Our Mission
To
improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth
by providing services and leadership in partnership with families,
schools and communities.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
The Iowa Department of Education has created a new webpage to help teachers, school administrators and parents prepare for a transition to new statewide assessments in English language arts and mathematics.
As you know, the State Board of Education adopted state administrative rules implementing the Smarter Balanced Assessments, which students in grades 3-11 will take for the first time in the 2017-18 school year.
The new webpage will be an important source of information during this transition. Department staff will update this page regularly with information and resources. Right now, you’ll find overview information about why Iowa is switching to a new state assessment, answers to common questions, links to practice tests and a timeline for professional learning. The Department encourages you to share this link with your networks.
From Delta Dental
Every hour, an average of one person in the United States dies of oral or pharyngeal cancer. Although the survival rates have increased since the 1960s, they are still relatively low, with only 60 percent of people diagnosed with the disease expected to live at least five years.
“Oral cancer” refers to cancer occurring on the lips, mouth, tongue or throat. Cancer on the base of the tongue and throat area is becoming more common. This type of oral cancer is known as oropharyngeal cancer.
Whom It Affects
Oral cancer is twice as common in men as in women, and African American men are at the highest risk. Although the cancer has traditionally been associated with people over 40, its diagnosis among young people has been on the rise — particularly in those who have human papillomavirus (HPV). In the past 20 years, the biggest increase in oral cancer has been due to HPV infections, especially among men. About 7 percent of U.S. adults have oral HPV.
Know Whether You’re At Risk
Alcohol consumption and tobacco use are two of the major risk factors for oral cancer. If you smoke and drink, your risk multiplies because alcohol increases the absorption of the toxic chemicals in tobacco. Sun exposure, a family history of cancer and a diet low in fruits and vegetables have also been linked to oral cancer. However, according to the American Dental Association, a quarter of people with oral cancer had no known risk factors prior to getting the disease.
Treatment Options
Early diagnosis provides the best outlook for oral cancer patients, so regular dentist visits are important. Several treatment options are available, depending on the size, location and extent of the disease:
- Surgery removes the cancerous tumors from the oral cavity and lymph nodes.
- Radiation uses high-energy radiation (like X-rays) to kill cancer cells, prevent disease from spreading and may also reduce a tumor before surgery.
- Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells and prevent the spread of the disease. Chemo may also be used along with radiation to increase effectiveness, or after surgery to destroy any cancer cells left behind.
How To Protect Yourself
Using a mirror, check your mouth at least once a month for any unusual patches, painful sores or lumps that won’t heal and report them to your dentist. Other symptoms include difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving your jaw. You can take a major step in lowering your risk by quitting smoking and limiting your alcohol intake. Smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer than nonsmokers, but smokers who quit cut that risk in half in just five years. Lowering the amount of daily alcohol intake will also lower your risk of oral cancer. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and applying lip balm with sunscreen, before exposure to sun, may also be beneficial in lowering your risk.
AEA PD Online finished its annual update to its learning system (the system Heartland AEA staff used to complete our recent tech training) on July 8.
The most important change of note is that all staff will need to reset their passwords the first time they log in. This adds an additional layer of encryption for extra security. Instructions are on this one page sheet.
If you have any questions, contact Shelley Christensen, Registrar/Licensure Assistant, at ext. 14668.
If you haven't already done so, take a few minutes to update your iPad to the most recent version of its operating system—iOS 9.3.2. This update generally does not take too long, especially if you have updated in the past two months. It's always a good idea to plug in your iPad power during an update.
The Agency has moved to a new way of distributing apps and managing iPads, so if you are not at iOS 9.3.2, you will not be able to get any new agency apps on your iPad.
If you have any questions or need help with this update, contact Marquis Jones (ext. 14618), Judy Cleveland (ext. 14538), Mike Permann (ext. 14767) or Mande Gamble (ext 14676).
