Iowa Department of Education

Applications are due April 18 for the latest round of the Career Academy Incentive Fund. Community colleges and school districts are invited to partner and apply to help expand access to career academy opportunities. #PostsecondaryPathwaysIA bit.ly/3FyYdPQ

Iowa educators are invited to attend this summer’s Every Learner Forward, a three-day professional learning opportunity focused on enhancing high-quality instruction in every classroom. Set for July 7-9 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Every Learner Forward will provide teachers with strategies and best practices that can impact student achievement and overall success. #ElevateEducatorsIA #BridgingTheGapIA bit.ly/3OgJVs0

Last year, 45% of all high school seniors achieved at least one work-based learning experience during high school, up nearly 20 percentage points with an increase of over 76% in the last two years. #RemarkableResultsIA

Iowa high school seniors, don’t miss out on applying for this scholarship celebrating Jewish American history and the contributions of Jewish Americans. Submit your essay and application by April 30 to be considered for the $30,000 in total scholarship funds. tinyurl.com/bddmhtpj

This week, Director McKenzie Snow and Chief of Staff John Elkin joined West Delaware Community School Distrtic (@wdccsd) Superintendent Jen Vance, Principal Matt Svare and other district leaders as they toured the welding, automotive and culinary classrooms, learning how the instructors support all students with registered apprenticeships, other meaningful work-based learning experiences and opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials in high school. Designated as a high-performing school on the Iowa School Performance Profiles, West Delaware CSD achieved an amazing 100% on the work-based learning indicator for all students participating in a work-based learning experience! From welding and building trades to agriculture, automotive technician, meat cutting, and more, the district is empowering students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success through real-world application of knowledge and skills. #ChooseYourPathwayIA

It was great to see evidence-based instruction in action in 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms while visiting Delaware Community School District’s (@wdccsd) Lambert Elementary School this week. Director McKenzie Snow and Chief of Staff John Elkin met with Superintendent Jen Vance, Principal Rudi Hameister, Director of Student Services Matt O’Loughlin and teachers to learn more about the district’s strong focus on evidence-based literacy instruction aligned to the science of reading. The district has made literacy instruction a top priority by participating in and empowering each and every teacher with LETRS professional development to support their literacy and language expertise in the science of reading. All elementary teachers have now completed LETRS with the goal of strengthening students’ early literacy skills, improving reading proficiency and narrowing achievement gaps for students. #LiteracyChangesLivesIA #BridgingTheGapIA

The Iowa Department of Education is offering a free virtual workshop series to help integrate computer science into elementary classrooms. Equip your students with essential digital skills and discover practical strategies for bringing computer science concepts to life. Learn more and register here by April 24. tinyurl.com/y5mcfj89

Last year, 123,064 students enrolled in credit programs at Iowa’s 15 community colleges and completed over 1.6 million credit hours. These numbers show the incredible impact community colleges have on education and workforce development across Iowa. This Community College Month, celebrate the achievements and opportunities of your local community college. #PostsecondaryPathwayIA #CCMonth

The Iowa STEM team is busy matching teachers and businesses together for another summer of Iowa STEM Teacher Externships! Could you be the missing piece? Workplace host and teacher extern applications are still being accepted! Apply now! tinyurl.com/5n7vrkcs

@IowaSTEM is awarding over $300,000 to help Iowa schools expand real-world STEM learning opportunities this summer through STEM BEST Explore. Check out what these 17 STEM BEST models are planning to do ⤵️ educate.iowa.gov/headline-story…

Leaders from Iowa’s community colleges gathered in Des Moines yesterday to learn more about implementing the Department’s Pathways to Completion grant. Modeled after the Hawkeye Community College Take 2 program initiated by the Black Hawk LCAN, this program helps students in Iowa to re-enroll and complete their postsecondary programs at community colleges. Attendees learned about how Take 2 was implemented at Hawkeye Community College and mapped out the program’s development on their campus. Learn more about the program and the success it has already created on one campus. tinyurl.com/y6bup5rp #PostsecondaryPathwaysIA

Leaders from Iowa’s community colleges gathered in Des Moines yesterday to learn more about implementing the Department’s Pathways to Completion grant. Modeled after the Hawkeye Community College Take 2 program initiated by the Black Hawk LCAN, this program helps students in Iowa to re-enroll and complete their postsecondary programs at community colleges. Attendees learned about how Take 2 was implemented at Hawkeye Community College and mapped out the program’s development on their campus. Learn more about the program and the success it has already created on one campus. tinyurl.com/y6bup5rp #PostsecondaryPathwaysIA

Are you searching for resources to celebrate Financial Literacy Month? Explore our comprehensive financial literacy webpage for a wide range of educational tools designed to boost students’ financial skills. Empower students to confidently manage savings, earnings and credit with these valuable resources. tinyurl.com/2stuwdvc

Director McKenzie Snow, CTE Bureau Chief Cale Hutchings, Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen and team members from across the Department of Education helped kick off the Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference with President Amy ‘Bozz’ Bossard yesterday in Des Moines. Director Snow shared how together, we are empowering all students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success through work-based learning and industry-recognized credential attainment. Last year 98% of Iowa’s school districts offered at least one sustained work-based learning experience and more than 45% of high school students from the graduating class of 2025 participated in at least one work-based learning experience while in high school. That is up nearly 20 percentage points with an over 76% rate of increase over the last two years! Please help us thank Iowa’s amazing work-based learning coordinators, who connect the classroom to the workplace impacting their students’ lives and futures! #ChooseYourPathwayIA #WorkBasedLearning

Looking to add computer science into your everyday teaching without adding one more thing to your plate? Look no further! tinyurl.com/eCSiei Register for the Embedding Computer Science into Everyday Instruction virtual workshop series for strategies connecting CS to the lessons you are already teaching!

The Department has awarded 21 grants in 15 counties for the Shared Visions Preschool Program, offering five years of support for Iowa schools and programs serving preschool children who meet at-risk criteria. bit.ly/3QnJZqm

Join us April 14 for an inspiring webinar: “Founding Principles and the U.S. Constitution.” This session offers educators high-quality, standards-based resources to deepen civic knowledge and student engagement. Discover new ways to bring America’s Founding Principles to life in your classroom as part of the America250 celebration. tinyurl.com/3uycp8bc

🤖While this week officially marks the return of #NationalRoboticsWeek, affectionately known as #RoboWeek, robotics has already been on full display at the annual Iowa Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) last month. educate.iowa.gov/headline-story…

While this week officially marks the return of #NationalRoboticsWeek, affectionately known as #RoboWeek, robotics has already been on full display at the annual Iowa Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) last month. educate.iowa.gov/headline-story…