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
Click here to download the 2017-8 Heartland AEA Superintendent Directory. A limited supply of these directories have been printed and will be distributed at the Sept. 5 HAA meeting. If you aren’t able to attend the meeting and would like a copy, please contact Julie McCarty, Communications Specialist, at jmccarty@heartlandaea.org.
The monthly Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meetings resume Sept. 5, 2017, with the first meeting being held at the Ankeny DMACC Campus. DMACC has offered to sponsor the first meeting and superintendents are invited to stay for lunch immediately following the meeting. For those wishing to participate electronically, a Zoom option will be made available. To view the agenda, campus map and Zoom option, visit the HAA Google Site. If you have any problems accessing the information, contact Jennifer Ugolini, Heartland AEA Board Secretary/Executive Assistant at jugolini@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14441.
Heartland Administrators' Association
Sept. 5, 2017
9:00 - 11:30 a.m., with lunch to follow
DMACC Ankeny Campus
2006 South Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
Building 5, Student Center
Room 1240D
At Heartland AEA, we have Classic and Digital STARLAB portable planetarium domes available for checkout. Teachers must receive training to use the domes. Our next training is Sept. 25 in Ames. More details are below. Click here to learn more about our STARLABs.
Digital STARLAB Training
Sept. 25, 2017, 8:30 - 11 a.m.
Stonebrook Church, 3611 Eisenhower Ave., Ames
Registration
The Digital STARLAB portable planetarium projects high-resolution images of celestial bodies of the night (and daytime) sky. The Digital STARLAB consists of an inflatable dome that can hold about 30 children or 25 adults. Inside is a digital projector (with speakers) that can display celestial images and even movies onto the dome. The seasons, the solar system (including the sun, planets, moon, constellations, etc.), as well as numerous other celestial bodies can be observed. There are mythology, weather and biological cell cylinders included with the software, as well.
This training addresses the care and use of the Digital STARLAB planetarium. Participants will learn how to setup and take down the STARLAB, as well as learn the basic functions of the software (Starry Night Small Dome) that powers the Digital STARLAB. If you are new to the Digital STARLAB, you need to attend the training. Returning users need not attend but are welcome if a refresher course is needed. If you are unable to attend this session and would like to use the Digital STARLAB in the future, contact Peggy Christensen at pchristensen@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14553.
Classic STARLAB Training
Sept. 25, 2017, 12:30 - 3 p.m.
Stonebrook Church, 3611 Eisenhower Ave., Ames
Registration
Classic STARLAB consists of an inflatable room which can hold about 30 children or 25 adults. Inside is a novel projector, which can show the night sky with very realistic stars, planets and the moon. By changing the projection cylinder, the projector can also produce constellation outlines, a globe of the Earth or a diagram of a human cell. For astronomy, the changing motions of the sun, moon, planets and stars can be shown with a whole year condensed into a few minutes.
This training addresses the care and use of the Classic STARLAB portable planetarium. Participants will learn how to setup and take down the STARLAB, as well as learn the basic functions of the variety of cylinders available with the Classic STARLAB. If you are new to the Classic STARLAB, you need to attend this training. Returning users need not attend but are welcome if a refresher course is needed.
Due to heavy enrollment, a second section of Level 1 Section 504 Training for Public School Staff is being offered Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center in Johnston. No additional sections will be offered until fall of 2018. This class is designed for administrators, counselors, and school nurses involved in evaluation and eligibility determination for students.
Topics to be covered include:
- Changes to the interpretation of Section 504 since the ADAA 2008
- How to review and update your district-wide Section 504 Plan
- The interaction of a Section 504 plan and an Individual Health Plan
- Review of obligations under the Child Find and grievance procedures
- Eligibility determination and eligible but not in need of a plan
- Section 504 vs. IDEA 2004, understanding the distinction
- Resources available to assist districts
Level 1 Section 504 Training for Public School Staff
Oct. 30, 2017
9:00 a.m. - Noon
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
Registration Information
Register at this link
The class is free for school districts residing within the service area of Heartland AEA. Class size is limited to 70 persons and first priority is given to districts within the service area of Heartland AEA.
As an educational leader, are you faced with increasingly complex challenges to tackle? Do you try to tackle them alone? Would you be interested in being part of a group that identifies, examines and addresses real problems of practice leaders face? Explore and develop systems leadership? Have access to Drake University? Then...
Become a part of the Drake Continual Improvement Network. The vision is to transform education in Iowa in order to restore joy in learning, teaching and leading in Iowa’s schools. The network provides opportunities to learn and work together to solve real problems of practice through the process of systemic continual improvement.
Interested? Read more here or contact Dr. Doug Stilwell, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Drake University at doug.stilwell@drake.edu or (515) 271-1993.
Halvorson Trane, one of Iowa’s longest-established HVAC companies, is offering five, $500 grants to K-12 Iowa schools within the service areas of Heartland AEA, Grant Wood AEA and Central Rivers AEA. Grant monies are to be used to fund an energy education project on school grounds (projects can be inside or out). See the Halvorson Trane website for more information about the grants and view last year’s winners. Apply by Oct. 6, 2017.
The Iowa Department of Education sent out guidance to superintendents, nonpublic administrators and AEA Chief Administrators detailing assessment requirements for districts during the 2017-18 school year. Given that we are in a transition year with ESSA, it made sense to summarize this information in one place for clarity. Thank you to everyone who helped compile and proof this information. Contact David Tilly, Deputy Director and Administrator with the DE for more information or questions at (515) 281-3333 or david.tilly@iowa.gov.
The September 2017 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.
