With the expanding global outbreak of COVID-19 and Governor Reynold’s declaration of emergency, the Iowa Department of Education is postponing the Iowa Learning Academy 2020. This decision was not made lightly. The Department is committed to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and is following all recommendations from Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Despite the current COVID-19 climate, the Department is working diligently to provide guidance and support to assist stakeholders during this uncertain time. Our emphasis will be on caution and prevention for those we serve and ourselves, while maintaining our sense of community.

In the meantime, please see the Department’s existing guidance and webinar recordings available on our COVID-19 Guidance and Information page. We will continue to keep you informed during this rapidly changing time.

The Iowa Learning Academy (ILA)—formerly the Special Education Symposium and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) June Institute—is designed to align statewide efforts to support Iowa’s area education agencies (AEAs), school districts, and partnering agencies and organizations in the provision of leadership, instructional services, and other supports to promote the success of all Iowa learners.

For more information on the event, view our save the date or review the information below.

Structure

The event is structured around seven main content strands:

• College and Career Readiness,
• Early Childhood,
• Family and Community Engagement,
• Leadership,
• Literacy,
• Mathematics, and
• SEBH.

While the content strands extend across all four days, the focus varies by day (see the table below).

Audience

The following roles are encouraged to attend:

• Administrators;
• Building leadership teams (i.e., principals, school leaders, teachers, staff);
• Early ACCESS providers and service coordinators;
• Educators and providers from early childhood to high school;
• AEA professionals supporting literacy, mathematics, social-emotional-behavioral health (SEBH), and/or specific student subgroups (e.g., special education, preschool, English learners); and
• Higher education faculty supporting pre-service educators and providers.

*Attendance is required for Comprehensive schools and highly recommended for Targeted schools.

Outcomes

ILA 2020 seeks to:

• Strengthen leadership teams;
• Support implementation of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS);
• Address evidence-based universal and targeted content needs across literacy and mathematics for all learners;
• Build educator knowledge and skills in literacy, mathematics, and SEBH for all learners;
• Increase knowledge of family and community engagement best practices;
• Improve understanding of best practices in early childhood, including early intervention, early childhood special education, and preschool;
• Provide information to attendees about current law and requirements in early intervention, special education, and ESSA Title programs; and
• Connect teams with current evidence-based practices in college and career readiness.

Event Registration

Registration for the ILA 2020 is anticipated to open in March 2020.