Danielson & Crady to Join Administrative Team as Regional Directors

We’d like to welcome Kathie Danielson (Des Moines Schools) and Mark Crady (Norwalk Schools) to our administrative team. We look forward to them joining us this summer as they help us in our mission to improve learning and well-being for central Iowa students.

2nd Semester A-87 Certification E-mails Coming to Federally Funded Staff

On Wednesday, May 1, the second semester A-87 certification will be e-mailed to federally-funded employees. We are following the same process we used for previous certifications. The e-mail will come from aea11_online_systems_WF with the subject A87 Certification Notice - Action Required. There will be a link in the e-mail for employees to follow to complete the certification. If you questions or problems with accessing the link, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at bwhalen@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14005. The Business Office appreciates your prompt completion of the certifications and your assistance in helping us maintain compliance with this reporting requirement.

May Edition of Each and Every Child Newsletter

Click here to find a link to the May 2013 edition of “Each and Every Child” brought to you by the Iowa Department of Education’s Bureau of Student and Family Support Services. This issue has a story on how two high schools in a whole-grade sharing agreement built one supportive environment.

Check Out Fitness Discounts on Employee Dashboard; Look for New Kosama Discount

Check out the Wellness tab on the Employee Dashboard for great health and wellness discounts available to Heartland AEA staff including discounts on: 

• Kosama Total Body Transformation 
• Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping 
• Gym membership discounts 
• Other retail, diet and fitness discounts through Blue365.com

Reminder: Know Your Numbers!

Do you know your numbers yet? Click here to read the article from April 1 that asks staff members to “Know Your Numbers” from your annual physical in order to complete a well-being assessment. Remember, anyone who completes the assessment before May 31 will be entered into a drawing to win wellness-themed prizes, including one grand prize, in which the winner will get to choose from the following: 

• Paid enrollment to 10-week Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping™ 
• Paid enrollment to Hy-Vee’s Begin: Weight Loss and Healthy Lifestyle Program 
• 1-year paid gym membership through Healthways 
• $250 gift certificate to Hy-Vee 
(Prizes may be taxable as required by law) 

If you have any questions, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Generalist, at tchiaramonte@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Staff Who Work With Schools: Please Complete Important RtI Survey

Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids (C4K)—the partnership between the Iowa Department of Education, AEAs and local schools—is conducting an important survey from April 26 to May 3 to determine the state’s readiness to support the new response to intervention (RtI) data system, assessments and early literacy supports. 

C4K’s initial priority focus, collective efforts and resources are on early literacy. All elementary schools, districts and AEAs are being asked to complete the survey for the scale up of RtI in Iowa as part of a statewide effort to improve early literacy results. This survey will help identify the first group of schools that will have free access to the RtI data system, assessments, training, support and coaching. The survey also will also help guide development of statewide, regional and local resources and supports. 

District superintendents, principals and teachers and AEA administrators and staff who work with schools are asked to complete the survey. Results of the survey will be available to each AEA for planning purposes. 

The survey will be active until the end of the day Friday, May 3, and will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please take a few minutes this week to complete this survey as we begin the important collaborative work of RtI as a state. 

Click here to take the survey.

For more information, click here to view a quick five-minute video describing survey components and use of results. You can also click here to read a Readiness Survey Support document. 

For more information about RtI in Iowa, go to the Dept. of Education website here.

If you have any questions, contact the Communications Dept. at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.

AEA Legislative Update

Click here to read the latest update of the Iowa legislative session from the AEA system’s lobbyists, Matt Eide and John Pederson, of the Eide & Heisinger firm.

Be Aware of Scent Sensitivity

Just another friendly reminder asking all staff members to be aware of the perfumes, colognes and lotions you wear and the flowers and plants you bring into the office. Many people are sensitive to scents and can even have dangerous reactions to strong scents. While we don’t expect everyone to stop wearing perfume or lotion or stop bringing flowers to the office, we just ask that you be aware of these activities and how they may affect co-workers and visitors at our offices. Remember that it’s not always easy for co-workers to have these types of conversations with each other, so please take a second to think about how you may be affecting your co-workers.

Leading RtI Session With Kevin Feldman

On May 10, Heartland AEA will host Dr. Kevin Feldman, a leader in the field of Response to Intervention (RtI), for a one-day professional learning opportunity focusing on coaching to support the implementation of RtI. Dr. Feldman’s major contributions are in the areas of building vocabulary and academic English, assisting struggling readers, preventing early reading failure, linking assessment to instruction, developing school-wide content area reading support models for elementary, middle and high schools, differentiating instruction to meet the full range of learners and accommodating and accelerating ELL/special education and other high risk students. If practitioners are interested in attending, please contact your regional director to see if this is a beneficial session for you to attend.

Leading RtI with Kevin Feldman 
May 10, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
FFA Enrichment Center, DMACC Campus (1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny) 
Activity Number: SI015699111301

Iowa Youth Survey Results Available

The results of the Iowa Youth Survey are in, and the state report is available by clicking here. Other reports (county, AEA, etc.) are available at www.iowayouthsurvey.iowa.gov. Superintendents (or a designee) may request local results.