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
The Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) will meet next Tuesday, Sept. 4, from 9 - 11:30 a.m. at the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston in Rooms 152 A/B/C.
The Heartland AEA Curriculum Network will meet on Sept. 7 at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center in Johnston. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 11:30 a.m. The first part of the meeting includes statewide updates and information from the Iowa Department of Education. The second half of the meeting is focused on districts within the Heartland AEA service area. The agenda for the meeting will be posted to the Curriculum Network Google Site by Tuesday. Meeting dates for 2018-19 year are as follows:
Sept. 7, 2018
Oct. 5, 2018
Nov. 2, 2018
Dec. 7, 2018
Jan. 4, 2019 (Zoom meeting only from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.)
Feb. 1, 2019
March 1, 2019
April 5, 2019
May 3, 2019
Meetings are also broadcast via Zoom. All agendas are posted to the Google Site and video links for each agenda item are posted in the agenda within one week of the agenda.
Brad Waid kicks off the new Heartland AEA Leadership Series on Oct. 2 with: Transforming the Classroom through Augmented Reality. Brad has been honored by the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Educational Technology and took ISTE 2013 by storm by captivating audiences with his demonstrations and applications of Augmented Reality! Brad’s knowledge of educational technology, and his passion to inspire educational change, makes him a highly sought after speaker and influencer who makes an impact wherever he goes. Registration Morning Session (For Superintendents Only) Register at this link Afternoon Session (For Other Educators) Register at this link
Location DMACC, Student Center, Bldg 52006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny
Information on timelines and certification requirements for both the Early Literacy Alternate Assessment (ELAA, K-6) and the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM, Grades 3-11) has been sent out to district contacts. Note that Science for DLM is grades 5, 8 and 10 and that Grade 9 is now required as part of the state accountability work (DLM/ESSA). Districts that do not have identified alternate assessment leads and/or have not received any information, contact Dr. Martin Ikeda, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at mikeda@heartlandaea.org. Heartland AEA will be providing support to teachers for completing certification requirements. If districts have their own plans for certification, teachers do not need to attend these sessions. These are not "trainings" as the modules are self-guided, but will help teachers log into the system, complete the certification modules, and start navigating either the ELAA data system or the DLM. Note that teachers who sign up for DLM Certification support must be rostered into the Educator Portal at least one day prior to training. Alternate Assessment Optional Certification Trainings for K-6 ELAA Sept. 17, 2018 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link Sept. 17, 2018 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link Alternate Assessment Optional Certification Trainings for DLM grades 3-12 Sept. 14, 2018 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link
Sept. 14, 2018 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link Oct. 16, 2018 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link Oct. 16, 2018 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston Register at this link
New teachers: Heartland AEA is here for you! This video describes a number of the ways Heartland AEA provides support to educators in our service area. As a new teacher, it's hard to know everything that's available -- we hope this video gives you an idea of the many services that are available to you.
The Iowa legislature has tasked the AEAs to convene a work group that is made up of representation from the Iowa Department of Education, Community Colleges and school districts. This group is examining K-12 online learning opportunities to make recommendations to the legislature on Oct. 15 for:
Identifying the current offerings for and needs of districts
Identifying areas for efficiencies via partnerships between the aforementioned stakeholder groups
Identifying measures for quality assurance
To take advantage of this opportunity, the work group has created a short needs-assessment survey about the current needs districts have regarding K-12 online learning opportunities. We encourage anyone involved with programmatic decisions regarding online learning to complete the survey. This might include superintendents, building principals, curriculum and technology directors, school counselors, and many other staff members. Each district is different. The survey can be found at http://survey.aealearningonline.org and will be open untilSept. 7. Please forward this information to other individuals within the district so that we may hear from everyone. Your input will have a direct effect on legislative recommendations, as well as future actions from the statewide system. For questions about the survey or the current work group, contact Evan Abbey, Program Director for AEA Learning Online, at eabbey@aealearningonline.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14511.
Nine EdCamp-style workshopswill be held throughout the 2018-19 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you–you do not need to attend all nine. Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays First Friday of the month from Sept. 2018 to May 2019 at 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. FIRST First Friday: Sept. 7, 2018 SBL - Deconstructing Standards Learn more and register at this link
These two-day sessions are a continuation of the work done the last three years with the Iowa Core Science Standards Overview (Module 1), the Classroom Transitions, Shifts and Practices (Module 2) and Gathering & Using Evidence of Student Learning (Module 3). Participation in Modules 1-3 or equivalent online participation in Modules 1-3 is recommended but not a prerequisite for Module 4. The Module 4 focus will be on “Science and Literacy.” All workshops are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration for each of the Module 4 sessions is found on the Science Standards Professional Development page of our website.
Heartland AEA will offer Level I Section 504 trainings to districts this fall. Trainings are open to all schools within the Heartland AEA service area but the primary standard taught will be free and appropriate public education. Districts are encouraged to send new staff and to bring their district 504 manual (plan). The courses are offered at no charge to districts residing within the Heartland AEA service area. Topics to be covered include:
Changes to the interpretation of Section 504 since the ADAA 2008
How to review and update your district-wide Section 504 Plan
The interaction of a Section 504 plan and an Individual Health Plan
Review of obligations under the Child Find and grievance procedures
Evaluation requirements
Eligibility determination and eligible but not in need of a plan
Section 504 vs. IDEA 2004, understanding the distinction
Resources available to assist districts including, access to a Section 504 Google Site not accessible from Heartland AEA’s website
Level I Training Options Level 1: Section 504 Training for Public School Staff Sept. 4, 2018 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Register at this link Or Level 1: Section 504 Training for Public School Staff Sept. 25, 2018 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Register at this link The instructor for the course is MaryAnn Strawhacker, MPH, RN, Section 504 Consultant and Special Education Nurse Consultant for Heartland AEA. Level II Training Option This year in addition to Level I training, Heartland AEA will also host a Level II Section 504 Training for those who write 504 plans. A prerequisite for this class is attendance at a Level I training in the Heartland AEA service area within the last five years. This is a practical application class. No walk-ins will be accepted due to the limited class size so please register early. Topics to be covered include:
Processing 504 evaluation data
How to consider and include outside expert reports
Determining whether or not a plan is needed
Eligible but not in need of a plan, how to manage?
Linking physical and mental health disabilities to the right accommodations
Resources available to assist districts to spark accommodation planning
How to construct an inclusive 504 plan
Implementing a 504 plan with integrity
Determining whether or not a 504 plan is effective
Annual reviews and 3 year reevaluations
Level 2 Section 504 Training for Staff Who Write Accommodation Plans Level 2: Section 504 Training for Public School Staff Oct. 8, 2018 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Register at this link The instructor for the course is MaryAnn Strawhacker, MPH, RN, Section 504 Consultant and Special Education Nurse Consultant for Heartland AEA. The classes are free to school districts within the Heartland AEA service area. Class size is limited so register early!
Iowa Testing Programs (ITP) and Pearson have introduced the newly designed Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) website. This will be the “one-stop-shop” for all things related to ISASP. This website will provide a detailed roadmap for technology readiness preparation, training materials, test administration documentation, student tutorials and practice tests. The first bulletin posted at Pearson's ISASP website includes a general overview of the ISASP. As additional information is available, the site will be updated and you will be notified of the changes. Iowa Testing Programs will be giving monthly updates on ISASP at Curriculum Network. The video of these updates will be posted in the Connection the following week.
Please read the following information and updates regarding FAST implementation. Roster Troubleshooting
Please review your rosters in FAST to ensure all students are present, with the correct grade and the appropriate teacher(s) who can access them. Do not be concerned about students showing up in extra locations/classes at this time. We have just identified a problem with lingering deleted enrollments that is in the process of being cleaned up over the next several days. We also want to focus our limited resources on making kids available to test first.
Please do not wait to review rosters until the day you plan to start testing. We will need as much lead time as possible to help troubleshoot and resolve problems in 400 district rosters! Remember that changes made today in your SIS are transmitted in the next nightly roster load.
District managers: The troubleshooting rosters article will be helpful. You can find it in the Iowa section of the knowledge base.
If a student is missing or not available to the correct teacher, submit a ticket via FAST. Please provide examples, including building name, grade, teacher name, and one or two students who are missing. It helps if you can also point to a specific class.
The last date to change default assessment for this school year is Aug. 31. Submit a ticket with the changes (one per district, please). The Fall screening window is Sept. 3 - Oct. 12, 2018. Windows are six weeks to allow additional time for districts who have purchased math and behavior measures. We recommend planning a two-week window within each six-week window to complete the majority of your literacy screening. As always, ease into screening and be flexible in your scheduling in case you encounter problems. If your district purchased additional measures or grades levels, make sure they are visible in FAST. District or School Manager: in addition to checking the rosters for appropriate grade levels loading, check assessment setup by clicking on Assessment Info > Assessment Setup to view measures and grades available. (Do not check everything there without first reading about assessment setup - items checked cannot be removed.) Submit a ticket if needed.
Communications and announcements coming directly from FastBridge are written for the national customer base. While they have great information, some may not be applicable in Iowa. Subscribe to the Iowa Early Warning system email list for critical Iowa-specific updates and news (like this message). To subscribe, click on: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/IACIO/subscriber/new?topic_id=IACIO_613. Please subscribe using your school district or AEA email address. Share this with the rest of your school's FAST users if you wish. Caution: The new forums in FAST are intended as a space for community sharing of ideas about teaching and learning and not for troubleshooting, technical support issues or questions about Iowa requirements. They are only occasionally monitored or moderated by FastBridge and DE staff. Be aware that any information you read in the forums may come from other users, many of whom are not Iowa users. Their responses may or may not be correct. Always refer to the guidance in the Iowa section of the knowledge base, your district/school managers and the ticket system for issues related to rosters, staff setup, and ELI requirements for screening, intervention and progress monitoring. Known issues with certification:
Please use Sight Words 150 for certification. Sight Words 50 is not currently recording certification results and there is no ETA for a fix since the Sight Words 150 certification is essentially the same.
Word Segmenting has an audio/text mismatch on the second certification. There is no need to report this, FastBridge is aware. Don't try and pass the second certification right now. For now, use the remaining certifications for the test to ensure you are comfortable and accurate on administration and scoring for the test. That’s the real reason for certification - to be sure you can produce reliable, accurate results.
The Iowa Support Team hopes that your school year is off to a good start, and that we will all experience smooth sailing.
