• Guest Speaker - Mr. Joel Feldman info@EndDD.org 

  • • • End Distracted Driving -  https://www.enddd.org/ 

      • EndDD's mission is to save lives from distracted driving through advocacy, education and action.

      • Offering programming to schools K-12

        • • Example - Distracted Day book for K-1

• PIL Course: Crisis Leadership: Ensuring Continuity of Education in Turbulent Times 

  • • • Runs April 1 - May 7

      • 50 PIL/Act 45 hours

• SAVE THE DATE: 2021 Summer Institute:  What Now?  Supporting Educators Moving Forward From a Pandemic 

  • • • Virtual Conference

      • August 3-4, 2021

      • Multiple sessions offered throughout the day from 8:00-3:00

      • Registration will open at the beginning of May

• ESSER III Funds and IU Services

• USDOE Waiver for PA 

• Assessment

  • • • Finally, LEAs are expected to make a good faith effort to test all eligible students within the parameters of local Health and Safety plans. 

        • • • Examples of Good Faith effort include but are not limited to the following: create a plan, have teachers complete test administration training, put Student ID stickers on books, arrange for transportation for students who have not been attending school in person, consider test schedule that reduces the number of days virtual-only students would need to be in the building for testing,  document communications to families (including Covid safety protocols and through multiple means sms, letter, email, etc...), make sure communications include versions in language of preference for families of ELs, create material storage plan for the event of Covid related building closure, set up waiting area and activities for students to complete before and after test on testing day, plan for make-up testing, etc...

      • The list of eligible students is derived from a school’s enrollment on the last day of the original testing windows:

        • • • Assessment Accountability Date

            • ACCESS for ELs January 25, 2021

            • PSSA/PASA Grades 3-8  April 23, 2021 – April 30, 2021 (subject specific)

            • Keystone Exam/PASA Grade 11 May 28, 2021

      • The extension of the testing calendar does not affect these accountability dates. Students will remain on an LEA’s attribution roster even if they transfer to another LEA over the summer.

• Reminder: There will be no Spring roster verification process for PVAAS in Spring 2021. This is a result of PDE guidance on SY20-21 employee evaluation, https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/emergencyplanning/COVID-19/20-21FAQs/Pages/EmpEvals.aspx. This indicates no teacher-specific data, i.e., no PVAAS teacher-specific reporting.

• PDE: Not utilizing the term learning loss but accelerated learning

• PDE Accelerated Learning Registration - Free Act 45 credits

  • • • Asynchronous Modules can be viewed here soon! 

      • Modules to assist in planning for next school year

        • • Systems Approach - staffing, scheduling, hybrid best practices

          • Assessment and Data Analysis

          • Comprehensive Mental Health Supports

          • Family Engagement

          • Scaffolded Supports

            • • Focus on learning gaps

              • Universal Design for Learning

              • Tutoring 

          • Early Fall will release another module on local assessments

• COE - Planning for the 2021-2022 school year

• Western PA Hot Topics throughout the month of March 

  • • • Hot Topic - Grading Conversations for 20-21

      • Other links connected to assessment:

        • • https://matthewmjohnson.com/2019/09/27/feedback-2-0-using-digital-resources-to-give-better-feedback-faster/

          • https://matthewmjohnson.com/2019/04/23/targeted-response-how-to-give-more-meaningful-feedback-without-staying-up-all-night/

          • https://www.edutopia.org/article/fast-and-efficient-ways-provide-feedback

          • https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Feedback-Grades-6-12-Responding/dp/1544360495

• Updates to EVOLVE

  • • • Through a Washington County grant all Washington County schools who chose to participate now have access to EVOLVE for free for all staff for 1 year!  

      • PD Suggestions at bottom of EVOLVE page

      • Coming soon!  Microcredentials/Badges

• Creative Learning Network of Pittsburgh free art show over spring break!  Please share with your students!

• FREE resource through the end of this year!  Streamable Learning Flyer

• Career Resources from Catalyst Connection

• Real World Scholars

• Spring Diversity Summit

• PDE Vulnerable Populations Discussion Guide

• Virtual Career Connections recordings

• Act 35 Civics Exam toolkit

• Inventionland Update 

  • • Students now have the opportunity to explore Inventionland from their classrooms or homes. No matter how you access it, you will tour all of Inventionland's world-famous inventing factory with your tour guide, have a chance to ask questions, learn about both notable and unknown inventors, and engage in fun invention themed brain-break activities.Email us at tours@inventionland.com to book your virtual tour today! 

    • Embrace the joys of inventing with your students in the next school year! Enjoy our innovation curriculum at a reduced rate when you partner with us through Wednesday, March 31. Schools who sign on, extend, or renew with us will get:

      • 10% off 3-year contracts

      • 15% off 4-year contracts

      • 20% off 5-year contracts

• Equity Resources

  • • Learning for Justice Resources 

      • We provide free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued and welcome participants. 

    • Brave Conversations in Classrooms PDE Padlet 

    • Equity Audit Tool - Joe Mahoney, IU1 Equity Contact, can work with you to walk through this tool

    • Avoiding Racial Equity Detours article - Gorski 

    • ADL Education Resources 

Happy Women in History Month!

• Awesome timeline of women in STEM from the Society of Women Engineers

Science Standards

• Interested in being notified of when the public comment period opens?  Contact the state board at ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov​ 

Wild About Raptors Educator Workshop series from the PA Department of Environmental Protection

• • A series of free virtual Wild about Raptor workshops is being offered during May and June.  Act 48 hours are available and registration is required.  Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues and teachers.

Here is the link to the Series: https://www.hawkmountain.org/education/programs/wild-about-raptors-educator-workshop-series 

Computer Science

 CSinPA K-8 Virtual Pathway  at IU1- Registration Now Open! Click here to learn more

• Take the CSforPGH Survey by April 1. -Please share with your teachers

  • The CSforPGH working group is hoping to use this survey to gain more information on the needs of those who are teaching/leading computer science and computational thinking.  The data from this survey will be used to design tools and resources to address the needs identified.  This initiative would focus on dramatically increasing access and participation for students of color, students in remote rural areas, and girls in computer science programs, both in- and out-of-school.   

• Accessible Computer Science Webinars through CSTA- Teachers will share strategies that other K-12 educators can use to include students with disabilities in their CS classroom

  • Teaching CS to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students – April 7, 2021 (7 PM EST) – Register Here

  • Teaching CS to Students with Learning Disabilities – May 11, 2021 - Register Here

  • Teaching CS to Neurodiverse Students – June 16, 2021 – Register Here

• CSforALL-PA Summit- Call for proposals due April 1, 2021! Request for Proposal Form

  • CSforALL PA Summit will be held virtually June 21-25 via Schoology

  • Theme: CS Celebrations

  • Sessions will cover a range of CS concepts and practices, levels of CS experience, and participant roles

• Coded Bias: A virtual cinematic experience-

  • Sundance documentary, Coded Bias is provided at no-cost through sponsorship by PaTTAN

  • “Coded Bias explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.”

  • Available on-demand March 17-March 31!

  • Click here for more information, get your virtual ticket, and find resources to engage students! 

Sarah Durzo