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Volume 16, Number 7 The Source
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Party Time in Atlanta! Join Us at the MidWest Regional Reception
Let's be "Gone With the Wind" in Atlanta!
Put on your best attire Saturday, April 2 at 4:30 - 6:30 P.M. and join the Mid-States ASCD Affiliates for a good old-fashioned Ball at the Omni Atlanta Hotel - Dogwood Room, Level  M1, North Tower at 100 CNN Center, Atlanta,GA 30303.
ASCD MID-STATES RECEPTION
You are invited to attend a social reception co-sponsored by Illinois ASCD, Indiana ASCD, Iowa ASCD, Michigan ASCD, Minnesota ASCD, Missouri ASCD, Nebraska ASCD, Ohio ASCD, Pennsylvania ASCD, and Wisconsin ASCD at the ASCD Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Light Refreshments will be served. Piano Entertainment will be provided by WI ASCD's Tony Frontier!
Sponsored by:
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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 21 Registration 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
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- Keynote in the Afternoon by Dr. Scott M
 cLeod, 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. |
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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 (Vote for 1):- Diane Campbell, Consultant at Mississippi Bend AEA 9
- Susan Pecinovsky, Associate Superintendent at Marshalltown Community School District
Directors for Members at Large (Vote for 2): - 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.
Thank you for sharing your voice by voting now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IowaASCDElection2016
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Candidates in the ASCD General Membership Election for Board of Directors - Be Sure to Vote If You Are a Member of ASCD!
Candidates in ASCD's General Membership Election of Board Members
Candidates for ASCD's Board of Directors are in alphabetical order. Click on each candidate's name to see their biographical information and view a personal video.
Compare the Candidates
The election is only online. Have your ASCD membership number on hand in order to make the process easy.
- You will be prompted to enter your Member ID and password.
- Click on the Vote Now button at the bottom to connect to the ASCD secure online election system.
- If you don't have your Member ID or password, contact the ASCD Service Center at 1-800-933-ASCD (2723) and then press 1, or send an e-mail to member@ascd.org.
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Another Opportunity to Connect with Nell Duke - Virtually!
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Nell K. Duke
Education and literacy researcher
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The Power of Project-Based InstructionPresented September 16, 2015In this interview, Dr. Nell K. Duke discusses what project-based instruction is-and isn't-and provides ideas for implementing it wisely. |
Competency-Based Learning - Check Out These Five Key Lessons
Sydney Schaef, Mastery Learning Specialist at the School District of Philadelphia, has been a major player in the development of an open-source competency model, designed and developed as a collaboration between the School District of Philadelphia and nonprofit partner, Building 21. It is called the Learning What Matters Competency Model. The LWM Competency Model has been described by experts as "a major contribution to the field," and "one of the strongest, personalized, competency-based models in conception." - Understand the key shifts.
- Define mastery, then build your policies around it.
- Apply the 80/20 rule. Focus your greatest effort on the 20% of the work that is going to generate 80% of the results.
- Stage the work; nail instruction and stakeholder communication.
- Hire with care, and for a specific set of skills and dispositions.
This is a MUST read for anyone involved in competency-based learning/personalized learning. Highly detailed and offers the Key Five! Check out the entire article here. |
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ASCD Emerging Leaders - Apply or Nominate Now! Today Is the Deadline
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 Emerging Leaders Class of 2016!
Emerging leaders 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.
- Leslie Pralle Keehn - presently instruction technology consultant at Prairie Lakes AEA 8.
- Tricia Kurtt - presently instructional coach at Norwalk Community School District.
- Josh Griffith - presently Callanan Middle School vice principal in the Des Moines Public Schools.
- Jason Toenges - presently secondary principal in the Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District
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. |
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Iowa's Top Teachers Honored
Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise, Gov. Terry Branstad and other leaders honored 10 finalists and winners of the following teaching awards at the Outstanding Iowa Teachers Recognition Luncheon in Des Moines on March 22:
- Iowa Teacher of the Year
- Iowa Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
"We all have had teachers who have made a difference in our lives -- teachers who challenged us to keep growing and getting better. Teachers who inspired us to innovate and think outside the box. Teachers who gave us the focus and foundation for a successful future," Wise said. "In Iowa, this magic occurs in thousands of classrooms every day."
The luncheon was hosted by the Iowa Department of Education and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Iowa Department of Education. |
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Instructional Leadership - Several Reminders That Impact Student Learning
Organization and Administration of Iowa Public and Private Schools - Second Edition, edited by Liz Hollingsworth and Charles Manges, reminds us that the focus of instructional leaders must be on the quality of teaching and learning,  including looking at student work, looking at best practices, spending time in the classroom, and providing feedback and resources for teachers.
DiPaola and Hoy note that "Instructional leadership is the entire process of improving teaching and learning. Instructional leaders use data to inform decision, protect learning time, monitor the quality of instruction, and work with teachers in developing strategies for interventions when students are not learning." Reminder: In the "old days" the focus was on managerial role and political role. Today it is on effective instruction.
An instructional leader's knowledge of current curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices has an effect size of .25. Elmore reminds us that principals must be students of best practices as "leadership is the guidance and direction of instruction improvement." Fullan agrees that instructional leaders must possess a sound knowledge of current research-based instructional practices to provide guidance for teachers on a day-to-day basis.
An instructional leader's monitoring the effectiveness of school practices and their impact on student learning has an effect size of .27. Hattie reminds us that the most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. Elmore echoes that successful schools have "superintendents and system-level staff active in monitoring and instruction in classrooms."
An instructional leader's willingness to challenge the status quo has an effect size of .25. Marzano advocates that school leaders as change agents must be "willing to challenge the status quo" or to "temporarily upset a school's equilibrium." They must be willing to lead new initiatives and commit to the changes on a sustained basis in order to increase student achievement.
An instructional leader who provides teachers with materials and professional development to successfully execute their jobs has an effect size of .25. Fullan reminds us that instructional improvement requires additional resources in forms of materials, equipment, space, time, and access to new ideas and expertise. Marzano add that in addition to resources, instructional leaders must ensure that teachers are provided with quality professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching and, in turn, increase student learning.
Instructional leaders must create awareness, commitment, and practice to transform change! Oh, so much to do!
Every superintendent and board member should revisit the findings and recommendations in this book.
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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!) for Title II
Educators and policymakers are now beginning to work on implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The new law supports the learning and development of educators in enhancing their capacity to help students succeed and includes new provisions aimed to help educators grow. See below for answers about the educator professional development activities and funding in Title II. 1. What happened to the definition of "highly qualified teacher" (HQT)? Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, the HQT requirements will be eliminated. 2. How does ESSA ensure that all educators are properly credentialed and students have access to high-quality instruction? ESSA maintains the requirement that teachers and paraprofessionals working in Title I schools  meet state certification and licensure requirements. "Equitable distribution" of educators also remains in the new law, requiring states to ensure that students in Title I schools are not subject to "ineffective" (formerly known as "unqualified" under NCLB) educators more frequently than students in non-Title I schools. 3. How does ESSA change the definition of professional development? ESSA eliminates NCLB's definition of "core academic subjects," thus expanding the allowable use of Title II funds for professional development to include teachers of every subject as well as all other school staff, including principals, librarians/media specialists, and to paraprofessionals. It also recognizes that educators learn best when they can collaborate and immediately apply what they learn by explicitly requiring ongoing job-embedded activities that improve instruction. ESSA also supports educators as leaders by creating a few new programs (see question five) designed to build and reward the leadership capacity of teachers. 4. What Title II programs does ESSA maintain? * Teacher Quality Partnership Grants provide competitive funding to states; intended to improve the quality of new teachers by creating partnerships among institutions of higher education and high-need districts. * Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants (formerly the Teacher Incentive Fund) provide competitive grants to states, districts, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations; focus on funding performance-based programs, or human capital management systems. * Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grants provide competitive funding to national nonprofit organizations and districts for projects to recruit, select, prepare, and provide professional development for teachers or school leaders. * School Leader Recruitment and Support program (formerly the School Leadership program): provides competitive grants to districts; designed to enhance educator preparation programs and encourage collaboration between schools of educator preparation and high-need districts. 5. Does ESSA create any new professional development opportunities for educators? Yes, ESSA allows states to create new teacher, principal, and school leadership academies to help meet the need for educators in high-need schools. Additionally, ESSA allows funds to be used for: - New teacher residency programs to enhance clinical training opportunities for teachers.
- New STEM Master Teachers Corps to help train, recruit, and retain teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
- New American history and civics program to provide enhanced learning opportunities for teachers of those disciplines.
6. Does ESSA help support recruitment of teachers? Yes, it allows states to create consortia to develop processes that enable recruitment across state lines so that teachers who are certified and licensed to teach in one state can be hired in other states. Recruitment efforts can also be supported with federal funds from the School Leader Recruitment and Support program mentioned above. 7. What requirements do professional development programs have to meet? Under ESSA, professional development programs and activities must be "evidence-based," as opposed to the more demanding "scientifically-based" requirement under NCLB. This means these programs have demonstrated a record of success and there is reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence to suggest the program is effective. 8. Are there any changes to how professional development activities are funded? Title II dollars continue to be allocated to states by formula. Under ESSA, there will be a shift away from an allocation formula that rewards communities with higher populations to a formula that rewards communities with higher percentages of families living in poverty. After a four-year phase-in period, 80 percent of funds will be allocated to higher-poverty districts and 20 percent will be allocated to those with larger populations. 9. Are educator evaluations required under ESSA? No, the law does not require educator evaluations. It does stipulate, however, that if Title II funds are used to create or improve school district evaluation systems, educators must be evaluated "in part" on student achievement, and their evaluations must be based on multiple measures, such as observations and student surveys. 10. Title II funding for professional development is the only funding some states receive to support educators. Does ESSA allow these funds to be used on other activities? Historically, states and districts have been able to transfer up to 50 percent of their Title II funds to Title I. This transferability option was expanded under ESSA to allow all -100 percent - of their Title II funds to be moved to Title I. States and districts are also allowed to transfer 100 percent of their Title IV allocation into Title I, and funds can be moved between Titles II and IV (well-rounded programs and activities). However, while funds can be transferred into Title I, money cannot be moved out of Title I into another title.
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Check It Out! Did You Know?
- Nominate before April 25 a teacher for the Iowa Teacher of the Year. Nomination forms may be found on the Iowa Department of Education's website: https://www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/award-exchange-programs/iowa-teacher-year-toy. The Iowa Teacher o
 f the Year award was established in 1958. The annual program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education through a appropriation from the Iowa Legislature. The Teacher of the Year serves as an ambassador to education and as a liaison to primary and secondary schools, higher education and organizations across the state.
- iNACOL is now accepting proposals for the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium, scheduled for October 25-28, 2016, in San Antonio, TX.
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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.
- Free On-Line School Improvement Survey available to all districts. ASCD, the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner, has unveiled the free, online ASCD School Improvement Tool, which is based on a whole child approach to education.
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
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School climate and culture,
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Curriculum and instruction,
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Leadership,
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Family and community engagement,
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Professional development and staff capacity,
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Assessment, and
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Ability to provide and sustain a whole child approach to education across all aspects of the school
- 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 today on April 1, 2016. Go here to nominate a 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.
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Blogs for Your Learning
Check out these blogs to challenge your own thinking and practices:
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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 Cor e. - Title: Steps to Becoming a Highly Effective Teacher
 - Presenter: Jeff Marshall
- Provider: ASCD
- Date and Time: Thursday, April 21 at 2:00 P.M. (CDT)
- Register Here
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 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. |
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principal.
