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: HAA Will Meet Dec. 4

The Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) will meet Dec. 4, from 9 - 11:30 a.m. at the Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston, Rooms 107 A/B.

HAA Meeting
Dec. 4, 2018
9 - 11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Rooms 107A/B
Zoom Link
Agenda Link

Your Input is Needed - Iowa AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are administering a survey to local school administrators and teachers to better understand stakeholder awareness of and satisfaction with AEA services. We hope that all educators will participate in this survey, as feedback is critical to ensuring that Iowa's AEAs continue to provide quality services to local schools.

Take the survey: https://bit.ly/2RVBUWx

Iowa's AEAs have partnered with Hanover Research to administer and analyze this survey. Hanover Research is an independent market research firm based in Washington, D.C., and is in no way affiliated with any other entity or organization. Your responses are completely anonymous and will be kept strictly confidential, so please be as open and honest as possible. The survey should take approximately 15 min. to complete. The survey will close on Dec. 14, 2018. If you have any questions, contact Cate Keller at Hanover Research.

Iowa's AEAs Are Looking for a New Executive Director

The Iowa Area Education Agency (AEA) system is seeking applicants for the full-time position of Executive Director of the Iowa Association of Area Education Agencies (IAAEA) who will be responsible for leading, managing, guiding and administering the goals of the AEA Chief Administrators, including the direction and operation of all IAAEA programs, services, finances and personnel resources. Position details are located on the Iowa AEA website. Application deadline is Jan. 18.

Legislative Advocacy Event - Feb. 4-5, 2019

Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows. Registration and more details available at: https://www.smore.com/h04a9 Registration deadline is Jan. 30.

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by Jan. 18. Information from this survey will be used to create talking points for our time with legislators.

Dates and Locations Have Been Secured for the Iowa Leadership Academy

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are partnering with McREL to offer the Iowa Leadership Academy beginning in June 2019. The Iowa School Leadership Academy will give school leadership teams in-depth strategies and guidance from McREL’s research- and evidence-based knowledge sets of Balanced Leadership, What Matters Most and Curiosity Works. Check out the dates and locations below and watch for registration links coming in mid-December.

Dates and Locations - Registration Coming Soon!

June 17-18, Aug. 5-6, Oct. 8 and Jan. 14
Ankeny: Des Moines Area Community College

June 19-20, Aug. 7-8, Oct. 9 and Jan. 15
Cedar Falls: Central Rivers AEA

June 24-25, Aug. 12-13, Oct. 10 and Jan. 16
Sioux City: Site TBD

Join Us for Standards-Based Learning “Framework Friday” on Dec. 7

EdCamp-style workshops are being held throughout the 2018-19 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) Including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you; you do not need to attend all of them. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
Next Session: Dec. 7
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Visit our website to learn more and register

Mark your calendars for the 2019 Framework Fridays:

• Jan. 4
• Feb. 1
• March 1
• April 5
• May 3

Get The Scoop on Iowa’s Gifted and Talented Programming in This FREE Workshop at Heartland AEA

Gifted & Talented 101: Gifted Students, Programming & MTSS for Advanced Learners

Jan. 11, 2019
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA

This workshop is designed for K-12 general education teachers, instructional coaches and administrators who are interested in gaining background knowledge about Gifted and Talented (GT) programming in Iowa.

Topics covered will include:

• Iowa Code requirements for GT programs
• Characteristics of gifted students
• Best practices and resources for educators, including an overview of the new MTSS Advanced Learner Facilitation Guide

Registration
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/RsKCoH
There is no registration fee for this workshop.

Course InstructorKyra Wilcox-Conley, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant with Heartland AEA

Tammy Heflebower to Present the Next Strand of Standards-based Learning: Targets, Scales and Rubrics

Teachers, curriculum directors, instructional coaches and other educators are invited to learn more about Standards-based Learning (SBL) Targets, Scales and Rubrics from Tammy Heflebower, Ed.D.

In this session, Dr. Heflebower will focus primarily on the creation of proficiency scales and their place in the broader, upfront work of deconstructing standards and the understanding and development of aligned assessments. She will speak of how proficiency scales fit into the instructional cycle and into the learning partnership between teacher and students. The work of creating proficiency scales is a seismic shift from our past practices of using a 100-point grading scale which converts points given to percentages.

For more information, contact Susie Bentley, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at sbentley@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 Ext. 18114.

Strand of SBL Framework: Learning Targets, Scales & Rubrics
Feb. 28, 2019
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
FFA Enrichment Center 1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA
Register at https://goo.gl/TzmVQt by Feb. 1, 2019

Expect to Go Absolutely ALL IN on Learning During Trevor Ragan’s Upcoming Workshop on Growth Mindset

A national leader in growth mindset, Trevor Ragan will lay out the science, unpack the nuts and bolts, and (most importantly) show you how to run with it all in the area of growth mindset. Trevor will help you explore learning, motor learning, feedback, growth mindset culture, jungle tigers, failure and more!

Trevor values learning and seeks out the scientists and thought leaders in the world of development, consumes their research and discoveries, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone who will listen. This workshop is for all educators!

Teaching a Growth Mindset to Achieve Success for All Learners
March 5, 2019
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register by Feb. 18, 2019 at this link: https://goo.gl/8KjYZ4
Target Audience: All Educators

For more information, contact: Jim Verlengia, Ed.D., Director of Leadership Supports at Heartland AEA at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14388.

Heartland AEA Leadership SeriesTrevor Ragan’s presentation is part of the Heartland AEA 2018-19 Leadership Series. Some of today’s most intriguing, innovative and influential leaders from around the country share their background, insight and knowledge in this new series for educators. Speakers will candidly share their experiences, discuss challenges that have impacted their work and provide a unique opportunity to learn from their hands-on experiences.

Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 BoEE Report is Available

The Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 Iowa Board of Educational Examiners Report is now available. In this issue : pathways to licensure, conditional licensure (check on progress), teaching health, hiring December graduates and application processing times.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Will be Out Between Dec. 3-14

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed in 2015, replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. It maintains a focus on equity for all students, while giving states and local school districts much more ownership over systems of school accountability and support. In Iowa, ESSA has been a great opportunity to build on bold education improvements underway that align with ESSA requirements, including clear and rigorous standards for what students should know and be able to do, a school accountability system that targets support where and when schools need it most and a structure for professional learning that emphasizes teacher leadership and evidence-based practices.

• Approved State Plan for ESSA
• Two-page Snapshot of Iowa's Plan
• Summary Overview of Iowa's Plan

The ESSA Support website provides a repository of tools and resources to support the work aligned to Iowa's ESSA Plan:

ESSA Support Site

For more information, contact Karla Day, Heartland AEA Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant at kday@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14321 or Amy Wichman, Heartland AEA Regional Director at awichman@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 18143.

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

Oh, Just One More Thing Before You Leave for the Thanksgiving Break

Please take a minute to offer your feedback about the Heartland AEA website. Your responses will help us improve your site visit experience. Please respond by Nov. 26. Thank you for your participation!

Click this link to take the survey: Heartland AEA Website Survey

Heartland AEA Holiday Office Closings & Van Delivery Schedule

Please note the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and our library and use our van mail.

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, all Heartland AEA offices will be closed Nov. 22 and 23. Our van delivery schedule will be as follows:

• Regular van delivery: Nov. 19 - 20
• No van delivery: Nov. 21 - 23
• Regular delivery resumes: Nov. 26

Due to winter break, all Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 25, 2018 through Jan. 1, 2019.

• Regular van delivery: Dec. 17 - 21
• No van delivery: Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
• Regular van delivery resumes: Jan. 2

Registration is Open for the 2019 AEA Legislative Advocacy Event

Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows. This event will take the place of the regularly scheduled Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) February meeting.

This year’s event begins with an update from members of the education lobby and preparation for the morning conversations with legislators. We will meet at the capitol the next morning to talk with legislators. We all know this will be a challenging session for state funding. Please make it a priority to join us in Des Moines. Making your voice heard has never been more important. Registration and more details available at: https://www.smore.com/h04a9.

Jan Chappuis to Present Standards-based Learning on Nov. 29

Nov. 29, 2018
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
FFA Enrichment Center, 1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny
Register at this link

Teachers, curriculum directors and instructional coaches will have the opportunity to learn from Jan Chappuis, one of the nation’s leaders in Standards-based Learning. Jan’s expertise could help in all areas of instruction from formative assessment instruction to standards based practices. In this session, Jan will:

• Focus on all aspects of curriculum: the intended, the enacted, and the assessed
• Address the work of identifying and unpacking standards of learning to create learning targets.
• Help teachers know how to identify those learning targets into categories such as knowledge, reasoning, skills or products
• Lead learning on what a balanced assessment system looks like, and what it takes to create that system within the instructional cycle
• Address the need to plan for accommodations and modifications for exceptional learners such as special education students, ELL and gifted/advanced learners

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

Tell Us What You Think!

Please take a minute to offer your feedback about the Heartland AEA website. Your responses will help us improve your site visit experience. Please respond by Nov. 26. Thank you for your participation!

Click this link to take the survey: Heartland AEA Website Survey

Heartland AEA Holiday Office Closings & Van Delivery Schedule

Please note the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and our library and use our van mail.

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, all Heartland AEA offices will be closed Nov. 22 and 23. Our van delivery schedule will be as follows:

• Regular van delivery: Nov. 19 - 20
• No van delivery: Nov. 21 - 23
• Regular delivery resumes: Nov. 26

Due to winter break, all Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 25, 2018 through Jan. 1, 2019.

• Regular van delivery: Dec. 17 - 21
• No van delivery: Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
• Regular van delivery resumes: Jan. 2

Jan Chappuis to Present Standards-based Learning Workshop on Nov. 29

Jan Chappuis Presents "Standards-Based Learning"

Nov. 29, 2018
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
FFA Enrichment Center, 1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny
Register at this link

Teachers, curriculum directors and instructional coaches will have the opportunity to learn from Jan Chappuis, one of the nation’s leaders in Standards-based Learning. Jan’s expertise could help in all areas of instruction from formative assessment instruction to standards based practices. In this session, Jan will:

• Focus on all aspects of curriculum: the intended, the enacted, and the assessed
• Address the work of identifying and unpacking standards of learning to create learning targets.
• Help teachers know how to identify those learning targets into categories such as knowledge, reasoning, skills or products
• Lead learning on what a balanced assessment system looks like, and what it takes to create that system within the instructional cycle
• Address the need to plan for accommodations and modifications for exceptional learners such as special education students, ELL and gifted/advanced learners

Could Fridays Get Any Better? Only If You Join Us for Standards-Based Learning “Framework Fridays!”

EdCamp-style workshops will be held throughout the 2018-19 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) Including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you--you don’t need to attend all nine. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
First Friday of the month from Oct. 2018 to May 2019

Next Session: Dec. 7, 2018
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Visit our website to register and check out upcoming Framework Fridays.

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 Meeting Reminder - Nov. 6

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will meet on Nov. 6 at DMACC in Ankeny. 

The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. with partner updates. At 9:00 a.m. guest speaker and professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida, Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., will present a workshop entitled, “Promoting Students’ Complete Mental Health in a Multi-Tiered Framework.” This session is designed for superintendents; all other educators are invited to an afternoon session with Suldo on “Providing Positive Psychology Practices to Improve Students’ Happiness.”

HAA Meeting
Nov. 6
DMACC Ankeny: Student Center, Bldg 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Partner Updates
9:00 - Noon Workshop with Shannon Suldo, Ph.D

Register at this link: https://goo.gl/tHa5MA
There will not be a Zoom option for this meeting

Agenda: HAA Nov. 6 Agenda

Nov. 2018 AEA Update for Superintendents

The Nov. 2018 Update for Superintendents from Iowa’s Area Education Agencies is now available. Topics include a customer satisfaction survey, Iowa Leadership Academy, IASB convention, Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress and Iowa’s Digital Learning Plan.

Great Prairie AEA Invites You to Attend a Workshop Focused on Standards-based Assessment and Grading

Join us for a compelling look at what is and is not standards-based assessment and grading. Explore what it means to be truly evidence-based in assessing and reporting students' achievements regarding standards and learner outcomes. Learn the biggest concerns in grading today: averaging, zeroes on the 100-point scale, re-do's, percentages, grading scales, late work, valedictorian, marking homework, extra credit, gradebook and report card design, formative vs summative assessments, reporting behavior/effort/character elements, disaggregation, and much more.

Jan. 21, 2019
George Daily Auditorium in Oskaloosa

Register via the course catalog at GPAEA.org. Search Course #160673 GP-Standards-Based Assessment and Grading with Rick Wormeli.

Contact:
StephWilson, wilsons@oskycsd.org or (641) 673-8345
LonnaAnderson, lonna.anderson@gpaea.org or (319) 753-6561 ext.1208

Free Workshop on Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom Coming Nov. 6

If your district or building is looking at behavioral interventions in the classroom, this is a reminder that Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., will be here on Nov. 6 to deliver a free workshop to educators. If you have questions about student behavior outcomes, this session might be a support that could enhance energy in buildings with some new approaches to behavioral interventions in the classroom.

This workshop will also look at specific strategies at the Tier 1 level for promoting all children’s happiness through schoolwide and classwide strategies that target improvements in the factors correlated with children’s subjective well-being, including positive teacher-student relationships evident in schools with a healthy climate, as well as students’ personal levels of gratitude, optimism and use of character strengths. Participants will also become familiar with tools to assess positive psychology constructs, including how to incorporate such measures in universal screenings and progress monitoring.
Shannon Suldo, Ph.D., is a professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida and provides school-based mental health services to youth in the Tampa area.

Registration
Nov. 6, 2018
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Register at this link: https://goo.gl/Nvp8w6

Share This Monthly Networking Opportunity with Your Parents and Caregivers of Students with Special Needs

Parents and caregivers of students with special needs: join us for “Conversation & Coffee,” our monthly morning coffee group! Learn about community resources and upcoming events and network with parents who have similar experiences and challenges.

Mark your calendar for these 2018-19 meeting dates!

• Nov. 15, 2018
• Dec. 20, 2018
• Jan. 17, 2019
• Feb. 21, 2019
• March 14, 2019 (due to Spring Break)
• April 18, 2019
• May 16, 2019

Conversation & Coffee meets the third Thursday of each month from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at the 100th Street Corner Café in Urbandale.

RSVP appreciated but not necessary: Kari Paulsen, Family & Educator Coordinator, Heartland AEA, at kpaulsen@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14493.

Nov. 2018 Iowa BoEE Newsletter

The Nov. 2018 BoEE Quarterly Newsletter is now available. In this issue: initial license expiration dates, renewals, Iowa licensure types, December graduates, holidays, ethics/educator boundaries and recent cases.

Nov. 2018 School Leader Update

The Nov. 2018 School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.