Important ESL Updates and Information

Lau Plans
New this year: You will be asked to add the Lau Plan to the C-plan. The Lau Plan is another name for your district's ESL Plan. Please add the plan you already have and if you do not have one, please indicate that on the C-plan. The Lau Plan (ESL plan) is something that every district must have even if you do not have an English language learner in your district. Please do not rush to write or re-write a plan this year. The state is more interested in knowing what is currently in place. A committee will be reviewing these plans in order to identify the types of supports the AEA can offer. If you have questions about this, please contact one of Heartland AEA’s ESL/Diversity consultants (see below).

TELPA
Click here for the memo from Dave Tilly, Deputy Director at the Iowa Department of Education, referencing the Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA), the required ESL placement screener.

Higher Education
Click here for information on a new ESL professional development opportunity from University of Iowa.

Heartland AEA ESL Advisory/Networking Meetings
All Heartland AEA area district/school are invited to send a representative(s) to quarterly ESL Advisory/Networking meetings. Participants identify professional development needs and provide input on Title III support for the school year. They also find out firsthand about mini grant opportunities for implementation in their districts. Meeting will be held in the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive), Room 13B from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on the following dates:
September 3, 2013
December 3, 2013
February 4, 2014
May 6, 2014

ICLC
The Iowa Culture and Language Conference (ICLC) registration is now open. More information will be coming on the Title III support the AEA will offer for attendance. District teams are encouraged to attend. Click here for conference information.

New Teachers
If you have a few teachers in your district who want to gain knowledge on sheltered instruction, encourage them to take a look at the online class offered by Pearson. Heartland AEA Title III funds will pay for the registration of $250 and provide a $200 stipend for teachers completing the virtual class. There is a process to complete to be eligible for this reimbursement so please have them contact Pat Latham for more details. Click here for information from Pearson about the class.

For more information about any of the above items or Heartland AEA-provided supports for English language learners, contact:

Stephaney Jones-Vo, ESL/Diversity Consultant
(800) 255-0405 ext. 14680
sjonesvo@heartlandaea.org

Pat Latham, ESL/Diversity Consultant
(800) 255-0405 ext. 11228
platham@heartlandaea.org

Using PPEL to Cover Internet Connectivity Costs

Many administrators and tech directors are under the impression that districts can't pay for Internet connectivity costs out of Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). The thought is that you can pay for connectivity equipment such as a router or a switch, but not the Internet service itself.

However, on the Department of Education's website, in the FAQ in the declaratory order about how you can fund computing purchases, it states:

Question: Can a district pay for contracted technology services from PPEL?
Answer: Yes, as long as the cost, whether stand alone or part of a bundle, meets the definition of technology in this Declaratory Order, meets the $500 per unit (stand-alone unit or bundled technology unit, as applicable) cost threshold in PPEL, and is in reality a license renewal fee; a technical assistance support contract; an internet subscription license or fee; or a cable or satellite service.
 
Nicole Proesch (nicole.proesch@iowa.gov) of the DE indicates that you can, indeed, spend PPEL funds, as long as the amount of the agreement is over $500. Districts can also use their sales tax funds (SAVE) for Internet subscriptions, as long as technology was listed in their revenue purpose statement (RPS).

From Nicole: 

"Any Internet subscription from any provider which meets the definition of “technology” as defined in rules and law would be allowable from PPEL if it meets the more than $500 per purchase/transaction threshold. So an annual subscription probably will be more than $500. Month-to-month is just a purchased service cost and would not likely meet the more than $500 for each monthly purchase. A district needs to look at the contract to determine the length of the district’s obligation for that service and the total costs in the contract, because districts might make payments monthly on an annual or multi-year contract. That would be different than simply paying a monthly bill that the services can be terminated or cancelled by the district. SAVE can be used for any PPEL purposes if that is the language the district used in its RPS."

Agency’s Annual Progress Report Approved by Dept. of Education

This summer, the Agency's Annual Progress Report (APR) for the 2011-2012 school year was approved by the Iowa Department of Education. Click here to view the report.