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

Agency Securing Permanent Office Space in Polk County with New Altoona Regional Office

Agency staff serving Region 8 schools in Polk County will now have a closer and more permanent office space to use with the opening of the Agency's new agency office in Altoona. 

The new Altoona Regional Office will open sometime this fall and will be a welcome addition for staff who serve the Bondurant-Farrar, North Polk and S.E. Polk Schools. Regional director Stacy Volmer and regional administrative assistant Chris Arend will staff the new office. 

The office is located at 415 Center Place in Altoona and is part of a mixed-use office/apartment building near the Altoona Hy-Vee. The Agency signed a 5-year lease for the space. 

The Agency has previously had co-location spaces in the S.E. Polk and Grandview Christian schools, but they no longer have room in their buildings for a co-location space.

Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS) is Now Ellipsis

Youth Homes of Mid-America (YHMA) and Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS), where Heartland AEA staffs a Shelter Care Educational Program classroom, have joined forces to become Ellipsis. Following a merger that closed on Aug. 1, 2021, the state’s two leading human service providers will now jointly serve Iowa’s children and families in need across the entire spectrum of care, from emergency respite and counseling to shelter and long-term residential services. 

What is Ellipsis? 

Taking the place of words left unsaid, an Ellipsis symbolizes the potential for a new direction in a story. And for decades, YHMA and YESS have helped children and families in Iowa to rewrite their stories when they need it most. 

What’s next? 

The newly merged team will first work to integrate services and develop a cohesive brand for Ellipsis, creating a look and feel that will best represent the heritage, service excellence and operational realities of the newly combined organization. A formal unveiling will happen in the coming months. For now, you can find more information and details on the YHMA website or YESS website.

Reminder: Aug. 31 is LAST Date to Turn in FY 2021 Expenses

Aug. 31 is the last date the Business Office will accept and process any claims for expenses occurring on or before June 30, 2021. Do not submit expense claims with dates crossing the new fiscal year. Use a separate expense claim if you still have reimbursable expenses which occurred prior to July 1. Check your ‘Rejected Expenses’ link to see if you have any expense claims requiring your attention and resubmit after appropriate changes are complete. 

If you have questions, contact Mary Heaberlin, Accounts Payable Specialist, or Brian Whalen, Business Manager.

Reminder: Review 2021-22 Staff Handbook & Sign Receipt

You should have received an email last week asking you to review the updated 2021-22 Staff Handbook and acknowledge receipt of the Handbook. A copy of the Handbook can be found on the Intranet > Human Resources > Staff Handbook. 

If you have not already acknowledged receipt, please read the updated Staff Handbook and click on the following link to indicate your completion. 

Acknowledgment Receipt

If you have any questions, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.

Here’s How to Access the FastBridge Learning & Panorama Student Success Systems

This is a reminder that all access to the FastBridge Learning site and Panorama Student Success site is through the Iowa Education Portal. New staff and staff who have changed assignments or names have been submitted by regional administrative assistants, and the Iowa Department of Education will process those requests. You will get an auto-generated email when you have access to the data systems for your buildings. 

After you login to the Iowa Education Portal, there is a drop-down menu on the upper right hand side that says "Heartland AEA." 

When you click on that, your buildings should be on the list. When you select a building, an MTSS tab will pop up and give you the choice for the FastBridge Learning system or Panorama Student Success system.

At this time, building-level users do not have access to the Panorama Student Success system. The Iowa Department of Education is working on a process to input users that is more efficient. While that is being done, there will not be access to that system. We will alert you when the system is accessible again through the portal. Individual student reports and data are available in the FastBridge Learning system for your use. If there is something you need access to in the Panorama Student Success system, contact Wendy Robinson, Director of Instructional Services. 

If you have any issues logging in, contact Wendy Robinson.

Reminder: Review Updated Guidance on Sharing Student Sensitive Information Via Digital Tools (Digital Privacy, Safety and Security)

 Staff members need to efficiently share information about students with each other, parents and districts, and the use of digital tools supports such collaboration, innovation and communication.

The Agency has created the following guidelines to describe best practices for storing, securing and sharing data. These practices provide a reasonable balance between the security of data and convenience for agency staff. 

Updated guidance is linked below and is available on the Intranet > Technology > Digital Privacy, Safety & Security. 

Guidance for Sharing Student Sensitive Information via Digital Tools

Reminder: Need an iPad App? Make Sure You Know the New Process for Requesting an App

The process for requesting an app for agency iPads has changed. Please make sure you review the new process. The process can also be found on the Intranet > Technology > Apple Devices > iPad > iPad App Acquisition Process. 

Our interests include: 

• Getting the needed tools, supportive of evidence-based practice, into staff members' hands efficiently. 
• Supporting equitable access to tools among staff needing the tools. 
• Protecting student privacy and information. The digital security process is currently under construction. 

Process for Free Apps - All Staff 

• As a professional, consider if an app is aligned with standards of practice and current agency Digital Privacy, Safety and Security (DPSS) guidelines. 
• After individual consideration of these features, download the app if needed. 

Process to Purchase Apps - Certified Staff 

• Work with your Job-Alike Facilitator, who will work with the Job-Alike Leads to review your requested app. 
• JAFs and Leads will consider the request based on the features outlined above. The review process will include consideration of the scope of access recommended among the Job-Alike group. 
• JAFs or the assigned leader working with the JAFs will communicate the approved purchase request, including the names of those needing the app, to Judy Cleveland in the Internal Technology Department. 

Process to Purchase Apps - Classified Staff 

• Work with your supervisor (department or region), who will consider the request based on the features outlined above. The review process will include consideration of the scope of access recommended. 
• The supervisor will communicate the approved purchase request, including the names of those needing the app, to Judy Cleveland in the Internal Technology Department.