January 24, 2017
Special Education Think Tank!

AESA Affinity Group for Special Education is starting - be a part of it!

What: This group of special education directors will connect quarterly to share their successes, challenges, trends, and innovative ideas related to the delivery of special education services. Participation in this national forum will offer ESA leaders insights related to the provision of  cutting edge special education service in an effort to continue to anticipate and meet the needs of their clients.  

When: Meetings will be held via Zoom video with the first meeting scheduled for February 27, 2017 at 2 p.m. EST. 

How to get involved: 
Interested persons should email Sherry Zubeck to be added to this group.

More about AESA Affinity Groups:
Interested in what other Affinity groups you can get involved in?  Visit the Affinity Groups on AESA's website. 


Business Partner Highlight


Trained and ready: 
How an ESA is leading data-enriched collaborations

Education Service Agencies are relying more and more heavily on data to drive decisions within their agencies. AESA business partner Forecast5 has helped Pennsylvania's Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 help school districts gain in making data-informed decisions, too.

This case studies demonstrates how an AESA Business Partner is at work for a member-ESA and the school districts it serves.

USDOE Announces 
ESSA Guidance And Webinar Series
 
Submitted by Noelle Ellerson Ng

The US Department of Education (USDOE) released a series of resources to support States in their transition to the ESSA. The Consolidated State Plan guidance, State and Local Report Cards guidance, and High School Graduation Rate guidance provide additional clarity on the role of States, districts, and schools under the ESSA to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education and that they graduate high school prepared for success in college and career.

Guidance Resources

 

Webinars

 

The Department also announced that it will host a weekly webinar series (Wednesdays from 2-3:30 EST) beginning on January 11, 2017 and continuing through March 8, 2017. 

The Department will provide a detailed agenda prior to each session. Note that you must register for each webinar. As a courtesy to members, AESA has posted a completed schedule on its website.  Please note that the schedule is subject to change, so check back often. 

The next two are listed here. All others are on the AESA website:
  • January 25, 2017
     Consolidated State Plan: Supporting Excellent Educators and All Students 
  • February 1, 2017
     Consolidated State Plan: Accountability Systems: Long-term Goals and Indicators 

USDOE SEED MENTORING PARTNERSHIPS


USDOE Office of Innovation is offering Mentoring Partnerships to improve educator preparation and development

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement is offering mentoring at no cost to state education agencies, school districts, educator preparation programs, and other organizations  that are actively working to improve teacher and principal preparation and development. 

The mentors are national nonprofits that are implementing evidence-based solutions for educator preparation and development in a wide range of schools and districts across the country. 

The deadline is soon!
If you are interested, please complete and submit this short form by February 2, 2017.

A webinar will be held on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 12pm EST to provide more information about the partnerships and to answer any questions you might have. You can register for the webinar here.

Send any questions you have about the SEED Mentoring Partnerships to Steven Malick at  smalick@mathematica-mpr.com.

AESA 
832-437-8231
info@aesa.us
http://www.aesa.us