Skip to main content
Official State of Iowa Website Here is how you know

School Improvement

On this page...

Iowa’s model of accreditation and school improvement utilizes state and federal law and rule to position the Iowa Department of Education (Department), area education agencies (AEAs), local education agencies (LEAs) and other agencies and programs to engage in continuous improvement. Differentiated Accountability is the process developed in 2015-2016 to move schools and districts further in improvement efforts. For more information, see the Differentiated Accountability (DA) System webpage.

Chapter 12 Matrix

Offer-and-Teach Guidance: High School Education Requirements

Annual Notices and Deadlines Calendar

Equity Education

2021 Legislative Session: School Improvement and Accreditation Changes Guidance - Summarizes new accreditation and school improvement requirements or changes to existing requirements made in Iowa Code during the 2021 session of the 89th General Assembly for Iowa districts and accredited nonpublic schools.

School Improvement Team

The School Improvement Team assists accredited districts, accredited nonpublic schools and AEAs with school improvement efforts and accreditation standards.

The following tables show the team member's monitoring assignments for schools and districts within an AEA and for specific topics. Contact the team member assigned to the AEA or specific topic with questions.

AEA Assignments

Name Phone AEA Assignment
Janet Boyd 515-745-3385 Green Hills AEA and Davenport CSD
Buffy Campbell 515-954-8651 Keystone AEA
Eric Heitz 515-326-1018 Heartland AEA
Dennis McClain 515-822-2554 Central Rivers AEA
Sara Nickel 515-971-7558 Great Prairie AEA
Marietta Rives 515-360-5131 Grant Wood AEA and Mississippi Bend AEA (except Davenport CSD)
Pam Spangler 515-229-6425 Northwest AEA and Prairie Lakes AEA

Specific Topic Assignments

Topic Name(s) and Title(s) Phone(s)
AEA Accreditation Eric Heitz
Stacie Stokes
515-326-1018
515-210-5288
AEA Desk Audit All  
Annual Notices and Deadlines Calendar Pam Spangler 515-229-6425
Charter Schools Stacie Stokes
Dennis McClain
515-210-5288
515-822-2554
Equity Education and Section 504 Equity Reviews SueAnn Johnson
Eric Heitz
515-336-3942
515-326-1018
Exempt Schools Buffy Campbell 515-954-8651
Home Schooling (Private Instruction Buffy Campbell
Dennis McClain
515-954-8651
515-822-2554
Nonpublic School Accreditation/Independent Accreditation Dennis McClain 515-822-2554
Online Schools and Flexible Student and School Support Program (FS3) Waivers Stacie Stokes
Dennis McClain
515-210-5288
515-822-2554
Open Enrollment Stacie Stokes 515-210-5288
Specially Accredited Schools Dennis McClain 515-822-2554
Superintendent Notes Stacie Stokes 515-210-5288
Title 1, Section 1003 - School Improvement (ESSA) Stacie Stokes
Sara Nickel
515-210-5288
515-971-7558
Whole Grade Sharing/Reorganization Pam Spangler 515-229-6425

Contact Information

Address:
Grimes State Office Building
400 E 14th St
Des Moines, IA 50319-0146

General Number: 515-281-8402

Fax Number: 515-242-5988

Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (Except State Holidays)

Administrator:
Tina Wahlert
Chief, Bureau of School Improvement
515-326-0162
tina.wahlert@iowa.gov