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leaclel.ship aIiu Lullcglul ~lll~l~aclions. hne saw the district AEA consultants as valuable
partners in the school improvement process.
work with the New Iowa Schools project was cited bv the assessment director as an
dh,,~ 10 the district as they started down the HF 2272 path. She described both her ourn role
n.; coordinator. and the roles of several other individuals such as the data specialist
and cu~-riculiim director as having really grown as the process had grown. The district's
previous superintendent was again credited with the involvement with New Iowa Schools.
Through this partnership and the networking with the Iowa Department of Education and the
AEA. this participant believed the district was given "practical and usable advice.'' Specific
assistance bras mentioned coming from the AEA as the district worked to build their
~provenient plan. This participant believed that administration led the efforts in working
~vith a who01 improvement team that brought teachers on board, and finally, after they had a
ulorkahle model. engaged the community.
I ~ ) I ~ I / ~ ~ I I I ~ k~rricrt
~ I ~ ~ ~ I I I o ) ~
Par~ic.ipant\ in Diktric.1 B n.ere ahle to identify several bamen to their school
lliiprcnPcnlcnr ef'fons. I'c'r!, l ~ Ile I I ime \\.as spent complaininf about rnone!. and time. hut both
\\'c.rc. concern\ I~;II Iiad hccn addresced. Clearly the most difficult barriers for this district to
cnnihat \iVcrc \\,orkload of sraff. [he loss of several administrators. the frustration of many
hclicvinr that who01 improvement \voc 3. "moving torset. and the issue of chanpe itself."
knrly :\I1 p:inicip:~nrs had reached a comfort zone with the time issue as the district
h;ld clio\cn to riouhlc lllcir in-senice time a number of yeon ago. The bo~d had listened to
~d1llinislr;11io~ ;~nd eypl;lin \vhat ne\\. requirements they \vould be fxed with. md after
receiving input h,lll illc colllm~lni~y hod npreed to I\\.o e:~rly dismissals each month for
;~d~~~ini\lr;~~i~~~
;Ind lc;lching lo
necrrsnr!. training! and have [he lime [@ implement