Iowa DE Resources and FERPA Guidelines

The Iowa Department of Education today released a host of optional resources for families and educators to use as they support student learning during school closures due to COVID-19. The resources are available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website and include interactive games, virtual field trips, coding activities and e-books.

The learning resources for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade do not replace what they have learned at school, but instead help students practice or enrich the skills and strategies taught by their teachers. 

The Iowa Department of Education partnered with AEA Learning Online, the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Iowa PBS and the Iowa Reading Research Center to provide a variety of resources. The resources cover multiple subject areas, such as literacy, computer science, fine arts and career and technical education. The resources also address mental health and emotional well-being.

This resource list is not exhaustive and will be reviewed and updated weekly with additional resources.

Resources to Support Learning During COVID-19

FERPA Guidelines with Online Learning Platforms

We appreciate all of the innovation with resources that teachers are using to connect with students. As we engage with these online learning platforms, it is important to consider student safety and privacy.

Most of us are using either Google Meet or Zoom to meet with students. When using Zoom, the waiting room is now a default setting.  Please keep this setting and admit students as they sign in.  Please register for Zoom with your Southeast Polk Google account.

When using any online platform with students, please do not record these sessions or post any screenshots of students on social media.  An upcoming blog will review teaching tips for using these online platforms.

Online Resources and Assessment Updates

As we enter our second week of the school closure, it has been amazing to watch teacher teams come together and support students and their families.  It is clear that many people are looking to you during this time of crisis, and the comfort and reassurance you are providing is very much appreciated.

Today's blog will provide some online resources as well as some assessment updates.

Online Resources

First and foremost, this is a challenging time for everyone.  We are feeling it at home, work, and with our family and personal relationships.  Iowa Crisis Chat is a service of CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank, formerly The Crisis Center, a volunteer-driven organization that provides non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional crisis. Their highly trained volunteers and staff are available from 9:00am to 2:00am central time, seven days a week. If it is outside of our hours of operation, the following link will connect you to Your Life Iowa‘s 24/7 chat. You can also call 24/7 at 1-855-325-4296.

This service is available to everyone, so feel free to also share with students and families. 

https://www.iowacrisischat.org/

Thankfully, there are a number of online resources available to teachers and families.  We appreciate how you have been thoughtful in sharing resources with families so as to not overwhelm them during these challenging times. A big THANK YOU to our teacher librarians who have put together some resources for students and teachers to support reading during this school closure.

The teacher librarians set up FlipGrid boards so teachers can read aloud to students (and still align with copyright guidelines!) Many stories have already been uploaded and enjoyed by students. Below are the links for each building.  You may also toggle between schools and enjoy all of the videos if you would like! 

All SEP - https://flipgrid.com/sep2020

Altoona - https://flipgrid.com/dbd77bf7

Centennial - https://flipgrid.com/0b8675bd

Clay - https://flipgrid.com/e192a45f

Delaware - https://flipgrid.com/515a9c27

Four Mile - https://flipgrid.com/2b106509

Mitchellville - https://flipgrid.com/91d300eb

Runnells - https://flipgrid.com/9605d0a9

Willowbrook - https://flipgrid.com/72e6c034

Reading Resources for Students, Parents and Teachers

Follett light box resources

• A collection of titles and resources for PK-12 students. 
• Click on this link to sign up. If you need help you can also watch this video on how to access these titles. 

Knowbuddy resources

• A collection of nonfiction texts for PK-8 Spanish texts are also available. Just click on the link then choose the book you would like to read online. 
• User: info@knowbuddyresources.com Password: KNOWBUDDY

Storylineonline.net

• Videos of authors and celebrities reading picture books. No account or log-in needed. New content added monthly.

Audible 

• Audiobooks for all ages, some available in Spanish. Fiction and nonfiction available. Listen directly from the link on computers, chromebooks, or smartphones, no account or log-in needed.  

JLG online/audiobooks

• Nonfiction and fiction ebooks and audiobooks for elementary, middle grade and high school students. Simply click the link and scroll down to choose which collection you wish to view. Read on computers, chromebooks and smartphones. No account or log-in needed.

Mackinvia ebooks/audiobooks

• Nonfiction and fiction ebooks and audiobooks for all ages. Read on computers, chromebooks and smartphones. Login with Heartland username and password for your school. 

Tales2Go 

• Nonfiction and fiction audiobooks for all ages. Listen on computer, chromebooks and smartphones. Login with Heartland AEA username and password for your school.

Reading resources for teachers

Pernille Ripp - picture books read aloud videos/lessons

Literacy Resources padlet

In addition, Heartland AEA has made some resources available to school districts:

Online Resources 

• Share Our Online and Digital Resources with Students, Educators and Families*

*This has been shared through Infinite Campus

Library & Digital Resources

• Heartland AEA Library & Digital Newsletter

• Several Book Publishers Are Allowing Educators to Read Books Online and Post Online

Mental & Behavioral Health

• Polk County and SAMHSA Mental Health Resources

Technology

• Zoom Directions for Parents - Please Share!

PLEASE NOTE: For those of you who are using Zoom, they have adjusted settings to provide more privacy and align with FERPA guidelines when using this tool with students.  Be sure to review these revised settings on the document below.

Zoom: New Privacy Settings

Again, we invite you to be selective with these resources...both in using and sending to families. Most are appreciating fewer links and more description on how they might be used.

Assessment Updates

The DE will be applying for a one year waiver for federal assessments.  This includes ISASP, ELPA 21, and DLM.

ELPA21

If school resumes for the 2020 school year, the testing window will be closed. Please return any testing materials using the provided shipping label.   Those who completed the assessment will be able to have it scored, and these results may be used for placement decisions.  The results are due to arrive mid-May.  If students did not complete the assessment, please code them with a "6" for district logistical issues.  If we do return to school, screening assessments will still be required.  Further guidance regarding placement decisions and untested English learners will be coming soon. 

DLM

The administration of the Dynamic Learning Maps will be waived for the 2020 spring window. Please destroy all secure testing material following DLM policy. For data-based decisions, please refer to the completed assessment results from fall 2019. 

FAST for Math and Reading

No decision has been made for the spring testing window for FAST for Math and Reading.  If we return to school on April 13th, progress monitoring requirements will resume on April 20th.

Conditions for Learning Survey

No decision has been made for the Conditions for Learning survey and that guidance will be coming soon.

Special Education and COVID-19

With the outbreak of Covid-19 and resulting school closures, both the USDE and Iowa DE provided guidance to districts on our obligations related to meeting special education requirements during the period of time that schools are closed. We have learned that some, but not all, special education requirements are suspended until we are back in school. Given the critical role of the general education teacher in supporting all students, including students with disabilities, you may be contacted while we are not in school to assist in meeting requirements that have not been suspended.

Statute requires that IEP meetings be annually reviewed. The fact that we are not in school does not change this statutory requirement. The US DE Office of Special Education Practices has indicated that they will be providing further guidance around timelines. It is possible and even anticipated that due to the current situation leeway will be granted in complying with the requirement to hold annual IEP meetings. Until we receive further guidance we will move forward with holding IEP meetings, when possible.

We have three IEP related options:

• Amend the IEP without a Meeting- In some situations a special education teacher may contact gen ed teachers to obtain information on a student’s current performance. The special education teacher may be able to use this information to amend the IEP without there needing to be an actual meeting. This process is most appropriate when the situation is relatively straightforward and minimal IEP changes are anticipated. 
• Hold an IEP Meeting- In these situations all required IEP team participants will be contacted and asked to remotely participate in an IEP meeting. Technology such as zoom or google handout will be used to enable participation. This option will only be viable if all participants (including parents) have internet access and are comfortable in using this type of technology.
• Wait and Hold the IEP Meeting Once We are Back in School- For a variety of reasons neither of the two options just mentioned will be appropriate. In these situations we will need to wait and have the IEP meeting once we are all back at school. These meetings will need to be scheduled and held as soon as school resumes. 

Below is additional guidance we have received related to school closures and special education.

• We are not required to implement IEPs and provide Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) during the period of time that school is not in session. This is true as we are not providing educational services to the general student population during this period of time. 
• Statute requires that initial evaluations be completed within 60 days and that reevaluations be conducted at least every three years. Until we receive further guidance we will move forward with holding eligibility determination meetings and reevaluation IEP meetings, when possible.
• If AEA staff are conducting an initial evaluation for a student and have been able to collect all needed evaluation information, they may move forward and schedule an eligibility meeting. In these situations all required IEP team participants, including general education teachers, will be contacted to remotely participate in an IEP meeting. 
• Many teachers and PLC teams are making resources available to their students. Do remember to make resources available for students at all achievement levels. For example, if you post a reading list it should include books for all levels of readers. Websites that students and parents access should be supplemented with sites accessible by those with disabilities, and also available in other languages. 
• At this time, AEA staff have been asked to put a hold on the Disability Suspected (DS) process during school closures. If new concerns/referrals arise, they will take referral information and then move forward when school resumes. 

Feel free to contact the AEA school psychologist, school social worker, special education consultant, or speech-language pathologist with questions or concerns regarding specific students. If you are unsure who to contact, the AEA Regional Director,Stacy Volmer, can assist you in connecting with the appropriate person. She can be reached by email at svolmer@heartlandaea.org or phone at 515-270-9030 x14494.

More extensive guidance on this topic has been provided to building principals, AEA staff, as well as district special education teachers. Additional information will be shared with you if it becomes available. Feel free to contact Charlie Taylor, SEP Special Education Director at charles.taylor@southeastpolk.org if you have questions.

Social-Emotional Learning Supports

During these difficult times, a top priority is to take care of our students, ourselves, and each other.  A reminder that Employee Family Resources (EFR) remains available for all students, staff, and their families during the school closure.

EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY RESOURCES

Employee Family Resources (EFR) will be offering telehealth (Zoom or phone) sessions in place of in-person counseling appointments.  EFR offers support for both students (SAP) and employees (EAP). 

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

Phone support is available 24/7/365 at 515-244-6090. 
  

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Phones are answered 24-hours a day and we can be reached at 800.327.4692.
• You can chat with us online by clicking here.
• You can email us by clicking here.

In addition, Please Pass the Love has an extensive resource page and a variety of free online programs they are offering to support both educators and students. PPTL is hosting free online Coffee Chats and webinars to allow educators to discuss how we are navigating this challenging time, prioritizing self-care, and supporting students' mental health. For students, they are offering various online meet-ups for different age groups in order to allow students to connect, ask questions, and discuss positive coping skills.  The first free coffee chat for educators is Wednesday, March 25th at 9:30 AM.

MENTAL HEALTH, COUNSELING, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Amy Anderson, our At-Risk Coordinator has been collaborating with school counselors to organize some resources to support teachers, students, and families. 

School-Based Therapy

Below is information from the agencies we partner with to provide onsite mental health services.

• Next Step - will be contacting families and offering online/telehealth sessions
• Integrative Counseling Solutions - will be contacting families and offering appointments at one of their locations or through online telehealth sessions 
• Woodward -- will be contacting families and offering office visits or online telehealth sessions.

Food Assistance

Besides the Grab and Go Sites available at the district level, Caring Hands will be continuing to offer food pantry hours.

They will deliver a pre-packaged box to each car based on family size. Below is an information sheet (thank you to Lisa Williams) and is also available through Amy A'Hearn, Food Service Director.  You are encouraged to work with counselors to get this out to families as needed.  (You may contact Amy Anderson or your building counselor if you need a PDF of this document).

Grab and Go Meal Pick Ups

Southeast Polk School District is pleased that we are able to continue to provide food service to our families during this time. If you are planning to pick up meals today, please remember these important guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. 

• Altoona Elementary   Mondays and Thursdays  11 a.m. – 12 noon
• Delaware Elementary   Mondays and Thursdays 11 a.m. – 12 noon
• Four Mile Elementary   Mondays and Thursdays 11 a.m. – 12 noon
• King’s Court (4171 E Broadway Ave.)  Mondays and Thursdays   11:30 a.m. – 12 noon
• Mitchellville – Legacy Bank Parking Lot   Mondays and Thursdays 11:30 a.m. – 12 noon
• Willowbrook Elementary   Mondays and Thursdays 11 a.m. – 12 noon

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES

After sorting through the numerous free resources, Amy has found some promising sites that many students might already be familiar with. These include Mind Yeti videos on youtube and the  Stop, Breath & Think app.

• Stop, Breathe & Think Kids (for children aged 5-10)
• Stop, Breathe, & Think  (for older students)

The resources below are available to parents and community on the district webpage under the Coronavirus announcements.

• 
  
• At Southeast Polk, we recognize that the news and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus could be a source of anxiety for some students. We would like to provide parents with resources to help guide your conversations with your child on this topic. 
• 
  
• Talking to Children about COVID-19: A Parent Resource 
• Hable con sus hijos sobre el COVID-19 (Coronavirus): Un recurso para padres  (Spanish resource)
• Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

NEWSELA

We have been piloting Newsela Pro at the secondary level, and the Pro (paid) services are now available at no cost for all grade levels.  Under "Your Content" on the menu bar, there are social-emotional learning resources for middle and high school levels. There are now articles and activities related to social distancing.  You may want to share these intermittently with students as optional learning during the school closure.

Learning Plans

As we return from spring break, we are in completely new and different territory that changes hourly. We will use the curriculum blog as a way to share ideas and update information. 

LEARNING PLANS 

Your building leaders will be working with you to set up opportunities for PLC teams to virtually meet to design learning plans for students. Having some consistency at least at the team level will help families with their students at home. 

You might want to meet through Google Hangouts, Google docs, or phone messaging. Curriculum coordinators are also available to support PLC teams. 

As the closure goes on, we will have some opportunities to have district-wide consistency, but we will get started at the team and building level. 

When creating a learning plan, it is important to remember the guidance that has been sent out through the blog: 

• Resources not courses 
• Supplemental, not core 
• Optional, not required 

As your teams create learning plans, please keep the following considerations in mind: 

Consider equitable design. 
This includes students who do not speak English as their first language, and students with IEP’s.

Intermittent sharing of resources. 
This is for a sustained amount of time, and we don’t want to overwhelm parents and families. We will also be intermittently sharing resources at the district level across this closure. 

Use of packets sparingly. 
While we know packets are quick and easy, they will likely lose their appeal in a short period of time. We can diversify the resources to keep students and families engaged during this time. 

Bottom line for teacher teams when planning is: 

• These learning opportunities are optional for students. 
• They are a review or extension of previously learned skills and concepts. 
• This is an opportunity to implement our feedback practices-no scoring or grades. 

RELATIONSHIPS AND FEELING OVERWHELMED 

On another note...these are overwhelming times. Overwhelming for teachers, for families, and for students. These learning plans are for the long haul, and we don’t have to have them completed and ready to go on Monday. We can take a step back and reassure students and families that we will be with them throughout this closure as partners in learning. 

This is also a great time to strengthen even further the relationships we have with our students, families, and each other. Your first connections with students and families might be just to touch base and see how they are doing. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information out there, so you may want to recommend to parents that they start with one or two resources, and keep it simple. 

We can partner with students and families to help with this, including ideas for a structured routine. Our goal during this time is to give children a chance to read, write, respond, solve, communicate, move, create, and discover in order to sustain and build learning. 

FAQ's 

Each level (elementary, middle, high school) has an FAQ document. If you don't yet have access to this, please let me know, and I will send the link. We will use these documents as a way to respond and as information on what resources and supports will be useful. 

THANK YOU 

I am so proud of the education field right now, and everyone's efforts to step up and help students. It is something that you have always done...now the rest of the world is aware of this too. Take care of yourselves and your families, and stay well.

Teaching and Learning During COVID-19

Thank you for your collaboration and patience during these trying times. This blog includes some clarifications around supporting students and families during this closure.  I am so impressed by the level of care and concern everyone has for the students.  Our goal is to help them through this as much as possible while still following the guidelines and requirements from the Department of Education.  We are committed to providing support that is equitable for all students.  A few things to remember when making decisions about what to offer:

• "Resources not courses"
• We may offer learning resources to sustain learning.  We have sent some online resources to families as a starting place.  Many publishers have opened up their online resources at no charge during this time.  The Connecticut DE also released some resources that are organized by grade band and subject area. 

• "Supplemental, not core"
• To meet state guidelines, we are not able to introduce new learning.  This includes not giving or collecting assignments and assessments, or scoring and giving grades.  Any resources shared should be designed equitably to review and/or extend learning.

• "Optional, not required"
• This is probably the strongest message from the Department of Education.  Because not all families have devices or online access, and because we are not able to provide the resources needed for FAPE during a school closure, perhaps the most direct message we can send is that these are suggestions and invitations--not requirements.

Student Learning Resources Due to COVID-19

During this time, we appreciate all of the collaboration to support students.  Below is a resource document from the Connecticut Department of Education that provides multiple learning resources by grade band and subject.

Learning Opportunities During COVID-19

What will learning opportunities look like during this school closure?

According to guidance from the Iowa Department of Education, schools may choose to use online learning options, but they may not require student participation.

This guidance indicates that if schools do use online learning options, they should:

• Consider the needs of students living in poverty
• Consider students who do not speak English as their first language
• Provide equitable services for students with disabilities

“If a district continues to provide educational opportunities to the general student population during a school closure, the district must ensure that students with disabilities also have equal access and the same opportunities, including the provision of FAPE under section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

• Iowa Department of Education Guidance, March 16, 2020

At this time virtual/online courses are not an option for Iowa K-12 school districts. According to guidance listed above, schools may choose to use online learning resources, but they may not require student participation. These options may review and/or extend learning, and should be designed to be accessed by all students.  We will be sending out some online resources to families. This is not a comprehensive list, but a resource to get them started after Spring Break. You may also send out additional resources within the parameters of the DE guidelines. Teachers are welcome to connect with students, and you may want to send out an article or an activity for them to consider.  Since no formal classes will be held and assessments and grades will not be collected, this might be a good time to implement some of the feedback practices we have been working on. 

We do have some online resources in place at Southeast Polk, including Newsela and Lexia Core. In addition, many companies have waived their fees for online learning resources. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information out there, so we are recommending to parents that they start with one or two resources, and keep it simple. We can partner with students and families to help with this, including ideas for a structured routine. Our goal during this time is to give children a chance to read, write, respond, solve, communicate, move, create, and discover in order to sustain and build learning.