Curriculum: February 21, 2024, Principals: February 20, 2024
Jenny Lent
NEW!!
Language and Literacy Small group targeted instruction to supplement ESL services or students struggling with ELA
Edgenuity for Exceptional Students courses
Credit Recovery offerings through Fusion, including new 8-week credit recovery courses through Imagine Learning!
Working on a partnership with a new organization to add K-12 online classes for tech subjects as well as tech certificates to Fusion offerings
Working on a partnership with Edmentum for new course offerings as well
Purpose Prep is also available to districts to utilize with in-person or online students
Sentinel One Cybersecurity Product
Remake Learning Days Esports Virtual Event hosted by IUs out east - Register Here (for parents and students interested in learning more about esports; colleges, NASEF, current people working in the esports industry)
Ecolors trainings for administrative teams, staff, and students
ATSI Schools who are interested in working virtually with Meagan Steiner to facilitate the steps of the self-assessment regarding human capital can contact Meagan at (c-msteiner@pa.gov)
Human Capital Self Assessment - tools to help determine where to focus their strategic human capital efforts.
PA Standards Approved by State Board (Spring 2024-Summer 2024 will be finalized)
Updated: Career Education and Work Standards, Economics, and Family and Consumer Science
NEW: Personal Finance - can be in part of interdisciplinary course so it could be part of an Economics course (more guidance coming soon)
SAS Supports are being worked on and once standards are final in near future, the supports will be updated with frameworks and crosswalks
PSSA Science Test Approved by State Board to change Chapter 4 to move test from grade 4 to grade 5 in 2025-2026
Same group take test: Grade 4 test this year is active test; next year's test in Grade 5 is a field test and have applied for a waiver for 2025 to USDOE and will not count towards accountability for this same group(they will receive data back, but it will not have a score attached)
PASA tests will also be changed to align to the new STEELS standards
PASA Dynamic Learning Maps resources
PDE Data Summit - March 11-13, 2024 at Hershey Lodge
PA Smart Targeting Grant coming out soon ($35,000 grants) and PA Advancing Grants later this spring
PA Digital Health, Safety, and Citizen Resources from the USDOE
If you are considering moving to online testing, CDTs are a way to pilot this. You do NOT need to pilot with everyone.
No set date for online testing becoming mandatory but it is coming soon per PDE
CDT Learning Progression Summary Files will be available in February; Flexible Instruction Report is available now
Office for Safe Schools
Looking to host a School Safety Conference in western side of state sometime this spring...more info to come soon!
Still at PDE but because of Dec 13 legislation, the funding for safe school grants are now through PCCD
School Safety and Mental Health Support Grants due February 29, 2024
Act 55 required training can be accessed on PCCD site for all employees
Also training for Safety and Security Coordinators; must complete 7 hours of training within 1 year which will start with the first training that is offered at the end of January
PAYS survey results are available at end of January
Ron Gallagher
IU1 Upcoming workshops/trainings
ChatGPT prompt of the month:
Unleash Magic AI: A one hour virtual meeting every Thursday in February from 2:30-3:30. No registration needed. Open to all teachers and admin.
Gemini
PA School Code Changes 2023
ACT 45 Updates
The state has said that there will be changes coming to this process. It will be easier to get ACT 45 hours for school admin.
PVAAS Updates
MTSS example, Is our districts Tier 1 program working?
PVAAS Webinars
SY 23-24 Roster Verification Phase Dates
Roster Verification
PIMS Staff Student Subtest due on MARCH 1 at NOON. This is the submission that pre-populates the RV site for LEAs.
Roster Verification Professional Learning Webinar (Register here!)
Roster Verification for PVAAS: Make the Most of PIMS!
Thursday, Feb 8 at 9 AM
Resource alert! RV Key Concepts & Topics
Answers many questions regarding decisions– Which teachers? Which students? How should instructional responsibility be shared?
Found in online help
https://pvaas.sas.com/support/pa/s/main/PVAAS-RV-KeyConcepts-Topics1.pdf
Notice the shifts in phase dates! We’ve made some improvements based on feedback.
Preview starts before PSSAs and Keystones to allow principals time outside of the PSSA window to do some preview work.
The first 2 days and last 2 days are the heaviest support requests, so this calendar has shifted those days to business days (not weekends).
Roster Verification e-Learning- Check it out to plan for RV season!
Need assistance with PIMS data submission?
PIMS Help Desk:
800-661-2423
PIMS email:
RA-DDQDataCollection@pa.gov
SY 23-24 Roster Verification Phase Dates
Preview: Thursday April 18, 2024 - Wednesday May 1, 2024
Teacher Verification: Thursday May 2, 2024 - Wednesday May 15, 2024
School Verification: Thursday May 16,2024 - Wednesday May 29, 2024
LEA Verification: Thursday, May 30, 2024 - Friday June 21, 2024
Note: Phases will now open on Thursdays with a longer 2-week Preview phase!
Roster Verification webpage updated with current dates, recordings, and webinar registration!
More Roster Verification Professional Learning
Ready, Set, Roster! Prepare for an Efficient RV Process webinar (Register here!) For principals and school leaders.
April 4 @ 9 AM
April 10 @ 1 PM
April 16 @ 9 AM
PDE Certifications
PDE Webinar on Emergency Permits and Intern Certifications, Jan. 5, 2024 - Dr. Carissa Pokorny-Golden
Comp Planning/FRCCP
Local User Admin can access the expenditure table in the Admin tab in FRCPP
How to get access to FRCPP
K12 Guidance Plan
Bottom of FRCPP - Open Office Hours
School Improvement
All 2018 ATSI designated schools have been updated on their exit criterias.
The 2023 ESSA report card should be available on January 22. Link is in the FRPAI.
There is no longer a 28 day viewing window required for school plans.
Science
Grade 4 to Grade 5 PSSA Science is moving forward. The state is applying for a Federal accountability waiver for the 2024-2025 Grade 5 and Grade 8 Science.
Induction Consortium
Looking for any trainings that would be specific for all schools
Equity and Engagement
Math, Teresa Brown & Sam Taylor
Free PD!
This free, five-hour virtual professional development symposium will give you all the tools you need to help strengthen math instruction, bolster student agency, and build math proficiency for life.
Join us to learn:
What we know—and what we don’t—about how best to teach math.
Why curiosity-driven instruction is critical in the math classroom.
What practices can help create dynamic problem-based learning experiences in math that leverage student ideas and build math fluency and proficiency.
I can tell my teachers all about it... but they won't sign up!
Teachers have a FULL plate; how can we make it worth their while to attend PD on their own time? Let's try the same technique we suggest for our students:
Find their currency!
30 min early leave or late arrival for attendance? Pay a stipend? Raffle a gift card to the teachers who attend?
No matter what, request teachers submit a summary of their learning and a plan for implementation, and then genuinely follow up with them about what they took away!
Social Studies, Jordan Lozosky
Bradford House & Whiskey Rebellion Professional Development Day March 12, 2024.pdfTarget Audience: K-12 Social Studies Teachers
The day will focus on an In-Depth Look Into the Local History of the Whiskey Rebellion. History lessons, teacher resources, and other classroom "take-aways" will be provided. Teachers will gain a deeper understanding of local history and how to incorporate it into their teaching.
When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (9:30am-2:30pm)
Cost: $15/per teacher. Lunch and 5 ACT 48 Hours provided
Registration Link:
Bradford House & Whiskey Rebellion Professional Development Day for Social Studies Teachers K-12
The Bradford House Historical Association is again sponsoring a Poster Contest on a topic of Western Pennsylvania history, 1750 – 1850, open to all middle and high school students (public, parochial, cyber and home-schooled) who reside in Washington, Greene, Allegheny, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties.
Students are required to construct a presentation on a standard size trifold display board, register online during January and February, and deliver the project to the Bradford House, 175 South Main Street, Washington PA by March 15, 2024. For complete rules, hints for developing a project, a list of possible topics and a works cited guide, go to www.bradfordhouse.org/learn/poster-contest .
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 entries in each division: Middle School (grades 5-8) and High School (grades 9-12).
Online registration is open now through Feb. 28 for the annual Bradford House Museum Poster Contests, open to all middle and high school students (public, parochial, cyber, and home-schooled) who reside in Washington, Greene, Allegheny, Fayette and Westmoreland Counties, on a topic of Western Pennsylvania history, 1750 – 1850. For complete rules and the registration information, go to www.bradfordhouse.org/poster-contest/
Winning projects be displayed at the Symposium on 18th Century Life and Customs in Western Pennsylvania, An Evening with Lewis & Clark, on April 5, 2024. All entrants receive 2 free symposium tickets.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 entries in each division: Middle School (grades 5-8) and High School (grades 9-12). Prizes are generously sponsored by Betsy and Bill West, Northwood Realty Services.
Email questions to education@bradfordhouse.org.
Make sure to check out my IU1 Social Studies site for more information and resources!
If you are seeking additional resources or any information related to enhancing your existing social studies curriculum, please contact:
Jordan Lozosky, Curriculum Specialist
Phone: 724-938-3241 ext. #405
Email: jordan.lozosky@iu1org
Gifted & Induction Updates, Jordan Lozosky
Gifted Updates
To Register for the Gifted Email listserv - https://forms.gle/j63SgtjfGTcUALgLA
Regular Ed Teacher slide deck - https://docs.google.com/presentation/u/2/d/1xBXFG6_psTif6KoCcelJ5GtkKxrd3nEvIp8KVb63gpk/copy (It will force them to make a copy. That way they can make changes to the slides.)
Gifted Networking - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gifted-networking-with-the-allegheny-intermediate-unit-tickets-708761844757?aff=oddtdtcreator
March 20, 10am-11am (Virtual)
samplegiftedindividualizededucationplan-giep-sample1.pdfGifted IEP Sample for Support
District Induction Schedule 2023-24.pdf2023-24 Induction Schedule
*Participants must register on the hyperlinks on the flyer via Frontline.
Tracey L. Czajkowski, Ed.D.
ELA Curriculum Specialist
Due to the popularity of the TDA Roll Out training from this year, I will be offering a similar training for '24-25. Below is the flyer to save the dates:
Kid Writing training to start the 2024-25
Kid Writing is a
Camp Tech 2024.pdfCamp Tech 2024
Camp Tech is a summer camp for students entering grades 3-8 in the fall of 2024. Students will explore science, technology, engineering, math, computer science and more with new and innovative technology! Students will rotate through 4 sessions each day, beginning at 9:00AM and ending at 2:00PM. Sessions fill quickly and space is limited to 48 participants at each site. Make sure to register early! Students are asked to bring a bagged lunch. Registration opens March 22, 2024 at 9:00AM.
Learn more at: https://sites.google.com/iu1.org/iu1camptech/home
Dream Learn Pitch Contest
Dream-Learn-Pitch is an exciting Entrepreneurship contest where Middle School & High School students develop & upload a 5-minute video of their Business Pitch! There are big PRIZES available for the winners.
The deadline to enter is March 13th. The top Student pitches from each division will then be invited to Penn State University to compete in-person (or over ZOOM) in the Championship!
For help with registration or if you have any questions about the contest please reach out to Eric Attinger (eattinger@penncfl.org) or Carolyn Shirk (cshirk@penncfl.org)
Learn more at: https://www.dreamlearnpitch.org/learn.html