We Want to Hear From You! Take the HAA Oct. 2016 Meeting Survey

The October Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) meeting is just around the corner and with our changed format, there will be time for the group to exchange ideas and interact with other partners. We’d like you to help us prioritize the topics you have interest discussing with your colleagues. Please complete this short survey. Thank you for your input!

Celebrating Iowa’s Success is Looking for Presenters!

Iowa's schools are implementing successful reading interventions every day! These efforts are being supported with a symposium to share effective practices in reading interventions. If you would like to share your school’s interventions and/or instructional strategies with supportive data, consider being a part of the Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids (C4K) annual event and share your knowledge and successes with other educators in our state.

Call for Presenters: Celebrating Iowa’s Success!
Date: Jan. 23, 2017
Location: Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines

Presenter Application Deadline: Nov. 29, 2016
Selection Date: Dec. 9, 2016

Application Form

For more information, contact Mary Jane Stites or Mark Crady, Coordinators of C4K Training Cadre, at
mstites@heartlandaea.org or mcrady@heartlandaea.org.

Calling All Science Teachers! Iowa Science Standards Module 2 Workshops Coming to a Town Near You

The two-day Iowa Science Standards Module 2 workshops are a continuation of the work that was begun last year with the Iowa Core Science Standards Overview (Module 1). Participation in Module 1 (or something equivalent) is a prerequisite for Module 2. The focus this year will be on unpacking the standards and developing coherent science lessons/units. This will include identifying "the right" (scientific) phenomena to use in a lesson/unit, using portions of the EQuIP Rubric to measure the alignment to the NGSS and overall quality of lessons/units and bundling standards in a lesson/unit. All workshops are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Educators have the option of taking the Iowa Science Standards Module 1 from AEA PD Online. This can be used as a review or as new learning for those who were unable to take the PD last year. If you choose to take the online Module 1, we encourage you to take this session as a group, so you have meaningful group conversations. To access Module 1 Online visit the AEA PD Online website, click on the "Catalog" button and search for "science standards." Participants will need to login (or create a login) in order to take this online module.

All Module 2 workshops and registration links can be found on this page of our website.

Join the Academy and Create a Systematic Process to Ensure all Students Learn at High Levels

Are you seeking clarity on how to be more efficient and effective in building a system of supports for your students? Do you have a culture of collective responsibility? Or maybe you need assistance on improving your Iowa School Report Card rating? To get answers to these questions and more, leadership teams are invited to attend this MTSS Academy.

An Academy for Middle Schools and High Schools MTSS: Creating a Systematic Process to Ensure all Students Learn at High Levels

Dates: Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, 2016

Location: Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Register here

For more information, call (800) 255-0405 ext. 14701.

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming C4K Administrator Webinars

Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids (C4K) is a partnership between schools and leaders with a commitment across the educational system to work effectively and efficiently to achieve statewide priorities, like the Iowa Core, Learner Strategies and Supports, School Improvement, Educator Quality and Teacher Leadership.

The C4K leadership team is offering administrators ongoing webinars related to the tools and resources for MTSS and the early literacy initiative.

Plan to engage in the first administrator webinar with your colleagues on Nov. 8, 2016, from 2:00-3:15 p.m. Additional information about this webinar will be forthcoming. Learn more here

Heartland AEA to Host Resource Fair for Students with Special Needs and Their Families

The Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair, Oct. 8, 2016, is an event for families to enjoy together. The Fair offers students with special needs and their families an opportunity to meet service providers from central Iowa. Adults can also attend presentations on challenging behavior or transitioning students to life after high school.

Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair

Date: Oct. 8, 2016
Location: Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater, 401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines, IA
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon

Families attending the fair receive free admission to the Science Center and free parking in the ramp. To enable parents' full participation in breakout sessions, stipends are available to bring along a childcare provider or assistant for your child.

Schedule
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions

*Managing Your Child's Challenging Behavior
*Life After High School: Transitions to Adult Services

10:00 a.m. - Noon Service Provider Tables Open

The Science Center opens to the general public at 10:00 a.m. and families are welcome to explore at their leisure.

MISIC is Offering Workshops on Iowa Standards, SBAC and PE, Art & Music Standards

MISIC is hosting a series of workshops on Leading the Iowa Standards, Smarter Balanced Assessments and new standards for PE, Art and Music. MISIC worked with groups of teachers in PE, Art and Music to develop an exemplary set of standards based on the new national standards from Shape America and National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. Visit the MISIC website for more information.

Public Input Sought on Every Student Succeeds Act

Iowa Department of Education leaders will hit the road this fall as part of a statewide tour to gather public input as they develop a plan to meet the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Nine public input meetings will be held across Iowa from September through November with the first one scheduled Sept. 26 at Heartland AEA in Johnston from 5:00-7:00 p.m. All meeting dates and locations are listed on the Iowa Department of Education website.

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

Early Bird Registration is Open for the Iowa Culture and Language Conference

Iowa Culture and Language Conference
Date: Nov. 15-16, 2016
Location: Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Coralville, Iowa

Conference Registration
Early Bird Registration (ends Oct. 15): $145
Pre-Registration (Oct. 16-Nov. 9): $175

District participants and administrators in the EL Leadership Academy are encouraged to register during the Early Bird window to avoid additional registration costs.

Pre-Conference
Nov. 14, 2016
Registration Rate for Nov. 14 ONLY: $140

Send Teams!
Plan to send teams of ESL and non-ESL educators. In addition, per recent Iowa Department of Education guidance, district teams that were required to write Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) in 2015-16 will still be required to attend a special CAP session at ICLC, however no new districts will get added to the CAP List in 2016-17.

**Heartland AEA Support: Heartland AEA will provide the following support through district reimbursement following the conference:

• Registration fees for both the pre-conference and conference
• Sub costs
• Flat amount to districts to defray mileage and hotel costs ($200 per participant) NEW!

Claim forms will be available at the conference.

Registration and additional information for the Iowa Culture and Language Conference is located at iowaclc.com.

Seats Are Filling Up for Visible Learning Institute - Sign Up!

Our Visible Learning Institute is filling up quickly! We are pleased that 22 of our districts will be represented. There is still time to sign up if you and members of your district are interested. We spoke with the facilitator and he suggested that superintendents bring at least one other district person with them so that they can work as a team during the presentations. This is not a requirement but merely a recommendation. If you are interested, sign up as soon as possible.