|
|
|
|
Volume 15, Number 21 The Source
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ESEA: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to Be Replaced with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - House Voted Yes! Senate Votes Next Week!
After years of failed efforts, the House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to sharply scale back the federal role in American education. But the bill would retain the testing requirement in the 2002 No Child Left Behind law.
The legislation, approved 359-64, would return to the states the decision-making power over how to use students' test performance in assessing teachers and schools. The measure also would end federal efforts to encourage academic standards such as Common Core.
The 1,000-plus page measure was a compromise reached by House and Senate negotiators. The Senate is to vote on it early next week and President Barack Obama is expected to sign it.
Thanks for advocating for Iowa kids! It's not too late to say thanks to your national represenatives and share your support with your national senators.. Please see the letter below that was provided by ASCD Executive Director and CEO, Deborah S. Delisle Executive Director and CEO. This may provide examples you might share in the letters you send to your legislators. Because so many decisions will be left to the states, please contact your state legislators as well to begin educating them on the impact of this new legislation on your district and your students.
Contact your legislators now!
Letter from ASCD's Deborah S. Delisle, Executive Director and CEO, to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC
Dear Representative:
On behalf of ASCD's 125,000 members, we are sending support for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which will be considered by the House of Representatives this week. The agreement reached by House and Senate conferees represents a strong bipartisan commitment to the ideal that all students graduate from high school prepared for college, career, and citizenship. We urge you to vote in support of the conference report.
ASCD is pleased that the final conference agreement eliminates adequate yearly progress and highly qualified teacher requirements and preserves a commitment to meet the needs of all of our nation's students and its lowest performing schools. We appreciate that states and districts will be given flexibility to implement a variety of improvement strategies, such as a whole child approach, and the autonomy to evaluate and refine such strategies to drive ongoing improvement.
Also long overdue are the updates to federal provisions to support educators throughout their careers. Effective teachers and school leaders are the two most important in-school factors influencing student achievement, and the supports in the ESSA should help to improve the recruitment, preparation, and retention of effective educators in schools with the greatest need. It is deeply concerning, however, that the legislation will allow districts to move funds intended to support educator effectiveness (Title II) into other basic programs (Titles I and IV). For many districts, Title II funds are the sole source of funding for much-needed professional development activities.
The accountability requirements imposed by NCLB resulted in a narrowing of the curriculum and an overemphasis on test scores. ASCD has been a champion for more meaningful accountability systems that promote continuous support and
improvement and that align with the broader outcomes of college, career, and citizenship readiness we collectively want for all students.
We appreciate that the final conference agreement encourages states to broaden their accountability systems to include multiple measures of student performance, educator effectiveness, and school quality.
The role of the federal government in education has historically been to provide equity in and access to educational opportunities for disadvantaged and traditionally underserved student populations.
ASCD believes that the concept of portability, which would shift federal resources away from students and schools most in need of such support, would have had a significantly negative effect on states and districts nationwide, and we are pleased that the final conference agreement does not include portability. We believe, however, that the modest increase in federal education funding in the ESSA is inadequate. Student enrollment is increasing across the country, more students are living in poverty than ever before, and expectations for academic success are higher with more challenging academic standards. Congress must provide a robust federal investment in education to equip schools with the resources to address these issues and to support all students in acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a future that has yet to be defined.
ASCD is a strong proponent of a whole child approach to education that ensures that each child in school is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. An education system that supports this framework and encourages and enables all stakeholders to work together-across families, schools, and communities-is necessary for students to achieve and to thrive. The final conference agreement, although providing flexibility for states and districts to fund a variety of activities besides English language arts and math, fails to maintain a strong commitment to other critically important academic subjects and disciplines. We are concerned that consolidating funds for these programs will result in gradually diminishing investments in areas that significantly contribute to a well-rounded education.
Congress has an historic opportunity to move away from an outdated, prescriptive, and narrow set of policies and enact a law that provides greater flexibility for states and districts to meet the unique needs of each school and each community. We commend Senators Alexander and Murray and Representatives Kline and Scott for their leadership and persistence in moving the reauthorization process forward and
for their efforts in crafting an ESSA conference agreement that enjoys such wide and bipartisan support.
Sincerely,
Deborah S. Delisle Executive Director and CEO
|
|
February 11 - Advocating for Impact!
Workshop: February 11, 2016 (8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.)
Register today for a special workshop just for you - Advocating on the Hill with Your Stories! The first 50 registrants for this professional opportunity on February 11 will learn how to leverage change with legislators. ASCD Legislative Committee Member/Iowa ASCD Director Dr. Susan Pecinovsky and Dr. Elaine Smith-Bright will lead this authentic learning opportunity.
Registration is $50 for members of Iowa ASCD and $90 for  non-members. Upon registration you will receive access to tools for advocacy and influence, including talking points for major issues (e.g., competency-based instruction, teacher leadership, readers by third grade, kindergarten readiness, instructional time,teacher and principal evaluation, professional learning), sample letter and telephone script for contacting your legislators, and a rubric to evaluate your skills in advocacy. Iowa ASCD will also provide you with contact information about your legislators so that you may schedule visits "on the hill" as part of this opportunity.
Bring a parent/community member (he/she attends free!) and you will receive a $100 certificate to any Iowa ASCD conference. Be sure to let us know in advance to assure resources, food, and coupon.
A block of rooms has been reserved for February 10th at the Embassy Suites Hotel Des Moines Downtown - 101 E Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309 (Phone: 515.244.1700). Be sure to ask for the Iowa ASCD block of rooms.
Agenda:
February 11, 2016, 8:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Location: Embassy Suites Hotel - Downtown Des Moines, 101 East Locust Street, Des Moines, IA
- Continental breakfast and working lunch provided
- Legislative Update - Dr. Wise, Director of Iowa Department of Education
- Funding Update - Margaret Buckton, Financial and Educational Matters on the Hill
- Professional Learning with Drs. Pecinovsky and Smith-Bright
February 11, 2016, 1:00 - 4:00 P.M.
Visits "on the Hill" (Capitol - East 12th and Grand)
- Planned visits "on the hill" with Democratic and Republican Caucuses of the House Education Committee
- Meet with YOUR Legislator(s)
- Informal (and optional) meeting at the Capitol to debrief visits with legislators and share possible next steps for Iowa ASCD members around advocacy and influence
Register NOW! - Contact Bridget Arrasmith with name(s) of registrant(s), district and mailing address, e-mail address(es), phone number as well as check or purchase order. She may be reached at the following address:
- Iowa ASCD, Drake University, School of Education, Room 123, 3206 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
- Phone: 515.271.1872
- FAX: 515.271.2233
- E-mail: Bridget.Arrasmith@drake.edu
You may register online as well with a credit card at the following URL on the Iowa ASCD website:
Register Now! Limited Space!
|
Iowa ASCD Member Theron Schutte Completes First Lexington Institute Fellowship for Personalized Learning
Bettendorf Superintendent Theron Schutee, a fellow in the inaugural class of Lexington Education Leadership Award (LELA) Fellows, has completed the first national fellowship for personalized learning. The six-month program was established to introduce public school  district leaders to personalized learning models and approaches, and support them in their preparations for implementation. Each of the ten districts represented by their leaders made significant strides toward developing and codifying their vision and laying out their strategy for moving forward. The Lexington Institute selected Silicon Valley-based Education Elements, a recognized national leader in the design and implementation of personalized learning programs, as its partner for the Fellowships. Education Elements provided all of the technical expertise, led workshops, and facilitated design thinking seminars for fellows. Schutee and the other nine LELA Fellows convened May 6-9, 2015, at the Education Elements Personalized Learning Summit, at the Tech  Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California, where they heard from keynote speakers including Google's Jaime Casap and Yammer's Adam Pisoni. In facilitated workshops with their school districts' instructional leadership teams over the summer, LELA fellows applied design thinking techniques to create visual depictions of their personalized learning visions for their schools. At the fellowship's closing session in Washington, DC, each fellow presented a pitch to the group based upon their vision for personalizing. Congratulations to Superintendent Schutee on this great accomplishment! |
|
Attention Spanish Teachers: Check Out the Spanish Backpack
What started out as a few pointers and a list of vocabulary words for a few Spanish students, has evolved into a turbo-charged web site, packed with resources for Spanish teachers and students.
Conversa, a Costa Rica-based Spanish immersion school, and developer of SpanishBackpack.com, has just announced that it plans to offer the service free of charge. This is great news for hundreds of Spanish teachers across the United States who participated in the pilot program, as well as for thousands of teachers who are constantly looking for inexpensive ways of keeping up with technology in the classroom. "We feel that we've developed a solid resource, and we're anxious to get it into the hands of all the great Spanish teachers out there," said Andy Kaufman, one of Conversa's directors, and head of the SpanishBackpack project. "It feels really good to hear from your users, and to find out that they're enjoying the service, and by offering it for free, we hope that a lot more folks will take advantage of it." This news comes at a time when schools and school districts across the country are cutting costs, and foreign language programs are often among the first to go. In some cases, school districts have let  go of their language teachers in exchange for costly software packages. "I recall an article in the NY Times a few years back where a school district let go of a few teachers to save money, but still decided to spend a bunch of what it saved on Rosetta Stone. That's not what we're about." Kaufman argues that language is a social tool, and that teachers should be at the center of the learning process. "Perhaps the most interesting feature for Spanish teachers is the content sharing and open workshops," says Irene Orlich, SpanishBackpack's co-creator and content manager. "Teachers love the opportunity to chat with peers about different aspects of teaching Spanish. By offering the platform for them to connect with each other, and by providing a tool where teachers can actively and easily share content with each other and their students, we feel we're giving them a better shot at succeeding."
A SpanishBackpack Android app is available for free download from the Google Play store, and the iPhone/iPad version is soon to follow. The resource comes equipped with a digital textbook, thousands of interactive exercises, pronunciation practice tools, and a robust assignment management tool so that teachers can manage virtually all aspects of their Spanish classes from one location. And while it already offers all of this content, it also includes a number of tools for teachers to create their own material on the fly - and share it with other teachers within their own organization, should they choose to do so. |
Curriculum Leads: Leaders of Learning and Professional Development
The primary responsibility of curriculum leads is to develop the collective capacity of the organization to assure that all students are successful.
One of the functions of these individuals' work to assure the capacity of the system and the success of the students is their collaborative leadership in modeling, expecting, and monitoring continuous learning of all.
As leaders of learning and professional development, we must equip ourselves and others, both at district and at the building level, with the knowledge and skills to achieve increased learning on a daily basis. A priority is the alignment of our work with practices that make a difference for students and their teachers.
John Dewey once said, "We learn by doing, if we reflect on what we have done." Reflection is the key to all learning - to its understanding, to its  application, and to its impact. As leaders of learning and professional development, one of our first and most important jobs to achieve a system of learning is to develop reflective students and educators. We do this through common high expectations, through our modeling, through our questioning, and through our monitoring and evaluation.
Our expectation must be that all students and all educators - each and every one of them - are constantly striving for increased success. The mantra in our districts ought to be, "Good, better, best! Never rest till good be better, and better best." Without clearly articulated high expectations with evidence of progress on a continuous basis, good will not become better, and better will not achieve best.
Modeling is important in teaching and building the capacity of others for increased learning and professional development. This begins with our work with building principals - providing the standards and the practice for their own professional development. Data consultations and supervisory walkthroughs - learning walks - provide us an opportunity to model, teach, and coach the building leaders in both pedagogy and best practices.
Our role is to assure the process is in place for consistency in use and impact of the professional development. The establishment of professional learning communities, or communities of practice, provides us a vehicle to achieve the job-embedded professional development that results in highly effective teachers for the learning of our students. Clear expectations and norms for their operation help in developing the capacity of the building/district for continuous learning for all stakeholders. Back mapping the expectations for adult learners, much like we back-map learning for our students, provides the clarity and intended evidence for the high expectations at the novice, practitioner, and expert stages.
Monitoring for implementation and evaluating impact of the learning and professional development provide an opportunity to develop reflective learners and educators. Ongoing feedback and questioning are important tools we must model and develop in our students and our educators. Possible questions we might consider to develop reflection in others include these:
- What are you able to do now that you couldn't do before you tackled this learning? How do you know?
- If there were one area of this new learning/behavior you would like/need to improve even further, what would it be? What steps could you take to assure that improvement?
- As principal of this building, how has this new behavior or skill helped you accomplish your building's goals for increased student success? How do you know?
- What do our data (e.g., student learning, evaluation summary, formative assessment summary, summative assessment summary, survey) tell us about the impact of present practice and the needed focus if we are to increase our success in learning/teaching?
In summary, we know we can be successful in learning and professional development if we as a building/district assure our response to learning is . . .
- Informed by data.
- Reflecting current research-based practices.
- Differentiated to meet individual and group needs.
- Aligned with the Iowa Professional Development Model.
- Monitored and coached for implementation.
- Evaluated for impact.
- Celebrated for increased learning.
Continuous learning - continuous progress - every day, everyone!
Descriptors for Leaders of Learning and Professional Development Aligned with
Iowa Standards for School Leaders
- Promotes collaborative processes with staff and is involved in reciprocal relationships with principals and other leaders to learn together. (ISSL 1b)
- Utilizes theory, demonstration, practice, and feedback for professional development that substantiates the improvement initiative. (ISSL 1b)
- Develops capacity in others to understand and increase knowledge of content and research-based best practices. (ISSL 1b)
- Creates and promotes a vision for high expectations and builds collective responsibility for the vision (ISSL 1c)
- Operationalizes high expectations and assesses progress toward those expectations through performance assessments linked to clear standards that all must meet. (ISSL 1c)
- Effectively and efficiently organizes and sustains resources, and implements processes and systems to support teaching, learning, and organizational effectiveness consistent with the district's vision and goals and student needs. (ISSL 1d)
- Fosters a culture where productive relationships among stakeholders charged with leading or supporting targeted change results in intended improvements/ changes consistent with district's vision and goals. (ISSL 1e)
- Creates, sustains, and supports a sense of urgency to address changing conditions. (ISSL 1e)
- Defines systemic implications of how change initiatives interact so coherence can be maintained and vision be attained. (ISSL 1e)
- Ensures accountability for successful implementation of initiative/change through fidelity and consistency. (ISSL 1e)
- Supports leaders throughout the district in developing and sustaining a belief-based culture that genuinely cares about students and staff. (ISSL 2a)
- Shares summaries of data that support staff efforts. (ISSL 2b)
- Assures structures for recognition of students and staff for work well done and communication of those accomplishments to stakeholders (ISSL 2b)
- Expects district's staff members to model and monitor use of data to inform decisions. (ISSL 2c)
- Expects and supports staff members to continuously learn, reflect, and improve their professional skills. (ISSL 2c)
- Ensures accountability for implementation with fidelity and consistency of processes and plans. (ISSL 2c)
- Ensures the evaluation of all programs and initiatives for both efficiency and effectiveness. (ISSL 2
- Develops and implements process(es) for monitoring, coaching, and evaluation of programs and initiatives. (ISSL 2d)
- Provides timely, specific feedback that validates best practice, notices close approximations, and encourages reflection. (ISSL 2e)
- Maximizes use of district's staff evaluation processes to improve staff performance. (ISSL 2e)
- Supports the development and maintenance of a district culture that is characterized by collegiality and collaboration. (ISSL 2f)
- Expects and supports staff members to continuously learn, reflect, and improve their professional skills. (ISSL 2f)
- Provides for collaborative, sustained, job-embedded professional development for all staff aligned with student needs and district goals. (ISSL 2f)
- Manages, allocates, and distributes resources equitably to provide on-going, research-based, job-embedded professional development. (ISSL 2f)
- Assesses the impact of professional development on teaching and learning. (ISSL 2f)
- Develops the capacity of leaders individually and collaboratively to assure quality professional development (ISSL 2f)
- Demonstrates an understanding of current research and theory regarding effective leadership and practices (e.g., learning, nutrition, finances, transportation). (ISSL 2g)
- Develops, implements, adjusts, and assesses professional growth plan(s) based on individual and group needs aligned with district goals and expectations. (ISSL 2g)
- Makes available opportunities for stakeholders to engage collaboratively in planning professional learning opportunities. (ISSL 2h)
- Provides structures for and expects participation in collaboration with colleagues to reach full implementation of new learning and determine impact on students. (ISSL 2h)
- Utilizes stakeholders' feedback for continuous improvement. (ISSL 2h)
- Advocates a positive learning environment for all learners in the district. (ISSL 2k)
- Uses data in a timely manner and with appropriate groups to address issues in a timely manner. (ISSL 3c)
- Uses data to inform budget decisions to equitably and adequately allocate district resources to support district goals and student learning needs. (ISSL 3d)
- Ensures the ethical collection and use of data. (ISSL 5a)
- Communicates to stakeholders and models ideals and beliefs about teaching and learning. (ISSL 5b)
- Builds cultural competence among stakeholders. (ISSL 5d)
- Participates in and develops the capacity of others to have difficult conversations within and outside the district, demonstrating respect for divergent opinions. (ISSL 5e)
|
|
30 Books Available to You 24/7 - All Aligned with the TLC Framework
Be sure to check out the free books available to all members of Iowa ASCD. We have "categorized" them according to the TLC Framework - all for your convenience. Iowa ASCD Free Membership Books Aligned to TLC Framework of Support Adult Learning - Ensuring Effective Instruction: How Do I Improve Teaching Using Multiple Measures by Vicki Phillips and Lynn Olson
- Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs by Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, and Claudia L. Edwards
- The Twelve Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day by McREL, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell and Bryan Goodwin
Collaborative Culture - The 5-Minute Teacher: How Do I Maximize Time for Learning in My Classroom by Mark Barnes
- Affirmative Classroom Management: How Do I Develop Effective Rules and Consequences in My School by Richard L. Curwin
- Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon
- Better Learning through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, 2nd Edition by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
- Causes and Cures in the Classroom: Getting to the Root of Academic and Behavior Problems by Margaret Searle
- Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success by Baruti Kafele
- Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement by Eric P. Jensen
- Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs by Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, and Claudia L. Edwards
- Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
- Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare by Students for the Real World by Thomas R. Hoerr
- Self-Regulated Learning for Academic Success: How Do I Help Students Manage Their Thoughts, Behaviors, and Emotions? by Carrie Germeroth and Crystal Day Hess
- The Twelve Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day by McREL, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell and Bryan Goodwin
- Upgrade Your Curriculum: Practical Ways to Transform Units and Engage Students by Janet A. Hale and Michael Fisher
Communication - Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs by Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, and Claudia L. Edwards
Content/Pedagogy/Assessment - Better Learning through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, 2nd Edition by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
- Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners, 2nd edition by Jane Hill and Kirsten Miller
- Common Core Standards for Elementary Grades K-2 Math and English Language Arts: A Quick-Start Guide by Amber Evenson, Monette Mciver, Susan Ryan, Amitra Schwols, and John Kendall (Editor)
- Common Core Standards for Elementary Grades 3-5 Math and English Language Arts: A Quick-Start Guide by Amber Evenson, Monette Mciver, Susan Ryan, Amitra Schwols, and John Kendall (Editor)
- Common Core Standards for Middle School Mathematics: A Quick-Start Guide by Amitra Schwols and Kathleen Dempsey, edited by John Kendall
- Digital Learning Strategies: How Do I Assign and Assess 21st Century Work by Michael Fisher
- Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement by Eric P. Jensen
- Ensuring Effective Instruction: How Do I Improve Teaching Using Multiple Measures by Vicki Phillips and Lynn Olson
- Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
- How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading by Susan M. Brookhart
- Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom by Mark Barnes
- Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms by Jeff Marshall
- Teaching the Critical Vocabulary of the Common Core: 55 Words that Make or Break Student Understanding by Marilee Sprenger
- Teaching with Tablets: How Do I Integrate Tablets with Effective Instruction by Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher, and Alex Gonzalez
- The Twelve Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day by McREL, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell and Bryan Goodwin
- Upgrade Your Curriculum: Practical Ways to Transform Units and Engage Students by Janet A. Hale and Michael Fisher
- Using Data to Focus Instructional Improvement by Cheryl James-Ward, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Dianne Lapp
Systems Thinking - Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom by Mark Barnes
- Self-Regulated Learning for Academic Success: How Do I Help Students Manage Their Thoughts, Behaviors, and Emotions? by Carrie Germeroth and Crystal Day Hess
Data - Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon
- Digital Learning Strategies: How Do I Assign and Assess 21st Century Work by Michael Fisher
- Grading and Group Work: How Do I Assess Individual Learning when Students Work Together by Susan M. Brookhart
- How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading by Susan M. Brookhart
- Using Data to Focus Instructional Improvement by Cheryl James-Ward, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Dianne Lapp
Organizational Leadership - Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs by Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, and Claudia L. Edwards
- Never Underestimate Your Teachers: Instructional Leadership for Excellence in Every Classroom by Robyn R. Jackson
- Principal Evaluation: Standards, Rubrics, and Tools for Effective Performance by James H. Stronge, Xianxuan Xu, Lauri Leeper, and Virginia Tonneson
- Short on Time: How Do I Make Time to Lead and Learn as a Principal? by William L. Sterrett
- Teacher Evaluation that Makes a Difference: A New Model for Teacher Growth and Student Achievement by Learning Sciences International (LSi), Robert Marzano, and Michael D. Toth
All Iowa ASCD members have access to these books 24/7 in 2015 and 2016. If you have forgotten your password to these resources, please contact Lou Howell at LouHowell@mediacombb.net. A webinar has also been recorded to help you better use the resources. It is located on the front page of the Iowa ASCD website. You may review or download this recorded webinar now! 
|
|
Webinars for Learning
Iowa ASCD seeks to keep you informed of webinars for your learning and the learning of those with whom you work. Check out the following! Many of these support the work in your collaborative time and definitely help with the implementation of The Core! - Title: Questioning for Classroom Discussion - Developing Students as Thinkers and Learners
- Presenters: Jackie Walsh and Beth Sattes
- Provider: ASCD
- Date and Time: December 10 at 2:00 P.M. (CST)
- Register Here
- Title: Igniting Teacher Leadership! How Do I Empower My Teachers to Lead and Learn?
- Presenter: William Sterrett
- Provider: ASCD
- Date and Time: January 14 and 11:00 A.M. (CST)
- Register Here
|
|
Check It Out!
Check out the following:
- The Glossary of Education Reform is a great source for educators as well as parents and the community as this on-line resource describes widely used terms in education - e.g., standards-referenced vs standards-based, personalized learning, career and college ready.
- Check out the new report on personalized learning by the Rand Corporation. "The longer students experience personalized learning practices, the greater their growth in achievement," according to new research by the RAND Corporation. The report, entitled Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning, is an important contribution to understanding whether personalized learning is producing results and how it is being implemented.
-
Congress is making education policy decisions that affect you, your local schools, and your students. Do not let Congress make decisions without the critical information you can provide. You can help them, and they will welcome your input. As an Educator Advocate, you will receive e-mail alerts when your action can make a critical difference. We will provide the materials and information to make sure your advocacy time will be minimal, but your influence will be significant. Register for ASCD Educator Advocate today!
-
Iowa Department of Education Needs Teachers' Input: Iowans who make up the Council on Educator Development have spent the past two years studying teacher and administrator evaluation practices and professional development. This document represents their preliminary recommendations. The council now needs feedback on these recommendations from Iowa's education community, including superintendents, principals, teachers and school board members. The following link leads to an online survey, which includes instructions for submitting feedback: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEDRec1015. The survey will be open through December 18. All survey feedback will remain anonymous.
-
- Iowans are invited to apply to serve on a state team that will rewrite Iowa's social studies standards for public review and possible adoption statewide, Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise announced. The application is due December 11.
- Save the date, January 13, for Literacy Intervention Conference in Des Moines. The focus will be sharing research-based interventions that help achieve ou
 r goals of all learners becoming successful readers by the end of third grade. The event will feature a keynote by Amanda VanDerHeyden, a national expert who will be talking to district teams about Return on Investment in Education. Sign up now!
- If you couldn't attend the Iowa Science Standards Kick Off, we're bringing it to you - in the form of videos. Presentations are available for most of the videos by clicking on the "Download Attachments" button at the bottom of the description for each video.
- Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST): The nominations for 2016 focus on K-6 teachers. The 2016 Awards will honor mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers working in grades K-6. Nominations close on April 1, 2016. Go here to nominate a K-6 teacher of math and/or science, including computer science for 2016 recognition.
- Remember to renew your membership for 2016-2017 Beginning January 1, 2015, all Iowa ASCD members have had access to 30 on-line books 24/7 for the entire year and 2016, too!
- Consider an institutional membership for your building, district, or AEA. The fee is $25 per person when you enroll at least 20 people at one time. Great benefits! Contact Lou Howell for more information.
- Are you a student in a graduate program? If so, you may get a membership for three years for $45. Contact Lou Howell for more information.
- Are you a student in a pre-service program? If so, you may get a one-year membership for $15. Contact Lou Howell for more information.
|
|
 Stay current with learning! Follow Iowa ASCD on Twitter! We would like to follow you on Twitter as well. If you are willing to share your "Twitter Handle" with us, please leave your information on this site. |
 Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership and translating research into daily practice. Serving more than 1500 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
