Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Reminder: HAA Meeting April 1 at 10:30 a.m.

The April 1 HAA meeting will be conducted via Zoom starting at 10:30 a.m. There will be no in-person meeting, and the agenda will include a legislative update with Dave Daughton, SAI Government Relations Director, along with other partnership updates. Calendar invitations have been updated to reflect the start time and include the Zoom link.

Priority Service Requests: Submit Now

District and School leaders, it’s time to submit your priority service requests for the upcoming year. To ensure timely processing, please complete the Heartland AEA Service Request Form 2025-26 by March 31.

Key Items to Complete

Any sections highlighted in turquoise color require your attention, including:

✔ Library Collection
✔ Digital Resources
✔ Technology Requests
✔ AEA Learning Online (Mandatory Trainings)
✔ Critical Incident "Insurance Policy" Enrollment
✔ District/school staff authorized to allocate funds for AEA Services

While these priority requests need to be submitted now, additional service requests—including professional development, technology support and contracted services—can be made throughout the 2025-26 school year.

We look forward to partnering with you to create a customized support plan for your district or school! 

If you have any questions, contact Cindy Yelick, Chief Administrator, and/or Susie Meade, Chief Academic Officer.

Student Planners: Help Keep Your Students Organized and Engaged!

Quality, affordable and beautifully-designed student planners are available for your school through Heartland AEA. Planners can support student engagement and awareness of school events, activities and projects. Visit our website to choose your planner style from the many options we offer. Order before the end of May to ensure delivery by the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

The Writing Rope Book Study K-12, Coming June 4

This course will provide a foundation for effective writing and is recommended for teaching writing to kindergarten-12th grade students. Participants will engage in a book study of The Writing Rope by Joan Sedita. The Writing Rope organizes multiple writing skills, strategies and techniques into five components that represent the elements of a comprehensive writing curriculum: critical thinking, syntax, text structure, writing craft and transcription.

Writing Rope is an evidence-based framework rooted in research from cognitive science, literacy development and writing instruction.

• Learn a variety of instructional strategies that engage students in the writing process and meet the needs of all learners
• Learn a variety of tools to integrate the use of technology into writing instruction

Dates & Times
Two Zoom Sessions: June 4 & June 25 from 10:00-11:30 a.m

Register
Registration Link

Contacts
Jodi Cross, Literacy Consultant
jcross@heartlandaea.org

Karla Day, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
kday@heartlandaea.org

New Self-Paced Course Offers Strategies to Help Older Students Read with Confidence

In this self-paced, hybrid course, participants will learn how to improve literacy outcomes for older students who are reading below grade level.

What You’ll Gain

• Learn the research behind literacy accelerators that can propel reading progress
• Consider how to support students in rebuilding their academic confidence
• Gain practical skills for how to implement these ideas to support students in regular classroom settings

Course Details

📅 April 17 – May 23, 2025

📍 Hybrid Canvas Course with two live Zoom sessions

🖥️ Zoom Sessions: April 17 & May 6 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

💰 Cost: $150, plus $50 for license renewal credit

🔗 Register Now – Secure your spot today!

Explore 142 New Learn360 Videos for All Grade Levels

Great news! 142 new videos have been added to Learn360, covering a wide range of topics for students from early childhood to high school. These engaging and educational resources can be accessed in Learn360 or OneClick.

📌 Quick Access: Click here to explore a curated selection of just the newly added titles!

This latest collection includes fresh content across multiple subjects, including history, science, technology and social-emotional learning. Here are just a few highlights:

• Six Queens of Henry VIII
• Makematic series (lots of info on computer science and computational thinking)
• Manners Manor is a new series from Baby Einstein
• Elephant Nature Park (Sanctuary)
• Combat Poaching in Southern Africa
• On Safari with Nala series
• Elephant Biologist & Elephant Communication (ChangeMakers)