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
We would like to introduce you to some new faces. Below are two of the new superintendents starting this year in Heartland AEA's area. We’ll introduce more new faces in upcoming issues of the Administrator Connection.
Duane (D.T.) Magee
Norwalk Community School District
Education
Drake Univ. - B.S.E.
Buena Vista University - M.S.E.
Drake University - Ed.S.
Past Work Experience
Five years teaching and coaching in the Jefferson-Scranton CSD; Two years teaching and coaching in the Harlan Community CSD; 10 years of principal experience (HS, MS and elementary) in the Harlan CSD; Three years as HR Director and Assistant Superintendent in the Waukee CSD; Four years as the Executive Director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners; Interim Director of the Iowa Department of Education for 10 weeks during the summer of 2013
Why did you decide to pursue the superintendent position at your district?
Norwalk CSD is an outstanding school district that is innovative and high achieving. I sought out the opportunity to lead a school district and be closer to the important work of educating students after having wonderful experiences at the state and national levels.
What is your vision for your district?
To create a world class education system focused on maximizing the potential of each student.
What are your hobbies or things you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, cheering on my favorite sports teams and serving my church.
Trevor Miller
Superintendent-High School Principal
Exira-EHK
Education
BS Degree from Buena Vista University
Masters Degree in Administration and Superintendent Certificate from Iowa State University
Past Work Experience
6-12 Business/Computer teacher at Pleasantville 11 years; Elementary Principal/SBO for Melcher-Dallas one year; Perry Elementary Principal for 3 years
Why did you decide to pursue the superintendent position at your district?
As I was looking at superintendent positions and completing research, I found that the community is very supportive. They have great staff, they’re looking to grow, very student centered, financially sound and a solid school board. This is a great school for my kids to attend!
What is your vision for your district?
To be leaders in 21st Century Learning. To expand our focus of being student centered and having our students being college/career ready. Being creative in providing opportunities for our students. Working with the community to continue to build upon the community and school district's partnership.
What are your hobbies or things you like to do in your free time?
Spend time with my wife and kids, bike ride, run, read when I get a chance and attend sporting events.
School counselors receive many updates and to help them stay current with important information, we’ve created a blog. Share this with school counselors in your district. For questions, contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@heartlandaea.org.
Digital citizenship is a fundamental aspect of being a student, teacher and administrator in PK-12 schools. To that end, Heartland AEA is hosting a FREE Digital Citizenship professional development opportunity on Sept. 13. Sessions will provide teachers and administrators with ideas, information, resources and inspiration to help guide their schools through the many facets of digital citizenship. Ryan Wise, director of the Iowa Department of Education, will provide opening remarks and sessions will focus around Mike Ribble's Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship.
Date: Sept. 13, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Elementary Building Leadership Teams across Heartland AEA are invited to join this workshop to deepen their understanding in Iowa's Big Rocks:
- Effective leadership team traits
- The interconnectedness of Chapter 62/Early Literacy Initiative (ELI), Teacher Leadership Compensation (TLC), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Differentiated Accountability (DA), Collaborating for Kids (C4K), and Standards and Curriculum
- Building consensus with staff and constituents
- The use of C4K school improvement tools.
This opportunity will assist teams in moving forward from the summer TLC-C4K events on June 20 and Aug. 1, however attendance at those leadership sessions is not required for this day.
Date: Sept. 29, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Iowa
Registration here
John Hattie’s work has fundamentally changed what we know about what works in education. Through a partnership with Corwin, Heartland AEA is pleased to bring the Visible Learning Institute to area schools. The Visible Learning Plus program includes a three-part foundational series of seminars in which participants learn about Hattie’s work and the Visible Learning approach.
Visible Learning is an in-depth school change model of professional learning and development. It’s designed for school-based teams to systematically examine effective instructional practices in order to determine the impact on student achievement and learning. By considering the effects of the practices of teachers and leaders, schools will be able to make substantial gains in student achievement.
Visible Learning Institute - Save the Dates
- Oct. 4, 2016 -- Learning strand designed to provide area school leadership teams an opportunity to review and discuss effective instructional practices that impact student achievement and learning.
- Nov. 1, 2016 --Review of 5 phases of the Deep Equity process for creating culturally responsive teaching.
- Dec. 6, 2016 --Evidence into Action Part One: Continuation of Visible Learning Institute with an emphasis on leadership actions which have the greatest impact on student outcomes.
- March. 7, 2017 -- Evidence into Action Part Two: Continuation of Visible Learning Institute with an emphasis on data analysis and management of change strategies.
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 8600 Northpark Dr, Johnston, IA
As widespread reform in teacher evaluation sweeps across the United States, school districts are responding by developing new professional performance review protocols for use in the evaluation process. Experts agree (Danielson & McGreal, 2000; Hammond 2013: Silverberg & Jungwirth, 2014), however, that it is not the evaluation instrument, but the evaluation process, particularly the communication between the evaluator and the teacher, that will determine whether or not evaluation supports growth and learning.
The maps and tools of Cognitive Coaching℠ offer the skill set needed for administrators and supervisors to conduct an evaluation process that supports professional development and promotes self-directedness in those they are evaluating.
This 2-day session is specially designed for administrators who have not taken the Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminar. Participants will learn one conversation structure, the four basic tools of Cognitive Coaching℠, along with concepts and practices related to giving feedback and supporting thinking. This knowledge and skill can be integrated into any evaluation system in order to bring a growth-producing dimension often missing from traditional evaluation.
Self-Directed Evaluation Conversations
Date: Nov. 1-2, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Level I Training
Heartland AEA will offer Level I Section 504 trainings at no cost to districts in the Fall of 2016 in Johnston and Indianola. Trainings are open to all schools within the Heartland AEA region but the primary standard taught will be free and appropriate public education. Districts are encouraged to send teams consisting of counselors, administrators and school nurses and to bring their district 504 manual (plan). The instructor for the course is MaryAnn Strawhacker MPH, RN, Section 504 Consultant and Special Education Nurse Consultant for Heartland AEA. Space is limited so register soon.
Topics to be covered include:
- Changes to the interpretation of Section 504 since the ADAA 2008
- How to review and update your district-wide Section 504 Plan
- The interaction of a Section 504 plan and an Individual Health Plan
- Review of obligations under the Child Find and grievance procedures
- Evaluation requirements
- Eligibility determination and eligible but not in need of a plan
- Section 504 vs. IDEA 2004, understanding the distinction
- Resources available to assist districts including, access to a Section 504 Google Site not accessible from Heartland AEA’s website
Choose to attend one date and location:
Level I Section 504 Training for Public School Staff: Johnston
Date: Sept. 7, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Level I Section 504 Training for Public School Staff: Indianola
Date: Sept. 19, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon
Location: Heartland AEA, 115 W. Salem Avenue, Indianola, IA
Register here
Level II Training
Heartland AEA will host a Level II Section 504 Training for Coordinators and Administrators at no cost. A suggested prerequisite for this class is attendance at a Level I training in the Heartland AEA area within the last five years. Designed to enhance foundational knowledge, this content will focus on managing challenging situations with Section 504. Guest speakers will be Thomas Mayes JD, Attorney, Iowa Department of Education and Fred Kinne Equity Coordinator, Iowa Department of Education, in addition to MaryAnn Strawhacker MPH, RN. Space is limited so register soon.
Topics to be covered include:
- Manifestation Determination overview and demonstration
- Behavior intervention plan as part of a Section 504 Accommodation Plan
- District grievance procedures, making sure your policy meets the standard
- Due process hearing procedures
- OCR complaint resolution
- Transition planning for graduating students
- Dyslexia and eligibility standards
- Homebound instruction
- Dual enrollment and Section 504 for extracurricular activities
- Accommodations for school sponsored activities and events
- Practical application of eligible but not in need of a plan
Level 2 Section 504 Training for Coordinators and Administrators
Date: Nov. 21, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon (Optional Q & A from 12:00-12:30 p.m.)
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
The Special Education Statewide Procedures Manual (Aug. 1, 2016), Release Notes (Aug. 1, 2016 version), Parental Rights Summary (July 2015 version), Procedural Safeguards Manuals for Parents (Translations), Educational Evaluation Reports (Translations) and IEP Forms (Translations) are now posted on the Iowa IDEA website. These documents are currently posted on the front page of the IDEA website in addition to their permanent location under the IEP drop down menu > Statewide Special Education Procedures > Manual.
With full implementation of TLC this year, Iowa ASCD has resources to help you reach your goal that results in the best learning and achievement of the educators and students in your district.
One-to-one mentoring for Curriculum Lead(s) based on the functions of highly effective curriculum leads, resources for content areas and curriculum, best practices in classroom strategies, a discussion board especially for curriculum leads, tweets and more.
- Curriculum Leadership Academy, April 20-21, 2017 with Allison Zmuda on Day 1 and Iowa districts featured on Day 2, all focused on personalized learning.
- Iowa ASCD discussion board (coming soon) for curriculum leads as they work with teachers in implementing the standards and their TLC plans. If you would like your name added so you may participate in these discussions, contact Lou Howell at Lou Howell@mediacombb.net.
- Instructional strategy workshops that have an impact on student learning - answering the question, "So Now What Do I Do?" See attached flyer for more information.
- Ebooks for members of Iowa ASCD. These books are aligned with TLC for your convenience and accessible here. Password for Iowa ASCD members is IowaASCDTheSource2015.
- Iowa ASCD website includes subject-specific resources, multiple approaches to learning, grade/role-specific web pages, calendar of state and national events.
- The Source digital newsletter distributed to Iowa ASCD members the first and third Fridays that contains best practices, resources for teaching and learning, conference information and more.
- Advocacy training and trip “on the hill” Feb. 8 to meet with the Education Committee as well as individual legislators.
Membership is $45 per person. Join online or fax a purchase order to Bridget Arrasmith at (515) 271-2233. When you register 20 or more educators at once, the fee is $25 per person. Contact Lou Howell@mediacombb.net for details.
The first ever national data on chronic absence and the new reporting requirement in the Every Student Succeeds Act have energized a growing movement to address an urgent issue: too many children are missing too many days of school. Join the Call to Action during “Attendance Awareness Month” and pledge to reduce chronic absence. Local superintendents who sign up by Sept. 7, 2016 will be included in an Education Week ad showcasing their leadership. Check here to see who has already joined.
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
Most of this information can be found on our website under Instructional Services > Leadership Development & Supports > Leadership Networks.
Heartland Administrators’ Association Meetings
The Heartland Area Administrators’ (HAA) typically meet the first Tuesday of each month. The agenda items are both informational and professional learning driven for superintendents based on feedback from the Superintendent Advisory Council. For meeting agendas and materials, go to the HAA Google Site.
HAA Chair: Deron Durflinger, Van Meter
Meeting dates/location for 2016-2017:
- Sept. 6, 2016: Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Rooms 107 A and B
- Oct. 4, 2016: Hilton Garden Inn, Conference Center, 8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston, IA
- Nov. 1, 2016: Hilton Garden Inn, Conference Center, 8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston, IA
- Dec. 6, 2016: Hilton Garden Inn, Conference Center, 8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston, IA
- Jan. 3, 2017: NO MEETING
- Feb. 1 and 2: Location TBD, Meeting in conjunction with statewide superintendent advocacy day
- March 7, 2017: Hilton Garden Inn, Conference Center, 8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston, IA
- April 4, 2017: Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Rooms 107 A and B
- May 2, 2017: Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Rooms 107 A and B
*New this year*
Heartland Administrators’ Association meetings paired with Corwin professional development HAA members have expressed interest in earning recertification or graduate credit in conjunction with monthly meetings. To meet this interest, Heartland is pleased to be partnering with Corwin to bring a learning series to area schools that occurs on the same date as the monthly superintendent meetings. Superintendents are invited to attend a business meeting on these dates from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. with the institute beginning at 9:30 a.m. Registration for credit or additional team members will be available soon.
Save the Dates: Visible Learning Institute and Deep Equity Overview
John Hattie’s work has fundamentally changed what we know about what works in education. Through a partnership with Corwin, Heartland AEA is pleased to bring the Visible Learning Institute to area schools. The Visible Learning Plus program includes a three-part foundational series of seminars in which participants learn about Hattie’s work and the Visible Learning approach.
Visible Learning Institute - Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 4, 2016 -- Learning strand designed to provide area school leadership teams an opportunity to review and discuss effective instructional practices that impact student achievement and learning.
- Nov. 1, 2016 --Review of 5 phases of the Deep Equity process for creating culturally responsive teaching.
- Dec. 6, 2016 --Evidence into Action Part One: Continuation of Visible Learning Institute with an emphasis on leadership actions which have the greatest impact on student outcomes.
- March. 7, 2017 -- Evidence into Action Part Two: Continuation of Visible Learning Institute with an emphasis on data analysis and management of change strategies.
Superintendents’ Advisory Council
The Superintendent Advisory Council (SAC) members help advise agenda items for HAA meetings and serve as a liaison for Heartland AEA regions. The Superintendents’ Advisory Council (SAC) meets quarterly from 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. at Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, in conference room 109.
SAC Members
Region 1 & 2 Deron Durflinger, Van Meter
Region 3 Delane Galvin, Southeast Warren
Region 4 Thomas Ahart, Des Moines
Region 5 Lisa Remy, West Des Moines
Region 6 Bruce Kimpston, Ankeny, Chair
Region 7 Ottie Maxey, Ballard
Region 8 Shane Ehresman, Lynnville-Sully
Region 8 Bryce Amos, Carlisle
Non-Public Schools Cade Lambert, Des Moines Christian
Community Colleges Rob Denson, DMACC
The meeting dates for 2016-17 are the following:
- Sept. 6, 2016
- Dec. 6, 2016
- Feb. 7, 2017
- April 4, 2017
Curriculum Network
The Curriculum Network meets from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the first Friday of every month, Sept. through May, in Conference Rooms 107A & B at the Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston.
The meeting dates for 2016-17 are the following:
- Sept. 2, 2016
- Oct. 7, 2016
- Nov. 4, 2016
- Dec. 2, 2016
- Jan. 6, 2017
- Feb. 3, 2017
- March 3, 2017
- April 7, 2017
- May 5, 2017
For meeting agendas, handouts and other important documents, visit: Curriculum Network Google Site.
For more information about the Curriculum Network, contact your regional director or Kevin Fangman, Executive Director of District Services, at kfangman@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14374.
After the 2010 US Census, the AEAs contracted with the University of Iowa to develop director district maps for all schools in Iowa. Once finalized, printed versions were distributed to every district.
Your board of education director districts are still available and can be accessed through this link. These are not maps of your school district legal boundaries. These are maps of your board of education director districts. If you're looking for boundary maps, those can be found on the Iowa Department of Education’s website here.
If you have questions, contact Jennifer Ugolini, Board Secretary, Heartland AEA at jugolini@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14441.
Instructional leaders play a critical role in the Iowa Science Standards implementation process. The purpose of this document is to introduce principals to the Iowa Science Standards and to provide a general overview of the key instructional and conceptual shifts required by the Iowa Science Standards.
Administrative teams with questions remaining about your district's Lau Plan for meeting needs of English Learners are invited to attend this workshop for additional support prior to the upload. Refer to the Lau Plan Checklist and Lau Plan Guidance Document for additional support.
Support for Revising 2016-2017 District Lau Plans
Date: Sept. 6, 2016
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Dr. Jobi Lawrence and Colleen Anderson from the Iowa Department of Education asked the Title III Consultants to share the following information with districts related to TELPA Training, ordering of TELPA materials and TELPA Administration for the 2016-17 school year.
TELPA Training for 2016-17
Please ensure that anyone administering the TELPA for the upcoming academic year certifies on the training system on AEA PD Online, as the training has been updated to reflect changes in ordering and submitting scores due to the change in vendor. Iowa Testing Programs is no longer able to serve as our vendor for TELPA, and this has precipitated these changes.
From: Dr. Jobi B. Lawrence, Director, Title III, Iowa Department of Education, (515) 281-3805.
TELPA Assessment Administrators Must Recertify
Anyone administering the Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) assessment during the 2016-17 academic year must recertify through training on AEA PD Online. Even if a certificate states it is valid for three years, there have been changes to TELPA ordering and data reporting and everyone must recertify this year to ensure that the program remains in compliance with federal requirements. Visit the Heartland AEA website for more information about TELPA.
Ordering the TELPA
Dr. Lawrence states to please see the message below from Colleen Anderson related to changes in the TELPA for the upcoming administration year. PLEASE broadly distribute the information below to your schools and colleagues.
- Beginning July 1, 2016, any districts wishing to order the TELPA screener should place the order directly with Measurement Incorporated (MI) instead of going through IA Testing Programs.
- TELPA can only be ordered online. It is sold in packs of 10 and includes all the support materials needed.
- If you would like to place an order or have any other questions, please contact the TELPA Helpline at (888) 612-0180 or elda@measinc.com. MI will provide you with the credentials for your district as well as directions on how to place an order on the TELPA website
TELPA Administration
1. Download the correct bubble answer sheet (BAS).
TELPA K-2 Answer Sheet
TELPA 3-12 Answer Sheet
2. Score the screeners locally
3. Complete the Score Reporting Template to enter student information and TELPA scores. Save each file with a standard name (e.g. Ames_072716 (District name_Date)).
4. Log into the State of Iowa Secure email (https://securemail.iowa.gov/). Your name will be your email associated with your EdPortal A&A account (not your Account ID), your password is your A&A account password. Not sure of your A&A email, login to the portal (https://portal.ed.iowa.gov), click on ‘My Profile’ in the upper right-hand corner and review your email in the center of the screen. If you receive an error, when logging in please contact the EdPortal help desk at (515) 725-2040 or by email ated.portal@iowa.gov.
5. After logging in to Secure Email, click on ‘Compose Mail’ in the upper left corner. Enter Ed.portal@iowa.gov in the ‘To’ field, in the Subject field enter your district name and the word TELPA (e. g. Ames TELPA).
6. Click on ‘Attach’ and ‘choose file’ to select the file created in step one. Click on Upload.
7. Click on ‘Send’ to send your email.
From: Colleen Anderson, Student Assessment, Iowa Department of Education, (515) 281-3249.
The information below has also been updated on the DE website and is reflected in the updated TELPA training module. The link to the DE website for all of this information is: https://www.educateiowa.gov/english-language-proficiency-assessment-21st-century-elpa-21
Conditional Exiting of English Learners and How to Order the TELPA Screener
The Iowa Department of Education has released a webinar with timely guidance for districts on ordering the TELPA screener and the conditional exiting of students. Share this webinar widely with those who will depend on accurate information in your district.
Iowa Culture and Language Conference
Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Coralville, Iowa
Nov. 15-16, 2016
Conference Registration
Early Bird Registration (ends Oct. 15): $145
Pre-Registration (Oct. 16-Nov. 9): $175
District participants and administrators in the EL Leadership Academy are encouraged to register during the Early Bird window to avoid additional registration costs.
Pre-Conference
Nov. 14, 2016Registration Rate for Nov. 14 ONLY: $140
Send Teams!
Plan to send teams of ESL and non-ESL educators. In addition, per recent Iowa Department of Education guidance, district teams that were required to write Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) in 2015-16 will still be required to attend a special CAP session at ICLC, however no new districts will get added to the CAP List in 2016-17.
Heartland AEA will provide the following support through district reimbursement following the conference Claim forms will be available at the conference):
- Registration fees for both the pre-conference and conference
- Sub costs
- Flat amount to districts to defray mileage and hotel costs ($100 per participant)
Registration and additional information for the Iowa Culture and Language Conference is located at iowaclc.com.
Digital citizenship is a fundamental aspect of being a student, teacher and administrator in PK-12 schools. To that end, Heartland AEA is hosting a Digital Citizenship professional development opportunity on Sept. 13. Sessions will provide teachers and administrators with ideas, information, resources and inspiration to help guide their schools through the many facets of digital citizenship. Ryan Wise, director of the Iowa Department of Education, will provide opening remarks and sessions will focus around Mike Ribble's Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship.
Date: Sept. 13, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Elementary Building Leadership Teams across Heartland AEA are invited to join this workshop to deepen their understanding in Iowa's Big Rocks:
- Effective leadership team traits
- The interconnectedness of Chapter 62/Early Literacy Initiative (ELI), Teacher Leadership Compensation (TLC), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Differentiated Accountability (DA), Collaborating for Kids (C4K), and Standards and Curriculum
- Building consensus with staff and constituents
- The use of C4K school improvement tools.
This opportunity will assist teams in moving forward from the summer TLC-C4K events on June 20 and Aug. 1, however attendance at those leadership sessions is not required for this day.
Date: Sept. 29, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Iowa
Registration here
As you consider how to meet your Digital Citizenship needs and Professional Development needs in general, take a minute to review these resources from AEA PD Online. If your district or teachers are interested in learning more, contact Denise Krefting at dkrefting@aeapdonline.org.
Teacher Training Center
There are staff trainings in AEA PD Online’s Teacher Training center that many districts have used to support teacher learning for their PLCs, to blend district professional development or to allow staff to have more of a self-paced, self-learning professional development. Many districts are having their teachers take the Digital Citizenship self-paced trainings and then their students are taking similar content in the Student Personalized Learning system.
Student Learning System
AEA PD Online has a Student Personalized Learning System http://learning.aeak12online.org/ that teachers can use with students such as Digital Citizenship, Physical Science, Employability, Energy, Agriculture and so much more.
The Special Education Statewide Procedures Manual (Aug. 1, 2016), Release Notes (Aug. 1, 2016 version), Parental Rights Summary (July 2015 version), Procedural Safeguards Manuals for Parents (Translations), Educational Evaluation Reports (Translations) and IEP Forms (Translations) are now posted on the Iowa IDEA website. These documents are currently posted on the front page of the IDEA website in addition to their permanent location under the IEP drop down menu > Statewide Special Education Procedures > Manual.
Prairie Rivers of Iowa, in partnership with the Living Roadway Trust Fund, is kicking off a new grant initiative around building outdoor learning environments all across Iowa. The new grant program’s main goal is to create unique outdoor learning spaces that will work well for local communities and their residents. The Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) grant program is separated into three phases. The three phases are designed to create a process in which community support is gathered, planning and design are done and implementation of the outdoor learning environment project is built. Support from the Outdoor Learning Environment Coordinator will be provided along the way. Visit www.prrcd.org/olegrant or review this resource guide for more details.
The Iowa Department of Education has developed a new webpage to help teachers, school administrators and parents prepare for a transition to new statewide assessments in English language arts and mathematics. The site will be an important source of information during this transition and will be updated regularly with information and resources. Currently, you’ll find overview information about why Iowa is switching to a new state assessment, answers to common questions, links to practice tests and a timeline for professional learning. The Department is also offering talking points that you may find helpful if questions arise within your communities.
Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.
Our Goals
- Increase learning growth for students
- Decrease the gap in achievement
- Increase annual graduation rates
- Increase gateways to post-secondary success
A new school year is here and we know we will once again be faced with the unique challenges and opportunities that come with the responsibilities of school leadership roles. We also know that leadership matters as documented in the work of Marzano, Waters, McNulty, Cameron and others too numerous to list. In fact, the meta-analysis conducted over a decade ago by McRel and the additional work in this decade continues to show the direct connection between high-quality leadership and student learning (second only to the effect of high-quality instruction-Goodwin, Cameron and Hein, 2015).
Three overarching responsibilities of effective school leaders that are tied to student learning as summarized in the McREL research are listed below along with some reflective questions for your consideration.
Establish a clear focus.
- Can you identify one or two areas of emphasis that will be your absolute focus this year?
- What communication strategies are you using with key stakeholders, board members, staff and students to support this focus in your school or district?
Manage changes (large and small) that come with making improvements.
- Do you have lead and lag measures identified?
- What formative assessment data is available for students, family members and school staff use to inform progress and make necessary adjustments over time?
- How are teacher leaders, learning community teams and advisory groups engaged to help guide change processes?
Create a purposeful community in your schools or district that contributes to all teachers and staff developing a belief that what they do does make a difference.
- Is a learning plan in place that will support staff capacity?
- How could you display/communicate learning results to help build staff efficacy?
- As you work to demonstrate the actions and behaviors that have a positive effect on student achievement in your schools, I hope you utilize the resources and supports that are available from Heartland AEA. We look forward to your requests for assistance, appreciate your suggestions for ways we can improve and look forward to partnering with you.
Best wishes for an outstanding school year,
Paula Vincent
Updated FAST benchmarks have been released and posted on the Knowledge Base of TIER as of Aug. 5, 2016.
Administrative teams with questions remaining about your district's Lau Plan for meeting needs of English Learners are invited to attend this workshop for additional support prior to the upload. Refer to the Lau Plan Checklist and Lau Plan Guidance Document for additional support.
Support for Revising 2016-2017 District Lau Plans
Date: Sept. 6, 2016
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Dr. Jobi Lawrence and Colleen Anderson from the Iowa Department of Education asked the Title III Consultants to share the following information with districts related to TELPA Training, ordering of TELPA materials and TELPA Administration for the 2016-17 school year.
TELPA Training for 2016-17
Please ensure that anyone administering the TELPA for the upcoming academic year certifies on the training system on AEA PD Online, as the training has been updated to reflect changes in ordering and submitting scores due to the change in vendor. Iowa Testing Programs is no longer able to serve as our vendor for TELPA, and this has precipitated these changes.
From: Dr. Jobi B. Lawrence, Director, Title III, Iowa Department of Education, (515) 281-3805.
TELPA Assessment Administrators Must Recertify
Anyone administering the Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) assessment during the 2016-17 academic year must recertify through training on AEA PD Online. Even if a certificate states it is valid for three years, there have been changes to TELPA ordering and data reporting and everyone must recertify this year to ensure that the program remains in compliance with federal requirements. Visit the Heartland AEA website for more information about TELPA.
Ordering the TELPA
Dr. Lawrence states to please see the message below from Colleen Anderson related to changes in the TELPA for the upcoming administration year. PLEASE broadly distribute the information below to your schools and colleagues.
- Beginning July 1, 2016, any districts wishing to order the TELPA screener should place the order directly with Measurement Incorporated (MI) instead of going through IA Testing Programs.
- TELPA can only be ordered online. It is sold in packs of 10 and includes all the support materials needed.
- If you would like to place an order or have any other questions, please contact the TELPA Helpline at (888) 612-0180 or elda@measinc.com. MI will provide you with the credentials for your district as well as directions on how to place an order on the TELPA website
TELPA Administration
1. Download the correct bubble answer sheet (BAS).
TELPA K-2 Answer Sheet
TELPA 3-12 Answer Sheet
2. Score the screeners locally
3. Complete the Score Reporting Template to enter student information and TELPA scores. Save each file with a standard name (e.g. Ames_072716 (District name_Date)).
4. Log into the State of Iowa Secure email (https://securemail.iowa.gov/). Your name will be your email associated with your EdPortal A&A account (not your Account ID), your password is your A&A account password. Not sure of your A&A email, login to the portal (https://portal.ed.iowa.gov), click on ‘My Profile’ in the upper right-hand corner and review your email in the center of the screen. If you receive an error, when logging in please contact the EdPortal help desk at (515) 725-2040 or by email ated.portal@iowa.gov.
5. After logging in to Secure Email, click on ‘Compose Mail’ in the upper left corner. Enter Ed.portal@iowa.gov in the ‘To’ field, in the Subject field enter your district name and the word TELPA (e. g. Ames TELPA).
6. Click on ‘Attach’ and ‘choose file’ to select the file created in step one. Click on Upload.
7. Click on ‘Send’ to send your email.
From: Colleen Anderson, Student Assessment, Iowa Department of Education, (515) 281-3249.
The information below has also been updated on the DE website and is reflected in the updated TELPA training module. The link to the DE website for all of this information is: https://www.educateiowa.gov/english-language-proficiency-assessment-21st-century-elpa-21
Conditional Exiting of English Learners and How to Order the TELPA Screener
The Iowa Department of Education has released a webinar with timely guidance for districts on ordering the TELPA screener and the conditional exiting of students. Share this webinar widely with those who will depend on accurate information in your district.
Digital citizenship is a fundamental aspect of being a student, teacher and administrator in PK-12 schools. To that end, Heartland AEA is hosting a Digital Citizenship professional development opportunity on Sept. 13. Sessions will provide teachers and administrators with ideas, information, resources and inspiration to help guide their schools through the many facets of digital citizenship. Ryan Wise, Director of the Iowa Department of Education, will provide opening remarks and sessions will focus around Mike Ribble's Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship.
Date: Sept. 13, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register here
Elementary Building Leadership Teams across Heartland AEA are invited to join this workshop to deepen their understanding in Iowa's Big Rocks:
- Effective leadership team traits
- The interconnectedness of Chapter 62/Early Literacy Initiative (ELI), Teacher Leadership Compensation (TLC), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Differentiated Accountability (DA), Collaborating for Kids (C4K), and Standards and Curriculum
- Building consensus with staff and constituents
- The use of C4K school improvement tools.
This opportunity will assist teams in moving forward from the summer TLC-C4K events on June 20 and Aug. 1, however attendance at those leadership sessions is not required for this day.
Date: Sept. 29, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Iowa
Registration here
