Iowa’s 15 area education agencies are celebrating 25 years of service to Iowa’s children, families and school staff. AEAs provide a variety of services to school districts.

AEA personnel work closely with local schools to develop programs based on their needs. A new statewide accreditation system assists AEA in developing those programs.

In this area, Grant Wood AEA staff work as partners with 33 public school districts and 23 accredited private schools to provide learning opportunities for all children. The agency serves schools and families in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn counties.

Services include school and community planning; professional development courses and workshops; assistance with curriculum, instruction and assessment; diagnosis, instruction and therapies for children with special needs; instructional media and school technology. In 1997, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill assigning the AEAs to lead the school improvement efforts in the state.

Each school district has an AEA regional team and team leader assigned to that district, as well as access to services and materials that are available across the entire area.