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Fall 2024
Iowa GOLD® Assessment Procedures
Purpose
This technical assistance document is intended for use by teachers, practitioners, and
administrators who are responsible for measuring and reporting child and program outcomes
in Iowa. Unless otherwise noted, these requirements apply to all children birth to age five
enrolled in any public-school district (hereafter referred to as district), accredited nonpublic
school, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) licensed child care center or
preschool, Head Start agency or Area Education Agency (AEA) early intervention program
and/or service under the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement for GOLD
®
on the SmartTeach™
(formerly known as MyTeachingStrategies
®
) platform. The information included here is
specific to Iowa users.
Acknowledgement
The Iowa Department of Education extends a message of appreciation to Teaching Strategies
for their support in reviewing this guidance for the GOLD® assessment system users in Iowa.
Requirement
Iowa Code § 279.60
Table of Contents
● General Information
● Getting Started
● Documentation and Checkpoints
● Team Members
● Family Area
● Reporting
● Archiving, Deleting, and Reactivating
● Transferring Child Data
● Managing Children with an IEP/IFSP
● Professional Development
● Contacts
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SmartTeach™ Support Portal
Users can access the SmartTeach™ Support Portal by clicking on the “?” icon in the upper
header within SmartTeach™. Users can quickly and easily find information about how to
navigate the GOLD
®
system by browsing articles, watching videos, or typing in the “Ask a
Question” box provided.
The information included in this document is specific to Iowa guidelines and not
included in the SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
General Information
A. Children required to be assessed with GOLD
®
Programs are required to assess preschool children enrolled in district programs with
GOLD
®
. Iowa Code 279.60 was amended in 2013 to include the administration of the
GOLD
®
assessment for every resident prekindergarten or four-year-old child whose
parent or guardian enrolls the child in a district program. This includes all children whose
participation is funded by Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP), Shared
Visions Preschool Program (SVPP) or Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) funds.
All children enrolled in Shared Visions Preschool Programs are required to be assessed
with GOLD® per the Child Development Coordinating Council Policy Regarding Child
Assessment and Student ID Numbers.
B. GOLD® Subscription
Any public-school district, non-public accredited school, registered or licensed child
care/preschool, registered child development home, Head Start agency, or AEA in Iowa
is eligible to participate in the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement with Teaching Strategies
for GOLD
®
. A program does not need to be operating in partnership with a district or
AEA to establish a program account.
All district-sponsored programs, SWVPP, and SVPP must establish an account under
the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement. Either the district, Head Start, or community partner
may establish this account.
C. Registering for the Iowa GOLD
®
subscription
By registering for GOLD
®
, the local agency agrees to the following:
1. Program administrators understand GOLD
®
data are protected by FERPA (20
U.S.C. § 1232g) and that personally identifiable information may not be disclosed
except in compliance with FERPA, such as through parental consent or a legal
exception to parental consent.
2. Program administrators acknowledge that one FERPA exception is reporting to
the Iowa Department of Education (Department) under FERPA’s exception for
audits and evaluations.
3. Program administrators designate the Department as the authorized
representative to receive GOLD
®
data.
4. The records to be disclosed are GOLD
®
data required by Iowa Code § 279.60 to
be included in the statewide longitudinal data system.
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5. The purpose of the disclosure is to comply with the requirement that GOLD
®
data
be included in the statewide longitudinal data system. That system is used in
furtherance of audit, evaluation, enforcement and compliance activities.
6. The SmartTeach™ system will be used to monitor compliance and improve
performance in Iowa’s early learning environments.
7. The data will not be destroyed, as it is required to be maintained in a longitudinal
manner.
8. The statewide longitudinal data system will not re-disclose personally identifiable
information and has adopted policies and procedures to prevent inappropriate
use and authorized disclosure. These data may only be used for audit and
evaluation purposes consistent with Iowa Code § 279.60.
9. As a subscriber under the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement, the program
administrator agrees to maintain accurate registration and default administrator
contact information, and to communicate changes to this information to the
Department.
10. As a subscriber under the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement, the program
administrator will ensure the assessment is implemented across all classrooms,
including at a minimum the completion of the spring checkpoint. Programs are
encouraged to complete three checkpoints: fall, winter and spring in order to
implement a systematic ongoing procedure for obtaining assessment information.
Please note that spring checkpoint data will be used in IDEA/DA processes and
determinations. Therefore, districts are required to complete the spring
checkpoint. Three complete checkpoints are also necessary to administer the
assessment in a valid and reliable manner. Yearly checkpoints are established
by the Department and can be found within the SmartTeach™ system.
11. As a subscriber under the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement, the program
administrator aids in the implementation of state level activities in data hygiene,
as explained in the Data Hygiene section, and agrees to follow data cleanliness
routines as described by the Department.
In order for Teaching Strategies to activate SmartTeach GOLD
®
subscriptions, local
programs will need to register by completing the online form. Teaching Strategies will
contact all potential subscribers upon completion of the registration form to set up the
local contract.
The Department renews the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement with Teaching Strategies
annually. While new subscribers may choose to activate a subscription at any time,
activating in July or August at the beginning of a new program year is recommended.
Renewing the GOLD® Subscription
Subscriptions should be renewed annually. Renewing typically occurs in the spring to
avoid interruption in services. Subscribers should watch for the new agreement to arrive
electronically, then return the agreement with electronic signature and payment. The
number of child records needed is estimated at the local program level based on class
rosters or registration. Program administrators should consider the number of child
records the prior year when anticipating the number of the upcoming year. Contact
Teaching Strategies directly if additional child records are needed mid-year. Subscribers
may renew the local contract with Teaching Strategies by completing the online renewal
form. Program administrators may check or troubleshoot their renewal status by emailing
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Data Hygiene
Data cleanliness routines are critical in any data system. Subscribers to the Iowa State
Umbrella Agreement have responsibility to ensure the accuracy of data entered into the
GOLD
®
system. Each subscriber establishes a SmartTeach™
Administrator responsible
for GOLD
®
implementation and the establishment of routines to regularly address data
hygiene for their program data to ensure:
● All child demographic information matches information in other state reporting
systems (e.g., Student Reporting in Iowa/Certified Enrollment).
● Child enrollment is accurate for each classroom; records for children who have left
the program are either transferred or archived accordingly. Receiving classrooms
should ensure child records are updated and accurate (i.e. funding source, IFSP/IEP
status)
● There is only one child record per child, with exceptions for children who are dually
enrolled in different programming (e.g., enrolled in an am Head Start classroom and
a pm SWVPP classroom).
● All staff demographic information matches information in other state reporting
systems (e.g., Fall BEDS Staff, Board of Educational Examiners)
● Staff access is maintained as appropriate for current users, and accounts for users
no longer connected to the local program are marked inactive in the system.
● All program, site, and class demographic information matches information in other
state reporting systems (e.g., School Information Update, Preschool Desk Audit –
Session ID information).
Note: Once final reports have been run and child records have been mass archived,
classroom information (i.e. class name and associated teachers) can be edited to reflect
the new school year. Renaming classes ensures that lesson plans associated with a
particular teacher’s class will remain associated with that class for the upcoming school
year. Classrooms from prior years that are no longer being utilized should be deleted. If
there are one or more students associated with the classroom, the delete option for the
classroom will not be available. All child records must be moved to another classroom or
archived in order to delete a classroom.
Getting Started
The subscriber establishes a SmartTeach™ Administrator as the point of contact who
assumes responsibility for overseeing all data entry, reporting, and information updates
related to the management of GOLD
®
. Examples of SmartTeach™ Administrators may
include a superintendent or principal, program coordinator, child development home care
provider, or director. It is recommended that someone other than a teacher is assigned
as the contact.
The responsibilities of the SmartTeach™ Administrator include:
● Completing the yearly subscription process;
● Managing and overseeing the full implementation of GOLD
®
;
● Communicating updates and changes related to GOLD
®
;
● Requesting the Department transfer children between districts/agencies;
● Overseeing the data entry process to ensure that reliable and valid information is
provided by teachers and other practitioners;
● District reporting;
● Maintaining data integrity routines.
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A. Creating Programs, Sites, and Classrooms
For detailed information about creating programs, sites, and classrooms within the
SmartTeach™ system, go to the SmartTeach™ Support Portal. Information to get
started with common tasks is below:
● How do I add a site?
● How do I add a class as an administrator?
● How do I add a teacher?
As applicable, ensure program and site information entered in SmartTeach™, including
building and program names, match data reporting systems such as the Preschool Desk
Audit – Session ID Information in the Consolidated Accountability and Support
Application (CASA) and the School Information Update to assist with data matching.
Programs affiliated with a district, including ECSE, or receive state funding through
SWVPP or a SVPP grant should follow the guidelines below for naming programs, sites,
and classrooms.
Program
● School District – enter the full school district name as the program
● SWVPP community partner - enter the full name of the program
○ Private early childhood programs – Enter the full program name
○ Head Start – Use the name of the agency
● Shared Visions – Enter the name of the Program/Organization Name as stated on
the document titled Shared Visions Preschool Grant Awards located on the
Department website.
Site
● School District – enter the full building name as the site.
● SWVPP community partner - enter the name of the location
○ Private early childhood programs - enter the name of the location
○ Head Start - enter the name of the location
● Shared Visions – A Shared Visions funded grantee would refer to the document titled
Shared Visions Preschool Grant Awards located on the Department website and
enter the Classroom Location as the site.
Classroom Name
As applicable, ensure class names entered in SmartTeach™ match all class names
included in data reporting systems such as the Preschool Desk Audit – Session ID
Information in CASA in order to assist with data matching. Use the following format for
class names in SmartTeach™.
Name classes with the teacher’s last name followed by an indication of the class
meeting times. For example:
● “Smith AM” and “Smith PM” for a teacher with a morning and an afternoon class
● “Smith MW” and “Smith TTh” for a teacher with a class meeting on Monday and
Wednesday and another class – with different students – on Tuesday and Thursday
● “Smith M-F” for a teacher with a class meeting Monday through Friday
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B. Entering Child Information
When adding new children, it is required to enter complete information to ensure
accurate and valid child data and in order to meet State and legislative reporting
requirements. All information entered must match the student information system or
information submitted for state reporting (e.g., Student Reporting in Iowa/Certified
Enrollment, when applicable) unless otherwise indicated below.
For more information, including how to use a CSV template to import child information,
go to the SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
Required Fields for Iowa Users
Enter the requested information in all of the following fields in the new child record,
unless otherwise stated:
Select Class
● Site
● Teacher
● Class
Class Details
● Age or Class/Grade
● First day in program
Child Details
● First name – use the child’s full legal first name as indicated on a birth
certificate or other legal document. Do not enter any other letters,
placeholders, nicknames, abbreviations, or variations on the child’s first
name.
● Middle initial (optional) – If the child does not have a middle name, enter
“NMN” (no middle name).
● Last name – Use the child’s full legal last name as indicated on a birth
certificate or other legal document. Do not enter any other letters, suffixes,
placeholders, nicknames, abbreviations, or variations on the child’s last
name.
● Nickname (optional)
● Identifier – Do not insert information here. This will be populated by the
Department.
● Gender
● Birth date
● Primary language
● Ethnicity level 1 – Enter information that matches the student information
system or information submitted for state reporting (e.g., Student Reporting in
Iowa/Certified Enrollment, when applicable).
o Select Spanish/Hispanic/Latino if the child is a person of Cuban,
Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish
culture or origin, regardless of race. If Spanish/Hispanic/Latino is
selected, Ethnicity level 2 is also required. Select the specific culture
or origin for this child.
o Otherwise, select Not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino.
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● Race – Enter information that matches the student information system or
information submitted for state reporting (e.g., Student Reporting in
Iowa/Certified Enrollment, when applicable).
● Student ID (optional) – Programs may insert a local or program child ID
here.
● Funding sources –Check the boxes indicating all funding sources that
support this child. More than one funding source should be selected, if
applicable. Funding sources checked should match information in the student
information system or information submitted for state reporting (e.g., Student
Reporting in Iowa/Certified Enrollment, when applicable).
● Individualized Education Program (IEP) – Indicate if the child has an IEP
for special education instructional and/or support services. (If a child is less
than three years of age and has an Individualized Family Service Plan
(IFSP), check “yes” for IFSP in order to populate additional fields for IFSP.)
● Free or reduced lunch (optional)
C. Home Language Survey
The administration of a home language survey is a requirement under federal civil rights
law for all preschool children enrolled in preschool programs under the authority of the
Department. Preschool programs may use the Home Language Survey within
SmartTeach™ or the Iowa Home Language Survey on the TransAct website. The Home
Language Survey assists programs in meeting civil rights obligations. It also assists
teachers in planning for language acquisition and in determining the use of the English
Language Acquisition objectives in GOLD
®
, Objectives 37 & 38. In addition, the Home
Language Survey is useful in completing the data element Potential English Language
Learners (PELL) in Student Reporting in Iowa.
D. Accessing Child Data
Once data is entered into the online system, data is secure within the system. It is
accessible only by those who have a user ID and password for the program’s online
account.
The Department has administrative access to all accounts under the Iowa State
Umbrella Agreement. Only authorized Department and AEA personnel with an assigned
user ID and password have access to the Iowa SmartTeach™ system.
Documentation and Checkpoints
A. Required Child Documentation
At least one piece of documentation is required for each objective and dimension at
minimum, excluding those objectives indicating Not Yet for the corresponding color
band/age or class.
Documentation for science, technology, social studies and the arts objectives is optional.
B. Preliminary Levels
It is recommended for programs to have a routine of setting preliminary levels. This will
ensure reports include the most current formative assessments and allow those to be
used in making instructional decisions.
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C. Completing Checkpoints
The Department establishes checkpoint dates on an annual basis. Programs under the
Iowa State Umbrella Agreement must adhere to the state determined checkpoint dates
published in the SmartTeach™ system. Support for completing checkpoints is found in
the linked article.
Team Members
Specialists who are working with a particular child may be added as Team Members in
order to collaborate in the assessment process and share information. For example, a
child who is receiving speech and language services and support could have
documentation added to his/her child record by the Speech Language Pathologist (SLP).
Note: Team Members are only able to add or view documentation for specific children
for whom they have been assigned. Teachers should not be assigned as a Team
Member for children within their own classroom. Teachers may be assigned as a Team
Member for children enrolled in classrooms other than their own as needed.
Family Area
The Family Area in SmartTeach™
®
provides opportunities for two-way communication
between teachers and families. Teachers can use the Family Area to involve family
members in the assessment process, keep family members up to date on their child’s
development and learning, to extend classroom learning at home, and to review shared
observations from home to use as GOLD
®
documentation. For further information on the
Family Area, refer to the SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
Reporting
Information on how to access and create reports is available on the SmartTeach™
Support Portal.
Many, but not all, reports allow for the inclusion of archived child records. Programs
should run reports prior to mass archiving at the end of a year and as needed to align
with individual program requirements.
Archiving, Deleting, and Reactivating
Information on how to archive, delete, and reactivate child records is available in the
SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
Archiving, deleting, and reactivating child records are functions performed by a person
within the local program who has Administrative access. Users with Teacher access do
not have the ability to archive or reactivate child records in SmartTeach™.
A. Archiving
Archiving children’s records will allow users to store and reactivate the data at any time
during the program year.
● Each program receives unlimited free archives. It is recommended that child records
be archived rather than deleted.
● At the end of the program year, all child records under the Iowa State Umbrella
Agreement will be mass archived.
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● If a child is gone from the program for more than a couple weeks and attempts to
locate the child are unsuccessful, the child should be archived in SmartTeach™.
● At the end of the program year, the teacher will complete the final checkpoint and run
final reports before children’s records are mass archived.
*Note: All administrative reports can include archived files.
B. Deleting
● Deleting Child Records
While archiving child records is recommended, deleting child records may be
necessary if:
● A record was created for a child that never attended the program
● Child records contain no data
● Duplicate child records were created in error and contain no data
● Duplicate child records are merged (Note: After all information is moved to
the child record to be maintained, the other record(s) will need to be deleted.)
● Deleting Classes
Deleting a class will permanently delete all weekly plans associated with that
class. In most cases, we recommend editing the name of the class instead of
deleting the class. For more information on editing and deleting classes, see the
SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
C. Reactivating Archived Child Records
All child records under the Iowa State Umbrella Agreement will be mass archived at the
end of the year. Therefore, child records for those returning to the program will need to
be reactivated and placed in the current classroom. Do not create a duplicate child
record for those returning to the program or for whom a child record already exists. For
more information, go to the SmartTeach™ Support Portal.
Transferring Child Data
For information on transferring child records within a program, refer to the
SmartTeach™Support Portal.
A. Transfer between Programs
● If a child is transferring to another site outside of the program, complete the Iowa
transfer form. If a child is transferring but information about the receiving program is
not available, archive the child’s record in SmartTeach™.
● All transfer requests between programs must be sent to the Department. Enter all the
information requested in the Iowa transfer form.
B. Merging SmartTeach™ Records
When a child has multiple child records, but is only attending one program, it is
recommended the child records be merged. Programs should follow the procedures in
the SmartTeach™ Support Portal for Merging Child Files.
● When a transfer request between programs is received, the Department completes a
search for all child records in SmartTeach™. All of the child’s records will be
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transferred to the receiving program; except in the case where a child attends two
separate preschool programs.
● The Department will notify the receiving program that a child has been transferred to
their program with multiple child records and request that they be merged into one
complete record.
● Programs should follow the procedures in the SmartTeach™ Support Portal for
Merging Child Files.
Managing Children with an IEP/IFSP
A. Exit Requirements for Children with an IEP/IFSP
If a child is exiting Part C Early ACCESS or Part B Early Childhood Special Education,
then the child must be exited from those services in the SmartTeach™ system. See the
SmartTeach™ Support Portal for procedures on how to exit a child from an IEP/IFSP.
*Note: If a child exits Part B Early Childhood Special Education services in the middle of
a school year, but the child will continue to attend the preschool as a general education
student, then the SmartTeach™ record should still be accessible and the teacher can
continue to enter data and checkpoints for the remainder of the school year. Exiting a
child from Part B does not automatically delete or archive a child, it just assigns an exit
date for Office of Special Education Programs reporting purposes.
B. Transferring from an IFSP to IEP
If a child is transferring from Part C Early ACCESS to Part B Early Childhood Special
Education and the child was assessed using GOLD
®
in Part C, then the following must
occur:
● The child must be exited from Part C in SmartTeach™ using the procedures
described in the previous section.
● A transfer form must be completed to transfer the child from Part C Early ACCESS to
the Part B Early Childhood Special Education preschool program (see section
“Transfer Between Programs”).
C. Assigning Color Bands for Children on an IFSP/IEP
If a child is on an IFSP and assigned to a class that is Infants, Toddlers and Twos, then
a color band is automatically assigned by date of birth when the birthday is entered on
the demographic profile. The color band automatically changes on the child’s birthday.
If a child is on an IEP and attending a preschool classroom (ages 3-5), the teacher
assigns a color band according to the age of the child:
● Green color band – A child who is 3 years old by September 15
th
of the current
school year
● Blue color band – A child who is 4 years old by September 15
th
of the current school
year
● Purple color band – A child enrolled as a kindergartener and participating in
kindergarten programming. If a kindergarten age-eligible child is enrolled as a
preschooler in a preschool program, the child is assigned the blue color band.
● The color band is never changed during the school year when a child is in preschool.
A child in preschool must be in the same color band all year, regardless of the child’s
birthday.
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*Note: If a child is entering a preschool program while still two years old, the child’s
color band is green for the remainder of that school year and all of the following school
year. The SmartTeach™ system does not allow a child to be assigned a yellow color
band (2 years old) if the child is assigned to a preschool classroom.
Example: A child on an IFSP is turning 3 on November 1 of the current year. The child
is going to transfer from Early ACCESS and start ECSE preschool programming on
October 1 at the age of 2 years, 11 months. The child will be assigned a green color
band for the current school year as well as the following school year.
Professional Development
Teachers and program administrators are encouraged to explore the Quorum area
within SmartTeach™ and take advantage of embedded professional development. Note
that there may be an associated cost with some courses.
It is highly recommended that teaching staff complete the Interrater Reliability (IRR)
Certification to support reliable use of GOLD
®
within the SmartTeach™ system.
Contacts
A. Iowa Department of Education
● Mary Breyfogle: [email protected] or 515-326-1030
● Marcie Lentsch: [email protected] or 515-419-2088
● Amy Stegeman: [email protected] or 515-868-1675
B. Teaching Strategies
● TS Tech Support (Iowa dedicated line): 866-246-5352
● TS Tech Support (general): online form or 866-736-5913
