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

 

Prepare Your District Budget During the ISFIS Budget Workshop on Jan. 30

Each January/February, ISFIS partners with Piper Sandler and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to host ISFIS Budget Workshops for school leaders. These hands-on workshops provide the opportunity for superintendents, SBOs and their teams to prepare their individual district Certified Budget in just one highly productive day. Districts will leave the workshop with a completed (or nearly completed) Certified Budget and will know all the details for publication. Attendees also learn about sales and property tax debt and other variables affecting district finances.

This year, the budget workshop at Heartland AEA will be in-person. There are also two virtual workshop options. The budget workshop fee is $300 per district per workshop (whether in person or virtual), but please sign up each person individually to ensure there is adequate space for everyone.

ISFIS Budget Workshop
Jan. 30, 2023
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Register online at this link: https://www.iowaschoolfinance.com/Budget_workshops

For more information, email Jen Albers at jen@iowaschoolfinance.com.

Register Your District for the ISU 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!

Don’t Wait! Chat With Us!

We’ve added a live chat function on our website for visitors to get immediate answers to their questions. Visitors are now able to communicate with our staff via chat during regular business hours. While some issues may need time to investigate, general questions can be handled easier and faster over chat. We understand that our website visitors will appreciate it if they can get information right away, not in a few hours or a day. Look for the purple box on our website and type away!

District Teams Invited to New SCRIPT Network

The Computer Science Network will allow district teams of administrators and educators to network with others implementing computer science learning, learn best practices for computer science education, engage in problem-solving topics experienced in our region, and build partnerships with members of local industry and the community. District teams will revisit computer science vision, goals, and action plans and engage in continuous improvement planning.

The SCRIPT — the Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool — is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students.

Date: Feb. 15, April 12 and June 7
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Registration Link: HL - Computer Science SCRIPT Network - 204711 Course Number: 204711
Zoom Link will be sent to registrants
Reimbursement: IDOE will be offering stipends for SCRIPT

The January Heartland AEA Digital Learning Newsletter is Here!

In this issue:

• Heart of Innovation Save The Date
• Computer Science PD Week Update
• Seesaw Lesson Update
• Pear Deck Feature Highlight
• New courses coming this Spring!

Jan. 19 Future Ready Network Meeting: It’s All About Portrait of a Graduate

The January Future Ready meeting will be on Jan. 19 from 8:30-11:00 a.m. District teams can join in person in the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, or via this Zoom link. The day will focus on Portrait of a Graduate. Guest speakers from Bondurant Farrar, Boone and Van Meter will share about their Portrait of a Graduate journey and how they navigated each phase. Question and answer breakout sessions will also be available for districts to learn more about different aspects of Portrait of a Graduate.

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

See What’s New With Seesaw Lessons: Jan. 19 Webinar

Join us to learn about the game-changing updates Seesaw has made to their supplemental curriculum library of lessons in a webinar on Jan. 19 from 3:30-4:15 p.m. Register to join live or receive the recording.

Have You Read Our Literacy Newsletter?

In this issue:

• The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2022
• Science of Reading
• Iowa Reading Research Center: What is New?
• 10 Key Reading Practices for Middle and High Schools
• Intensive Literacy Instruction Bit by Bit
• Literacy Books to Consider for 2022-23

Fractions, Fractions, Fractions!

Explore the world of fractions and check out opportunities for professional learning in numeracy and early childhood math activities and routines in the Heartland AEA Math Minutes newsletter.

Heartland AEA Gifted and Talented News Jan. 2023

In this issue:

• Mark your calendars: ITAG Virtual Spring Workshop on April 19
• Iowa Department of Education Gifted and Talented Updates
• Teacher Resources from the Department of Education