The Channel

Hearing Screening Changes

Central Rivers AEA audiometrists and audiologists will continue to do class-wide hearing screening for Head Starts, Kindergarten, 1st and 5th grades. This is a change from last year – we are no longer screening preschoolers and 2nd graders. If you get questions, please direct them to the district’s Regional Administrator (RA).

Procedural Safeguards Manuals

If you need paper copies of the manuals for child find meetings or support only meetings, please contact Patsy Luker (Clear Lake), Sami Smith (Marshalltown), or Nicole Heiselman (Cedar Falls). If your schools are asking about getting more paper manuals, please share this ordering information with them – Creative Services is happy to help!

SE Count Reminders

• All new IFSPs and IEPs dated October 25 or sooner must be finalized by the end of October. Our goal is to have these done by October 25 unless there are unique circumstances.
• Be sure you are meeting the deadlines shared by data techs in regards to reviewing rosters if you are a support service provider.
• Official count date is Friday, October 25, 2024.

Parent Validation Reminder

Early ACCESS providers and SE support service providers should be working to validate each parent on their roster. If you have additional questions, the DE has developed this FAQ to help. RAs are happy to help if you run into difficulties!

ACHIEVE Parent Portal

The DE developed this FAQ to answer questions regarding the launch of the parent portal later this fall.

Several important updates will be provided to LEA administrators this month through Superintendents meetings and Leadership Connections – be sure to review them.

A reminder to Ed Services staff to be sure you’ve submitted your weekly Harvest entries. (Here is the Harvest guidance information for Ed Services.) Please be sure to go back and log for July 1. If you did not have service in a particular week, you can select “submit for week” at the bottom of the entry page. Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Ed Services/Media Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Ed Services & Media doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)

Our agency’s annual review of mandatory policies and procedural items are now available! For viewing, please visit the document as there are several important updates to read. A few examples include:

• Agency Operations (such as our vision, values, equity updates, etc.)
• Navigating and understanding the important items in your Weblink portal.
• Quick links available on our staff intranet (website).

There is plenty of information to go through, please contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR, with any questions.

Remote work is a key component of our operations at Central Rivers AEA, offering flexibility while maintaining our high customer service standards. To ensure a seamless and professional experience for both staff and those we serve, the following are important guidelines:

• Eligibility for Remote Work: Remote work is a privilege granted based on whether or not the specific role and responsibilities of the position can be performed virtually without compromising service. This determination is made by the supervisor who is responsible for ensuring that service outcomes are met. 
• Work Environment: All staff are required to maintain the same level of professionalism during virtual service as you would in person. Please ensure that your background is appropriate (use branded, agency supplied backgrounds) and wear professional attire during virtual meetings. Your remote environment should be safe, ergonomic, and free of distractions to ensure productivity. Also, please be mindful of the fact that many of our external stakeholders in school districts do not have an option to work virtually which increases the importance of us handling virtual work in a highly professional manner.
• Calendar Updates: Keep your calendar up to date to reflect your virtual work schedule, ensuring that your availability is clearly communicated. Please use “Virtual Service” as your location vs. other terms such as “Remote Work Site” or “Home Office”.
• Timely Responses: Respond promptly to messages and ensure that agency collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, Google Chat, etc.) are on and used efficiently to support seamless communication.
• Participation in Meetings: While remote work offers flexibility, please remember that it is required that staff actively participate in virtual meetings and remain engaged. Virtual work is not a replacement for in-person collaboration which is always the preferred choice for delivering service – especially for those out in the field.
• Remote Work and Personal Obligations: Please do not use virtual work as a substitute for managing personal responsibilities, such as childcare. Use appropriate leave options if personal obligations arise and communicate any special requests with your supervisor in advance.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can ensure the benefits of remote work while upholding CRAEA’s commitment to professionalism and excellence.

It’s that time of year to remind staff of the procedures for office closures due to inclement weather. The FAQ document provides a lot of information and specific examples for your reference.

260-day full time staff:

• If the office closes or has an early dismissal due to bad weather, and you have approval to work remotely, you’re expected to work your regular hours unless you’re taking leave.
• If there’s an early dismissal and you can’t continue working remotely, you’ll need to use personal or vacation leave.
• Unpaid leave would also be allowed for this.
• For full-time, 260-day staff, leave scheduled during inclement weather will not be returned, except in exceptional cases.

Timeclock staff:

• With remote privileges, timeclock staff will now be responsible for clocking in/out themselves when there is an office closed day or early out due to inclement weather.
• If you leave the office early, please clock out when you leave and clock back in once you’re set up at your remote location.
• You still need to complete your scheduled eight hours, so you may need to adjust your work hours to account for your commute.

Remote/temporary remote staff:

• Please remember that working remotely is a privilege and not everyone has been extended this opportunity.
• In the event of an office closure due to inclement weather falls on your in-office day, you should adjust your schedule to dedicate three days in the office.

All staff:

• If severe weather causes a delay, you may arrive up to an hour late without using leave time or making up the hours.
• Please inform your supervisor as soon as you know you’ll be late, so they know you’re safe and can adjust your schedule if needed.
• For more details, see “A” under the General FAQs section.

The FAQ document was created to assist in clarifying the agency’s procedures for inclement weather questions. Please reference as needed, and contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

Just a reminder: the monthly Zoom update for Central Rivers AEA and Keystone AEA staff takes place on the second Thursday of each month from 4:00 to 4:30 pm (unless canceled if there are no updates). This month’s update is scheduled for October 10 at 4:00 pm. You can find the Zoom link on the CRAEA Master Calendar or use the link provided below.

• https://aea1.zoom.us/j/93464974419?pwd=Q2hl1s1RZIcSHzDYbdAl9ARPrXdLAY.1
• Meeting ID: 934 6497 4419
• Passcode: 002870

Empower Half-hour

Want a quick, practical way to release negative energy and feel more empowered? Join your colleagues on October 11, from 8:30 to 9:00 am on Zoom for the “Empower Half-Hour” with Dr. Leslie Moore, a Certified Professional Coach. Dr. Moore will guide you through a simple exercise to help you tap into positive energy, tailored to your unique situation. Sign up today to receive a calendar invite and get a sneak peek of the activity!

INspired Leadership workshops

Mark your calendar for the INspired Leadership Workshop on October 18 and 31, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Cedar Falls office! During this two-day event, you’ll join colleagues in exploring how to harness your inner energy to reach both personal and professional goals. Discover the seven levels of energy, learn to let go of fear, shame, and guilt and tap into positive, growth-oriented energy. You’ll also gain insights on how to influence the energy of those around you. Register online today!

Micro-credentials for INspired Leadership

This year, Central Rivers AEA is continuing to support staff well-being by offering a $250 incentive for completing one of three INspired Leadership micro-credentials! The options are:

• Awareness of Internal Energy
• The 4 Key Mindsets
• An upcoming new option – coming soon!

All of these are available in our On-Demand Library, and submissions will be reviewed by Dr. Leslie Moore. If you have any questions or need help signing up, feel free to schedule a quick 15-minute session with Leslie by sending her a calendar invitation!

Our office buildings, grounds and River Hills School are always looking spotless, thanks to our custodial/maintenance team! While they may be more behind-the-scenes, their hard work does not go unnoticed!

Cedar Falls office:

• Kevin McKenzie, Supervisor of Buildings/Maintenance
• Shyla English, Lead Custodian/Maintenance
• Derrek Grapp, Custodian

Clear Lake office:

• Skyler Wood, Lead Custodian/Maintenance
• Greg Hampton, Custodian

Marshalltown office:

• Micheal Ballhagen, Lead Custodian/Maintenance

River Hills School:

• Todd Thompson, Custodian
• Jessica Devries, Custodian
• Cory Teepe, Custodian

Congratulations to Marc Groen, who was recently honored with the Leadership in School Psychology/School Psychologist of the Year Award at the Iowa School Psychologists Association (ISPA) conference! This prestigious award recognizes Iowa school psychologists who have made a significant impact on their AEA, district, school, community and the students they serve.

October is Cybersecurity Month! Check out these four easy ways to stay safe online:

1. Recognize and report phishing: Many online attacks happen when people click on harmful links or give their personal information to scammers. These scams often use scary language or make promises that sound too good to be true. Don’t click on these links or share your information. Report the phish and delete the messages.
2. Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords that are hard to guess. Make them at least 16 characters long and use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a different password for each account. A password manager can help you store and use these passwords.
3. Turn on multi factor authentication (MFA – AKA, two-factor authentication): Use two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever you can. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by asking for something only you have, like a code sent to your phone. This makes it much harder for hackers to get into your accounts.
4. Update your computer software: When your devices, apps, or software say that there’s an update, you should install it right away. Updates fix security problems and help protect your data. Turn on automatic updates to make it easier.

When you receive any suspicious communications: Stop and think before you click! Reach out to the Help Desk at 319-273-8231 or at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org if you have questions. Visit https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month for more cybersecurity tips and information.

The Educational Directory for 2024-25 has been updated and can be viewed and downloaded on the agency website under About Us > Directory of Services.

ACHIEVE Reminders – we are partnering with Keystone AEA to help with ACHIEVE data. This list provides you with the data tech assigned to each district and their contact information as well as the person responsible for the SIS within the district. Please review these reminders about ACHIEVE – our data techs are working hard to get things updated for fall and they are getting bogged down by emails – these tips will help reduce this. Access issues can be handled with these directions AEA or LEA.

• ACHIEVE issues should be handled through the ACHIEVE ticketing system and not via emails to Nicole or other data techs (left sidebar under ACHIEVE Support, select Support Request or Support Email).
• The district SIS is the source of truth for student name, date of birth, and grade level – if you have issues with accuracy, start with the district SIS – if this doesn’t work, submit a ticket (be sure to say you already worked with the school).
• Facilitators must finalize IEPs, exits and enter a change status on consents.
• Evaluation button missing – make sure FIIE consent is approved, then refresh.
• Meetings can only be dated 7 days prior to the date the IEP is opened.
• Amendments – when an Amendment requires a meeting it should be scheduled after the amendment is open – otherwise you will likely run into issues with finalizing.
• Exiting:
  • PRC code doesn’t display until after the consent is changed to parent revoked.
  • When reeval meeting required – paperwork needs to be completed within 30 days of the meeting or it won’t finalize. Submit a ticket if the system is requiring a 2nd meeting.
• If you are unable to assign teachers/staff in learners’ IEPs (prompts used outside of ACHIEVE), the learner is likely displaying at their resident district vs. attending. Submit a ticket with the attending district info.
• The AEA Powerschool is used for students not in a district SIS. Submit a ticket with all demographic information to have a student added.

Family Verification in ACHIEVE: in preparation for the family portal launch, districts and AEAs are required to verify the contact information and role for each family in ACHIEVE. This means that Early ACCESS service coordinators and any AEA support staff providers with support only IEPs will need to complete this process in September/October.  We will be sending out specific directions once data techs have rosters updated. Watch for more information in the coming weeks. If your district(s) request that you complete this process, please assure them that you will have this accomplished by the due date and then wait for our direction. You will notice a banner on ACHIEVE and may get questions from teachers – encourage them to reach out to their principal for guidance. This document provides an overview of parent roles that need to be identified as part of this process.

Harvest: guidance doc – remember, we are only tracking services provided to districts. Your paperwork and planning time specific to students should be included in the amount of time you document for that building.

Special Education Count Date for 2024 will be Friday, October 25.

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Special Education Updates page
• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)