All districts (Levels 1, 2 and 3) are required to complete both the data review protocol and implementation plan by March 13. Materials and resources are available for districts to support completion of the data review protocol and implementation plan in ACHIEVE. The tabs at the top of the webpage will take you to specific topics of support. The Home tab provides an overview of IDEA-DA, along with the available office hours. The General Resources tab contains information on timelines and requirements for the differentiated levels of support.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Mary Beilke at mary.beilke@iowa.gov with questions.

The Department is committed to ensuring that ACHIEVE is a comprehensive system that not only supports the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but also meets the day-to-day needs of professionals working with learners in the field. As a result, ACHIEVE is often updated with enhancements and new features.

To help users stay informed, the Department offers the following resources:

Monthly Release Notes - A monthly summary of system enhancements and updates can be found in the System Release Notes/Updates section on the left-hand menu of ACHIEVE.

ACHIEVE Webpage - Summaries of new features, training and resources are available on the webpage.

Message Banners in ACHIEVE - A blue message banner at the top of the My Dashboard page highlights important system updates and changes.

These resources are designed to keep users informed and supported as ACHIEVE continues to evolve. Please contact Education Program Consultant Shannon Grundmeier at shannon.grundmeier@iowa.gov with questions.

The ACHIEVE Family Portal is a powerful tool to help strengthen connections with the families served. Currently, just over 10% of learners have at least one family contact who has an active family portal account. There is a significant opportunity to expand access and empower families with real-time information about their learner.

The ACHIEVE Family Portal Access Report helps teams identify which families have and have not yet created an account in a particular district or AEA. This knowledge allows for targeted outreach efforts and support for those who may need assistance.

The Department hosted training webinars in February. Individuals who attended reported increased confidence supporting families and gained strategies to promote engagement with the Portal.

Webinar topics included:

• Actions required in ACHIEVE to enable ACHIEVE Family Portal invitations to be sent.
• Tools for sharing account benefits and registration details with families.
• Steps families must take to create an account and connect to learner information.
• Strategies to increase family engagement and understanding.
• Supports and resources for families who encounter difficulty creating or accessing their account, using the platform and translating content into other languages.
  
  

The recorded webinars for supporting Early ACCESS and special education family portal engagement can be accessed on the ACHIEVE webpage. Questions about the ACHIEVE Family Portal can be directed to the Family Portal support team at achievesupport@iowa.gov.

The Department released the School Nurse Toolkit to provide standardized processes and documentation forms used for health service delivery to all learners, including eligible learners under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The toolkit covers health service delivery roles, delegation of assisted daily living skills, non-emergency health services, emergency health services, contract agency nursing and more.

The school nurse can complete the Special Healthcare Needs Assessment Form, which provides important data related to health services and delegation decisions. Ultimately, all decisions regarding health as a related factor require a comprehensive review and are determined by the IEP team; however, as an integral team member, the school nurse provides important information to inform these decisions. Other helpful forms in the toolkit include:

• Individual Health Plan (IHP)
• Emergency Action Plan
• Emergency Evacuation Plan
• Medical Delegation and Consent Form (completed by licensed health personnel to meet regulatory and school policy requirements)

If health is identified as a factor and a learner has a regular and ongoing health-related service in their IEP, an IHP is required and uploaded to ACHIEVE. At minimum, the IHP must include an annual evaluation of each goal to remain current and compliant. If a learner does not have a health-related service in their IEP but does have an IHP, the IHP may be kept securely in the student record.

Please contact Administrative Consultant Melissa Walker at melissa.walker@iowa.gov with questions regarding school health service delivery.

The Department recently released updated guidelines and launched a coordinated webinar series focused on public and accredited nonpublic special education collaboration. This work is grounded in Iowa Code and Iowa Administrative Rules and is designed to support AEAs, public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools and families in understanding roles, responsibilities and shared practices.

The first webinar in the series was held on Feb.18 and focused on the required AEA Level Consultation process. The audience for the webinars includes accredited nonpublic school administrators and staff as well as district and AEA administrators who work with accredited nonpublic schools. The recording and session materials are available on the Department website.

The next topic, Child Find & Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for accredited nonpublic students eligible for special education, will be held March 25 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Join the webinars on Zoom using passcode 431127. No registration is required, and the same link will be used for all sessions.

The goal of this work is to strengthen shared understanding, improve coordination, and support consistent implementation across public and accredited nonpublic settings. Please contact Education Program Consultant Janelle Danner at janelle.danner@iowa.gov with questions.

The Policy and Practice webinar, Connecting Alternate Assessment (DLM) to Instruction & Licensure, was held on Feb. 11. This session provided an overview of key considerations when making instructional and assessment decisions for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The recording and session materials are available on the Department website.

The next webinar in the series, Extended School Year Services (ESYS), will be held on March 11 at 8:30 a.m. This webinar will provide an overview of ESYS, including decision-making considerations, legal requirements and best practices for planning and implementation. The session will also address common misunderstandings about ESYS and provide strategies for administrators to ensure compliant decisions and implementation are occurring.

Participants can join the Policy and Practice webinars using Zoom and the passcode 431127. No registration is required, and the same link will be used for all sessions.

Please contact the SDI Literacy Consultant Mary Beilke at mary.beilke@iowa.gov with questions.

Making the most of ACHIEVE’s built-in tools can save time and increase collaboration among team members. The quick tips below are intended to support effective and confident use of the system.

Shortened School Day Report: Learners who appear on this report without a rationale have often moved from one district to another where the first district had fewer instructional minutes than the second district. This difference causes the learner to appear like they are receiving a shortened short day on the IEP, even though this may not be the case. At this time, it is not required to amend the IEP for the purpose of removing students from the report. At the next annual IEP, the team should be able to correct the minutes as needed.

Draft Prior Written Notice (PWN): As a reminder, teams are able to generate a draft copy of an in-progress PWN, which can easily be shared with all members of the IFSP or IEP team prior to finalization. By selecting the Preview button at the bottom of a draft PWN, a PDF document with a draft watermark is added to the Documentation stepper. The draft is viewable in ACHIEVE and in the ACHIEVE Family Portal and will display a status of "Incomplete" in the Documents accordion.

CustomTo-Do List: The new My To-Do List feature allows users to create custom to-do items for each learner on their case list for reminders and organization. The custom to-do task will appear on the My To-Do List accordion. This feature is not be available to Family Portal users. Additionally, to-do list items created for ACHIEVE users will not be visible to families.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Shannon Grundmeier at shannon.grundmeier@iowa.gov with questions.