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

DE Announces Changes to Structure of Statewide School Improvement Team

During the August AEA system meetings, the Iowa Department of Education shared plans for changing the structure for the collaborative work of (Statewide School Improvement Team) SSIT. We understand there are changes and the Department is setting direction around Future Ready. We appreciate the time that many of you have committed to this work. As an AEA system, we will continue to support our districts and partner with the Department to improve student learning.

Reminder: Registration for TQ Courses is Open! (And There’s Still Time to Create a Study Group!)

Registration for Teacher Quality (TQ) courses is open until Sept. 22, 2021! Study groups must be formed by Sept. 22 as well. Additional information is included in this TQ document.

Reminder: New in 2021: Professional Development Plans Can Be Used for License Renewal Credit

 The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners recently shared an exciting option for license renewal credits connected to individual Professional Development Plans (PDPs). Full details can be found in the BOEE newsletter and are summarized below. 

Starting with applications received after July 1, 2021, holders of a standard, master, professional administrator or professional service license may use one Iowa Individual Professional Development Plan (annual goal setting) for up to 1/2 of the required renewal credits for their license type. 

• Standard license - 1 IPDP plan is 3 credits (6 needed) 
• Master educator license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 credits (4 needed) 
• Professional administrator license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 credits (4 needed) 
• Professional service license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 renewal credits (4 needed) 

In your online renewal application, upload a completed (spring) IPDP signed by you and your evaluator. The plan should minimally include specific goal(s), planned activities, alignment to building/district goals, alignment to the Iowa teaching standards, data collected, and how the goal impacted student learning. The plan needs to have been completed after the issue date of the current license or be no more than five years old if the license is expired. The plan must be completed in an Iowa school setting, as the plans are based on the Iowa teaching or administrator standards. 

Does this sound awesome to you? If so, read on to learn how to do this at Heartland AEA! 

Staff may use a completed PDP from a previous year or wait until their 2021-22 PDP is completed this spring. 

Within the Learning Management and Registration System: Technology Platform, navigate to the Professional Development Plan. To use your PDP from a previous year, you will need to access your archived plans. On the 2021-22 Professional Growth and Evaluation Tools page, you will see a navigation bar (three vertical lines) as marked with an arrow below. 

Select the archived plan you would like to use. 

Within the PDP year you would like to use, from the “My Professional Growth Process” tab, navigate to Step 4.

In order to sign and obtain your supervisor’s signature on the PDP, download the completed PDP to your computer. Digital signatures using Adobe or pen/paper signatures by printing the document, can then be added. Follow the BOEE guidelines above to submit your completed PDP for license renewal credits. 

For questions regarding Heartland AEA processes, contact Martha Condon, Director of Internal Professional Learning. For questions related to licensure, contact the Iowa BOEE.

Mental Health Response and Referral Course to be Offered Again in October

Mental health issues in our schools are on the rise. Especially concerning are the many situations that happen in a virtual setting with our students. How do we, as helping professionals respond? This workshop is designed specifically for those helping professionals to create and implement systemic responses to those many and varied situations regarding mental health and suicide. Participants will leave with a binder of best practice ideas and resources. 

Target Audience: school counselors, school nurses, school social workers and school psychologists 

Mental Health Response and Referral 2.0

Oct. 21, 2021 

8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 

Johnston REC 

Instructors: Sue Schirmer, Aimee Schuppe and Stacey Warren 

Registration

Executive Skills Expert to Present Virtual Training for Parents on Sept. 14

Pass on this opportunity to any parent who may be interested!

The Family & Educator Partnership strives to provide families and the community with training to help their students in the classroom. In doing so, Heartland AEA is excited to announce an upcoming learning session provided by Peg Dawson, a field expert on Executive Skills. This virtual training is designed to help students achieve success in school and in life. No registration is required. 

Smart but Scattered: Helping Children and Teens Strengthen Executive Skills to Reach Their Full Potential 

Sept. 14, 2021 

6:30 p.m. Central Time (U.S. and Canada) 

Zoom Meeting Link

Executive skills are critical to the acquisition of academic skills, but, more importantly, they are the skills students need to get things done. They are brain-based skills such as task initiation, sustained attention, working memory, planning, organization and goal-directed persistence that are absolutely critical to school success. Some students seem to acquire them naturally, but many students struggle with them. Dr. Peg Dawson, co-author of the books Smart but Scattered and Smart but Scattered Teens, will describe how these skills develop throughout childhood and suggest strategies parents can use to help children acquire the critical skills they need to be successful students. 

Peg Dawson, Ed.D., is a school psychologist by training with expertise in the assessment of learning and attention disorders, is a past president of the National Association of School Psychologists and a recipient of NASP’s Lifetime Achievement Award.