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 While not as daunting to hear as "Winter is Coming", we are at that exciting time of year again, with the start of school right around the corner!
Here are several tips we offer for getting prepared:
1. If you have not updated your employee information in the system, there is still time to do so. You can take advantage of the system feature allowing you to export your current users in the system, update them in MS Excel, and then re-import them. Contact our support desk for questions about this process.
2. We have a new set of directions (Frequently Asked Questions), updated very slightly from last year. Those can be downloaded at the same place, here. The document is an MS Word document, meaning you can customize the directions on your own end.
3. Keep in mind history. August 13 (the Monday in week 3) is historically our busiest day of usage, followed closely by the next two weeks of work days. It is beneficial for districts to encourage completing required trainings outside of that busy time (before or after, during weekends, or outside of business hours), as the lower amounts of traffic make for a better user experience.
4. Be sure to take advantage of the ability to assign trainings (including to groups of employees, grade levels, or buildings), as well as the ability to favorite trainings into a district playlist. All of this makes for a professional learning experience customized directly to your district needs, and can help your employees begin their trainings more quickly.
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What trainings are required?
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We commonly get asked around this time, "What trainings are required for employees to complete?" While a district can set their own requirements, there are some important statewide mandated ones, and many districts currently are not taking advantage of having those within our system, freely available.
Here are the required trainings for staff:
• Mandatory Reporting of Child and Dependent Adult Abuse - all staff licensed through the BoEE, every 5 years
• Bloodborne Pathogens - all staff at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, every year
• Right to Know - all staff at risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals, every year
• Asbestos Awareness - all staff at risk of exposure to asbestos materials, every year
• Lockout/Tagout - all staff charged with operating machines that utilize dangerous energy, every year
• Medication Administration - all staff that distribute medication, every 5 years. Note: There are also 6 associated trainings such as giving insulin injections for specific medication needs.
• Overview of Requirements for Seclusion and Restraint (103B) - all staff that interact with students. The frequency for the training is determined by local school
• Level One Investigator - all level one investigators - every year
• ELPA 21 Assessment Training - all staff administering the ELPA 21 assessment, every year. There are 2 trainings, one for the test administration and one for the dynamic screener.
• K-6 Early Literacy Alternate Assessment 2018-19 - Required for any special education teacher who has a student on Alternate Assessment
Here are required trainings for special populations:
• Iowa Eligibility & Evaluation Standards - Required for all AEA Special Education Staff
• Speech Language Pathologist Teletherapy Training - Required for any SLP prior to providing teletherapy services
There is also a large number of highly recommended trainings on the system. While there is not a mandate for certain employees to complete this information, per se, these trainings are created with direct guidance from the Iowa Department of Education.
• ELP Standards Modules 1 through 6
• Bullying and Harassment Investigation Training for Schools
• C4K ESSA Module 1 - Data Review
• C4K ESSA Module 2 - Self Assessment of the MTSS Implementation (SAMI)
• C4K ESSA Module 3 - Action Planning
• Section 504 (two modules)
• Specially Designed Instruction: Deliver for Learner Engagement
• Specially Designed Instruction: Diagnose for Instructional Design
• Specially Designed Instruction: Design for Instructional Delivery
• Module 1: Iowa’s Science Standards
• Building Literacy in Social Studies Year 1: Disciplinary Literacy
• Building Literacy in Social Studies Year 1: Information Text
• Building Literacy in Social Studies Year 1: Introduction to the Standards
• Building Literacy in Social Studies Year 1: Overview of the Instructional Shifts
And finally, a list of recommended modules coming soon
• Literacy Observation Tool
• Iowa Early Literacy Standards
• Elementary Introduction to Social Studies Part 1
• Elementary Introduction to Social Studies Part 2
• Secondary Introduction to Social Studies Part 1
• Secondary Introduction to Social Studies Part 2
• Iowa Science Standards Year 2
• Overview of Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards
• Understanding Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards
• Applying and Connecting Iowa’s Fine Art Standards
• Assessing Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards
• Iowa’s Fine Arts Standards Resources
• Standards Professional Learning Opportunities in ELA/Literacy
• Standards Professional Learning Opportunities in Math
Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg. We have over 100 other professional development trainings on our site in areas as diverse as classroom management, technology integration, instructional strategies, and more.
Make sure your staff is properly trained. Online trainings are easy to deliver and monitor, and are an efficient use of teacher time, as they can be flexibly taken. If you have questions about how your district can better utilize trainings, and whether they are in compliance with various mandates, please contact our support desk.
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