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
This information below is being provided to keep you in the loop on the communications coming to us. We continue to wait for additional guidance from the Iowa Department of Education. You can expect to hear more specific guidance from agency leadership regarding our delivery of our services, especially in Early ACCESS, Early Childhood and Special Education Services.
Secretary DeVos Releases New Resources for Educators, Local Leaders on K-12 Flexibilities, Student Privacy, and Educating Students with Disabilities During Coronavirus Outbreak
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued new resources that will assist education leaders in protecting student privacy and ensuring students with disabilities continue to receive services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the event of school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Read more here.
Iowa Department of Public Health Releases K-12 Information for Educators
The Iowa Department of Public Health also released important information for K-12 educators.
The Heartland AEA Library & Digital Resources Library & Digital Resources newsletter is now available. Make sure to follow the newsletter and share it with your colleagues! In this issue…
- Used Book Give-Away in March
- OH, CRAAP
- OER Curation and School Librarians
- Social Studies Primary Source Sets
- New Science Read-Along K-6 Ebooks
- School Librarian of the Year Award
- New Learn 360 Titles
CANCELLED
We’re giving away 1,500+ PK-8 and professional books for educators in the Heartland AEA service area. Come see us March 18-20 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Heartland AEA 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston and pick up some awesome previously-used books!
*This event takes the place of our summer book giveaway so don't miss it!
EdCamp-style workshops will be held in the 2019-20 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. These workshops will be participatory, hands-on, collaborative sessions. Participants will walk away with ideas, information, articles, activities and videos that can be used immediately with an SBL guiding team or building team. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you; you do not need to attend all sessions. Curriculum directors, principals, TLC leaders, Professional Learning leaders and members of SBL guiding teams can benefit from attending these sessions. Learn more about the learning opportunities and register at Heartland AEA Framework Fridays.
Heartland AEA has two Google Expedition kits (one set of 15 devices and headsets and one set of 30 devices and headsets). To check out the kits for the 2020-21 school year you must attend our half-day training. More information and registration here
Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE) Spring Conference, April 2-3, Prairie Meadows Conference Center. The keynote speaker this year is from aha Process! and will be focusing on addressing anger, anxiety and violence in the classroom with breakouts based on Emotional Poverty by Ruby Payne. Register here.
*UPDATED MARCH 14*
The MISIC conference has now been postponed until Sept. 14, 2020.
Do you want to help your students feel safe, supported, and nurtured? Join MISIC on March 30 in Ankeny to strengthen your skills in supporting the social-emotional learning needs of students and in helping yourself and your staff engage in self-care strategies.
The keynote speakers will include Joan Becker, author of Sentenced to Life - The Mark Becker Story - Mental Illness, Tragedy, and Transformation, Jennifer Ulie-Wells from Please Pass the Love, and Tonya Hotchkin from Tanager Place.
You will also hear from classroom practitioners, school administrators, mental health specialists and other professionals who work with and support students and teachers. License renewal credit will also be available. If questions, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org or click on this link to register now.
Principals go into their jobs wanting to be instructional leaders but much of the time get sidetracked by all the management duties that go along with being a principal. The SAM process changes all of that.
Three national/independent research studies completed on the SAM process found that:
- The SAM process significantly increases leader time spent on instructional leadership time.
- Principals are happier.
- Teachers like their principals better.
- There is a relationship/correlation with student achievement.
The SAM process is the only professional development system for school leaders that has an evidence base. Many districts believe the SAM process is why particular schools perform better. Missouri has adopted the SAM process statewide based on its experience. One administrator said, “I can personally attest to the value of the process because I was a SAM principal for five years. During that time, my instructional time increased from 27% to 70%. I was able to get into every classroom twice a week. My teachers felt supported because I was an active part in what was happening in the classrooms and student achievement increased.”
For more information, contact Sandy Merritt, Time Track Coach with the National SAM Innovation Project, at (319) 560-2295.
