CompassA Resource for Northwest AEA Educators December 2007/January 2008

N o R t h w E s t A R E A E D u C At i o N A g E N C y

iowa’s education: can we regain our lead?: Tim

Grieves, chief administrator, explains steps being taken to en-

sure academic success in Iowa for students and teachers .... 2

join the iowa discovery educator network

(den): Discovery Educators have exclusive access to a wide

range of resources, professional development activities, net-

working opportunities and more. ........................................... 6

counseling and guidance programs evolve to

address students’ ever-changing needs: Profes-

sional school counselors are trained to become student advo-

cates to maximize the abilities of their students .................. 10

northwest aea and schools are monitoring

the mental health needs of children: Research

demonstrates that there is a societal benefit to investing in the

positive mental health of students ........................................ 13

northwest aea unveils new web site: New and en-

hanced features can be seen at <www.nwaea.k12.ia.us> ... 16

Compass is a publication of Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave., sioux City, iA 51006-1716, 800/352-9040. the editor is Liz Determan, communications coordinator. she can be reached at <ldeterman@nwaea.k12.ia.us> or 800/352-9040.

Northwest Area Education Agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability in its educational programs, activities and employment practices. Questions or grievances related to this policy may be addressed to: sally hudek, equity coordinator, 1520 Morningside Ave., sioux City, iA 51106-1716, 712/222-6114.

2

AEA Perspectives / Tim Grieves, Chief Administrator

iowa education: Can we regain our lead?

The state of Iowa is now my adopted home. I was

born and raised in Illinois, yet I graduated from two

of Iowa’s three universities (Iowa and Iowa State).

One of our two daughters graduated from UNI, with

the other attending Iowa. I have been extremely im-

pressed with Iowa’s educational opportunities. After beginning

our careers elsewhere, when we decided to have children, my

wife and I knew we wanted to come back to Iowa. It was a great

family decision. I wonder, though, are people still making the

decision to come to Iowa because of educational excellence?

Iowa has a repu-

tation for valuing

and supporting

education from

kindergarten to

college. Iowa

educators are

still respected

and our college

graduates are

sought after na-

tionwide. But in

the last 10 years, our leadership and test scores in education

have fallen. We had a great bump positively this past year, yet

“Iowa has a reputation for valuing and supporting education from kin-dergarten to college. Iowa educators are still respected and our college graduates are sought after nation-wide. But in the last 10 years, our leadership and test scores in educa-tion have fallen.”

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we have lost ground in the national assessments used to deter-

mine if Iowa’s education is top ranked, as it has been in the

past. This drop in ranking concerns me and should concern all

Iowans.

In the last two years, I have been a member of the board of

directors of the Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce, a statewide

group of education and business leaders interested in education

reforms that, I believe, can improve Iowa education and return

it to the national prominence it once had. This independent

educational think tank is needed to push Iowans to make bold

choices for the future of our children.

The Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce has presented very rea-

sonable, but vital recommendations to ensure all Iowa students

receive quality education. I would even venture to say they are

not bold, but they can make a major difference for Iowa’s edu-

cational system. We made progress on these goals this past year,

but we must be diligent to continue to make progress:

Establish 21st century, state-level learning standards and ◆

assessments pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education.

This goal can be established by passing the core curriculum

recommended by the Iowa Department of Education for the

2008 legislative session.

Implement a statewide career ladder to enhance recruitment ◆

and retention of quality teachers. Teacher salaries have

increased the last two years, but we must continue to fund our

educational system just to keep pace with other states.

Establish standards for business operations and opportunity- ◆

to-learn standards for pre-kindergarten through post-secondary

education. Efficiencies studies and sharing opportunities have

been studied this year (SF 447). We must use these studies to

make our systems more efficient and save taxpayer dollars

wherever possible.

4

Establishing statewide learning standards, or the core curricu-

lum, leads to agreement about what is important for students

to know and to be able to do. It will provide equity for all

of Iowa’s learners. Statewide learning standards are our collec-

tive “high expectations” for K-12, higher education and the busi-

ness community. They allow students to demonstrate academic

proficiency in most subjects, not just reading and math, for the

federal “No Child Left Behind” law. Our standards should be

rigorous and based on the National Assessment of Educational

Progress (NAEP), which is internationally benchmarked. That

way, we will know if Iowa’s learners are able to succeed in the

global 21st century.

We need to pay our teachers better. Teachers and educators in

Iowa have de-

livered a qual-

ity educational

program for de-

cades and have

not been appro-

priately compen-

sated in the past.

Other states love

to come to our

job fairs with

contracts in hand and sign away some of our best and brightest

new educators. As young educators coming out of college with

an average of $19,000 or more in debt, they have to decide, “Do

I stay in Iowa and be paid 40th in the nation, or do I take a job

in another state with a $5,000-$15,000 bonus and make 20 to 30

percent more?”

At the same time, we, as educators, need to retool and grow,

and serve as examples of lifelong learning. Educators need pro-

5

fessional development on an ongoing basis. Compensation for

teachers needs to be increased, but we also need to expect more

time and training for the investment we will make. Professional

development plans for every educator will provide for this learn-

ing.

Our governor and our legislature have promised to bring our

prominence in education back to Iowa. I hope this is not rheto-

ric. Please ask your legislators to support the Institute for Tomor-

row’s Workforce recommendations. They can be found online at

<www.tomorrowsworkforce.org>.

If Iowa is to lead the nation and the world in education, invest-

ment in our educational system must be one of our top priorities.

I know I am biased, but we must again attract families back to

Iowa, just as I was enticed to come back 23 years ago.

Tim Grieves is the chief administrator at Northwest AEA. He can be reached at <tgrieves@nwaea.k12.ia.us> or 800/352-9040, ext. 6001.

Northwest AEA AdministrationChief Administrator tim grieves tgrieves@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/352-9040 Ext. 6001

Administrative Assistant (sioux City)

Martha Kaufman mkaufman@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/352-9040 Ext. 6002

Administrative Assistant (sioux Center)

gloria Miller gmiller@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/572-5073 Ext. 1102

special Education Jim gormanRoger hessCo-Directors

jgorman@nwaea.k12.iarhess@nwaea.k12.ia.us

800/572-5073800/352-9040

Ext. 1195Ext. 6011

Educational services Pam Barry, Director pbarry@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/352-9040 Ext. 6019

Jerry Brock, Assoc. Director

jbrock@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/572-5073 Ext. 1120

Media services Jon wibbels, Director jwibbels@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/352-9040 Ext. 6074

Communications Liz Determan ldeterman@nwaea.k12.ia.us 800/352-9040 Ext. 6003

web site: www.nwaea.k12.ia.us

6

MEDIA SERVICES /Jerry Cochrane and Debby Berthelsen

Join the iowa Discovery Educator Network (DEN)

The Discoverty Educator Network (DEN) is a global

community of educators passionate about teach-

ing with digital media, sharing resources, collabo-

rating and learning together.

The DEN connects dynamic, engaged teachers

online and face-to-face. In this innovative community of educa-

tors, the more you

participate, the

more you grow.

Discovery Educa-

tors have exclusive

access to a wide

range of resources,

professional devel-

opment activities,

networking oppor-

tunities, exclusive Discovery Educator events and more.

Classroom teachers, technology coordinators, teacher-librarians

and anyone else excited about using digital resources in educa-

tion can officially join the network at DENcommunity.com. Click

on “New User Registration” in the upper left-hand corner. The

Iowa DEN is just beginning. We have 125 members and hope to

have over 1,000 by the end of the year.

“The DEN connects dynamic, en-gaged teachers online and face-to-face. In this innovative commu-nity of educators, the more you participate, the more you grow.”

7

At DENcommunity.com, educators can:connect with peers worldwide through discussion boards ◆

and blogs.

share methods of using digital media in the classroom, ◆

including tips on integrating Discovery Education (DE)

streaming and other resources into their curricula. (DE

streaming Plus is provided at no cost to schools by Iowa AEAs.)

participate in professional development activities, such as ◆

digital storytelling, podcasting, blogging and more.

learn about DEN events (conferences, training sessions, ◆

networking events, and more) happening in your area.

State and National ConferencesAt major national conferences like NECC and FETC, and state

conferences like ITEC, DEN hosts preconference workshops and

other events that give Discovery Educators the opportunity to

attend professional development workshops and network with

their peers.

National InstitutesThe DEN sponsors several national institutes at locations across

the U.S. The intensive, weeklong institutes provide members

with an opportunity to learn new ways to integrate digital media

into instructional practices and share ideas with colleagues from

all over the country.

Iowa Days of DiscoveryThe Iowa DEN Leadership Council, led by Discovery Educators,

will host local events throughout Iowa. Facilitated by Discovery

Educators for Discovery Educators, these events will provide op-

portunities to learn from colleagues with a local focus in mind.

EdTech Connect SeriesLeading experts in the field of educational technology share

8

their knowledge with Discovery Educators. Held monthly, past

guests have included Kathy Schrock, Alan November and David

Warlick. These are held live via the Internet.

Discovery Connect SeriesEngage your students by attending webinars featuring Discovery

personalities. Recent

guests have included

Dr. Penny Allen, field

producer for PLANET

EARTH, and Allan But-

ler, producer for the

Discovery Channel

and Science Channel.

These sessions are also

held live via the Inter-

net.

Become a STAR Discovery EducatorAfter joining DEN, you

will have an opportu-

nity to become a STAR

Discovery Educator by

sharing your digital skills and expertise with others. You will

receive a welcome kit and access to exclusive resources, events

and more. For details, visit <http://community.discoveryeduca-

tion.com/star/index.html>.

Jerry Cochrane, coordinator at the Iowa Educators Consortium, was the primary author of this article. He can be reached at 800/798-9771, ext. 6741 or <jcochrane@gwaea.org>. Debby Berthelsen is a media technol-ogy consultant at Northwest AEA. She may be reached at <dberthelsen@nwaea.k12.ia.us> or 800/352-9040, ext. 6063.

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Northwest AEA Offices and Service CentersSioux City Office (Administration) 1520 Morningside Ave. sioux City, iA 51106-1716 800/352-9040 or 712/222-6000 FAX: 712/222-6123 special Education...Ext. 6010 FAX: 712/222-6115 Educational services...Ext. 6080 FAX: 712/222-6108 Media & info. tech…Ext. 6070 FAX: 712/222-6069

Sioux Center Office 1382 4th Ave., NE sioux Center, iA 51250 800/572-5073 or 712/722-4378 FAX: 712/722-1643

Ida Grove Service Center 301 Moorehead st. ida grove, iA 51445-1499 888/472-6052 or 712/364-2627 FAX: 712/364-3238

Cherokee Service Center 2020 highway 3 Bypass Po Box 202 Cherokee, iA 51012-0202 888/472-6036 or 712/225-2568 FAX: 712/225-6275

Le Mars Service Center 406 Fourth st., s.w. Le Mars, iA 51031-1910 888/472-6054 or 712/546-4192 FAX: 712/546-5104

Denison Service Center 2008 highway 59 s. Denison, iA 51442-7657 888/472-6050 or 712/263-4625 FAX: 712/263-3190

Onawa Service Center 801 tenth st., suite A onawa, iA 51040-1420 888/472-6037 or 712/433-2071 FAX: 712/433-3234

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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / Jill Helm

Counseling and guidance programs evolve to address students’ ever-changing needs

This fall, over 50 school counselors from Northwest

AEA signed up for professional development to

learn how the American School Counselor Asso-

ciation’s National Model and its framework can

guide their programs. They will attend four ses-

sions throughout the year to work through the national model as

it highlights the foundation, delivery and management compo-

nents and accountability, focusing on results for students.

This plan for counselor professional development came about

because of the legislation approved

last spring reinstating school counsel-

ors in the Iowa Code. It requires dis-

tricts to employ a professional school

counselor to deliver a comprehen-

sive school counseling and guidance

program. Additional language states

each district should work toward the

goal of one qualified counselor for

every 350 students enrolled in the

district.

Professional school counselors are trained to become student

advocates to maximize the abilities of their students. Through

collaboration with staff, families and their communities, counsel-

ors help prepare students for challenges and transitions through-

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out their school career, as well as after high school. Counselors

also have the ability to assess their school for barriers to student

success and can support ways to bring equity and access to ev-

ery student.

Counseling and guidance programs are designed to be compre-

hensive, developmental, proactive and preventative. The ulti-

mate goals of academic success and lifelong skills for students

are accomplished

by focusing on at-

titudes, skills and

knowledge within

the program’s three

domain areas: aca-

demic, career and

personal/social .

Through a frame-

work reflecting

on the program’s

foundation, its de-

livery, management and accountability, every student receives

these benefits.

Northwest AEA counselors have the support from a group of

individuals organized last spring—a state task force—to help

unite the professional school counselors across Iowa. This group

made a bold statement to embrace the American School Coun-

selor Association’s National Model, which addresses the role of

the counselor, content standards for every student and an orga-

nizational framework and accountability system. It can support

each district’s mission by aligning goals and objectives that lead

to all students achieving intended outcomes, thus assuring

increased student achievement.

One of the first jobs the task force tackled was surveying school

“The ultimate goals of academic success and lifelong skills for stu-dents are accomplished by focus-ing on attitudes, skills and knowl-edge within the program’s three domain areas: academic, career and personal/social.”

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counselors across the state to gather data about their programs

and current needs. Questions focused on training, time utiliza-

tion, student ratios, involvement in school improvement activi-

ties, and the type of professional development needed to stay

up-to-date with trends.

With data in hand, the group is now working on an addendum

to the previous state guide providing counselors’ suggestions

as they define their guidance programs. Another priority is net-

working with various organizations to bring the philosophy of

counseling programs to their attention.

Whether bringing the information from legislation or the state

task force, program development, resources, professional de-

velopment or consultation, Northwest AEA counselors are sup-

ported in many ways. Roles are changing for school counselors

but, as always, students remain the focus.

Jill Helm is a student support services consultant. She can be reached at <jhelm@nwaea.k12.ia.us> or 800/352-9040, ext. 6086.

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Northwest AEA and schools are monitoring mental health needs of children

SPECIAL EDUCATION / Dana Oas

In 1999, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that one in

five children and adolescents will experience a signifi-

cant mental health problem during their education years

(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999).

When stu-

dents experience

mental health prob-

lems, they often

struggle to attend

school, have dif-

ficulty completing

assignments, and

have more frequent

conflicts with peers

and adults. Increasingly, schools are recognized as places where

students receive mental health services.

The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health

(2003) acknowledged this relationship, saying, “Schools are

where children spend most of each day. While schools are pri-

marily concerned with education, mental health is essential to

learning as well as to social and emotional development. Be-

cause of this important interplay between emotional health and

school success, schools must be partners in the mental health-

care of our children.”

“When students experience men-tal health problems, they often struggle to attend school, have dif-ficulty completing assignments, and have more frequent conflicts with peeers and adults.”

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Why Is It Important?The specific mission of school has been long debated; however,

there is general agreement that schools should promote learning

for the purpose of creating productive citizens.

In the era of the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are held ac-

countable for academic learning through student performance

assessments. Research demonstrates that students with good

mental health are more successful in school. A recent longi-

tudinal study provided strong evidence that interventions that

strengthened students’ social, emotional and decision-making

skills also positively affected their academic achievement in

terms of higher standardized test scores and better grades (Flem-

ing et al., 2005).

Research also demonstrated that there is a societal benefit to

investing in the positive mental health of students. For example,

it is known that students who are struggling emotionally and be-

haviorally are more likely to drop out of school. A study by the

Teacher’s College at Columbia University (2005) estimated that

the U.S. loses $192 billion (1.6% of the gross domestic product)

in combined income and tax revenue with each cohort of stu-

dents who fail to complete high school.

Mental health matters to students, parents and schools because:• good mental health is essential to success in school and life.

• mental health exists on a continuum encompassing mental

wellness (resiliency/social skills), mental health problems (mild

signs and symptoms interfering with performance) and mental

illness (diagnosable disorders).

• too few children with mental health concerns currently receive

the help they need.

• left unaddressed, mental health problems are linked to aca-

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demic and behavior difficulties, dropping out, delinquency and

risk behaviors.

• schools are natural places to meet

children’s mental health needs.

•children who receive mental health

support are happier and do better in

school.

•school-based mental health services

are wise investments because preven-

tion and intervention are less costly

than negative outcomes of unmet men-

tal health problems or remediation.

Clearly, many of the social, academic, and behavioral problems

of children and adolescents arise from the interaction of person-

al characteristics and the environmental characteristics evident in

many schools, communities and homes. Therefore, solutions to

mental health problems must involve schools and communities.

Northwest AEA is committed to playing a key role in building

collaborative relationships among schools, agencies and parents

as a means of creating a comprehensive and integrated system

to support the mental health needs of children. One of the ways

this is being done is through the development of a “mental

health resource team” at Northwest AEA. Please feel free to talk

to one of your AEA team members for more information con-

cerning the mental health resource team or contact Dana Oas at

800/572-5073 ext. 1160.

Dana Oas is a regional facilitator supervisor for school psychology at Northwest AEA. He can be reached at 800/572-5073, ext. 1160 or <doas@nwaea.k12.ia.us>. Source: Skalski, A.K., & Smith, M.J. (2006). Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Students. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007, from <http:// www.nasponline.org>.

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N Northwest Area Edu-cation Agency (AEA) introduced its new Web

site to the public on Friday, Nov. 9. The URL will remain the same at <www.nwaea.k12.ia.us>.

AEA staff worked to create a user-friendly site to education-ally assist parents, teachers, school administrators, school support staff, job applicants, AEA employees and community members.

The site features links to Iowa AEA Online, the AEA’s Media Catalog and professional devel-opment courses, among other useful tools. In addition, the site offers an online “Staff Directory” so that school staff and parents can easily find AEA employee contact information.

Northwest AEA launches new web site