Register Now for ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy - April 21-22 - Featuring Rick Wormeli
Iowa ASCD is proud to present the 14th Annual Curriculum Leadership Academy, "Students as Partners: A Focus on Learning." Whether you are a curriculum director, a principal, a superintendent, a teacher, or a teacher leader with curriculum responsibilities, this Academy is designed for you!! Join us on April 21 as we feature Dr. Rick Wormeli, expert on Differentiated Instruction. On April 22, Dr. Scott McLeod will present information on Personalized Learning, and school districts from across the state of Iowa will share their experiences on differentiated instruction and personalized learning.
Conference Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines, IA
Cost:
$250 now for Iowa ASCD members ($295 after April 15)
$295 now for non-members ($335 after April 15) Nonmembers receive complimentary one-year membership in Iowa ASCD.
Cost includes continental breakfast and lunch each day.
Register NOW! Contact Bridget Arrasmith with name(s) of registrant(s), 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:
Lodging Opportunities: (Be sure to ask for Iowa ASCD rate and reserve by March 21)
Marriott Downtown ($125), 700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA (800-228-9290 or 515-245-5500)
Quality Inn and Suites ($109), 929 3rd Street, Des Moines, IA (515-282-5251)
Thursday, April 21Registration 7:30 - 8:30 with conference from 8:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.)
Featuring Dr. Rick Wormeli, Differentiated Instruction: Myth-Busting, Principles, and Practicalities
Differentiated instruction is a nice idea, but do we really believe what isn't always equal, and is it okay to do different things with different students? Being sensitive to students' readiness levels and learning differences while holding them accountable for the same standards can be a challenge. What works? Join us for a provocative and entertaining address from an international presenter that examines differentiating instruction for diverse learners while maintaining a semblance of teacher sanity in today's classroom realities. Topics include: differentiated lesson design, tiering, scaffolding, personal learning, responding to advanced students, practical cognitive science principles, descriptive feedback, correcting misconceptions of differentiation, and more. Candid yet validating, the presentation busts differentiated instruction myths and gets to our core beliefs as educators. Don't miss this chance to finally understand differentiated instruction!
Friday, April 22 - Breakout Sessions and Afternoon Keynote(8:30 A.M. - 2:30 P.M.)
School Districts of all sizes from across the state who are focusing on personalized learning or differentiated instruction:
Personalized Learning: Putting the Unique Pieces Together for All Students (Dr. Theron J. Schutte & Jennifer Like - Bettendorf)
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing: AIW Targets High Quality Student Learning (Hope Bossard - Gilbert)
Blending Instruction to Meet Our Students' Needs (Gregory O'Connell - Cedar Rapids)
Student-Driven Learning in a Primary Classroom (Leka DeGroot - Spirit Lake)
Iowa BIG: Driving Learning through Passion, Community, and Authentic Projects (Dr. Trace Pickering - Iowa BIG)
Tips on Creating a Balanced Assessment System that Supports Student Learning (Tricia Kurtt - Norwalk)
Leveraging Your Business Community for Innovative Classroom Experiences (Russ Goerend - Waukee)
Our Kids: Prairie's Path to a COMMITed, Student-Focused School Culture (Erik Anderson - College Community)
Using Technology to Individualize Formative Assessment (Christine Mangrich & Brian Unruh - Cedar Falls)
Differentiating Instruction during Summer School (Sandy Klaus - Starmont)
Systematizing Reading Instruction with the Cognitive Model (Laura Medberry - College Community)
Classroom Partnerships, a Journey Connecting Content and Careers (Shelly Vanyo - Boone)
Personalized Learning Made Easy (Julie Graber - Prairie Lakes AEA)
The Heart of Personalized Learning (Alison Zmuda,
Education Consultant - Virginia Beach, VA & Pernille Ripp, Teacher and Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project - Oregon, WI) - A Virtual Breakout Session
Keynote in the Afternoon by Dr. Scott McLeod, Personalized Learning: Exemplars and Pitfalls
We now have over 500 "deeper learning" schools across the United States. This session will feature numerous examples of personalized learning in practice. Bring your thinking caps as we discuss both exemplars and pitfalls.
Be Sure to Vote March 1 - April 15 for Iowa ASCD President-Elect and Board of Directors
It is time to elect your leaders for Iowa ASCD for 2016-2017. Candidates for the two positions include the following:
President-Elect:
Diane Campbell, Consultant at Mississippi Bend AEA 9
Susan Pecinovsky, Associate Superintendent at Marshalltown Community School District
Directors for Members at Large:
Diane Campbell, Consultant at Mississippi Bend AEA 9
Linda Craddick, Teacher at Central DeWitt Community School District
David Fox, High School Principal at Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District
Fran McVeigh, Consultant at Great Prairie AEA
Erik Smith, Secondary Principal at Nashua-Plainsfield Community School District
Jason Toenges, Secondary Principal at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District
See also the ballot sent to you on March 1 that provides descriptions of each candidate.
Candidates in the ASCD General Membership Election for Board of Directors - Be Sure to Vote If You Are a Member of ASCD!
Voting opens March 15 and runs through April 30 to ASCD members. Information on the candidates, including a candidate video, are available on this ASCD website. The candidates in the general membership election are:
Phillip Caposey, Superintendent, Meridian Community Unit School District 223, Stilman Valley, Illinois
Ember Conley, Superintendent, Park City School District, Park City, Utah
Lou Howell, Executive Director of Iowa ASCD, Urbandale, Iowa
Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Principal, Fredericksburg City Schools, Fredericksburg, Va.
Thomas Tramaglini, Superintendent, Kenilworth School District, Kenilworth, N.J
Great Blogs Shared by ASCD Emerging Leaders from Iowa
ASCD's Emerging Leaders from Iowa have shared these blogs posted on ASCD's The Edge. Be sure to check them out.
"Lead with Yourself" by Joshua Griffith, Vice Principal in the Des Moines Public Schools. Josh addresses the power of confidence and the inportance of getting to know yourself as a leader and as a person.
"One Child's Story" by Joshua Griffith, Vice Principal in the Des Moines Public Schools. Josh shares a true story that is a reminder about WHY the HEART of education and relationships are so important.
"Leading by Listening Can Bring Great Results" by Tricia Kurtt, instructional Coach in the Norwalk Community School District. Tricia shares how small steps can get big results - listening first and fully and paraphrasing to check understanding.
Emerging Leaders - Apply or Nominate Now!
ASCD is looking for its newest class of emerging leaders and needs your help. Do you know of a colleague who is a natural leader in their school or district? Would they benefit from getting more involved with ASCD? Invite him or her to apply for the ASCD EmergingLeaders Class of 2016!
Emergingleaders are educators who
Have been in the profession approximately 5-15 years;
Demonstrate a passion for teaching, learning, and leadership;
Have not previously been involved with ASCD in a leadership capacity;
Collectively exhibit a broad range of diversity in position, location, cultural background, and perspective;
Hold promise as leaders; and
Are committed to ASCD's beliefs and to pursuing leadership opportunities.
Past and present emerging leaders from Iowa include the following. They would be great ones to contact to share the benefits of being an ASCD emerging leader:
Stefanie Wager - presently the social studies consultant at the Iowa Department of Education
Eric Townley - presently the principal at Prairie Creek Intermediate at College Community School District
Stacy Amling - presently professor of Spanish at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny.
Matt Townsley - presently director of instruction and technology.
Andrea Stewart - presently the focus area consultant at Mississippi Bend AEA 9.
If you would like ASCD to invite your colleague to apply for the program, please send the name and e-mail address to constituentservices@ascd.org.
Advocacy Day: Listen, Learn, Do!
Jason Toenges, Iowa ASCD member, ASCD emerging leader, and participant in the February 11 Advocacy Day shares his experience:
Thursday, February 11, was the Iowa ASCD Advocacy Day in Des Moines. School advocacy is very important to me. I see public schools as being one of the most democratic institutions in this country. And with ESSA being passed, that democratic process is only going to strengthen. We live in a state where our school boards make major decisions and many of the other educational decisions are made at the local or state level. This makes our job of advocating easier, since it is right in our backyard, and more important because we can influence those major decisions. But how do we do that? That is what the Iowa ASCD Advocacy Day is all about.
The beginning of our day was spent listening. You have to know what is happening before you can do something about it. We heard from Dr. Ryan Wise, Director of the Department of Education, and Margaret Buckton from Iowa School Finance Information Services. Dr. Wise talked about many different issues the legislature is currently taking up while Mrs. Buckton focused on the education funding issue that is so critical to the work that we do. While this information is great, what do we do with it?
That is when Iowa ASCD Advocacy Director Dr. Susan Pecinovsky comes in. She taught us how to structure our conversations in order to be productive with the limited time we have with legislators. This included how to tell the facts, explain its importance, and come away with a proper ask. What is an "ask?" This is what you want your legislator to do with the information you just presented. But now we know the information and know what to do, we have to do it.
That afternoon I had a scheduled meeting with my state house member, Representative Dan Huseman. This was my first advocacy meeting but I felt confident that I would be able to have a solid conversation and begin building a relationship because of the learning I had that morning. We met for about 45 minutes that day and ended up having a very good conversation. It was easy to talk to him, get to know him, and talk about the issues facing our schools.
I'm sure you've heard it before but if we don't tell our story, the story of how these decisions are affecting our kids, someone else will. And that someone will not necessarily have the best interests of our kids at heart. So listen, learn, and do this advocacy work. This is our student's futures. If we don't fight for them, who will?
African-American Students Thrive at Cedar Rapids' Washington High School
It's clear to see that Cedar Rapids' Washington High School holds the distinction that its African American students far outperform the state average: Seventy-four percent of Washington's African American students are proficient in reading and math, compared to a statewide proficiency rate of 54 percent among African Americans.
What's less clear is why.
Could it be the school's clearly articulated vision? Its high expectations for all students? A welcoming environment? Tradition of celebrating student success? The leadership team?
Or a 35-year principal (yes, he's been principal for 35 years) who knows nearly every student by name?
The long and short of it is "all of the above." But there's no question that Principal Ralph Plagman is the very foundation.
"I think it's all about our school culture," Plagman said. "We have rigorous academic expectations. We don't have any magic programs - we tried them over the years. Instead, we have a very strong emphasis on high-end academics, particularly on AP (Advanced Placement)."
That no-excuse, educate-all culture led Washington High School to be honored for its work at the annual Breaking Barriers to Teaching and Learning Award, given by the State Board of Education. The award honors Iowa schools for their work to raise achievement among students who traditionally face challenges in the classroom.
Washington's success started with a clear vision: To insist upon high expectations for all, said Mike Johnson, associate principal.
Associate Principal Mike Johnson said that if you have high expectations for all students - and let them know that - they will rise to the occasion.
"It's a shared vision from the principal's office down," Johnson said. "It is communicated down that we want to have higher expectations for kids. To do that, you need to get to know the kids. The staff know the kids and the kids trust the staff. That goes a long way to getting kids to try harder and accomplish more. From top down, it's a shared vision."
The school's success also comes from hiring the right people - from teachers to janitors, counselors to food service staff, secretaries to security guards - said associate principal Valerie Nyberg.
"It is very intentional what we do here," she said. "When it comes to African American students, many schools' approaches have been to be wary or concerned. Not here. In hiring staff, Dr. Plagman is purposeful. He shares his vision with everyone. Dr. Plagman and the staff make everyone feel welcome."
Feeling welcomed is one of many steps the school has taken. The particular focus on high-level academics is extended to all by removing barriers that have existed in the past.
"Many schools use cut scores from the Iowa Assessments, in which a student has to have a minimum score to be allowed to take certain classes," Nyberg said. "We all encourage everyone to take AP programs. We don't use cut scores. It's the individual desires and interests that will determine whether a student takes a class."
Currently, of the 352 African American students at Washington, 44 percent are in AP classes. That compares to the student population as a whole in which 55 percent are enrolled in high-level coursework.
"We feel like when students take higher-level courses, they will do better in college entrance exams," Plagman said.
In fact, counselors actively encourage students to take high-level classes.
"Our counselors get to know the kids and challenge them to take tough courses," Johnson said. "They talk about college planning from day one when they meet the kids."
Getting students to challenge themselves can be tricky, Nyberg said.
"Education is a risk," she said. "You risk embarrassment by not knowing something. But we teach them that risk-taking is incredibly important. A student may not necessarily be an 'A' student, but students invariably can benefit by the high-level classes."
Plagman said that there is a particular focus on the students' classroom experiences early in their high school career.
"I see that classes like Spanish I and Algebra I are the most important subjects taught in school," he said. "The students have to have a great experience in there, or they will not take high-level classes later."
The high-level classes, after all, are considered to be the gatekeepers to postsecondary success. Still, Plagman says he's seen numerous examples of other schools not fully understanding this.
Associate Principal Valeria Nyberg says Washington High School has eliminated obstacles to taking higher-level classes, thus ensuring students are better prepared for college.
"Most high schools in America have lower expectations for their students than they should," he said. "We get transfer students nearly every day, and I see their transcripts and they are horrible. We had a senior transfer in the other day and I couldn't see a single high-level class that had been taken. The student was bright, but had not been challenged. So we have amped it up for that student.
"I think some schools go out of their way to make students feel comfortable. We don't mind if they are a bit uncomfortable so long as they are excelling."
Johnson said Washington incorporates a unique scheduling process to ensure that wherever there is an advanced course, there is a similar lower-level course at the same time.
"We have a safety net," he said. "If it's necessary, we can drop them down without loss of face."
"It is harder to move students up," Plagman added. "You can always move them down."
Washington High also enables students to choose specific teachers to teach them, Johnson said.
"That's because they may already have a connection with a teacher based on an older brother or sister's experience," he said.
The school incorporates what they call "Warrior Time" - they are the Washington Warriors, after all - in which students can get additional help during the regular school day in a subject that they need extra help with.
And then they are leaning heavily on their teacher leader system to ensure classroom instruction meets everyone's needs.
"He's helping work on equity in the building," Nyberg said. "He goes into a classroom and observes the teacher, and then says how we can do this better to meet the needs of all the students in classroom. It's not a classroom full of kids, it's a classroom full of individuals."
And, as individuals, many students can present their own particular challenges.
"When we have a discipline issue, I first look at the student's grades," Nyberg said. "I then find out whether they are going to their classes. In one instance, I discovered a student had significant reading issues, and he reacted to that by not going to class. We worked to connect him with the teachers, who were able to help find strategies that would help him."
Finally, celebrations mark academic success. On graduation, for instance, medallions are distributed to students who have taken four years of science, math, social studies and foreign language - high-level coursework or not. It's done in a festive environment, meant to share the academic success with all of the students. It has a spin-off effect: When ninth graders first observe this celebration, they are that much more motivated when it's their turn to graduate.
"By the time we get to graduation, I always do an informal count about how many kids don't have some kind of recognition," Nyberg said. "There is, perhaps, 10 in total. And those could be students who transferred in and wouldn't qualify for four-year medallions."
Even after receiving a statewide award for work with African American students, the Washington team didn't rest on its laurels. The award merely presented a challenge to do even better.
"We want to keep raising the bar," Plagman said.
New or Old? Novice or Experienced? You Are Needed and Wanted!
A new website designed to expedite a new teacher's learning curve is seeking volunteers - both new and experienced - to participate in a pilot study.
The Iowa Teacher Performance Assessment provides beginning teachers and mentors a structured process for looking at teacher practice that makes teachers active players in their own learning as part of their first two years of teaching.
What's in it for beginning teachers and school districts?
The beginning teacher and mentor will have an enriched discussion centered on the Iowa Teaching Standards.
The beginning teachers will receive targeted feedback to improve their practice.
Evidence will be compiled to support the beginning teacher's mastery of the Iowa Teaching Standards.
The pilot aims to learn from the volunteers' experiences using the website to inform changes to the site.
Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise announced February 19 the members of a state team that will review Iowa's academic standards for literacy.
The Literacy Standards Review Team represents the second phase of an ongoing state process for reviewing Iowa's academic standards, which also cover science, social studies, mathematics and 21st century skills, such as financial literacy.
The process was prompted by Gov. Branstad's Executive Order 83, which called for an ongoing review of Iowa's academic standards, including public comment, to identify areas for improvement. Iowa was the last state in the nation to adopt statewide standards, which outline consistent expectations for what students should know and be able to do.
"Iowa has set a strong foundation with our state standards, and we will continue to revisit them to make sure they are the right fit," Wise said. "Just as workforce needs evolve, so do our expectations for the knowledge and skills students need to graduate from high school prepared to succeed."
The first phase of the standards review process ended last August, with the State Board of Education's adoption of new science standards. The Department also has convened a
The Literacy Standards Review Team met for the first time on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room B100 (basement level) of the Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., in Des Moines. Meetings are open to the public.
Members of the review team are as follows:
Vickie Anstey, Griswold Community School District
Beth Baker-Brodersen, Des Moines Area Community College
Sandra Beisker, Dubuque Community School District
Lauren Burt, Meredith Corporation
Bridget Castelluccio, Cedar Rapids Community School District
Kara Dietrich, Ballard Community School District
Dixie Forcht, South Tama Community School District
Carol Glackin, Morningside College
Mendy Haefs, St. Patrick Elementary School, Sheldon
Liz Hansen, Grinnell-Newburg Community School District
Sally Huddle, Iowa Wesleyan University
Laura Johnson, Grant Wood Area Education Agency
Heather Lundquist, Atlantic Community School District
Kelsey Meyer, Grundy Center Community School District
Kristine Milburn, West Des Moines Community School District
Erin Miller, Ames Community School District
Kathy Perret, Northwest Area Education Agency
Deborah Reed, Iowa Reading Research Center
Jonathan Rogers, Iowa City Community School District
Molly Tripp, A-H-S-T Community School District
Josh Wager, Des Moines Public Schools
Sarah Brown Wessling, Johnston Community School District
For more information about the Literacy Standards Review Team, visit the team's webpage.
For more information about Iowa's state standards, visit www.iowacore.gov.
Book for You 24/7!
All Iowa ASCD members have access to these 30 books 24/7 in 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!
iNACOL is now accepting proposals for the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium, scheduled for October 25-28, 2016, in San Antonio, TX.
Coming soon: A guide for early literacy intervention!Iowa teachers and schools soon will have a new guide to use in their work to help struggling readers get back on track. The guide, portions of which were presented to participants attending the School Improvement Symposium in Des Moines, focuses on students in kindergarten through sixth grade whose needs go beyond universal instruction -- a general classroom approach -- and have specific challenges that could impede their progress toward literacy goals. The guide is designed to enable building-level teams "to effectively organize and implement literacy interventions while monitoring their effectiveness," said symposium presenter Greg Feldmann, who is a consultant at the Iowa Department of Education.
ASCD myTeachSource is an online professional learning platform organized around classroom-focused topic packs designed to help teachers find quick solutions to issues that interest them. Start your two-week free trial today!
Designed for use in schools and school systems around the world, and ideal for schools developing and refining strategic plans, the online tool offers educators a comprehensive needs assessment as they embark on the new school year. Additionally, it connects administrators and teacher leaders with targeted professional development resources-books, online courses, and action tools-that can help them make the most significant schoolwide improvements and ensure all learners are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Found online at http://sitool.ascd.org, this tool launches a 15-minute survey that evaluates a school's strengths and weaknesses in areas of
Iowa has expanded the quality and range of work-based learning experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade because of a stronger connection between business and education made possible through a state network established by the Legislature, a new Iowa Department of Education report shows.
ASCD myTeachSource is an online professional learning platform organized around classroom-focused topic packs designed to help teachers find quick solutions to issues that interest them. Start your two-week free trial today!
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 nominatea K-6 teacher of math and/or science, including computer science for 2016 recognition.
Consider an Iowa ASCD 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.
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.
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.
readiness levels and learning differences while holding them accountable for the same standards can be a challenge. What works? Join us for a provocative and entertaining address from an international presenter that examines differentiating instruction for diverse learners while maintaining a semblance of teacher sanity in today's classroom realities. Topics include: differentiated lesson design, tiering, scaffolding, personal learning, responding to advanced students, practical cognitive science principles, descriptive feedback, correcting misconceptions of differentiation, and more. Candid yet validating, the presentation busts differentiated instruction myths and gets to our core beliefs as educators. Don't miss this chance to finally understand differentiated instruction!
leader and as a person.
do, we have to do it.
expectations for all students? A welcoming environment? Tradition of celebrating student success? The leadership team?
practice that makes teachers active players in their own learning as part of their first two years of teaching.
Wise said. "Just as workforce needs evolve, so do our expectations for the knowledge and skills students need to graduate from high school prepared to succeed."
