Two degree reclamation efforts are currently underway that will help students receive postsecondary credentials. Degree reclamation is a combination of evidence-based and equity-focused strategies that help institutions re-engage the “some college, no degree” population and provide them with targeted supports to aid in their completion of associate degrees. The first project focuses on community college leavers who have earned enough credits for an award or who are close to earning an award. The other project focuses on granting associate degrees to students who transfer to public universities.

As part of the data analysis for the Iowa Community College Completers and Leavers report, the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation identified students who were no longer enrolled at each Iowa community college, but who had earned sufficient credits to receive an award, as well as those who were close to earning an award, but never finished. A working group of chief student services officers, chief academic officers, and academic deans convened to review data sets, verify the information, and pilot efforts that could be scaled to institutions statewide.

The second project, reverse credit transfer (RCT),  enables Iowa community college students who transfer to one of the state's public universities before earning an award, to transfer credits back to their community college to retroactively receive an associate degree.

A RCT advisory committee oversees this work and is currently exploring ways to expand RCT to the public universities' direct-from-high school application, streamline degree audits, and align community college residency requirements.  Thousands of Iowa high school students who completed community college coursework prior to high school graduation could be eligible for the program. To date, Iowa's public universities have exchanged 2,843 student files with Iowa community colleges via the National Student Clearinghouse. The total number of awards granted will be available later this year. 

Please contact Chris Russell, Education Program Consultant, Bureau of Community Colleges, at 515-725-2247, or at chris.russell@iowa.gov, with comments or questions.

The Iowa Department of Education is seeking the public’s input on proposed standards for secondary career and technical education (CTE).

The standards were developed over the last year by program management teams consisting of secondary and postsecondary educators and administrators, business and industry partners, and staff from the Department and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Public input is being sought specifically in the areas of agriculture, food and natural resources; business, finance, marketing, and management; health sciences; human services; and information solutions. Work will begin on standards for applied sciences, technology, engineering, and manufacturing later this year.

Feedback through online surveys, which will be open through June 13, will be incorporated into the teams’ final recommendations for the State Board of Education this fall. If adopted, the CTE standards will be a mandatory requirement for school districts.

Please contact Pat Thieben, Administrative Consultant, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, at 515-281-4707, or at pat.thieben@iowa.gov.with comments or questions.

Going to college wasn’t an expectation when Breana Rocha was growing up. No one in her family had ever been to college. The process seemed intimidating, and she always thought it was financially out of reach for her family.

But that all changed her sophomore year at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. The school was participating in a new program for low-income students that would help her prepare for college while in high school and provide support services during college. And here’s the kicker – the program would also cover the full cost, including room and board, for her to earn an associate degree or other credit credential at Iowa Western Community College.

Please spread the word within your networks about three new Future Ready Iowa funding opportunities to help Iowans get the education and training required for great jobs and to help employers get the skilled workers they need.   

More than $16 million in new funding became available through bills signed by Gov. Reynolds in May. Most of the money will fund three programs:

• The Last Dollar Scholarship program, which prepares Iowans for high-demand jobs by paying tuition for those who enroll in one of 48 eligible programs.
• Future Ready Iowa Grant program, which provides tuition support to Iowans who have completed at least two years of a four-year degree in a high-demand field.
• Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund, a grant program to help communities carry out initiatives that address local workforce issues.

A communications toolkit is available online to help stakeholders learn about these opportunities and to share information about them through multiple platforms.  

For more information about Future Ready Iowa, visit futurereadyiowa.gov.

Registration is open for the 2019 HiSET^®/Iowa Adult Education and Literacy Summer Conference to be held July 15-17 at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown.

The conference, titled Fielding Their Dreams, will include best practices, emerging trends, and instructional strategies in adult education. The sessions are aimed at administrators and educators who help adults get the basic skills they need, including reading, writing, math, English language proficiency, and problem-solving to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Professionals in adult and family literacy and those who address workforce initiatives also are encouraged to attend.

Iowa attendees receive a discounted registration fee of $150. Please contact Marissa Goodwin at mgoodwin@ets.org if the fee amount is higher on the registration site and she will issue you an Iowa attendee invitation to register.

A schedule and summary of all conference sessions are available on the conference website.

Please contact Alex Harris, State Director for Adult Education, Bureau of Community Colleges, at 515-281-3640, or at alex.harris@iowa.gov with comments or questions.

How do you prepare students to succeed in college and careers? Students at the North Central Career Academy say it’s about stepping outside your comfort zone, meeting new people, gaining real-world experience in high-demand fields, and earning college credit. Oh, and it’s not just for the urban kids in population-dense school districts.

Located in Eagle Grove, population 3,428, the North Central Career Academy serves six area school districts within a 30 mile radius— Clarion Goldfield-Dows, Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge (including St.  Edmonds Catholic School), Humboldt, and Webster City. Students attending this regional center have access to college-level programming through Iowa Central Community College, state-of-the-art equipment, and career pathways in some of the state’s most in-demand fields.

The Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Literacy Council are currently accepting nominations for the 2019 Archie Willard Educator of the Year award.

The award is in memory of Archie Willard, whom many consider to be the grandfather of Iowa’s adult education and literacy programs. It recognizes educators who embody the value and principles that Willard demonstrated through his dedication to increase access to adult education and literacy across the nation.

Nominees must currently work in an adult education and literacy program in the state of Iowa and have a minimum of 12 months of experience in the field. The winner will be recognized at the 2019 HiSET®/Iowa Adult Education and Literacy Summer Conference scheduled for July 15-17 in Des Moines.

Please contact Alex Harris, State Director for Adult Education, Bureau of Community Colleges, at  515-281-3640, or alex.harris@iowa.gov for more information.

A new website has launched that will eventually house a virtual space where business partners can post projects for Iowa K-12 students to gain in-depth work experience, bringing real-world application into the schools.

The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning site currently includes work-based learning resources, success stories, and toolkits for schools and businesses.

The virtual space housing hands-on business projects for K-12 students will go live July 1.

Nearly 3,000 central Iowa students from more than 30 high schools ranging from Adel-Desoto-Minburn to Winterset, and everywhere in between, filled the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds this spring to learn more about the wide range of careers in construction and skilled trades.

The Build My Future event, which showcases high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers in Iowa’s skilled trades, allows students to explore and participate in hands-on activities in carpentry, electricity, welding, roofing, masonry, plumbing, advanced manufacturing, computer-aided design, architecture modeling, heavy equipment, and more. This immersive event puts students in the middle of the action so they can see the different career paths available in Iowa with varying levels of training and education required.

Dr. Pradeep Kotamraju, Chief of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education (CTE), will be departing this month to become the Director of the College and Career Division of the California Department of Education. In that role, he will be state director of CTE and guide the state's Perkins V implementation. 

Under his capable leadership over the past five and a half years, great strides have been made. We are certain California will benefit from his extensive experience leading CTE in Minnesota and Iowa and his leadership at the National Research Center for CTE. We wish him the best in his new endeavor.

Stephanie Weeks will be retiring on June 27, after 40 years of service.  For the past 27 years, she has served as the assistant to five different division administrators within the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation.

Stephanie has held many administrative responsibilities that resulted in our smooth operation and superior service to stakeholders. She has a deep knowledge of the Department and its processes and could always be counted on to take the initiative to resolve any challenges.  She has worked closely with the community college presidents and their assistants, the Community College Council, other Department divisions, and partner agencies.  Prior to working with the Division, she supported the Director of Career Education and various career and technical student organizations from 1979 - 1992.  She has received the Governor's Golden Dome Award for Employee of the Year, as well as a Distinguished Service Award from the Iowa Association of Future Farmers of America.

Kelli Diemer will be retiring on June 27, after 11 years of service. She has worked at the Department as an education consultant with the business and marketing disciplines as well as entrepreneurship and work-based learning.

Kelli helped start the Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Organization in 2013, which launched a statewide conference that has grown to over 250 attendees. In addition, she oversaw the Iowa Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network, which provided over 110,000 experiences and business engagement opportunities for students and educators last year. Prior to working at the Department, Kelli taught business and technology courses at Cedar Falls High School for 20 years. Kelli plans to do consulting work with a national organization on work-based learning in her retirement.  

We are seeking talented individuals who are passionate about excellence in education to fill several positions over the next few months within the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation (Division).

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.

The Division is seeking candidates for a CTE Consultant with a focus on either information solutions or agriculture.  We are currently interviewing for a CTE Consultant for Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing.  This summer, the Division expects to advertise for Bureau Chief (CTE) and two consultant positions within the Bureau of Community Colleges. 

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.