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Educator Quality
Iowa's Teacher Quality initiatives are reshaping how teachers are compensated and supported. This effort responds to our goal of improving student learning, as well as the critical issues of looming teacher shortages in rural and urban Iowa and a declining comparability of Iowa teachers' salaries with those in other states.
Contacts:
Dianne Chadwick
515-281-3718
  • NAEP
  • Team-Based Variable Pay
  • Assessment
  • Blue Ribbon
 Deb Hansen
515-281-6131
  • Professional Development for Educator Quality
 Mary Beth Fracek
515-281-3160
  • Mentoring & Induction
  • Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant
 Arlie Willems
515-281-3427
  • Practitioner Preparation



Content Network Print E-mail

The Content Network website has been designed to help school districts identify content for implementing the district career development plan. The Iowa Professional Development Model provides guidance to local districts as they design and implement district and building-wide professional development.


Go to the Content Network website.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 October 2007 )
 
Department of Education Sponsored Professional Development Print E-mail

Teacher Development Academies

The Teacher Development Academies are a series of professional development opportunities available to teams from public schools. Each Academy features research based content and is designed to support local school districts and AEAs in offering professional development that is grounded in research and based on the Iowa Professional Development Model.

Teacher Quality Committee Orientation Sessions

The Teacher Quality Committee Orientations Sessions presented by the Iowa Department of Education, School Administrators of Iowa and the Iowa State Education Association were completed during the week of August 13th. These one-day sessions described the requirements and procedures for the new Teacher Quality Committees established in Senate File 277. The PowerPoint for this session is attached. A DVD of the session has been produced by the DE and is being distributed on a request basis from ISEA. To request a copy of the DVD contact David Wilkinson:

David Wilkinson
Teaching and Learning Specialist
Iowa State Education Association
777 Third Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1301
515-471-8054
dwilkinson@isea.org


Teacher Quality Committee Orientation PowerPoint Presentation - August 17, 2007

Handouts
TQC Orientation Packet 1

TQC Orientation Packet 2

IPDM Is and Is Not

IPDM Profile for TQC Packet

Forming a Professional Devlopment Leadership Team

Instruction at the Core of Improved Student Learning

Three regional one-day workshops will be presented by the Iowa Department of Education during the 2007-2008 school year. These sessions will extend the learning from the April 4th Session with Richard Elmore and the SAI conference sessions on instruction. The sessions this fall will provide activities with an emphasis on effective practices in instruction and how to lead instructional change.

No Registration Fee. West Des Moines sessions will be held at the West Des Moines Sheraton Hotel, 1800 50th St, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. Cedar Rapids sessions will be held at the Crown Plaza Five Seasons Hotel, 350 1st Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401.

Richard Elmore - "Focus on the Core" PowerPoint April 4, 2007

Richard Elmore Focus on the Core-April 4, 2007

Discussion Questions for April 4 DVD

Professional Development Leadership for School Improvement PowerPoint for April 20, 2007

PDLSI Power Point April 20, 2007

 

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 14 April 2008 )
 
District & Individual Career Development Plans Print E-mail

Workbook for Describing the District Professional Development Plan

A tool for use by the district professional development leadership team to study the CSIP and organize the elements of the District Professional Development Plan into a brief professional development document.

icon Workbook for Describing the District Professional Development Plan (121.14 KB 2006-06-02 09:53:46)

Building Level Professional Development Plan Workbook

The Building Level Professional Development Plan is a tool for implementing the District Professional Development Plan (DPDP) at the building level. The optional building level plan for professional development is recommended to clarify the actions needed to address student learning needs and design professional development at the building level.

Building Level Professional Development Plan

District/Building Profile: Iowa Professional Development Model

The purpose of this profile is to guide the district/building administrators, the Professional Development (PD) Leadership Team, and the PD provider in conducting an optional self-analysis of the effectiveness of their district/building professional development. By reviewing what is in place for PD at the district and building level, district leaders have an opportunity to make adjustments and add supports to ensure that the professional development provided to teachers results in improved instructional practices and increased student achievement. This rubric is offered as a tool to analyze and describe the status of PD plans, processes, and learning opportunities.

icon District/Building Profile: Iowa Professional Development Model (102.11 KB 2006-06-29 10:49:45)

Sample Plans

  • Sample Building Level Professional Development Plans
  • Sample Individual Teacher Professional Development Plans
  • Sample Teacher Performance Reviews

icon Sample Plans (338.63 KB)

Sample District Career Development Plan

icon Sample District Career Development Plan (43.72 KB)

Sample 1 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan Sample 1 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan

Sample 2 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan Sample 2 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan

Sample 3 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan Sample 3 Individual Teacher Professional Development Plan


Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 January 2008 )
 
Educator Quality Documents Print E-mail

Federal Approval

Highly Qualified Teacher Plan -- Revised December 2006

Equity Plan -- Revised December 2006

Iowa's School Leadership Standards and Criteria

icon Iowa's School Leadership Standards and Criteria

Iowa Teaching Standards and Model Criteria

Model Evidence for Iowa Teaching Standards Model Evidence for Iowa Teaching Standards

Sample Lesson Plan with Evidence Sample Lesson Plan with Evidence

Model Evidence Documentation Model Evidence Documentation

Model Evidence Documentation Model Descriptors

Iowa Teaching Standards and Model Criteria

Iowa Teaching Standards and Model Criteria Iowa Teaching Standards and Model Criteria

Iowa Teaching Standards with AEA Criteria Teaching Standards with AEA Criteria

Student Achievement & Accountability Annual Reports

icon Student Achievement & Accountability (SF 476) 2004 Annual Report

icon Student Achievement & Accountability (SF 476) 2005 Annual Report

icon Student Achievement & Accountability (SF 476) 2006 Annual Report

icon Student Achivement & Accountability (SF 476) 2007 Annual Report

2008 Student Achievement and Accountability Report Student Achievement & Accountability (SF 476) 2008 Annual Report

Teacher Quality Program Evaluation

icon 2007 Teacher Quality Program Evaluation (64.7 KB 2007-03-07 11:20:26)


Worksheets

icon Teacher Comp Worksheet 06-07

icon Worksheet Narrative 06-07

 

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 April 2008 )
 
Highly Qualified Teacher Print E-mail

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) require all teachers to be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year. Highly qualified requirements apply to elementary education teachers and to middle and high school teachers who teach one or more core academic subjects including English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography. In Iowa, the NCLB and IDEA legislation requires all teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree, a teaching license, and the state required endorsement for all subject areas.

Highly Qualified Staff Verification PowerPoint Highly Qualified Staff Verification PowerPoint

BOEE Website: http://www.boee.iowa.gov/ (Click on BEDS Reporting Information)

Iowa's Collaborative Teaching Model for HQT Iowa's Collaborative Teaching Model for HQT 2007-06-11 18:40:20

HQT in Alternative High Schools HQT in Alternative High Schools 2008-04-10 09:04:03

Reverse Consultation Reverse Consultation 2007-06-19 14:39:54

Talented and Gifted Endorsement Questions Talented and Gifted Endorsement Questions 2007-06-20 08:21:54

Highly Qualified Advising and Coaching Questions Highly Qualified Advising and Coaching Questions 2007-06-21 09:40:29

Video

Staff Verification Intro- Del Hoover


Staff Verification System Part I


Staff Verification System Part II


Staff Verification At-Risk & Endorsement Errors


Staff Verification Special Education


Staff Verification Conclusion

Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 April 2008 )
 
Iowa Professional Development Model Print E-mail
This manual provides an overview of the Iowa Professional Development Model and technical assistance for local districts to use when designing and supporting their District Career Development Plans.

Iowa Professional Development Model Training Manual

Iowa Content Network

A tool for local districts to use when selecting professional development content in reading, mathematics, and science. The site includes reviews of research studies that describe the research conducted on specific instructional strategies and programs.


Iowa Professional Development Model - Executive Summary

icon Executive Summary (2006-11-09)

Overview PowerPoint

This PowerPoint presentation is designed to support an overview presentation of the Iowa Professional Development Model. The document includes slides and speaker notes to assist the presenter.

icon IA Professional Development Overview Powerpoint (2006-11-01)

Administrator's Guide for Professional Development

This guidebook provides school district and building level administrators with information and resources to implement quality professional development for the purpose of increasing student achievement. The materials included in this document offer resources and tools needed to use the Iowa Professional Development Model to fully implement the required District Career Development Plans, Building Level Plans for professional development, and Individual Teacher Career Development Plans.

icon Administrator Guide for Professional Development (2006-11-01)

Documents

Provider Approval
Providers are those individuals, agencies, or organizations that serve the school district by providing long term, ongoing support for the District Career Development Plan. This document explains the provider requirements and procedures for approval.

icon Requirements (2006-06-29)

icon Application Form (2006-06-29)


Guidance for Required Staff Development
There are some types of training required for various school personnel that result from laws outside of education. In most instances, training sessions to meet these requirements would not be included in the District Career Development Plan. This document provides guidance for topical or specific content intended for individuals with specialized assignments or roles that necessitate specific training.

icon Reference Guide for Required Staff Development (2006-07-03)

Links

Consortium for Policy Research in Education

National Staff Development Council

Iowa Staff Development Council

Professional Development Allocations 
Last Updated ( Friday, 08 February 2008 )
 
Mentoring & Induction Print E-mail

The Iowa Mentoring and Induction Program began as part of the Iowa Teacher Quality legislation enacted in 2001. Every new teacher in the first or second year of the profession enters into a two-year induction program that addresses the teacher’s personal and professional needs and trains him or her on Iowa’s eight Teaching standards.

The teacher must be employed by a public school district or an area education agency (AEA). A mentor is assigned to each teacher - not to evaluate for employment purposes, but to observe, critique, and provide support and advice on effective teaching practices. In 2006, guidance counselors, teacher librarians, and interns (hired under alternative licensure) were approved to participate in the mentoring and induction program in addition to classroom teachers. Iowa pays $1,300 for each first or second year teacher. $1,000 of those funds are paid to the mentor and the remaining dollars can be used by the district or AEA to pay for related program costs, including FICA or IPERS.

Mentors must have at least four years of teaching experience and demonstrated skills in classroom training and coaching. They receive training on district expectations, based on Iowa’s eight teaching standards. Mentoring programs can be designed by the district or the AEA, which provides school improvement services for the local education community. The mentor must follow this program while focusing on the teacher’s individual needs. One hundred percent of the public school districts and all AEAs in Iowa have a Mentoring and Induction plan that has been approved by the Iowa Department of Education.

After the two-year induction program, the new teacher receives a standard license in most cases. The state fully funds induction for the required two years. If a teacher does not meet the requirements after the two years, a third year in the induction program can be granted by the district, but must be funded by the district. If the teacher does not successfully complete the program after the third year, that teacher cannot receive a license and cannot continue to teach in the state.

During the 2005-2006 school year, 3,368 new teachers participated in the state-funded Iowa Mentoring and Induction Program. This total is comprised of both first and second year teachers in LEAs and AEAs statewide.
 

Technical Assistance for Iowa Teacher Mentoring and Induction Program

Technical Assistance for Iowa Teacher Mentoring and Induction Program

Mentoring and Induction Plan Revision Request

A Selected Bibliography

icon A Selected Bibliography (22.55 KB 2006-07-06 14:25:33) 

camera.png  Photos from 2007 Mentoring and Induction Institute!

Research Review Teaching Quality

Technical Assistance for Administrator Mentoring and Induction Program

icon Administrator Mentoring & Induction (195.5 KB 2006-07-28 10:46:46)

Beginning Teacher Allocations

Beginning Administrator Allocations 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 April 2008 )
 
National Board Certification Print E-mail
National Board Certification (NBC) is a certification program designed and administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). NBC is available to teachers nationwide and requires candidates to demonstrate their teaching practice as measured against high and rigorous standards. For additional information, visit the NBPTS web site on the Links page or call at 800-22TEACH (800-228-3224).

Contact:
Jody Crane
jody.crane@iowa.gov
(515) 281-3333

Annual Award Applications

2007-08 Annual Award Applications

$5,000 NBC Annual Award (2007-08) $5,000 NBC Annual Award (2007-08) 2007-10-15 10:04:44

NBC $2,500 Annual Award Application (2007-08) NBC $2,500 Annual Award Application (2007-08) 2007-10-16 14:56:50

Links

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

http://www.nbpts.org/resources/nbct_directory

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 January 2008 )
 
SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance Print E-mail

The purpose of this webpage is to provide answers to questions that have been asked since the Teacher Quality Committee Orientation meetings were held the week of August 13, 2007. The question and answers are contained within the three documents listed below. If you have additional questions, please send them to Deb.Hansen@iowa.gov.

SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance FAQ 1 SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance FAQ 1 2007-10-01 10:36:09

 SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance FAQ 2

SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance FAQ 3 SF 277 Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program Guidance FAQ 3 2007-10-01 10:38:39

Basic Compensation Allocations

Market Factor Allocations 
Last Updated ( Monday, 11 February 2008 )
 
Teacher Compensation 07-08 Pilot Print E-mail

Career Ladder and Pay-for-Performance Pilot Programs

The purpose of this pilot program is to provide funds to local school districts to research, study, and develop pilots designed to identify promising practices related to enhanced teacher compensation career ladder models or pay-for-performance models. One district was chosen to  study and design a career ladder program and two districts chose to study and design a pay-for-performance plan.

Annotated Resource List Annotated Resource List

CECR Checklist CECR Checklist

CECR Stakeholder Engagement CECR Stakeholder Engagement

Tony Milanowski Powerpoint Tony Milanowski PowerPoint

Last Updated ( Monday, 07 January 2008 )
 
Teacher Development Academies Print E-mail
The Teacher Development Academies are a series of professional development opportunities available to teams from public schools. Each Academy features research based content and is designed to support local school districts and AEAs in offering professional development that is grounded in research and based on the Iowa Professional Development Model.

The target audience for the Academies is local school teams that include the teachers, principals, and central office personnel from Iowa’s school districts and AEA consultants who participate with a specific school team.

The purposes of the Academies are:

  • To increase student achievement through quality professional development.
  • To improve local district access to qualified trainers in high demand content areas (Reading, Mathematics and Science).
  • To increase the number of teachers and consultants with expertise in specific academic content areas and skills in delivering professional development opportunities.
  • To support and compliment existing Teacher Quality Program efforts. This initiative is designed to support the AEA and DE capacity building efforts by adding to the pool of available trainers in Iowa.
  • To support LEA implementation of District Career Development Plan.

The objectives are:

  • Participants acquire knowledge and skills in instructional strategies that are supported by scientifically based research.
  • Participants practice strategies in the classroom, collect data on student results, and study their own implementation.
  • Participants attend all training sessions. Training usually begins in the summer and is distributed through the school year (either 4 or 5 days during the summer, 3 follow-up dates during the school year, and intermittent ICN sessions).

The content offered in the academies is selected to assist local districts in providing training to implement District Career Development Plans. The content is determined by analyzing statewide student achievement data and District Career Development Plans across the state.

The benefits to participants include:

  • Participants are learning new skills and refining existing skills that will improve their practice as teachers, consultants, and teacher-trainers.
  • Participants are collaborating with other educators locally and across the state.
  • Participants received a stipend for their engagement in the training.
  • Training materials and assessment instruments were provided at no cost to schools.
  • Teachers have the option of receiving renewal or graduate credit and the opportunity to earn credit for additional endorsements.

Cognitively Guided Instruction Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI)

Contact

Richard Bartosh, Consultant
515-281-0368
richard.bartosh@iowa.gov

Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI)

Question Answer Relationship (QAR)

Second Chance Reading (SCR)

 

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 14 April 2008 )
 
Teacher Evaluation Print E-mail

Calendar
The calendar is a schedule of training sessions for those teachers and administrators who want to obtain their new evaluator's license.  It is updated on a regular basis to reflect as current of a schedule as possible.

0708 Tq IEATP Training Calendar Level I Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Calendar Level I

0708 Tq IEATP Training Calendar Level II Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Calendar Level II

Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Program for Level I Participants

The following items are included as part of the training for the Iowa Evaluator Approval Training Program. Each participant will select and successfully complete the activities from this list that are designated by the trainer. The item entitled Extended Activity Index will give a listing of the activities and information on their status as required/optional in nature.

icon Extended Activity Index (17.02 KB 2006-07-13 13:32:13)

icon Application of Iowa Code, Chapter 84, to Sample Plan (21.33 KB 2006-07-13 13:37:05)

icon The Origins of the QIC-Decide Data Based Decision Making Mode (37.83 KB 2006-07-13 13:54:51)

icon Response to the Origins of the QIC-Decide

icon Displaying Data Activity (47.56 KB 2006-07-13 13:40:48)

icon Excel Graph Template 1 Graphing Actvity (67 KB 2006-07-13 13:35:28)

icon Displaying Data Reflection Sheet (10.1 KB 2006-07-13 13:42:17)

icon Interpreting Data Activity (29.07 KB 2006-07-13 13:43:09)

icon Interpreting Data Activity Reflection Sheet (9.69 KB 2006-07-13 15:00:59)

icon Observation of Teaching Segment

icon Observation of Evaluation Conferences (17.8 KB 2006-07-13 13:50:31)

 

Comprehensive Evaluation Form for Beginning Teacher

This form is required of all teacher evaluator's who are conducting a comprehensive evaluation of second year teachers with an initial license and is used as the basis for a recommendation on obtaining a standard teaching license.

icon Evaluation Form (147.51 KB 2006-07-13 15:10:34) 

Sample Comprehensive Evaluations

These are samples of different ways that the Comprehensive Evaluation Form could be filled out by any teacher evaluator.  They are examples only.

icon Sample 1 (138.56 KB 2006-07-13 15:15:32) 

icon Sample 2 (141.3 KB 2006-07-13 15:16:22) 

icon Sample 3 (150.71 KB 2006-07-13 15:17:05) 

Beginning Teacher Comprehensive Evaluation
 
icon Beginning Teacher Comprehensive Evaluation (18.92 KB 2006-07-13 15:18:24)

Model Framework for Designing a Local Staff Evaluation

Based on work conducted by Tom McGreal this is a sample or a model of a teacher evaluation system that can be used as a reference by any local public school in designing a local approach to teacher evaluation.

icon Model Framework for Designing a Local Staff Evaluation System Based on the Iowa Teaching Standards a (587.82 KB 2006-07-13 15:21:08)

icon A Model Frameworkfor Designing a Local Staff Evaluation System (224.5 KB 2007-01-31 14:08:39)
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 March 2008 )
 
Team Based Variable Pay Print E-mail

Team-Based Variable Pay (TBVP) was placed in to legislation during 2001.  It was the intent of the general assembly to create a statewide team-based variable pay program to reward individual attendance centers for improvement in student achievement.  A pilot program was established to give Iowa school districts with one or more participating attendance centers the opportunity to explore and demonstrate successful methods to implement team-based variable pay. This program was funded during 2001-02, 2003-04, and 2004-05.

Document Collection Team-Based Variable Pay Report of the Iowa Pilot Project 

icon Appendix C (42.68 KB 2006-07-06 14:52:19) 

icon A Study (817.2 KB 2006-07-06 14:53:23) 

icon Appendix D Interview Questions (13.79 KB 2006-07-06 14:54:36) 

icon Appendix A Other States (66.05 KB 2006-07-06 14:41:21) 

icon Appendix B Iowa Schools (4.21 MB 2006-07-06 14:46:49) 

icon Appendix E Survey Instrument (74.63 KB 2006-07-06 15:06:58) 

icon Appendix F Surveys (675.6 KB 2006-07-06 14:55:52) 

icon Appendix G ITBS (504.86 KB 2006-07-06 15:08:53) 

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 October 2007 )