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

Welcome Message from Heartland AEA Chief Administrator

Jon Sheldahl
Chief Administrator
Heartland AEA

Hello school leaders and welcome to the 2017-18 school year! I want to introduce myself and wish you an outstanding school year. I have had the pleasure of meeting many administrators and educators in the Heartland AEA service area over the years and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the very near future.

This is my first year at Heartland AEA as chief administrator, but for the past 16 years, I've served as both associate superintendent and superintendent of the Ottumwa Schools, before becoming the chief administrator at Great Prairie AEA in 2011. Prior to this, I spent two years in the Heartland AEA area as the superintendent at Stuart-Menlo/West Central Valley. Prior to that experience, I was an elementary and middle school principal in Arizona and in Burlington. I began my teaching career in 1982, teaching language arts and reading in Carroll. I attended Luther College and later graduated from the University of Iowa. I did my master's and doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz, and I grew up in Carlisle (Class of '78).

I like to use the term “service agency” when I refer to AEAs because it reminds us all of the reason for our existence. We exist to serve you. Please know that we are committed to partnering with you to the greatest extent possible and that we want you to think of Heartland AEA as a resource that is always just a call or email away. Effective communication and positive relationships are critical to our ability to provide new services and to improve upon those existing services to which you have become accustomed. Your regional director and local AEA consultants will continue to call on you as they have in the past, and we will continue to provide network opportunities as well but we also want you to reach out whenever you feel the need. We will continue to take formal steps to gauge local district needs, but good communication runs two ways and we always want to hear from you.

Have a great year and know that you have a staunch advocate in your AEA administrator. Nothing is more important or more noble than the work you are doing for the children and families of Iowa and I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with you in that endeavor.

Jon Sheldahl
Chief Administrator
Heartland AEA
jsheldahl@heartlandaea.org
(515) 270-9030 ext. 14314

Heartland Administrators' Association Meetings Resume Sept. 5

The monthly Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meetings resume Sept. 5, 2017, with the first meeting being held at the Ankeny DMACC Campus. DMACC has offered to sponsor the first meeting and superintendents are invited to stay for lunch immediately following the meeting. For those wishing to participate electronically, a Zoom option will be made available.

Look for an agenda and Zoom details soon!

Heartland Administrators' Association
Sept. 5, 2017
9:00 - 11:30 a.m., with lunch to follow

DMACC Ankeny Campus
2006 South Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
Building 5, Student Center
Room 1240D
Campus Map Here

Take Note of These Important Updates to English Learner Assessments

For the 2017-18 school year, schools should continue to make placement decisions using the TELPA. There will be a switch to the ELPA21 screener for the 2018-19 school year, beginning with screening for incoming kindergarten students in May. Online training to administer the ELPA21 screener will be available next spring.

For the 2017-18 school year, schools should continue reporting TELPA scores for their students to the Iowa Department of Education. Please use this new, updated Score Reporting spreadsheet and discard any earlier versions you may have. The DE has been working with the EdInsight team to get screening scores added to the data warehouse, but the first step is to ensure that data is complete and accurate. Schools no longer need to include screening results in the SRI data elements, so the spreadsheet is the only way the Department can document compliance with this expectation from the Title III corrective action plan.

Current information on EL assessments can also be found on the ELPA21 page of the DE website and in the TELPA online training materials.

ELL Training Announcements for 2017-2018 School Year

TELPA training has been updated for the 2017-18 school year and is now available at the AEA Learning System. The method and timelines for reporting student scores on the TELPA has also been updated in the training. ELPA21 training modules will be announced when they become available.

There is now a way to earn re-licensure credit with the ELP Standards modules. (Note: If you have completed some or all of the modules, you would not need to redo them.) For more information about this course offering, click this link.

If you are unsure what trainings are available around serving ELs, click this link for a list of trainings and how to access them.

Get Geared Up For IPI Sessions This Fall

Heartland AEA is hosting two Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI) Workshops for teachers who want to enhance their practice of collecting and collaboratively studying student engagement. Both workshops will be facilitated by Jerry Valentine, IPI Developer and Lead Trainer.



Instructional Practices Inventory Level I Workshop

The IPI workshop will begin with an overview of the IPI categories and the protocols for data collection and transitions to a local school to make observations in a classroom setting.


Oct. 4, 2017

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Van Meter Community School District, 520 First Ave., Van Meter

Registration

Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop

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.



Oct. 5, 2017

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center
Registration

A Message from the Chief Administrator and Acting Director of Special Education of Heartland AEA

As you know, this summer a decision by an Iowa Administrative Law judge called into question aspects of Iowa’s procedures for determining how students qualify for special education. The final outcome of this hearing is currently under appeal.

The judge’s conclusions affirm many of our practices at Heartland AEA, as well as provide us with an opportunity to improve others. As an agency, we have already begun work to clarify and sharpen our practices to be fully aligned with expected state practices.

Heartland AEA is committed to serving the needs of our students, families, schools and communities. We firmly believe that students in our schools should expect to have their educational needs met. We recognize that, as unique individuals, each child deserves to have their needs determined accurately and reliably. In this effort, we recognize that there are times when we need to make decisions, as part of an evaluation team (including parents and representatives from the AEA and the school), to recommend special education services. As well, there will be times when we need to assure that students who are not disabled or do not require special education because of a disability are not erroneously considered to be or treated as if they are.

Moving forward, we trust our Heartland AEA system and processes to address the needs of all students whether or not they have a disability. In all cases, our goal is to promote student success. We continue to work diligently to address all concerns brought to our attention and will continue to partner with our colleagues from our local schools, the Iowa Department of Education and our communities.

As your AEA, we will continue to provide you with updates related to the judge’s decision and will inform you of related learning opportunities that will be made available to you and your staff.

As always, we encourage you to contact your Heartland AEA regional director with any questions or concerns. It takes the effort of all of us to meet the many challenges involved in student success.

Randy Allison
Acting Director of Special Education
Heartland AEA

Jon Sheldahl
Chief Administrator
Heartland AEA

Updated Statewide AEA Special Education Procedures Manual Now Available

Information related to creating, reviewing and revising a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) or Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that was included in the July 1, 2017, Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures and Release Notes reflected the best understanding at that time of how the Web IEP system would work for FBAs and BIPs during 2017-18 school year. Due to changes in programming, that information is now incorrect. Please use this corrected document as a guide for creating, reviewing and revising FBAs and BIPs.


The Special Education Statewide Procedures Manual and Release Notes are posted on the Iowa IDEA website as well as on the Heartland AEA website under Special Education Services > Guidance Documents. They 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.

If you have any questions regarding the content, contact your Heartland AEA Regional Director.

Energy Educational Grants Available From Halvorson Trane - Apply Today!

Halvorson Trane, one of Iowa’s longest-established HVAC companies, is offering five, $500 grants to K-12 Iowa schools within the service areas of Heartland AEA, Grant Wood AEA and Central Rivers AEA. Grant monies are to be used to fund an energy education project on school grounds (projects can be inside or out). See the Halvorson Trane website for more information about the grants and view last year’s winners. Apply by Oct. 6, 2017.

Reminder: FASTBridge K-6 Literacy Training is Underway

The Iowa Department of Education is transitioning to a new statewide data system for K-6 literacy through FASTBridge Learning. To help school districts with this transition, comprehensive training via webinars and regional face-to-face meetings are being offered now through the end of October. These training slots are limited and information needed to register for the training is being distributed to district participants by their principals or superintendents.
Here are a few key answers to recent questions the DE has received about the training and the transition:

• The DE has the capacity to train a few people from each school or district, and the expectation is that the people who receive training will use the available resources to help train others in their building.
• The DE is still considering how to collect screening data from schools not using the FAST system.
• The screening windows for 2017-2018 for all schools (other than the three Iowa year-round schools) are defined by the IDOE and shall not be changed by the district:

Fall: Sept. 11 to Oct. 6
Winter: Jan. 15 to Feb. 9
Spring: April 23 to May 18

The Department will provide ongoing communication and support throughout this important transition. District staff who are interested in more frequent updates can sign up to receive regular Early Warning System email updates.