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 Agency is looking forward to a third year of employee engagement through staff presentations at our All-Staff Meeting!
Save Sept. 28, 2018 on your calendar for a “most of the day” meeting that will again feature an afternoon of presentations from YOU! This year, we’ve decided to take a little different approach. The feedback you provided says you enjoy learning from your colleagues, but you want more flexibility in presentation format. So this year, you’ll have the opportunity to present in any format you’d like that fits within a 20-minute time slot. (Good, right?!?)
Some ideas to consider:
- PechaKucha or Ignite Talk: Maybe you liked the PechaKucha format and want to try it again. Go for it! Remember a PechaKucha includes 20 images shown for 20 seconds each for a total presentation of 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Images – not words! Ignite sessions are even shorter with slides rotating every 15 seconds for a total of 5 minutes.
- TED Talk: Maybe you want to try a TED Talk-style presentation? Give it a shot! TED Talks are generally up to 18 minutes long and are just that—a talk—no other “stuff.” Get up there and tell us a great story!
- Your Choice: You need a little more time to explain some important points, you can do that. Having a little extra time might be a perfect solution!
Here are some quick tips for a great presentation!
How to Submit a Proposal
If you or a team of your co-workers are interested in presenting, complete this presentation proposal by June 15, 2018.
When planning your presentation, think about whether it reflects, educates, touches on or celebrates areas that we’ve emphasized as an organization, such as:
- Core Values: Caring - Proactive - Collaborative
- 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.
- Goals: Increase learning growth, Decrease gaps in achievement, Increase annual graduation rates, Increase post-secondary gateways
- Wellness: Heartland AEA’s Five Elements of Wellness: Career, Community, Financial, Social, Physical
Topics can be almost anything that is inspiring within our work throughout the Agency as well as personal topics that don’t fall too far outside the wellness/volunteering categories.
This approach to learning during our All-Staff meeting gives us a unique opportunity to feel the pulse of the Agency in just a few hours, to celebrate together, learn together and get re-connected. These presentations showcase your expertise, your passion and your innovation. So don’t be shy—show your work, make an impact! Submit your presentation application by June 15, 2018!
If you have any questions, contact the Communications Department.
Our Heartland AEA library is having a book give away again this summer! You can choose from over 2,000 gently used professional and PK-12 books … for FREE!
The kickoff is June 18-19, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Johnston REC. After that, books will be available in the library all summer until they’re gone. So stop by and tell your educator friends!
Heartland AEA will again host three Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI) workshops for teachers who want to enhance their practice of collecting and collaboratively studying student engagement. Both workshops will be facilitated by Jerry Valentine, IPI Developer and Lead Trainer.
Instructional Practices Inventory Level 1 Workshop
Oct. 2, 2018
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saydel Community School District
Registration
Instructional Practices Inventory Level 1 Workshop
Oct. 3, 2018
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Gilbert Intermediate School
Registration
Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop
Oct. 4, 2018
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: TBA
Registration
Heartland AEA vans will deliver twice a week to each district administration building and schools with summer school during the summer months, as well as once a week to public libraries.
Schedule:
- Regular delivery ends June 19. Drivers will stop at each school even if school has ended.
- Summer delivery begins June 20.
- Last summer delivery is Aug. 9.
- Regular fall delivery begins Aug. 13.
Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups are offered as an optional format for professional learning for our Certified staff. TQ courses meet for 15 hours off contract time, and participants are eligible for a stipend upon completion of the course. All Certified staff members are eligible to register for these opportunities.
Heartland AEA has a strong commitment to time spent in service to our partners. With this commitment in mind, beginning in 2018-19, TQ courses and study groups will be offered between Oct. 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 mainly outside of contract hours Monday through Friday or on weekends.
A popular option offered in 2017-18 will again be offered in 2018-19--the ability for you to develop your own study group proposals. Study groups must have at least four participants, and one participant must agree to be the study group facilitator. The content must align with Heartland AEA’s four goals and/or support a specific job-alike function. Study group proposals can be submitted any time during the registration period from Aug. 20-Sept. 14, 2018. The Professional Learning Office will work with interested participants in writing their study group proposal if assistance is needed.
Those who complete a TQ course or study group and meet eligibility requirements will be provided a stipend. The amount of the stipend is established after registration closes, as the stipend is determined by the number of participants. For reference, during the 2017-18 school year, eligible participants received $655 for completing a course/study group, and facilitators received a $705 stipend facilitating a course/study group.
2018-19 TQ Timeline
- Deadline for job-alike facilitators to submit TQ course proposals: June 30, 2018
- Window for TQ participants to submit study group proposals: Aug. 20-Sept. 14, 2018
- TQ Registration: Aug. 20 - Sept. 14, 2018
- TQ Courses and Study Groups: Oct. 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019
If you are responsible for conducting functional behavior assessments and developing behavior intervention plans and have received prior training in applied behavior analysis and/or functional behavior assessment, this learning opportunity is for you!
This course will focus on the design and development of quality functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and subsequent behavior intervention plans (BIP) to address the needs of children and youth who display inappropriate or challenging behaviors. Participants will use a best practices FBA/BIP rubric to evaluate and design behavior definitions and hypothesis statements as part of the FBA process. They will also use the rubric to evaluate and design components of BIPs. Participants will also get hands-on practice collecting data on problem behavior, selecting an appropriate replacement behavior and selecting antecedent and consequence strategies matched to function.
Target Audiences: Early childhood consultants, school psychologists, school social workers, special education consultants, special education teachers, behavior interventionists
Best Practices in Developing FBA/BIPs That Improve Outcomes for Students
July 17-18, 2018
8 - 4:30 p.m.
Johnston REC
Registration
This message was emailed to staff on May 18 and is being repeated here for your information.
In a continuing effort to enhance the digital privacy, safety and security of our Heartland AEA systems, we are announcing two important changes that will go into effect on May 22.
New Wireless Network Specifically for Staff
First, the Agency is introduced a new wireless network called HAEAstaff that we expect all Heartland AEA staff to use when you are accessing the Internet and agency systems at any Heartland AEA office or co-location. Beginning May 22, you should have noticed the new HAEAstaff wireless network listed when you click on the Wi-Fi status icon in the menu bar in the upper righthand corner of your computer. Select the HAEAstaff wireless network by clicking on it in the list and verify that there is a checkmark to the left of “HAEAstaff.” You should not be prompted for a password to join the network as this information will be automatically applied to your computer.
Employee Dashboard Access Limited to Agency Offices/Co-locations
Next, the Information Systems Department changed the way you access the Employee Dashboard. Beginning May 22, you must be located in a Heartland AEA office or co-location and be connected to the HAEAstaff network in order to log into the Employee Dashboard. We understand this will be a significant change in practice that will require some advanced planning for activities like requesting leaves, entering expenses and accessing the Intranet. Your understanding is appreciated as we enhance the digital privacy, safety and security of our agency systems. We are investigating options for making access to the Employee Dashboard outside the Heartland AEA network available again in the future.
Thank you for your attention to these important security enhancements, and we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
I need help! Who can I contact?
- Connecting an agency device to the HAEAstaff wireless network
Marquis Jones, Technology Support Specialist
Tuan Dao, Senior Network Administrator
- Accessing the Employee Dashboard
Rod Howell, Information Systems Manager
Thank you for your attention to the important security enhancements that were announced. We do understand the significance of these changes on staff. Unfortunately, the vulnerability to our system is significant, so we have to take action now to keep our data and systems secure.
The Internal Technology and Information Systems Departments are actively researching alternatives to restore remote access for agency staff to the Employee Dashboard. We hope to have more information about that soon.
In the meantime, beginning May 22, you must be located in a Heartland AEA office or co-location and be connected to the HAEAstaff network in order to log into the Employee Dashboard. Several staff members have asked questions about these changes, and below you will find a Q & A to address them.
Q: Why do we have to make these security enhancements now? Is there some way this change could be pushed to mid June, when most staff would be off contract?
A: This vulnerability is considered critical, so immediate action is necessary to keep our systems and our data secure.
Q: If I have an agency provided hotspot/cell card, can I use that to get to the Dashboard?
A: No, you still have to be on the HAEAstaff network.
Q: Can I access the Dashboard from my school's network?
A: No
Q: Where are the Agency’s co-locations?
A: Our co-locations are at Delaware Elementary in the Southeast Polk district and at Parkview Middle School in the Ankeny district.
Q: Will we be able to use a VPN (virtual private network) to connect to the Agency's wireless network remotely?
A: The Internal Technology and Information Systems teams are considering all options at this time. Once a solution is identified that meets the connectivity needs of all staff, we will let you know.
Q: Can my administrative assistant initiate leave for me in the online leave system?
A: Yes, your "Need to Know" can initiate leave, and you can complete the leave request when you are on the agency network.
