In last week’s Administrator Connection, you may recall that the American Institutes for Research (AIR) had identified an issue with Iowa ELPA21 speaking recordings on certain HP, Samsung, ASUS and Dell Chromebooks running Chrome OS versions 54 and 55. It was expected that Google would fix the issue with the release of Chromebook OS version 56.
An updated version of Chrome OS 56 was released last week. However, the released version of Chrome OS 56 did not include the fix for ELPA21 speaking recording that was included in the preliminary version that AIR tested in the lab. AIR has been in touch with Google and is asking them to release the code that fixes speaking recording. In the meantime, Chromebooks that were unable to be used for recording ELPA21 speaking responses while running Chrome OS 55 will have the same issue when running Chrome OS 56. The Department of Education continues to recommend that all schools that use Chromebooks take a practice test on the Chromebook and confirm that ELPA21 speaking records correctly before administering an operational test to students on a Chromebook. Although it is being worked on, there is no information on when the fix will be available from Google.
Great Prairie AEA is excited to host Todd Whitaker for a leadership workshop, March 1, in Fairfield, IA. District Leadership Teams are encouraged to join Todd as he reveals what the most effective leaders do differently than their colleagues. Blending school centered studies and experience working with hundreds of administrators, he will focus on why these things make them more effective and how to immediately implement each of these practices into your school. View this flyer for more information and a link to register.
What Great Leaders Do Differently Workshop
Date: March 1, 2017
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, 200 North Main Street, Fairfield, IA
Register at this link
If you are seeking clarity on how to be more efficient and effective in building a system of supports for your middle and high school students, this academy is designed for you.
An Academy for Middle Schools & High SchoolsMulti-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Date: April 4 & 25, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Zion Lutheran Church, 4300 Beaver Ave., Des Moines, IA
Register at this link
Participants will also explore:
- The culture of collective responsibility
- Iowa School Report Card rating developed by the DE
- Student proficiency and year-to-year growth on reading and math assessments
For more information, contact Heartland AEA Professional Development at (800) 255-0405 ext. 14701 or profdev@heartlandaea.org.
