In the latest Impacting Lives update, hear from parents and teachers around the state about how the AEAs have improved student outcomes. http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/
• Milestones Meaningful to This Mom
• Success for LuCasey: A Family’s Journey
• North Union Learners Benefit from Prairie Lakes AEA Transition Grant
• People Who Make A Difference: Hearing Teachers
Monday, February 18, 2013
AEA Legislative Update
Click here to read the latest update of the Iowa legislative session from the AEA system’s lobbyists, Matt Eide and John Pederson, of the Eide & Heisinger firm.
Note Date & Location Change of March Board of Directors Meeting
Note that the date and location of the March Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting have been changed. The changes are necessitated by the need for Heartland’s board to hold a hearing with the Green Hills AEA board concerning the reorganization of the Exira and Elk Horn-Kimballton school districts. The Heartland board will hold a condensed meeting before the joint meeting.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Atlantic High School
1201 E. 14th Street, Atlantic
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Atlantic High School
1201 E. 14th Street, Atlantic
What’s New With AEA PD Online & AEA K-12 Online
The February blog updates for AEA PD Online and AEA K-12 Online are now available. For real time updates, follow AEA PD Online on Twitter @aeapdonline.
AEA PD Online
• AEA PD Online App
• Tool of the Month: NanoGong
• Upcoming Online Course Offerings • AEA PD Online: Live
AEA K-12 Online
• Iowa's Communities of Practice and Innovation (CoPI): Upcoming Event: March 28, 2013
• The CoPI Agora • CoPI: A View from the Field
AEA PD Online
• AEA PD Online App
• Tool of the Month: NanoGong
• Upcoming Online Course Offerings • AEA PD Online: Live
AEA K-12 Online
• Iowa's Communities of Practice and Innovation (CoPI): Upcoming Event: March 28, 2013
• The CoPI Agora • CoPI: A View from the Field
New Trainings Added to Statewide AEA PD Online Training Site
Below is information on three new online trainings available on the AEA PD Online training site.
Harassment in the Workplace: Recognition and Your Responsibilities
Audience: This course is intended for all school employees.
Description: This course looks at what harassment in the workplace looks like, focusing specifically on both sexual harassment and workplace bullying. This training will help individuals identify, prevent and respond appropriately to harassment
TPACK - Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Integration
Audience: In-service PreK-12 teachers and AEA course developers
Description: Technology, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to help understand the importance of aligning good technology integration with the curriculum and important student strategies. This course provides an overview of TPACK, including focus on developing lessons with a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge focus.
Health Information Privacy (HIPAA) Compliance
Audience: The intended audience for this course is any educator, nurse or school employee who might come in contact with student health information or records
Description: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996. And yet, many school employees do not understand how HIPAA applies to student health information that is maintained by schools. You may not know when, or if, student health records are exempt from HIPAA regulations, or what steps to take if HIPAA does apply to your school. This training will give you an overview of the law and a practical understanding of how that applies to your work.
Harassment in the Workplace: Recognition and Your Responsibilities
Audience: This course is intended for all school employees.
Description: This course looks at what harassment in the workplace looks like, focusing specifically on both sexual harassment and workplace bullying. This training will help individuals identify, prevent and respond appropriately to harassment
TPACK - Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Integration
Audience: In-service PreK-12 teachers and AEA course developers
Description: Technology, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to help understand the importance of aligning good technology integration with the curriculum and important student strategies. This course provides an overview of TPACK, including focus on developing lessons with a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge focus.
Health Information Privacy (HIPAA) Compliance
Audience: The intended audience for this course is any educator, nurse or school employee who might come in contact with student health information or records
Description: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996. And yet, many school employees do not understand how HIPAA applies to student health information that is maintained by schools. You may not know when, or if, student health records are exempt from HIPAA regulations, or what steps to take if HIPAA does apply to your school. This training will give you an overview of the law and a practical understanding of how that applies to your work.
Meeting the Common Core Standards for English Workshop to be Held April 12
Heartland AEA will host a morning workshop on April 12, 2013 as an overview of the Character Development & Leadership Curriculum and accompanying Role Models Textbook. This is a high-interest program that is used in 1,300 secondary schools nationwide, including 68 schools in Iowa. This program has been implemented in a multitude of ways, including elective leadership classes, advisory approaches and as a full curriculum for English and/or reading writing recovery classes. By the end of the 4-hour workshop, participants will have an educated understanding of how this program aligns with common core standards for English, prepares students for school and life and creates leaders and citizens for the next generation.
Meeting the Common Core Standards for English Through Teaching Character
April 12, 2013 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Johnston Regional Education Center
Activity Number: WK031392111301
Meeting the Common Core Standards for English Through Teaching Character
April 12, 2013 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Johnston Regional Education Center
Activity Number: WK031392111301
Amendment to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
On January 14, 2013, President Obama signed the Uninterrupted Scholars Act, which amends FERPA. As amended, FERPA now provides that personnel of a state or federal agency responsible for the care and protection of a child and who have the right to access the child’s case permanency plan to have access to personally identifiable information in student records without the need for parent consent. The amendment also allows child welfare personnel to re-disclose those records only to the extent necessary to address the child’s educational needs. The amendment also provides that parents no longer need to be given notice when a school or AEA responds to a court order for disclosure of records when (1) the court proceedings involve abuse and neglect and (2) the disclosure order is issued pursuant to those proceedings.
In order to help clarify this message, the following Q & As are provided:
Q: Who are the state agencies responsible for the care and protection of a child and that have access to the child’s case permanency plans?
A: This is most commonly the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Juvenile Courts. Other state agencies may meet this requirement. According to the rules, in order to determine if a state agency meets this requirement, AEAs/LEAs may request proof of the child’s case permanency plan before disclosing educational records.
Q: What is a case permanency plan, how would I know if I saw one and should I ask for one?
A: These are detailed plans that commonly include living arrangements and custody information. DHS has assured us that all students with an open case through DHS are expected to have a case permanency plan. You may request a copy of the plan if there is any question about whether or not a plan is in place. When created by DHS, the document is titled “Case Permanency Plan.” A copy of the case permanency plan should always be requested from any agency other than DHS prior to sending requested records. If you receive a student file or a plan and have further questions about the existence of a case permanency plan, please contact Sara Mercer, School Psychologist, at smercer@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Q: Does this change the status of DHS or foster parents acting in the role of “parent” as stated in the Procedures Manual?
A: No. This amendment does not mean that DHS workers may act as the child’s parent for FERPA purposes. This amendment does not change the rights or responsibilities of foster parents under FERPA. Dept. of Education Director Jason Glass previously provided a ruling stating that guardians ad litem meet FERPA’s definition of “parent.” This ruling remains valid.
Q: Does DHS still have to have consent to release information to AEAs/LEAs?
A: DHS still needs to obtain parental consent to release information to LEAs/AEAs as per their current rules and regulations.
Q: If an agency meeting the requirements of this rule (most commonly DHS) requests records do we provide everything we have including medical records and/or records containing physical or mental health records? And would doing so violate HIPPA?
A: The full educational record should be shared upon request. Once information is placed into a child’s educational record, it is no longer under the purview of HIPPA but rather FERPA rules apply. As a result, releasing medical, physical or mental health records would not be a violation of HIPPA rules.
Q: How is this is different than our common practice?
A: This release of records information is only for the state or federal agencies responsible for the care of a child with access to the case permanency plan as stated above (most commonly DHS.) Release of records to any other party still requires parental consent as stated in the statewide Procedures Manual.
Q: Who are the state agencies responsible for the care and protection of a child and that have access to the child’s case permanency plans?
A: This is most commonly the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Juvenile Courts. Other state agencies may meet this requirement. According to the rules, in order to determine if a state agency meets this requirement, AEAs/LEAs may request proof of the child’s case permanency plan before disclosing educational records.
Q: What is a case permanency plan, how would I know if I saw one and should I ask for one?
A: These are detailed plans that commonly include living arrangements and custody information. DHS has assured us that all students with an open case through DHS are expected to have a case permanency plan. You may request a copy of the plan if there is any question about whether or not a plan is in place. When created by DHS, the document is titled “Case Permanency Plan.” A copy of the case permanency plan should always be requested from any agency other than DHS prior to sending requested records. If you receive a student file or a plan and have further questions about the existence of a case permanency plan, please contact Sara Mercer, School Psychologist, at smercer@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Q: Does this change the status of DHS or foster parents acting in the role of “parent” as stated in the Procedures Manual?
A: No. This amendment does not mean that DHS workers may act as the child’s parent for FERPA purposes. This amendment does not change the rights or responsibilities of foster parents under FERPA. Dept. of Education Director Jason Glass previously provided a ruling stating that guardians ad litem meet FERPA’s definition of “parent.” This ruling remains valid.
Q: Does DHS still have to have consent to release information to AEAs/LEAs?
A: DHS still needs to obtain parental consent to release information to LEAs/AEAs as per their current rules and regulations.
Q: If an agency meeting the requirements of this rule (most commonly DHS) requests records do we provide everything we have including medical records and/or records containing physical or mental health records? And would doing so violate HIPPA?
A: The full educational record should be shared upon request. Once information is placed into a child’s educational record, it is no longer under the purview of HIPPA but rather FERPA rules apply. As a result, releasing medical, physical or mental health records would not be a violation of HIPPA rules.
Q: How is this is different than our common practice?
A: This release of records information is only for the state or federal agencies responsible for the care of a child with access to the case permanency plan as stated above (most commonly DHS.) Release of records to any other party still requires parental consent as stated in the statewide Procedures Manual.
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