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
Quality and affordable student planners are available for your school through Heartland AEA’s Creative Services Department. Planners have a plastic front and back cover, coil binding and contain intro pages, planner pages, note pages and numerous reference and resource pages from which to choose. The planners include a full-year calendar to accommodate extended year schedules.
Visit our website to choose your preferred cover design, planner pages and reference pages from our set styles for planners. Optional pages, such as hall passes, can be added for an additional fee. Place your orders by May 1, 2016 so they will be ready for the beginning of the school year.
For more information, contact the Heartland AEA Creative Services Department at (800) 255-0405 ext. 14368 or creativeservices@heartlandaea.org.
The Iowa Department of Education reports that there has been a delay in the release of the ELPA21 Screener, which necessitates the use of the TELPA for the 2016-17 academic year. Due to field testing complexity issues related to the ELPA21 Screener, the field testing can’t be accomplished until the fall of 2016 and the final operational screener will not be available until spring of 2017. As such, Iowa has made the decision to use TELPA for the full academic year to ensure consistency in the identification of ELs.
More information on ordering materials and returning assessment results to the vendor will be forthcoming. This status is provided to help you RETAIN current TELPA test booklets and to assist you in planning for Kindergarten round-up testing.
Thank you for your ongoing collaborative spirit and dedication to Iowa’s growing population of English Language Learners. For more information, contact Dr. Jobi B. Lawrence, Title III Director, Iowa Department of Education at (515) 281-3805 or Colleen Anderson, Student Assessment, Iowa Department of Education at (515) 281-3249.
National Geographic’s English language development programs will be presented at Heartland AEA on May 2, 2016. This session is open to both Heartland AEA districts that have purchased National Geographic Inside/Edge and Inside the USA materials as well as those that are exploring options for potential English Language Development resources. Inside/Edge is designed for middle and high school ELLs and Inside the USA provides essential language and literacy skills for newcomers at the secondary level. Denise Detmar, one of National Geographic's national trainers, will facilitate the workshop. Learn more in this brochure and at these links: www.NGL.cengage.com/Inside, www.NGL.cengage.com/Edge.
Date: May 2, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center Room 123, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA 50131
Registration: Click here to register. Registration is limited and there is no cost to attend.
Title III funds are available to cover the cost of substitute teachers. District claim forms will be available at the workshop.
Administrators and teacher leader who implement the Teacher Leader grant in their schools will explore how to utilize backward planning to increase student outcomes. Participants will focus on the benefits of coaching in education, backwards planning (motivation to recognize the behaviors of learning) and moving the instructional plan forward through teacher leaders and professional learning communities.
Date: June 10, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Stoney Creek Inn, 5291 Stoney Creek Court, Johnston
Register by June 3
Join your colleagues for a day of intellectual synergy and exploration around instructional coaching practices and partnerships in a symposium for instructional leaders. Waukee Community School District is host to the to the symposium that defines and refines instructional leadership to foster cultures of growth and impact student learning in the 21st century.
Date: June 14, 2016
Location: Waukee High School
Register: http://instructional-leader.weebly.com/
Beginning in June and over the next year, the statewide AEA system is offering multiple training opportunities across Iowa, focusing on Jim Knight's Instructional Coaching Model. Topics include:
- Instructional Coaching Seminar
- High Impact Instruction
- Focus on Teaching, Using Video to Gather Data
The dates, times and locations for these trainings can be found in this flyer.
School administrators and other educational leaders responsible for evaluating educators must take an approved evaluator course in order to renew their licenses. A new course option is now available through Heartland AEA. “Fierce Conversations” provides the skills that empower administrators to have conversations that are critical to their success in schools and in classrooms.
In your renewal process, choose from one of these approved evaluator course options. Each course provides two licensure renewal credits.
Option 1:
iEvaluate 1.2
Statewide AEA Evaluator Renewal Course Opportunities
**If you are new to Iowa or were prepared at an out-of-state preparation institution and seeking your Iowa administrator license, you must take iEvaluate 1.2 through AEA PD Online.
Option 2:
Assessing Academic Rigor
June 15, 23, 28 & July 6, 2016
Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
$275
Registration Link
Option 3:
Fierce Conversations
June 23, July 6, 7 & 14, 2016
Johnston AEA Office
$250
Registration Link
For administrator/evaluator licensure questions, contact Greg Horstmann at greg.horstmann@iowa.gov.
For evaluator course information, contact Matt Ludwig at matt.ludwig@iowa.gov.
Walking the Talk: Reflective Leadership
This experience builds on the highly successful workshops offered at Learning Forward's national conference. The all-day workshop starts with reflective activities that promote deep self-reflection in the context of work. Fairfield, IA middle school principal, Laura Atwood, shares how she applied "Walking the Talk" to transform her staff's culture and learning climate. She is joined by two district colleagues and veteran AIW coaches: national "Walking the Talk" presenter, Kevin Hosbond, and district curriculum director, Marci Dunlap, who will share how Laura's leadership translated into achievement gains for Fairfield middle schoolers. No prior AIW experience required. Come alone or in teams--all change agents welcome.
Date: June 20, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 5291 Stoney Creek Ct, Johnston, IA
Register: https://centerforaiw.regfox.com/walking-the-talk-reflective-leadership
What is AIW? A Practical Preview of AIW Reform
A Practical Preview of AIW Reform is for school leaders exploring AIW reform who would benefit from interactive activities that show why school leaders are so excited about AIW. This all-day experience is designed to answer key questions typical of school and district educators. It will be facilitated by four AIW Coaches with different perspectives: teacher, principal, curriculum director and the Center for AIW director and author. No prior AIW experience required. Come alone or in teams--all change agents welcome.
Date: June 21, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 5291 Stoney Creek Ct, Johnston, IA
Register: https://centerforaiw.regfox.com/2016-what-is-aiw-a-practical-preview-of-aiw-refor
Des Moines Public Schools is hosting its first annual Summit on School Climate and Culture, Aug. 8-9, 2016 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. This event is designed to improve school climate and culture through professional development, skill building and application of the best practices and research. Well-known national experts including Erin Gruwell, Randall Lindsey, Judy Elliott, Tim Lewis and Wes Hall will lead a series of workshops, speeches and breakout sessions focusing on:
- Best Practices in Improving Student Behavior
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports
- Cultural Proficiency
- Social and Emotional Health
- Stakeholder Engagement
For more information about the event, including online registration, visit http://www.dmschools.org/climateculturesummit/.
From the Iowa Department of Education: You have worked your miracles again, and now the school year is on the verge of wrapping up. Welcome to Each and Every Child, the last issue of this school year. In this issue, we have a smorgasbord of stories, from gardening to summer reading to sports.
Additional Resources:
- ASK Resource Centers has compiled a comprehensive list of summer camps in Iowa that are focused on children with special needs. Click here to read.
- Read Educator Jane Schmidt’s most recent blog on the Iowa Core.
Finally, we at the Iowa Department of Education thank you for your dedication. Make no mistake, you are creating all of our tomorrows. May you have a wonderful summer.
The Iowa Department of Education and the American Institutes for Research invites Iowa teachers and school and district leaders to complete the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) and Teacher Support Survey by May 6.
Take the survey now
Share the survey with teachers, teacher leaders, principals and assistant principals in your school and encourage them to take the survey. A survey participation tip sheet and FAQ flyer are provided.
Findings from the survey will be used to determine supports for districts, recommendations for the system as a whole, and to communicate the impact TLC is having across the state.
If you have any questions or technical issues with this survey, contact the survey coordinator, Melissa Yisak at (800) 634-0766 or Iowa_survey@air.org.
Iowa administrators and teacher leaders are invited to three professional learning events on the components and interconnectedness of Chapter 62/Early Literacy Initiative, Teacher Leadership Compensation, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Differentiated Accountability, Collaborating for Kids and Standards and Curriculum.
Impacting Literacy Leadership - Making the Connections
This one-day training provides an overview of the components of Multi Tiered Systems of Support while connecting this learning to Early Literacy Implementation and Differentiated Accountability. Members from the Iowa Department of Education and state AEAs will lead collaborative learning around the continuous improvement tools that have been developed through the Collaborating for Iowa's Kids (C4K) and the Teacher Leadership Structure. Action planning for implementation will also be integrated throughout the day so administrators can think about how to leverage their teacher leader resources back in their buildings.
Date: June 20, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines
Cost: $25
Register by June 15
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Tools to Support MTSS Implementation
Save the date for this follow-up event to the June training. Administrators AND their teachers/teacher leaders and training cadre are invited.
Date: Aug. 1, 2016
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines
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Keeping School Improvement Practical, Reasonable, and Doable for PK - 6 Leadership Teams
PreK - 6 Elementary Building Leadership Teams across Heartland AEA will come together to deepen their understanding in:
- Effective leadership team traits
- The interconnectedness of Chapter 62/Early Literacy Initiative, Teacher Leadership Compensation (TLC), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Differentiated Accountability, Collaborating for Kids (C4K) and Standards and Curriculum
- Building consensus with staff and constituents and the use of C4K school improvement tools
This opportunity will assist teams in moving forward from the summer TLC-C4K (June 20 and Aug. 1, 2016), 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
Register here. There is no cost to attend.
