Thursday, December 15, 2022

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

   

Heartland AEA Winter Break Office Schedule


During Winter Break, Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public from Dec. 23, 2022 - Jan. 2, 2023.

Heartland AEA Hearing Tests Will Temporarily Move to Capitol View Elementary

Announcement
Due to remodeling in our Regional Education Center (REC) in Johnston, our sound booth will be temporarily relocated to the sound booth at Capitol View Elementary School in Des Moines. The last day for appointments in the Johnston REC sound booth will be Dec. 16 and will start back up at Capitol View on Jan. 5, 2023.

Heartland Administrators’ Association January Meeting is Via Zoom

zoom
Since this is the first day back for many school districts following winter break, the Jan. 3 HAA meeting will be held entirely via Zoom. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. and consist of partnership updates only. Superintendents will receive a calendar invitation with links to the Zoom meeting and agenda.

Register Your District for the ISU Education Career Fair!

Teacher Education Career Fair

Heartland AEA is once again excited to offer our districts an opportunity to participate in an event that will assist you in recruiting quality educators to your district -- the annual Iowa State University School of Education Teacher Education Career Fair! The Fair is open to the public and is predicted to host 250+ students in multiple content areas.

March 6, 2023
1 - 4 p.m.
Iowa State Alumni Center


To encourage your participation in this worthwhile event, Heartland AEA will cover the cost of your district/school's $75 Career Fair registration fee.

Registration for the Career Fair is open!

You will register for the event on your own, designating that you're a Heartland AEA area district. ISU will invoice Heartland AEA for all applicable registration fees. Please note that space is limited, and it fills up quickly!

Registration
Registration takes place through Iowa State's CyHire system. To login or create a new account, visit the CyHire website. If you don't remember your password, click on "Forgot Password" and enter your email address. On your CyHire homepage, click on the "Teacher Education Career Fair - Spring 2023" link under "Attend Events" to complete the registration form.

Career Fair Details
Registration includes lunch for two, a 6' skirted table, Wi-Fi, electricity (upon request), parking and unloading/set-up assistance. Lunch will be provided prior to set up. There is a limit of two recruiters per booth, at one time. Booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the date of registration.

Mock Interviews
On the morning of the Career Fair, we will provide professional development sessions, including mock interviews, for our current student teachers. Consider participating in our mock interview session to provide tips and suggestions to upcoming graduates. An option to sign up is included in your registration.

On-Site Interviews
You may sign up to conduct on-campus interviews with students you meet immediately following the fair. If you select this option, ISU will provide a blank interview schedule for you to fill at the fair.

Questions?
For more information about the fair, visit the ISU Teacher Education Career Fair website. If you have any questions, contact CHS Career Services, Teacher Education Services, tecareerfair@iastate.edu or (515) 294-7559.

We hope you will consider participating in this great event -- not only for your district but for students getting ready to begin their careers serving our schools and students!

Learn With Us! Power Knowledge Science and Core Concepts Science Webinars

register watch discuss
Learn more about the AEA digital resources by attending these webinars! Recordings will be available if you aren’t able to attend in real time.

Learn With Us:
Join us for two webinars to learn more about two of our new digital resources: Power Knowledge Science and Core Concepts Science!

Power Knowledge Science Suite (3rd-6th grade)
Jan. 24, 2023
3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
REGISTER NOW!

Core Concepts Science Suite (7-12th grade)
Jan. 26, 2023
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
REGISTER NOW!

Learn With Us: Power Knowledge and Core Concept flyer

The Growing Brain: From Birth to 5 Years Old Coming in January

Teacher with young student
An innovative professional learning opportunity that provides a toolkit of how the brain develops, along with ways you can develop healthy brain development in children from Birth to 5 years old.

One of the most powerful features of this curriculum is that it translates very complex concepts in a way that is digestible, meaningful and relevant, and provides a range of interactive activities that enable participants to integrate and apply these concepts in their daily work supporting young children.

Check out all the details of The Growing Brain.

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3fT742B Course #203386

Choose one section to attend:
Dates: Jan. 6 & 23, 2023
Section #314273

Dates: Jan. 17 & 31, Feb. 3 & 10, 2023
Section #314275

Both sections are offered in person in Johnston.

Winter/Spring Course Offerings for Teachers Who Work with Students with Significant Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities

Register today
The Significant Disabilities Leadership Team at Heartland AEA is offering four courses for educators supporting learners with significant intellectual disabilities. All four courses take three days (spread out over a month). Training dates and locations can be found here (link) as can course registration numbers.

Learn more about these offerings here

Conventional Literacy Strategies for Students on Alternate Assessment
Feb. 7 & 23 and March 8, 2023

Emergent Literacy Strategies for Students on Alternate Assessment
Feb. 7, 13 & 27, 2023

Conventional Mathematical Strategies for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Alternate Assessment)
April 14, 26 & 27, 2023

Emergent Mathematical Strategies for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Alternate Assessment)

April 14, 20 & 21, 2023


New Guidance: Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century

new
Earlier this week, the Iowa Department of Education issued new guidance related to the Alternate ELPA Assessment for students who are English learners and have the most significant cognitive disabilities. The guidance is intended to update educators, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, and administrators on the annual English language proficiency assessment requirements for students who are English learners (ELs) and have the most significant cognitive disabilities. If you have questions, contact Terri Schuster, at terri.schuster@iowa.gov or Jennifer Denne, at jennifer.denne@iowa.gov.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

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

   

Happy Holidays




Heartland Administrators’ Association January Meeting is Via Zoom

Mark your calendar!
Since this is the first day back for many school districts following winter break, the Jan. 3 HAA meeting will be held entirely via Zoom. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. and consist of partnership updates only. Superintendents will receive a calendar invitation with links to the Zoom meeting and agenda.

Dec. 15 Future Ready Network Meeting: It’s All About That Work-based Learning

Reminder!

The December Future Ready Network meeting will be on Dec. 15 and will be a full day with the Future Ready meeting in the morning from 8:30-11:00 a.m. and a workshop session in the afternoon from 12:30-2:30 p.m. District teams can join in person in the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston or via Zoom at this link. The day will focus on Work-Based Learning and will include guest speaker Kristy Volesky from the Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education and Laura Williams from the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning. Several districts will also present their Work-Based Learning programs and how they use the Iowa Clearinghouse to manage their projects. The afternoon workshop is for educators who are interested in becoming a district project board manager in the Clearinghouse.

If you would like to know more about becoming a project board manger on the Clearinghouse, watch this short video.

If you are interested in becoming a Clearinghouse project board manager for your district, please complete this survey.

Visit the Heartland AEA Future Ready Website to stay up to date on news, resources, past network Zoom recordings and more! For more information, contact Sue Schirmer, Heartland AEA Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant.

Another Juicy Tidbit About Pear Deck: Make It More Inclusive by Using Immersive Reader

Want to make Pear Deck even more engaging and empowering? The integration with Immersive Reader is an amazing option!

When students activate Immersive Reader in their Pear Deck session, the text from the slides is extracted, opening in a window that provides scaffolding and customization opportunities. Students can make choices to:
  • To have the text read to them (and adjust the reading options),
  • To change the appearance of the text in terms of size, font, spacing and background contrast color
  • To highlight parts of speech and syllables
  • To use additional features like line focus and translation
This month’s tip about using Immersive Reader is a recommendation from Michelle Gebel, 5th grade teacher in Indianola. She loves the access to the text students have when using the text-reading feature of Immersive Reader. Take a look!

Each month, be on the lookout for a variety of tips, tricks and testimonials shared via our newsletter, the statewide Iowa AEA website and via social media (@iowa_aea#iowaaeaHeartland AEA Twitter).

For more information or to share your favorite Pear Deck features and ideas, check out the AEA website!


Heartland AEA Library & Digital Resources December Newsletter is Published

Screenshot of PebbleGo website
In this issue:

  • Ebooks Added to Pebble Go
  • Where are the holiday books?
  • Winter Traditions
  • Copyright BriefNotes Updated
  • Social Studies and PBS LearningMedia
  • Professional Reading: AASL

Heartland AEA Preschool Administrators Newsletter is Available

Educator and preschoolers sitting in a circle
In this issue:

  • Heartland AEA Community of Practice for Preschool Administrators
  • IQPPS Desk Audit
  • EC Handbook for Administrator
  • ACHIEVE Professional Learning
  • Assessment
  • Upcoming Professional Learning
  • Resources

The Growing Brain: From Birth to 5 Years Old Coming in January

Toddler with an educator
An innovative professional learning opportunity that provides a toolkit of how the brain develops, along with ways you can develop healthy brain development in children from Birth to 5 years old.

One of the most powerful features of this curriculum is that it translates very complex concepts in a way that is digestible, meaningful and relevant, and provides a range of interactive activities that enable participants to integrate and apply these concepts in their daily work supporting young children.

Check out all the details of The Growing Brain.

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3fT742B
Course #203386

Choose one section to attend:

Dates: Jan. 6 & 23, 2023
Section #314273

or

Dates: Jan. 17 & 31, Feb. 3 & 10, 2023
Section #314275

Both sections are offered in person in Johnston.

Iowa Council of Administrators of Special Education Presents Two-Part Webinar Series

iCase
The Iowa Council of Administrators of Special Education is presenting two great learning opportunities for administrators who are looking for more information about the many facets of apologizing related to special education disputes and conflicts, and legal issues in special education regarding parent involvement. The webinar series will be Jan. 18 and March 29, 2023. View the series information here and register at this link.

Thursday, December 1, 2022

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

  

Happy Holidays!



Yelick Selected as Next Chief Administrator of Heartland AEA

Cindy Yelick
The Heartland AEA Board of Directors is pleased to officially announce the selection of a new chief administrator for the Agency. Dr. Cindy Yelick, who is currently the chief administrator of Great Prairie AEA in Ottumwa, will succeed Dr. Jon Sheldahl when he retires after an almost 40-year career in education, including the past six years as chief administrator at Heartland AEA.

“The Board and I are excited to have Dr. Yelick return to the Heartland AEA family,” said Pete Evans, Heartland AEA Board President. “She brings a depth of experience with the statewide AEA system and has tremendous passion for the work that Iowa’s AEAs do across the state. We are confident she will continue the great work and positive culture of our agency and will bring a level of experience that will help us further enhance the services we provide to students, children, families and educators in our area.”

As the chief administrative officer of Heartland AEA, Yelick will oversee 735 full- and part-time staff members who provide special education services, instructional services, professional learning, library and digital resources and more to 150,000 students and 11,000 educators throughout the 11 central Iowa counties the Agency serves.

Yelick has been the chief administrator at Great Prairie AEA since 2017, and prior to this position, she was the deputy chief administrator at Heartland AEA. Yelick has previously held positions as executive director of instructional services, administrator for Iowa Core Curriculum, executive director of teaching and learning and a regional coordinator at Heartland AEA; director of early childhood, assessment and special education and elementary principal at Ames Community Schools; elementary principal at Des Moines Public Schools; director of McPrep Middle School Academy at Drake University; and assistant administrator at Spring Branch ISD in Houston, Texas. She earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Drake University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, second language education from the University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa.

Yelick will assume the responsibilities of chief administrator on July 1, 2023.

“I have great respect for Heartland AEA,” Yelick said. “In my experience working for Heartland AEA and in Iowa’s AEA system, Heartland AEA staff members have a sense of clarity about their work and a commitment to their mission. I have a deep appreciation for the strength and talent of staff and leadership at Heartland, and I’m excited to return to the team and get started.”

We Need Your Feedback on Training Options for our 5-Day Autism Training

Let us know your feedback

We are seeking your feedback to help Heartland AEA's Challenging Behavior and Autism Team explore training dates and format for our 5-Day Autism Training. For reference, currently we provide this training one time per year in the summer months. We are exploring alternative training options and formats. Please respond to this short survey to help guide our decision making. Thank you!

Reminder: Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) Meeting Dec. 6

Reminder!

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meeting will be held on Dec. 6 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston. The agenda will focus on cybersecurity with guest speaker Scott Augenbaum, former FBI - Cybercrime. Agenda here. Lunch will be provided immediately following.

January 3 HAA Meeting
Since this is the first day back for many school districts following winter break, the Jan. 3 HAA meeting will be held entirely via Zoom. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. and consist of partnership updates only.

Join Us As We Celebrate CSEdWeek, Dec. 5 - 11

Computer Science Education Week
Computational thinking skills inspire problem solving, innovation and creating – skills that are essential for our future workforce. Computer science opens worlds of opportunity for young Iowans to improve how we work and live. Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) takes place Dec. 5-11, 2022, and is an annual call to action to provide American youth with resources to learn more about computer science, explore the opportunities that exist and encourage participation in computer science education.

A variety of resources, panel opportunities and activities are available for anyone interested in learning more about computer science at www.iowastem.org/csedweek. These resources can be utilized to set up unique experiences and events and are customizable for a variety of settings, including classrooms, libraries, businesses, at home, among others.

Throughout the week, schools and other education providers in Iowa and all around the world will offer activities and programs to engage students in computer science education. Scheduled activities for Computer Science Education Week include:

Dec. 5
9 a.m. – Panel for Secondary Students: “What it’s like to be a computer scientist”
10 a.m. – Panel for Non-Traditional Learning Environments (Librarians, After-School Providers, Homeschool, 4-H): “How to include CS in your programming”
4 p.m. – Panel for Classroom Educators: “How to grow CS in your building and/or district”

Dec. 6
3:30 p.m. – Panel for School Counselors: “How to impact and support all learners with CS”
4:30 p.m. – Panel for School Administrators: “NOT one more thing! How to build a CS culture, incorporate into core content, support implementing your K-12 CS plan”

Dec. 7
11 a.m. – Panel for Business and Community Partners: “How to support CS efforts in your community, school districts and/or building”

Dec. 8
6:30 p.m. – Virtual Family Coding Night

Dec. 9
12:30 p.m. – Nutcracker Ballet + STEM at Stephens Auditorium, 1900 Center Drive, Ames, IA 50011

The following companies and organizations are collaborating to help build awareness and provide various resources, events and activities to integrate high-quality computer science education throughout Iowa’s educational systems.
  • Alliant Energy
  • Bio::Neos
  • Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) Iowa
  • Google
  • Iowa’s Area Education Agencies
  • Iowa Business Council
  • Iowa Department of Education
  • Iowa Technology & Education Connection
  • Iowa Workforce Development
  • Kirkwood Community College
  • Microsoft
  • NewBoCo K-12 Education
  • Technology Association of Iowa
Learn more about CSEdWeek activities by visiting www.iowastem.org/csedweek. Follow on social media using the hashtag #CS4IA to see Computer Science Education Week events happening throughout Iowa.

Heartland AEA Digital Learning Newsletter is Now Available


In this issue of the Heartland AEA Digital Learning newsletter:
  • Animate Your Audio with Adobe Express
  • Computer Science Education Week
  • Seesaw Updates
  • The 12 Days of Chrome-mas
  • Learning Over Break
  • Technology Courses from Heartland AEA

Take a Read: EL/Diversity Newsletter

icy bubble on snow
At this time of year, many of us may begin to look forward to holidays and celebrations with family and friends. In the December/January newsletter, we consider the celebrations that our newly arrived students and families may also celebrate at this time of year. You may access the newsletter through this link.

December Future Ready Network Meeting to Focus on Work-Based Learning

3 educators at a table
The December Future Ready Network meeting on Dec. 15 and will be a full day with the Future Ready meeting in the morning from 8:30-11:00 a.m. and a workshop session in the afternoon from 12:30-2:30 p.m. 

District teams can join in person in the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston or via Zoom at this link. 

The day will focus on Work-Based Learning and will include guest speaker Kristy Volesky from the Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education and Laura Williams from the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning. Several districts will also present their Work-Based Learning programs and how they use the Iowa Clearinghouse to manage their projects. The afternoon workshop is for educators who are interested in becoming a district project board manager in the Clearinghouse.

If you would like to know more about becoming a project board manger on the Clearinghouse, watch this short video.

If you are interested in becoming a Clearinghouse project board manager for your district, please complete this survey.

Visit the Heartland AEA Future Ready Website to stay up to date on news, resources, past network Zoom recordings and more! For more information, contact Sue Schirmer, Heartland AEA Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant.

Heartland AEA Literacy December Newsletter is Now Available

five youth reading books
In this issue:

  • 3 Recommendations on Teaching Secondary Students To Write Effectively
  • Early Literacy Accelerators K-2
  • Familiarity and Concreteness Can Help Beginning Readers
  • Professional Learning Opportunities

Don't Miss Out! Youth Mental Health First Aid Training is Dec. 5

group of youth at table
Youth Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling; rather, participants learn to support a youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
Dec. 5, 2022
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Invited Audience: Any District Staff

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3OhHvom

The Growing Brain: From Birth to 5 Years Old Coming in January

adult with toddler
An innovative professional learning opportunity that provides a toolkit of how the brain develops, along with ways you can develop healthy brain development in children from Birth to 5 years old.

One of the most powerful features of this curriculum is that it translates very complex concepts in a way that is digestible, meaningful and relevant, and provides a range of interactive activities that enable participants to integrate and apply these concepts in their daily work supporting young children.

Check out all the details of The Growing Brain.

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3fT742B
Course #203386

Choose one section to attend:
Dates: Jan. 6 & 23, 2023
Section #314273

Dates: Jan. 17 & 31, Feb. 3 & 10, 2023
Section #314275

Both sections are offered in person in Johnston.

IEP Teams: New Contact for Meetings With DMPS Resident Students

Important notice

When IEP teams are inviting Des Moines Public Schools to an IEP meeting for a resident student of DMPS attending another district, DMPS has asked that teams contact Deb Day, who will identify the appropriate DMPS representative to attend the meeting based on the learner’s address.

Board of Educational Examiners’ Newsletter December 2022

Iowa board of educational examiners
The December 2022 newsletter from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is available. In this issue: Mandatory Reporter Requirements, Renewal Credit Options, Student Teachers as Substitutes, BOEE Code of Conduct and Recent Cases.

Registration is Open for the 8th Annual Emerging Educators Academy

Iowa Department of Education
The Outstanding Iowa Educators of the Iowa Department of Education along with the Iowa State Education Association, and Drake University School of Education are hosting the 8th Annual Emerging Educators Academy.

The Academy is for all pre-service teacher-prep students and first through third year teachers as well as their mentors. We encourage teams of beginning teachers and mentors to attend together as this event will elevate, celebrate and ignite all participants.

The Academy will feature breakout sessions on building classroom culture and community, social emotional learning, engagement strategies, and fostering a love of teaching. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with outstanding Iowa educators.

Thriving, Learning, Connecting: Growing As Educators
Jan. 21, 2023
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Drake University

For more information and to register, visit the Emerging Educators Academy website.