Heartland AEA will be
undergoing an exciting project to replace the heating and cooling (HVAC)
system in our Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) at 6500
Corporate Drive. The project will bring important improvements to the
environment of the building, leading to increased comfort for our staff
and visitors. It will also increase the overall energy efficiency of the
building. The project is slated to take place between February 1 and June 1, 2014.
This
means that all meetings and activities during this period, with the
exception of the February 4 HAA meeting, will be relocated to alternate
locations. Most meetings have been moved to the former Walnut Creek
Campus building at 815 8th Street in West Des Moines. We will be calling
the building the Heartland AEA West Des Moines Campus to avoid
confusion with the current Walnut Creek Campus down the street.
The
West Des Moines Campus building has many rooms, both large and small,
to accommodate different types of meetings. It is handicapped
accessible, has ample parking and is close to various restaurants. We
will do our best to provide as many amenities as possible, including
wireless Internet, some rooms with dedicated LCD projectors and access
to copying and printing. While it won’t have the same amenities as the
Johnston REC, it will be more than adequate to serve as a temporary
meeting space during the remodeling project.
The REC building will be open during the remodeling project except during the week of March 15-22.
No one will be allowed in the building during this week, and there will
be no van delivery to schools. We apologize for any inconvenience this
may cause.
Our goal is to create a better environment in our REC
building, and we thank you in advance for your understanding during
this project. We would appreciate it if you would pass this message on
to everyone in your district or school.
If you have any questions, please contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@heartlandaea.org.
Click here to view photos from the West Des Moines Campus.
The new Special Education Procedures Manual and Special Education Procedure Release Notes, both dated January 15, 2014, are now posted on the Iowa IDEA website at www.iowaideainfo.org. These documents are currently posted on the front page of the IDEA website in addition to their permanent location under the IEP drop down menu > Statewide Special Education Procedures > Manual.
If you have any questions, contact Misty Christensen, Regional Director/Assistant Director of Special Education, at mchristensen@heartlandaea.org.
As you are aware, the new Early Literacy Law (Iowa Code Section 279.68 and IAC 281-62) contains several requirements for Iowa schools that are now in effect. One of the requirements is that schools provide universal screening and progress monitoring using Department-approved assessment tools. The approved list is located at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
To assist districts with the implementation of these expectations the Department of Education as part of Collaborating for Iowa's Kids (C4K; made up of Iowa's Area Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, and the Department) is currently working on a plan to provide all Iowa schools with access to Iowa TIER, the Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) and the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs). To better prepare for this opportunity, we would like you to take a brief survey to help us determine the number of districts that want access to these tools.
To help you determine your need for and interest in these tools, you will need to know the technology requirements for successful connection to the Iowa TIER system, and you may wish to read additional information on the FAST and IGDIs assessment packages. All of this information can be found at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
During training for these tools, schools will be asked to bring an Internal Coach, Technical Coach, Data Specialist, Content Specialist, and a Building Leader (Principal). Please remember that the funds your district receives pursuant to Iowa Code 279.68 can be used to pay for this training opportunity. More information on the training will also be posted as it becomes available at: www.educateiowa.gov/early-literacy-implementation
Please take the time to complete the survey* by February 7, 2014. We would only like one survey response per district. It will take approximately five minutes. You may wish to read the provided information prior to beginning the survey or open the Early Literacy Implementation web page in another window so you can refer to it as you answer the questions.
*All superintendents received a link to the Early Literacy Implementation survey earlier today (Friday, January 24) in an email sent from the Iowa Department of Education. It is important that there is only one survey response per district.
