Thanks for helping to make 2011-2012 a great year!

1. Thanks for helping to make 2011-2012 a great year!

2. AGENDA: • 2011-12 Priorities – How were you/we different? • Your Questions • Internal Staff Survey • Customer Satisfaction Survey Review • Educational “Reform” • AEA/DE Collaboration • Innovation • Thoughts for 2012-13 • Staff Recognition

3. Priorities for 2011-2012 • We will accept direct responsibility for student learning. • We will make the Comprehensive Improvement Plan the focus of our work. • We will model leadership as well as encourage and foster it from all employees. How were you/we different this year?

4. How were you/we different this year? • Got over shyness and started eating with teachers • Early childhood was different by hiring a service coordinator • Trying to incorporate skype more; works well with older kids • Book club getting districts to talk to each other • Working with BVU and 3 districts together; writing common units • KU strategies • Figuring how to work in a district that whole grade shares with another AEA • ROWE trying to focus on right results • Sense of community within the zone is weakening Storm lake 5.16.12

5. How were you/we different this year? • Met with administrators more often, teachers more often on progress monitoring and participated in KU strategies project • Participating in ROWE: built a closer relationship with teachers work with more directly; mastered progress monitoring! • More collaboration between the people I work within Agency • Offices in the buildings make us more accessible; more done and better relationships Spencer

6. How were you/we different this year? • Incorporated much more technology (skype, webinars and w/ DE) • Continuing down right path of dyads; closer to the instructional piece of what teachers need to do differently • Data; statewide assessment

7. How were you/we different this year? • Felt like we were very splintered; co-worker perspective; collaboration opportunities have decreased; increased stress level as you feel like you’re out there by yourself • Tech hasn’t worked in schools and cell phones didn’t work for timing • Fort dodge office was different with collaboration due to people being in the office • Files from offices; amount of time wasted has been monumental • Don’t have spots in all the schools; working with students weekly • Can we have our files done electronically? Can’t be all electronic as we would have to scan some of the handwritten documents. Could we get a group of people together and develop Ipad apps to make this work? Tech committee doesn’t face this issue so may have to be done by field. • How difficult it is to quantify what we do? Personally, agency, system wide…all working together. • Real concern for new staff coming in; support?? Mid-year support is difficult anyway; what is offered for new staff

8. How were you/we different this year? • Agency being flexible with work schedules • No national/out-of-state conferences • Ipads for staff members; • Reaching out to districts in different ways; to collaborate and communicate in different ways • A lot more meetings were held via video-conferencing; remotely; felt supported doing this and felt more efficient • Our parents and school partners are happy to have us via technology • Rowe flexibility positive comments

9. How were you/we different this year? • Spec ed consultant group did KU strategies with teachers; worked well; pretty demanding; introducing new materials and walking them through them • More nervous this year due to cutback; learning how to figure; relationships • More focused; what do you need comment? From teachers more than leadership • Options we have for meetings have been nice • Move therapy work more electronically • New process, EER, is not parent friendly, RtI implementing with fidelity, horrible document, complex, focused on deficits not strengths • Si so thin; wearing all these hats; my strength in reading has been pushed to the bottom

10. How were you/we different this year? • More flexible; more professional trust which made me want to do even better • Utilizing flexible work location more • Used more technology than I ever have before • Much more focused (aware) on trends in student data for IEPs (monthly); trying to respond to needs as they became apparent • More administrative support for staffing and retention • Flexibility and whole atmosphere allowed me to focus on my work and not busy clutter • As a sped consultant I got into the classroom more to implement strategies • Working with behavior teachers to develop fidelity to carry out behavior intervention plans; collecting data (probes) to actually use that for decision making • Less meetings in Pocahontas (tech); cancelled w/out clear agenda

11. How were you/we different this year? • Hearing team used turbo meeting or polycom instead of everyone coming to Pocahontas • Thanks to new Ipads used videotape of child to show district needs; getting feedback to provide more efficient work and less travel time; dragon dictation to email to reports

12. Hopes for 2011-2012 • Think “Green” Campaign • Results Only Work Environment • Summer Learning…June 7 & 8 and July 25 & 26 • Leading becomes the norm… • Jamie Vollmer’s Message about internal P.R. • Shift your attention from the negative to the positive • Stop bad-mouthing one another in public • Share something positive within our social networks • Monitoring our progress

13. Q: What is the process that will be used to hire a new special education director? Q: When will that process start and when do you anticipate the position will be filled? Q: Will Jerry Stremel be replaced? From within or without?

15. A: Patience • Perfect Storm • 50 less staff from 5 years ago • $40 million cut = $2.8 million from PLAEA • Director of Special Education opening • Increased Accountability • Results Only Work Environment • Technological Disruptions • We are going to take the time we need to figure out what we need and the best ways to make this happen! • We need your input to make it happen as well.

16. What is the most important thing Prairie Lakes AEA could do to improve thequality and effectiveness of our services to districts, schools and/or families? • Implementing ROWE with everyone: balanced with accountability. • Need to hire more staff. Staffing and caseload issues. Overworked and burnt out. Afraid of more staff cuts. • Staff spread too thin. • Fear of not being supported with each other (closing of offices), support within schools. • Too much paperwork. • Make sure listen to needs. Better understand the specific needs of the districts. • Reference to the use of technology. • A more visible focus on 0-3 services provided. • More opportunities to help teachers improve practice, besides just having trainings on filling out the IEP correctly. • Improve communication at various levels.

17. What is the most important thing Prairie Lakes AEA could do to improve thequality and effectiveness of our services to districts, schools and/or families? • Collaboration across, within, above and beyond – with each other, districts, departments, agencies, etc. • Driving a lot. • Appreciates having assignments geographically close to eliminate driving…create efficiencies. • LEAs need a better understanding of what we do and what we have to offer. Promoting our services. • Belief in using data. Gap between what knowing what to do and implementing. • Training needs. Knowing more research-based interventions and RtI. • Quality mentoring and induction programs/systems • Being more visible…the need to actually be physically there vs. accessible. Why is it that some schools are all right with it, and some aren’t? • Keep assignments consistent.

18. What change could be made in your job or the way the agency works that would enhance the positive impact you could make on student learning? • Increase communication about the services we provide. • Different departments should work closely together so everyone is headed in the same direction. • Clear message from leaders. Clear department visions. Clear goals. CLARITY at all levels. What is our outcome? • Less paperwork. • Continue to provide PD opportunities to improve in your field. • Use of technology. • Need more staff. • Misconception of what ROWE is. Comments were positive about ROWE. Some specified they need more clarification and definition of their results.

19. What change could be made in your job or the way the agency works that would enhance the positive impact you could make on student learning? • Keep focused on district needs. • Staff seem to like their job. • Assignments based on home; expertise. • Need to lighten some workloads. • Some people feel alone and need a relationship built with each other. • Positive impact of AEA reported in the community, schools, districts, administration. • Staff in the Hearing Department need assistance; hire back audiometrists. • Advocacy on the legislative front.

20. Q: The agency closes on Fridays in the summer as a cost savings measure. Ever consider 4-day weeks all year long to save even more??? With ROWE, this could be an easy transition. A: I thought about this as an LEA Supt but have not thought of it since working @ PLAEA. How would you see this working at the AEA?

21. Q: Did closing and down sizing offices save us money? If so, what were the savings? What is the response from those people in those offices as to how it effected their work this past year? A: • Rockwell City = $23,000 • Spencer = $17,000 • WC to Blairsburg = $15,000 • Jefferson = $13,000 • Total = $68,000 A: How did it affect the work?

22. Q: How will the $15 million dollar cut affect AEA? A: It is actually another $20 million reduction which equals $1.4 million for us. This will accelerate the reduction of our current cash reserve. Our board goal for solvency is 10%. With another $600,000 reduction in federal funds, it won’t take us long to get to this level. The next round of cuts will take place at the administrative level as we try to adjust staffing levels to meet the needs of our internal and external stakeholders.

23. Educational “Reform” Impact on AEAs • $20 million cut (again) = $1.4 million to PLAEA • Flexibility with Media resource dollars; “Up to thirty percent of the budget of an area for media services shallmay be expended for media resource material” • Other topics which will impact our work: • Early Childhood Literacy • Peer Review Feedback • Competency Based Education • Online Learning

24. Q: There has been a lot of talk about ROWE. What did you learn from the pilot? What will it look like next year? A: 1) 4.23.12 Celebration generated lots of great information and questions to consider 2) Licensed Association provided 6 pages of feedback that the ROWE mgmt team (Kandy, Connie, Kim and Jeff) is working through 3) Mgmt team mtg is May 31 @ 12:30 to look at data and make decisions/recommendations

26. Other Questions? • How can we get the language to include 0-3 population? (Not just “students”) • Is there a fear of consolidation of AEAs as we get under 30,000 students? • How can we get more people to fill out the customer satisfaction survey? Can we get a survey done more quickly; electronically? Immediate feedback? What about sending the survey, if we use the same, in February before teachers are burnt out? A campaign to get more to fill it out? • Will we find out how our AEA compares to the others in the customer satisfaction survey? (ask Gary?)

27. Other Questions?

28. Other Questions?

29. Customer service survey • Define a result from info • Answer 5 ?s • Share it back with me and Connie • Put on wiki

30. Multiple Accidental Adversaries 3 AEA’s (Indiv) 4 1 IDE AEA (System) 2 LEA’s • AEA/DE SYSTEM • Values • Guiding Principles • Focus Areas • Commitment • Work Groups/Task Forces • 2) Indiv AEA/AEA SYSTEM • Community of Practice • Meeting restructure to include Directors, DE and Work Groups/Task Forces • Commitment

32. Areas • PLAEA • Data • Core • Early Literacy • Safe & Caring Environment • RtI • DE • Standards • Educator Quality • RtI • AEA/DE Collaborative • Rigorous Content • Effective Educators • Student Supports

34. “…some of the most essential qualities of a successful innovator appear to be the following:” Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own Associative or integrative thinking A bias toward action & experimentation INNOVATION

35. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Trying to honestly answer a ? Instead of avoiding • Being comfortable when the answers aren’t clear • Do we have a focus in Agency to encourage? • Proactive vs. reactive (seek solutions, what is coming next) How can PLAEA remove barriers? • When you’re in discussion sometimes you feel like the decision is already made (don’t ask if you’ve already made) • Red, yellow, green Storm lake 5.16.12

36. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Continue to create an environment that is okay to question; question to deepen; what if? • Ask questions more focused; way too many answers; too many people having to do too many different/same things • Foster internal passion How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Prescribed learning; can we provide more individual or motivating learning • Consistency? (non-negotiables) = Reports that have to be answered legally Spencer

37. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Providing prof dev for CORE, CGI, problem-based curriculum • Own staff aware of 21st century skills; create awareness • Continue to support state challenging behavior team How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Removing Carnegie Unit as a requirement • Barrier between gen ed and special ed • Meeting the needs of our local districts; careful with areas of focus

38. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? Discriminating between administrative evaluation and professional evaluation? Professional Domain of the dept.; admn what zc is required to do by virtue of the contract and legislation Have a more open environment for Questions; questioning the idea and the person How can PLAEA remove barriers?

39. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Valuing curiosity; spending time being curious • Having time to do research • Building into our culture 2 way communication and collaboration How can PLAEA remove barriers?

40. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Dig deep, deep, deep into something you’re really in love with or want to learn more about? (TICL conference topics) • Wish there was a button on our website to allow people to ask questions or provide information back…EASY button How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Could we get our direct services for kids earlier and more often? With less paperwork!

41. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • What does the data tell us? • Providing forums to look at curiosity, tech support? • Really look for what is going right! Any type of problem solving or working collaboratively…strengths (forms read word for word for an hour…) How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Continue looking at the data with those we work with

42. Curiosity, which is a habit of asking good questions & a desire to understand more deeply How can PLAEA support? • Modeling this for our staff and our schools • Being honest How can PLAEA remove barriers? • How can we break apart special ed services to serve our children? (speech services in one place & others in places) • School districts are in a “box” and we do it this way; don’t use the “way other districts are doing it”

43. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Teaching a different perspective; thinking like a scientist • Going to take work; “labor” • Stay humble when we collaborate How can PLAEA remove barriers? • How are the districts going to respond to this? • Communication between teams that are collaborating Storm lake 5.16.12

44. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • No sludge How can PLAEA remove barriers? • are we looking again at OI (occasional and incedental)? • No sludge Spencer

45. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Providing opportunities for different points of view to come together and learn with each other • Continue to foster our community relationships with Headstart, medical profession, dhs, How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Creating an equity in “pilots” or districts involved initiatives

46. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Inviting people who have different perspectives to the table How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Time and location being able to have those conversations

47. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Become immersed with our kids, schools; problem-solving • Being available to people; open collaborative conversations to find answers to problems • Partners with academics and behavior so we can focus on area of expertise • Articles to learn about collaboration; what it is and how can we do it? • Becky’s video example of how to do something; vodcast; kahn academy for the AEA How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Get rid of the circles; red, yellow and green • Collaborate with gen ed, media/tech so we can learn from each other • Communicate!

48. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Celebrate learning that came from mistakes How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Caseload doesn’t allow much collaboration time with anybody…TIME!

49. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • If a group of people want to form team, trust to bring the strengths to the table • Take people where they’re at…where are they at with their beliefs and working from their domain; model with teachers so they can see how to do this with kids • Peer review process; go and watch our colleagues How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Team doesn’t have to be approved from above • Time! For compliance issues

50. Collaboration, which begins w/ listening to & learning from, others who have perspectives & expertise that are very different from your own How can PLAEA support? • Going out and asking districts about the information they are sharing on customer service survey • Model respectful conversation back and forth • Time; scheduling more time to meet • Trust; build the relationship • Support from other staff members when there are questions or tough situations How can PLAEA remove barriers? • Anonymous comments on the customer satisfaction survey • Time; scheduling more time to meet; finding the time and making it! • Downsizing/closing offices may lead to a loss of collaboration