AEA Learning Online Opt-In Fee and Heartland AEA Support

AEA Online Learning services are provided at a low price for Iowa school districts. AEA Learning Online has an annual opt-in fee for districts to help support many programs and services they provide. For years, AEA Learning Online has been able to maintain the same low cost for districts, in large part through revenue from required Mandatory Reporter training. By charging individual employees for completing this required training, AEA Learning Online was able to lower costs to districts.

In the summer of 2019, legislation was passed requiring the use of one Mandatory Reporter curriculum from the Iowa Department of Human Services. While this has the advantage of lowering the cost for educators to renew their own licenses, it also meant AEA Learning Online would not be able to rely on that revenue to lower costs for districts. As a result, the opt-in fee will be going to $1 per enrolled student in the 2020-21 school year.

Heartland AEA has always paid the opt-in fee for districts in our area. For 2020-21, the agency will continue our current funding level of support for our districts of .$50 per enrolled student, and the remaining $.50 will be invoiced to districts by AEA Learning Online.

Beginning July 1, 2020, AEA Learning Online is pleased to offer Mandatory Reporter trainings for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse at no cost for district employees in the AEA Learning Online Training System. Teachers will no longer need to go to the DHS site to complete their training, meaning: 1) they will now have the active phone and help-ticket support that the AEAs provide, and 2) districts will have access to their records of completion.

Refer to this AEA Learning Online document for complete details of AEA Learning Online, the opt-in program and how Heartland AEA supports districts.