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
Great Prairie AEA has developed this brief legislative advocacy checklist and tactical timeline for your reference in this legislative session.
Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and the system of Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs)? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition by Iowa’s AEAs. Iowa’s Area Education Agencies bestows three awards to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the AEA system.
To submit a nomination, complete this application by Feb. 3, 2017. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination. The nominations will be reviewed by a selected group of AEA personnel in February. Both the nominating individual and those who are selected to be recognized will be notified by March 1. The awards will be presented at the Iowa AEA Boards of Directors’ Conference on March 30-31, 2017 in Des Moines.
The ELPA21 Assessment Administration Training for 2016-2017 is now available at AEA PD Online. All staff who are responsible for administering the ELPA21 assessment are required to complete this training prior to administering the test. The administration window is Feb. 13 to April 14, 2017. Practice tests will become available on Feb. 1, 2017.
The first Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites (PRESS) webinar will take place on Feb. 6 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. It will be focusing on utilizing the PRESS Community Learning Solution Site and will be conducted through the PRESS Learning Site with the University of Minnesota PRESS Trainers. Register at this link.
The PRESScommunity.org website offers a collection of diverse resources to help implement PRESS in schools and classrooms. This webinar provides guidance and recommendations to access and utilize the website to its fullest. User tips and strategies will be shared as well suggestions for supporting your implementation of PRESS using the online resources. These include instructional videos, downloadable PDFs, webinars, demonstration videos and community forums.
The webinar is intended for educators who currently have a license for this site and are implementing PRESS and would like to understand how the PRESS Community website can help support their work.
The next webinar through the PRESS Community Learning Site will be March 6 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. and it will be more of a discussion with a question and answer time with the PRESS Trainers. Registration coming soon.
Des Moines Public Schools is hosting its second annual Summit on School Climate and Culture, Aug. 7-8, 2017 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 Sir Ken Robinson, Chris Emdin, principal Kafele, Anthony Muhammad and others. The summit will have a series of workshops, speeches and breakout sessions focusing on best practices in improving student behavior, MTSS, cultural proficiency, social and emotional health, stakeholder engagement and more. For more information about the event, including online registration, visit the event website.
DMACC Ankeny Campus has a single phase drill press surplus item available. If interested, contact Julie Klocke with DMACC Purchasing at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
The new ESSA amendments to McKinney-Vento require that each local district's homeless education liaison receive training annually regarding the updated requirements. The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is helping you fill that requirement by offering free webinars in January and February. Visit their website to learn more at NCHE Webinars. Send completion certificates to the state coordinator, Sandra Johnson at sandra.johnson@iowa.gov along with your name, position and district. Or email Johnson with the list of titles you have viewed since Oct. 2016.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
June 21 will be an epic gathering of Iowans from across preK-12, business, government, nonprofit and higher learning for a one-day "Fast-Track Iowa’s Future" summit at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The Summit will showcase education-workforce innovations emerging across the state while engaging stakeholders in dialogue on how to grow and improve school-business alignment, especially in STEM.
Fast-Track Iowa’s Future Summit
Date: June 21, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 3rd Street, Des Moines, IA
Register here
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
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
The Board of Directors of Heartland AEA passed a resolution in support of “The Promise of Iowa” campaign. The goal of the statewide campaign is to focus attention on the future of Iowa public school students and to rally support for public education in Iowa.
Board President John Kinley said the board’s support of “The Promise of Iowa” campaign is an important step in raising awareness statewide about the value of public education in shaping the next generation of Iowa leaders, workers and citizens.
The “Promise” campaign is being coordinated statewide by the Iowa Association of School Boards, a nonprofit organization representing the more than 1900 Iowa citizens serving on locally elected school boards. For more information, visit “The Promise of Iowa”
Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and the system of Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs)? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition by Iowa’s AEAs. Iowa’s Area Education Agencies bestows three awards to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the AEA system.
To submit a nomination, complete this application by Feb. 3, 2017. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination. The nominations will be reviewed by a selected group of AEA personnel in February. Both the nominating individual and those who are selected to be recognized will be notified by March 1. The awards will be presented at the Iowa AEA Boards of Directors’ Conference on March 30-31, 2017 in Des Moines.
The Iowa Department of Education has developed a video with time-sensitive updates to help the EL community prepare for the ELPA21 training window. Access the video here.
Another Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop has been scheduled this month with Jerry Valentine, Professor Emeritus with the University of Missouri.
The Instructional Practices Inventory Technology (IPI-T) Process was developed to provide critical data for faculty about student engagement throughout the school day focusing on technology infusion as a component of engagement. During the workshop, participants will develop the skills to document student engagement through the use of technology and learn how to use the profiles to engage faculty in collaborative learning conversations about engagement, instructional change, technology integration and school wide instructional goals.
Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop
Date: Jan. 26, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Johnston Community School District, 5608 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA
Register at this link
Target Audience: Administrators, teacher leaders and teachers who are participating in collaborative efforts to improve instruction within a building and have successfully completed the IPI Level I Workshop with an accuracy score of .80 or higher.
Are you confused about the requirements for HF2392? Who needs to be included in the district team? What is their purpose? How do we collect and report?
In this one-day workshop, participants will review the code requirements along with best practice for career guidance so that district teams can begin the work of planning. This will follow a workshop model with some discussion and instruction followed by implementation and planning by the team. Bring a laptop and any pertinent data or information needed for planning.
A collaborative group of your district team is encouraged to attend this workshop model day. As a reminder, the district team must include:
- Administrator
- School Counselor
- CTE Teacher
- Teacher
- Work-Based Learning Coordinator (if you have one)
Attend one of the workshops in February:
Feb. 16, 2017
Register here
Feb. 22, 2017
Register here
Both workshops will be held at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston, IA, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. For additional questions, contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@heartlandaea.org.
The Air Force Association (AFA) is a non-profit organization that supports strong aerospace power to further national security interest. As a part of this mission, the AFA recognizes the value of students getting a strong foundation in STEM subjects. The purpose of the award program is to recognize classroom teachers for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting K-12 students about STEM and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies. The application process involves the school submitting the following information by Feb. 28 to Keith Morgan, Horner AFA Chapter, VP for Aerospace Education at kwmorgan@hotmail.com:
- A one-page narrative of the teacher’s accomplishments and achievements in support of STEM and the impact of these activities on the students.
- Optional three pages of newspaper articles, other documents, and/or photos that include the teacher with students completing STEM activities (ensure students in photos have media release permission for use).
- A letter of recommendation/support from a school official, principal or higher.
The Teacher of the Year receives $250, Certificate of Excellence, AFA Padfolio, Chapter Teacher of the Year Pin, a complimentary Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Membership sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol and the chance to compete at the state and national level.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
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
Heartland AEA Chief Administrator Paula Vincent has notified the Heartland AEA Board of Directors of her intent to retire, effective June 30, 2017. Preliminary plans for succession to a new chief administrator have begun.
In a communication with employees, Vincent said, “It has been my privilege to spend the majority of my career working in Iowa schools and AEAs. My career has been enhanced through the talented and caring colleagues everywhere I have worked, especially here at Heartland AEA! Thank you for the opportunity to serve alongside you. For the next several months I will be focused on contributing in whatever ways I can to assure a smooth transition. I am confident the Board will establish a well-considered process for hiring a new administrator.”
Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents.
The ISFIS budget workshops at Heartland AEA are Jan. 23 and Feb. 15. Cost to attend is $250 per district. Register online.
These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in just one highly productive day. This year there will be an additional hour at the end of each session for districts who would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection.
Workshop participants will receive information about:
- Budget process, changes for the upcoming fiscal year, legislative update and other items of general budget interest.
- Unspent Authorized Budget portions reserved for categorical purposes and strategies to fully utilize categorical resources.
- Completed Certified Budget and strategies to set maximum certainty of property tax rate if SSA is not set by the publication deadline.
- Data and tools related to the budget process.
- Access to a district specific PowerPoint presentation based on the district’s certified budget file.
- District Specific 5-Year Financial Projection Plan including a Sample Working Line Item Budget Template.
- Unlimited phone and email support about the Certified Budget.
- Complimentary assistance if a district’s budget is appealed to the State Appeal Board.
For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.
Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and the system of Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs)? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition by Iowa’s AEAs. Iowa’s Area Education Agencies bestows three awards to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the AEA system.
To submit a nomination, complete this application by Feb. 3, 2017. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination. The nominations will be reviewed by a selected group of AEA personnel in February. Both the nominating individual and those who are selected to be recognized will be notified by March 1. The awards will be presented at the Iowa AEA Boards of Directors’ Conference on March 30-31, 2017 in Des Moines.
It’s important that all districts are familiar with the exit date for ELs for winter reporting due to the delay in ELPA21 scores for the first operational administration.
Districts need to use the actual date that the team met and decided to exit the student based on ELPA21, reading and math proficiency. This will create error messages in SRI and districts will utilize the normal process for clearing error messages with their state SRI contact.
This will not be an issue moving forward as data will be available in plenty of time to exit within the pre-established window. Be watching for ELPA21 updates regarding changes for the 2017 Test Administration.
Teachers who are new to using INSIDE THE USA, which are National Geographic materials for English Learners, are invited to join a free webinar to learn more about the program, the purpose of each component, instructional paths and assessment tools. Webinars are scheduled Jan. 26 or Jan. 31 at 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. RSVP to Marsha Krabbenhoft at Marsha.Krabbenhoft@cengage.com with your selected webinar date and a confirmation with webinar details will be sent to you.
The two-day Iowa Science Standards Module 2 workshops are a continuation of the work that was begun last year with the Iowa Core Science Standards Overview (Module 1). Participation in Module 1 (or something equivalent) is a prerequisite for Module 2. The focus this year will be on unpacking the standards and developing coherent science lessons/units. This will include identifying "the right" (scientific) phenomena to use in a lesson/unit, using portions of the EQuIP Rubric to measure the alignment to the NGSS and overall quality of lessons/units and bundling standards in a lesson/unit. All workshops are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Educators have the option of taking the Iowa Science Standards Module 1 from AEA PD Online. This can be used as a review or as new learning for those who were unable to take the PD last year. If you choose to take the online Module 1, we encourage you to take this session as a group, so you have meaningful group conversations. To access Module 1 Online visit the AEA PD Online website, click on the "Catalog" button and search for "science standards." Participants will need to login (or create a login) in order to take this online module.
All Module 2 workshops and registration links can be found on this page of our website.
Another Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop has been scheduled this month with Jerry Valentine, Professor Emeritus with the University of Missouri.
The Instructional Practices Inventory Technology (IPI-T) Process was developed to provide critical data for faculty about student engagement throughout the school day focusing on technology infusion as a component of engagement. During the workshop, participants will develop the skills to document student engagement through the use of technology and learn how to use the profiles to engage faculty in collaborative learning conversations about engagement, instructional change, technology integration and school wide instructional goals.
Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop
Date: Jan. 26, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Johnston Community School District, 5608 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA
Register at this link
Target Audience: Administrators, teacher leaders and teachers who are participating in collaborative efforts to improve instruction within a building and have successfully completed the IPI Level I Workshop with an accuracy score of .80 or higher.
Are you confused about the requirements for HF2392? Who needs to be included in the district team? What is their purpose? How do we collect and report?
In this one-day workshop, participants will review the code requirements along with best practice for career guidance so that district teams can begin the work of planning. This will follow a workshop model with some discussion and instruction followed by implementation and planning by the team. Bring a laptop and any pertinent data or information needed for planning.
A collaborative group of your district team is encouraged to attend this workshop model day. As a reminder, the district team must include:
- Administrator
- School Counselor
- CTE Teacher
- Teacher
- Work-Based Learning Coordinator (if you have one)
Attend one of the workshops in February:
Feb. 16, 2017
Register here
Feb. 22, 2017
Register here
Both workshops will be held at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston, IA, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. For additional questions, contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@heartlandaea.org.
DMACC Ames and Ankeny Campuses have the following surplus items available. If interested, contact Julie Klocke with DMACC Purchasing at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu.
110 stackable black chairs at DMACC Hunziker Academy in Ames
19 10-key calculators at the DMACC Ankeny Campus
The Iowa Department of Education continues to improve the Iowa School Report Card, with updated data and two new features that reflect a more complete picture of student progress in public schools. The Iowa School Report Card, which is available at www.educateiowa.gov/schoolreportcard, includes information on student proficiency rates in math and reading, student academic growth, narrowing achievement gaps among students, college and career readiness, student attendance, graduation rates and staff retention. Based on each school’s performance over a two-year period, the report card assigns one of six ratings: Exceptional, High-Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, and Priority. For more information, read the full press release here.
Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents.
The ISFIS budget workshops at Heartland AEA are Jan. 23 and Feb. 15. Cost to attend is $250 per district. Register online.
These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in just one highly productive day. This year there will be an additional hour at the end of each session for districts who would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection.
Workshop participants will receive information about:
- Budget process, changes for the upcoming fiscal year, legislative update and other items of general budget interest.
- Unspent Authorized Budget portions reserved for categorical purposes and strategies to fully utilize categorical resources.
- Completed Certified Budget and strategies to set maximum certainty of property tax rate if SSA is not set by the publication deadline.
- Data and tools related to the budget process.
- Access to a district specific PowerPoint presentation based on the district’s certified budget file.
- District Specific 5-Year Financial Projection Plan including a Sample Working Line Item Budget Template.
- Unlimited phone and email support about the Certified Budget.
- Complimentary assistance if a district’s budget is appealed to the State Appeal Board.
For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.
Modules for ELP Standards and ELPA21 Tech Coordinator Training are now available at http://training.aeapdonline.org. After logging in, search the catalog for the ELP Standards Module 4 or ELPA21 Tech Coordinator Training 2016-2017.
ELPA21 test administration training is not yet available. Stay tuned for an announcement when the training is ready. This google document is updated as modules and trainings become available for both the ELP Standards and the ELPA21 Assessment.
The two-day Iowa Science Standards Module 2 workshops are a continuation of the work that was begun last year with the Iowa Core Science Standards Overview (Module 1). Participation in Module 1 (or something equivalent) is a prerequisite for Module 2. The focus this year will be on unpacking the standards and developing coherent science lessons/units. This will include identifying "the right" (scientific) phenomena to use in a lesson/unit, using portions of the EQuIP Rubric to measure the alignment to the NGSS and overall quality of lessons/units and bundling standards in a lesson/unit. All workshops are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Educators have the option of taking the Iowa Science Standards Module 1 from AEA PD Online. This can be used as a review or as new learning for those who were unable to take the PD last year. If you choose to take the online Module 1, we encourage you to take this session as a group, so you have meaningful group conversations. To access Module 1 Online visit the AEA PD Online website, click on the "Catalog" button and search for "science standards." Participants will need to login (or create a login) in order to take this online module.
All Module 2 workshops and registration links can be found on this page of our website.
PRESS Senior Literacy Specialist for the Minnesota Center for Reading Research and educator Kathy Patton will keynote Celebrating Iowa’s Success Conference on Jan. 23, 2017, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. In her keynote, Kathy will share effective components of an intervention and essential elements needed for student growth.
Joining Kathy in the program is Scott Slechta, 2016 Iowa Teacher of the Year, who will discuss the role of a teacher as a reading teacher in all disciplines; how educators teach reading skills for both informational text and literary text, and how the goal as teachers is to instill the love of reading for information and for entertainment.
Celebrating Iowa’s Success!
Date: Jan. 23, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines
Register at this link by Jan. 9, 2017
Target audience: District / Building Administrators, Classroom Teacher Reading, Reading Support Teacher, Instructional Coach
For more information, visit the Celebrating Iowa's Success 2017 Event Website or contact Mary Jane Stites or Mark Crady, Coordinators of C4K Training Cadre, at mstites@heartlandaea.org or mcrady@heartlandaea.org.
Another Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop has been scheduled this month with Jerry Valentine, Professor Emeritus with the University of Missouri.
The Instructional Practices Inventory Technology (IPI-T) Process was developed to provide critical data for faculty about student engagement throughout the school day focusing on technology infusion as a component of engagement. During the workshop, participants will develop the skills to document student engagement through the use of technology and learn how to use the profiles to engage faculty in collaborative learning conversations about engagement, instructional change, technology integration and school wide instructional goals.
IPI Technology Workshop
Date: Jan. 26, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Johnston Community School District, 5608 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA
Register at this link
Target Audience: Administrators, teacher leaders and teachers who are participating in collaborative efforts to improve instruction within a building and have successfully completed the IPI Level I Workshop with an accuracy score of .80 or higher.
If your 6-12 teachers want to learn more about the shifts and how they apply to a social studies classroom, make sure they attend Building Literacy in Social Studies (Year 1 Recap and Year 2): Modules 1-8.
Building Literacy in Social Studies
Dates: Jan. 16, March 13, June 12, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA
Register at this link
Grant Wood AEA has partnered with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation to offer the Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning Facilitator Training to any interested organizations, educational service agencies and districts across the country. The three-day training will be held March 21-23 at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids. For more information about the workshop and how the program works, download this flyer or contact Theresa Gibson at tgibson2@ncsu.edu for registration, pricing and additional program information.
Iowa Department of Education leaders have scheduled January statewide meetings to share a draft plan for meeting requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The statewide public meetings run from Jan. 9-19, with Department leaders presenting information about the plan, fielding questions and taking input.
The meeting at Heartland AEA is scheduled on Jan. 12 in Ames. Additional meeting dates and times can be found here.
ESSA Meeting
Date: Jan. 12, 2017
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, 511 S. 17th St., Ames, IA
The Iowa Department of Education’s Jan. 17 School Leader Update is now available.
The Iowa Department of Education’s Jan. 2017 Each and Every Child Newsletter is now available.
The Strategist II: ID Online Compressed Program of Study and Iowa Department of Education tuition reimbursement will no longer be offered after this upcoming Spring Semester.
Contact Mike Cavin at the Board of Educational Examiners at mike.cavin@iowa.gov to determine teacher eligibility for participation and any of the following Institutes of Higher Education for course registration/enrollment.
Dr. Amy Petersen, University of Northern Iowa, amy.petersen@uni.edu
Dr. Dagny Fidler, Morningside College, fidler@morningside.edu
Dr. Dawn Jacobsen, Upper Iowa University, jacobsend@uiu.edu
The Iowa Department of Education will gather input on a draft of proposed statewide social studies standards during a public forum at Heartland AEA in Johnston on Jan. 9. The meeting represents the first of three public forums on the proposed social studies standards, which were written last year by a team of Iowa educators and leaders.
Public Forum on Social Studies Standards
Date: Jan. 9
Time: 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
