Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve
the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
Semi-annually, Heartland AEA must comply with the Federal Grant rules identified in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-87, pertaining to documentation needed for federal expenditures. For employees who are funded 100% with federal funding, there are Circular A-87 audit requirements we need to meet in order to document appropriate expenditures.
If you are in the fully-funded group, on Wed., Dec. 10 you will receive an email from heartlandworkflow with the subject A87 Certification Notice - Action Required with a link to the certification page. The process is very simple and the same as previous years.
If you are new to this process or need a refresher, this 5-minute PowerPoint presentation explains the background for Circular A-87 and the steps Heartland AEA is taking to meet the A-87 requirements. Keep in mind that the video was created in March 2011. Although, some of the dates and timelines in the video are old, the process and the purpose of the A-87 certification are still the same. The password to view the video is: a87aea
You will need to click on the play button in order to start the video. As the video will explain, employees who are fully-funded from one grant will need to certify every six months that they are performing duties allowed under the federal grant.
If you have any questions, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at bwhalen@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14005. The Business Office appreciates your prompt completion of the certifications and your assistance in helping us comply with this reporting requirement.
The Dec. 2014 issue of the Each and Every Child newsletter from the Iowa Dept. of Education showcases the top school in Iowa when it comes to delivering a quality education for students on Individualized Education Programs. At the school – Davis Elementary in the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District – a full 82 percent of its students on IEPs are proficient in reading and math.
The agenda for the Dec. 9, 2014 Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is now available.
Colfax-Mingo CSD has changed its e-mail addresses. All e-mail addresses now end with @colfaxmingo.org instead of @mail.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us. Please make any needed changes to your contacts and distribution lists.
Please take note of the following schedule as you plan to send and receive items through our van mail.
- Dec. 22 & 23 – Regular Van Delivery
- Dec. 24-Jan. 2 – No Van Delivery
- Jan. 5 – Regular Van Delivery Resumes
As was communicated last spring, the
Agency Planning Council (APC) has decided to try something new during
the 2014-15 calendar year that is a change from our traditional
“floating holiday” schedule for staff who have 261-day work schedules.
See below for a schedule of what we will call “Winter Break.” This
extended Winter Break is something the Agency will try this year, and
APC will review it as part of the annual calendar-building process.
Wednesday, Dec. 24
- Staff work day
- Offices closed to the public
- One-hour early dismissal (as usual before a holiday)
Thursday, Dec. 25
- Official agency holiday
- Offices closed to staff and public
Friday, Dec. 26
- Official floating holiday
- Offices closed to staff and public
Monday, Dec. 29 & Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Additional floating holidays for employees with 261-day work schedules
- Offices closed to staff and public
Wednesday, Dec. 31
- Official floating holiday
- Offices closed to staff and public
Thursday, Jan. 1
- Official agency holiday
- Offices closed to staff and public
Friday, Jan. 2
- Staff work day
- Offices closed to the public
There are two policy changes impacting the way we offer credits at Heartland AEA. They both go into effect July 1, 2015, but we want to alert you of these changes as you plan for your professional learning opportunities after that date.
LR/EDMA Policy Changes
1) All graduate credit courses must now include 30 hours of learning/application in addition to the 15 hours of collaborative team time.
2) All license renewal classes offered for graduate credit will need to include the 30 hours of learning/application in addition to the 15 hours of collaborative team time. (You may still offer a course for LR only, but if it is offered for graduate credit, the expectations for both LR and graduate credit will be the same.)
Instructor Meetings Scheduled
Because we anticipate many questions regarding the change and the process for rewriting courses, we are holding two instructor meetings in early February. This is entirely voluntary, however, we encourage you to register for one of the sessions to collaborate with other instructors, Heartland AEA and Drake University as we move to this change in practice.
The sessions will be held at the Heartland AEA Johnston REC in Room 107B as follows:
Feb. 5, 2015
4-7 p.m.
Activity #MT000792111501
Feb. 7, 2015
9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Activity #MT000792111502
Please contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@heartlandaea.org if you have any questions or concerns.
