IHAPI Pricing Structure for Small Schools

Lesley Franklin from XAP has contacted me and asked me to share this new pricing structure for IHAPI for small schools. I am sharing it with the reminder that 1) we still do not have clear guidance from the Dept of Ed as to what will be expected and 2) we do not have an approved list of vendors. Again, I know many of you are receiving pressure from vendors, I am merely sharing this information. Click here to get the new pricing structure for small schools.
Thanks!!!

Google Calendars

Counselors - Below you will find the presentation from the earlier zoom meeting with Deb Henkes and Leslie Henkes session on google calendars. Great information and easy to use!!!! Thanks ladies!!!

Google slides:

http://tinyurl.com/aea1GCa

Zoom session recorded:

http://tinyurl.com/jk4cab9

School Mental Health News!!!

Be Counted! Shape the Future of School Mental Health!

The Center for School Mental Health is pleased to launch the National School Mental Health Census and Performance Measures via the online platform the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System (www.theSHAPEsystem.com). The SHAPE System is a free, interactive system designed to improve school mental health accountability, excellence, and sustainability. The SHAPE System is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau effort to expand and improve the quality of comprehensive school mental health systems in the United States.

The SHAPE system allows users to:

·         Be Counted

Registering to create an account with the SHAPE system allows your school or district to be counted in the National Quality Initiative Census of School Mental Health Systems

·         Rate Your Performance

Self-assess your school mental health system’s quality and sustainability based on national standardized performance measures just for school mental health

·         View and Print Customized Reports

Obtain printable reports on your system’s performance in quality and sustainability areas that you can bring back to your school teams with recommendations and resources for improvement.

·         Get Free Resources

Browse a comprehensive resource library of PDFs, videos, guides, and weblinks on all aspects of school mental health programming.

Register your school or district today at the link below and be counted in this important initiative!

http://theshapesystem.com/

Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health Modules

The Center for School Mental Health hosts a free professional development online training series titledCommunity-Partnered School Behavioral Health Modules. These modules focus on supporting student social, emotional, behavioral and academic progress via a family-school-community partnership approach to school behavioral health. These modules provide a range of strategies, resources, and tools necessary to establish, maintain, and expand effective student behavioral health.

Specifically, this course includes information on:

·         Definition and best practices to establish, maintain, and sustain an effective community-partnered school behavioral health program;

·         Strategies to equip behavioral health providers with tools to understand and integrate into school culture, including information on teacher consultation, teaming, and school language and policies;

·         Strategies for behavioral health providers to support and monitor progress and outcomes of individual student behavioral health and academic functioning;

·         Best practices for collecting and using school behavioral health data to conduct quality assessment and improvement and engage in data-driven decision making;

·         Practical strategies, funding resources and policy efforts to promote the expansion of community–partnered school behavioral health; and

·         Special topics related to community-partnered school behavioral health service provision, including early childhood behavioral health and psychiatry services in schools.

The training consists of a series of informational and instructional modules for school behavioral health clinicians, educators, student support staff, evaluators, administrators and program leaders at local, district, and state levels. Professionals can view training modules, download informative resource materials, view video tips from experts, and explore related links to other organizations and programs, all from one central site. To access the Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health Modules, please visit www.mdbehavioralhealth.com.

The development of the Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health platform and modules was funded by the Health Resources and Service Administration via two mechanisms, the Center for School Mental Health (U45MC00174) and  Graduate Psychology Education Program (D40HP25720), and by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Maryland Behavioral Health Administration via the 1915(c) Home and Community- Based Waiver Program Management, Workforce Development and Evaluation (OPASS# 13-10954G/M00B3400369).

For more information, please contact Katie Shannahan at kshannah@psych.umaryland.edu

Paper Tigers--Free Viewing

The documentary Paper Tigers is about a high school in Washington State who, after having concerns about trauma and the impact of trauma on their schools, created a plan to assist students and families. Come and hear the story about this amazing transformation. This free showing will be held on Sunday, February 28 at Bloomfield UMC beginning at 6:00 pm. For more information, please see the attached flyer (front) and (back)

Advising Undocumented Students -- Free webinar

The intended audience for this webinar are college access providers, non-profit organizations, high school counselors and mentors. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 3^rd from 5 to 6 pm EST.

This webinar will provide educators and advisors the tools to better support undocumented students and parents.

You must be registered to receive the webinar link.  Online registration is available here.

Space is limited for this webinar.

REGISTER TODAY!

Closed Captioning is available

You can find this and other valuable resources on our toolkit: http://www.financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/

Support Group for DM Families

Little Rainbows of Des Moines

The Des Moines metro area has another great resource available to elementary-aged families. Little Rainbows of Des Moines is a support group for gender fluid, gender creative, gender non conforming and transgender children and their caregivers.

Their next meeting is Saturday, February 27th at 10am. It will be held in the meeting space at the West Des Moines Public Library located at 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy in West Des Moines, IA 50265. 

This group is created and facilitated by a Waukee parent and advocate who saw a need in the community for students to have a chance to connect with age alike peers who can relate to their experiences. During their time together, students are able to meet and engage in fun activities. Caregivers have the opportunity to connect and learn together so they can continue to best support their children’s social and emotional needs. 

Please share information regarding this special group with any elementary-age families you know who might benefit from this support. Research shows ALL students need outlets to express themselves in positive ways, as well as be connected with true advocates. 

I am happy to answer any questions about the group or direct you to the coordinator. ~Emily Luymes, School Counselor (Waukee CSD)

Info from ASCA

Student-to-School-Counselor Ratios on the Rise The National Center for Education Statistics has released the latest ratio data, showing the nationwide average student-to-school counselor ratio increasing to 491-to-1, from 482-to-1 the previous year. Clickhere to see how your state compares.

Are You on the SCENE? Are you looking for creative intervention and curriculum ideas? Are you interested in sharing best practices with fellow school counselors? Are you exploring new career and/or advocacy opportunities? Log on to ASCA SCENE, the go-to online community for ASCA members to connect and network.

New & Noteworthy NSHSS Conference Grant Offering: NSHSS, in collaboration with ASCA, is pleased to offer three $1,000 grants to enable ASCA members to attend the 2016 national conference in New Orleans, July 9-12. The funds may be used to defray the costs of conference registration, travel and accommodations. Eligibility: Any high school counselor and ASCA member currently employed at a public or private high school in the United States. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2016. To apply, register as an educator online. Click the Grants link at the top of your dashboard after you log in. If you are already registered as an educator with NSHSS, log in to your dashboard to apply for the grant. Grant recipients will be announced in April. Bully Prevention Online Course: StopBullying.gov recently launched a new Bullying Prevention Online Course, a self-directed training that features the newest research, statistics and best practices on bullying. The course is a free professional development tool for everyone engaged in addressing bullying. Learn how to lead communitywide bullying prevention initiatives to make a difference today.Learn more. Disaster Preparedness Toolkit: Youth Service America has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service and Save the Children to release We Stand Strong: A Disaster Preparedness Toolkit, a resource for planning a Prep Rally or other preparedness project. A Prep Rally is an event for children grades K–5 that covers the basics of disaster preparedness, including skills like recognizing risks, planning ahead and gathering supplies. Learn more. Learn About Your Students' Experience in School: Local School Climate Survey (LSCS) in an easy-to-use online and free tool developed by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to learn about what students are experiencing in school. The LSCS allows you to customize your own surveys by choosing from a set of validated questions from GLSEN and creating your own questions, if you desire. Learn more. Scholarships for Hispanic College Students: The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is pleased to offer scholarship opportunities to assist in defraying college expenditures. Review each scholarship’s criteria carefully to determine qualifications and eligibility. Learn more. Resources for LBGTQ students: Affordable Colleges recently updated its guide to campus and community resources for LGBTQ students. The guidebook provides information to LGBTQ students about the various on-campus and online resources they can use to make their college experience more welcoming and supportive. The guide extends to LGBTQ teens, especially those preparing to make the transition from high school to college. Learn more.

Continuing Ed Course-Bullying Prevention

While the credits earned from this cannot be used in Iowa, this is great information to share and learn!!!

New Continuing Education Course Now Available! StopBullying.gov is proud to announce that the Bullying Prevention Continuing Education Course is now available! The self-directed training provides you with the tools necessary to promote bullying prevention research and best practices in your community. The course features the newest research on bullying prevention, quizzes throughout to test your knowledge and the ability to earn course credits quickly and easily. After completing the course, you will be able to: Define bullying, the many forms it takes, and its effects Discuss best practices in bullying prevention and responding to bullying Highlight compelling examples of prevention strategies that work Create an action plan and execute your community event Take the course, earn continuing education credit and make a difference! Earning course credit is as simple as playing the video and clicking the link that takes you to the post-course assessment once the video is complete. Discover your role in bullying prevention today! Take the course>>

Resources

I wanted to share with my counselor friends what I have been doing while on recovery from my foot surgeries ---  I finally found time to do some creating for Teachers pay Teachers.  I have wanted to do this for a couple of years and haven't found the time.  When you sit with your foot elevated you have all the time in the world to do lots of stuff and this is one of them.  

So, I am asking you all a favor.  Would you go to my store and download the free stuff and use it if you like it.  Also, please follow my store.  If there is something you want put it in on your wish list and let me know---I will run a sale (since I love my Iowa peeps so much!).  Also, if you do purchase anything, please leave comments:  it earns you TpT credit and it just makes me feel good.  ( I know, that was lame wasn't it?)

Also, if you have a blog or anything you want to promote me on, I would really appreciate that also.  

Here is my store address: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mrs-Ks-Good-Stuff

THANKS!

Mrs. K (Laurel Klaassen)

ISCA President Elect

K-6 School Counselor
Sibley-Ocheyedan Elementary & MS

Sibley, IA

Counselor Connection February 23

Our agenda for next Tuesday is:

9:00-9:30	Networking
9:30-10:15	Legislative Update
10:15-10:30	Break
10:30-11:30	Mental Health Resources
11:30-12:30	Lunch (on your own)
12:30-3:30	Addressing Student Mental Health in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Please bring your computer to access the documents/handouts, etc

If you have not registered, please see the Heartland PD Catalog. If you need to change your registration, please contact Sue at sschirmer@heartlandaea.org

Governor's Conference on LGBTQ Youth

The 11th Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth will take place on April 25th, 2016 at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Des Moines and we are expecting another sell out crowd!  

This annual event is an important opportunity for school counselors, educators, LGBTQ/allied youth, and anyone else who cares to learn more about issues impacting this population including bullying, homelessness, and suicide prevention.

Registration is open for this important event and you can save money by registering under the Early Bird discount byFebruary 29th!  There are also scholarships available for student attendees.    

Register today for the 11th Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth!

We have an incredible line up of speakers including actress Lea DeLaria who is better known as Big Boo from the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black.  Lea is a terrific advocate for LGBTQ youth and inspires so many of us to be ourselves.

The most exciting announcement we have is our theme for this year - We Will Be Citizens.  LGBTQ individuals continue to be persecuted against and this Governor's Conference has been targeted by the far-right in our state with some pretty outlandish accusations.  This event is not going away and we are going to keep our focus on supporting LGBTQ youth in this state.  We will be citizens.  

Register today!

Our goal with this Conference is to ensure that every LGBTQ student, educator, counselor, administrator, and really anyone who sometimes feels left out - can spend a full day knowing they are not alone and are a part of a larger community that cares.  I hope you can join us.

If you have questions feel free to email conference@iowasafeschools.org or call 515-471-8024.

Abdelkader Global Leadership Scholarship

Abdelkader Global Leadership Prize essay contest - please see the link

Student Curriculum Plans--PLEASE READ

Heartland has been getting a lot of phone calls on the topic of the requirement for “Student Curriculum Plans” (279.61) also known as 8th Grade Plan &/or IHAPI as have our High School Counselors and principals. Interestingly, phone calls are split between going to the media directors, curriculum, or a few others.

I know there are some misunderstandings as to who ‘dropped the funding ball’.  The IA Dept. of Ed. never funded this requirement.  The Iowa College Aid Commission funded the Xap product – IHAPI- along with the training that took place in the AEA’s & the districts.  The product was put up for bid, purchased and supported from the beginning from the Iowa College Aid Commission.  However, their budget was modified and they can no longer fund this for the state.  There is a  

DE Career/College Ready  Standards Writing  Team which met last  Friday (there are several counselors as well as myself on this team). This team was created by the IA Dept. of Ed's Division of Community Colleges/CTE Bureau as a result of the CTE Secondary Task Force’s (legislated 2013) recommendations.  Our goal was to examine future ways for districts to meet the requirements of Ch. 279.61. 

The 279.61 requirements (and proposed legislative changes to it) have not changed the requirement to meet the IA Code.  What has changed is that the IA College Aid Commission  can no longer provide a free platform for schools (which was called I Have a Plan Iowa – a product of Xap).  The legislative changes proposed require that the IA Dept. of Ed. adopt administrative rules (there were no prior rules written around 279.61).  The DE has requested funding for 279.61 from the IA Legislature.

The committee made a few recommendations and will await a response from the IA State Board of Education.  Specifically, we asked the following:

1. A 1-year grace period for implementing a new product/vendor, which would allow time to explore possibilities (districts would be required to submit an action plan if allowed a 1-year grace period - they can't simply take a year off).

2. Districts no longer be required to use a vendor/product and could use a variety of sources to meet the requirements (putting together a local model utilizing free products and resources).

3. Districts no longer be required to report student-level data to the IA Dept. of Ed.  Districts would provide aggregate percentages of students completing each component.

Vendors have been putting pressure on Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, and School Counselors regarding this issue.  What we were told again by the IA Dept. of Ed.  is that districts should feel free to explore options but not feel pressured into purchasing a product until the state has determined the parameters (and most importantly, the accountability expectations).

The team meets again on Feb. 26th.  This meeting  will hopefully result in detailed guidance and direction to districts from the IA  Dept. of Ed.  Please share with networks as appropriate.

Google with Amy Holst and Deb Henkes!!

Counselors -

Please join Deb Henkes and myself on Monday, February 22, at 2:00 pm via zoom to learn more about google calendars and how they can make your counseling life with scheduling easier!  Deb will show you how to organize information like ACT test dates, scholarships, and anything else you are interested in adding to your calendar to become more digitally organized!

Looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday February 22, at 2 PM.

Click on the following zoom link to join:

https://aea1.zoom.us/j/3193501012

Amy Holst

Advocacy Webinar

Last week the ISCA/ICAN Webinar Series presented Advocacy, Advocacy, and More Advocacy! Now the recording of that webinar is available for review.

Visit www.IowaSchoolCounselors.org and go to the Members section or visit http://www.icansucceed.org/en/professionals/webinars/

Counselor Scholarship!!

Have you ever thought about attending one of our state or national conferences but didn’t have the funding? If you answered “yes,” here is an opportunity for you!

Iowa ACAC has once again received funding from our parent organization, NACAC, to help provide funding for public high school counselors to  attend a regional or national professional development conferences. The opportunities this year include the MIDWest Spring Conference (May 15-17 in Minneapolis, MN), NACAC’s Critical Components Conference (May 23-26 in Pittsburg, PA), or the National NACAC Conference (September 22-24 in Columbus, OH).

If you want the chance to possibly take part in some of the best professional development and networking you will ever experience, complete the online application. Members of Iowa ACAC will be given priority. Deadline to apply for this grant is April 1, 2016. Not a member of Iowa ACAC?  You can join at www.iowaacac.org/join.

Questions? Contact Sabrina Tapps-Fee, Iowa ACAC Professional Development Chair, at 319.335.1566 or sabrina-tapps@uiowa.edu.

Good luck!

FAFSA Toolkit Webinar

JOIN US FOR A LIVE

FAFSA TOOLKIT DEMONSTRATION

WHEN:  Tuesday, February 9, 2016

TIME:  2:30 PM - Eastern Time

YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER WITH INTERNET ACCESS AND A PHONE LINE TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT. 

---------------------------- To join online: ----------------------------------------

1. Go to https://educate.webex.com/educate/k2/j.php?MTID=t9c443e4b13233bb8a38fa943deed9570
2. 2. Enter your name and email address (or registration ID).
3. 3. Enter the session password: welcome
4. Click "Join Now".
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

--------------------To join audio --------------------------

Dial: 888-282-0434

Code: 9925754  

A Resource for Organizations That Prepare Students and Families Financially for College

Federal Student Aid (FSA) offers the Financial Aid Toolkit (FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov), a website that consolidates FSA resources into a searchable online database intended for use by organizations and individuals who interact with, support, or counsel students and families on making financial preparations for postsecondary education. While the toolkit's target audience is high school counselors and college access professionals, financial aid administrators may also find toolkit resources useful for their student outreach efforts.

Key Feature: The "Search Tools and Resources" Function Use the toolkit's search function to find and sort resources by     . audience,     . topic,     . time of year for best use, and     . type of resource.

 Examples of the kinds of resources in the toolkit include . outreach resources such as financial aid night materials, fact sheets, videos, infographics, and PowerPoint presentations; . suggested messages for social media in the form of tweets, Facebook posts, and blog posts; . information on embedding videos and infographics in your website; . sample articles for organization newsletters and sample e-mails; and . FSA publications.

 You can also subscribe to an RSS feed to receive notification when resources are updated or are added to the website.

 Other Site Features In addition to the search-resources function, the toolkit includes the following sections: . Learn About Financial Aid provides tips and resources to help counselors, college access professionals, and other mentors obtain a basic understanding of financial aid and the federal aid application process. This section includes updates on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and basic information about loan repayment. . Conduct Outreach features key outreach topics and resources that are of interest to school counselors and mentors. Topics include hosting a financial aid night, reaching certain target audiences (e.g., parents, military), using social media, and more. . Get Training shares information about such professional development opportunities as classroom training, webinars, and resources for self-instruction. This section includes information about the National Training for Counselors and Mentors (NT4CM) initiative.

The College Access Affinity Group Team

Program Improvement Process for Equity Training

Program Improvement Process for Equity Training

Date:  Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - 8:30am to Thursday, March 10, 2016 - 1:30am

Event Location:  DMACC Ankeny Campus

FFA Enrichment Center
1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway
Ankeny, IA 50023

This email is being transmitted on behalf of Pradeep Kotamraju, Chief, Bureau of Career and
Technical Education.

The Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education, is again offering

training through our partnership with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) for

Perkins nontraditional data indicators – 6s1, 6s2, 5p1, 5p2.  In our efforts to increase the

participation and completion rates of underrepresented gender students in nontraditional CTE

programs, NAPE will utilize its Program Improvement Process for Equity (PIPE), an institutional

change model, to provide technical assistance and professional development to secondary and

postsecondary educators to  improve their performance on the accountability measures

defined in the Perkins Act.  This is a follow-up training to the Data Dashboard professional

development that was offered in Fall  2015.  Participants are not required to have

participated in this earlier training.

The Program Improvement Process for Equity  (PIPE) is a research-based,

effective professional development program designed for school teams to identify and

implement evidence-based strategies to increase the participation and success of female

students—particularly girls and women of color— and other under-represented students in

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and other career and technical

education nontraditional career preparation programs. Site teams are most effective if they

include all stakeholders necessary to implement the Program Improvement Process for Equity.

Suggested team members of the implementation team should include:

 administrators

 institutional researchers

 coordinators

 counselors

 faculty of nontraditional career and technical education programs

The goal of this training is to build stakeholder buy-in for the process and for team members to

assume responsibility for gathering information for the Program Improvement Process for

Equity, assisting the Team in drawing conclusions about strengths and weaknesses of the site,

setting goals, selecting and enacting activities, measuring outcomes and providing feedback to

the ongoing planning process. Trainees should be available to participate in the orientation

webinar, the two training sessions, monthly technical assistance online meetings and a

proposed Showcase of projects during the Iowa ACTE annual conference in September.

Each participating site will also need to designate a site lead.

A PIPE Orientation Webinar will be conducted for Regional CTE/Perkins Coordinators and

identified teams from each of the sites intending to participate in the PIPE training. This

webinar will be conducted online from 3:30-4:30 pm CST on Thursday, February

18th  from 3:30-4:30pm CST.  The PIPE orientation will be recorded and made available to all

participants.  On the day of the webinar, participants should sign in under the name as a “guest”.  They can either use the audio on their

computers or call in by dialing (712) 775-7031, Code 285-787-405.

 For questions or additional

information regarding the training, please contact Jeanette Thomas, Education Consultant,

jeanette.thomas@iowa.gov, 515-281-3636.

Teach for the Workplace

The DMACC Intermediary is offering "Teaching for the Workplace" this summer in Marion County. Please see the flyer for more information --- GREAT PROGRAM!!!!

National League of Cities Conference

Please find below information about a National League of Cities conference to address young adults who have not finished school.  Do you think that you could send to counselors in the Dubuque, Iowa vicinity that might be interested in attending and other counselors throughout Iowa?  The registration fee is minimal ($50.00).  I have attached the agenda.  Call me if you have questions.  Thank you and take care,  Jeanne

Through its Reengagement Network, the National League of Cities assists cities in exploring and pursuing reengagement policy and programming to address young adults who have not finished school and lack clear pathways to do so.  The March 16-18 Reengagement Plus! 2016 Convening in Dubuque, Iowa is an annual gathering for leaders, supporters, partners, and staff of the growing network of centers, programs, and citywide partnerships focused on students who have left school before graduating.  The Convening provides extensive opportunities for peer sharing, benchmarking, and problem solving via a participant-led, discussion-oriented format.  For more information and/or to register see https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-reengagement-plus-tickets-19841995944?ref=enivtefor001&invite=ODg2NDQzMi9OYXphcnphaUBubGMub3JnLzA%3D&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&utm_term=eventimage&ref=enivtefor001 or contact Zachia Nazarzai at nazarzai@nlc.org.

Homeless Webinars

This is a list of Free Webinars for homeless liaisons offered in February.

February 5 at 1:00 PM    - Paving the Way to College for Student Experiencing Homelessness

February 11 at 1:00 PM   - McKinney-Vento 101: School Access & stability under McKinney-Vento

February 17 at 1:00 PM   - McKinney-Vento 102: Support Success & Special Populations

February Webinars

Sign up here:  http://center.serve.org/nche/web/group.php

If these dates/time do not fit you schedule, be sure to check the NCHE web site for recorded trainings on homeless education topics.  

http://center.serve.org/nche/web/s_p.php

Webinar!

ISCA/ICAN Webinar Series: Resources for Leveraging the Counselor-Principal Relationship to Impact College & Career Readiness
February 9, 2016 at 3:30 pm.
REGISTER TODAY!: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2572942243547354370

This webinar is designed for counselor and administrator teams, but either one can still participate on your own. We will address the Why, What, and How of College and Career Readiness Programming K-12 by sharing several resources and tools you can use together in order to best leverage your counselor-principal relationship to guide programming decisions for College and Career Readiness as it relates to your unique school and students.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

It's National School Counseling Week!

Thank you for all you do for students and families!!! It is truly an honor to work with dedicated counselors like yourselves!! You put the "Why" in what we do!!