Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass today announced a meeting of the Instructional Time Task Force on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting will take place in Room B100 (basement level) in the Grimes State Office Building.

The task force was established in Senate File 2284 to study issues such as the school start date, length of the school day and school year, and after-school programming. Meetings are open to the public. More information about the task force is available online.

The agenda is as follows:

10 a.m. - Welcome and Group Priorities

10:30 a.m. - Presentation: Dr. Terry Peterson, Afterschool & Community Learning Network, College of Charleston (followed by group discussion)

Noon - Lunch

12:30 p.m. - Presentation: Principal Jill Burnett Requist, River Woods Elementary School, Des Moines Public Schools

1 p.m. - Guided Small Group Work and Discussion: Instructional Day/Year

2 p.m. - Guided Small Group Work and Discussion: School Start Date

3 p.m. - Next Steps and Adjourn