Monday, April 11, 2016

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 



Mark Your Calendars: “Chats With the Chief” Scheduled for April & May

Mark your calendars for “Chat With the Chief” sessions to be held throughout the Agency this spring! These will be non-mandatory open forum-style meetings with no formal presentation. They are an opportunity for you to talk with me about anything and everything. If you aren’t able to attend the session in your region, you are welcome to attend in another region. I look forward to seeing those of you who are able to fit one of the chat sessions into your busy schedule. If you aren’t able to participate in any of the sessions but have input to share, feel free to e-mail me. (Remember you can always contact me if you have questions, concerns, feedback or good news to share.) I look forward to hearing from you!

Paula



For Federally-Funded Staff: 2nd Semester A-87 Email Coming This Week

On April 13, the second semester A-87 certification will be emailed to federally-funded employees. We are following the same process we’ve used for previous certifications. The email will come from heartlandworkflow with the subject A87 Certification Notice - Action Required. There will be a link in the email for employees to follow to complete the certification. If you have questions or problems accessing the link, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at ext. 14005. The Business Office appreciates your prompt completion of the certifications and your assistance in helping us maintain compliance with this reporting requirement.

Time to Sign Up to be a Mentor—Advise a New Staff Member in 2016-17!

It’s that time of year again—time to sign up to be a mentor for the 2016-17 school year! As a mentor, you share your time and expertise to welcome and support new employees as they join our Heartland AEA team. Mentoring is a personally and professionally fulfilling experience that also helps our agency retain great employees. Mentors provide 15 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,000 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made a difference in the career of your mentee. 



It’s easy to sign up! Complete the online Mentor Application by May 13, 2016. If you were a mentor last year, you still need to apply for the new year. After receiving applications, more information will be provided to mentors in the near future for next year’s program. A Mentor Program Guide is available on the Employee Dashboard > Intranet > Human Resources > Mentoring Program Guide.

Reminder: Have You Challenged Yourself to Wellness Activities Yet?

Just a friendly reminder that the activities and challenges through the Heartland AEA Wellness Program are still going on in full force! You can still complete your biometric screening by seeing your doctor or by making an appointment with a Hy-Vee dietitian. If you choose Hy-Vee, let them know that you're a Heartland AEA staff member. If you complete your screening and enter all your information, remember that you earn a FitBit or other catalog items! 

Deadlines: 
  • Last day to complete your biometrics is April 29, 2016.
  • Last day to complete the challenges is May 31, 2016.
  • Last day to use your points towards items in the Wellness Catalog is June 17, 2016.

If you have any questions, contact Wellness Program leads Katie Streff, Human Resources Assistant, or Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist. Thanks for your participation in this important program!

Reminder: Three Weeks Left to Enroll in Benefits!

Our annual benefit enrollment is open to all full-time and 96-day employees from April 1 through April 30, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. for the 2016-17 year benefit year, which begins July 1, 2016. Full-time employees may enroll in health and dental insurance and medical flex spending plans, while part-time staff (96-day) may enroll in the medical flex spending plan. (Note: This enrollment period is not for enrollment in the dependent care plan, which is done in November.) We will need your enrollment selections even if you choose not to make any changes to your benefits for next year. This is the time that you can add and/or drop family members to your health and dental plans without a life event or change of status. 

Enrollment can be completed through the Employee Online tab on the Employee Dashboard. If you are having trouble enrolling, log out of Employee Online and then log in before you start the enrollment process. This helpful tip and more can be found in the enrollment instructions document, which now includes how to print off your benefit statement!

VOYA Life Insurance Enrollment 
During our annual benefit enrollment, employees who didn’t opt for additional life insurance coverage through VOYA can also enroll. Complete the enrollment form and submit it to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist. Existing employees who are enrolling for the first time will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Existing employees who are already enrolled but who want to increase their coverage may also do so at this time. Existing employees may increase their coverage, but if they choose to increase it over $10,000, they will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Enrollment will be during April but will be effective on July 1, 2016.

If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at ext. 14315.

April 2016 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the April 12, 2016 Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is available. Note that the meeting will be held off-site at Youth Emergency Services & Shelter and will include a tour of the facility for board members. There will be no work session, and the board meeting will begin at 4:15 p.m.

AEA Legislative Update Now Available


Each week during the Iowa legislative session, we will bring you an AEA Legislative Update from the AEA system’s lobbyists, Tom Lane, Matt Eide, John Pederson and Kate Walton.

Online Course Offered About Programming for Students on the Autism Spectrum

This is a great opportunity for agency and school staff to learn more about supporting students on the Autism spectrum.  

Effective Programming for Integrated Students on the Autism Spectrum
Target Audience
Teachers, Paraeducators, Interventionists, Administrators and AEA staff who work with students on the Autism Spectrum

Course Description
The course addresses supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the least restrictive environment. Participants will learn characteristics of Autism, importance of classroom supports, promoting acquisition and generalization of social communication, social skill difficulties and focus on intervening based on acquisition, performance and/or fluency difficulties, supporting challenging behavior and collaboration with other school staff, family and outside providers. Participants will explore difficulties for this student as outlined through a thorough understanding of characteristics, will develop classroom supports to assist this student and will work toward a better understanding of behavioral difficulties while creating a match between student's needs in the area of positive behavior intervention and support. Participants will explore social and behavioral evidence-based strategies for individuals with autism and reflect on practices to address these concerns in their own classrooms. Collaborating with other professionals and parents will also be highlighted and participants will complete an interview field experience as part of a culminating activity.


When

online May 30-Aug. 15, 2016


Must Do: New Heartland AEA Digital Resources Technology Training


The Heartland AEA Digital Resources technology training module is now up and ready to go!

Heartland AEA provides a number of online tools/resources to assist teachers, students and families in their learning. The Digital Resources module will provide an overview of some of these digital instructional resources that are available at no cost to schools in our service area. The module will explore a specific subset of these resources and will help you as an AEA staff member:
  • learn what resources are available.
  • provide you with ideas for using the resources.
  • visualize practical strategies for helping teachers incorporate the digital resources into their practice (with differentiation and rigor in mind).

Through readings, short videos, real-world scenarios/examples and some quick checks for understanding, you will gain a deeper understanding of the high-appeal digital collections and resources available 24/7. Note that there is a pre-assessment built into this module. If you can’t remember where to go to access the trainings, please read below!
 
Q: How do I log in to the AEA PD Online Learning System?
A: First, you will need to have an AEA PD Online account. (If you have an account, but don’t remember your login information, contact Shelley Christensen for assistance. This is the same system that you’ve used to take Bloodborne Pathogens, Mandatory Reporter, etc.)

If you haven’t created an account, follow the steps below:
1.    Begin on the AEAPD Online Learning System.
2.    If you are a first time user to this training system, Click on Register here.
3.    Enter your first and last name.
4.    Enter your email address.
5.    Enter your BoEE folder number
If you don't know this number, you can look it up at the BoEE Website.
 If you don't have one, indicate N/A.
6.    Click Yes to indicate that you are an AEA or District Employee.
7.    Locate Heartland AEA from the district list.
8.    Enter the District Password - aea11
9.    You may complete the other fields, but they are not required.
10.  Click on Submit Registration Info.
11.  The screen will not appear to change, but you will see a Continue button under the Submit button.
12.  Click on Continue.

Q: Once I login, how will I know where to start?

A: Once logged in to the AEAPDOnline Learning System, you will choose the catalog link in the upper left hand sidebar. Then, click on district modules, and all of Heartland AEA’s content for our capacity building training will be listed. Begin by clicking on the course you want to take. You will need to take the Heartland AEA Digital Instructional Resources module. When you have completed the module, you can print out your certificate of completion.

Q: Whom do I contact if I have questions about the learning system?
A: You can contact LynnMcCartney, Instructional Technology Consultant, or Mande Gamble, Technology Training Specialist, for help with Heartland AEA-specific technology trainings. Continue to contact Shelley Christensen for help with the Bloodborne Pathogens, Mandatory Reporting and other statewide trainings.

Agency Will Be Updating All Mac Computers to New Version of Operating System

The Agency is getting ready to upgrade all of its Mac computers to operating system (OS) 10.11. This is the current Mac operating system, and by getting everyone to the same OS, we will enhance our security and simplify the process of providing support.

Later this week, you will receive an email with detailed instructions about this upgrade. We’d like everyone to complete this update by the end of April, because we know May can be a very hectic time for many of our employees as they wrap up the school year. Included in the email will be a short video -- just 2 minutes and 40 seconds -- that you will want to watch prior to doing the upgrade, so you know what to expect. You will also want to do a Time Machine backup just prior to doing the upgrade.

The time to install the new OS will depend on the model of computer you have and where you are located. With a new computer that is being updated in the Johnston REC, the process could take as little as 35 minutes. If you have an older model, and you are using your home wifi, it might take 2-3 hours, so you will want to plan accordingly. For those of you who upgraded as part of the pilot, we want to thank you for your willingness to help us test the process. If you were in the pilot group, there is no need for you to do anything more at this time other than perform minor updates, as usual.

On a related note, during the week of April 11th, Casper will automatically add the Self Service icon to your dock if it is not there already. You may notice your desktop and dock briefly disappear during this process, which is normal.