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
Busy, on-the-go educators need an easy way to order materials for their classrooms, right? Heartland AEA-area educators, you’re in luck! You can now place all your orders for printing, lamination and graphic design through our new Creative Services Online system!
Log on to Creative Services Online using the same username and password you use for AEA Learning Online training, such as Mandatory Reporter and Bloodborne Pathogens.
The new Creative Services Online system has a number of great features that will help you save time when requesting materials for your classroom. You can:
- Upload files straight to print
- Search our new catalog of products, some of which can be customized for your students or classroom
- Pay online using a purchase order, credit card or Pcard
- Easily re-order items from your order history
- And so much more!
Remember we can print and design just about anything for your classroom or school. Banners, vinyl wall graphics, posters, stickers, folders, business cards, envelopes -- the possibilities are endless!
As always, Creative Services through Heartland AEA is only for classroom/educational use—we do not provide personal printing or design.
Questions? Email our Creative Services Department!
Each year, ISFIS partners with Piper Jaffray and Iowa's Area Education Agencies to provide face-to-face budget workshops for business managers and superintendents. These hands-on workshops are an opportunity for leaders from each district to prepare their individual budgets in one highly productive day. An additional hour at the end of the session is available for districts that would like to stay and complete their 5-Year Financial Projection. The workshop is scheduled at Heartland AEA on Jan. 28. Register online
ISFIS Budget Workshop at Heartland AEA
Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston
Jan. 28, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Register online
For more information, contact Jen Albers at jen@iowaschoolfinance.com or (515) 251-5970 ext 4.
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. Registration and all of the details are available in this Smore newsletter. Please reserve your spot by Jan. 16 so we can have an accurate number for materials, meeting space, etc. Thank you!
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.
School districts are encouraged to consider bringing a team(s) of 3-6 leaders who can learn and work collaboratively around the presented course content and be willing to engage in this work within their respective districts. The cost is $400 per person. The first 200 members of SAI who register will receive a $50 discount on registration. This course meets the requirements for Evaluator Approval II. Please be sure to sign up for this certification during the registration process.
View the academy flyer for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration.
Please share this message with your ELPA21 Test Coordinators.
The ELPA21 2018-19 training modules are available on the AEA PD Online site for training. Please share the ELPA21 Technology Coordinators training with your tech coordinators. The Test Coordinators and Test Administrators trainings have new materials. ESSA requires more emphasis on test security and monitoring. Each school/district will be required to monitor a minimum of two test sessions, with one of the two additionally monitoring the accessibility and/or accommodations used by students. See pages 20-21 in the new test coordinators' training. The Iowa Department of Education provides a State Monitoring Checklist for Test Security and Ethics. It is found in the Appendix of the new State of Iowa Test Security Manual.
Remember, ALL test administrators are required to complete the Test Administrators' training, Administering the ELPA21 2018-2019 Summative Training AND the ELPA21 Accessibility and Accommodations 2018-2019. Test Coordinators should maintain a copy of each test administrator's training certificate on file.
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: Feb. 1
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Visit our website to learn more and register
Mark your calendars for the remaining spring 2019 Framework Fridays:
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 Series
Trevor 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.
This course is designed for K-12 teachers who work with students on alternate assessment for literacy.
This 2-day course will help teachers of students with significant intellectual disabilities make connections between assessment, curriculum and instruction. This course assumes knowledge of comprehensive literacy instruction and the alternate assessment (either ELAA or DLM). It’s not designed to teach about the assessment or instructional strategies.
We strongly recommend that teachers have completed the following prerequisites: 1) attended the literacy class for students on alternate assessment (or the Strat II coursework) and 2) are fluent in at least one of the alternate assessments. Participants will learn about the reports, tools and resources that accompany DLM and ELAA in order to help match instruction to student need; how to unpack and apply essential elements to establish present levels of performance; and ways to write ambitious IEP goals, align services to needs, monitor progress and meet requirements of both alternate assessments. The five routines of literacy will be reviewed, but not explored in depth.
Linking Alternate Assessment, Essential Elements, and Quality IEPs for Literacy
April 16 & 25, 2019
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Register at this link. Seating is limited.
The Iowa Department of Education has named Eric Heitz as the new School Improvement Consultant assigned to schools in the Heartland AEA service area. Eric can be reached at (515) 281-4726 or eric.heitz@iowa.gov. He fills the position that opened when Cindy Butler retired on Dec. 31.
