Happy Holidays to You & Yours!

Click the image for a holiday greeting from Heartland AEA!

Jan. 2018 Curriculum Network Meeting

The next Curriculum Network meeting will be held on Jan. 5 in rooms 107 A & B at Heartland AEA in Johnston from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. The agenda includes a Fine Arts Standards update, ESSA update, an overview of the FastBridge behavior formative assessment suite, CTE Redesign Plan for Heartland AEA and a legislative update with Margaret Buckton. More details are in the agenda as well as information for participants who want to attend through Zoom. If you have any questions, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer with Heartland AEA, at kfangman@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14374.

Heartland AEA Curriculum Network Meeting
Jan. 5, 2018
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Prepare Your District Budget During The ISFIS Budget Workshop

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. These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in one highly productive day. Workshops are scheduled at Heartland AEA on Jan. 29 and Feb. 19. Register online

ISFIS Budget Workshops
Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston
Jan. 29 and Feb. 19
Register online

For more information, contact Marissa Gaal at marissa@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext. 4.

Additional Budget Offerings
IASB also offers certified budget workshops for superintendents and school business officials, and two of them are held at the IASB office in Des Moines on Feb. 6 and Feb. 26. Workshops are free for IASB members. For more information, visit the IASB website.

FastBridge Update from Iowa’s AEAs

Many districts have already expressed interest to their respective AEA about using the FastBridge suite of assessments. There are two different windows available, thus two potential deadlines are listed below. FastBridge will include the Spring 2018 assessment window for districts/schools who commit to 2018-19 participation, at no additional charge.

• Option 1: If your district would like to commit to participation in 2018-19, but start using the assessment in the spring 2018 at no additional charge, please complete this complete this formal interest survey by Jan. 15, 2018.

• Option 2: If you don't want to use tools for free during the spring 2018 screening window, but plan to use them beginning in the fall of 2018, then you have until June 15, 2018 to commit and complete this formal interest survey.

This one-hour webinar recording provides an overview of the FastBridge suite of formative assessment tools available for K-6 students in math and was presented during the Statewide Curriculum Network on Dec. 1. These are the slides used during the webinar.

This is information shared by the AEAs regarding the pricing structure negotiated with FastBridge Learning by the AEAs, and deadlines for notifying your AEA if your school plans to participate in 2018-19.

If you are a school in Heartland and have any questions, please contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer with Heartland AEA, at kfangman@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14374. We will be collecting questions and facilitating feedback from FastBridge Learning and will share this in an FAQ document in the near future.

Have You Registered for the 2018 Legislative Advocacy Event?

Register now for the 2018 Legislative Education Advocacy Event sponsored by Iowa's Area Education Agencies. This event 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.

It's Time to Update District Coordinators for the ELPA21 Assessment

In order to receive communications regarding the ELPA21 Assessment, now is the time to make sure your district coordinator has access to the Iowa ELPA21 application of the Iowa Education Portal. District coordinators for public districts should request the role of “ELPA21_Dist_Coord” for the Iowa ELPA21 application. New for this year, coordinators for non-public schools should request the role of “ELPA21_NP_Coord”. Having the correct district coordinator specified is important to be sure you receive up-to-date communication needed to prepare for training and administration of the 2017-18 ELPA21 assessment. For assistance, contact the Portal Helpdesk at (515) 725- 2040 or ed.portal@iowa.gov. This message was also included in the Nov. 2017 issue of the School Leader Update.

Registration is Open for 2018 Iowa Go Alliance Online Academy Courses

Are you looking for ways to increase the knowledge and skills of your staff and yourself regarding college and career readiness? Iowa Go Alliance Academy and AEA Learning Online have set up a number of online courses to help enhance your knowledge and save you time and money!

Building a College-Going Culture for All StudentsHow to remove barriers to higher education, especially for low-income, first-generation and minority students.
January 22-March 16, 2018
March 2-April 20, 2018
June 11-July 27, 2018


College, Career and Academic Planning
(Prerequisite: Building a College-Going Culture for All Students)
How to engage students in early college and career awareness, and support students in postsecondary and career planning.
January 22-March 16, 2018
March 2-April 20, 2018
June 11-July 27, 2018

Financial Aid and College Applications
(Prerequisite: Building a College-Going Culture for All Students)
How to support students and families navigating the complexities of filing the FAFSA and other financial aid and college applications.
January 22-March 16, 2018
March 2-April 20, 2018
June 11-July 27, 2018

Maximizing Counselor Impact: Module for Administrators
How school leaders can engage effectively with school counselors. Developed in collaboration with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
January 22-March 16, 2018
March 2-April 20, 2018
June 11-July 27, 2018

Iowa Go Alliance Academy is a college and career counseling training program provided by Iowa College Aid in partnership with Southern Regional Education Board and AEA Learning Online. See best practices in action and gain knowledge and resources that can be incorporated in your work with students immediately. Courses are offered for license renewal or graduate credit through Drake University, Morningside University and Viterbo University. Space is limited, so register today. For more information about Iowa Go Alliance Academy and course availability, contact Ashley McKenna at ashley.mckenna@iowa.gov.

Changes Required by ESSA to Graduation Requirements for Children with Disabilities - Rulemaking Open for Comment Until Jan. 8

The Iowa Department of Education will be phasing in a required change in practice over time regarding graduation requirements for children with disabilities. This change is required by an amendment made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by the Every Student Succeeds Act. That federal amendment changes the definition of a “regular high school diploma.” Interested individuals may make written comments on the proposed amendment on or before Jan. 8, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. Refer to this letter from the DE for more information.