Response to Senate File 274

Recommendations strengthen computer science education

With the intent of improving the opportunity for all students to develop computer science knowledge and skills, a work group has offered recommendations required by Senate File 274. In addition to establishing the work group, the legislation passed last spring also created a professional development incentive fund. The goal of the fund is to significantly increase the number of computer science teachers in Iowa.

The group was required to address the following five issues, which they did in their final report.

How computer science courses could satisfy graduation requirements for math or science. The group determined that a district could allow students to count a computer science course for mathematics or science credit once that student has completed other mathematics or science classes covering required mathematics or science standards.

How these courses could be integrated into a career and technical education (CTE) pathway. Currently, a computer science course can count in a CTE program as long as the teacher has a CTE endorsement. The work group recommends strengthening communications between the Department, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and school districts to ensure schools know how computer science courses can be integrated into a CTE pathway.

The settings in which courses could be delivered (including in traditional high school settings, concurrent enrollment classes, and online). For districts receiving the computer science professional development incentive funds, professional learning will be available for those that want to offer traditional and/or blended delivery.

Guidelines for an appropriate scope and sequence of computer science instruction at each grade level. A team of computer science education experts is now being assembled to review computer science standards and use the K-12 Computer Science Framework as a guiding document to recommend standards for Iowa’s schools.

How the computer science professional development fund created in the legislation could be used to meet the goals of the law. The funds will be disbursed through a competitive application process. Priority will be given to districts that most clearly demonstrate that their proposal will expand the reach and rigor of computer science, including expanding participation for underrepresented students. In addition, the Department must distribute funds evenly across small, medium, and large districts and ensure geographic diversity among the accepted applications. The legislature plans to appropriate money to this fund in the upcoming legislative session. 

For more information, contact Ryan Wise at ryan.wise@iowa.gov or (515) 281-3436 or Erika Cook at erika.cook@iowa.gov or (515) 240-3103.

First for Fine Arts

K-12 fine arts standards adopted by State Board 

Recommended fine arts standards for students in preschool through grade 12 are now a part of Iowa’s academic standards. The State Board of Education voted to adopt the new standards Nov. 15.

A team of 22 Iowa fine arts educators reviewed the National Core Art Standards (NCAS) and recommended their adoption with some minor revisions. The new Fine Arts Standards include visual art, vocal and instrumental music, dance, media arts, and theatre.  

The standards, which emphasize artistic literacy and artistic thinking, are process-focused instead of product-focused. Standards for all disciplines center around four artistic processes: creating, performing/producing/presenting, responding, and connecting. The standards are designed to provide a unified approach to fine arts that will support a level playing field for students, regardless of variance in fine arts programs across the state.

Angela Matsuoka, fine arts consultant for the Department of Education, led the work of the team assisted by Rhonda Sternhagen, visual arts teacher from Grundy Center CSD, and Jill Wilson, assistant professor of music at Luther College. Matsuoka described the importance of the standards as “paramount to education. The standards identify pathways for students to become critical thinkers, creative makers, and thoughtful responders to the world around them,” she said.

Iowans surveyed seemed to agree with Matsuoka. In an online survey of Fine Arts teachers conducted by the Department between April 13 and May 12, 86 percent of the responders indicated they believed recommended standards for fine arts will lead to improved student learning.  

Leon Kuehner, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education executive director, served as a team member and assisted with the presentation to the State Board. According to Kuehner, this adoption underscores the importance of the fine arts “as part of a well-rounded education and affirms the value of fine arts in our state.”  

For more information, contact Angela.Matsuoka at angela.matsuoka@iowa.gov or (515) 782-7296.

Supporting writing standards

Literacy team to focus on improving writing instruction

One of the goals of the Statewide Literacy Leadership Team is to improve student writing and learning by improving the teaching of writing. To support this goal, team members will participate in a standards-aligned professional learning opportunity facilitated by Gary Troia, an associate professor at Michigan State University, whose work includes writing instruction and assessment to meet post-secondary writing expectations.

The session, planned for Feb. 15, 2018, is designed for AEA and district leads to build their knowledge in evidence- and research-based writing instruction and assessment using a Multi-Tiered System of Support decision-making framework.

The focus on writing is much needed, according to Destiny Eldridge, literacy consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. "I’ve received feedback from educators that writing instruction and student opportunities to write regularly across all disciplines and for real purposes is lacking in Iowa,” she said. Eldridge also indicated that the anticipated standards-aligned statewide assessment will include a writing component when implemented in 2018.

Based upon the session, the team plans to build a workshop to deliver to teacher leaders, instructional coaches, and teachers designed to build their capacity in the following areas:

• Understanding the writing standards, including the interdependence among reading, writing, speaking and listening
• Implementing research- and evidence-based instructional practices and writing strategies
• Assessing writing

Eldridge anticipates that members of the Statewide Literacy Leadership Team will be ready to facilitate this workshop with educators in June 2018.

For more information, contact Destiny Eldridge at destiny.eldridge@iowa.gov or (515) 822-2554.

District builds a culture of collaborative improvement

A district that exemplifies the collaborative culture that is part of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Framework for Learning Supports is the Humboldt Community School District. 

Humboldt CSD is in the fourth year of TLC funding and has built their TLC programming around their focus on Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW). Now in its tenth year of AIW implementation, Humboldt's preschool through high school teachers engage in this reflective, continuous improvement process.

“AIW focuses us on improving the quality of teaching to help students develop higher order thinking, demonstrate conceptual understanding of important disciplinary content, and engage in substantive conversations,” said Tamela Johnson, Humboldt curriculum director. “All of us, whether we’re curriculum leads, mentor teachers, technology integrationists, data coaches, or instructional coaches are looking at teaching and learning through the AIW lens. We’re talking the same language and working toward the same end.”

Through professional learning communities, teachers apply the AIW standards and criteria to score tasks, student work, and instruction. Through this process they develop instructional expertise around a common vision of quality instruction supported by research and aimed at improving academic achievement.  Trust grows among team members as they solicit and give descriptive feedback about each other’s teaching.

Following the scoring sessions, teachers use the feedback they’ve received to improve the task or instructional plan. Over time teachers, individually and collectively, become more reflective and apply AIW to everyday classroom practices.

Johnson said that TLC funding has been especially important in allowing the district to send coaches for additional training. “Building internal capacity has been a huge part of our success,” she said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time and we’re still having great conversations,” Johnson said. “It’s the wisdom around the table that keeps moving us forward.”