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
The Center for Applied Research at the University of Minnesota recently completed a study on behalf of Iowa's Area Education Agencies (AEAs). The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficiency of the services the AEAs provide to districts. Additionally, the value of services provided by AEAs was explored. The information presented in the study report is intended to help support Iowa's AEAs' decision making regarding continued efforts to be effective and collaborative partners with Iowa school districts. The study will be used in conversations with legislators and other state officials. Specific details will also be highlighted in other communications. Recommendations from the report will guide conversations and help chart future directions for Iowa's AEAs.
In order to better serve you, the Business Office would like to help you get to know its staff members a little better. Learn some of the major responsibilities of the staff, how long they’ve worked for the Agency and why they choose to work here every day. Heng Fongkhamdeng (Accountant/JO) Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 5 Some of the Things I Do… • Budgeting support • Federal and district grants • Account number guidance What are you passionate about? Self-improvement and education What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA? Knowing that I work for an agency that helps children and families What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team? Supportive Courtney Thomas(Accounting Specialist/JO) Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 4 Some of the Things I Do… • New vendor information for purchase requests • Respond to questions about purchase requests/orders • Vendor credit applications • Disposal of fixed assets • Bank reconciliations • Payroll support • Refund claim reconciliation What are you passionate about? My family, education and equality What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA? The Agency’s mission and my Business Office co-workers What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team? Caring
Last week the Communications Department sent out the third issue of the Educator Connection newsletter for the 2017-18 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. Agency and district staff can also subscribe to the newsletter via the webpage. Articles:
Register Now, Then Tell a Friend About Our 4th Annual Education Career Fair in March!
Collaboration Spotlight with Earlham: Making Strides in Math Proficiency
Lions, Tigers & Bears Increase Interaction for Speech Students
How Little Ideas Can Make Big Statements in Your School
Adventure Through Time and Space with A Wrinkle in Time Teacher Resources
PBS Video Collection Update
Do You Know--Really Know--the English Learners in Your School?
STEM Teachers Have New Opportunity to Continue to Inspire Students
Educators: Check Out Our Professional Learning Courses!
Constantino Returns to Iowa to Present “Engaging Every Family to Support Student Achievement”
Want Technology to be Your New Classroom BFF? Check Out This TIC Session!
Heartland AEA is pleased to announce that it will hold its 4th annual Education Career Fair in March! March 7, 2018 2:00-5:30 p.m. Heartland AEA
Johnston Regional Education Center The job fair will be an opportunity for teachers and other education professionals to meet with central Iowa school districts at one location to apply for jobs for the next school year.
School districts recruiting on-site
Interviewing, job searching, technology and career fair success classes
Returning this year: Mock interviews and resume critiques!
Free gift!
Visit the Career Fair page on the agency’s website for all the info! Pre-registration is encouraged, but the fair is again free of charge.
You’ve got bills to pay, deadlines to meet and kids who won’t stop screaming – who wouldn’t feel stressed? Stress is a normal part of life, but if it’s not handled in a healthy way, it can negatively impact your physical, emotional and mental wellness. Join the Stressless Challenge, and for the next 28 days, challenge yourself to find 5 minutes each day to complete a relaxation activity. Reducing even just a little bit of stress can help you feel healthier and happier – so what are you waiting for? Join today! Challenge Start Date: Feb. 12, 2018 Challenge End Date: March 11, 2018 Register now through the Wellness Center in your Wellmark account.
The Heartland AEA online staff directory (available via a link at the top of the agency website) has been updated with a new look and feel and some enhanced features.
Anyone, including district staff, has the ability to search for agency staff by district served, building served or workgroup and then choose the “Photo Directory” button, which will produce a PDF with staff photos and contact information. We think this new feature will be helpful for many school administrators who want to “put faces to names” in their school buildings. We ask that you visit the directory and do a search for yourself. Review the information that comes up and confirm that it is correct. If any edits need to be made, contact Whitney Anderson, Human Resources Generalist.
With many kudos to our Information Systems team, today we launch a new and improved Events Scheduler system at Heartland AEA.
We are excited for this new system to debut, as it will improve your experience when requesting rooms for your meetings and professional learning activities in our agency-owned offices (Johnston, Adel, Ames, Indianola). The new system integrates seamlessly with Google and will create efficiencies for those requesting rooms. And to top it off, it looks great, too! Highlights of the System:
Login with your agency Google account. (Score!)
You’re able to see your own Google calendar as soon as you login to the system. When you reserve a room, you can add your meeting or activity to your own calendar and invite participants right in the system -- you don’t have to open your calendar in Google and do it from there. No more going back and forth between systems. (Yes!)
The search feature allows you to search for rooms/meetings by whatever terms you put in the search field -- title, location, date, requestor, etc.
Fields are available in the system that allow you to add information about catering and any other needs, and you can choose room set-up configurations as well. This eliminates the PDF form that has been in use the past couple of years. ALL requests and special information is captured through the Events Scheduler system. (Woo hoo!)
A new and improved map of the Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) is linked in the system, and you’ll notice the larger conference rooms each have a color assigned to them. The colors will come into play in the future as the Agency explores digital signage options for the REC.
Help features are embedded through the system. Just click on the "i" icons to learn more about specific items.
Note that you will still use the Resource Scheduler system when reserving equipment such as speakers, microphones, cameras, easels, power cord reels, etc. A link to the Resource Scheduler is accessible at all times in the Events Scheduler system. In the future, we also hope to bring you a mobile-friendly version of the Events Scheduler, 360 degree virtual tours of the Johnston REC conference rooms and digital signage outside of the rooms. Head over to the Events Scheduler to check it out! A link to the system is archived on the Intranet under Event Planning, Room Scheduling & Set-up.
If you have any questions about the new system, contact Brandie Gean, Licensure/Conference Center Manager. If you have any questions about room scheduling, contact Carol McDaniel, Central Office Administrative Assistant.
Iowa’s AEAs and AEA Learning Online have been collaborating for some time to move our individual professional learning/licensure registration systems to a statewide professional learning registration system. Having one registration system will provide participants with a much larger offering of professional learning activities through a statewide catalog. A new system will also create greater equity and consistency in programming and resources to help support quality professional learning and licensure programming. System Benefits
View All Offerings That Are Available Statewide: Individuals who use the system will be able to see all courses and activities that are available across the state’s AEAs. Users may search by specific courses, topics, locations and more.
Instructors Will Find a User-Friendly System: There are system enhancements for instructors! Once an instructor enters a course in the system, they don’t have to repeat that process again. They simply enter a new section for that activity. That includes the syllabus. Once a syllabus is approved, it’s valid across all AEAs!
All Completed Courses Will be in One Transcript: In the new system, there will be one common transcript that shows all courses taken by an individual, including courses from AEA Learning Online. Anything that the individual has taken from an Iowa AEA will show up in one document. Users will be able to print their own transcripts and receipts for tax purposes.
Split the Payments!: Split payment options for credit cards and/or purchase orders will be available in the new system.
Login is Easy and Familiar: Users of the new system will log in using their existing email and password they use to login to take Mandatory Reporter and Bloodborne Pathogens trainings through AEA Learning Online (formerly AEA PD Online).
In the coming weeks, expect to see more information and updates through various AEA communication channels.
It’s been another full month of exciting action for our Certified Staff and Classified Staff Professional Learning Cadres! A few highlights from each group are below. Classified Staff Update The Classified Professional Learning Cadre met for the second time in January.
The Cadre came to consensus to adopt a vision for their work: “Create differentiated learning pathways for Heartland AEA staff to support the Agency’s mission while developing and enhancing knowledge and skills related to agency work as well as specific to their role in the Agency.”
The group engaged in learning and discussion around two important terms related to learning: fixed mindset and growth mindset. Fixed mindset refers to people who believe skills and intelligence are “set,” and you either have them or you don’t. In other words, people with a fixed mindset believe you are not in control of your abilities, and skills are present when you’re born. Growth mindset, on the other hand, refers to the mindset that skills and intelligence are grown and developed. People are in control of their skill development, and people who are good at something are good at it because they worked to build that ability. People with a growth mindset believe in their ability to learn and grow. People who utilize a growth mindset tend to learn, achieve and develop more over time as compared to people who have a fixed mindset. Look for further learning to explore the concept of growth mindset in the future!
The group also began the work of identifying possible areas of learning/focus for Classified staff across the Agency. The group reviewed both the Competencies that are the current basis for the Classified staff evaluation, and the Areas of Learning and Key Components developed by the Certified Professional Learning Cadre. The group was also able to add in other ideas/areas of learning that didn’t appear to be addressed by either of the two of areas of learning. The next step for the group is to come to consensus regarding those areas of learning before the recommendations are reviewed by other agency staff.
Certified Staff Update The Certified Professional Learning Cadre has spent the last month primarily focused on continued design, vetting and refinement of learning opportunities matched to the Key Components and Competencies of the identified eight areas of learning/focus for Certified staff. Time has most recently also focused on reviewing learning opportunities available through a variety of external partners, including printed materials, online modules and materials and course offerings. As was shared last month, over 100 staff and leaders are currently involved in a pilot of our redesigned Professional Learning System. Feedback from pilot participants will help shape and refine our system for Certified staff prior to full implementation for all Certified staff. Pilot participants completed their first formal feedback survey focused on four specific areas:
The functionality of the online platform hosting our learning framework
The rigor and match of our professional learning profiles
The structure and use of key components, competencies and learning maps
Our professional learning system processes
Continued thanks to all staff members and leaders as we continue to refine our professional learning system at Heartland AEA. Look for continued updates through The Connection.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning, at ext. 14416.
