Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve
the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
Iowa Testing reports that the 2015 I-ELDA assessments required of all identified English Language Learners in Iowa are already being shipped to districts that have ordered. This is a reminder that the annual test window will open soon and also that district individuals who administer that assessment must renew the IELDA test administration certification annually. You can look through the 2013-14 Moodle Training site (which is also used this year).
Corwith-Wesley CSD has some outstanding MS/HS teachers that will be looking for work in some hard-to-find areas, and I would really like to help them find a job. Corwith-Wesley CSD (MS/HS) will cease to exist at the end of June 2015; the district will be dissolving.
Superintendents can call me anytime if you are going to have a potential opening that you know of or you want to talk to me about one of these outstanding MS/HS teachers. I would love to see all of those that want to continue in education have a job before the year ends. This sheet not only contains each teacher and endorsement but also non-certified staff members.
Thanks!
Jon Hueser – MSE, Ed.S
Superintendent/Principal
Corwith-Wesley Lu Verne CSD
Corwith #: 515-583-2304
Lu Verne #: 515-882-3357
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.
A new SIS manager support group will be starting up this month. Three experienced SIS managers (Kendra Wolf of A-D-M, Sandra Lathum of Norwalk, and Cathy Fitzgerald from Ames) are going to help get the group organized. This support will come in three main forms:
1) a number of face-to-face meetings held at central locations at strategic times of the year -- the dates of these meetings will be determined by the members of the group.
2) a number of online meetings using the Zoom video conference software -- the dates of these online meetings will be determined by the members of the group.
3) a listserv, similar to the ones used by the tech coordinator and tech integration groups.
The first meeting will be held via Zoom on Jan. 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. Part of this initial meeting will be organizational in nature, but most of it will focus on discussing the state reports that are due in the coming weeks. If you are unable to attend this first online meeting, a summary of what was discussed will be posted to the listserv.
More information will be sent in the next week about how to log in to Zoom meetings, as well as how to join the listserv. We hope this new group will provide strong support to its members, in the same way that our tech coordinator group functions.
About 28 days of OLLIE
Online communities and learning networks are helping educators create innovative solutions to age-old problems, and fulfill the promise of today and tomorrow's educational landscape. Because online learning is evolving quickly it is especially important for online teachers to connect and collaborate.
The 28 days of OLLIE is an excellent opportunity for online teachers to benefit from each other in exchanging ideas and experiences, as well as gain some insight into the newest innovations in online learning.
Throughout the month there will be coordinated opportunities for online teachers to connect with each other, engage in and learn from. It is our hope that at the end of this month the connections that are formed among and between the community members will extend beyond the 28 days and lead to community of online teachers that can support each other in future work.
What to Expect during 28 days of OLLIE
28 days of OLLIE is meant to provide online teachers with learning opportunities focused on enhancing their ability to teach in blended or online environments. The community facilitators will be hosting a variety learning opportunities or events for educators.
As a community member you can:
• Engage content that will enhance your ability to teach in a blended or online environment (viewing resources, reading blog posts, attending live or recorded webinars)
• Participate in a Blended Learning course (renewal or graduate credit available)
• Discuss key topics such as online instructional strategies, resources for online learning, engaging the online learner, assessing the online learner and much more
• Learn about technology tools that support blended and online learning
• Be entered to win different “door prizes” for participating in the OLLIE Community
Invitation to Participate
We welcome educators at all levels and those who support them to participate. The first step is join the community, which can be done in seconds at http://bit.ly/1wWps6k
Once you’re signed up, you’ll get regular updates about:
• Webinars and other real-time events
• Forums on topics related to teaching and learning online
• Activities that you can be part of
• Resources that are available
• Badges you can earn
• And much, much more!
Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve
the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
The January 2015 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is available. In today’s issue, Director Brad Buck writes about what to look for in 2015, while attorney Nicole Proesch outlines how to effectively manage food allergies in the school. Also, meet Clemencia Spizzirri, the 2015 Teacher of the Year.
The January 2015 issue of Each and Every Child, the Iowa Department of Education’s e-newsletter that goes to over 15,000 Iowans who are a part of the special education community is now available. In this issue, meet Jason Volmer, the coordinator of special education in the Urbandale Community School District (and former Heartland AEA staff member). You’ll understand what motivates Jason on a very deep level.
The Iowa Department of Education has launched a web-based survey and could use your help. The Department is interested in learning about partnerships between Iowa schools and parents of school-age children who receive special education. The results will be compared to national findings and used to identify areas of success and those in need of improvement.
The survey will close Jan. 15. Here is the link: https://www.edinfo.state.ia.us/I-Star/parents/start.aspx
Please share the link with parents of children who receive special education. The more feedback, the better.
This comes directly from the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice today released joint guidance reminding states, school districts, and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential.
In addition to the guidance, the Departments also released additional tools and resources to help schools in serving English learner students and parents with limited English proficiency:
- A fact sheet in English and in other languages about schools’ obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students can participate meaningfully and equally in school.
- A fact sheet in English and in other languages about schools’ obligations under federal law to communicate information to limited English proficient parents in a language they can understand.
- A toolkit to help school districts identify English learner students, prepared by the Education Department’s Office of English Language Acquisition. This is the first chapter in a series of chapters to help state education agencies and school districts meet their obligations to English learner students.
This is the first time that a single piece of guidance has addressed the array of federal laws that govern schools’ obligations to English learners. The guidance recognizes the recent milestone 40th anniversaries of Lau v. Nichols and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), as well as the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The EEOA, similar to Lau, requires public schools to take appropriate action to help English learner students overcome language barriers and ensure their ability to participate equally in school.
The guidance explains schools’ obligations to:
- identify English learner students in a timely, valid and reliable manner;
- offer all English learner students an educationally sound language assistance program;
- provide qualified staff and sufficient resources for instructing English learner students;
- ensure English learner students have equitable access to school programs and activities
- avoid unnecessary segregation of English learner students from other students;
- monitor students’ progress in learning English and doing grade-level classwork;
- remedy any academic deficits English learner students incurred while in a language assistance program;
- move students out of language assistance programs when they are proficient in English and monitor those students to ensure they were not prematurely removed;
- evaluate the effectiveness of English learner programs; and
- provide limited English proficient parents with information about school programs, services, and activities in a language they understand.
Find a letter of information for ordering the 2015 Iowa English Language Development Assessment (I-ELDA) from David Henkhaus of Iowa Testing. Additionally, there are updated ordering directions from the I-ELDA training Moodle. The Moodle has been updated for 2014-15 and is ready for use by test administrators to earn their 2015 certificate.
