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 ACA requires Heartland AEA to provide Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, to all employees who were enrolled in our health insurance plan at any time in 2019. This form provides information about the coverage offered to you, your spouse and dependents, if applicable, and the months of coverage.
Your 2019 Form 1095-C has been mailed to your home address. You can also view your Form 1095-C through the Employee Online section of your Employee Dashboard. Once in Employee Online, go to the left-hand navigation and click on “W2/ACA 1095C Info” then on “1095C 2019.” This will open a PDF copy of your 1095-C.
If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.
The Feb. 2020 issue of the School Leader Update newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education is available.
The Feb. 2020 issue of the Iowa Board of Examiners’ quarterly newsletter is available.
Last week the Iowa Department of Education released new results and features in an online school accountability reporting system called the Iowa School Performance Profiles.
The website shows:
- Updated scores and ratings for all public schools based on how they performed on a set of accountability measures in the 2018-19 school year.
- Schools that have been identified for additional support and improvement based on their performance.
- Additional data that are required by law but do not count toward accountability scores.
Of particular note is that the latest scores reflect the results of a new state test that was administered for the first time last spring.
The website also includes some new features, including a measure of postsecondary readiness for high schools, and new data, such as science assessment results and educator effectiveness. This fact sheet summarizes the changes.
“This is an important tool for parents, educators and other stakeholders to understand how their schools are performing,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise. “While the Iowa School Performance Profiles does not tell the full story about schools, the website can enhance conversations in local communities about the work to prepare students for success.”
School performance results show fewer Iowa schools were identified for Targeted Support and Improvement for having one or more student subgroup score fall as low as the lowest 5 percent of schools in the state. This is because many schools that were identified based on 2017-18 performance saw improvement for the identified student subgroup in the 2018-19 school year.
“This is a testament to the great work of our schools as well as the support provided by the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa’s area education agencies,” Wise said.
The overall distribution of schools by rating category also changed little. The High Performing category saw the highest increase (2.5 percentage points), while the share of schools in the bottom three rating categories (Acceptable, Needs Improvement and Priority) climbed by about 2 percentage points.
The Iowa School Performance Profiles, launched in 2018, meets state and federal requirements to publish report cards reflecting the performance of all public schools. For more information, visit the Iowa School Performance Profiles website.
The Iowa Department of Education is hosting a town hall on Feb. 6 to gather public input on Iowa’s state plan to meet the requirements of the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, commonly referred to as Perkins V.
This federal law reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, which provides support for secondary and community college career and technical education (CTE) programs in all 50 states and U.S. territories. CTE programs increase student engagement through the integration of technical and academic skills in hands-on, real-world learning experiences. Perkins V represents an important opportunity to expand opportunities for every student to explore, choose and follow CTE programs of study and career pathways to earn credentials of value.
The town hall meeting is a great way for school administrators, faculty, students and the public to learn about Iowa’s state plan, get questions answered and to provide valuable feedback. Comments will be considered in the final state plan, which will be presented to Gov. Kim Reynolds for approval prior to submission to the U.S. Department of Education in April.
Information about the town hall meeting is provided below:
Feb. 6, 2020
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center,
6500 Corporate Dr., Johnston (Room 107A)
Iowans can also submit questions and feedback by completing online surveys about the draft plan and performance targets. More information on Iowa’s state plan is available on the Iowa Department of Education website.
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| Susie Meade |
The Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency Board of Directors has selected Dr. Susie Meade as its next Chief Administrator.
In her new role, Meade will support the agency’s 247 full- and part-time employees who provide special education and school improvement services in 14 counties across north-central Iowa. These counties include 38 public school districts and 11 state-accredited non-public schools with a combined enrollment of almost 32,000 students. The agency also provides services for children from birth-age 3 and their families.
"My entire career has been focused on helping students and improving teaching and learning. I'm honored to continue that effort by working with the dedicated staff at Prairie Lakes AEA," Meade said. "I feel like this is a unique opportunity to expand my reach and focus by impacting even more students and districts. I’m excited to begin working in an organization known for quality people and programs.
Meade has been the superintendent at Winterset Community School District since 2012. She brings experience in school leadership positions, including as a school principal. Meade also has perspectives from the classroom as she has been a special education teacher. Meade holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in special education from Mankato State University. She earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from Iowa State University and has National Superintendent Certification through the American Association of School Administrators.
The Prairie Lakes AEA board began its search for a new chief administrator after Jeff Herzberg announced his resignation effective June 2020. Herzberg, who has served as the Chief Administrator since 2010, plans to return to the classroom as a teacher/coach.
Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and Iowa’s AEAs? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition!
Iowa’s AEAs bestow three awards annually to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the work of Iowa’s AEAs. To submit a nomination, complete this application by Feb. 14, 2020. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination.
Awards will be presented during the annual Iowa’s AEAs Boards of Directors’ Conference, and the ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 26, 2020, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston.
The three awards and criteria can be found below. Each nomination should include examples of why your nominee should receive the award.
Friend of the AEA Award
Acknowledges contributions by policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses and organizations who have been great partners and demonstrate strong support for furthering the mission of Iowa’s AEAs. Open to all policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses and organizations.
E. Robert Stephens Award
Dr. E. Robert Stephens, better known as “Dr. Bob” and the father of Iowa’s AEAs, acknowledges contributions in the area of innovation and support to local districts, AEAs, the Department of Education and other partners/organizations. There should be evidence of outstanding contributions to the well-being of the educational community including:
- Benefits of this individual’s leadership;
- Creative leadership in inspiring and motivating others to achieve and contribute;
- Strong commitment to the profession by active participation in professional activities; and
- Evidence that the individual is respected by his/her colleagues and the community.
Open to AEA staff who serve in an administrative role and AEA board members.
Innovative Creator Award
Celebrates amazingly innovative and creative thinking and actions to get results for students, educators, Iowa’s AEAs, school districts and other partners. Open to all AEA staff, board members, educators, policymakers, students...we are all creators!
For more information, contact Connie Johnson, Iowa’s AEAs Communications Director.
This is the final installment of the series of articles from the Instructional Technology Consultants about podcasts...
We have gotten some great podcast recommendations from Heartland AEA staff! Here are three more -- sorry we couldn't get to all of them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your favorites.
Linda True (Audiologist/JO) and Berrett Rice (School Psychologist/AM) -- Hidden Brain
“Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.” As Linda True said, "Science, but entertaining."
Pratiksha Patel (School Psychologist/JO) -- On Purpose
“My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you.”
Stacy Volmer
(Regional Director/JO) -- 99% Invisible
“Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.”
When we started this journey, we had two goals:
1. We wanted to get staff who have never listened to a podcast to try at least one. (Okay, let’s be honest; we wanted you to be equally as passionate about them as we are!)
2. We also wanted current podcast listeners to find new favorites.
As you continue to explore podcasts, you might want to check out PCMag.com: The Best Podcasts of 2019. They have compiled a list of podcasts by category which might be helpful. Happy podcast travels!
There are two important updates regarding our February Agency-Directed Learning scheduled in Johnston on Feb. 5, 6, 10 or 11, 2020.
1. Who needs to attend in February?
We continue to use feedback to enhance our Agency Professional Learning Cascade. In order to design differentiated and deep learning, we are continuing to narrow the focus of our learning by reducing the number of topics in each learning opportunity. This narrower, deeper focus results in a continued need to thoughtfully consider which job-alike groups' roles are aligned with the content and learning.
Therefore, only certain job-alike groups will be attending the morning portion of Agency-Directed Learning in February. Review this document to determine if your job-alike group will be participating in your assigned Agency-Directed Learning session.
Please note: All staff is asked to participate in the job-alike afternoon session of these ADL days in February. Details of these sessions will be provided by your Job-Alike Facilitator.
2. Requested Action Prior to Sessions for School-Aged Assignment Staff (School Psychologists and Special Education Consultants)
Please engage in two online statewide SDI modules PRIOR to your Agency-Directed Learning date (Feb. 5 or Feb. 6). These sessions will activate prior knowledge and ensure a common understanding and vocabulary for our face-to-face time together in February.
Modules are located in the AEA Learning Online training system. After logging into the system, search "SDI" and locate the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI): Overview and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI): Diagnose for Instructional Design modules. The completion of both modules should take 30-35 minutes.
If you have any questions, contact your regional director or Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.
Heartland AEA is excited to share professional learning opportunities aimed at enhancing and supporting continued staff skill development in the area of technology! Beginning in January 2020, the Agency will offer monthly learning opportunities focused on skill development around the productive, efficient use of G Suite for Education apps.
All agency staff members are welcome to engage in one or all of these learning opportunities based on their individual skill assessment and prioritized needs. The format of the sessions will include a segment of learning, lead by agency technology instructors, with additional time allotted to practice the skills.
Each learning session will be focused on a different Google app. Sessions will focus on skill development, practical application, increasing productivity, simplifying workflow and gaining knowledge around digital privacy, safety and security.
The following areas of focus will be offered across the semester:
- Google Calendar
- Gmail
- Google Keep
- Google Chrome
- Google Tasks
- Google Forms
- Google Drive
- Google Slides
- And sessions about Zoom and how to search the Internet like a pro!
Session Details
Face-to-face participants, please see room locations below.
Participants joining via Zoom, join using this Zoom link.
Registration
You can find topics, dates/locations and registration links in this document.
Questions?
Contact your supervisor or Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.
