Heartland AEA Legislator Contact Sheet

Click here for a list of the contact information for all Iowa House and Senate members in Heartland’s area. It includes addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. Legislators are also listed by district in the back pages.

February Issue of Educator Connection with World of Media Available

Click here for the February issue of the Educator Connection and World of Media which was e-mailed to all area educators earlier this week. You can search by keyword, download pages or print specific pages. Most articles include correlations to the Iowa Core. Note that there are a few articles that you may want to give directly to students. There is a unique URL for each page making it easy to share.

February ESL Reminders

The I-ELDA testing window is now open, February 1 to April 30, 2013. If you have reported English Language Learners on the fall BEDs report or if you have had new students enroll in your district that have been identified for ESL services, they must take the I-ELDA. Click here for ordering information.

As you prepare for Kindergarten roundup you can download and use the Home Language Survey from Transact. The survey found here is the one that has been approved for use in Iowa. This Home Language Survey must be given to every student in your district and kept in his or her permanent folder. This is the first step in identifying students who may be in need of ESL services. If a language other than English is indicated through this survey the student must be given a screener to determine the need for English Language Development services.

For more information please contact
Stephaney Jones-Vo
(515) 270-0405 ext. 14680

Pat Latham
(515) 993-4596 ext. 11228

February 2013 School Leader Update

Click here to download the February 2013 issue of the School Leader Update. This issue includes some positive news about statewide enrollment, an update about the newly revised Iowa Early Learning Standards and the Department’s extended guidance on collaboration and peer review.

February Edition of "Each and Every Child"

Click here to find a link to the February 2013 edition of "Each and Every Child" brought to you by the Iowa Department of Education’s Bureau of Student and Family Support Services. This issue includes a feature of a Des Moines middle school which was struggling with student proficiency in reading. Last fall’s testing showed that only 33 percent of students were considered proficient. A few months later during winter tests, however, 49 percent are now proficient. Read about what the education team, including Sue Severson from Heartland AEA, did to bolster students’ reading comprehension.

The e-newsletter is designed to enhance communication between parents and teachers. Please forward it to your parents in your district and use the stories as opportunities for discussion.

Green Hills AEA to Host Google Summit

Green Hills AEA, in close collaboration with Glenwood Schools, is hosting a Southwest Iowa Google Summit. Alan November will be the keynote speaker for day one of the two-day summit. The dates of the summit are July 15 and 16, 2013. The registration fee is $75. Click here for a brochure with more information. If you would like to present at the summit, go to the following link to submit a presentation idea.
http://goo.gl/Nh8iA 

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value. 

Your Life Iowa: Iowa’s Bullying and Suicide Prevention Hotline

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Now there’s a new, statewide “go-to” resource where youth, parents and educational professionals can find the answers they need about bullying.

The Your Life Iowa Hotline offers advice and guidance 24/7 from trained counselors who are just a phone call or text away. Call (855) 581-8111 or test “TALK” to 85511 or visit yourlifeiowa.org.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.