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 

It's Fire Prevention Week--Keep Calm and Prevent Fires!

National Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls. 

According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. The President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925. 

How can you prevent fires or plan for what to do in an emergency? The National Fire Protection Association offers some basic tips: 

• Watch your cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave - even for a short time - turn off the stove. 
• Give space heaters space. Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep. 
• Smoke outside. Ask smokers to smoke outside. Have sturdy, deep ashtrays for smokers. Keep matches and lighters out of reach. Keep matches and lighters up high, out of reach of young children, preferably in a cabinet with a child lock.
• Inspect electrical cords. Replace cords that are cracked, damaged, have broken plugs or have loose connections. 
• Be careful when using candles. Keep candles at least one foot from anything that can burn. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to sleep. 
• Have a home fire escape plan. Make a home fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year. 
• Install smoke alarms. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound. 
• Test smoke alarms. Test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace batteries once a year or when the alarm “chirps” to tell you the battery is low. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old. 
• Install sprinklers. If you are building or remodeling your home, install residential fire sprinklers. Sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive. 

 For more information, visit the NFPA's website.

In conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, the Agency will be holding fire drills in the offices we own. Please remember that drills are an important exercise! If you need a reminder about what to do during a drill, check out this fun video from the Crisis Planning Committee. 

What Do You Do During a Fire Drill?

Check Out Our Oct. 2016 Educator Connection Newsletter

Last week the Communications Department sent out the first issue of the Educator Connection newsletter for the 2016-17 school year. The Educator Connection is intended to keep our educators better connected to our agency and to the many programs and services we offer to educators, students and families. The newsletter is emailed to educators and automatically archived on our agency website.

October 2016 School Leader Update Now Available

The October issue of the School Leader Update is now available from the Iowa Department of Education.

LifeWorks EAP – Put It to Work for You!

Below is more information about our new Employee Assistance Provider—LifeWorks.

• Quick User Guide
• LifeWorks Services Overview

Workers’ Comp Medical Facilities List Updated

The list of approved medical facilities for treatment of workers’ comp injuries has been updated to include locations in the Green Hills and Great Prairie service areas for staff who may work outside our Heartland AEA territory.

Kabel Business Services Online Site Still Not Functioning

As many of you know, Kabel Business Services is still experiencing issues in migrating to a new online site. The migration was supposed to be complete, with services back up and running last week, but Kabel is experiencing a number of bumps along the way. We feel your frustration, and just like you, hope the system is running smoothly as soon as possible. We will let you know as soon as this happens. Thank you for your understanding.

Johnston REC Now Home to Reading Recovery Room With Two-Way Glass

The Agency’s Reading Recovery Program now has a new home in the Johnston Regional Education Center. A Reading Recovery room was previously located at Wallace Elementary in Johnston, but the room was repurposed. Room 110 at the REC will now serve as a meeting room, as well as the Reading Recovery room – complete with two-way glass, which will be covered with curtains when Reading Recovery training is not in session. The possibilities for the two-way glass observation rooms can expand past Reading Recovery. 

“Room 110 will serve as a training facility for teachers working in Reading Recovery,” said Jennifer Burns, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. “Teachers observe lessons, reflect on those observations and discuss next steps for scaffolding learning. Training occurs for both trained Reading Recovery teachers and for teachers currently in training.”

Oct. 2016 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the Oct. 11 Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is now available.

AEA 267 Name Will Change to Central Rivers AEA on July 1, 2017

The AEA 267 Board of Directors voted unanimously on Oct. 5 to change the Agency’s name from AEA 267 to Central Rivers AEA. The name will officially change on July 1, 2017 with a transition period beginning Jan. 1, 2017. The new name, Central Rivers AEA, is a nod to the many rivers that run throughout our 18-county territory, uniting us and flowing freely without regard to geography.

Technology PD This Year—Continue Building Your Skills!

Our agency is going to invest in building your technology skills again this year! Professional learning time will be devoted to learning more in the areas of digital collaboration, digital citizenship and security and instructional resources.

As part of our ongoing Professional Development redesign efforts aligned to the work of our PD Cadre, the Technology Work Team has developed on-going content for this year. Our first learning opportunity will be about Zoom, a virtual collaboration tool we all have access to in our state.

Q: When will the Zoom training module be available?
A: Oct. 11. You will receive an email from our Communications Department that will start the learning process with Zoom Basic Training.

Q: Can we test out of the Zoom training module?
A:  Yes, this training will have a pre-assessment, which if passed, will allow participants to test out of taking this training module.

Q: How will the training work?
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 AEA PD Online Learning System.
2.    First time user??? 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 AEA PD Online 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.
• The pre-assessment will be the first screen.
• If the pre-assessment demonstrates proficiency, you will be notified and can print a certificate of completion and move on to another training module that is available.
• If more leaning is indicated, you will move on to the online learning module for the current Zoom Basics Training module.
  

Q: Where do I go to access the post-assessments?
A: The post-assessments will appear after each section of a training module. If the post-assessment demonstrates proficiency, the staff member will be notified and can print a certificate of completion and move on to another content area pre-assessment.

Q: What happens if I don’t pass the post-assessment?
A: If more leaning is indicated, you will return to the content module and do further study using the embedded resources. Then you can retake the post-assessment.

Q: Who will keep track of the learning modules I complete?
A: You will be able to print a certificate when you complete each learning module. The Agency will also keep a master record of the learning modules completed by each staff member, which will be shared with supervisors.

Q: Am I expected to complete all the learning modules on the chart?
A: You are expected to complete the trainings that are for all staff and any additional trainings you and your supervisor feel will benefit you and your role at Heartland AEA. The Agency has prioritized this as part of our shared professional learning this year. The trainings are designed to be completed over the course of the 2016-17 year. Please note that this is just an estimate, and some staff will take less time to complete than others. Staff members will work with their individual supervisors on final deadlines for completing the training.

Q: What supports are in place for me while I’m accessing these training modules?
A: We have a number of supports to offer.
•    You have agency time to experience an online learning environment and expand your technology skills.
•    You can collaborate with others who are working on the same content.
•    Significant resources are included within every learning module that you can access.
•    Tech Support Leads and agency Internal Technology staff continue their roles to provide technical support for routine questions and issues.

Q: When I finish the Zoom Basic Training, what’s next?
A: Keep watching The Connection for news about when new training modules will be released. If you are interested in learning more about Zoom, we expect the Zoom Advanced Training module to be available in November. The Digital Literacy Security and Privacy module will be available in early December for all staff to engage with.

Q: What if I test out of all the learning modules?
A: Wow, you are awesome! If that happens, talk with your supervisor about what other learning content areas may be a match for you this year.

Q: Have the Google Apps For Productivity training modules from 2015-16 been updated?
A: Yes, they were updated in July 2016 to reflect any changes to the Apps.

Q: Whom do I contact if I have questions about the learning system?
A: You can contact Lynn McCartney, Instructional Technology Consultant, or Mande Gamble, Technology Training Specialist.

Our Vision for Core Technology Skills at Heartland AEA
Heartland AEA staff will confidently use technology to support self-directed learning, to collaborate, to communicate, to create and to critically problem solve.

Our Expectations for Using Technology
Staff members are expected to use technology and be self-directed learners as part of each of our professional responsibilities. To provide support for staff members, the Agency will define core technology devices and applications that will be supported, as well as define a plan for how staff will access technology-related training, resources and supports.