Meeting Reminder: HAA Will Meet Nov. 7

The Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) will meet Nov. 7, 2017, from 9 - 11:30 a.m. at the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston, Rooms 107 A/B.

HAA Meeting
Nov. 7, 2017
9 - 11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive
Rooms 107A/B
Click here for the Zoom Link
Agenda Link

HAA: Registration is Open for a Special Jan. 9 Workshop on Crisis Communication and Emergency Management

The Jan. 9 meeting of the Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will not be a typical monthly meeting. Instead, Heartland AEA is bringing in Rick Kaufman, a nationally recognized crisis management consultant and trainer, to lead a workshop on Crisis Communication & Emergency Management. Superintendents are invited to bring another representative from the district, such as a communications or public relations specialist or a principal. Learn more about the workshop at this link and be sure to register!

Crisis Communication & Emergency Management Workshop
Jan. 9, 2018 Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting
9 - 11:00 a.m.
*Note the location change to: Hilton Garden Inn, 8600 Northpark Dr, in Johnston

Register at this link

*There will not be a Zoom option for this meeting since it’s highly interactive.

Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All Will be Held on Dec. 7 and 8

This workshop provides an introduction to the Principles to Actions’ Essential Elements that constitute the non-negotiable components of a successful mathematics program. Participants will focus on the following principles:

• A Commitment to Access and Equity
• A Powerful Curriculum
• Appropriate Tools and Technology
• Meaningful and Aligned Assessment; and
• A Culture of Professionalism

Dec. 7, 2017 (6-12)FFA Enrichment Center
1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny
Register at this link


Dec. 8, 2017 (K-5) FFA Enrichment Center 1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny
Register at this link


For more information, view the workshop flyer or contact Vickie Borich, Heartland AEA Mathematics Curriculum Consultant, at (515) 270-9030 ext. 11273 or vborich@heartlandaea.org.

Help Students and Families Plan for Transition to Life After High School with the Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership Transition Resource Guide

A Guide to assist students 14 and older as they prepare for the transition from high school to adult life is available to download from our website. This guide provides information and ideas to assist families and educators with critical transition planning during a student’s high school years.

Who can benefit from this Guide?

• Students age 14 and older who have an IEP or 504 plan
• Families and educators of students age 14 and older who have an IEP or 504 plan
• Heartland AEA staff who provide transition services
• All those interested in transition information

Additional copies of this Guide are available through the Family & Educator Partnership (FEP). To find your FEP Coordinator, visit this page on our website, call Heartland AEA at (515) 270-9030 or (800) 362-2720 or call the Des Moines Public Schools at (515) 242-7556.

BoEE Newsletter - Nov. 2017

The BoEE Nov. 2017 Newsletter contains important news about the new CTE Information Technology endorsement, BEDS common issues, conditional licensure, new online licensure system, and STEM award deadline.

Nov. 2017 Each and Every Child Newsletter

The Nov. 2017 issue of the Each and Every Child Newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education is now available. It includes tips, CTE Information Technology, pathways to Becoming a Teacher and more.

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

HAA: Registration is Open for a Special Jan. 9 Workshop on Crisis Communication and Emergency Management

The Jan. 9 meeting of the Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will not be a typical monthly meeting. Instead, Heartland AEA is bringing in Rick Kaufman, a nationally recognized crisis management consultant and trainer, to lead a workshop on Crisis Communication & Emergency Management. Superintendents are invited to bring another representative from the district, such as a communications or public relations specialist or a principal. Learn more about the workshop at this link and be sure to register!

Crisis Communication & Emergency Management Workshop
Jan. 9, 2018 Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting
9 - 11:00 a.m.
*Note the location change to: Hilton Garden Inn, 8600 Northpark Dr, in Johnston

Register at this link

*There will not be a Zoom option for this meeting since it’s highly interactive.

Register for the 2018 Legislative Education Advocacy Day

Dates for the 2018 Legislative Advocacy Event sponsored by Iowa's Area Education Agencies have been finalized. The event will be held on Jan. 30-31 and will bring together school administrators from across Iowa to learn the most up-to-date legislative insight and meet with legislators face-to-face at the Capitol.

Legislative Update
Jan. 30, 2018
5:30 p.m.
Prairie Meadows Hotel

Legislative Visits
Jan. 31, 2018
7:30 - 9 a.m.
Iowa State Capitol

Registration is open until Jan. 23 at this link.

Phishing Email Alert

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies have been made aware of a phishing incident in which the logos of Iowa’s AEAs, Iowa Department of Education and ISEA are being used. It is an invitation to represent your school and district in a seminar and training workshop taking place in Des Moines and is sent by Professor Margaret Rogers, Seminar Director, Cell: 515.207.7577.

This is a phishing email. If you receive this email, delete it without opening. Please share with your staff, as appropriate.

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

HAA: Mark Your Calendars for a Special Jan. 9 Workshop on Crisis Communication and Emergency Management

The Jan. 9 meeting of the Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will not be a typical monthly meeting. Instead, Heartland AEA is bringing in Rick Kaufman, a nationally recognized crisis management consultant and trainer, to lead a workshop on Crisis Communication & Emergency Management. Superintendents are invited to bring another representative from the district, such as a communications or public relations specialist or a principal. Learn more about the workshop at this link and watch for registration information coming soon!

Crisis Communication & Emergency Management Workshop
Jan. 9, 2018 Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting
Facilitator Rick Kaufman
9 - 11:00 a.m.
Stoney Creek Inn, 5291 Stoney Creek Ct in Johnston

*There will not be a Zoom option for this meeting since it’s highly interactive.

CTE Regional Meetings are Coming to Your Area Soon

In May 2016, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Redesign initiative was signed into Iowa law in an effort to be in line with Future Ready Iowa, an effort launched by former Gov. Branstad and current Gov. Reynolds. The purpose of the CTE Redesign is to:

• Improve access to high-quality CTE through a statewide system of regional planning partnerships to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering programs.
• Encourage alignment of secondary CTE offerings to in-demand occupations to meet the needs of employers.
• Reform career and academic planning and CTE programming to encourage students to explore opportunities aligned to their interests through holistic career guidance, exploratory CTE coursework and work-based learning opportunities.

As part of the CTE Redesign, the state was divided into sections associated with AEAs and community colleges. All the schools served by Heartland AEA and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is considered to be in the Region 11 CTE Partnership. The partnership is led by the Executive Partnership consisting of at least one representative of the Heartland AEA regions.

For the 2017-18 school year, the CTE focus will be on planning and providing information to the regional groups. The regional groups consist of at least one member from each school district within that region; names to be on the regional groups were provided by superintendents at the end of last year. The plan is for the regional groups to meet twice this school year - once in the fall and once in the spring. These meetings will provide information about the CTE Redesign and will work to get the regional CTE groups up and running before the next school year. The names from each school district provided to the partnership will receive an email in the next couple of weeks related to the specifics of the meeting. If the staff member cannot attend the regional meeting, someone else from the district may attend in their place. Below are the districts by region and the date and time of the meetings. If you have questions regarding the CTE Redesign please contact T.J. Jumper, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at tjumper@heartlandaea.org.

Region 1: Oct. 25, 2017 at Panorama School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adair-Casey, Audubon, Carroll, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Earlham, Exira-EHK, Glidden-Ralston, Guthrie Center, Interstate 35, Panorama, West Central Valley, Winterset

Region 2: Nov. 1, 2017 at Van Meter School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adel-Desoto-Minburn, Dallas Center-Grimes, Perry, Van Meter, Waukee, Woodward-Granger

Region 3: Nov. 1, 2017 at Indianola School District, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Carlisle, Indianola, Knoxville, Martensdale-St. Marys, Melcher-Dallas, Norwalk, Pella, Pleasantville, Southeast Warren, Twin Cedars

Des Moines Metro Region: Oct. 18, 2017 at Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Des Moines, Johnston, North Polk, Saydel, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, West Des Moines

Region 7: Oct. 18, 2017 at Oakwood Rd. Church in Ames, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Ames, Ballard, Boone, Collins-Maxwell, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Madrid, Nevada, Ogden, Roland-Story, United

Region 8: Oct. 31, 2017 at DMACC-Newton Campus, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, Lynnville-Sully, Newton, PCM

AEA and BrightBytes Agreement has Expanded to Offer More Options for Districts

AEA Media Directors across the state updated the contract with BrightBytes and there are now more options for districts to choose from. Information was shared with Curriculum Directors last Friday. Here is a link to the slides that were shared and a brochure with more information. If you have any questions, contact the Regional Director or Instructional Technology Consultant who serves your district.

Heartland AEA to Host Resource Fair on Oct. 21 for Students with Special Needs and Their Families

Oct. 21, 2017
9 a.m. - Noon
Science Center of Iowa, 401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines

This free event offers families of children with special needs an opportunity to meet local service providers. Attendees are welcome to tour the Science Center after attending the fair. Breakout sessions will be held concurrently at 9 a.m., followed by table sessions from 10 a.m. - noon.

Check out the service providers who will be at the fair in this PDF: Resource Fair Service Provider List (PDF)

Attendees will be able to choose from one of the following breakout sessions:

• Managing Your Child's Challenging Behavior
• Post-secondary Education & Employment Options
• Service Providers

To assist families in getting the most benefit, a stipend for childcare reimbursement will be offered. Families may bring a childcare provider along to assist while parents and caregivers attend a session. To learn more, contact Terry Mendell, Lead Parent Coordinator, Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership, at (800) 255-0405 ext. 17135 or tmendell@heartlandaea.org.

*NEW* Heartland AEA Creates Special Education Leaders Network - First Meeting Will be Held on Oct. 25

Heartland AEA is pleased to be announcing a newly created Special Education Leaders Network for communicating up-to-date Special Education practices, procedures and requirements information with district partners. This network is intended to allow district special education leaders to collaborate with one another, and with Heartland AEA leaders on timely topics.

The first meeting of the network will be held on Oct. 25, 2017 with two other meetings following in Feb. and May 2018. Intended participants include: District special education directors, special education contacts, building administrators, special education teacher leads, and Heartland AEA Regional Directors.

Special Education Leaders Network - Kickoff Meeting
Date: Oct. 25, 2017
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Locations: Meetings will be hosted centrally at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center in Johnston, in various regional locations, and also available to participants live via Zoom.
Registration: Register at this link by Oct. 20, 2017

For more information, contact Sara Mercer, Heartland AEA School Psychologist, at smercer@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14312 or click this link to read more.

Global Education Institute for Teachers is Coming Dec. 2-3

Each year, the University of Iowa’s International Programs, in partnership with the Stanley Foundation, offers a professional development workshop for Iowa's K-12 teachers focusing on international topics and issues of critical importance. Over the years, institute themes have included Fragile Economies; Understanding Nigeria; Understanding the Middle East; The US/Mexico Border and Immigration Policies; and Terrorism and Mass Media.

Inspired by the introduction of the Iowa Core Curriculum and its focus on global literacy concepts and 21st century skills, the institute has turned its attention to global education, with a goal of preparing teachers from across the state to infuse global perspectives into their classrooms.

The 2017 Global Education Institute for Teachers will be held on the University of Iowa campus on Dec. 2-3, 2017. K-12 teachers of all disciplines are invited to attend this year’s institute, a two-day, one license renewal credit experience taught by University of Iowa professors Greg Hamot and Jason Harshman.

FREE tuition! The first 20 teachers to register who live outside a 25-mile radius of Iowa City will also receive FREE housing at the Iowa House Hotel. Registration deadline is Nov. 8, 2017.

More information may be found on the institute website or by contacting Amy Green at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-1433.

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

CTE Regional Meetings are Coming to Your Area Soon

In May 2016, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Redesign initiative was signed into Iowa law in an effort to be in line with Future Ready Iowa, an effort launched by former Gov. Branstad and current Gov. Reynolds. The purpose of the CTE Redesign is to:

• Improve access to high-quality CTE through a statewide system of regional planning partnerships to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering programs.
• Encourage alignment of secondary CTE offerings to in-demand occupations to meet the needs of employers.
• Reform career and academic planning and CTE programming to encourage students to explore opportunities aligned to their interests through holistic career guidance, exploratory CTE coursework and work-based learning opportunities.

As part of the CTE Redesign, the state was divided into sections associated with AEAs and community colleges. All the schools served by Heartland AEA and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is considered to be in the Region 11 CTE Partnership. The partnership is led by the Executive Partnership consisting of at least one representative of the Heartland AEA regions.

For the 2017-18 school year, the CTE focus will be on planning and providing information to the regional groups. The regional groups consist of at least one member from each school district within that region; names to be on the regional groups were provided by superintendents at the end of last year. The plan is for the regional groups to meet twice this school year - once in the fall and once in the spring. These meetings will provide information about the CTE Redesign and will work to get the regional CTE groups up and running before the next school year. The names from each school district provided to the partnership will receive an email in the next couple of weeks related to the specifics of the meeting. If the staff member cannot attend the regional meeting, someone else from the district may attend in their place. Below are the districts by region and the date and time of the meetings. If you have questions regarding the CTE Redesign please contact T.J. Jumper, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at tjumper@heartlandaea.org.

Region 1: Oct. 25, 2017 at Panorama School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adair-Casey, Audubon, Carroll, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Earlham, Exira-EHK, Glidden-Ralston, Guthrie Center, Interstate 35, Panorama, West Central Valley, Winterset

Region 2: Nov. 1, 2017 at Van Meter School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adel-Desoto-Minburn, Dallas Center-Grimes, Perry, Van Meter, Waukee, Woodward-Granger

Region 3: Nov. 1, 2017 at Indianola School District, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Carlisle, Indianola, Knoxville, Martensdale-St. Marys, Melcher-Dallas, Norwalk, Pella, Pleasantville, Southeast Warren, Twin Cedars

Des Moines Metro Region: Oct. 18, 2017 at Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Des Moines, Johnston, North Polk, Saydel, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, West Des Moines

Region 7: Oct. 18, 2017 at Oakwood Rd. Church in Ames, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Ames, Ballard, Boone, Collins-Maxwell, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Madrid, Nevada, Ogden, Roland-Story, United

Region 8: Oct. 31, 2017 at DMACC-Newton Campus, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, Lynnville-Sully, Newton, PCM

Iowa’s AEAs are Enhancing and Expanding Resources and Services Provided to all Iowa School Districts

FastBridge Learning 2018-19
Through an agreement with FastBridge Learning, districts will now be able to access the full FastBridge suite of resources for mathematics and behavior assessment, reporting and analysis, and will include additional aspects of literacy that were not available through the current module. Districts that sign up for 2018-19, will have access to the system for spring screening in 2018 for free. The next step is to develop a training plan for the AEA system.

AEA Prep
Iowa’s AEAs have created​ a ​statewide partnership ​and ​resource ​center ​to ​improve ​postsecondary ​readiness ​and ​education ​attainment. ​This ​newly ​established ​entity ​is AEA ​PREP ​(Postsecondary ​Readiness ​& ​Equity ​Partnership), ​and ​will ​focus ​on ​building ​equitable capacity ​throughout ​Iowa, across the AEAs ​and ​​schools. ​AEA ​PREP ​operates ​out ​of Mississippi ​Bend ​A​E​A ​in ​Bettendorf and is being coordinated by David Ford.

2018 Legislative Advocacy Event
Mark your calendar for the Joint AEA Legislative Advocacy Event to be held on Jan. 30-31, 2018 at Prairie Meadows. The inaugural event hosted by Iowa’s AEAs in 2017 drew over 200 school administrators from across Iowa. The 2018 event begins with an update from members of the education lobby and preparation for conversations with legislators that will take place the following morning. Registration and more details are at this link.

For more information about these three initiatives, refer to this AEA System Communication that was presented to superintendents across Iowa during the past week.

Early Bird Registration Deadline for the 2017 Iowa Culture and Language Conference is Right Around the Corner

Early bird registration ends on Oct. 15 for the annual Iowa Culture and Language Conference. The conference will be held on Nov. 7-8, 2017 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville with a pre-conference on Nov. 6. All current information about this conference is posted at the ICLC website. Title III support is available for districts in the Heartland AEA service area who send individuals/teams to reimburse registration and sub costs and partial travel expenses. See the 2017 ICLC Flyer for further details related to the schedule, registration and Title III support for districts.

BoEE Newsletter - Oct. 2017

The BoEE Oct. 2017 Newsletter contains important news about the new CTE Information Technology endorsement, BEDS common issues, conditional licensure, new online licensure system, and STEM award deadline.

Student Loan Relief May be Possible for District Staff

Student loan debt is greater than ever, burdening educators with the high cost of repayment or worse, incurring more debt for advanced degrees. But now there’s a way to help! The national Association for Educational Service Agencies (AESA) of which Heartland AEA is a member, and Innovative Student Loan Solutions (ISLoan) have partnered to provide a new benefit for staff in your district.

ISLoan Solutions is a student loan advisory firm (not debt consolidator), that offers a voluntary student loan relief benefit that may be able to help any of your school employees with federal student loans, including Parent Plus Loans, reduce their monthly student loan payment and overall obligation. This benefit provides information to your employees about their potential for significant savings on student loan debt. This is a free, voluntary, no obligation review and consultation for your staff. If the employee wants to take the relationship further and utilize ISLoan Solutions to implement a loan relief program on their behalf, there will be a fee to implement all of the necessary steps. The fee is based on the complexity of the student loan forgiveness strategy.

This program was first introduced to educational service agencies, such as AEAs, across the country through the AESA national consortium. Grant Wood AEA piloted the program in Iowa in 2016 and has reported positive reviews. In April 2017, superintendents in the Heartland AEA service area reviewed the program and suggested moving forward by disseminating the offer to districts.

The attached document has information that you may share with your staff. To start the process, visit https://Heartlandaea.myisls.com/register and enter code AEA11 to learn more.

For any questions, contact Rachel Jackson, ISLoan Solutions Program Manager for districts in the Heartland AEA service area, at (513) 645-1192 or Rachel.jackson@isloansolutions.com.

Department Appeal of Due Process Decision

The Iowa Department of Education recently filed in district court an appeal of the A.W. administrative law judge decision. In the appeal, the Department is seeking clarity on decisions that affect policies and practices for the identification of individuals eligible for special education services in Iowa. The administrative decisions made in the A.W. case are in effect until an appeal decision is made or the case is otherwise resolved. This linked memo from the DE is intended to provide guidance for addressing two of the administrative decisions that most pertain to the identification of individuals eligible for special education.