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
Members of Iowa’s Science
Standards Review Team today recommended adoption of the Next Generation
Science Standards with modifications as Iowa’s new science standards.
The recommendation will be formalized in a report next month and will be sent to the State Board of Education for consideration.
The
Next Generation Science Standards is the name of science standards
developed by 26 states, including Iowa, that all states can consider
adopting and adapting to meet their needs. Academic standards represent
consistent expectations for what students should know and be able to do
from kindergarten through 12th grade. Iowa’s academic standards are
being reviewed, starting with science, as part of Gov. Branstad’s
Executive Order 83.
The review team’s recommendation proposes
modifying the Next Generation Science Standards for Iowa so that only
the performance expectations section is used, rather than the entire
standards document. Members said the performance expectations are easier
to understand, especially for teachers in subject areas other than
science, and allow for more local control because they are broader than
other parts of the standards document.
The team’s recommendation
also proposes modifying the Next Generation Science Standards for Iowa
by separating them by grade level for kindergarten through 8th grade and
organizing the high school standards into a span of grades.
The
Science Standards Review Team’s recommendation was based on the
expertise of members and feedback from Iowans gathered through public
forums and a statewide survey.
Team members said the Next
Generation Science Standards represent an improvement from Iowa’s
current science standards for a number of reasons. They reflect more
modern practices in science, were developed by experts in a process led
by states including Iowa, and include engineering practices – which is
important as Iowa grows its commitment to science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, said Kris Kilibarda, a
review team member.
“These standards will prepare our students
to be scientifically literate citizens and will provide the base for
more advanced study for Iowans who pursue careers in science and
engineering,” said Kilibarda, who is director of the Jacobson Institute
for Innovation in STEM Education at Grand View University.
The
recommendation capped off more than five months of work by the Science
Standards Review Team, which is made up of education and business
leaders with expertise in physical science, life science, earth and
space science, and engineering, technology and application. Iowa
Department of Education Director Brad Buck convened the team last fall
to review Iowa’s science standards, as well as rigorous science
standards from other states and organizations, and to make a
recommendation for improvement.
In December, the review team made
a preliminary recommendation to take the Next Generation Science
Standards to the public for feedback.
A statewide survey and four
public forums throughout the state generated about 2,600 comments in
February. A majority of comments were in favor of the Next Generation
Science Standards. For example, the survey results showed 69 percent of
survey participants agreed that the Next Generation Science Standards
will prepare students to be ready for college, careers and other
postsecondary options.
Review team members studied and discussed
the public feedback at two meetings in March. At their March 24 meeting,
team members agreed that the Next Generation Science Standards should
be the basis for their work on a final recommendation.
At the April 14 meeting, the review team approved the following recommendation on a 9-2 vote:
- We recommend the Next
Generation Science Standards performance expectations be adopted in
Iowa as grade-specific standards for grades K-8 and grade-span standards
for grades 9-12.
The team will work on a
final report to the State Board of Education, which has the legal
authority to determine the content of Iowa’s academic standards.
Find out more about the Next Generation Science Standards and Iowa’s academic standards.
For more information about the Science Standards Review Team, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s website.
The 2015-16 calendar has been added to the Employee Dashboard for all staff who need to complete a calendar. The link to this function is found in the Calendar Online Forms folder on the Leave Online tab.
The calendar presented will be the default calendar based on the individual staff member’s pay assignment. This will look very similar to the Online Calendar View function. However, functionality is built into the interface to allow the personalization of the calendar to reflect the staff member’s schedule. This is done by simply clicking on the day in question. Each time a day is clicked it will change to one of the following:
Blue X – represents a non-working day
Green / – represents a half working day
White Space – represents a full working day
A yellow H represents unpaid holidays, and a yellow H followed by an asterisk (*) represents paid holidays. Sundays and holidays cannot be changed.
At the top of the screen two numbers will be presented. The number on the left is the number of working days based on the days selected as such. In other words, the total of the white spaces (full days) and green slashes (half days). The second number is the number of days expected to work based on the pay assignment. These two numbers must match when the calendar is submitted.
A help doc named “Calendar Online Entry Documentation” is available on the Help tab. This document describes in detail all functions of the interface.
When the calendar is submitted, it will be routed to the staff member’s supervisor just as a leave request would be. And, just as a leave request, the supervisor will review and can approve or reject your calendar. Applicable emails are sent to the staff member and their need-to-know person as well.
Once approved, the 2015-16 calendar can be viewed by the staff member, the supervisor and the need-to-know person. Also, all subsequent changes to the 2015-16 calendar must be submitted via the Calendar Exchange Online request system after July 1, 2015.
The working days calendars are due before you leave for the summer or June 13, whichever comes first.
If you have any questions, contact Samantha Perry, Human Resources Specialist, at sperry@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14432.
The following usually goes out as a memo to certified union staff in September, but Human Resources has been getting a lot of questions and wanted to share with staff at this time. Below is a refresher for course pre-approval/reclassification.
What is reclassification?
Certified union staff members may advance lanes on the salary schedule with additional education (staff development, CEUs and graduate credits). For example with approved credits a staff member can move from the MA lane to the MA+30 lane.
How do I advance?
Pre-Approval: The Course Pre-approval Form is available for download on the intranet in the human resources section. This form should be filled out prior to taking a class for any type of credit. You should keep these forms when approved by your supervisor and turn them into HR with your transcripts only when you are ready to reclassify. This form will serve for reclassification purposes and you will not need to fill out a separate form when all course are completed. Note this form must be opened and completed with Adobe Reader and not Mac Preview.
More information can be found on the Intranet, Human Resources section, under
Salary Advancement Information (Reclassification/Lane Change).
Graduate Credits: Only those graduate hours earned after the date of granting of the respective degree shall be counted toward placement on the next classification.
Staff Development Credits: The employer shall recognize state approved staff development credits for advancement on the salary schedule. Staff development credit shall be limited to seven hours on each of the following lanes: B.A.+15, M.A.+30, and M.A.+45. The employees shall be responsible for their registration fees if the courses are to be applied toward salary advancement.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) Credits: Fifteen Heartland (CEUs) earned after July 1, 2010 will equal one graduate credit toward advancement.
TQ Classes: are allowed to be used for movement on the salary schedule, the employees shall be off contract and responsible for their registration fees.
Please note: Courses may not be taken during the working day (for salary advancement) if the employee is paid during that time. An exchange day, OPL, or unpaid leave would be appropriate options to avoid such a conflict.
What is the deadline?
Requests for reclassification under the schedule of this agreement shall be accepted until October 1 of the contract year in force and effect for graduate credit completed prior to September 1 of the contract year in force and effect. Proof of completion of work taken shall be by official transcript only and must be received by Human Resources on or before October 15 of the contract year in force and effect. Salary increases as a result of such reclassification shall be retroactive to the first day of the employee’s contract of the contract year in force and effect. Salary schedule placement disputes must be brought to the Executive Director of Human Resources by October 1 of the contract year in which the dispute arises before grievance procedures may be initiated. Action regarding adjustment on the salary schedule shall be limited to the current contract year.
Whom do I contract with questions?
Your supervisor or Samantha Perry or Tony Chiaramonte in Human Resources.
Note: The reference for this administrative procedure is Article 18 of the Comprehensive Agreement between the Heartland Education Association and Heartland Area Education Agency.
Here’s a friendly reminder that you need to enroll for employee benefits. Even if you choose to keep the same plan or you had for this year, you still need to designate your enrollment options. Failure to enroll by April 30 may lead to you not being covered for health, dental or flex spending for next year!
Where to go to enroll
Go to Business PLUS Dashboard and then click on to the Employee Online tab. On the left hand side of the page, in blue, you will see Benefit Enrollment, go to Step 3. Once you are in there, it will tell you the coverage that you have under each - Health, Dental and Flex. Even if you don't want Flex, you must enter 0 in order to waive. Once you have made all of your selections, save and it will say “Request Pending,” which means you have successfully enrolled.
Find enrollment instructions with an added bonus, how to print off your benefit statement!
If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315.
As has been shared at the spring regional meetings, additional Delta Dental information resources have been added to the Employee Intranet concerning your coverage and benefits. To find the resources, log in the Employee Dashboard>Intranet>Benefits>Delta Dental.
Are you working toward earning your $50 gift card by participating in the Wellness Challenge? Go to the Healthy Express Wellness Site for more information on the Wellness Challenge. Right now not many of you are participating. Increased wellness and $50? It’s a win-win!
The deadline for completion of the Challenge has been changed to May 30, 2015, so that we can try to roll out a new program with the beginning of our annual benefit year on July 1, 2015. Staff can go back from July 1, 2014 through May 1, 2015 to enter any activities they have completed. Our hope is that on May 1 the gift card program will officially end, and we will have all cards distributed within a week. Although Wellmark’s site says that Sept. 30 is the ending date of the Challenge, we are working with them to get the date changed to May 1.
To participate in the Challenge, log on to wellmark.com and go to the ‘Wellness Center.’ Then go to the ‘Get Rewarded’ tab in the center of the page. After you click on the ‘Get Rewarded’ tab, then click on ‘Heartland AEA Wellness Challenge.’
If you have any questions, contact your Wellness leads, Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, or Katie Streff, Human Resources Assistant.
During the legislative
session, the Joint Education Allowable Growth Group (IASB, UEN, AEAs,
SAI, ISEA and RSAI) will once again be creating weekly factoids about
the need for consistent growth in the state’s annual education spending
rate. These “Facts About Education Funding” will be sent to all
legislators, Gov. Branstad and Dept. of Education Director Buck
highlighting a pertinent fact about education spending in Iowa. Each
week this link will also be shared in The Connection.
Passionate About School: Impact of Fine Arts and Extracurricular Activities on Student Success
We are excited to announce a professional development opportunity for school teams and AEA staff - Showcase of PBIS Systems and Practices –happening May 6 at the DMACC Ankeny FFA Enrichment Center. We will have content related to a variety of topics and age/grade levels. The presentation will showcase local schools sharing examples of systems and practices that have been effective within the Heartland AEA area. Scheduled topics include:
- Restructuring of PBIS Leadership team to align with TLC grant (within an MTSS system)
- Building Relationships
Community Involvement
- Family Involvement in an Early Childhood setting
- Sustainability of PBIS practices
- Implementation at the Middle School level
- Tier 2 Systems at the Elementary level
- Evidence-based practices in Tier 3
- Building consensus and involving students in a High School PBIS system
Target Audience: Schools interested in learning more about implementing MTSS systems for behavior and teams already implementing PBIS
Registration is now open.
The National Autism Center has recently released the new review and analysis of interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on research conducted in the field from 2007 to 2012. The new publication provides an update to the summary of empirical intervention literature (published in the National Standards Report in 2009) and includes studies evaluating interventions for adults (22+), which have never been systematically evaluated before now.
This project is designed to give educators, parents, practitioners and organizations the information and resources they need to make informed choices about effective interventions that will offer children and adults on the spectrum the greatest hope for their future.
It has been more than a year since the Agency moved to Google Mail. At that time, we allowed the old domain of aea11.k12.ia.us to be forwarded to the new Heartlandaea.org email addresses. We have recently discovered that a large percentage of the spam email that people have been receiving is being sent to their old aea11.k12.ia.us address.
In order to reduce the amount of incoming spam email, we will be turning off the forwarding address as of May 1. Please advise people of your heartlandaea.org email address, if you haven't already.
If you have any questions, please contact Tim Weets at ext. 14322.
