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
Posters, signs, vinyls and clings related to COVID-19 health and safety measures are available for your district at csonline.heartlandaea.org. You can browse all of the items by searching COVID. Log in with your AEA Learning Online (mandatory reporter) username/password to order.
Download the full report here.
Highlights from the Executive Summary:
- This follow-up to the 2016 research among school leaders and district supervisors clearly indicates increases in the use of digital content (defined here as e-books or audiobooks, as opposed to print materials, that can be used as instructional content or for independent/student choice reading) that was only hypothesized in the 2016 study. The reported use of digital content has grown by 15 percent overall since 2016, with its use as part of a school or district’s curriculum showing a reported increase of 39 percent.
- This research reinforces many of the insights seen in 2016, particularly the benefits of digital content, which largely explain digital content’s growth. Its ability to deliver individualized instruction and encourage independent practice are the most mentioned benefits in both research studies.
- Across the board, in every subgroup, these administrators reported that their teachers were most likely to be using digital content for ELA, rather than for any other subject area. Of the three specific areas in which improving literacy is a goal, they were working with digital content to improve literacy for struggling readers most frequently, followed by using digital content for early readers or for language acquisition/English as a Second Language (ESL).
- Looking a year or two down the road, these leaders have prioritized professional development as the top area for digital content, followed by informational texts/literary nonfiction.
Heartland AEA provides 2,000+ ebooks, 4,000+ digital audiobooks and other rich digital content for preK-12. Learn more at our website or explore AEA Scout (log in with SSO).
Additional documents and guidance related to special education were released this week on the DE/AEA Return-to-Learn Compendium of Resources for Districts, Schools and IEP Teams.
- New 8-11-20 R2L Collaboration Considerations: Roles, Infrastructure, Technology, Teaching, and Learning Skills - This document provides considerations for the following audiences: administrators, special educators, general educators, families/caregivers, paraprofessionals, and learners.
- New 8-11-20 R2L Considerations for Collaboration: Paraprofessionals - This document provides considerations around paraprofessionals and their role in virtual and hybrid environments.
- New 8-11-20 Tech Resources for Access and Instruction - This document provides technology resources around the following areas: Teacher Management, Self Regulation/Monitoring, Student Work Flow, Student Collaboration, Accessible Educational Materials, Mindfulness, Website/Digital Resource Evaluation Tools, and Tips and Tricks.
- New 8-11-20 R2L Support for Secondary Transition - This document provides ideas, supports, and resources for providing secondary transition services during typical and continuous/hybrid learning models during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to be a resource, not only for special education teachers, but also for support staff members and non-certified staff who provide transition services to students (such as contracted staff with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services or IVRS).
- New 8-11-20 R2L Considerations for Collaborating - Overview - This document provides resources applicable for all students, but they are focused here for students receiving special education. These resources are grouped around the following areas: Pre-Planning (Independently), Collaborative Planning, Instruction and Access, and Post-Planning.
- New 8-11-20 The “Sweet Spot” of Building Positive Student Behavior and Engaging Climates for Learning - This document is broken up into three core classroom pillars that can provide the "sweet spot" of optimizing engagement and learning for students, which will give teachers and paraprofessionals ideas and examples of how to meet the ever changing needs of the students in their classroom.
- Updated 8-11-20 Return-to-Learn Compendium of Resources - This document organizes available resources and will be revised on an ongoing basis. The resources provided here are to address the standard of IDEA under the current pandemic situation.
Check out the three new courses we are offering this fall and our Heart of Innovation Webinar Series speakers for 2020-21!
New Courses for Fall:
- Using Google Classroom Effectively
- Seesaw in the Classroom Basics
- Going Digital 2.0
Please check out our latest Heartland AEA Tech Newsletter that has our current course offerings and our updated Virtual/Hybrid Learning Guide.
With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the subsequent remote and “socially distanced” instruction, securing our learners’ engagement is more important than ever. Educators also need re-engagement. This webinar session will provide a discussion of the neurochemistry that is needed to spark the drive for new learning, resilience and hope.
Aug. 18, 2020
1-2 p.m.
Presented by Emily Rubin, MS, CCC-SLP
Intended Audience: School District Staff and Administrators
To join the webinar, click this zoom link.
Passcode: 932557
