Friday, October 26, 2018

New AEA PREP Dashboards Provide Picture of Student Postsecondary Readiness and Success

Recently, the Iowa Department of Education released the AEA PREP Dashboards providing a portrait of how prepared Iowa high school graduates are for success in postsecondary education and training. The dashboards are intended to help guide school and district school improvement efforts using statewide, AEA, district and building level data. Schools can use their local information to benchmark and monitor progress toward locally defined goals as they relate to postsecondary readiness and success, including enrollment, persistence and completion of postsecondary programs. The AEA PREP Dashboards are highly interactive in nature and allow schools to examine the postsecondary success of their students through a variety of postsecondary readiness and demographic filters. The dashboards are housed within EdInsight; if you desire access to these dashboards and currently do not have an EdInsight (also known as an “A & A” account), please see these instructions for creating a user account and/or requesting access. If you recall, TJ Jumper and Sue Schirmer presented on these dashboards at our September Superintendent's meeting.

What data are included/what data are excluded
Data included: PREP Dashboards include postsecondary readiness and demographic data provided by Iowa school districts through State Reporting in Iowa (SRI). In addition, postsecondary enrollment and award data are provided through three sources: Iowa Board of Regents (for public Regent universities in Iowa); Iowa Division of Community Colleges & Workforce Preparation (for public community colleges in Iowa); and the National Student Clearinghouse (for in-state private colleges and universities and all out-of-state colleges and universities).

Data excluded: Postsecondary enrollment data is considered directory-level data and thus does not include any postsecondary performance data, including but not limited to college GPA, college credit accrual, financial aid information, or other course-specific performance data.

How to use or interpret PREP Dashboards
Specifically, AEA PREP Dashboards are intended to help guide districts in establishing and monitoring postsecondary readiness goals aligned with both the Iowa College and Career Readiness definition and overall school improvement efforts. The information contained in the dashboards can be used to identify programmatic areas of success in relation to increasing postsecondary enrollment and award/completion. These reports are intended to support the entire school improvement process in conjunction with the other data sources already in use (i.e. ESSA reporting, school report cards and DA/Healthy Indicators). Please note: AEA PREP Dashboards are intended for in-district use only and are not intended for public distribution due to their inclusion of small cell size data.

For more information from Heartland AEA, please contact Sue Schirmer, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant (sschirmer@heartlandaea.org) or TJ Jumper, Regional Director (tjumper@heartlandaea.org).

Could Fridays Get Any Better? Only If You Join Us for Standards-Based Learning “Framework Fridays!”

EdCamp-style workshops will be held throughout the 2018-19 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) Including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you--you don’t need to attend all nine. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
First Friday of the month from Oct. 2018 to May 2019
Next Session: Dec. 7, 2018
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Visit our website to learn more and register

If Your District or Building is Looking at Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom, This Workshop is for You - and it's FREE!

This is a reminder that Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., will be here on Nov. 6 to deliver a free workshop to educators. If you have questions about student behavior outcomes, this session might be a support that could enhance energy in buildings with some new approaches to behavioral interventions in the classroom.

This workshop will also look at specific strategies at the Tier 1 level for promoting all children’s happiness through schoolwide and classwide strategies that target improvements in the factors correlated with children’s subjective well-being, including positive teacher-student relationships evident in schools with a healthy climate, as well as students’ personal levels of gratitude, optimism and use of character strengths. Participants will also become familiar with tools to assess positive psychology constructs, including how to incorporate such measures in universal screenings and progress monitoring.

Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., is a professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida and provides school-based mental health services to youth in the Tampa area.

Registration
Nov. 6, 2018
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Register at this link: https://goo.gl/Nvp8w6

Free Tuition AND Free Housing?! Check Out All the Benefits of This Year’s Global Education Institute for Teachers

The 2018 Global Education Institute for Teachers will be held on the University of Iowa campus on Dec. 8-9, 2018. The institute is sponsored by the Stanley Foundation and UI International Programs. K-12 teachers of all disciplines are invited to attend this year’s institute, a two-day, one license renewal credit experience taught by University of Iowa professors Greg Hamot and Jason Harshman.

FREE tuition! The first 20 teachers to register who live outside a 25-mile radius of Iowa City will also receive FREE housing at the Iowa House Hotel. Registration deadline is Nov. 12, 2018. More information may be found on the institute website. To register, contact Amy Green at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-1433.

Friday, October 19, 2018

Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals
  • Increase learning growth for students
  • Decrease the gap in achievement
  • Increase annual graduation rates
  • Increase gateways to post-secondary success

Diga Know? Iowa’s Digital Learning Plan Is Ready to Roll!

Iowa’s Digital Learning Plan, a collaborative effort between the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa’s Area Education Agencies and school districts, is ready to roll! The goal of the Plan is to provide a vision for what digital learning could look like in Iowa with the hope of bridging the gap that exists between islands of excellence around the state. The Plan includes real life examples of digital learning and teachers modeling instructional practices in their classrooms. To download the Plan, visit http://bit.ly/IowaDigitalLearningPlan. Then reach out to an AEA instructional technology consultant for guidance as you bring digital learning to life in your school!

Prairie Lakes AEA Invites You to Attend a Conference Focused on Creating a Trauma-responsive School

The conference will be held Nov. 2-3 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. A trauma-responsive school is a safe and respectful environment that enables students to build caring relationships with adults and peers, self-regulate their emotions and behaviors, and succeed academically, while supporting their physical health and well-being. It is about creating a culture that prioritizes safety, trust, choice, and collaboration.

Breakout sessions include:
  • ACES and the impact of trauma on youth
  • Restorative Justice - what is it and how does it work in education
  • Blue Zones
  • Therapy dogs
  • Collaborative and Proactive Solutions
  • Mindfulness, self-care, and more
Register by clicking here now!

Pre-Registration is Open for the 2018 Iowa Culture and Language Conference

When
Nov. 5-7, 2018
Pre-Conference on Nov. 5
Regular conference on Nov. 6-7

Where
Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 300 East 9th Street, Coralville, IA

Registration
Pre-Registration ($180): Oct. 16-31, 2018
​Onsite Registration ($220): Nov. 5-6, 2018
Students - full-time ($105)
Register at the Iowa Culture and Language Conference website


The Mission of the Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) is to advocate for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and their families, educators, and service providers. For more Information, visit the Iowa Culture and Language Conference website.

Title III Support is available to public and nonpublic districts. Contact your ESL/Diversity Consultant for more information: Janet Hiatt at jhiatt@heartlandaea.org; or Cindra Porter at porter@heartlandaea.org.

Join Us for an EdCamp-style Workshop on Standards-Based Learning: Rubrics and Scales

Nov. 2, 2018
12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Register for this event at this link.

Check out all of our Framework Friday sessions in this flyer!

Explore Strategies for Promoting All Children’s Happiness in This Upcoming Workshop with Shannon Suldo

Participants will learn specific strategies at the Tier 1 level for promoting all children’s happiness through schoolwide and classwide strategies that target improvements in the factors correlated with children’s subjective well-being, including positive teacher-student relationships evident in schools with a healthy climate, as well as students’ personal levels of gratitude, optimism and use of character strengths. Participants will also become familiar with tools to assess positive psychology constructs, including how to incorporate such measures in universal screenings and progress monitoring.

Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., is a professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida and provides school-based mental health services to youth in the Tampa area.

Registration
Nov. 6, 2018
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/Nvp8w6

See You Tomorrow at the Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair at the Science Center!

Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair
Oct. 20, 2018
Science Center of Iowa
8:30 a.m. - noon

Families, educators, community and agency staff who support students with special needs are invited to attend the Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair.

This free event offers families of children with special needs and educators an opportunity to connect with valuable community and agency resources. You're welcome to tour the Science Center as our guest after attending the fair. Breakout sessions will be held concurrently at 9:00 a.m., followed by exhibits with more than 40 local agencies from 10 a.m. - noon.

To assist families in getting the most benefit, families are given complimentary admission to the entire Science Center for the entire day. A stipend is also available for childcare, and you’re invited to bring your childcare provider along to assist while you attend a session. For more information, contact Terry Mendell, Heartland AEA Lead Parent Coordinator, at tmendell@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 17135.