Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/693801
June 2016 isea.org • ISEA Communiqué 2 BRIEFS NEWS Homeless high schoolers ashamed to ask for help A study by GradNation released this month shows that 67 percent of former and current homeless high school students felt uncomfortable discussing their housing situation with school officials. Homeless students have considerably lower graduation rates, according to the states that track such statistics, and the report shows that roughly 50 percent of those surveyed had switched schools or dropped out of school at some point in their lives. Meanwhile, 78 percent reported having been homeless multiple times. You can read the full report at www.gradnation.org. Redesigned CTE in effect Gov. Terry Branstad signed legislation aimed at making improvements to Career and Technical Education. Provisions of the new law include: • Aligning the needs of students, employers and the state's economy. • Engraining career guidance into a student's educational experience so he or she can make informed decisions about future postsecondary and career plans. • Introducing exploratory coursework earlier to better prepare students for transitory and ultimately higher-level, specialized academic and technical training. • Expanding student access to coordinated work-based learning opportunities. • Improving access to high-quality CTE programs for students across Iowa as regional partnerships create an expanded statewide system of regional centers. "The goal of CTE programs has changed dramatically over the past two decades," Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said in a news release announcing the law. "Technological change and globalization are changing the state's economy and the jobs being created today require higher skills levels than in the past. This legislation sets the bar for CTE programs to ensure students gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in both college and careers." Summer Reading and New Assessment Delayed Gov. Terry Branstad listened to the ISEA and other stakeholder groups and provided us with the surgical veto we had asked for to make sure the new statewide assessment (currently Smarter Balanced) will not go into effect until July 2017 and the Department of Education can work on preparing for the roll out without another hearing in front of the Administrative Rules Review Committee. The governor also kept the delay for the intensive summer reading program intact. This means the third grade reading retention program will not be a statewide option until May 2018. Tailor your degree to build the career you want. Collaborate with skilled peers from all professional fields in an active learning environment guided by outstanding faculty. Work toward a master's, specialist, or doctoral degree on your own schedule with evening, weekend, and online courses, plus off-campus cohort programs across the state. Explore the possibilities. www.drake.edu/isea Elementary Certification | Secondary Certification Teacher Effectiveness | Literacy Education Educational Leadership | Education Administration Special Education | Counseling | Rehabilitation Placement Rehabilitation Administration | Leadership Development