Our Mission
To
improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth
by providing services and leadership in partnership with families,
schools and communities.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
Hundreds of educators come to Heartland AEA each week for classes, meetings and workshops and just about everyone visits the library. We listened, watched and learned that educators are looking for more than our current library provides. We’re finding that educators need…
- Collaboration spaces
- Small presentation areas
- Better access to physical instructional materials
- Greater access to digital instructional resources
- Technology ideas for instruction
- Space to plan and work
We think a reshaped library space will reflect and add value to our agency's educational goals and mission. By re-purposing the original shelving, using existing furniture and adding some new technology, we believe we can make a positive impact on teaching and learning in a fiscally responsible manner.
Most of the refresh project will be done will be done during the month of October. As many things as possible will be done during non-work hours to eliminate disruption for staff and visitors. The library and services will remain open during this time.
Watch for more information about how the reshaped library will better serve educators and AEA staff. If you have any questions, contact Susan Schrader, Director of Resources & Library Services.
As
we enter fall, we know that means winter isn’t far away. And we know
winter in Iowa means dicey weather conditions that may force the closure
of schools and offices. As we begin to prepare for that weather, we are
also preparing for notifying staff of office closures due to inclement
weather.
Last spring we asked you for your preferences in how you would like to be notified of inclement weather office closings. The
results of our survey told us that you would prefer to be notified by
1) text, 2) email and 3) the agency website. Going forward, we will use
these three methods in addition to social media of notifying you and the
public of office closures.
To ensure that you receive a
text message about office closings, review your cell phone number
information in the Agency’s Employee Online system and make sure it is
up-to-date. To access Employee Online, sign in to Employee Dashboard and
navigate to the Employee Online tab at the top of the page. Please review and update your information by Sept. 30.
We will provide more information about inclement weather as we get closer to winter. If you have any questions, contact the Communications Department.
Below you will find facts and figures about the educators and districts/schools Heartland AEA serves. The data is from the 2015-16 school year and comes from the Iowa Department of Education. Use this data as you see fit when telling others who we serve.
- Number of students in public school districts, PK-12 - 140,620
- Number of students in non-public schools, PK-12 - 8,719
- Total number of students, PK-12 - 149,339
- Number of public school districts - 53
- Number of non-public schools - 30
- Number of full-time principals and superintendents in public schools - 320
- Number of full- and part-time teachers in public schools – 9,737
- Total number of public administrators and teachers - 10,057
Members of a state team charged with reviewing Iowa’s academic standards for literacy completed their work last week by recommending minimal revisions based on statewide feedback that signaled strong support for the current standards. The team’s recommendations will go to the State Board of Education for consideration.
The recommendations aim to provide clarity and eliminate redundancy within the standards. Iowa’s literacy standards outline learning expectations for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in English-language arts and for literacy in history, social studies, science and other technical subjects.
The Literacy Standards Review Team represents the second phase of an ongoing state process for reviewing Iowa’s academic standards, which also cover science, social studies, mathematics and 21st century skills, such as financial literacy. The first phase of the standards review process ended in August 2015, with the State Board of Education’s adoption of new science standards. This year, the Department also convened a state team to rewrite Iowa’s social studies standards.
The Literacy Standards Review Team sought public feedback through an online survey as well as public forums, which drew more than 5,000 responses. A majority of comments were in favor of Iowa’s current literacy standards. Additionally, two focus groups of teachers who met independently of the review team to discuss the standards said they had done extensive work to implement the literacy standards and would not support significant changes. But they also indicated they needed more time and collaboration with other educators to improve implementation of the standards.
For more information about the Literacy Standards Review Team and its recommendations, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s website.
Iowa Department of Education leaders will hit the road this fall as part of a statewide tour to gather public input as they develop a plan to meet the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
ESSA, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and will be fully implemented starting in the 2017-18 school year, provides a more reasonable balance between the role of states and the federal government in accountability for the success of all children. Under the reauthorized law, the federal government sets expectations, and states determine how schools will reach them.
Nine public input meetings will be held across Iowa from September through November. Each meeting will open with an overview of ESSA and the Department’s goals for developing the state plan.
The Department is also engaging education stakeholders in following ways:
- Facilitating a state advisory committee representing the K-12 education system and parents. The ESSA Advisory Committee will provide input on pieces of Iowa’s ESSA plan.
- Consulting representatives of education associations, state legislators, the higher education community, other state agencies and the business community.
- Incorporating stakeholders’ voices into Department-led work teams that are drafting components of the state plan.
State plans must address academic standards, assessments, school and district accountability and special help for struggling schools. Iowa’s state plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education no later than July 2017.
All public input meetings will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Meeting dates and locations are available on the Department’s website.
All staff should have received an email last Friday that let you know of a change happening with the Agency’s workers’ compensation program. Effective immediately, Heartland AEA's workers' compensation carrier, EMC Insurance, has identified three medical facilities in metro Des Moines which employees may seek treatment at when they sustain an on-the-job injury.
For employees who reside outside the Des Moines metro area, EMC also has a list of doctors/facilities they have contracted with outside the metro area. Many of you have asked to see that list at this time, so it is linked here and archived on a new Workers' Comp page on the Intranet under Benefits. The list is arranged by school district, only as a means to provide facilities across our service area. Don’t forget to email or mail the acknowledgement form to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, as soon as you can.
Kabel Business Services, administrator of the Agency’s employee medical flex, dependent care flex and HRA programs, will be rolling out a new online system on Oct. 1. (Reminder of the current blackout period: Sept. 26-Oct. 3. No claims will be paid during this time but participants can still submit claims.)
This means that after Oct. 1, all staff who participate in the medical flex, dependent care flex and HRA programs need to create a new Kabel online account. You will now be able to do all your flex and HRA business through one online account.
Participants need to login to the new Kabel portal on or after Oct. 1 and create an account. Instructions for accessing the new portal are below.
- Go to https://kabelparticipant.lh1ondemand.com
- Under "Existing User" enter username & password using the format below:
- Your username will be: First name initial, last name, last 4 digits of social security number (example: Name: John Doe, Social Security Number 123-45-6789. Username = JDoe6789)
- Your first time password is: changeit
- Click Login
- Participants can also download our flex app to view account information and upload claims by searching "KBSFlex" in either the App Store or Google Play.
An online training guide is available here. This site contains quick start guides and video tutorials that will make the transition easier.
In addition, new medical flex plan debit cards will be issued. The new debit cards are red (see below), and participants will receive them in a plain white envelope around Oct. 1. Two new debit cards in the "participant's" name will be sent and will be effective Oct. 3. Current debit cards will not be effective after Sept. 26.
Below is a brief FAQ that answers questions on the debit card roll out and how the change will impact employees.
Debit Card FAQs
Q: Can an employee still file claims by fax?
A: Employees can still submit by fax but processing times will be longer as we continue to move to online submission. Eventually, faxing claims will be eliminated completely.
Q: How do the debit cards work?
A: The debit cards work like a normal debit/credit card at any checkout lane. They will only allow purchases of approved flex items (co-pays, prescriptions, etc.), but we do encourage all participants to keep their receipts in case a claim does need to adjudicated.
Q: Is a PIN number required to use the card?
A: They will set up the PIN during the card activation. It can also be used like a credit card if a PIN is forgotten.
Q: When the machine asks "Debit" or "Credit," how do we respond?
A: Either, both will work. Preferred is PIN but it can be used as a credit if the PIN is unknown.
Q: We have never used the debit card but the information says two debit cards will be mailed to each participant. So it's up to the employee to decide whether they want to use it or not then, right?
A: Correct, they can activate them or throw them away. We recommend using them, as they expedite claims processing and make using flex funds easier. The second debit card can be given to a spouse or child to use.
Q: What happens when the person goes to the pharmacy and gets a prescription and non-covered personal items. What do they do at the checkout process?
A: They will swipe the flex card first and this will pay for the prescription. The register will remove the cost of the prescription and present the remaining balance for the other items. The individual can then pay the remaining balance however they want.
Q: Will we still need to do enrollment forms for the beginning of each new year?
A: Yes
If you have any questions about these changes, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at ext. 14315.
Remember that it’s time to sign up for your biometric screening! You can go to the Healthy Express site, click on the Biometrics tab and then select Hy-Vee Biometric Dates. You can sign up for the time that works best for you at any of our regional offices. If you can’t find a time that works for you, remember you can always make an appointment at your local Hy-Vee or see your doctor.
Onsite biometrics will look a little different this year. Hy-Vee will be bringing their Healthy Mobile to most of the onsite screenings. The mobile has a waiting area and two screening rooms. This will help get staff in and out faster so you can go on with your day! If you do not see the Mobile, then your screening will be inside the office.
Screening Dates & Locations
Johnston – Sept. 2, Oct. 5, Nov. 11, Dec. 9
Indianola – Oct. 12, Nov. 16
Newton – Oct. 14
Ames – Oct. 10, Oct. 12
Adel – Nov. 30, Dec. 12
Carroll – Dec. 6
If you have any questions about biometrics, contact Katie Streff, Human Resources Specialist.
This PDF from Wellmark shows you what steps to follow if you’re having trouble syncing your Fitbit and have manually entered steps that you now need to delete. If you have any questions, contact Katie Streff, Human Resources Specialist, or Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.
The 2016-17 updated benchmarks and norms are available via the TIER knowledge base. As a reminder, the state criterion or cut-points for ELI can be found in the document named "Updated IGDI and FBL benchmarks for 2016-17 8-5-16."
For staff for whom the normative data will be supportive for decision making across the educational continuum, please know these documents have also been updated and are available on the knowledge base. The FAST Bridge benchmarks and norms are in documents separated by the type of data (benchmark vs. norm) and by assessment type (aReading vs. CBM-R for example).
If you have any questions, connect with your regional director, Wendy Robinson, Director of Instructional Services, or Martha Condon, Regional Director.
An updated van route delivery schedule is now available. The schedule is available for the public on the agency website under Management & Support Services > Distribution and for staff on the Intranet > Communications > Annual Publications.
Learn more about National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ guidance for filling the gap between the adoption of rigorous standards and the enactment of practices, policies, programs and actions required for successful implementation of those standards. Steve Leinwand, lead author of Principles to Actions, Ensuring Mathematical Success for All, offers guidance to teachers, mathematics coaches, administrators, parents
and policymakers at all grade levels. Steve is a Principal Research Analyst at American Institutes for Research (AIR). Spread the word to educators who would benefit from this professional learning activity!
Nov. 29, 2016 (K-5)
Nov. 30, 2016 (6-12)
FFA Enrichment Center, Ankeny
K-5 Registration
6-12 Registration
Apple recently released a new operating system for iPhones and iPads – iOS 10. The Internal Technology Department would like to stress that this release has not yet been tested for compatibility with agency applications, and we advise against updating at this time. Further communication will be sent out at a later date when this software has been approved. If you have already downloaded and installed the update, we ask that you notify the Internal Technology Department of any issues you notice so we can take the appropriate steps to resolve this prior to approving iOS 10 agency-wide. If you have questions, contact Mande Gamble or Marquis Jones.
