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 2019-20 meeting dates!
- Sept. 19, 2019
- Oct. 17, 2019
- Nov. 21, 2019
- Dec. 19, 2019
- Jan. 16, 2020
- Feb. 20, 2020
- March 12, 2020 (due to Spring Break)
- April 16, 2020
- May 21, 2020
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.
Heartland AEA is pleased to announce Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing is now available for infants at each of the Agency’s hearing testing locations.
ABR is an objective test that allows an audiologist to get information about a baby’s hearing without needing a response from the child. This testing is typically done when a child has not passed their hearing screening test at birth or at their two-week follow-up screening. A parent, primary care physician or ENT specialist can contact Heartland AEA to make an appointment to have ABR testing done.
The test is done by sending a sound into the child’s ear and measuring whether or not the cochlea, or hearing organ, passes the sound to the baby’s brain. Typically, a child is sleeping during the test and does not feel anything. The audiologist will put a few pads on the child’s forehead and near their ears to make the measurements while the sound goes into the child’s ears with soft earphones. After the testing is complete, the audiologist will talk through the results with parents/caregivers.
Heartland AEA is happy to partner with the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Office of the Iowa Department of Public Health and the University of Iowa’s Center for Development and Disabilities to bring this new tool to infants and families to detect hearing issues as soon as possible.
- For infants birth to 7 months of age
- No cost to parents/caregivers
- Testing available at Heartland AEA offices in Ames, Carroll, Indianola, Johnston and Knoxville
- Call (515) 289-2611 or (800) 362-2720 to schedule an appointment
In the coming weeks, districts will be getting the results of the first ISASP. The new state assessment results will provide the opportunity for reflecting how well instruction is aligned to the Iowa Core and for identifying changes that will ensure instruction is aligned. At the MISIC: Members Impacting Students; Improving Curriculum Conference, attendees will learn how to move to a more tightly aligned system of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Shifting Classroom Practice for the ISASP and Beyond Conference
Oct. 1, 2019
Courtyard by Marriott, 2405 SE Creekview Dr, Ankeny
Learn more about the conference and register at http://misiciowa.org/.
Joe Sanfelippo, Ph.D., will headline the Iowa School Public Relations Association 2019 Fall Conference on Oct. 25, 2019, at Central Rivers AEA in Cedar Falls, IA. Register now for this great opportunity to learn, grow and walk away with tools to engage parents and staff in a way that will improve support for your district and your mission!
Superintendent Dr. Joe Sanfelippo started the #1minwalk2work Leadership Challenge, and co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story. Sanfelippo was named one of five K-12 administrators to watch in 2018 by Education Dive. He has been a featured speaker in multiple states in the areas of Advancing the Use of Social Media for School Leaders, Telling Your School Story, Creating a Culture of Yes, and Personalized Professional Growth for Staff. Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI.
Featured Speakers
- Jane Colacecchi is a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contractor and Iowa School Safety Alliance Board member who has smart ways to share your school's safety plan with parents and the community without compromising student and staff safety. She will also provide a foundation for helping your families prepare for any school emergency.
- Ahlers and Cooney, P.C., the law firm representing many of Iowa's largest school districts, will offer copyright law basics every school employee should know to avoid annoying demand letters and costly lawsuits.
Registration
Continental breakfast and lunch are included in the conference fee. Registration must be completed by Oct. 18. Due to scheduling of space and resources, no refunds will be offered.
For more information, contact Amanda Lewis, Des Moines Public Schools Communications Officer and ISPRA Vice President, at (515) 242-8162 or amanda.lewis@dmschools.org.
The Iowa Department of Education provided an ESSA update at the Heartland AEA Curriculum Network meeting on Sept. 6. The following documents were shared:
Public ESSA School Improvement Training Calendar
ESSA Regional Training Sessions
ESSA School Improvement Timeline
*Note: The first ESSA Regional Training Sessions are on the new MTSS Data System (Panorama Student Success) and they will be held in October.
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 Heartland AEA Instructional Technology consultants have a ton of great stuff planned for you this school year! Webinars, networking, coaching, collaboration, learning opportunities galore! The primary role of this tech team is to provide consultative services to the schools served by Heartland AEA related to planning, professional development and integration of appropriate instructional technologies to improve instruction and outcomes for students. The Instructional Technology newsletter is a good starting point to see what’s available, view past training and plan for the school year!
The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program, developed by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), is a one-day training that provides the opportunity for educators to obtain initial certification in CPI's "Nonviolent Crisis Intervention" program or renewal certification for individuals who are not eligible for the recertification training (e.g., expired certification). Participants will receive an introduction to crisis prevention focusing on non-physical strategies, including non-verbal, para-verbal and verbal techniques that can be used to assist in de-escalating behavior.
Participants will receive instruction, role-playing, practice and feedback in using personal safety techniques, such as blocking, moving and releasing to avoid or minimize injury when interacting with an individual who is escalated. This training also includes instruction, role-playing, practice and feedback in the use of physical restraint strategies, transport techniques and team strategies to maintain safety when an individual engages in escalated behavior that is dangerous to self or others.
Please note:
- The strategies taught in this training are not intended to replace behavior intervention plans (BIP) for individual students, but rather to provide strategies for school staff to use to maintain safety during unusual situations or circumstances not addressed in a BIP.
- To maintain certification, individuals are required to participate in the CPI's "Nonviolent Crisis Intervention" re-certification training at least annually.
- Trainees must be employed by a school district in Heartland AEA’s service area.
Registration:
Initial Training
Registration Link
Use course #180648 and select a section
Intended Audience: District staff who work with individuals 3-21 years who engage in problem behaviors that have the potential to result in injury to self or others.
Refresher Training
Registration Link
Use course #180315 and select a section
Intended Audience: District staff who have been through the CPI: Nonviolent Crisis Intervention 1-day-training within the past year and who need to receive recertification.
For more information or questions, contact the Heartland AEA Regional Director who serves your district or one of the CPI trainers at Heartland AEA:
Region 1: Lauren Vanderhorst, Jenny Henscheid
Region 2: Becky Tigges, Sue Klein
Region 3: Aimee Schuppe, Stacey Warren
Region 5: Todd York
Region 6: Gina Koehler
Region 7: Chris Rial, Amanda Jefferson
Region 8: Brenda Gerdes, Amanda Khader
This is the second presentation in our 3-part SEBMH Leadership Series
Clayton Cook, Ph.D., will support participants in understanding the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practices to improve youth access to needed social, emotional and behavioral supports in schools within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). The session will also focus specifically on implementation science and the understanding of factors and strategies that impact the successful development, delivery and sustainment of evidence-based practices as part of service delivery within schools. This work is intended to address the longstanding science-to-practice gap.
Oct. 1, 2019
AGENDA
9 - 10 a.m. Regular Heartland Administrators' Association Business Meeting and Partner Updates
10 - 11:30 a.m. Superintendent Session with Clayton Cook, Ph.D.
11:30 - 12:30 p.m. Lunch on your own
12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Session for all Educators
REGISTRATION
Register at no cost at this link with course #180604. Select a section to attend.
LOCATION
Des Moines Area Community College Student Center, Bldg 5 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny
*Allow extra time for parking on the DMACC campus
Please spread the word within your networks about new opportunities for K-12 students, employers and teachers through the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning.
Work-based learning empowers students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to high-quality, real-world professional experiences. The clearinghouse is a virtual space that connects students and schools with employers statewide through shared work-based learning projects.
The clearinghouse has two key features:
- A project board in which Iowa employers post real-world tasks that students complete under the supervision of their teachers.
- A business partner directory for teachers to find other kinds of work-based learning opportunities, such as internships, that employers have expressed interest in.
High-quality work-based learning helps students prepare for future careers, helps employers grow a skilled workforce, and helps teachers make coursework come alive. The clearinghouse will make these opportunities more readily accessible to K-12 students statewide, especially in rural communities.
Resources
About the ClearinghouseThe Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning was established by Gov. Reynolds through an executive order as part of the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which is about closing the state’s skilled worker gap by connecting Iowans to the training and education required for rewarding careers. The clearinghouse is run by the Iowa Department of Education in partnership with Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, Iowa Workforce Development, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.
The Sept. issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.
