We are seeking talented individuals who are passionate about excellence in education to fill an Education Program Consultant for Program Quality position. This position will collaborate with community college Chief Academic Officers and Deans on a statewide level to solve common issues and will also provide leadership on coordinating the community college course and program approval process within the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation.

We don't just talk about inclusion; it's how we do business. Our team is globally diverse and we seek candidates whose differences will challenge our ideas, spur innovation and ultimately help build stronger programs serving the people of Iowa.

To learn more about these opportunities, please contact Jeremy Varner, Administrator, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation, at jeremy.varner@iowa.gov, or at 515-281-8260.

The Summer College Credit Program is an exciting opportunity for incoming ninth through 12th graders to enroll in college-credit courses in career and technical education (CTE) programs that are aligned to in-demand occupations during the summer semester. The courses are provided by Iowa’s 15 community colleges to students who want to maximize their summer break by experiencing college programming and exploring potential future career fields.

“It is very beneficial for students. They are so thankful to take classes in the summer,” said Katie Gilbert, dean of high school partnerships at Northeast Iowa Community College. “The students are so busy during the academic year, and the summer option provides them with an opportunity to explore courses while not having to worry about so many other commitments.”

As an added benefit, there is no cost to the student or their school district for enrolling in the Summer College Credit Program. Students can experience popular CTE programs, such as CNA, construction and welding courses, in modernized facilities with the latest industry technology.

Although the Summer College Credit Program is a relatively new endeavor at Iowa’s community colleges, evidence of the program’s momentum and appeal is already being noticed. Since its implementation in 2018, the number of students has grown exponentially. In fact, in between the first and second year, enrollment saw a 66 percent increase, and it is expected to rise again for the third academic year in 2021. The number of programs offered across the state has also increased from 38 programs in academic year 2019 to 49 slated for this year.

Click below to learn more about the summer college credit program and student-specific experiences in the program.

The Iowa Department of Education has released an updated Senior Year Plus Guide for Educators and Educational Administrators to assist in supporting Iowa school districts, accredited nonpublic schools and postsecondary institutions with the implementation of the state’s Senior Year Plus programs. This comprehensive guide is designed to assist educators, counselors, advisors and administrators in understanding the requirements and expectations of the Senior Year Plus programs. The guide contains program descriptions, requirements, timelines and a frequently asked questions section, including other useful resources. The Senior Year Plus guide is available on the Department’s website.

Contact Jen Rathje, Education Program Consultant at Jennifer.rathje@iowa.gov or 515-326-5389 with comments or questions.

The Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Literacy Council are pleased to announce the Iowa Adult Education and Literacy Summer Virtual Conference! The conference will be held virtually July 20-22, and will include time to virtually network with colleagues, meet with conference sponsors and exhibitors, and many opportunities to learn about innovative practices in adult education.  

• July 20 - pre-conference session options will cover integrated education and training, enhancing literacy development for ESL, non-profit strategies, and strategy-based reading and writing for informational text.

• July 21 - conference attendees will hear from keynote speaker, Sarah Ennis, on “The 3 R’s Emerging from Covid” and will choose from over 17 breakout sessions.  

• July 22 - keynote speaker Reecie Stagnolia will present “Leadership Matters: Eight to Great Pathways to Leadership”. Following his presentation attendees will choose from over 19 breakout sessions. 

The registration form and additional information can be found on the Iowa Department of Education Adult Education and Literacy page. Registrations will be accepted through July 21. 

The conference schedule and session descriptions can be found on the conference program website. 

For additional information please contact Helene Fein at ilcexecutivedirector@iowa.gov or Elizabeth Johnson at elizabeth.johnson2@iowa.gov.

This summer, Iowa’s community colleges continue to learn about high-impact strategies to strengthen college approaches to guided pathways through statewide webinars on the topics of data, branding pathway initiatives, and work-based learning. June 9th marked the first webinar, which featured a discussion on early momentum and success data with trends presented by staff at the Research Institute by Studies in Education (RISE). Individual colleges discussed ways to use the data to impact student outcomes through work plans and strategic initiatives. 

In webinars later this summer, colleges will take a deeper look into communicating Guided Pathways through branding, and the role of work-based learning. Save the following dates for these webinars:

• Thursday, July 15, 2021, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. - Communications & Branding
• Thursday, July 29, 2021, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. - Work-Based Learning

Since 2018, Iowa's community colleges have been learning about the national guided pathways movement and implementing strategies to put them into place locally. Each college has a unique work plan and strategy and has also been a part of a statewide initiative to learn and share ideas with each other through a grant received by the Iowa Department of Education in 2019 from Ascendium. Due to the COVID pandemic, several of the grant’s planned face-to-face convenings in each of spring, summer and fall terms have been replaced by virtual gatherings to learn about topics related to the successful implementation of key tenets of pathway initiatives. This series of technical assistance webinars are held for about two hours and function as a way for the colleges to learn from each other as well as from national research and speakers. 

Contact Amy Gieseke, Chief, Bureau of Community Colleges (amy.gieseke@iowa.gov or 515-858-2234) or Kelly Friesleben, Education Program Consultant, Bureau of Community Colleges (kelly.friesleben@iowa.gov or 515-868-2847) with comments or questions.

The Iowa ACTE Best Practices annual conference will be held face-to-face on September 22, 2021 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Iowa ACTE serves all educators and administrators in secondary (5-12) and postsecondary career and technical education settings. Their mission is to promote and support quality career and technical education for everyone through leadership, advocacy, communication, professional development and partnership. This year's conference will kick off with a CTE Without Limits presentation by Advance CTE and the CTE Bureau. A wide range of workshops will be offered during the conference. 

If you are interested in presenting at the conference, please complete the Call for Proposal Form. Proposals will be accepted through July 31.

Registration is currently open and available through September 14. Additional information can be found on the Iowa ACTE website.

After a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student officers and group mentors from Iowa’s career and technical student organizations convened in Ankeny this month for an annual leadership and skill-building training.

Sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Career and Technical Student Organizations’ (CTSO) Creating Outstanding Officer Leaders (COOL) training provided 36 youth officers the opportunity to represent seven different CTSOs, which are student organizations that enhance career and technical education (CTE) programs and provide opportunities for further skill-building in a particular field. Through CTSOs, students can participate in conferences, competitions, community service projects and other activities that can help explore career paths and build leadership qualities. CTSOs are integral to career and technical education and enrich the classroom experience through the application of skills in real-world scenarios.

“Being a CTSO officer is an opportunity to be a servant leader,” said Chris Dzurick, education consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “The training not only allows us to showcase our student leaders but also provides ideas on how they can give back to their CTE programs.”

This year’s training was themed as “The Summit Experience” and compared building the CTSO team and its goals to a climb. The day was filled with engaging interactive exercises to help students build cohesiveness and expectations within their teams. They were also able to understand different leadership styles, practice communication skills and create a plan.

Contact Chris Dzurick, Education Program Consultant, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, (chris.dzurick@iowa.gov or (515) 419-4792) for more information on CTSOs.

The Iowa Department of Education has published a new draft toolkit as a resource to plan, launch and manage high-quality internship programs at high schools in Iowa. A final, more-comprehensive version will be published later this year. The Iowa Internship Toolkit is a collaborative resource to support districts at all internship program implementation levels and is designed to highlight key components of a high-quality internship program. Within a well-designed internship program, students will learn, develop skills, contribute back to district community partners, build a professional portfolio and be prepared for success in postsecondary education, training and careers.

In addition to the new toolkit, two existing work-based learning resources have been updated. The sample training plan has been updated to better align with districts implementing standards-based grading, while the sample training agreement has been updated to include important links and responsibilities of the various roles involved with high school internship programs. Both of these documents are intended to be examples and can be used during district team discussions to determine modifications to meet your local needs.

Please contact Kristy Volesky, Education Program Consultant, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, (kristy.volesky@iowa.gov or at (515) 281-3615) with comments or questions.

Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) has chosen Roy Salcedo as its new Director of Equity and Inclusion. This brand-new role for the association was created in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education’s Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation. Salcedo will work with all 15 community college districts, the Department of Education, and IACCT to cultivate and maintain campus cultures committed to equity and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff. 

Salcedo currently serves as the GEAR UP Site Manager at Washington State University Tri-Cities, and has also recently worked in key leadership roles at Moses Lake High School and Big Bend Community College, both located in Moses Lake, Washington. Prior to his time in Washington, Salcedo spent over two decades working in Iowa. He oversaw the University of Iowa Center for Student Involvement & Leadership and also led the Cultural and LGBTQ Resource Centers and Coordinator of Multicultural Programs. Prior to this position, Salcedo served as the Lead Resource Specialist at the DMACC Gateway to College Program. He also served in many roles at Iowa State University, including Friley Residence Hall Director, Freshman Honors Program Coordinator, Resource Counselor for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, and Early Success Program Coordinator. 

Salcedo will begin his role full-time at IACCT in September.

Jeff Fletcher, Education Program Consultant for Career and Tech Ed Accountability, has been elected the Vice-Chair for the CompTIA National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Council.  

The CompTIA National CTE Advisory Council intends to design strategies to diversify the tech workforce and shape the future of CTE tech curriculum. Areas of focus include technology trends and emerging tech, best practices for instruction, professional development for instructors, credentialing and certification programs, grants and other funding sources, articulation agreements and connecting with industry employers.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy.

Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. 

The Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation is pleased to announce Justin Lewis joined the Career and Technical Education team on July 17 as the education program consultant for Business, Marketing and Information Solutions.

Prior to joining the Division, Lewis served as a mathematics and computer science teacher for the past eight years. Prior to receiving his master’s degree from Drake University, Justin graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University and moved to Iowa serving in management for Hormel Foods Corporation.

Within the division, Justin will be working on all aspects of Business, Marketing and Information Solutions CTE programs.