Prairie Lakes AEA support for local educators is delivered 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
The special education division staff work in partnership with local school teams to carry out specialized Child Find and evaluation activities; assist with the development of Individualized Education Plans (IEP) that deliver high quality, specially designed instruction; and provide support and related services to eligible students.
Support is provided to schools and educators through:
- special education dyad partners who have a focus on:
- academics (professionals licensed as special education consultants or academic strategists)
- behavior (professionals licensed as school psychologists, school social workers, or behavior strategists);
- specialized support services, including those provided by speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, vision and hearing specialists, and content-area specialists;
- assistance with compliance for the provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) and State of Iowa Administrative Rules of Special Education
Services are provided for children birth through the age of 21 and can be accessed through requests made by parents or school personnel. For assistance, call 866-540-3858.
Educational Services
Our educational consultants work to support school administrators, leadership teams, and teacher leaders in their efforts to improve outcomes for students, especially in the areas of school improvement, professional development planning, instructional coaching, mentor training, Iowa Core, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) designations, Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW), Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and Early Literacy Implementation (ELI).
The model will provide:
- educational consultants assigned to specific districts and schools as a School Improvement Facilitator who meets regularly with school personnel
- 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 Learners (EL), gifted education, early childhood, competency-based education, Career and Technical Education (CTE), school counseling, 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 through Prairie Lakes AEA and Iowa's AEAs. The Media Catalog has books, DVDs, magazines, book kits, audio books, equipment, labs, and so much more for all grade levels.
Creative Services
The Creative Services Team can produce posters, coloring books, bookmarks, banners, custom vinyl, printing, clings, and more.