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

 

HAA Oct. Meeting to Focus on Chronic Absenteeism

The next HAA meeting will be held on Oct. 1 from 9 - 11:30 a.m. The agenda features Part I of a two-part learning session about Chronic Absenteeism. This will be an in-person learning session from 9 - 10:30 a.m. Superintendents are welcome to bring members of their team, but we ask that you RSVP so we don’t exceed room capacity. You can RSVP using this form, or by emailing Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org.

At 10:30, the meeting will transition to a Business Meeting/Partnership Updates with a Zoom option. See your calendar invite or the agenda for details.

Heartland AEA Creative Services: Still Your Go-To for Educational Printing & Design

Heartland AEA's Creative Services Department continues to provide top-notch services to educators in our service area. Our commitment to supporting educators with high-quality print, production and graphic design solutions remains unwavering.

Need something printed? We can help! From instructional materials to posters, wall graphics and brochures, our team is here to create and produce items that perfectly align with your classroom's and school's unique needs.

Streamline the ordering process using our Creative Services Online platform. You can easily upload files, search our catalog of ready-made products, and pay online using a purchase order, credit card or Pcard.

Don't hesitate, reach out! Our experienced staff is ready to assist you with all your creative needs. The possibilities are endless!

Secure Your Data: Cybersecurity Summit Focuses on K-12 Solutions

Join us at our Cybersecurity Summit 2024 for a comprehensive showcase of cybersecurity service solutions designed specifically for school districts. Whether your district is just starting its security journey or looking to enhance its existing program, this day will provide information on:

• State of Security in the EDU Space
• Anatomy of a Real Life Ransomware Attack
• Increasing Resiliency & Strategies for Ransomware Attacks
• Plus in-person collaboration with fellow school districts and product demonstrations

Date & Time
Oct. 25, 2024
9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Location
Heartland AEA
Johnston Regional Education Center
6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Registration
Registration link
Breakfast & lunch provided by Tenax Solutions/IP Pathways

Speakers
Amy Wichman, Director of Media, Technology & Digital Learning, Heartland AEA
Blake Meling, Cybersecurity Analyst, Heartland AEA
Sheldon Speers, President, Tenax Solutions
Mike Hinkey, Vice President, Tenax Solutions
Sean Balzer, Senior Security Consultant, Tenax Solutions
Dan Schrad, Solutions Architecture Director, IP Pathways

Contact
Amy Wichman
(515) 383-5018

Enhance Student Success with Evidence-Based Classroom Practices: Academics & Behavior Course

Evidence-Based Classroom Practices: Academics and Behavior is designed to support leadership teams and individual teachers with the implementation of evidence-based practices to impact student academic and behavioral success. Practices will include organizing your classroom, teaching behavior expectations and routines, explicit instruction, engagement strategies and implementing an acknowledgment system to improve teacher-student relationships and increase effective feedback. For buildings currently implementing MTSS Behavior/PBIS, linkages will be made between schoolwide and classroom systems.

Dates & Time
Oct. 17 & Nov. 6, 2024
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location
Heartland AEA 

Johnston Regional Education Center

6500 Corporate Drive

Johnston

Registration
Registration link
Session ID: 46510
Cost: $150
Licence Renewal Credit: Additional $50

Contact
Heartland AEA Social, Emotional & Behavioral Health Leads:
Stacey Warren  

Melissa Iloabachie 

Register for our Fall Paraeducator Certification Courses!

Heartland AEA’s fall paraeducator certification course schedule is now available. There are three courses you must register for and complete to be able to apply for the Paraeducator Generalist Certificate through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Each course is $120 for a total of $360 and must be taken in order.

Prerequisites

• Participants must be at least 18 years old.
• Participants must have a high school diploma or equivalent GED.
• Participants must have access to a computer/internet to take the courses.

It is required that participants be employed by an accredited Iowa school district as a practicing paraeducator, or work as a substitute paraeducator in an accredited Iowa school district or have a teacher and administrator who are willing to mentor them through the certification program.

BoEE Application Fees
The application and background check process through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) is online and will be started in Course III.

The application fee is currently $40, and the background check fee is $35 (+ a $3 convenience fee) payable to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (fees subject to change by BoEE). Applicants will complete their background screenings through Iowa Fieldprint and pay a fee of $34.35 to them.

Courses

HL – Paraeducator Generalist Certification Program – Course I Introduction/Foundation Session # 46081
Oct. 10, 17 & Nov. 7, 2024
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Zoom Sessions + Online Work

HL – Paraeducator Generalist Certification Program – Course II Instructional Support Session # 46311
Nov. 14 & Dec. 5, 2024
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Zoom Sessions + Online Work

HL – Paraeducator Generalist Certification Program – Course III Behavioral Supports Session # 46345
Dec. 19, 2024 & Jan. 9, 2025
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Zoom Sessions + Online Work

Register Now
Registration link

Registration for our Behavior Support Community of Practice is open!

The Behavior Support Community of Practice (CoP) is continuing in the 2024-25 school year! This CoP is an opportunity for district staff who serve in the role of behavior interventionist, behavior coach, behavior strategist, etc. to network, share in learning and collaborate with individuals who hold similar roles.

Activities & Support
Participants will engage in shared learning, as well as sharing practice in the following areas:

• MTSS for social, emotional & behavioral health
• Screening & early warning systems
• Responding to data
• Chronic absenteeism
• Restorative practices
• Effective strategies for transitioning between programs
• Tier 1 indicators of effective culture & climate
• Therapeutic classrooms & approaches
• Optional book study

Dates

• Oct. 3, 2024
• Dec. 9, 2024
• Jan. 23, 2025
• Feb. 24, 2025
• April 10, 2025
• May 15, 2025

Structure of Each Day

• Morning session (9 a.m.-noon) focused on content and shared learning
• Afternoon session (1-3:30 p.m.) differentiated based on participants’ needs (networking/collaboration/optional book study)

Registration
Full-Day
Full-day registration

Half-Day
Half-day registration

Restorative Practices: Join Our Training to Design and Facilitate for Positive Outcomes

In Fundamentals of Restorative Practices, participants will learn the fundamental skills for engaging with students, staff and families in a restorative way, such as setting high expectations while providing support and providing direct feedback by asking questions that foster accountability.

Participants will also learn how to design and facilitate circles. Circles can be used proactively to build community, boost engagement and foster student voice during instruction and responsively to address social problems or resolve instances of harm when they occur.

Dates & Time
Oct. 24-25, 2024
8 - 4:30 p.m.

Location
Heartland AEA
Johnston Regional Education Center
6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA

Registration
Registration Link
Session ID: 46144
Cost: $150
Materials fee: $5
License renewal credit: Additional $50

Contact
Aimee Schuppe
Heartland AEA Social, Emotional & Behavioral Health Lead
aschuppe@heartlandaea.org

Sharpen Your Section 504 Skills in Our Comprehensive Workshop

Does your district or school team need to sharpen its understanding of the Section 504 educational regulations? Our Section 504 Workshop is a comprehensive, hands-on workshop designed to help educators and administrators increase their knowledge and confidently navigate the legal requirements of Section 504, ensuring equitable support for students with disabilities.

Empower your team to better serve students by enhancing your knowledge
and refining your district’s Section 504 procedures!

Date & Time
Nov. 14, 2024
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Location
Heartland AEA
6500 Corporate Drive
Johnston, IA

Registration
Registration link
Cost: $75

Contact
Jadie Boens
Heartland AEA Director of Social, Emotional & Behavioral Health Services
jboens@heartlandaea.org 

(515) 473-6654

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

 

Iowa's AEAs Superintendent Update is Now Available

Welcome to Iowa's AEAs first Superintendent Update of the 2024-25 academic year. This update provides important information from Iowa’s AEAs and within the Educational, Media & Technology and Special Education Services areas.

Oct. 1 Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting Reminder & RSVP

The next Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) meeting will be held on Oct. 1 from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. The agenda features Part 1 of a two-part learning session about Chronic Absenteeism. This will be an in-person learning session from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Superintendents are welcome to bring members of their team, but we ask that you RSVP so we don’t exceed room capacity. You can RSVP using this form, or by emailing Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org.

At 10:30, the meeting will transition to Business Meeting/Partnership Updates with a Zoom option. See your calendar invite or the agenda for details.

Join the Principal Alliance Lasting Leadership Series: Monthly Discussions on Current Leadership Practices

The Principal Alliance Lasting Leadership Series will focus on current practices in the field of leadership and principalship. Join your colleagues on the last weekday of the month from 9-10 a.m. for thematic whole group and small group discussions centered on current problems of practice. Additional resources will be shared to support the topics.

Next Session: Sept. 27, 2024 | 9-10 a.m. | Zoom link | Agenda and Recordings Available

We’ve Got an Easier Way for You to Register for AEA Professional Learning!

As a busy educator, we know you need an easier way to find, register, and pay for AEA professional learning courses. So Iowa’s AEAs are launching a new, more user-friendly AEA Professional Learning Registration System!

While the new system will have separate sites for each AEA and AEA Learning Online, you’ll still have access to courses from all AEAs and find the sites easier to navigate.

As we continue to enhance the system and introduce new features, we’re confident you will benefit from being able to:

• Browse course catalogs without having to be logged in.
• Log in with identAEA, which uses Google or Microsoft credentials.
• Create a new account instantaneously, rather than waiting 24 hours for activation.

What about my course history and transcript?
Each person’s course history is currently being imported into the new system. As the transcript feature in the new system is being finalized, you may want to download your transcript from the former registration system, as that system will not be available after Sept. 30, 2024. Instructions for how to download your transcript are available here. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact your local AEA.

What about instructors?
Instructors should have already entered their credentials (vita) in the new system. If you are an instructor, and you have not yet done this, refer to this communication for more information.

If you are an instructor who is proposing a new course, make sure to enter the course in the registration system of the AEA you are teaching the course for. Example: If you are teaching a course for Great Prairie AEA, go to the Great Prairie AEA registration site to enter your course proposal.

Questions?
If you have any questions or need assistance with the new system, contact your AEA’s Professional Learning Office.

Network, Learn, Collaborate: Behavior Support Community of Practice Returns!

The Behavior Support Community of Practice (CoP) will be continuing in the 2024-25 school year! This CoP is an opportunity for district staff who serve in the role of behavior interventionist, behavior coach, behavior strategist, etc., to network, share in learning and collaborate with individuals who hold similar roles.

Activities & Support
Participants will engage in shared learning, as well as sharing practice in the following areas:

• MTSS for social, emotional & behavioral health
• Screening & early warning systems
• Responding to data
• Chronic absenteeism
• Restorative practices
• Effective strategies for transitioning between programs
• Tier 1 indicators of effective culture & climate
• Therapeutic classrooms & approaches
• Optional book study

Dates

• Oct. 3, 2024
• Dec. 9, 2024
• Jan. 23, 2025
• Feb. 24, 2025
• April 10, 2025
• May 15, 2025

Structure of Each Day

• Morning session (9:00 a.m.-noon) focused on content and shared learning
• Afternoon session (1:00-3:30 p.m.) differentiated based on participants’ needs (networking/collaboration/optional book study)

Registration

Registration information will be forthcoming. In the interim, we ask that you complete this interest form by Sept. 6, 2024, if you would like to participate in the 2024-25 CoP. Once the registration link is available, it will be shared.

Important Information about Alternate Assessment and Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Find pertinent information in this document related to alternate assessment: timelines, certification training, support; as well as resources to support instruction.