Heartland AEA Introduces Preschool Administrators’ Newsletter

Welcome to the Heartland AEA Preschool Administrator's Newsletter! This e-newsletter is for district and community partner leaders to keep you updated on preschool initiatives, state requirements, professional development, assessment and best practices. Enjoy and share with your colleagues! In this issue:

• Communities of Practice
• IQPPS Desk Audit
• ACHIEVE Professional Learning
• Assessment GOLD Checkpoint dates
• myIGDIs
• Professional Learning Activities

Iowa Department of Education Releases Fall 2022 School Leader Update

The Fall 2022 School Leader Update is now available. Some topics include:

• Message from the Director
• Does your student want to serve on the Iowa State Board of Education?
• Iowa e-Learning Central now offers course sharing
• School vulnerability assessment update
• Preschool professional learning webinars
• Student Reporting in Iowa updates

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

  

Save the Date: Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) Meeting Nov. 1

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meeting will be held on Nov. 1 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston. The meeting will include an update from Dr. Ann Lebo and the Iowa Department of Education, and a legislative update from guest panel members Dave Daughton, School Administrators of Iowa, Emily Piper, Iowa Association of School Boards, and Kate Walton, Eide and Walton. View the agenda. There is no Zoom option for this meeting. Lunch will be provided immediately following.

Assistance with Redistricting is Available

Iowa redistricting is currently underway. Redistricting is the process of redrawing electoral districts to equalize population between districts and is required by Iowa law following each decennial Census. If existing school director districts meet the standards in Iowa Code and the 2020 population between districts is still within the required parameters, existing districts can remain in place - though do still need to be recertified by the Iowa Secretary of State.

Redistricting Resources

Cornerstone
Owner Jodi Flory is an Experienced Geographic Information Systems Specialist with a 20+ year history of working with GIS mapping technologies and data analytics. Skilled in administering enterprise GIS for both municipal, county and state government operations. Extensive experience in legislative and local redistricting. Demonstrated experience with the ESRI suite of products in both desktop and web platforms. Superintendents may use this form to enter some basic information to request a meeting. This Frequently Asked Questions may also be helpful.

Jodi Flory
(970) 409-9238
jodiflory@gmail.com
Cornerstone website


Mapping Strategies
Mapping Strategies, LLC., is a data analytics firm focused on practical solutions to public policy issues. Mapping Strategies has provided redistricting services to school districts and is experienced in geographic information systems (GIS) projects. Jim Addy is a former Administrator of School Services and Information for the Iowa Department of Education. Jim oversaw departmental research, information technology, school finance, nutrition, health and transportation programs. Now the president of Mapping Strategies, Addy has personally provided spatial analysis solutions and redistricting for government jurisdictions.

Jim Addy
(515) 554-1049
info@mappingstrategies.com
Mapping Strategies website

Timeline

• Nov. 15, 2022 - First day that school boards can adopt a resolution redrawing director district boundaries
• May 15, 2023 - Deadline for school boards to complete redistricting
• July 1, 2023 - School director district boundaries become effective

Student Success Webinar on Nov. 9 Dedicated to Navigating Preschool Data in Student Success

Panorama will host a webinar dedicated to navigating the preschool data contained within Student Success on Nov. 9. Attendees will learn how to find and drill down into data for preschool children.

Date: Nov. 9, 2022
Time: 2-3 p.m.

Register in advance for this webinar at this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Immediately following the conclusion of the event, Renaissance will host a professional learning session to answer the question, "myIGDIs Fall Data...Now What?" Teams and teachers administering myIGDIs are encouraged to attend. The webinar is scheduled to last 90 minutes. Click here for the link to register or to join on Nov. 9.

Explore Robots and Physical Computing Devices in our Physical Computing Playground!

• 
  Learn best practices and strategies to implement physical computing in classrooms
• Review computer science standards and how they apply to physical computing devices
• Explore what materials Heartland AEA has for checkout

When
Nov. 15, 2022
3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

No registration required - this is an open house format

Where
Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Family Friendly!
Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and instructional coaches are invited to attend.
Kids are welcome! Who better to test our robots than students!

Information
Contact our Playground Facilitator, Marisa Dahl at mdahl@heartlandaea.org

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

  

Save the Date: Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) Meeting Nov. 1

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meeting will be held on Nov. 1 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston. The meeting will include an update from Dr. Ann Lebo and the Iowa Department of Education, and a legislative update from guest panel members Dave Daughton, School Administrators of Iowa, Emily Piper, Iowa Association of School Boards, and Kate Walton, Eide and Walton. Agenda here. There is no Zoom option for this meeting. Lunch will be provided immediately following.

Math Minutes Newsletter is Now Available

The Heartland AEA math newsletter is now available at this link. In this issue:

• Responding to Universal Screening
• Professional Learning:
• Figuring Out Fluency Virtual Book Study
• Numeracy Project
• Early Childhood Math Activities and Routines

Introduction to Learning Acceleration Virtual Learning Series, Coming Oct. 24

How can so many students be graduating from high school unprepared to meet their goals for college and careers?

Students have big, clear plans.

Most students do what they’re asked in school—but are still not ready to succeed after school!

Students spend most of their time in school without access to 4 key resources:

• grade-appropriate assignments
• strong instruction
• deep engagement
• teachers who hold high expectations

Students of color, those from low-income families, English language learners, and students with mild to moderate disabilities have even less access to these resources than their peers.

When students who started the year behind grade level had access to stronger instruction, they closed gaps with their peers by six months.

Come learn more about how to support providing these four key resources!

Introduction to Learning Acceleration will lead development sessions for district and school instructional leaders as well as AEA consultants to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and mindsets they need to provide students access to grade-appropriate assignments and strong instruction.

• The Opportunity Myth
• Introduction to learning acceleration and systems reflection on readiness
• Ensuring access to strong grade level instruction to accelerate to grade level
• Observational tools and feedback for accelerated instruction

TNTP Learning Series: Introduction to Learning Acceleration
Cost: 1 hour recertification credit = $235.00 (Instructor fees + license renewal)
Participation only - $200.00 (Instructor fees)
Led by TNTP (The New Teacher Project) via zoom

Intended Audience: Administrators, AEA Staff, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum Instructors, District & School Leaders

Virtually Oct. 24, Nov. 2 & 11 and Dec. 1, 2022 (8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)
If participants need to miss a session, they will be sent a recording.

Registration: #204431 HL Introduction to Learning Acceleration

Course credit is awarded once all requirements are met and the end of the course date (Dec. 15, 2022)

More information here: Virtual learning series flyer

Approved as Evidence-based Practice

Learning acceleration is approved by the Iowa Department of Education as an evidence-based practice. This may be of particular interest to schools with ESSA designations since it is focused on growth of all students. Heartland AEA is committed to supporting this work and already trained a majority of our professional learning providers and will be supporting their attendance in the Application and Coaching Series.

COMING 2023! TNTP Learning Series: Application and Coaching

**Dates for Part 2 of the Learning Acceleration Series--Application and Coaching will be announced in late November/early December.