Northwest Area Education Agency (AEA) is a regional agency that provides school improvement services for students, teachers and administrators, and early childhood services. The agency is an educational partner with 34 public school districts and 33 accredited, private schools in a 10-county area of northwest Iowa (Lyon, Osceola, Sioux, O'Brien, Plymouth, Cherokee, Woodbury, Ida, Monona, and Crawford), serving nearly 45,000 students. Northwest AEA staff, schools and families work together to help all children reach their potential. As an intermediate agency, Northwest AEA offers the kinds of services that can be provided most equitably, efficiently and economically on a regional or cooperative basis among school districts. The mission of Northwest AEA is to provide visionary leadership and quality, student-centered services through relationships with families, schools and communities.