IU1 Curriculum Coordinators – March 26, 2015

March 19th & 20th PAIUCC Meeting - Altoona

Comprehensive Planning - JIll Neuhard

  • Jill presented a PowerPoint presentation with the following information:
  • Phase 1 Special Education Plan training
  • Link to recording:
  • CP/SIP summer trainings schedule:
  • School Improvement Plan workflow is complete.All 2014-2017 SIPs are due by 6/30/15 for review by their IU Executive(28 day public review required prior to submission)..
  • School Level Plans- will be be closed and archived on May 1, 2015 and reopened for 15/16 on May 2, 2015.
  • Phase 1 Special Education Plans due May 1, 2015
  • (28 day public review required prior to submission).
  • PDE reviewer comments in Comp Plan- contact information for each reviewer added to tool for questions about comments.
  • Update on Phase 2 and 3 delinquent plans.
  • Still about 14 districts who did not submit plans on Phase II
  • They can no longer submit ACT 48 hours
  • Their induction plans don’t count
  • If not submitted by May 30th – they will be out of compliance for at least another 18 months
  • Still about 40 schools in Phase III who have not submitted
  • They have not lost any privileges as of yet.
  • Act 126 – Mandated Reporter Training – will being integrated in PD Plan (starting with Phase 2 LEAs)
  • Act 71 of 2014- will be integrated in PD Plan (starting with Phase 2 LEAs)
  • Requirement begins 15/16 SY-- 4 hours of PD on youth suicide awareness & prevention every 5 years (Grades 6-12)
  • If an LEA incorporates a child exploitation awareness program into its curriculum, then 4 hours of PD on child exploitation awareness every 5 years (Grades K-8) is required. Begins 15/16 SY.

PVAAS- Jennifer Ross

  • Jenn presented a PowerPoint presentation with the following information:
  • NEW: Projections to ACT/PSAT/SAT – Released!
  • ACT – According to ACT, Inc., students who reach these benchmarks have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher, or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college course.
  • Math – 22
  • Reading – 22
  • English – 18
  • Science – 23
  • Composite – 22
  • PSAT – According to the College Board, students who reach these benchmarks when they test in 10th or 11th grade should be considered on track to be college ready.
  • Math – 44 for 10th gr. or 27 for 11th
  • Critical Reading – 42 for 10th gr. or 45 for 11th
  • Writing – 43 for 10th or 45 for 11th
  • Composite – 133 for 10th or 142 for 11th
  • SAT – According to the College Board, students who reach these benchmarks have a high likelihood of success in their freshman year of college.
  • Math 500
  • Critical Reading – 500
  • Writing – 500
  • Composite – 500
  • Which students have projections?
  • PSAT – 6th through 11th grade
  • SAT/ACT – 9th through 12th grade
  • NEW: PEERS – Released!
  • Released on March 2, 2015
  • March 10 webinar
  • Recording will be available on the PVAAS login page soon!
  • Resources on PVAAS Login Page:
  • PEERS Demonstration PowerPoint slide deck
  • FAQ
  • PEERS Getting Started Guide for Evaluators
  • PVAAS District Admin account holder has unique role: provides oversight and management of the entire PEERS workflow
  • If an LEA wishes to revisit who holds their District Admin account, please have them contact the PVAAS Statewide Team:
  • PEERS Demo Accounts
  • Access PEERS demo through existing Admin demo accounts provided for IUs and LEAs this fall for teacher-specific reporting
  • Use this to explore the features and functionality of PEERS
  • District Admin
  • Username – da.Superintendent14
  • Password – DemoSite2014
  • PPID – 123456
  • School Admin
  • Username – sa.Principal14
  • Password – DemoSite2014
  • PPID – 123456
  • PVAAS Roster Verification
  • PIMS File Due March 25th
  • Roster Verification Open April 27, 2015
  • PIMS Staff-Student-Subtest collection will be used for prepopulating the roster system (NOT Course HQT!)
  • Staff-Student-Subtest collection deadline is March 25, 2015 at 11:59 pm
  • Deadline falls during the PDE Data Summit – LEAs who attend may need to submit early!
  • Use Cognos reports to check on data errors
  • SIS meeting needs of PIMS state reporting for LEAs
  • Reminders about Keystone Rosters for your LEAs!
  • Select the correct roster(s) for Keystones
  • Summer 2014 tested
  • Winter-tested
  • Spring-tested
  • Teachers may have more than one roster
  • Example: Teacher A teaches 2 semester-long courses in which students test at the end of the course.
  • Teacher A will have a Winter-tested roster (semester 1 students) and a Spring-tested roster (semester 2 students).
  • Example: Teacher B teaches 2 semester-long courses, as well as a year-long course.
  • Teacher B will have a Winter-tested roster (semester 1 students) and a Spring-tested roster (semester 2 students as well as year-long students).
  • Transition to new ELA assessment
  • Remind LEAs that growth can still be measured
  • Remind LEAs each student still should be no more than 100% in terms of instructional responsibility.
  • Same as with Reading assessment in prior years, which teachers are providing content-specific instruction of assessed eligible content of ELA assessment?
  • If more than one, how is 100% of the full/partial instruction shared amongst those teachers?
  • Document on PVAAS Login Page on PVAAS and Transition of PA Assessment System
  • Live Help Desk Sessions:
  • Tuesday Afternoons 2:30 to 4:00 April 28 to June 9
  • Thursday Mornings 7:30 to 9:00 April 30 to June 11
  • PVAAS Login Page:
  • Redesign of PVAAS Login Page
  • Redesign of EVAAS Methodology Document
  • NEW: Help Management System
  • Old PDF help menus being converted into new HMS
  • Similar to Roster Verification and teacher reporting help that is currently available
  • Purpose is to streamline content so that there is less duplication of information across report help menus
  • In addition to help on reports, sections on key concepts and additional features such as data packets, export function, etc.
  • SY15-16 Professional Development Plan being developed

Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI)- Deb Wise

  • Deb Wise provided a PowerPoint presentation on a standardized tool for Kindergarten
  • Highlights of the presentation include:
  • Not a Kindergarten Screening Tool
  • Inventory that is completed in the first 45 days of Kindergarten
  • Fully Automated, electronic
  • Purpose is to understand the status of children at kindergarten entry across a broad range of domains
  • Inform policy and continuous program improvements by providing a picture of student outcomes in the classroom and across the commonwealth
  • By using this inventory, teachers will have a comprehensive understanding of children’s skills as they enter the classroom.
  • Families can become more engaged in their child’s kindergarten experience when they know more about their child’s skills early in the year
  • The data can be used to focus training on professional development and resource decisions.
  • The inventory is not designed to:
  • Deny children access to kindergarten
  • Determine placement in a program, class or special education
  • Replace an assessment or evaluation of a child
  • High stakes assessment of programs, teachers or children
  • 2014 COHORT 1 – Kindergarten Entry Inventory
  • Required implementation in all focus and priority schools
  • Available for voluntary use in all other LEAs, and private kindergartens
  • Cohort 1 included 707 teachers who reported outcomes on approximately 16,000 children. These teachers represented 217 schools covering 21 districts.
  • Developing Cohort 1 Summary and promotional video
  • Slides providing a look at the assessment were included and reviewed – the PowerPoint includes notes on those slides for specific details.
  • Reports available:
  • Student profile by indicator and domain – as soon as assessment done
  • Classroom profile by indicator and domain
  • Building Profile
  • District profile
  • Data from the reports can be used to:
  • Group children with similar concept understanding for differentiated instruction
  • Offer additional environmental or instructional materials to extend a student’s thinking
  • Individualize activities, instruction and action in the classroom
  • Guide teacher interactions with students
  • Better engage students in their own learning
  • Report and communicate with others
  • For accountability
  • To families
  • Identify potential areas of concern
  • Kindergarten Early Inventory Timeline
  • March-August 15 - District point of contact registers with Office of Child Development and Early Learning
  • March-June - Skills and Scoring Practice Professional (potential face-to-face opportunities)
  • March-September - Skills and Scoring Practice Professional Development (asynchronous webinar)
  • August-September - KEI systems professional development opportunities
  • By Start of School - Implementing teachers MUST complete and pass proficient user assignment to gain systems access
  • August - November 2014 - Kindergarten Entry Inventory Implementation - Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit PhoneSupport and Technical Assistance
  • 45 Calendar Days from the start of school - Observation and Evidence Collection/Scoringcompleted
  • 60 Calendar Days from start of school - Data Submissions (Student Outcomes) Finalizedwithin data system
  • To get started or for more information – email
  • Can still apply up until August 15th
  • Additional resources on the KEI -
  • There is no fee associated with this at this point
  • The assessment does take all 45 days as it is observation based and you don’t sit down and do all of it at once.
  • It takes about 10 to 15 minutes when all data is collected to submit the information into the system.
  • Initial feedback from the field has been very positive.

Keystone TO Opportunity

  • Funding anticipated for at least the next two years – perhaps three
  • Modules of learning paths are being developed for each of the modules to be placed on EduPlanet

Curriculum Associates presentation- iReady- Eric Gartenberg

  • They verify everything they say with research
  • Money Back guarantee
  • Presented an overview of a number of their resources:
  • i-Ready Diagnostics – Adaptive Assessment and Progress Monitoring
  • 45 minutes interactive assessments in math or reading
  • Very accurate in predicting where students will be at the end of course exams
  • Correlation to state assessments - .77 to .85 in all grade levels
  • Basically, if the report tells you a student is at the 2nd grade level, you can be 85% sure that information is accurate.
  • Print Materials are also available
  • In New York City – 60% of the schools chose to use Curriculum Associates print materials
  • When the schools took their Common Core assessment – those who used Curriculum Associates print material scored more than 23% higher than those in the schools who chose other materials.
  • Use Data from the assessments to group students in instructional groups by instructional categories. (the system that does that for them)
  • Also includes an instructional online component that is individualized to each student by the computer and the teacher can add lessons also provided by the computer, but chosen by the teacher.
  • Each online lesson is 8 to 15 minutes – online, interactive lessons
  • Parents can login and see how the students are progressing
  • Take a tour to see any of the online modules:
  • For more information, contact Eric Gartenberg: 215-439-5076
  • Two free Apps:
  • Door 24 – Computational Fluency App
  • Fix Victor the robots’ fried circuits and solve the secret of Door 24 by creating mathematical expressions and equations that develop computational fluency.
  • World’s Worst Pet
  • Keep Snargg out of danger with engaging games designed to deliver robust practice and multiple exposures to Tier Two vocabulary
  • I-Ready.com/iPad-apps

Home Education Act - Suzanne Tallman

  • As of October 31st, 2014
  • Supervisor of the Programs: parent, someone having legal custody or guardian – don’t have to teach all the content – but supervise – must have a high school diploma
  • No one in the home can have a felony on their record
  • Must be of US residency
  • Instruction must be delivered in English
  • Diploma granting organization – in law, not just in policy
  • Portfolios no longer need to be turned into the superintendent/district.
  • Research indicated that the review of the superintendent was not statistically different than those of the evaluator – so it was redundant work by the district
  • Standardized testing is part of the portfolio – reviewed by the evaluator
  • If someone thinks a student is not receiving an appropriate education in the home or an education in violation of home school regulations, you file a complaint for a hearing on an appropriate education.
  • Who is a home education evaluator?
  • Clinical psychologist
  • School psychologist
  • Teacher with PA Certification and two years of experience in the content areas being taught
  • Private school teacher or administrator with 2 yrs of experience in the past 10 yrs
  • Anyone approved by the Superintendent
  • Do not have to maintain ACT 48 hours
  • To Graduate: submission of an affidavit of program completion by the supervisor to the evaluator. Evaluator of 12th grade year signs the document

Learning Progressions Posters - Dan Richards and Cathy Emeigh

  • Poster-sized Learning Progressions copy will be mailed to your IU
  • Cathy will also send us a brochure advertising the brochures for purchase from IU 20.

PAIUnet Update - John Branson

  • PAIUnet version 2 - has purchased 30 Gigs of access. There are multiple points of back-up to ensure no single-points of failure. 20 RWANs exist – Pittsburgh School District is now connected directly to PAIUnet. The network will go live on July 1. There will be direct connection to Google, cloud services, etc… so folks will not have to use the commodities internet for most of these services.
  • PAIUnet has been working for more than a year to make the PIMS submission easier for districts and for submissions to be automatically handled
  • The goals were to reduce the time, frustration and cost associated with PIMS submission and increase the value of the data available.
  • Met with a number of companies and had those companies all submit proposals.
  • Amplify has submitted the best proposal
  • Proof of Pilot Concept will be run this fall
  • Looking for 4 districts with up to 15, 000 students each
  • Only PIMS WindowsSix Collection
  • Criteria for success – 80% of the districts feel that life is significantly simpler with respect to PIMS. – if that is reached – Phase I will continue
  • Phase I – 25 additional districts
  • Full implementation of PIMS – so all 6 collection-windows.
  • Optional automated submission to PIMS Data Warehouse
  • PIMS and PDE have received two grants in the past – PAIU is hoping to partner with PDE to submit the grant to the federal grant - application deadline is June 10th
  • This proposal would move PIMS to the next level – so it becomes useful to districts –so they can use the data for instructional support
  • Integrate other sources beyond the Student Information Management Systems.

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