The public comment period for the Iowa Perkins V State Plan began March 24 and will remain open for 30 days until April 24. Public comment can be presented in person or virtually at a public hearing on April 1 or via mail/e-mail.
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act, also known as Perkins V, is the largest federal funding source for secondary and postsecondary CTE programs. Perkins V provides approximately $14.5 million annually in federal funding to Iowa. A four-year full state plan will be developed for federal FY25 to FY28 or academic years 2025-26 to 2028-29, encompassing all administrative and financial activities under the act.
The Iowa Department of Education will review all public comments for possible revisions to the proposed Perkins V Iowa State plan. The final Iowa Perkins V State Plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information, please contact Bureau of CTE & Postsecondary Readiness Education Program Consultant Dr. Jeff Fletcher at jeffrey.fletcher@iowa.gov.
|
Iowa school districts can offer students opportunities to earn real-world, industry-recognized credentials by applying for a Credentials to Careers Grant starting April 1. This second round of competitive grants will support Iowa school districts in aligning secondary career and technical education programs with industry-recognized credentials and labor market value.
Industry-recognized credentials (IRC) are valuable tools that allow students to earn education- and work-related credentials that verify skill mastery and educational attainment, empowering them to secure meaningful and sustainable employment in Iowa. Vetted by employers and endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organization in a particular industry, these credentials are available across many career pathways, including health sciences, information technology, construction, manufacturing, child development, culinary and business.
The grant application will remain open on IowaGrants.gov through May 30. School districts can apply for grants of up to $50,000, with priority given to districts that have not previously been awarded a Credentials to Careers Grant. Applicants will be screened and scored on the selected criteria for the grant. Schools must complete a separate application for each IRC.
In determining awards, district applicants must demonstrate clear, sustainable plans to align one or more existing career and technical education (CTE) pathways with student attainment of IRCs.
For more information on the Careers to Credential Grant, contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov or 515-326-5378.
April is Community College Month, an opportunity to celebrate and champion how community colleges serve your students and communities.
The Department looks forward to highlighting the success of Iowa's 15 community colleges on social media and encourages you to do the same on your campuses and communities.
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), which sponsors the month, has also created a toolkit to provide resources and inspiration for maximizing the impact of Community College Month.
|
Throughout the year, we look forward to introducing you to our staff and making you familiar with the staff at your service and available to assist in any way possible. As we embark on Community Colleges Month, below are the members of our Bureau of Community Colleges who are eager to collaborate with and assist you in serving Iowa's community college students.
|
Name
|
Title
|
|
Roles/Responsibilities
|
Phone Number
|
|
Amy Gieseke
|
Bureau Chief
|
|
Bureau management, Community college accreditation.
|
515-858-2234
|
|
Vladimir Bassis
|
Administrative Consultant
|
|
Community College Management Information System (CC MIS), data connections and report creation.
|
515-281-3671
|
|
Lisa Gard
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
HSED data, MIS data collection and annual reports. WEBMIS rule updates and maintenance, Pell Audit data.
|
515-418-3156
|
|
Cenk Cetin
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Data processing and reporting on behalf of all Iowa community colleges for national benchmarking purposes. Support for Pell audit and other reports.
|
515-419-4792
|
|
Maryam Rod Szabo
|
Administrative Consultant
|
|
Educator Quality program reviews and approval process. Teacher pipeline data.
|
515-360-7369
|
|
Stephanie TeKippe
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Educator Quality, project manager for assigned program reviews title II and annual report.
|
515-326-5333
|
|
Amy Mayer
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Educator Quality, project manager for assigned program reviews, Title II and Shortage report.
|
515-238-9148
|
|
Lindsay Harrison
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Educator Quality, Project Manager for assigned program reviews, Paraeducator prep annual report and survey of novice educators.
|
515-205-4697
|
|
Robin Shaffer Lilienthal
|
Administrative Consultant
|
|
Community college accreditation, Iowa Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund program management (WTED, Gap, PACE, Ace Infrastructure), non-credit programs, economic development programs.
|
515-418-8273
|
|
Derreck Calkins
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
STICS, academic programs (community college), faculty qualifications.
|
515-238-9758
|
|
Kelly Friesleben
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Student success, Guided Pathways, Reverse credit transfer, community colleges student services liaison.
|
515-868-2847
|
|
Lisa Washington
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Senior Year Plus - Concurrent Enrollment, Postsecondary Enrollment Option (PSEO), Summer College Credit Program, Nonpublic Concurrent Enrollment, Career Academies, NACEP Standards, compliance and accreditation.
|
515-326-5389
|
|
Peggy Long
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
Post-Secondary Correction Education and Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) program.
|
515-975-8398
|
|
Jathan Chicoine
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
GI Bill. Veterans issues.
|
515-745-2710
|
|
Monte Burroughs
|
Education Program Consultant
|
|
GI Bill. Veterans issues.
|
515-631-9207
|
|
Marhonda Hill
|
Secretary 2
|
|
Community Colleges and Postsecondary Readiness, Operating While Intoxicated (OWI).
|
515-281-5251
|
Consider joining Iowa's Annual Work-Based Learning Conference this spring. Scheduled for April 14 at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in Altoona, Iowa, the full day of speakers and sessions will detail some of the best practices in work-based learning from across the state.
Featuring nearly 30 different sessions for attendees to choose from, the event promises to bring value to any organization associated with work-based learning in Iowa.
Kristy Volesky, a former Iowa Department of Education staff member, is the event's keynote speaker with a session titled 'Social Capital: A Critical Edge for Student Success.'
The session promises to help educators improve their skills in empowerment, inclusivity, and transformative experiences through critical insights and actionable strategies.
For more information on this application period, contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov or 515-326-5378.
Pathway Pillars in Practice is a series of webinars that create communities of practice around specific topics related to one of the four pillars of Guided Pathways. Each session is held over the lunch hour so anyone can participate and engage in discussion on a topic presented by the Department and one of the 15 community college districts.
The next Pathway Pillars in Practice, on Concurrent Data Sharing, is slated for Tuesday, April 15, at noon. Those interested in participating are encouraged to register here ahead of time.
For more information, contact Education Program Consultant Kelly Friesleben at kelly.friesleben@iowa.gov or 515-868-2847.
|
Join staff from the Department, Workforce Development and the reigning Iowa Teacher of the Year on April 8 at 3:30 p.m. to learn about how Perkins V funding can be used in conjunction with Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) and other programs to create sustained work-based learning.
In addition to an overview of Perkins funding, presenters will detail how to utilize those funds for work-based learning and how to integrate work-based learning into CTSO experiences as well as linking work-based learning to FFA and supervised ag experiences.
Individuals interested in participating in the webinar are encouraged to register for the event through Iowa Workforce Development.
Recordings of previous work-based learning webinars are also available.
The upcoming Iowa Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference, scheduled for June 18 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, is actively seeking postsecondary representatives to present on career and technical education programs to its attendees.
The annual conference includes CTE educators, administrators, retired professionals, and students from secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and career and technical student organizations (CTSO). This year's conference is themed 'Transforming Opportunities in CTE' and also features sessions with ACTE national president Robert Torres, Jeff Frost, the executive director of professional technical education for Waterloo schools, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow and Trevor Snow, the curriculum and outreach coordinator for Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship.
Individuals and organizations interested in hosting a 30-minute workshop as part of the conference are encouraged to complete the IACTE breakout session proposal.
|
We are excited to welcome Kayli Sampson to the Division of Higher Education as an Administrative Consultant for policy and finance. Prior to joining the Bureau, Sampson served in the financial aid office at Iowa State University. Welcome aboard, Kayli!
|
|
