At its meeting, the State Board of Education reviewed accreditation reports for Iowa’s AEAs and acted on recommendations from the department. The accreditation cycle used the department’s new process (effective July 1, 2025) and included pilot visits earlier in the year.

Key board actions and outcomes:
- Continued accreditation (next review period) was granted to Great Prairie AEA, Keystone AEA, Green Hills AEA, Heartland AEA, Grant Wood AEA, Central Rivers AEA, Mississippi Bend AEA and Northwest AEA. Those agencies will report required‑action progress where applicable in their March 2026 budget materials or as otherwise requested by the board.
- Prairie Lakes AEA received conditional accreditation for one year with several required improvement actions. The board required quarterly updates beginning October 2025 and confirmation of required actions by July 16, 2026.

Common themes and recommendations from the department’s accreditation teams included:
- Child find and early access processes: multiple AEAs were asked to clarify and strengthen early outreach, evaluation and transition processes for birth‑to‑3 and preschool age children. Several AEAs are designated or preparing centers of excellence for areas including early access, assistive technology, and transition services to promote statewide consistency.
- Professional learning and coaching: the department recommended expanded or more systematic internal PD plans for veteran staff, and clearer distinctions and guidance between specially designed instruction (SDI) practice coaching and systems coaching under IDEA differentiated accountability.
- Assistive technology and accessible educational materials (AIM): several AEAs reported strengths (loan libraries, AT teams) but the department recommended additional system‑wide support so more districts consistently consider AT/AIM as part of FAPE decisions.

AEAs that piloted the new accreditation process (Great Prairie, Mississippi Bend) were noted for helping the department refine the review protocol. Several AEAs described measurable results (examples cited: gains in ELA proficiency in pilot sites, increased contracted PD days) and outlined implementation plans for required and recommended improvements. The board approved the department’s accreditation recommendations and directed AEAs with required actions to provide updates in upcoming budget reviews or at quarterly board check‑ins.