• The Esports Company - Seth Mason

  • • • Slide Deck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xjHR7mOrHIwxHwSvNx1Mv4LegxEm767GbGQrskj9P4E/edit?usp=sharing

      • Any student interested in applying for a paid internship ($10/hr) at The Esport Company:  https://theesportcompany.com/careers/

• 2023 Student Showcase and Musical Entertainment - March 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe

• Western PA Leaders' Summit @ Community College of Beaver County on March 10th from 9-2!  Register Here  

• Rural Arts Collaborative Save the Date - May 18 Registration will open soon! 

• Future Ready Partnership Conference - March 21 at McMurray Campus (limited to only 250 registrations) Registration will open soon!

• The application portals will open on December 14, 2022, for the 2023 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) summer opportunities: The Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy (AEA) and The Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge.  Both programs have an online application which goes directly to ARC. If an applicant doesn’t have reliable internet access and is unable to complete the application at school, they can forward the information to jlench@pa.gov and I will complete the application on their behalf.  As a reminder, these programs should be targeted to the student that has not had any similar opportunities, nor would their families be able to send their students to this type of experience. These programs are appropriate for students that have average grades in school.

• AEA is for high school students currently in grades 9, 10 and 11

• Must attend public school or be home-schooled in any of the 52 Pennsylvania ARC counties

• July 8-21, 2023 at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina

• Oak Ridge is for Middle School students (current 6th, 7th and 8th graders), High School students and High School teachers

• High School students (currently 16 years or older in 9th, 10th or 11th grades) and teachers attend the program in Oak Ridge, TN July 8-21, 2023

• Middle School students attend the program in Oak Ridge, TN July 8-14, 2023 OR July 15-12, 2023

• Must attend public school or be home-schooled in any of the 52 Pennsylvania ARC counties

• The application deadline for both AEA and Oak Ridge is February 10, 2023.

• 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. 

  • • • More information on Remake Learning Days 

• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Opportunities

  • • • At Risk Afterschool Meals/Snacks Info

      • Summer Meals Info

• Save The Date

  • Dr. Kearns will be here on March 17, 2023 at IU1 central office to discuss The Science of Reading.  The cost for this event is $50.  This will include lunch and the opportnity to learn more about The Science of Reading.  

• PVAAS 

  • Public Access Site

  • Local Assessment

    • PIMS collection window for Sy22-23 locally administered assessment data is open NOW! 

  • Professional Learning

  • Roster Verification

    • Note: Roster Verification Dates are released annually each fall/winter.

• Preview Phase:  April 26 – May 5, 2023

• Teacher Phase:  May 6 – May 19, 2023

• School Admin Phase:  May 20 – June 2, 2023

• LEA/District Admin Phase:  June 3 – June 23, 2023

• Office Hours

  • Wed Jan 25, 2:00pm-3:00pm

  • Tues Jan 31, 3:00pm-4:00pm

  • Thurs Feb 9, 10:00am-11:00am

  • Register for Q&A Office Hour

• ATSI

  • PA is waiting for the USDE to approve the ESSA Amendments for ATSI exit criteria.

  • Schools designated as ATSI in 2018 should be getting a letter from the state soon that will state whether the district met exit criteria or the district will be reinstated.

  • 2022 cuts were lower than 2018

  • New designated schools will have their plan submitted through FRCPP by June 30th to allow for any adjustments if needed.

• FRCPP

  • Presentation 

  • New "News & Updates" will be added to bottom of page after log in to the FRCPP site.

  • PHASE 1 Comprehensive Plans - extended to October 31st

  • All PHASE 1 schools will have a mandatory Comp Plan update training soon.

  • PHASE II plans have just been released

  • Chapter 4 has been updated

  • Act 55: Dual Credit Articulation Agreements

    •  These will go into Comp Plans (and CATS) moving forward.  It is a simple questionnaire embedded in the Comp Plan.

  • Released December 20, 2022

Educator Effectiveness Annual Report

Due February 28, 2023

• Released February 1, 2023

Bus Evacuation Report

Due April 10, 2023

• Released February 10, 2023

School Improvement Plans

Due June 30, 2023 - August 31, 2023

School Level Plans

Due September 1, 2023

• Chapter 49

  • There will be a shortcut to all the information on PDESAS site.

  • Structure Literacy Updates

  • Early Childhood Education 

  • PreK-3 (early childhood)

  •  Elementary-Middle level 

  •   K-6

  • PreK-4

  •  4-8 or 6-9

  • PK-12 Special Education 

  • English as a Second Language

  • Reading Specialist

• • • Everyone has a 3 year window starting with the 2023-24 SY

    • Must be incorporated into PHASE 1 Comp Plan now.

    • Check box will be available Feb. 10th.

    • Not re-opening approved Comp Plans.  Honor system in place.

    • All trainings must meet the 4 competencies

    • 7-12 certs are not required, however 7 and 8 grade ELA teachers should take the training

    • There is already a literacy acquisition requirement for the PD plan of your Comp Plan.  Some schools are requiring SL for all of their teachers to meet this requirement.

• Under 95% Update

  • · 100/700 emails were in error.

  •  If yours was in error, you would have received an email indicating it was an error (if you are still unsure, I can show you how to check on FRCCP website)

  •  PA is in federal corrective action due to below acceptable testing percentage (i.e. PA is approved to give 1% of students PASA, but we currently give it to 2%)

  •  When writing your corrective plan, you are writing it for the LEA, not the subgroup.  In fact, they advise to NOT address the subgroup separately.  They are looking at        how you are pulling ALL students in which should simultaneously address the subgroups who did not meet the 95% requirement.

  •  Opt-Out Families- they urge you to follow the process (reviewing the test to identify why they need exemption).  Document attempts made to families.

  •  In 6000 characters or less, describe your LEA's plan to increase testing participation.

• ACT 13

  • PEERS - 75 new districts are using PEERS

  • Office Hours

• Artificial Intellegience

  • Bearly AI

  • ChatGPT

  • BigSpeak

  • Talk to Books

• Esports

  • We will be having a regional esports meeting on February 2nd to discuss the Spring Rocket League season.  

• Data Dive and CDT

• • Best practices for analysing your CDT data.   February 15th from 9:00 - 11:30.

  • Triangulation of Emetric, PVAAS, and Future Ready PA.  February 15th from 12:30 - 3:00.

• CPE Courses

  • CPE List

• Resources

  • Beating the Odds

  • LETRS for Administrators

• Fusion

  • New Site

PA STEELS Standards Updates and Professional Learning Opportunitites 

• • *NEW* Details Around State Assessments:

    • Anticipated that Grade 5 will test in the 2025-26 SY

    • The anticipated plan is a full 2024-25 field test (grade 5). 

    • 2024-25 SY has NO grade 4 testing. Operational in 2025-26 SY. All is pending approval. 

District Leadership :STEELS Workshop Opportunity

This professional development opportunity will support education leaders in developing a comprehensive understanding of the STEELS standards and how to apply that understanding to environmental literacy and sustainability education programming. This training is appropriate for curriculum supervisors, Intermediate Unit education leads, and environmental education leaders.

Part 1 (Virtual) - Thursday, February 23, 2023, 12:30-3:30pm

This virtual session will focus on introducing participants to the new standards, highlighting connections to the MWEE, and how these multi-dimensional standards will support a robust approach to science education.

Part 2 (In person – choose one day) - 9:00am - 3:00pm

During this session we will explore what the new standards look like in practice, highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of the standards and the science and engineering practices that can be elevated when applying the MWEE framework.

· Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at PaTTAN - East (Malvern)

· Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at PaTTAN - Central (Harrisburg)

· Thursday, March 2, 2023 at PaTTAN - West (Pittsburgh)

Here is the registration link. Contact Bart Merrick (bart.merrick@noaa.gov) with any questions.

Supporting Technology & Engineering in Pennsylvania with Engineering byDesign Initiative (STEP w/EbD)

PDE is providing three exciting opportunities to provide support for the implementation of the new Pennsylvania Standards for Technology & Engineering (PSTE) which are part of the STEELS Standards Suite. Please share!

The STEP w/EbD Initiative will provide: 

1. PK-12 EbD MediaRich Edition curriculum access that includes a learning management system, real-time online access to all course updates, additional interactive media, and online pre and post-assessments. Engineering byDesign (EbD) is aligned to the ITEEA Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL). The K-12 PA Technology & Engineering Standards are nearly identical to the STEL and will be aligned to all EbD courses. (Click here to request access to EbD courses) 

2. Fully-funded, 4-day in-person trainings (elementary, middle, and high school specific EbD courses) for 90 educators per year beginning in the summer of 2023. If all in-person seats are filled, unlimited concurrent virtual training will be available. Participants will receive a $816/person stipend to cover transportation, lodging, and meals. Act 48 will be available. (Please complete this form to receive a summer workshop registration link in January 2023) 

Please note: first come, first served registration will be open in January 2023 for (30) in-person spots at each level (elementary, middle, and high school). If all in-person seats are filled, unlimited concurrent virtual training will be available. If you cannot attend, or in-person spots are filled for 2023, additional training are being planned for the summers of 2024 and 2025. 

2023 STEP w/EbD Workshops in Pennsylvania 

● June 13-16, 2023: Elementary (Clarion IU6) 

● June 20-23, 2023: Middle School (Williamsport IU17) 

● June 26-29, 2023: High School (Lancaster IU13) 

3. We are working to identify (5) expert Technology & Engineering educators that are interested in becoming a STEP w/EbD Authorized Teacher Effectiveness Coaches (ATECs) for each year of this initiative in PA. The STEP w/EbD ATECs will serve as the facilitators for workshops in 2023, 2024, and 2025. 2023 ATEC trainings will occur virtually: 

● Friday, February 24, 2023 - 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM 

● Saturday, February 25, 2023 - 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM 

● Sunday, February 26, 2023 - 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 

Benefits 

● Receive free training in up to three EbD courses ($1995.00 value) 

● Facilitate STEP w/EbD Workshops in PA during 2023, 2024, 2025 and get paid 

● Contract with ITEEA and IUs to offer future EbD workshops across PA 

● Opportunities to become a National Teacher Effectiveness Coach (NTEC) and get paid to train across the U.S. 

Requirements 

● Attend virtual STEP w/EbD training in February 2023 

● Shadow ITEEA National Authorized Teacher Effectiveness Coach during (1) summer 2023 Pennsylvania STEP w/EbD Workshop 

● Serve as the STEP w/EbD ATEC and facilitate a 2024 summer workshop 

(Please complete this form if you (or someone else) is interested in applying to become a STEP w/EbD ATEC)                     

Questions??? Email Brandt Hutzel - PDE Technology & Engineering Content Advisor

Announcing the 2023 Seedlings for Schools Program: Available to all Pennsylvania schools with children from kindergarten to 12th grade.

• Seedlings for Schools is a partnership program of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery and the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation. Since the Seedlings for Schools initiative began in 2008, 1.8 million seedlings were dispersed statewide to all counties of the Commonwealth. Seedlings are grown and shipped from the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery located in Centre County, Pennsylvania.  The Seedlings for Schools program provide students the experience as caretaker of the environment while having fun in the outdoor classroom. 

• Orderings are taken on-line January 30 – March 31, 2023. All information is located HERE.

Computer Science Updates

Save the Date!  2023 CSforALL PA Summit- June 14-15, 2023 at PaTTAN Harrisburg and online

Smore Flyer- 2023 CSforALL PA Summit

Remake Learning Days 2023!

May 4-23, 2023

Join one of the Zoom meetings shown below to learn why you should and how you can submit a Pop-up event for youth and families from anywhere around the world for Remake Learning Days April 20 - May 26, 2023! Submit your event by February 28 to be added to marketing materials.  APPLY FOR A MINI GRANT by February 11 for funds to support your event!

Please choose a day and time that works best for your schedule to learn more:

Wednesday, January 25

11:30am - 12:15pm EST

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqdO6srzMuHNQDsay34UvN2CWTSqAnoLvg

***

Friday, January 27

12:00pm - 12:45pm EST

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qcumuqDIoHdLsBmVwg0M6aKc0LVBdla-X

***

Monday, January 30

3:30pm - 4:15pm EST

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpcOGhrjwjGdIdJEQStPB8NffRGa3nah4c

Check out these events being hosted in the IU1 Region!

• Full STEAM Ahead!- California Area School District

• Dive into Remake Learning- Frazier Elementary School

In need of a math program for on-level, adaptive student practice but tight on funds? Try these sites.

While we know that technology is never a replacement for quality classroom instruction, it can be used to support teachers' facilitation of small group instruction and intervention by providing targeted skills and concepts at the appropriate level for each student. 

2023 conferences - save the date!