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
Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Education Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows and the Iowa State Capitol. This event will take the place of the regularly scheduled Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) February meeting.
School leaders, it's been 10 years since McREL Balanced Leadership training has been widely available in Iowa. Grab your team and get registered for the Iowa School Leadership Academy! Seats are limited and the first 200 receive a discount!
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.
School districts are encouraged to consider bringing a team(s) of 3-6 leaders who can learn and work collaboratively around the presented course content and be willing to engage in this work within their respective districts. The cost is $400 per person. The first 200 members of SAI who register will receive a $50 discount on registration. This course meets the requirements for Evaluator Approval II. Please be sure to sign up for this certification during the registration process.
View the academy flyer for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration.
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. - 4:00 p.m.
FFA Enrichment Center 1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA
Register at this link: http://bit.ly/2S2XOf5
Kevin Honeycutt grew up in poverty and as he witnessed education around the country, he collected powerful experiences that still influence his conversations and his work with educators. He spent 13 years teaching K-12 art in public school and for 17 years spent summers leading creative adventure camps for kids of all ages. Kevin is the author of the book Midnight Run, which is his story of growing up in poverty.
Midnight Run with Kevin Honeycutt
April 2, 2019
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston
Registration
Morning Session (For Superintendents Only)
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/eJAnmT
Afternoon Session (For All Educators)
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/9C5ekj
Parents and caregivers of students with special needs: join us for “Conversation & Coffee,” our monthly morning coffee group! Learn about community resources and upcoming events and network with parents who have similar experiences and challenges.
Mark your calendar for these 2018-19 meeting dates!
- Feb. 21, 2019
- March 14, 2019 (due to Spring Break)
- April 18, 2019
- May 16, 2019
Conversation & Coffee meets the third Thursday of each month from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at the 100th Street Corner Café in Urbandale. RSVP appreciated but not necessary: Kari Paulsen, Family & Educator Coordinator, Heartland AEA, at kpaulsen@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14493.
In an effort to continue to enhance our staff’s ability to support students who present behavioral challenges in the schools our agency serves, the Saydel Community School District and Heartland AEA are partnering to bring Dr. J. Stuart Ablon to the area. Two of the greatest social-emotional challenges educators have voiced wanting to learn more about is how to work with children who are impacted by mental health needs and/or by aspects of trauma.
Dr. Ablon is the Director of Think:Kids in the psychiatry department at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ablon has developed an evidence-based process focused on working with students who exhibit challenging behaviors called “Collaborative Problem Solving.”
Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is an evidence-based approach to understanding and helping children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. This introductory learning opportunity will provide a foundation for professionals to understand and help children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. The CPS model promotes the understanding that challenging kids lack the skill, not the will, to behave well—specifically skills related to problem-solving, flexibility and frustration tolerance. The philosophy behind the model is “kids do well if they can.”
Collaborative Problem Solving® focuses on helping adults teach the skills these children lack while resolving the chronic problems that tend to precipitate challenging behavior. Through lecture, videos, case examples and role plays, this one-day training will introduce how to foster positive relationships with children and encourage growth in areas of self-regulation, communication and problem-solving.
Dr. Ablon has been partnering with the Marshalltown Community Schools. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about their professional learning and implementation process.
Collaborative Problem Solving with Dr. J. Stuart Ablon
Feb. 11, 2019
Saydel High School Auditorium
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Large Group Learning with Dr. Ablon
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Lunch on your own
1 - 2:15 p.m.: Panel Discussion with Dr. Ablon and Marshalltown Schools
Register at this link: http://bit.ly/2Fv5u3b
The Feb. 2019 School Leader Update is now available from the Iowa Department of Education.
