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The Iowa Department of Education is excited to announce the addition of LETRS for Early Childhood Educators to the list of professional development offered statewide to support evidence-based reading instruction, improve grade-level reading proficiency and close achievement gaps across the state. The sustained professional development in the Science of Reading, called LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) for Early Childhood Educators, is being provided at no cost to administrators and teachers providing Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program, Shared Visions Preschool Program and/or Early Childhood Special Education.
LETRS for Early Childhood Educators professional development empowers educators of young children with deeper knowledge and clarity of effective strategies to prepare all students for success in kindergarten and beyond. Information and interest forms to register for the courses are available at the Iowa LETRS webpage. Please email IALETRS@iowa.gov with questions.
Webinars will be held for educators interested in learning more about LETRS for Early Childhood Educators. Webinars will be held virtually on:
- May 7 at 3:30pm. Register HERE
- May 8 at 12:00 noon. Register HERE
- May 10 at 9:00am. Register HERE
The Department is hosting several online overview training sessions for the Revised Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics adopted by the State Board of Education on April 26, 2024. To support educators in implementing the revised standards, the Department will host multiple two-hour virtual sessions to provide an overview of the updates. Please sign up using this registration form. Please email april.pforts@iowa.gov or jody.vanderloo@iowa.gov with questions.
| K-8 |
9-12 |
| May 20, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
May 20, 2024 @ 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
| May 22, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
May 22, 2024 @ 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
| June 11, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
June 11, 2024 @ 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
| June 12, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
June 12, 2024 @ 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
| June 13, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
June 13, 2024 @ 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm |
Registration is now open for June 2024 courses through the Iowa College and Career Readiness Academy. These Iowa-specific online courses are designed for school counselors, teachers, administrators and other college access professionals.
The June session begins on the 3rd and runs through July 28. Click here to find the course schedule and registration links.
For six weeks during the summer, licensed, secondary teachers of mathematics, science and/or technology engage in an impactful professional development experience where they take on a full-time position in local workplace and apply their content knowledge to projects at that workplace, as well as gain knowledge about that workplace’s operations and career opportunities for students. During this professional development experience, these STEM educators earn three (3) graduate credits, acquire a participant stipend of up to $5,000, network with colleagues in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and receive mentoring by STEM education professionals on transferring the experience back to the classroom for their students.
Final application deadline for educators interested in participating as an extern is May 15, 2024.
For more information about this program, go to: https://iowastem.org/externships
Registration will soon be open for in-person school nutrition training offered this summer. Please also note that, if your school district will be hiring a new nutrition director, it is important to review hiring and annual training requirements required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture here: Professional Standards-School Nutrition.
- Regional Procurement Trainings
- May 8: Cedar Rapids
- May 15: Donnellson
- May 17: Waterloo
- May 22: Altoona
- May 23: Malvern
- May 29: Sioux Center
- New Director Meet-up Pre-conference session at the School Nutrition Association of Iowa Conference (June 18, Davenport)
- Planning Reimbursable Meals (June 26-27, Altoona)
- Iowa Eligibility and Direct Certification SY 2024-25 Webinar, (July 22, virtual)
- Back-to-School Nutrition Conference (July 30, 31 and Aug.1, Ames)
- Healthy School Meals Regional Workshops, led by Bureau Consultants (Aug. 5, 6 and 8) Tentative locations include:
- Aug 5: Cedar Rapids. Creston and Storm Lake
- Aug 6: Mason City and Washington
- Aug 8: Ames
Please contact your assigned regional school nutrition consultant with questions.
Spring SRI is open so districts and nonpublic buildings (those that report through SRI) can start cleaning their data. Even if you are error free in SRI prior to the end of the school year, you will need to take a new snapshot in Cedar Connect after your last day of classes and move that data to SRI so attendance can be captured for the entire year.
- A recorded Zoom webinar regarding spring student reporting was held in April and has been posted to the SRI website. Spring SRI certification deadline is June 24, 2024.
Public districts will also need to complete the Assessment Accountability application. This application is available after a district has moved data into SRI. Participation information from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) and the Dynamic Learning Map (DLM) will automatically be populated in this application for your district as the Department receives the information.
- For those needing a refresher or if you are new to the Assessment Accountability application, there is a recorded Zoom webinar you may view. Assessment Accountability certification deadline is June 25, 2024.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - Differentiated Accountability (IDEA-DA) is Iowa’s special education accountability model with a primary focus on improving educational results and functional outcomes for all learners with disabilities. The IDEA-DA system reflects our state’s commitment to providing leadership, oversight, improvement and technical support to ensure all learners have equitable access to educational opportunities. More information on IDEA-DA’s overview and requirements can be found here. One of the requirements for IDEA-DA is the completion and submission of a yearly progress report submitted by each LEA to the Iowa Department of Education. The purpose of the report is an annual reflection of actions and results that districts have taken relative to the IDEA-DA Implementation Plan.
- Information on the completion and submission of the IDEA-DA Progress Report will be released on May 6, 2024 and can be located on the IDEA-DA Google site’s homepage located here.
The Department has some exciting new tools in ACHIEVE for districts to use to assist with continuous improvement efforts, data collection, focused monitoring and dispute resolution. In order to facilitate district use of some of these new tools, there will now be limited ability for Local Education Agency (LEA) staff to provide permissions to staff within their own district. Permission assignments for IFSP / IEP roles in ACHIEVE remain with Area Education Agencies.
- Featured General Supervision / Phase 2 tools as well as details about the LEA User Manager for ACHIEVE role for districts will be shared in a Zoom webinar on Monday, June 3, 2024 from 1:00-2:00 pm. The webinar will be recorded for access to those unable to join live. Register HERE for the webinar.
- Recommended audiences for this webinar include superintendents, principals, special education directors, and curriculum directors.
The Final Rule was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), reducing the minimum Identified Student Percentage (ISP) from 40% to 25% to participate in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Student data reported by schools as of April 1 will be used to calculate the ISP and the school’s free/paid reimbursement claiming percentages. A school must have an ISP of 25% or greater to operate CEP. CEP allows school food authorities (SFAs) located in high poverty areas to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students. However, under CEP, not all meals are automatically claimed at the free federal reimbursement rate. There are some limitations on using all of the available funds to support CEP. Only the nonprogram revenue (from a la carte, vended or catered meals, adult meal sale, etc.) in excess of the required amount to meet requirements at 7 CFR 210.14(f) may be used to support CEP. Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) funds received in the past may not be used to support the implementation of CEP. SFAs must carefully determine the funding available in the NSFSA before implementing CEP.
The Department has released a number of new templates to support school nurses. These templates can either be dropped into the student’s health section within the Student Information System (SIS) or can be built in as forms for schools to use to streamline communication internally from the school nurse to teams, the superintendent, building leadership, special education directors, 504 coordinators, and for educators who have students requiring an Individual Health Plan (IHP), Emergency Evacuation Plan (EEP), or Emergency Action Plan (EAP) on their roster. The templates include:
Please email melissa.walker@iowa.gov with questions.
In order to ease the turnaround time for the collection and improve the accuracy of the ELI default assessment and assessment contacts in CASA, the Department will open the assessment collection in May. The Department will then reopen it in early August as an opportunity to make updates if there are changes in key staff, confirm the selections and to collect the 1% alternate assessment assurance. Informed by your feedback on who can enter default assessments, the Department has opened the ability to enter default assessments to anyone with the “district edit” access or “submit” access to complete the building entries, in addition to the building principals.
The Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation (WIIN) funds provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and awarded by the Iowa Department of Education support voluntary testing of drinking water for lead. Public schools and child care centers can apply at any time (while funds are available) to test their drinking water for lead. Participants will receive access to the WIIN training site and materials and testing kits through the state hygienic laboratory.
There are a number of Iowa STEM Festivals across the STEM Regions yet this spring in which students, families, schools and community partners can participate. These events help grow STEM education interest and awareness in STEM careers in communities.
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Southwest STEM Region. For more information, contact SW Regional STEM Manager Casey Wenstrand at wenstrand@iowastem.org
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May 1, 2024, 5:30-7:30PM – Southwest Iowa Technical Career Hub (SWITCH Center), East Mills Elementary Gym
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Northwest STEM Region. For more information, contact NW Regional STEM Manager Mary Trent at mtrent@iowalakes.edu
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June 20, 2024, 9AM-3PM – Iowa Lakes Summer STEM Fest, Iowa Lakes Community College, Estherville Campus. Free to Grades 4-10 students. See how technology and careers collide while exploring computer science, track turtles, fly drones and more through STEM sessions and group games.
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Southeast STEM Region. For more information, contact SE Regional STEM Manager Matt Stier at matthew-j-stier@uiowa.edu
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July 18, 2024, 9AM-1PM – Collins Aerospace Campus, Cedar Rapids
Please see an opportunity to participate in a national initiative to expand school-based mental health supports. The initiative aims to facilitate mutual learning, innovation, and collaboration among 15 selected districts (or LEA equivalents) to promote the effective exchange of knowledge and best practices in budgeting that supports the sustainability of school-based mental and behavioral health interventions.
Applications are due May 10, 2024. Learn more about and how to apply for the initiative here.
A school or school district may, by board policy, excuse graduating seniors up to five days toward the 180 days or 30 hours toward the 1,080 hours of instruction after school or school district requirements for graduation have been met. If additional days are added to the regular school calendar because of inclement weather, a graduating senior who has met the school district’s requirements for graduation may be excused from attendance during the extended school calendar. 281—IAC 12.1(7)
Please contact your Department of Education School Improvement Consultant with questions.
District and building views of key data in Panorama Student Success provide leadership with near real-time trend data and early warning indicators for attendance, grades and behavior. Education leaders and school teams can keep an eye on literacy and math implementation of screening and student progress for K-6 students. Learn which interventions are effective in closing achievement gaps and which are not. Teams can view key indicator data (i.e., attendance, grades and behavior incidents) for all students. You can examine student group data and explore a variety of data interactions. Explore what you can do with Panorama Student Success.
Visit and subscribe to the Annual Notices and Deadlines Calendar for a list of state and federal notices and deadlines for all public and nonpublic schools.
It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, please contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, telephone number: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, telephone number: 312-730-1560, FAX number: 312-730-1576, TDD number: 800-877-8339, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov
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