Paraeducator Courses Are Being Offered at No Cost to Anyone Who Would Like to Receive A Paraeducator Certificate

Iowa’s AEAs and community colleges are providing paraeducator certification courses at no cost to anyone who would like to receive a paraeducator certificate. Courses through Heartland AEA are full for the fall however, there are several other AEAs and community colleges offering the free courses this fall. Please see this list of available courses in Iowa.

Supporting Learners with Significant Intellectual Disabilities with these Alternate Assessment Fall 2022 Resources

Heartland AEA Supports for Students with Significant Intellectual Disabilities provides information teachers need to be prepared for test administration and instruction.

Are you a new administrator or tech coordinator who is responsible for assigning users and building rosters for the Dynamic Learning Maps Educator Portal? Attend a brief support session to learn about the process for Data Stewards on Sept. 9 from 11:00-11:30 a.m. Access the session at this Zoom link.

Are you a new administrator responsible for coordinating alternate assessment in your district? Attend a brief support session to learn about the process for Assessment Coordinators on Sept. 9 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Access the session at this Zoom link.

Iowa State University Presents the Go Further Fall Girls STEM Conference

Registration is now open for the Go Further Fall Girls STEM Conference hosted by The Program for Women in Science and Engineering at Iowa State University. Join us for a day full of exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Engage in activities centered on STEM Fields, learn more about STEM role models and the amazing opportunities at Iowa State! Conference is for 8-10th grade students. Register today to bring your students to the fall conferences, held at ISU, on Oct. 27 and Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Register today at the conference website. Cost is $25 (includes lunch). Scholarships are available for those with financial need. Email Mackenzie Schwartz for more information and check out the Go Further video!

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

  

REMINDER: Accept your Calendar Invite to Attend the Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) Meeting on Sept. 6

Superintendents should have received a calendar invitation to the Sept. 6 Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meeting. The meeting will include an administrator-only learning session on Fundamentals of Communication and Media Interaction featuring Andy Garman with Wixted & Co. This is an in-person meeting only, with no Zoom option and it will not be recorded.

Lunch will be provided immediately following the meeting. Please accept or decline your calendar invitation as it will be used as a headcount for ordering lunch.

If you wish to bring an extra person, such as your Comms or PR person, please contact Jenny Ugolini. We will be monitoring attendance as attendance will be capped.

AEA Purchasing Items of Interest

AEA Purchasing Summer Education and Food Show
In June and July, AEA Purchasing facilitated ServSafe® certification courses for 462 school food service staff. Of that 462, 68% passed the end exam with scores of 70% or greater. We would like to extend a warm congratulations to all of those who put forth the effort in preparing for and passing the exam! Additionally, our annual School Spirit Shows took place in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines earlier this month, hosting 126 school districts and over 500 members. Activities included four hours of education followed by a food show with 80 companies and 460+ items to sample and review.

IASL Award Book Orders 2022-23
Mark your calendars! The deadline to order the IASL Award Book sets is Aug. 31! More details can be found here.

School Specialty Summer Sale!
Find hundreds of hot buys at cool 40% savings -- but only while supplies last! Click here for more information.

Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies
AEA Purchasing is a proud member of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), a national cooperative of education purchasing professionals representing lead agencies in their respective states. Their contracts are competitively bid and tailored to meet each member state’s specific legal requirements. As a result of this partnership, AEA Purchasing can bring Iowa's schools and service agencies great prices from vendors like School Specialty, Daktronics, CDW-G and more. Click here for more information on this partnership.

Vendor Promotions

Want to know more about our vendor partners and what they have available? Check out this month's Vendor Promotions folder! Special offers, flyers, and brochures are added throughout the month.

The First Curriculum Network Meeting of the New Academic Year Will be Held on Sept. 2

The first Curriculum Network meeting of the year is on Sept. 2. Curriculum Network is held the first Friday of the month, September - May, in the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Circle, in Johnston. Meetings begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 11:30 a.m. A virtual attendance option is available. Statewide updates from the Iowa Department of Education and the AEA system are scheduled 8:30 - 9:30/10:00 a.m. Heartland AEA’s meeting begins 15 minutes after the statewide updates conclude.

Here are the Curriculum Network Highlights for September. The agenda is linked at the top. We will be drawing for books and door prizes for participants who attend the meeting in Johnston. If you want to be added to the email list for Curriculum Network, or have any questions, email Kevin Fangman at kfangman@heartlandaea.org.