PAIU-CC Meeting

February 19-20, 2009

Superintendents/Curriculum Coordinators

Update: February 22, 2009

Jarol G. DeVoge, Ed.D.

Update from the Bureau of Teaching and Learning,Regina Palubinsky, PDE

CFF for 2009-10

  • Equitable Approach – monies to go to those cohorts with the greatest need
  • (3rd cohort may require additional funding)
  • Monies cut in half
  • Trying to cross work with classroom libraries to foster partnerships
  • As of 3 weeks ago – the $30,000 given for CFF coach will be funded

Project 720

  • Funding is at the same level as last year.
  • Using money to fund 3rd Cohort * No new schools
  • In the Planning Stages with Middle States Accreditation
  • Middle States Board has approved the use of the Getting Results – Gen 5 Process: A process was created that mimics those two processes
  • Middle states will look at your Getting Results document and the work you’ve done to award the accreditation

Education Assistance Program (EAP) / Accountability Block Grant (ABG)

  • Rolled into Basic Ed Funding
  • Funding for these areas consistent with last year.
  • Additional funding for ABG – High Impact Instructional Strategies has been requested

Programs Permanently Cut

  • ScotlandSchool (closed)
  • ScrantonSchool for the Deaf (closed)
  • Ethnic Heritage
  • Governor’s Schools of Excellence – this may be a temporary cut
  • The decisions made were not made on merits of the programs, but rather on the impact to reach a larger population.
  • Governor’s Institute: Data DrivenWill not be held as a large institute in the summer, but rather as a series of events beginning in the fall of 2009 around the Use of Data to Inform Continuous School Improvement within a Standards-Aligned System.

SAS: Work is continuing on the Curriculum Frameworks.

Standards are going to the State Board in the content areas in the grades previously not addressed (grades 4, 6, 7, 9, 10).Reading/Writing/Listening and Math will be first. Revised standards will be released upon approval.

Assessment

  • Modified PSSA:
  • Field test May 2009
  • Schools will be contacted based on demographics
  • Students will only take parts of the assessment
  • In addition to all the special education students - Schools will also be asked to have one class of regular education students take the assessment as well: Reading and Math only
  • A lot of discussion about the modifications being developed. It is felt they are really good modifications for all students – could it ultimately affect the general PSSA

School Improvement Update¸ Sheri Rowe, PDE; Noreen O’Neill and Joan Perekupka, IU#25

  • If you hear something of concern, contact Sheri – she’ll clarify its truth.
  • Federal stimulus package – PDE has been very involved from the beginning
  • In the final bill – 4 areas of funding for education
  • Increased Title I funding
  • Increased IDEA monies
  • Aide to state (stabilization fund) –adequacy
  • Aide to state (stabilization fund) – above adequacy
  • Some of the stabilization monies can be used for building construction (never done before)

SIP: Some concern that the School Improvement “Getting Results” plan does not include a financial piece.

Currently 8 districts in the commonwealth – piloting a program working with Bill Hartman, PennState, Ed Leadership (known as a national and international expert in school finance)

Empowering the school improvement team to have the hard discussion about how to utilize the funding that is available – bring the business manager to the table. Also, discussion about including a cultural, wellness, behavior piece.

PVAAS Update, Jim Bohan, IU #13 and Teresa Stoudt, PATTAN

  • School Districts were sent DVDs: Superintendents/Board Members: What support is needed from IU1 with board members explaining PVAAS.
  • Email – for additional copied of the DVD
  • PVAAS new prediction model.The actual proposal will be posted on the PDE website at some point
  • Training in Summer/Fall
  • If students don’t make AYP, but are predicted to, then the prediction can be used.

PIL Update, Sharon Brumbaugh, PDE

Requirements:

Principal Induction programs

  • Any principal receiving their first position after Jan 1, 2008 is required to complete a principals’ induction program
  • Induction is a requirement for assistant principals and principals. If an assistant principal does not take induction, he/she must complete induction if he/she becomes a principal.
  • Induction programs must be completed within the first 5 years of becoming a principal or assistant principal
  • Only a few programs outside of PIL(NISL) have been approved for induction
  • March 2nd, the PERMS system will indicate how many PIL hours you will need by the end of the first compliance period.
  • Perms will also calculate percentages if applicable because you were a teacher part of the ACT 48 window, the other part – principal
  • PIL – with higher ed – only Letter of Eligibility programs/courses associated with Letter of Eligibility are PIL approved – all other courses must be submitted for approval through the ItQ.

eStratPlanner Update

Make up training session – via Elluminate

  • March 5th 8:30-11:30 – repeat of January Training Session
  • All districts should view webinar. Midpoint review information and format for all plans including special education are discussed.
  • The focus of the training is navigation and technical use of the redesigned tool.
  • This repeat training session is open to all entities (school districts, CTCs/Vo-techs, charter schools, and IUs). Entities in all phases are welcome to attend.
  • Registration for this session is not required. The handouts are the same handouts that were used at the January 2009 training sessions. Handouts are available now and can be downloaded from the EdHub using the following links: - Education Hub - eStrategic Planning - LEA Planners - Resources
  • PowerPoints for the global planning sections are located under the heading “Strategic Planning”.PowerPoints for the individual reports are under the heading “Reporting”.
  • Phase 3 – Chapter 4 (Academic Standards) plans no longer be “approved” it is “accepted” they mean the same thing, the state realized it wasn’t meeting the regulations appropriately.
  • In previous versions of Chapter 4 (Academic Standards), ESL, Spec Ed and First Aid were special sections of the plan
  • When the regs were rewritten – there were no special sections any more
  • However, when Chapter 16 was rewritten, Gifted Ed was tightened up and therefore the e-strat planner has to readjust.
  • Include nothing with gifted in the special ed. plan
  • Districts must include a goal, strategy and activity – in the Chapter 4 (Academic Standards) plan for Gifted students
  • Phase II and III districts are required to do the monitor section
  • PDE will be able to tell if you make revisions – they are date/time stamped
  • Regulations require that you monitor your plan at least once a year
  • Regs require you monitor at least once a year – they don’t require you do so in the eSP tool – if you meet and have documentation of the meetings that would suffice.
  • When you do the midpoint review – go into the system and mark goals completed as they are finished.
  • Updating the monitoring section will feed into midpoint review and make that process simpler

PIIC (Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching) Update:Ellen and Bruce Eisenberg

  • - resources
  • Coaching Advisory Board: Endorsement, communication about coaching, Evaluation of programs, Models

PDE Building Capacity State-Wide for Mathematics

  • See Q and A for Districts: Need: One IU 1 model district with two people at each level: elementary, middle, high school: Free training and materials for the model district. Participation will occur and for school district staff who attend the IU 1 training sessions which will begin
  • See information located on the IU 1 CCC wiki. Go to

GOALS

Across the state, IU Curriculum Coordinators are trained so that every IU is able to conduct 2 distinct Teacher Leadership Academies

Elementary Mathematics TLA* pink sheet

Intended for teachers in grades K-6

Secondary Mathematics TLA * yellow sheet

Intended for teachers in grades 7-12

Each TLA is a two-year academy

Use expertise of IU-based Mathematics Coordinators

IUs build regional PLCs of appointed Teacher Leaders

Teacher Leaders lead in-district PLCs

Multi-year commitment for each teacher leader

2 years of 8 days a year

Qualifies as academic coursework for Act 48

3 CPE credits for each year long academy

A building administrator should attend the first 4 days of the TLA

The purpose is to develop an understanding of the tools and strategies their teacher leaders will be using to engage district colleagues in on-site PLCs

Integrates Multiple PDE Initiatives

District Cost for 2 year course materials

$1500 for 30 participants at elementary level

$500 for 30 participants at secondary level

District support required for substitute teachers and materials

Budget funds for in-district material costs

Financially – money for is available for 2 yrs – try to get all your schools in the 2009-2010 school year so that the materials are paid for:

Gifted Education Update

Position vacated by Barbara Thrush remains open.

Dr. Shirley Curl, Bureau of Special Education, Division of Compliance Monitoring and Planning, Central.

Bureau of Teaching and Learning oversees activities related to Chapter 16.

Chapter 16 – Final version posted in January ‘09.

Significant changes are highlighted in hand-out.

Resource for monitoring hearing officer decisions (information also in hand-outs) is PATTAN website.

Many GIEPs are vague and therefore susceptible to negative due process (see samples in hand-outs provided).

Be certain GIEP writers are well versed in:

Present Levels of Educational Performance

Writing measurable, defensible GIEP goals

PLEP

Criterion-referenced: measure how well students know a specific body of content and skills, curriculum-based assessments, etc. but grade level versions are not enough!

Norm-referenced: compare test-takers to each other – standardized testing, performance tasks from standardized testing guides.

Differentiating” in the regular classroom

Is it demonstrable?

Does it include curriculum, not just instructional methods?

Is it based on the student’s PLEP?

Are different (higher level) curricular materials used?

Can progress be measured?

Resources

PATTAN website

Hoagies Gifted

P AGE website and listserv

National Association for Gifted children

IU 1 Cyber Services

CCC Wiki:

Datesavers

IU 1 PIL

Datatools: March 31, 2009 or September 16, 2009

Preparing Schools for 21st Century Learners – Spring, Summer, Fall 2009

Autism Conference: March 5, 2009 – CUP

Bucks Institute: April 6, 7 Project Based Learning for Teachers

Southwestern STEM Conference May 19: Partnership IU 1 and Penn State Fayette atPennState Fayette Campus

Summer/Fall PVAAS Training 2009

New Grants and Projects

STEM Coordinator

CMU Simulation Immersion Project

Beating the Odds Website and Resources -

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