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
On the behalf of the Board and administration at Heartland AEA, I want to wish all of you a peaceful and joyous holiday season. Please enjoy this special time with family and friends. Thank you for the impact you’ve made throughout 2018 for the children, families and educators of Central Iowa. Rest up, and we will see you in 2019! - Jon
Staff members frequently inquire when timesheets, addendum pay, direct deposit forms and other changes need to be submitted to the Payroll Department in order to be processed for a particular pay date. To assist you in your planning, a list of 2019 pay dates and corresponding due dates is available. This document is archived on the Intranet > Business Office > Payroll Forms & Information > 2019 Payroll Dates. Payroll needs to receive all information by the end of the day on the due date to ensure payments and/or changes are made on the corresponding pay date. Any information received in Payroll after the due date may be processed during the next payroll cycle. For those staff members being paid from a timesheet or receiving addendum pay, please keep in mind these items are to be completed, approved/signed by a supervisor and submitted to Payroll within four working days after the end of the pay period. Any items received after the due date may be processed on the next payroll. If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg announced last week that fewer Iowa high school graduates are taking remedial coursework during their first year at Iowa’s community colleges and state universities, a signal that more students are on track to earn a degree or other postsecondary credential. “This is great news for our state and specifically for the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which focuses on helping more Iowans pursue rewarding careers and employers hire the skilled workers they need,” Gov. Reynolds said. “It is encouraging that high schools and higher education institutions are making big strides to better support students academically, but we must do more to ensure that all of our high school graduates are genuinely ready for college or career training and that they enroll.” About 71 percent of Iowa high school graduates enroll in college or training programs within a year of graduation, a percentage that has remained fairly steady in recent years. Of those:
The percentage of students who took a remedial math class at an Iowa community college or state university within one year of high school graduation declined to 13 percent (Class of 2016) from 19 percent (Class of 2011).
The percentage of students who took a remedial English class at an Iowa community college or state university within one year of high school graduation declined to 6 percent (Class of 2016) from 10 percent (Class of 2011).
The percentage of students who took remedial math or English classes declined among students from racial and ethnic minority groups, students from low-income backgrounds, students who do not speak English as their native language, and students who received special education services from 2011 through 2016, although significant disparities still exist.
The new data are from the state’s Postsecondary Readiness Reports website, updated on Wednesday. “The significant decline in students needing remedial courses when they enroll in college indicates Iowa is poised to make impressive progress toward the Future Ready Iowa goal of 70 percent of our workforce having education or training beyond high school in the next seven years,” Lt. Gov. Gregg said. Future Ready Iowa calls for 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce to have education or training beyond high school by 2025. One of the recommendations released by the Future Ready Iowa Alliance last year called for reducing the need for remediation for college students. Students identified through placement tests for non-credit developmental or remedial courses typically must complete them before moving on to college-credit courses, which can be a financial burden. “Remediation puts students at risk of dropping out of college,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “Iowa’s community colleges, in particular, have been working hard to support students who aren’t prepared for college-level coursework through promising approaches that are helping them succeed.” Among these approaches, community colleges increasingly are placing underprepared students in college-level courses that are paired with supplemental education and homework support, known as a co-requisite remediation model.
For example, North Iowa Area Community College’s co-requisite program has boosted success rates in math and writing courses. The college initially piloted the program for math in 2007 and added writing in 2013. Now, more than 90 percent of students who receive homework support through the program pass college-level math, and more than 80 percent pass college-level writing (compared to success rates of 60 percent and about 30 percent, respectively, in traditional remedial or developmental courses). About Iowa’s Postsecondary Readiness Reports: This state website, launched in 2017, serves as an indicator of how well-prepared students are for success in postsecondary education and training upon graduation from public high schools in Iowa. The site provides data on student postsecondary enrollment patterns, remedial course-taking rates, and postsecondary retention and completion rates that can be connected to every public high school in Iowa. The site is a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Workforce Development, and the Board of Regents.
Did you know that 80% of workers polled nationally indicate they want their employer to provide financial wellness education? Consider where we are as a society today:
77% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck – Bankrate.com
30% of Americans have outstanding loans on their 401k’s – Business Record
#1 cause of stress is money problems and money fights – multiple studies
Heartland AEA is excited to announce our next financial wellness offering, Tackling Debt! Whether you are looking to pick up a few nuggets of information, or you need a financial overhaul, this 90-minute lunch and learn workshop is just for you. You will leave knowing how to get out of debt and what to do with your money after you become debt free. You will also learn about how the credit score is figured and what it means to you. Tackling Debt Lunch & Learn Jan. 9, 2019 11:30 – 1 p.m. Johnston REC or via Zoom RSVP by Jan. 7, 2019 Registration
Registration continues to be open for on-site biometric screenings from Hy-Vee. Reminder: Don’t wait for chronic diseases to sneak up on you. Take preventive measures by getting a health assessment from a Hy-Vee dietitian. Get quick and accurate results on cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat and body mass index. The dietitian will then explain what the results mean to you. If you would rather, you can always go to a Hy-Vee store that has a dietician or to your primary care physician to have your biometric screening done. You will need to make an appointment with a Hy-Vee dietitian if you do a screening on your own. Screening Dates & Locations Johnston REC Dec. 18, 2018 Jan. 10 & Jan. 24, 2019 Feb. 5 & Feb. 20, 2019 March 5 & March 28, 2019 Carroll Regional Office Jan. 22, 2019 Indianola Regional Office Jan. 15, 2019 Adel Regional Office Feb. 13, 2019 Registration These instructions guide you through how to register for an on-site screening using the Hy-Vee website.
Did you know that drinking enough water can help boost your metabolism, reduce the look of wrinkles and fine lines and keep you energized? When you participate in the Rethink Your Drink Water Challenge, you can see for yourself the amazing benefits of drinking more water. During the 28-day challenge, you will record if you’ve consumed your recommended number of glasses of water each day—it’s that easy! Registration Open: Dec. 24, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2019 – Watch your email for a message from Wellmark with registration information! Challenge Duration: Dec. 31, 2018 - Jan. 27, 2019
As an initial wave of Benefits Surveys is completed, questions and comments are being made in the survey as well. Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, continues to address some of the questions being submitted in the survey. Question/Comment: Less restrictive on number of chiropractor visits allowed. Answer: Typically, 20 chiropractor visits are allowed annually. However, if you need additional visits and if you are with a Blue Choice chiropractor, they will request additional visits through Wellmark. Question/Comment: Add benefits for non-Western/non-traditional services (i.e., acupuncture, massage therapy, functional medicine). Answer: These are services that are determined by Wellmark and aren’t available options for the Agency to consider within our health plan. Question/Comment: More education on the differing plans would have been nice as a new full-time employee. I was initially hired part-time, so when I became full-time I did not receive the “orientation” to the healthcare options that is part of new, full-time employee orientation. Answer: Employees going from part-time to full-time employment have the option to attend the new hire orientation in August. If you were not offered or missed the orientation but would like more education about the differing plans, please don’t hesitate to contact Juliette Houseman for assistance. Question/Comment: I'm fortunate to be a very healthy person and would prefer a higher deductible with lower premiums. Answer: The Insurance Analysis Committee continues to explore this and other health insurance-related options.
In an effort to provide even better service to our internal and external customers, I want to take a minute to reiterate how important it is to follow a few easy steps in regard to our van mail delivery service.
Current Route Schedule - Go to the Intranet > Communications > Annual Publications > Van Route Schedule to find the current Van Route Schedule. The most up-to-date route list will always be on the Intranet.
Addressing Van Mail - It's important to address your mail correctly. Correctly addressing your mail will lead to easier delivery and less second-guessing by our van drivers, school support staff and you!
Van Mail Address Format From: Your Name To: Building Name Recipient's Name Route #
Packaging Van Mail - Items placed in our van mail have to travel through a system, just like U.S. mail. Please be mindful of how you package your items. When in doubt, package them like you would if you were sending them through the U.S. mail or via UPS.
Thank you for your attention to these details as we work to make our van delivery service even better! We will share this information with the rest of our staff in the next Connection. If you have any questions, contact Dustin Gean, Operation Manager.
We want to help you dispose of small electronics you no longer use and help the environment at the same time! If you plan to spend some of your Winter Break cleaning out your closets and drawers, reach way in the back and find the small electronics you no longer use--cell phones, tablets, MP3 players, digital cameras, modems, A/V wires, etc.--and send them in to be recycled by an electronics recycling company instead of throwing them away. (No monitors or TVs, please.)
Regional offices: Each office will have a supply of boxes and labels available beginning this week. If you want to get started early, take boxes and labels home now. Or when you return from break, bring your items to your office, place them in the boxes and label them with the official labels so the Operations Dept. knows they are slated to be recycled. Labeled boxes can be sent via van mail to the Johnston REC.
Johnston offices: Large boxes will be located in the Johnston REC and Administration Center for you to drop your items in.
Deadline: The deadline for electronics recycling will be Jan. 15, 2019. We hope you find this to be a helpful holiday perk!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager.
