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

 

Meeting Reminder: Heartland Administrators' Association, May 2

The next Heartland Administrators' Association meeting will be held on May 2 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. at Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston. This will be an in-person meeting with a Zoom option. Calendar invitations were sent that include the Zoom link. Agenda topics include:

• Heartland AEA Future Ready: Sue Schirmer, Kevin Schlomer, Angela Dvorak, TJ Jumper, Sarah Osterhaus, Cindra Porter, Judy Zeka and Mark Schnurstein
• Education and Artificial Intelligence: Amy Wichman
• Partnership updates

FastBridge Registration Open for 2023-24, AEA Subsidy Available for Grades K-8

This year Iowa’s AEAs again will be subsidizing the costs for schools to upgrade their DE-provided FAST subscriptions that includes the expanded assessment suite in math and behavior for K-6, and literacy, math and behavior for grades 7 & 8. Participation is available both to schools that purchased the expanded assessment suite in previous years and those that want to use it for the first time in 2023-24. Refer to this FastBridge registration overview for details on registration process, training, pricing and more. Contact Kevin Fangman for more information.

ED Issues Two New Guidance Docs on FERPA

This week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office issued two guidance documents to school officials to remind them of their obligations to protect student privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The guidance documents focus on student health records and encourage school officials to consider the importance of student privacy, including health privacy, before disclosing information from education records.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: Guidance for School Officials on Student Health Records – This document provides education officials with general information about FERPA, with a particular focus on student health records maintained by educational agencies and institutions and by third parties acting on their behalf.

Know Your Rights: FERPA Protections for Student Health Records – This one-page document provides a brief overview of parents’ and eligible students’ rights FERPA, with a particular focus on student health records.

You can stay informed of new materials and important developments from the Student Privacy Policy Office by subscribing to their monthly Student Privacy Newsletter.