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

There's Still Time to Sign Up Your Team for the McREL Leadership Academy in Ankeny or Fort Dodge!

School leaders, it's been 10 years since McREL Balanced Leadership training has been widely available in Iowa. Organize your leadership team and register for the last remaining seats in the Iowa School Leadership Academy!

The 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.

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. This course meets the requirements for Evaluator Approval II. Make sure to sign up for this certification during the registration process.

View Iowa's AEAs website for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration.

Still wondering about the academy?
Read about the positive impact of Balanced Leadership in this success story from the Sioux City CSD.

Listen Up! Continue Your Personal Leadership Development with These Podcasts for Education Administrators

The Heartland AEA Leadership Series for this school year has come to an end and we hope that it has been informational and useful for the work that’s going on in your districts. How are you continuing your leadership learning? Maybe you struggle to find time to sit, read and learn. However, you might have “windshield time.” Here is a list of 30+ podcasts for school administrators that may be of interest to you. 

Thank you to Dan Mart, Superintendent from North Polk, who fostered this idea of ongoing learning, and our Director of Resources and Library Services Susan Schrader for curating the list!

It’s Time to Register for the 15th Annual Our Kids Summer Institute for ALL Educators Who Support English Learner Students

June 18 - 19, 2019

FFA Enrichment Center
1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA

Registration for the Our Kids Summer Institute is now open! You can use the following registration link: Our Kids Summer Institute 2019 (Course #: 180032) to get yourself and your team registered to attend our June learning together. We are also excited to offer each registered participant a book from our keynote speaker Diane Staehr Fenner titled, Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators.

Our keynote presentation and breakout session topics are full of information for classroom teachers, EL teachers, administrators, instructional coaches and PK instructors. Your district team will have the opportunity to network with other educational professionals, discover new strategies for working with English Language Learners (EL) in Iowa and meet national and local experts to enrich practices for increasing EL achievement. Find more information on topic of learning and our keynote presenters at this link: 15th Annual Our Kids Conference Presenters and Topics!

We look forward to seeing you and your team in June!

Catch Our Final “Framework Friday” Standards-Based Learning Session on May 3

EdCamp-style workshops will 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 don’t need to attend all nine. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
Final session of this school year: May 3, 2019
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Visit our website to register

Call for Presenters is Open for the Heart of Innovation Summer Summit - Join the Faculty!

Educators love to learn from their peers! Have you done something you'd like to share? At our Heart of Innovation Summer Summit, we are looking for presentations that are aligned with our innovation tracks:

• Promoting creativity in every classroom
• Communicating student learning and guiding informed action
• Building a collaborative learning environment for all
• Fostering curiosity to empower critical thinking

Submit a session proposal at this link: http://bit.ly/2JLAyhZ. Proposals will be accepted through May 15.

Do you need support putting together a proposal for your presentation? Are you unsure how to turn your classroom experience into a session? Let us know! We would love to support you. Email us at haeatech@heartlandaea.org or contact your Heartland AEA Instructional Technology Consultant.

Heart of Innovation Summer Summit

June 13, 2019

8 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

This is a NO COST event for Iowa K-12 educators and administrators! Learn more and register at bit.ly/HeartofInnovation.

Grant Applications Now Being Accepted for the FY19 COPS School Violence Prevention Program

The School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is a competitive award program designed to provide funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs. The SVPP is open to all states, units of local government and Indian tribes.

SVPP funding will provide up to 75% funding for the following school safety measures in and around K-12 (primary and secondary) schools and school grounds:

• Coordination with law enforcement
• Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and self
• Metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures
• Technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency
• Any other measure that The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office determines may provide a significant improvement in security

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an application that demonstrates a comprehensive approach to school safety.

Application deadline is May 31, 2019. More information: https://cops.usdoj.gov/svpp