Articles from 03/2020

Due to the extraordinary circumstances created by COVID-19 and resulting school closures, the U.S. Department of Education notified states of an optional waiver for the 2019-2020 school year, of the assessment requirements in section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA, the accountability and school identification requirements in s…

DES MOINES – In an effort to ease the burden on Iowa families and get food out to the students who need it at this critical time, the Iowa Department of Education has received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides flexibility for schools and organizations distributing meals through…

A student waves to the passing parade of teachers in Ankeny. His sign reads, “Hi Mrs. Cardin. I miss you.” Teacher parades – in which teachers jump into their cars and drive past students’ houses – are popping up across Iowa like corn kernels thrown into a fire. It comes as no surprise to famil…

DES MOINES – The Iowa State Board of Education’s next routine business meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, March 26. The meeting is scheduled to run from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Members of the public may join remotely through video conferencing or by telephone. Instructions for joining remotely are available in …

The Iowa Department of Education is filing a request to the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver of the limitation in section 1127(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) that prohibits a State educational agency (SEA) from granting to a local educational agency (LEA) a waiver of the carryo…

Editor's note: Though life as we know it has been rather upended, we will eventually get back to normal. In that spirit, we bring you this story based on a visit to Indianola about a month ago. Students were engaged in their learning throughout Career Day. Change can be hard, scary even. But change al…

The Iowa Department of Education has awarded schools statewide for their work on implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a multi-tiered system of support for behavior and provides the framework for teachers to implement and monitor prevention and intervention practices. The school…

DES MOINES– Today Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that Dr. Ann Lebo will lead the Iowa Department of Education, effective Friday, March 13, 2020. “Having served as an instructor, school administrator, Iowa Board of Educational Examiners executive director  and on the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, among ot…

Tests are necessary to allow teachers, parents and students themselves to monitor student progress, understand strengths and weaknesses, and set learning goals. But each test given takes time and resources that could be used for other valuable activities during the school day. So, it is important that the assessments g…

Iowa schools have the opportunity to receive a new water bottle filling station through the Rethink Your Drink program, funded by the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. Selected schools will have an old drinking fountain replaced with a new Elkay water fountain/bottle filling station, receive water bottles, toothbrush…