide universal screening and progress monitoring using Department-approved assessment tools. The approved list is located at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
To assist districts with the implementation of these expectations the Department of Education as part of Collaborating for Iowa's Kids (C4K; made up of Iowa's Area Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, and the Department) is currently working on a plan to provide all Iowa schools with access to Iowa TIER, the Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) and the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs). To better prepare for this opportunity, we would like you to take a brief survey to help us determine the number of districts that want access to these tools.
To help you determine your need for and interest in these tools, you will need to know the technology requirements for successful connection to the Iowa TIER system, and you may wish to read additional information on the FAST and IGDIs assessment packages. All of this information can be found at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
During training for these tools, schools will be asked to bring an Internal Coach, Technical Coach, Data Specialist, Content Specialist, and a Building Leader (Principal). Please remember that the funds your district receives pursuant to Iowa Code 279.68 can be used to pay for this training opportunity. More information on the training will also be posted as it becomes available at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
Please take the time to complete the survey* by February 7, 2014. We would only like one survey response per district. It will take approximately five minutes. You may wish to read the provided information prior to beginning the survey or open the Early Literacy Implementation web page in another window so you can refer to it as you answer the questions.
*All superintendents received a link to the Early Literacy Implementation survey earlier today (Friday, January 24) in an email sent from the Iowa Department of Education. It is important that there is only one survey response per district.
Click here to find documents that support fine arts instruction alignment to the universal constructs from the Iowa Core. The resource is to be used by administrators, teachers, area education agencies, students, parents and other individuals who have an interest in arts education in Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Education will be hosting a TLC webinar for school districts in the Heartland AEA area on January 21, 2014. The purpose is to share last minute information about the TLC grant and answer questions from districts. The webinar will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Information on accessing the information is below.
Name: tlcapplicationhl
Start Time: 3:30 p.m.
URL: http://iowa.adobeconnect.com/tlcapplicationhl/
Conference Call Information:
1. Dial 1-866-685-1580
2. At the prompt, enter the Conference Code Number 0009991606#
The AEA PD Online and AEA K-12 Online January Blog Updates are now available. Go to www.aeapdonline.org or www.aeak12online.org for updates. For real time updates, follow AEA PD Online on Twitter @aeapdonline or on your mobile device by accessing our app at myapp.is/aeapdonline.
- Top 5 Reasons You Should Teach for AEA PD Online
- Tool of the Month: Curate Content Using Pinterest
- Upcoming Courses
- AEA PD Online: Live!
- Free E-curriculum: Cyberbullying Unit
Green Hills AEA, in close collaboration with Glenwood Schools, is hosting a Southwest Iowa Google Summit. Angela Maiers, Eric Sheninger and Scott McLeod will provide keynotes at this year's event, which is being held on June 23 and 24, 2014 in Glenwood, Iowa. The registration fee is $100 in advance and $125 at the door. Summit presenters receive a complementary registration and mileage reimbursement. Click here for a registration form to attend the Summit. If you would like to present, go to http://goo.gl/fb5xIU to submit a presentation proposal.
Presenter
Brandon Busteed will share research findings of how schools are
increasing student engagement, hope and well-being and why these
measures are more important than tests and grades. Mr. Busteed will hold
a presentation for superintendents during the Heartland Administrators’
Association Meeting on Tuesday, February 4, and an additional session
for principals, district administrators and curriculum directors will be
hosted that afternoon from 1:00-3:00 p.m. It will be a great
opportunity for superintendents or principals to bring in school teams.
Click here
to register. Use the sharing functions below to email this post to
interested teachers or post on your professional blog, Twitter, Facebook
or Google+ pages.
Heartland AEA will be undergoing an exciting project to replace the heating and cooling (HVAC) system in our Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) at 6500 Corporate Drive. The project will bring important improvements to the environment of the building, leading to increased comfort for our staff and visitors. It will also increase the overall energy efficiency of the building. The project is slated to take place between February 1 and June 1, 2014.
This means that all meetings and activities during this period, with the exception of the February 4 HAA meeting, will be relocated to alternate locations. Most meetings have been moved to the former Walnut Creek Campus building at 815 8th Street in West Des Moines. We will be calling the building the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus to avoid confusion with the current Walnut Creek Campus down the street.
The West Des Moines Campus building has many rooms, both large and small, to accommodate different types of meetings. It is handicapped accessible, has ample parking and is close to various restaurants. We will do our best to provide as many amenities as possible, including wireless Internet, some rooms with dedicated LCD projectors and access to copying and printing. While it won’t have the same amenities as the Johnston REC, it will be more than adequate to serve as a temporary meeting space during the remodeling project.
The REC building will be open during the remodeling project except during the week of March 15-22. No one will be allowed in the building during this week, and there will be no van delivery to schools. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Our goal is to create a better environment in our REC building, and we thank you in advance for your understanding during this project. We would appreciate it if you would pass this message on to everyone in your district or school.
If you have any questions, please contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@heartlandaea.org.
This past Monday, January 16, the Iowa Legislature opened the 2014 session of the 85th General Assembly. Click here for a list of contact information for all Iowa House and Senate members in Heartland’s area. The sheet has been updated to reflect the recent changes in Senate District 13 and House District 25. Legislators are also listed by district in the back pages.
Heartland AEA is no longer using the Bargain Bin process to make available the equipment that we are cycling out. We are now using a site called Govdeals. We have just posted some "new" items that you might be interested in. They include:
- 17 Samsung monitors sold as one lot
- 7 Xerox Phaser 6360 color printers
- 1 HP Laserjet 8150N printer
- 2 Brother fax machines
To access these items and make bids, go to www.govdeals.com. In the upper right hand corner, there is a search box. Type in "Heartland," and everything we have to offer at this time will appear.
The Iowa Department of Education this week released the latest edition of the Annual Condition of Education report. The report provides a wide range of state-level data, including shifts in student populations and demographics, teacher salaries and characteristics, student achievement results and school financial information. Click here for a summary and a link to the full document.
Click here for more information about the SAI Executive Leaders meeting on January 30-31, 2014. As you can see from the attached agenda, the Governor and Lt. Governor are both scheduled to be there, as are leaders from the House and Senate Education Committees, so it promises to be a great meeting.
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.
Click here for more information about the Iowa ASCD legislative workshop, Advocate with Impact. The workshop will be held on February 12, 2014 and participants will learn how to leverage change with legislators.
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
Project Proficient at Morningside College is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the second cohort. The online application process can be accessed at http://grad.morningside.edu/ProjectProficient.php
The first course in the online ESL endorsement series (6 courses in 2 1/2 years) will begin in September of 2014. Please spread the word to all applicants you feel would benefit from receiving tuition and textbooks for all 6 courses in the series. Successful applicants need to make a commitment to work in professional learning communities, to complete the series of courses in the endorsement, and to pay for adding the ESL endorsement to the teaching license. Previous applicants will need to reapply.
Applicants need to complete the online Project Proficient Application as well as the Project Proficient Writing Prompts and send unofficial transcripts to Beth Bubb, Administrative Assistant for Project Proficient, 1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, Iowa, 51106. Upon acceptance to Project Proficient, applicants will need to have official transcripts sent, and apply for admission to Morningside College’s Graduate Program, (which includes a $25 fee) unless they have been previously accepted into the Graduate Program. Decisions on acceptance will be made during the spring semester.
Applicants are selected according to the following criteria: 1) Teaching in a high need district or building; 2) Commitment to work in a professional learning community setting to complete the entire endorsement in 2 ½ years; 3) Serving in AEA grant partner schools; 4) Having a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0; 5) Teaching in a classroom and holding a valid Iowa teaching license. According to the federal Title III requirements for counting program participants, applicants must be employed in a K-12 teaching position.
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.
Presenter Brandon Busteed will share research findings of how schools are increasing student engagement, hope and well-being and why these measures are more important than tests and grades. Mr. Busteed will hold a presentation for superintendents during the Heartland Administrators’ Association Meeting on Tuesday, February 4, and an additional session for principals, district administrators and curriculum directors will be hosted that afternoon from 1:00-3:00 p.m. It will be a great opportunity for superintendents or principals to bring in school teams.
Click here to register. Use the sharing functions below to email this post to interested teachers or post on your professional blog, Twitter, Facebook or Google+ pages.
The Iowa Department of Education will be hosting a TCL webinar for school districts in the Heartland AEA area on January 21, 2014. The purpose is to share last minute information about the TLC grant and answer questions from districts. The webinar will be held from 3:30- 4:30 p.m. Information on accessing the information is below.
Name: tlcapplicationhl
URL: http://iowa.adobeconnect.com/tlcapplicationhl/
Access: Anyone who has the URL for the meeting can enter the room
The next class of Assessing Academic Rigor begins on January 23. At this time, the class enrollment is low and the class is in danger of being cancelled. If you are thinking about taking the class to renew your Administrator license, please get signed up as soon as possible! To register, please click here.
Due to popular demand, we are again offering our "Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals" course. This course is intended to make educators competent and confident in evaluating and documenting those individuals suspected of abusing drugs in the school setting with the eventual goal of making the school a safer and better learning environment. The class will be held January 20 and 27, 2014 and will be taught by Craig Porter, retired police officer. Register at https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/AT000392111401INV&*.
All education personnel assigned to administer and/or score the I-ELDA must participate in the online training module, even if you have administered the assessment previously. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the quiz integrated into the online training module.
Directions for accessing the online training are as follows:
- Go to http://moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/
- There is a welcome message that provides instructions for setting up an account or using a current account to access the training. If it is the first time on the site, create a free account by clicking on the “Create an account here” link. If you already have an account, enter a user name and password.
- Once you have logged in, from the home page scroll down to COURSE CATEGORIES. Choose “Assessment” and then choose I-ELDA Training. Before you enter the training, it will require you to enter an enrollment key. Type in ielda in the field, and then click the “enroll me” button.
- The training itself is a series of lessons regarding the assessment. Follow the instructions in the I-ELDA training site and be sure to print a certification of successful completion as documentation purposes. Note: the certificate will be a PDF generated by the system. If you have difficulty accessing the PDF, be sure to visit with your school district’s technical support, or contact support@aeapdonline.org.
If you have further questions, please contact Colleen Anderson at Colleen.Anderson@iowa.gov or Jobi Lawrence at Jobi.Lawrence@iowa.gov.
Click here for more information on administrative guidelines and timelines for this year’s I-ELDA Testing.
In Iowa, when a student turns 18, gets married or is incarcerated into the adult legal system, he/she obtains his/her educational rights. This means that students' educational rights transfer to them. School districts need to inform parents and students of this transfer of rights at least one year prior to their 18th birthday and on their 18th birthday. The materials below have been added to the Heartland AEA website and can help teachers, parents and students understand what educational rights students and parents have and what the transfer of rights means for them.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Parent’s Guide
- Student Information
- Power of Attorney for Decision Making
- Sample letter of notification of transfer of rights
Click here to access these materials on the Heartland AEA website.
An effort to implement Response to Intervention in schools statewide is continuing under a new name.
Leaders from the Iowa Department of Education, Area Education Agencies, and school districts recently agreed to rename this effort Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
“Both RtI and MTSS essentially mean the same thing,” said Rita Martens, a lead consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “We’re choosing MTSS because it is a more accurate description; it more accurately reflects the work. It is a multi-tiered focus, not just a focus on shoring up students who have fallen behind.”
While the name has changed, the focus remains the same: Help all students read proficiently by the end of third grade.
MTSS is a proven practice to help schools identify, and intervene with, struggling readers as well as students who are on track to read proficiently early on. This is accomplished by setting up an early warning system, adapting instruction to fit those students’ individual needs, and then monitoring their progress.
MTSS focuses on three tiers of intervention:
- Universal: For every student
- Targeted: For students who are either struggling or need to be accelerated
- Intensive: For students who are significantly behind and where targeted intervention didn’t help
MTSS allows educators to judge the overall health of their school system by examining data on all students in general and special education, as well as identifying students who need additional supports. Those supports are provided in both small group and individual settings and are measured to determine if they are making a difference. The idea is to ensure all students reach the expectations set by the Iowa Core standards and are prepared for success after high school.
“MTSS is just a clearer articulation about what the effort is focused on,” said Brad Niebling, a Department consultant. "This work is intended to facilitate student learning in the Iowa Core and the Iowa Early Learning Standards.”
About 10 percent of the state’s schools rolled out MTSS last fall under the Response to Intervention name. Iowa’s education system is working to put the practice in place statewide through Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids, a partnership among Iowa’s AEAs, school districts, and the Iowa Department of Education.
Click here to for a link to the January 2014 edition of the Each & Every Child newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education. This month’s issue examines where the state ranks nationally when it comes to the education gap between students with disabilities and those without. As you will see, the state doesn’t fare well.
As a follow up to this month's newsletter, you will want to be sure to read next month’s issue, which outlines specific characteristics of high-growth schools.
This message is from Dr. Tom Lane, Former Carlisle Superintendent and AEA Legislative Liaison.
Please consider joining us for the Business/Education Summit Jan. 16 in Des Moines. The business community has proved to be a strong proponent of reform efforts in Iowa and this year’s event promises to build on past efforts. Last year, 300 school and business leaders met just prior to the legislative session, and we’re hopeful of good attendance again this year. This event serves as a great springboard in promoting adequate funding, supporting the Iowa Core and building deeper understanding of school challenges and business expectations.
We’d hope you might partner with a neighboring district in asking area business leaders to join you in traveling to Des Moines for a great afternoon of networking and building a deeper understanding of the school/business connections we all need to foster.
Click here 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.
Metro Arts Education program listing is now online for the first time! These high quality, arts integration programs help students engage in learning any subject through the use of art. In addition, Connecting Kids with Culture dollars can be used to supplement the cost of these culturally engaging and educationally enriching programs. Metro Arts Alliance’s mission is to advance creativity and strengthen our community through arts opportunities and education. The Alliance hopes their programs will enrich your school's curriculum in the near future. Check out the arts program listing here: http://www.metroarts.org/education-outreach/
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.
Click here for the January HAA meeting agenda which will be held from 9:00-11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7 in Rooms 13 A & B of the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive).
Is your district submitting a Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) grant application at the end of January? Do you want feedback from knowledgeable AEA staff and districts who are applying? Do you want feedback from a process that is consistent with the process the TLC Commission plans to use? If so, Heartland AEA has an opportunity for your district to get valuable feedback on your grant.
Heartland AEA will hold a feedback process session for districts on January 13 from 12:00-4:00 p.m. The TLC grant planning session on that day will only run from 9:00-11:30 a.m. Interested districts can reserve a spot by contacting Kevin Fangman at kfangman@heartlandaea.org by Monday, January 6. Participating districts will need to submit a draft of their grant to Kevin by Thursday, January 9, and commit to sending one or two people to review sections of grants for other districts. There will be one or two simple directions regarding how grant application drafts will need to be submitted so the process can be organized efficiently. This will be sent out to participating districts on Tuesday, January 7.
The process will be modeled after the structure that the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System plans to use to score grants. District and AEA reviewers will be assigned to read one or two sections of the grant, along with the abstract, and then fill out a structured feedback form. All 10 sections of a district's application will be reviewed, and all feedback will be sent home with districts at the end of the day.
If you are interested in participating, you will need to contact Kevin Fangman know by Monday, January 6. Kevin can be reached at kfangman@heartlandaea.org.
Heartland AEA will be hosting a Learning Management System (LMS) "Shootout" on January 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Johnston REC. The day is primarily targeted at curriculum directors, technology directors, tech integration specialists and K-12 administrators.
Click here for a tentative agenda. Vendors will give a 50-minute presentation that provides an overview of their LMS product. Most vendors will present 4-5 times on this day. A full presentation schedule will be distributed in early January, once all invited vendors have indicated if they plan to participate. Districts should be able to easily see 4-5 presentations on this day if they are interested in that many different options. There will a lunch break, and there are multiple restaurants within easy driving distance.
Registration is free and available through Heartland AEA PD catalog. Click here to register.
More about LMS
The first link below is from EdWeek magazine, and it suggests several key steps to selecting an LMS. The second link is from the University of Central Florida, and it has an extensive checklist of criteria and features you might consider. This list is longer and more detailed than most PK-12 districts/schools need, but you should be able to identify 10-20 items from this longer list that will be important to you. These articles might be useful to review prior to January 17, and could serve as a framework for deciding which LMS is the best fit for your district/school.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/06/12/03lms-evaluation.h06.html
http://teach.ucf.edu/resources/webcourses-migration/lms-evaluation-checklist/
We look forward to seeing many teams from districts and schools on the January 17. Please contact Lance Wilhelm at lwilhelm@heartlandaea.org if you have any questions at this time.
Due to popular demand, we are again offering our "Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals" course. This course is intended to make educators competent and confident in evaluating and documenting those individuals suspected of abusing drugs in the school setting with the eventual goal of making the school a safer and better learning environment. The class will be held January 20 and 27, 2014 and will be taught by Craig Porter, retired police officer. Click here to register.
Click here for more information on administrative guidelines and timelines for this year’s I-ELDA Testing.
All education personnel assigned to administer and/or score the I-ELDA must participate in the online training module, even if you have administered the assessment previously. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the quiz integrated into the online training module.
Directions for accessing the online training are as follows:
• Go to http://moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/
• There is a welcome message that provides instructions for setting up an account or using a current account to access the training. If it is the first time on the site, create a free account by clicking on the “Create an account here” link. If you already have an account, enter a user name and password.
• Once you have logged in, from the home page scroll down to COURSE CATEGORIES. Choose “Assessment” and then choose I-ELDA Training. Before you enter the training, it will require you to enter an enrollment key. Type in ielda in the field, and then click the “enroll me” button.
• The training itself is a series of lessons regarding the assessment. Follow the instructions in the I-ELDA training site and be sure to print a certification of successful completion as documentation purposes. Note: the certificate will be a PDF generated by the system. If you have difficulty accessing the PDF, be sure to visit with your school district’s technical support, or contact support@aeapdonline.org.
If you have further questions, please contact Colleen Anderson at Colleen.Anderson@iowa.gov or Jobi Lawrence at Jobi.Lawrence@iowa.gov.
Click here to find a link to the January 2014 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education.
In case you missed it, below is a link to a video archive of “Bullying in Schools: What Can We Do?” webinar:
http://www.cyberbullyhotline.com/stan-davis-youth-voice-project.html
The link above will take you to an online form that will give you access to the archived webinar. Once you fill out that form, you will be presented with a page where you can view the video archive of the webinar.
Don’t miss the next FREE webinars in SchoolReach's Professional Development Series:
The Risky Business of Student Health Records
Thursday, January 16th
@ 2:00pm EST / 1:00pm CST / 11:00am PST
Register at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/377017711
Helping Students Understand Their Digital Footprint
Thursday, January 23rd
@ 11:30am EST / 10:30am CST / 8:30am PST
Register at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/308529231
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.
