PAIU CC Meeting Notes

October 14 and 15, 2010

State College, PA

Revised for Superintendent/Curriculum Coordinators Council

PVAAS, Kristen Lewald

  • Currently enrolled file submission option:
  • option, not required
  • Costs nothing - but must complete a contract... SAS's contract is with PDE - not with schools - so a contract, even if no fee, is needed to ensure legal documentation of how student data must be handled.
  • 3 dates for submission
  • Full instructions on PVAAS login page
  • Currently only taking this from districts... PHASE II will include CTC's
  • Projection to high performance in AP courses (currently AP English Literature and AP Calc A and B)
  • Brief discussion about the public availability of PVAAS methodology
  • PVAAS Scatterplots were distributed by Jim Dowler

PDE Update - Dr. Volbrecht and Division Chiefs

DATE SAVER

2010 SAS Institute: Bridging Research and Practice

December 5-8, 2010

Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pennsylvania

  • Featuring Jay McTighe & Charlotte Danielson *PDE is hoping to hold a second institute in the month following - still waiting for approval.

****Intermediate Unit 1 SAS training: November 12, 2010

National Dropout Prevention Conference

November 14-17

Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  1. PSSA testing window for next year has not been posted? Bureau of Teaching and Learning has made the request to have the Bureau of Assessment post that information. John Weiss was contacted - the dates are not posted - as they are in the process of investigating the possibility of two separate windows - one for writing/reading and one for science/math.

PDE Reorganization - Ed Volbrecht

  • In an effort to continue to meet the needs of students while meeting the current budget constraints, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) has recently reorganized. OESE’s five previous bureaus have been restructured to encompass four bureaus. The divisions that were part of the Bureau of Community and Student Services will now fall under the Bureau of Teaching and Learning.
  • The Bureau of Teaching and Learning will now oversee the following Divisions:

Division of School Options and Safety – Chief, Myrna Delgado (Places)

Division of Federal Programs - Chief, Renee Palakovic (Funding)

Division of Planning – Chief, Bob Staver (Planning)

Division of Curriculum – Chief, Becky McHugh (Programs)

Division of Student Services – Chief, Carmen Medina (Students)

  • In addition, some internal services were streamlined and placed under the ownership of the Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, Amy Morton. By centralizing these services we can maximize their work to assist all bureaus within the deputate. These services will include procurement, grant management, surveys and federal reporting and technology needs.
  • The impact of this change to the field will be minimal. In most cases, your point of contact for individual programs and services will remain the same.

Division of Curriculum – Chief, Becky McHugh (Programs)

SAS New Features

  • Curriculum Mapping—the Curriculum Mapping tool is an electronic repository. Educators should must still follow the curriculum design and review process. Curriculum mapping training was provided in August and September to 80 curriculum staff from the training are curriculum staff from the Intermediate Unit and Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools.Jim Dowler attended this training. Another training is scheduled for October 28-29 at the Harrisburg PaTTAN.Nancy Tsuprosand Amy Lewis will be attending from IU 1.

Lesson Plan Vetting for SAS

  • During the month of September committees from all disciplines except science were convened and trained on the vetting process and the mechanics of submitting lesson plans for publication on the Standards Aligned System. A second lesson plan vetting work session will be conducted in late October. These new teacher constructed lesson plans aligned to the SAS framework will be released at the 2010 SAS Institute in December.

Bob Staver, Chief: Division of School Planning

This division now handles: PA-PACT, ACT 48, PERMS, High School Reform, School Improvement, and Strategic Planning -all components of the included plans, including all extension requests.

PA-PACT

  • The PDE Advisors/Reviewers will “Final Approve” all sections of the PA-PACT application for 2010-11 in early November. The 2010-11 PA-PACT timeline includes a revision window of May 2-31, 2011 for districts to revise their 2010-11 PA-PACT applications. This window comes toward the end of the school year when districts should be able to more closely finalize any program and budget changes. Revision of applications at this time, if required, will also result in a more accurate Final Expenditure Reports, which are due on July 29, 2011 and which expedite final payment of funds.

School Improvement Planning

  • AYP letters were mailed on October 14, 2010. Superintendents received a district AYP letter as well as AYP letters for each school within the district. IU Executive Directors received copies of all letters for the districts and schools they serve.
  • The letters contain:
  • Official AYP status
  • Log-in information for accessing Online Getting Results
  • Planning requirements
  • Due dates
  • The website has been updated to include:
  • A word document that mirrors the process for Online Getting Results
  • AYP Assurance Document* Due November 30
  • 2010-2011 Submission Chart
  • District Supplement
  • Foundational Guiding Questions Supplement

Division of School Options and Safety – Chief, Myrna Delgado (Places)

Building State Capacity for Preventing Youth Substance Abuse and Violence

PDE has recently been awarded a one year (ending in October 2011) discretionary “bridge” grant for $162,450.00, under the project name, “Building State capacity for Preventing Youth Substance Abuse and Violence”.

· The date of the public hearing for new cyber charter school applications is Monday, November 29, 2010 in Heritage PA. The hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. Three new cyber applicants are on the agenda: Cyber Community CS of PA, Frontier Virtual Charter HS and V3 Academy Cyber CS.

Trisha Alexy - Former Governor’s School Programs

Pa School for Global Entrepreneurship

  • June 26 to July 30
  • Five week residential summer program on Lehigh University campus
  • Last year 70 kids -most PA students, but about 1/4 of the students were from foreign countries (15 countries) - 47 countries represented since 2001

Goals of the Program

  • Explore diversity and its advantages
  • ignite creativity
  • team building
  • values of community service and leadership
  • define entrepreneurship as a business owner or its spirit in profit or non-profit organization
  • Scholarships available for needy students (based on receiving free/reduced lunches)
  • for talented high school students who are current sophomores and juniors at the time of application
  • cost of the program is $2950 for students
  • Students must live on campus for 5 weeks.
  • Fees include all rips to NY and DC, housing, food, etc...
  • Student participate in many social activities as well
  • Final projects are required to be completed for a REAL company and then must present the project to the company at the end.

University of Pittsburgh - Health career Scholars Academy

  • Accepting 110 students
  • for the first time - 10th and 11th graders may apply
  • Live on campus the full 28 days
  • June 26-July 23rd
  • Fees include all activities, food, etc...
  • Students job shadow in many medical fields - including mental health, aids, genetics, etc...
  • $2,400 program for this program

I3 Grant Opportunity – SFA

Teresa Miskell, the Success for All Foundation Expansion Manager

Rachal Edwards

i3 Project Manager

Success for All Foundation

200 W. Towsontown Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21204

Direct: (410) 616-2354

Fax: (410) 324-4444

  • The focus of the project is on Title I schoolwide elementary schools and schools in corrective action. Schools who meet this criterion can apply to receive a sub-grant of $50,000 for the first year start up costs of implementing Success for All PD.
  • Money can only be used for professional development and may not be enough to cover it all.
  • Cost of the materials, etc...must be covered by the schools
  • The districts must commit for a 3 year program
  • implementation to begin next year
  • There are 150 nationwide grants available for schools for the 2011-2012 school year.
  • If you are interested - go visit SFA schools - make sure you are aware of the program -make sure you understand what you are getting into.
  • Call the outreach department a 800-548-4998, ext. 2372 or email .

SAS Leadership Training with IUs as Mentors during the institute for 31 hours of ACT 48.Tentative date for a January institute is on the 5th and 6th.

Update from Bill Martens

  1. Gates Momentum Grant- The evaluation tools will be aligned with Danielson’s instructional framework and the NISL standards for principals. Currently looking at examining teaching behaviors and developing inter-rater reliability as priorities with the teacher tool. The workgroup is not using a percentage weighing of student achievement to evaluate teachers. All agree, even unions, that achievement data will be part of the equation. AFT is much more willing to utilize data as part of the formula than is PSEA. PDE is looking for consensus since they want this tool utilized state-wide. For that reason it may take a while to get consensus and the pilot assessment tool may look quite different as a finished product.
  2. Physical Education Regulations in Chapter 12 – Thirty minutes of informal activity will remain in the Chapter. Shirley Black is a PDE advisor that is in the process of soliciting and compiling suggested activities to meet this requirement. The requirements will not go into effect until the Independent Regulatory Review process is complete.
    Common Core Standards Implementation – Four roundtables have been completed across the state. Full implementation will be a three year process. Alignment of Common Core and State Standards continues. Significant differences between the standards have been uncovered. The Common Core are more higher education friendly.
    School Improvement Grants – The second round of School Improvement Grants are due to be released this month. District applications will be due back to PDE in January. There will be 50 million dollars in this round of awards. PDE will offer grant writing workshops to districts prior to the January deadline. The “regular” school improvement process remains unchanged.
    ARRA Grants – Information was disseminated the first week of October to districts concerning quarterly reporting requirements. The federal government will be requiring PDE to audit the dispersal of stimulus funds. PDE has monitored 65 school districts thus far and will continue the process this year. IUs will be monitored beginning in November. Districts and IUs will be prioritized by risk; those listed highest will be monitored first. IUs will be provided “discussion points” within 30 days- those monitored will have a face-to-face meeting within 60 days. PDE emphasizes that these are not audits but informal reviews. The federal government wants PDE to begin outlining consequences for LEA non-compliance. ARRA and Jobs fund may be repealed due to mid-term elections and changes in administration. Essentially, spending is too slow to sustain the appropriation. A conference call with Brian LaForme will be scheduled soon to discuss how to expend the funds.
    Celebrate Success Initiative- The Department has begun the “Celebrate Success” initiative and will be contacting Intermediate Units to facilitate the campaign. Initially, 60 districts will be contacted and given information concerning the achievement gains that have been realized over the course of the Costing Out funding formula. The 60 districts have legislators that supported the funding increases. The information packet is extensive and includes templates for press releases, school board announcements, letters to legislators and sample talking points. Spreadsheets and charts outlining improvement along with sample web pages will also be distributed. The materials are due to be released in the next 30 days. PDE is asking IUs to assist in the rollout of this information to all districts, specifically, assisting districts in charting the results distributed by PDE.

School Improvement

Additional Trainings:

•Navigating Online Getting Results

October 26th from 10:00am-12:00pm

or

October 27th from 11:00am-1:00pm

Elluminate at

  • AYP Letters went out yesterday to District Superintendents - and they have been asked to distribute to their schools
  • Executive Directors also received the letters so we can support districts with usernames/passwords.
  • Districts who already have a plan, and who will need to evaluate their plan, will need to identify if their plan is working and make adjustments.
  • Please make sure districts understand the AYP assurance document is just to state that the plan you had last year had strategies in it to address the reasons you hadn't made AYP.

Classroom Diagnostic Tool

Math available: Must register with DRC to use

CPE/PIL Collaboration

  • ITQs must be resubmitted every 3 years
  • SAS CPE course will be submitted early November for statewide approval.