Micro-credential

Additional Opportunities to Learn and Earn through micro-credentials
Have you earned your $250 for engaging in a micro-credential yet this year? If not, did you know you can earn another $250 for engaging in the learning through a micro-credential even if you earned $250 last year?   There are 15 micro-credentials you can choose from on our on-demand system. 

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Safeguards

Procedural Safeguards (Part B) Update

On the new DE page, now relinked to i3, new translations of the August, 2023 manual have been added.  Data from ACHIEVE was reviewed, and the “top 10” most frequent home languages for students with IEPs were translated, along with a few other languages that previously were translated by the state.  There are a few additional languages being translated by individual AEAs for local needs, and those will be shared and added to the master site sometime in the future.  You’ll see that this is now a subsection on a Parent Information Page on the DE site.  Here is the link, and again, this has been relinked to the appropriate spots in i3 – https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/special-education/parent-information#procedural-safeguards-manual-for-parents-rights-for-children-ages-3-21

Sent to us by:  Ron Russell, IDEA Procedures and Guidance Project Manager

If you have further questions, please reach out to Marcia Brolsma mbrolsma@centralriversaea.org

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Special Education

Special Education Procedures Updates

January 2024 – Brief descriptions of procedural clarifications, additions, changes, and new resources are described below and available within the i3 system.

Part B: Special Education Updates
  • Consent/Refusal for Medicaid and/or Private Insurance (Part B Special Education)
Part C: Early Intervention/Early ACCESS Updates
  • Early ACCESS Parent Consent
  • Consent/Refusal for Medicaid and/or Private Insurance (Part C Early ACCESS)
  • Early ACCESS Initial Evaluation
Resources (Part C)
  • Early ACCESS Medicaid Authorization Q/A Document (New Resource)
  • Infant and Toddler Service Coordination Medicaid Matrix (Updated Resource)
  • Reviewing the IFSP for Medicaid Reimbursement
  • IFSP Transition Toolbox for Families
  • Child Health Specialty Clinic (CHSC) Nutrition Services Brochure

If you have further questions, please contact Amy Thoms-Starr.

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FREE virtual webinars

WIPA Flyer

 

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Workshop

We are pleased to announce that CRAEA is offering PREPaRE Workshop 1 and PREPaRE Workshop 2 in Spring 2024. 

PREPaRE Workshop 1:  Comprehensive School Safety Planning – Prevention Through Recovery (3rd Edition) is a two-day, virtual course being offered on April 5 and April 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  The PREPaRE model, developed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), teaches participants how to establish and sustain comprehensive school safety efforts that attend to both physical and psychological safety. The workshop addresses critical components needed to develop, exercise, and evaluate safety and crisis teams and plans and conduct building vulnerability assessments. Additional topics addressed also include media/social media, communication, reunification, students with special needs, culture, and memorials. This workshop is for a multi-disciplinary team of mental health and educational professionals working at all grade levels in your district, such as administrators, security professionals, counselors, teachers, nurses and other staff involved in school safety/crisis prevention/crisis preparedness efforts. 

PREPaRE Workshop 2: Mental Health Crisis Interventions – Responding to an Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools (3rd Edition) is a two-day course being offered at Central Rivers AEA in Cedar Falls on April 30 and May 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  This workshop develops the knowledge and skills required to provide trauma informed and immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor.  This workshop is for a multi-disciplinary team of mental health and educational professionals working at all grade levels in your district, such as administrators, security professionals, counselors, teachers, nurses and other staff involved in school safety/crisis prevention/crisis preparedness efforts. 

Note that completion of Workshop 1 is not needed to attend Workshop 2.  See the attached fliers for a more detailed description of this course.  

Workshop 1

Workshop 2

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Free Resources

Important Reminder: Free Access to uPAR and Read & Write for the School Year!

Please spread the word to school districts, that if they haven’t already taken advantage of the opportunity to use uPAR and Read & Write freely with their students, don’t miss out! Schools in Iowa can continue benefiting from these tools until the end of the school year without any cost.

To request access or learn more about how these tools can benefit your students, please get in touch with Jennifer Cline jcline@centralriversaea.org OR  Abby Martin amartin@centralriversaea.org

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Lunch and Learn

Exciting Announcement: Free Lunch and Learn Sessions in January!

Thanks to the collaboration between the Department of Education, Iowa AEA, and TextHelp, FREE Lunch and Learn opportunities will be available throughout the month of January. As you can see in the flier, these sessions hosted by TextHelp will provide valuable insights and useful information.

To participate in the live sessions or receive a recording of the Lunch and Learns, simply click on the link provided in the flier to register. Don’t miss out on this excellent chance to enhance your professional skills and please share the flier.

Lunch and Learns Series

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Behavior SDI for Special Education Teachers

In response to overwhelming interest, we are excited to announce that we have added a Clear Lake section and a Cedar Falls summer section to the Behavior SDI course!

In Clear Lake, the dates are:

  • February 1, 2024 from 9:00-3:00
  • February 20, 2024 from 9:00-3:00
  • March 1, 2024 from 9:00-3:00 

The dates of the summer section which will be held in Cedar Falls are:

  • August 6, 2024 from 8:30-2:30
  • August 7, 2024 from 8:30-2:30
  • August 8, 2024 from 8:30-2:30

Course Description:  This course is intended specifically for special education teachers who support students who have IEP goals in the area of SEBH.  Team reps are encouraged to attend alongside their special education teachers.

This course is designed to equip participants with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively address challenging behaviors exhibited by students. Together we will uncover practical strategies to diagnose, design, and deliver high-quality specially designed instruction (SDI). Through a combination of evidence-based strategies and best practices, we will address the diverse needs of students with behavioral disabilities. By focusing on the underlying functions of behavior, participants will be equipped to develop strategies that promote positive behavioral changes.

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Wednesdays with Amy

Every Wednesday, Amy Knupp, Executive Director of Special Education meets with staff for a Q and A session. These Q and A sessions will resume in Jan of 2024. Also note the afternoon time will now be 3:30pm.

If you would like to stay up to date with all of the meetings,  check out the recording on this document.

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LETRS

What Is LETRS Anyway?

There are currently over 400 educators in 27 districts in CRAEA participating in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) or LETRS for Early Childhood during the 2023-24 school year, so there is a good chance that you may be hearing talk about this professional learning when you are out in schools. Our literacy team and early childhood consultants have been busy! Recently, we have learned that the Department of Education will also be offering LETRS training to teachers, so there may be more talk about it out in your schools. If you are wondering what this opportunity is all about, you can learn more from this blog post written by our CRAEA literacy team. 

If you have questions about LETRS, please reach out to Heather Gould (hgould@centralriversaea.org).      

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