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
The regular Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) and Superintendents' Advisory Council (SAC) meeting on Nov. 3 has been cancelled. The HAA will meet via Zoom on Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. as scheduled. Calendar invitations have already been sent.
The Heartland AEA instructional technology consultants' have created the new Heartland AEA Innovative Educators Facebook Group to advance authentic technology integration and to inspire adult and student learners to innovate. You don't have to be working in technology to be a member of the group. All are welcome! Become a member on Facebook if interested!
AEA PREP is providing the additional resources for supporting the successful postsecondary transition for the class of 2021. You may recall, the first step provided direction on developing your Postsecondary Response Team. Steps two and three will center around collecting and analyzing data, step four will provide potential resources, and the last step is to provide ongoing follow-up. Visit the AEA PREP Supporting the Class of 2021 for more information.
In an effort to support the well-being of districts, students, educators and families, we're pleased to bring you "Wellness Inspiration," a resource dedicated to well-being.
Check out the Wellness Inspiration site for well-being resources, tips and fun and share with colleagues and families! This week features:
- 5 Ways to be Kinder to Yourself
- Halloween Funnies
- 8 Steps to Combat Video Conference Fatigue
The Heartland AEA Instructional Technology team has added new tutorials to their newsletter. Check out the supports for Web Paint, Pear Deck and Defined Learning! Also, many technology integration courses start in November. Be sure to check those out if you are looking to earn credit this winter!
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners newsletter is now available. In this issue:
- Licensure System Update
- Renewal Tips
- Substitute Authorizations
- December Graduates
- Hints for School Administrators
- Holidays
- Ethics
- Teaching Online
- Recent Cases
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be providing up to 125 million cloth masks to states for distribution to schools. The Administration intends for these masks to support students, teachers, and staff in public and private schools when reopening and emphasizing students who are low-income or otherwise with high needs and schools providing in-person instruction.
School districts can immediately begin requesting masks from state health departments for adults. All states have received white, reusable, and washable masks for adults and districts in need of additional masks can request them anytime. A few states are already in receipt of reusable, washable masks for youth/children, but most of these masks are still being manufactured and distributed. It is expected that many more states will have youth size masks available in the next two weeks, and by early November, all states will have both youth and adult size masks available for distribution to schools. More information
The Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund application process is now open through Nov. 9 for districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and collaboratives. Funding is aimed at building the computer science teacher workforce by offering high-quality professional development to prepare Iowa teachers to teach computer science, engaging teachers who are new to computer science and encouraging innovation.
The incentive fund was created through 2017 legislation that encourages computer science in every school in Iowa, and is funded through a state appropriation as well as with dollars from a 2007 settlement of an Iowa class-action lawsuit filed against Microsoft Corp.
Applications for funding must demonstrate how schools will prepare K-12 educators to teach computer science and expand high-quality computer science instruction based on Iowa’s computer science standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The goal is for students to have a strong computer science foundation in elementary school, and then build upon it as they move through middle and high school.
For questions about the incentive fund, contact Wren Hoffman at wren.hoffman@iowa.gov or (515) 981-3306.
Read more about the Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund
The Nov. 2020 School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is available.
