• Please SAVE THE DATE on your calendars for Friday, March 10th from 9 am – 2pm to network and learn with other Western PA districts and building level leaders at the Community College of Beaver County in the Learning Resources Center. The Western PAIU Curriculum leaders are organizing a “Western PA Leaders’ Summit” event for this date.  Brian Gasper, PDE's Division Chief of Instructional Quality as well as numerous other PDE representatives will present on topics including the new Science standards, School Improvement, Future Ready Data, and other interest areas.  Other presenters will share information related to current issues and needs of leaders (such as current issues in case law). Most importantly, this will be a time to connect to leaders within and outside of IU1. This event will be open to all school districts in IU 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 27 and 28 areas.  We are planning to have breakfast as well as lunch as a part of this event. There will be more details forthcoming as well as a registration link. This is an early heads up to please SAVE THE DATE to join us for all or part of the day on March 10th. Attendance will be free for this event. 😊

• Register for the Remake Learning Days Backpack Challenge through PDE.   Click link for QR code to regsiter to receive a packet of info in early spring.  

• TRETC - January 16, 2023 @ South Fayette High School 

  • • Event Site: https://www.pghtech.org/events/TRETC_2023

    • SCHED:  https://threeriverstechnologyconfer.sched.com/TRETC

SAS Institute

• Teacher Retention discussion (Looking at other models)

• Updating Assessment Maps and Data Protocols

• Artificial Intelleigence is here

ISP 2023: Focus Forward

• The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Federal Programs, and the Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators are pleased to announce the return of the Pennsylvania Title I Improving School Performance Conference. It will be held January 29—February 1, 2023 at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square. 

• Registration

Chapter 49

• Link to graphic

• Links to competencies of SL, CR-SE, and Ethics

• Structured Literacy training will be located in PD Center on January 1st. This is a 10 hour training that must be completed for certain certifications.  The state is stating that since this is being entered into the 23-24SY CPE Plan, then employees with the 5 certifications will have 3 years to complete this training. 

• Structured Literacy will need to be in the Comp Plan every three years.  This means that teachers that qualify with the 5 certifications, will need this training every three years.

FRPAI

• Percentages are off from previous years

• Has been released for public viewing

• State Averages on PSSA exams

• State Averages on Keystone exams

ACT 13 Updates

• PAETEP issues

• Data teachers are 70% O&P, 10% Teacher Specific, 10% BLS, 10% LEA Selected Measures

• Non-Data teachers are 70% O&P, 10% BLS, 20% LEA Selected Measures

• Office Hours

ACT 158 Updates

• Training sessions

• The Grad Report:  January 10th

• Reporting

PVAAS Updates

• Updates

Comprehensive Planning

• CP Updates

• CP Tip Jar

ATSI Updates

• Still no release date

• Next meeting will be held on January 23, 2023

PE/Health Professional Development

• Nick Slotterback - new PDE content advisor

• Offering free professional development for Physical Education and Health

• Two dates left

  • 1/12/2023

  • 3/15/2023

• Nick recommends that participants from Day 1 should participate in Day 2.  If you have teachers that register for Day 2 and have not participated in Day 1, they will have to complete the self-paced course in D2L.   

Esports Updates

• Congratulations to California Area High School for their 1st place finish in the 2022 Rocket League Winter Classic.  

Upcoming Workshops

• Data Dives - FRPAI, Emetric, and PVAAS 

  • Feb 1, 2023 

  • Registration will be open soon.

PDE SAS- STEELS Hub

This STEELS Hub provides educators with resources to implement and support the new standards. An implementation plan, developed by PDE, aims to ensure that all students have access to an education that prepares them to succeed and become lifelong learners. 

Professional Development Opportunities with Alyssa

• January 12- Engaging Students in Science- co-facilitated with Sarah D'Urzo

• February 21- Science Standards- general overview session (repeat of October 4)

• March 16-MWEE, see flyer here 

• March 28- Teaching Science in Reading- co-facilitated with Dave Dunham

 PA Department Of Education: Nearly 1,000 New E-Books Added To POWER Library For Pennsylvanians

Power Library via EBSCO E-BOOKS have added a collection of 892 new eBook titles that can help in school or business technology projects and to advance your career, hobby, or home-tech; and 66 Gale e-books titles are intended for school age students and offer many STEM related topics including series in STEM Projects in Minecraft, Coding Basics, Coding Careers for Tomorrow, Inside Technology, Unplugged Activities, Social Media Smarts, Privacy in the Digital Age, and News and Media Literacy, among others.

See the recent press release and to access Power Library visit: https://powerlibrary.org/ 

CSinPA Virtual Pathways (K-8)

The CSinPA K-8 Computer Science (CS) Pathway supports K-8 educators involved with CS instruction, whether as stand-alone classes or by integrating CS concepts and practices into other content-area instruction. Participants will explore ways of teaching CS while mastering core CS competencies. Over the course, participants set goals for expanding CS access for students and share artifacts to demonstrate progress towards their goals in the development and implementation of a small-scale implementation pilot. 

Register here by January 10: https://www.pattan.net/Events/On-line-Courses/Course-3010/Events/Session-37582

Remake Learning Days

Thinking about being a host?  Your presence as a RLD event host is a bright light for youth, families, and the community. 

It's not too early to start planning your new Remake Learning Days 2023 event. Spring into action and brainstorm arts, maker, outdoor learning, science, technology, youth voice, career ready, and professional development event ideas with colleagues. 

Event submissions are now open! Go to the RLD website to submit your event by February 28, 2023. Until then, we hope you "see" yourself in this video! 

#RemakeDays #EventHosts

Range Resources STEM Competition: https://sites.google.com/iu1.org/range-stem-challenge/home

• Your challenge is to design and build a scale model of a wellhead Cage, utilizing a kit of limited materials (supplied by Range), capable of withstanding a scaled impact load typical of what a full-size cage could be exposed to. The designs will be tested to failure at the day of the challenge. Judging will be based on how well each Cage performs, the creative design process, engineering principles utilized, and a presentation describing the intent of the design.

• Schools that signup to compete will receive building materials from Range. Pick up and or delivery will be arranged. Deadline to register is January 13, 2023.

• Grades 5-8 and 9-12

• The competition will be held at Range Resources in Spouthpointe. There is a team limit at the current moment, no more than two teams per grade level (5th-8th and 9th-12th) per school. If you have more than two teams, please complete the form again until you have registered all teams.

• Teams will have until April 19, 2023, to design and build their projects. 

• Presentations due by April 12, 2023. 

• Prizes for students and school/teacher classroom.

STEM Design Challenge featuring K'Nex: https://sites.google.com/iu1.org/stem-design-challenge/home

• The STEM Design Challenge is a competition for students in grades 4-8 where they build a project out of K’Nex pieces. Teams in grades 4-5 and grades 6-8 will only be able to use only K’Nex pieces. 

• The competition this year will be in person at the California University Convocation Center South Wing. There is a team limit at the current moment, no more than two teams per grade level (4th-5th and 6th-8th) per school. If you have more than two teams, please complete the form again until you have registered all teams.

• Teams will have from November 2022 to March 28, 2023 to design and build their projects. We invite you to save the date for the IU1's Regional Competition for the STEM Design Challenge featuring K'Nex on March 28, 2023 at the California University Convocation Center from 9AM - 1PM. 

• CHALLENGE: Major environmental issues including climate change and pollution are currently facing our world. Your team is being tasked to research environmental issues, identify one that your team would like to address, and create a solution to that issue. Build a prototype out of K’Nex that supports your solution.

PD Opportunities: https://sites.google.com/iu1.org/innovationanddesign/workshops

• Lending Library Exploration (Session 2): Come and explore all that the IU1 Lending Library has to offer. Even if you have the tools and just want to learn more on how to use them in your classroom! This session will allow participants to explore the technology tools and software at this hands on workshop.

  • Date/Time: 2/16/23, 9:00AM - 3:00PM

  • Location: IU1 Central Office

• Fab Lab: Designing with Acrylic: Join us at the IU1 Fab Lab at Colonial to learn different ways to complete projects with acrylic. During this session we will go over acrylic bending, squeegee techniques for custom designs, and pressure fit best practices. This session is for any educator interested in learning more about how to use acrylic to design projects for digital fabrication projects.

  • Date/Time: 2/10/23, 9:00AM - 3:00PM

  • Location: IU1 Colonial Campus

• Fab Lab: Cutting Boards: Join us at the IU1 Fab Lab at Waynesburg to design your own personalized cutting board. Participants will learn step by step how to create their own unique cutting board while learning how this project can start student entrepreneurship in the classroom. All materials will be provided. This session is part 1 of 2.

  • Date/Time: 4/14/23, 9:00AM - 3:00PM

  • Location: IU1 Waynesburg Campus