September School Leader Update Newsletter

The September issue of the School Leader Update, a monthly newsletter for Iowa's school administrator's is now available.

Read more: September 2010 School Leader Update

Iowa Applies for Schools to Receive $96 Million for Education Jobs

Governor Chet Culver announced on August 24, 2010 that the state has applied to receive more than $96 million in federal education funding recently appropriated by Congress under the Education Jobs Act.

Read more: Iowa Applies for Schools to Receive $96 Million for Education Jobs

Iowa Second in the Nation for the Highest Average ACT Composite Score

Iowa students continue to earn the second highest average ACT scores in the nation during 2010, according to results released by ACT. This year also saw an increase in the number of students in Iowa who took the test compared to 2009.

The average ACT composite score for Iowa students this year was 22.2, compared to the national average score of 21. Iowa’s average score is the second highest in the nation among states testing a majority of their graduating seniors. While Iowa’s average score is slightly lower than last year’s state-wide composite score of 22.4, the national average is also slightly lower than last year’s average of 21.1. Minnesota is first in the nation with an average score of 22.9 out of a possible 36.

Read more: Iowa Second in the Nation for the Highest Average ACT Composite Score

Race to the Top Statement

U.S. Department of Education (USED) today announced the finalists in the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) education funding competition. Iowa was not among the list of finalists.

"While we were not chosen as a finalist, Iowa has a vision for reform that centers on students and preparing them for the many opportunities that await them beyond high school," said Iowa Department of Education Acting Director Kevin Fangman. "As a result of this collaborative grant application effort, Iowa has developed a bold plan for the future of Iowa education. It is now time for us to look at the resources and partnerships we already have in place to move forward."

Read more: Race to the Top Statement

Governor Culver Applauds Iowa's Application for RTTT Round 2

Governor Chet Culver announced that Iowa has submitted its application for the second round of federal Race to the Top education funding. Iowa is applying for up to $175 million, the maximum amount it is eligible to receive in the second application round. Read more...