Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, and Iowa developed Area Education Agencies (AEAs) to provide support services required by the Act. Though 75 percent of each AEA’s budget is tied to special education, the Iowa legislature assigned many other responsibilities to the AEAs to provide support to schools. Some of the most frequently used of these services include:- Media including books, videos and online resources
- Professional Development
- Technology
- The AEA system assures families that each child will receive quality educational services and materials regardless of where they live – in a large district or a small one.
- The AEA provides specialists who work with young children and in schools to support students, families and teachers. These special roles include:
- Speech-language pathologists
- Social workers
- Physical and occupational therapists
- School psychologists
In smaller districts, the student caseload may require less than a full-time person. AEAs hire these specialists and provide these services to multiple schools and districts. AEAs assist districts to meet the requirements of mandates such as No Child Left Behind, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Iowa Core and the Iowa Teacher Quality Initiatives. Currently, Iowa has nine AEAs. All public and accredited non-public schools receive AEA support services. State law also requires the AEAs to provide services to parents who home-school their children. Iowa’s AEAs are impacting lives. Visit http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/ to read the “Impacting Lives” blog newsletter, which is a statewide effort to communicate AEA success stories and services across the state. If you have a story to share, contact the Communications Department at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Below you will find facts and figures about the educators and schools Heartland serves. The data is from the 2011-2012 school year and comes from the Iowa Department of Education. Use this data as you see fit when telling others who we serve. We update the data each fall.
Number of students in public school districts, PK-12
131,904
Number of students in accredited non-public schools, PK-12
8,401
Total number of students, PK-12
140,305
Number of public school districts
53
Number of public school buildings, PK-12
294
Number of accredited non-public schools
29
Number of full-time principals and superintendents in public schools
313
Number of full- and part-time teachers in public schools
9,026
Number of full-time administrators in accredited non-public schools
37
Number of full- and part-time teachers in accredited non-public schools
564
Total number of administrators and teachers
9,940
It’s not too late to get a new shirt for the start of the school year! Lands’ End is still the official vendor for Heartland-logo clothing items. Our Lands’ End e-store can be found at ces.landsend.com/heartlandaea. You can go to the site to purchase any clothing item, case, bag or tote in any color you like with the Agency’s logo. Happy shopping!
The rollout of iPads to staff is nearly complete, thanks to the coordinated efforts of IT, Professional Development and Instructional Technology Consultant staff. Now that staff members have iPads, we have received numerous inquiries about iPad apps. As a result of these inquiries, APC has approved the following process for purchasing work-related iPad apps:
The Agency will support iPad work-related app purchases for staff members to a cumulative amount of $25. This amount applies to both Agency owned and personally owned devices used for work. The process requires that staff members have an iTunes account to support iPad app purchases.
When possible, staff are encouraged to coordinate app purchases within their workgroups to take advantage of Apple discounts (50% off for orders of 20 or more). iPad app training requests must be coordinated through workgroups. Staff should contact Judy Cleveland, extension 14538 or jcleveland@aea11.k12.ia.us, to request work-related apps. IT will order the app from iTunes, and distribute the app to agency-owned iPads using the Self Service process. For apps to be loaded on personally-owned iPads, IT will send an email to the staff member with a code allowing them to download the app from their personal iTunes account.
This process will be piloted through December 2012 and applies to iPad apps only, and does not apply to music, ebooks or computer software (computer software will continue to be managed in accordance with staff handbook guidance). APC will evaluate the process at that time, so your feedback over time will be helpful. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Prall (sprall@aea11.k12.ia.us) or Lance Wilhelm (lwilhelm@aea11.k12.ia.us).
Frequently Asked Questions about the App Ordering Process
Can I download free apps to my agency iPad?
Yes. Use your personal iTunes account to download free apps.
What if I want to order an app that costs more than $25?
During this pilot period, you will not be able to order an app that costs more than $25.
Can I order apps for my iPhone or other smart phone?
No, the Agency is supporting this process for iPads only.
Can I order apps for another brand of electronic tablet?
No, the Agency is supporting this process for iPads only.
Heartland area schools are relying more and more each year on Internet connectivity to provide a 21st century education to their students, and their need for Internet bandwidth is growing exponentially. An important service provided by Heartland is Internet access, which is offered free to all of our districts. While some districts choose to use other providers, Heartland and the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) work together to provide Internet access to 45 of our 53 school districts and several of our private schools.
As noted earlier, the demand for bandwidth has been increasing rapidly over the past decade. For the 2012-2013 school year, Heartland will provide 2.5 gigabytes of Internet bandwidth at no cost to the participating schools, more than triple the 800 megabytes provided in 2011-2012. That’s a lot of Google searches!
AEA staff and their district colleagues are invited to attend a one-day session, “Becoming a Skilled Facilitator in a Learning School,” hosted by Learning Forward (formerly the Iowa Staff Development Council) and presented by Dr. Linda Munger. The session is on October 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Participants will have an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and skills in becoming a skilled facilitator in a learning school (PLC). Click here for an informational brochure with registration details.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on for its educational value.
Click here to download the September 2012 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education.
The Iowa Department of Education is pleased to provide all school systems in Iowa with free access to TransACT® parent notifications. TransACT can be used to help schools meet complex federal and state parent notification requirements in multiple languages.
Iowa’s subscription includes:- GenEd Parent Notifications
- More than 100 school forms, notices and letters translated into more than 21 languages
- NCLB Parent Notifications
- More than 80 notices supporting NCLB parent communication mandates. Also includes NCLB RoadMaps, a comprehensive suite of online reporting tools for state personnel to monitor parent notification progress.
- EduPortal® eLibrary - Iowa Resources
- State-specific resource folder containing documents uploaded by the Iowa Department of Education
The kickoff for internal capacity building will be held at six regional sites in September. Certified staff and PECs are encouraged to sign up for these sessions as soon as possible. The content of the September sessions will focus on technology, professional learning communities and coaching.
If you have any questions about internal capacity building, please contact Kevin Fangman, Director of District Services, at kfangman@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Training Sessions
September 5
Adel Public Library
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047899991301
September 12
DMACC Campus, Newton
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047892111301
September 14
Zion Lutheran Church, Des Moines
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047899991302
September 17
Johnston REC
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047892111302
September 21
Ames Office
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047892111303
September 24
Carrollton Inn, Carroll
8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
IN047899991303
Below you will find a message from Robin Olberding, the Agency’s Adapted Physical Education Consultant. If you have any questions or want to discuss the services she offers, contact Robin at rolberding@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 12369.
I am the Adapted PE Consultant for all the schools served by Heartland AEA. I have been an Adapted PE Consultant for the past 28 years, and I’m housed in the Ames Office. I’m asking for your assistance and support during this school year.
In order to meet the needs of students and teachers in all our districts, I would appreciate being informed of concerns/needs, as you become aware of them, in the PE/recess/rec-leisure area. The following information will be helpful when you contact me:
- Student’s name and grade
- Teacher contact
- School/District
- Area of concern
- Disability (if known)
This information will greatly assist me in addressing concerns in a timely manner. I would also like to be as pro-active as possible in meeting the needs of students and teachers. If you would like my input or attendance at meetings, please let me know dates and times as early as possible.
Adapted PE Consultation services are appropriate when:
- Problem-solving is needed to generate programming ideas for students’ with disabilities participation in physical education
- Modified equipment or instructional materials are needed
- The LEA staff needs consultative assistance to meet the physical education needs of students with disabilities
- Assistance is needed to determine appropriate placement of students in PE
- Educators are collaborating for successful inclusion of students in physical education and are in need of additional support
Physical Education should be addressed on each IEP on Page G. If you have questions regarding student specific concerns, please contact me (preferably before the IEP meeting). This includes regular PE—the student walks into the gym like every other student in the building, PE with modifications—if any modifications are listed on the IEP (student uses a mobility device, associate, behavior plan) and specially-designed PE—if the student does not attend PE with general education students. Contact me directly and I can assist with more details for this option.
I have equipment to loan to teachers if there is a need, and I will continue to host our special events: Hot Shot Basketball (secondary students) and Track and Field Fun Day (K-12). You can find more information on these events at www.aea11.k12.ia.us/ape.
Please share this information with the Special Education staff in the buildings you serve. It will be most helpful if I could get the name and e-mail address of all Level 2 or 3 teachers in your district.
If you have any questions or if there are situations where my services would be beneficial to you or the students you serve, please contact me.
