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The Early Care and Education fall institute is scheduled for Oct. 5-6 at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona. Co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children, the fall Institute, titled It Begins with Me, provides opportunities to learn about ea…

DES MOINES – Two work groups charged with studying ways to reduce the need for developmental college coursework today released recommendations that support Iowa’s vision for all students to graduate from high school ready for college and for college students to have the support they need to complete a degree or cre…

The Iowa Department of Education in collaboration with the Iowa School Safety Alliance will be hosting school behavioral threat assessment training that is part of developing comprehensive school emergency operations plans. The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, i…

Public school students from fifth through the 12th grade will be participating in a survey this spring that is meant to gauge school climate and culture. The survey, called Conditions for Learning, is part of the plan under the new federal law, Every Student Succeeds Act. School principals are required to administer…

Long-term trend shows increase, despite slight one-year dip DES MOINES – Iowa’s high school graduation rate continues to show long-term progress, although the state experienced a slight decrease in 2017, according to figures released today by the Iowa Department of Education. State data show 91 percent of stu…

Melissa Walker pictured with her husband John at the awards ceremony at Des Moines University. Melissa Walker, a consultant with the Iowa Department of Education bureau of nutrition and health services, is the Iowa Public Health Association 2018 Lillian Wald Award recipient. The annual award honors a nurse f…

Kara Buerger, a counselor at Centennial Elementary School in the Southeast Polk Community School District, has been named Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Person of the Year. Buerger, who has been a counselor at Centennial for 14 years, was recognized by the Iowa Department of Education's PBIS S…

April is Mathematics Awareness Month. In observance, we offer some great resources for you. Standards: Achieve the Core - Lessons that illustrate the focus, coherence, and rigor of the Iowa Core Standards. Instruction: Principles to Actions Toolkit - Resources focused on Effective Teaching Practices and Guiding P…

“Financial literacy” is a 21st century buzzword. But how often do we stop to consider what it means? Too many Americans aren’t educated enough in their personal finances to ensure a life without money problems. That’s why schools across the state are ramping up their efforts to teach students financial liter…

As the teaching profession changed with the development of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) system, so did the role of the principal. Instead of being the sole “instructional leader,” principals now have a team of leaders, with unique skill sets and abilities, to utilize as they work to improve student…