Friday, August 27, 2010
TransACT Webinar Series Offered through the DE
The Iowa Department of Education has partnered with TransACT to provide basic user-training sessions designed specifically for Iowa school districts. Click here to download an informational flyer.
Curriculum Network: September 3 Curriculum Network Meeting
The first Curriculum Network Meeting for the 2010-2011 year will be held on Friday, September 3, 2010. The meeting will go from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and will be held in Rooms 3, 4 & the ICN of the Johnston Regional Education Center. The agenda is available at http://curriculumnet.pbworks.com/September-3%2C-2010-Agenda.
Topics for this meeting include a district perspective of instructional rounds and the latest on the inclusion of the Common Core in the Iowa Core.
Topics for this meeting include a district perspective of instructional rounds and the latest on the inclusion of the Common Core in the Iowa Core.
Superintendents: Heartland Administrators Association Meetings 2010-2011
To our superintendent colleagues, we invite you to join us for our monthly Heartland Administrator Association (HAA) meetings. The meetings are a time to come together, collaborate and discuss educational laws and standards and district-wide issues.
All monthly meetings, with the exception of the May, will be held at the West Des Moines Learning Resource Center. The May meeting will take place in the Johnston Regional Education Center. Meetings are always the first Tuesday of every month and begin at 9:00 a.m. This year’s first HAA meeting will be on September 7, 2010 (the Tuesday after Labor Day).
Agendas will always be available for download in the Administrator Connection on Fridays prior to the meetings. Be sure to check next week's update for the September agenda!
Dates for the 2010-2011 year are the following:
September 7
October 5
November 2
December 7
January 4
February 1
March 1
April 5
May 3
If you have suggestions for agenda items please contact your representative on the Superintendent's Advisory Council (listed below) or Sharon Kurns at skurns@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Area 1: John Kinley, Gilbert
Area 2: Brian Horn, Madrid
Area 3: Steve Smith, Guthrie Center
Area 4: Randy Flack, Knoxville
Area 5: Mark Wittmer, Pella
Areas 6 & 7: Tom Narak, West Des Moines
Chairperson: Tom Downs, Southeast Polk
Area 8: Nancy Sebring, Des Moines
Area 9: Luvern Gubbels, Des Moines Diocese
Area 10: Doug Williams, DMACC
All monthly meetings, with the exception of the May, will be held at the West Des Moines Learning Resource Center. The May meeting will take place in the Johnston Regional Education Center. Meetings are always the first Tuesday of every month and begin at 9:00 a.m. This year’s first HAA meeting will be on September 7, 2010 (the Tuesday after Labor Day).
Agendas will always be available for download in the Administrator Connection on Fridays prior to the meetings. Be sure to check next week's update for the September agenda!
Dates for the 2010-2011 year are the following:
September 7
October 5
November 2
December 7
January 4
February 1
March 1
April 5
May 3
If you have suggestions for agenda items please contact your representative on the Superintendent's Advisory Council (listed below) or Sharon Kurns at skurns@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Area 1: John Kinley, Gilbert
Area 2: Brian Horn, Madrid
Area 3: Steve Smith, Guthrie Center
Area 4: Randy Flack, Knoxville
Area 5: Mark Wittmer, Pella
Areas 6 & 7: Tom Narak, West Des Moines
Chairperson: Tom Downs, Southeast Polk
Area 8: Nancy Sebring, Des Moines
Area 9: Luvern Gubbels, Des Moines Diocese
Area 10: Doug Williams, DMACC
Organization and Facility Changes at Heartland AEA
We’d like to provide you with an update on changes to our agency’s leadership team and to our facilities.
Three partnership directors have left the Agency. We have absorbed two of the partership director vacancies, and in those regions, districts have been assigned to other partnership directors. Our third and most recent vacancy has been filled with an interim partnership director serving in Regions 6 & 7. The Agency has chosen Dr. Kristi Flugum Upah to fill that role for 2010-2011. Dr. Upah has been with the Agency for 17 years, and she will serve the Ames, Ballard, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert and Roland Story school districts.
Heartland AEA closed two offices during the summer, Woodside (Ankeny) and Newton. Woodside staff were relocated to the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive. The sound booth formerly in the Woodside office was also relocated to the Johnston REC. Newton office staff were relocated to the former Emerson Hough Elementary School building at 700 North 4th Avenue East in Newton. The relocation of the office to Emerson Hough allows Heartland a great opportunity to partner with the Newton Schools. Future plans for the new Newton office will include the creation of classroom space that can be used for professional development classes and agency meetings.
Three partnership directors have left the Agency. We have absorbed two of the partership director vacancies, and in those regions, districts have been assigned to other partnership directors. Our third and most recent vacancy has been filled with an interim partnership director serving in Regions 6 & 7. The Agency has chosen Dr. Kristi Flugum Upah to fill that role for 2010-2011. Dr. Upah has been with the Agency for 17 years, and she will serve the Ames, Ballard, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert and Roland Story school districts.
Heartland AEA closed two offices during the summer, Woodside (Ankeny) and Newton. Woodside staff were relocated to the Johnston Regional Education Center at 6500 Corporate Drive. The sound booth formerly in the Woodside office was also relocated to the Johnston REC. Newton office staff were relocated to the former Emerson Hough Elementary School building at 700 North 4th Avenue East in Newton. The relocation of the office to Emerson Hough allows Heartland a great opportunity to partner with the Newton Schools. Future plans for the new Newton office will include the creation of classroom space that can be used for professional development classes and agency meetings.
The Administrator Connection: A ‘Hub’ for Ideas and Feedback
Please consider using the Administrator Connection as a means of exchanging ideas, offering feedback and sharing information. You may post a comment by clicking on an article title, scrolling to the bottom of the page and leaving a comment in the field. A more direct route to leaving a comment is to click “Comments” under the article (shown below) and the Comment field will appear. Note: Posts are moderated by the Heartland Communications Department.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Download 2010-2011 Special Education Procedures Manual
Last week, it was communicated that this year's Special Education Procedures Manuals were available by contacting your Heartland AEA Regional Office. The manual is also available to download off the Heartland website. First go to the Educators tab on the front page. Click on the Special Education link and then click on the link named, “Resources”. The manual is the first attachment listed on the resources page. You can also download the manual directly by following the below listed link.
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/sped/resources/proceduresmanual2010.pdf
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/educators/sped/resources/proceduresmanual2010.pdf
Receive Level 1 Investigator Training through Heartland AEA
Iowa Code Chapter 280, section 280.17 requires all public and non-public schools to annually appoint a Level I Investigator and alternate(s) to investigate complaints regarding abuse of students by school employees and volunteers. Click here for more information and a class schedule on Level 1 Investigator Training available through Heartland AEA.
Gifted and Talented Opportunities Available to Your School
Will your district be receiving a Department of Education Site Visit this year or next? If so, you are invited to attend "Best Practices in Gifted Education: Site Visit Preparation" on September 10 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive). Please register through the Professional Development Catalog using activity number GT007692111101. There is no charge for this session, but please be sure to register.
Do you have new teachers of gifted in your building or district? They are invited to attend the "New GT Teacher Orientation" to be held September 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Johnston Regional Education Center. Attendees are asked to register through the Professional Development Catalog using activity number GT007792111101. There is no charge for this session, but please be sure to register.
Heartland will be offering the following three Gifted and Talented Academy sessions.
Academy I is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts new to the G/T Academy experience. The focus is comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Participants may earn three relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 10, and the first session is September 22.
Academy II is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I. The focus is curriculum and instruction. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 28, and the first session is October 12.
Academy III is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I and II. The focus is gifted and talented program evaluation. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 25, and the first session is October 7.
Drake credits for each Academy experience are applicable to the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement. Visit the Heartland Professional Development Catalog and search using the activity numbers below.
Gifted and Talented Academy I - GT006792111101
Gifted and Talented Academy II - GT006992111101
Gifted and Talented Academy III - GT007592111101
The Heartland Professional Development Catalog is available at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH
If you have questions about these or other gifted and talented capacity building opportunities, please contact Mary Schmidt, Gifted Education Consultant, at mschmidt@aea11.k12.ia.us or (515) 270-0405, extension 14375.
Do you have new teachers of gifted in your building or district? They are invited to attend the "New GT Teacher Orientation" to be held September 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Johnston Regional Education Center. Attendees are asked to register through the Professional Development Catalog using activity number GT007792111101. There is no charge for this session, but please be sure to register.
Heartland will be offering the following three Gifted and Talented Academy sessions.
Academy I is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts new to the G/T Academy experience. The focus is comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Participants may earn three relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 10, and the first session is September 22.
Academy II is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I. The focus is curriculum and instruction. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 28, and the first session is October 12.
Academy III is for teams of G/T teachers and administrators from districts that have completed Academy I and II. The focus is gifted and talented program evaluation. Participants may earn two relicensure or Drake graduate credits. Registration deadline is September 25, and the first session is October 7.
Drake credits for each Academy experience are applicable to the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement. Visit the Heartland Professional Development Catalog and search using the activity numbers below.
Gifted and Talented Academy I - GT006792111101
Gifted and Talented Academy II - GT006992111101
Gifted and Talented Academy III - GT007592111101
The Heartland Professional Development Catalog is available at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH
If you have questions about these or other gifted and talented capacity building opportunities, please contact Mary Schmidt, Gifted Education Consultant, at mschmidt@aea11.k12.ia.us or (515) 270-0405, extension 14375.
Iowa Culture and Language Conference, New Time and Place!
The Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) is shaking things up for its 25th year. Rather than chancing Iowa’s unpredictable winter, this year’s conference will be held November 1-3, 2010 and in a new location, the Marriott Coralville Hotel and Conference Center (300 E. 9th St., Coralville, IA).
Highly acclaimed speakers have been invited to speak at the conference. The mission of the annual event is to advocate for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and their families, educators and service providers. Schools are encouraged to bring a team.
Register before September 15 to receive the early bird rate of $125. Registration can be done through the Northwest AEA Web site at http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/en/upcoming_events/iowa_culture_language_conference/
Highly acclaimed speakers have been invited to speak at the conference. The mission of the annual event is to advocate for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and their families, educators and service providers. Schools are encouraged to bring a team.
Register before September 15 to receive the early bird rate of $125. Registration can be done through the Northwest AEA Web site at http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/en/upcoming_events/iowa_culture_language_conference/
Microsoft Cy Pres Settlement ICN Session
If you have registered for one of the Microsoft Cy Pres Settlement ICN sessions August 23-25, you may want to make a copy of the claims administrator form as a reference. Click here to download the form. Participants may send questions to ClaimsAdmin@IowaSchoolMicrosoftSettlement.com during the session--include ICN in the subject line. The presenters will answer them on-air. DVD copies of ICN session will be available for checkout from the Heartland professional library; and the recording will also be posted online at http://aea111.eduvision.tv.
Heartland AEA's Annual Progress Report Now Available
The Agency's Annual Progress Report (APR) for the 2008-2009 school year is now available. You can access the APR at https://www.edinfo.state.ia.us/web/aea_apr_summary_staticweb.asp
You can also access the report via the Agency's website by clicking on the "About Us" link in the upper lefthand side of the homepage and then scrolling down to “Annual Progress Report”.
Any questions or comments about the APR can be directed to Kristi Upah, Assistant Director of Innovation & Accountability, at kupah@aea11.k12.ia.us or (800) 362-2720.
You can also access the report via the Agency's website by clicking on the "About Us" link in the upper lefthand side of the homepage and then scrolling down to “Annual Progress Report”.
Any questions or comments about the APR can be directed to Kristi Upah, Assistant Director of Innovation & Accountability, at kupah@aea11.k12.ia.us or (800) 362-2720.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)