Northwest AEA supports local educators through collaborative efforts of special education, educational services, and media and technology staff, working in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for all students.
Special Education Services
Our employees work in partnership with local school teams, community providers, and area families to conduct Child Find; assist teams in the development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs); and deliver high quality, support and related services to eligible individuals.
Support is provided to educators, families, and learners through:
- 14 networks serving 34 school districts with systems coaches as the primary contact;
- Early ACCESS services for families with learners from birth to age three;
- Early Childhood services to area preschools and daycares for learners ages three to five;
- School-based special education strategists with backgrounds in school psychology, school social work, and special education consultation;
- Specialized support services, including those provided by speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, vision, and hearing specialists;
- Literacy, math, and social-emotional behavioral health, instructional technology, and specially designed instruction teams; and
- Assistance with compliance for the provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and State of Iowa Administrative Rules of Special Education.
Services are provided for children from birth through the age of 21 and can be accessed through requests made by parents or school personnel. For general information, contact the special education division at 712.222.6326 or 1.800.352.9040, ext. 6326.
Educational Services
Our educational coaches work to support school administrators, leadership teams, teacher leaders, and teachers in their efforts to improve outcomes for students, especially in the areas of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), implementation science, professional development planning, instructional coaching, mentor training, Iowa Core, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) designations, and Early Literacy Implementation (ELI).
Our agency structure provides:
- systems coaches assigned to specific districts and schools as primary AEA contacts, meeting with school personnel on a weekly basis;
- administrative, teacher leader, and teacher networking opportunities across all schools;
- consultation and instructional opportunities across all schools in the Iowa Core content areas of literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies;
- consultation and instructional opportunities across all schools in the student-centered areas of English Language Learners (ELL), Future Ready, gifted education, early childhood, competency-based education, Career and Technical Education (CTE), school counseling, student events, classroom management, and equity; and
- consultation and instructional services across all schools in the educator-centered areas of school improvement, licensure renewal, mentoring and induction, and curriculum coordination.
Media and Technology
In addition, supplemental classroom resources are available to all educators and schools within the Northwest AEA area. Students and teachers can use instructional resources on Iowa AEA Online for free. The Media Catalog has books, book kits, audio books, equipment, science kits, and so much more for all grade levels.
The Northwest AEA Creative Services Team produces posters, coloring books, bookmarks, banners, custom vinyl, printing, clings, and more!