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

Meeting Reminder: HAA Will Meet Dec. 4

The Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) will meet Dec. 4, 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
Dec. 4, 2018
9 - 11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Rooms 107A/B
Zoom Link
Agenda Link

Your Input is Needed - Iowa AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are administering a survey to local school administrators and teachers to better understand stakeholder awareness of and satisfaction with AEA services. We hope that all educators will participate in this survey, as feedback is critical to ensuring that Iowa's AEAs continue to provide quality services to local schools.

Take the survey: https://bit.ly/2RVBUWx

Iowa's AEAs have partnered with Hanover Research to administer and analyze this survey. Hanover Research is an independent market research firm based in Washington, D.C., and is in no way affiliated with any other entity or organization. Your responses are completely anonymous and will be kept strictly confidential, so please be as open and honest as possible. The survey should take approximately 15 min. to complete. The survey will close on Dec. 14, 2018. If you have any questions, contact Cate Keller at Hanover Research.

Iowa's AEAs Are Looking for a New Executive Director

The Iowa Area Education Agency (AEA) system is seeking applicants for the full-time position of Executive Director of the Iowa Association of Area Education Agencies (IAAEA) who will be responsible for leading, managing, guiding and administering the goals of the AEA Chief Administrators, including the direction and operation of all IAAEA programs, services, finances and personnel resources. Position details are located on the Iowa AEA website. Application deadline is Jan. 18.

Legislative Advocacy Event - Feb. 4-5, 2019

Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows. Registration and more details available at: https://www.smore.com/h04a9 Registration deadline is Jan. 30.

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by Jan. 18. Information from this survey will be used to create talking points for our time with legislators.

Dates and Locations Have Been Secured for the Iowa Leadership Academy

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are partnering with McREL to offer the Iowa Leadership Academy beginning in June 2019. The Iowa School Leadership Academy will give school leadership teams in-depth strategies and guidance from McREL’s research- and evidence-based knowledge sets of Balanced Leadership, What Matters Most and Curiosity Works. Check out the dates and locations below and watch for registration links coming in mid-December.

Dates and Locations - Registration Coming Soon!

June 17-18, Aug. 5-6, Oct. 8 and Jan. 14
Ankeny: Des Moines Area Community College

June 19-20, Aug. 7-8, Oct. 9 and Jan. 15
Cedar Falls: Central Rivers AEA

June 24-25, Aug. 12-13, Oct. 10 and Jan. 16
Sioux City: Site TBD

Join Us for Standards-Based Learning “Framework Friday” on Dec. 7

EdCamp-style workshops are being 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 of them. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
Next Session: Dec. 7
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Visit our website to learn more and register

Mark your calendars for the 2019 Framework Fridays:

• Jan. 4
• Feb. 1
• March 1
• April 5
• May 3

Get The Scoop on Iowa’s Gifted and Talented Programming in This FREE Workshop at Heartland AEA

Gifted & Talented 101: Gifted Students, Programming & MTSS for Advanced Learners

Jan. 11, 2019
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA

This workshop is designed for K-12 general education teachers, instructional coaches and administrators who are interested in gaining background knowledge about Gifted and Talented (GT) programming in Iowa.

Topics covered will include:

• Iowa Code requirements for GT programs
• Characteristics of gifted students
• Best practices and resources for educators, including an overview of the new MTSS Advanced Learner Facilitation Guide

Registration
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/RsKCoH
There is no registration fee for this workshop.

Course InstructorKyra Wilcox-Conley, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant with Heartland AEA

Tammy Heflebower to Present the Next Strand of Standards-based Learning: Targets, Scales and Rubrics

Teachers, curriculum directors, instructional coaches and other educators are invited to learn more about Standards-based Learning (SBL) Targets, Scales and Rubrics from Tammy Heflebower, Ed.D.

In this session, Dr. Heflebower will focus primarily on the creation of proficiency scales and their place in the broader, upfront work of deconstructing standards and the understanding and development of aligned assessments. She will speak of how proficiency scales fit into the instructional cycle and into the learning partnership between teacher and students. The work of creating proficiency scales is a seismic shift from our past practices of using a 100-point grading scale which converts points given to percentages.

For more information, contact Susie Bentley, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at sbentley@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 Ext. 18114.

Strand of SBL Framework: Learning Targets, Scales & Rubrics
Feb. 28, 2019
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
FFA Enrichment Center 1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA
Register at https://goo.gl/TzmVQt by Feb. 1, 2019

Expect to Go Absolutely ALL IN on Learning During Trevor Ragan’s Upcoming Workshop on Growth Mindset

A national leader in growth mindset, Trevor Ragan will lay out the science, unpack the nuts and bolts, and (most importantly) show you how to run with it all in the area of growth mindset. Trevor will help you explore learning, motor learning, feedback, growth mindset culture, jungle tigers, failure and more!

Trevor values learning and seeks out the scientists and thought leaders in the world of development, consumes their research and discoveries, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone who will listen. This workshop is for all educators!

Teaching a Growth Mindset to Achieve Success for All Learners
March 5, 2019
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register by Feb. 18, 2019 at this link: https://goo.gl/8KjYZ4
Target Audience: All Educators

For more information, contact: Jim Verlengia, Ed.D., Director of Leadership Supports at Heartland AEA at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14388.

Heartland AEA Leadership SeriesTrevor Ragan’s presentation is part of the Heartland AEA 2018-19 Leadership Series. Some of today’s most intriguing, innovative and influential leaders from around the country share their background, insight and knowledge in this new series for educators. Speakers will candidly share their experiences, discuss challenges that have impacted their work and provide a unique opportunity to learn from their hands-on experiences.

Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 BoEE Report is Available

The Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 Iowa Board of Educational Examiners Report is now available. In this issue : pathways to licensure, conditional licensure (check on progress), teaching health, hiring December graduates and application processing times.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Will be Out Between Dec. 3-14

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed in 2015, replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. It maintains a focus on equity for all students, while giving states and local school districts much more ownership over systems of school accountability and support. In Iowa, ESSA has been a great opportunity to build on bold education improvements underway that align with ESSA requirements, including clear and rigorous standards for what students should know and be able to do, a school accountability system that targets support where and when schools need it most and a structure for professional learning that emphasizes teacher leadership and evidence-based practices.

• Approved State Plan for ESSA
• Two-page Snapshot of Iowa's Plan
• Summary Overview of Iowa's Plan

The ESSA Support website provides a repository of tools and resources to support the work aligned to Iowa's ESSA Plan:

ESSA Support Site

For more information, contact Karla Day, Heartland AEA Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant at kday@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14321 or Amy Wichman, Heartland AEA Regional Director at awichman@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 18143.