Region 4 Newsletter: UA/UWA RIC

As we enter the fall season and approach the season of Thanksgiving, the UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center wants every educator in our region to know that we are thankful for your service. It's often said that teaching is "an act of the heart," and we completely agree. The support, structure, and care that is planned and provided is making a difference in students' lives each day! Thank you for leaving a legacy each day as you mold and shape our next generation.

Our newsletter below outlines many opportunities for October and November but also shares information regarding upcoming opportunities for second semester. In addition to these sessions that are open to all educators in our region, we also offer targeted professional learning opportunities designed for individual schools or districts. Administrators, please contact the center directly via e-mail (hgmorgan@ua.edu) or via the following link to request targeted support.

Continue to review our social media pages on Facebook (@uauwaric) and Twitter (@UofARIC) for ongoing announcements. As a reminder, you may find any of our newsletters at: https://inservice.ua.edu/professional-learning-opportunities.

Happy fall!

Dr. Holly Morgan

Director, UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center

On November 4-5, The UA-UWA Regional Inservice Center will offer ACT's Instructional Mastery Science course for science educators in Region Four. Space is limited to 30 science educators, and registration opens today on October 1! Register via PowerSchool PL Section #514862. This two-day course is TEAMS approved! More information can be found below:

ACT Instructional Mastery Science Agenda

All participants who complete the 2-day program and pass a 30-question end of course Knowledge Check will earn a certificate and digital badge of ACT Instructional Mastery in the subject area.

Join us virtually on November 7 from 5:00-7:30 pm as we take a deep dive into the requirements of Component 3. Register via PowerSchool PL Section #499097.

A zoom link will be included in the PowerSchool information, and you will also receive a reminder email approximately two days prior to the session. Registration closes two days prior to the session to ensure all receive the information prior to the session.

Alabama Literacy Association Fall Conference

November 7-8

Birmingham, Alabama

For more information, visit alabamalitearcyassociation.com. Registration is open!

If you are an NBCT candidate or a MOC candidate in the UA/UWA Region, join us on November 12 for our fall writing retreat. Candidates will work on their analysis of evidence and written commentary. Full-day substitute reimbursement will be provided for each educator in the UA/UWA Region (Region Four).

Fall Writing Retreat

November 12, 2024; 8:30 AM-3:00 PM

Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa

Register via PowerSchool Section # 499267

On November 18-19, The UA-UWA Regional Inservice Center will offer ACT's Instructional Mastery Math course for math educators in Region Four. Space is limited to 30 math educators, and registration opens today on October 1! Register via PowerSchool PL Section #514870. This two-day course is TEAMS approved! More information can be found below:

ACT Instructional Mastery Math Agenda

All participants who complete the 2-day program and pass a 30-question end of course Knowledge Check will earn a certificate and digital badge of ACT Instructional Mastery in the subject area.

The annual 2024 Fall Librarian Meet Up will be held on Friday, November 22, 2024 at the Jacksonville State Regional Inservice Center. Join the Jax State Regional Inservice Center for an engaging professional learning session designed specifically for ALL school librarians in Alabama! (You do not have to work in the JSU region to attend.) This workshop will explore innovative strategies for enhancing student engagement, promoting literacy, and integrating technology into library programs. Participants will share best practices, collaborate on new ideas, and gain valuable insights into the evolving role of the school librarian. Whether you’re looking to expand your resource collection or create dynamic learning experiences, this session offers the tools and inspiration you need to support your school community effectively.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with fellow librarians and elevate your practice!

Register now on PowerSchool Professional Learning!

For more information regarding the 2025 Alabama Scholastic Writing Awards, please use the following attachment.

Unlock the power of Canva to create engaging visual materials for your counseling programs. In this dynamic workshop, school counselors will discover how to harness the power of Canva to create visually stunning and impactful resources to enhance their communication and engagement with students, parents, and staff. No design experience needed—just bring your ideas and enthusiasm!

Registration Link: https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentRegistrationDetails/517046

Registration is now open! Science textbook committee team members, secure your registration today!

The Science Textbook Caravan for the 2024-2025 school year is a collaborative event with Alabama's Regional Inservice Centers & Publishers' Warehouse, Alabama's textbook depository. The Textbook Caravan is an opportunity for school district delegations to rotate through scheduled presentations from each of the state-adopted publisher options for comprehensive instructional resources. The two-day event has one day geared towards elementary team members (K-6) while the other day is structured for secondary representatives (grades 6-12).

Date:

January 23, 2025 (Elementary)

January 24, 2025 (Secondary)

Location: Paul W. Bryant Conference Center, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Registration:

January 23-Elementary (PowerSchool Section #514872)

https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentRegistrationDetails/514872

January 24-Secondary (PowerSchool Section #514873)

https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentRegistrationDetails/514873

We are beyond excited to host the AL NBCT Network conference in the rocket city for the first time ever this year! We hope to see you there!!! Choose from over 40 amazing sessions with top-notch educators from all over the state. bit.ly/alnbct2025 for Early Bird registration through November 9! Bring your teacher bestie! Early Bird Registration is OPEN and in full swing! Through November 9, you will automatically receive a discount when you register at bit.ly/alnbct2025

Got questions? Email alnbctnetwork@gmail.com or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram! The conference will be held January 25 in Huntsville, AL at Grissom High School. Thank you Huntsville City Schools for hosting us! With over 40 sessions covering topics for every subject and grade level, you will love networking with and learning from accomplished Alabama teachers! And if you're on the journey to becoming a National Board Certified Teacher, there are Q&A sessions and opportunities just for you. The full schedule will be released soon. We hope to see you there!

Elevate your teaching and boost student success with our dynamic Professional Learning Community (PLC) workshop focused on assessment strategies for grades 7-12. This interactive professional development session will equip you with the tools to design effective formative and summative assessments, analyze student data, and implement targeted interventions.

January 27

8:00-11:00 am

UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center (260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401)

Register via PowerSchool PL Section #515744

The Alabama Best Practices Center will offer an additional round of Peer Coaching Workshops coming up in January. Please review the flyer for more information! The flyer is linked here.

• For a complete list of all ALSDE Curriculum and Instruction meeting dates and location visit the OSL Running Updates.
• Next meetings are scheduled in January 2025.

• Dates: September 18, February 10, April 9
• Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (September 18 and February 10), 12:00-3:00 pm (April 9)
• Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
• This year, we will host 3 meetings with the curriculum directors/professional learning directors who serve as direct liaisons to the Inservice Center.

We are excited to announce that our Inservice Center will once again offer regional support for Region Four secondary instructional coaches who are not served by AMSTI or ARI. We are thrilled to have Diane Sweeney, author of Student-Centered Coaching, as the facilitator of this year's support.

If you are a secondary coach in Region Four, register in PowerSchool for each of the sessions below using the following course number: 315396. You will need to register for each of the sessions separately in order to reserve your space. Registration links are included on the dates below.

August 27, 2024

October 22, 2024

April 17, 2025

Principal Act/APLDS Program Updates:

As a reminder, we have an upcoming deadline for the Principal Act/APLDS Program. All PLPs should be completed and approved by supervisors in the new APLDS Evaluation System by October 1, 2024.

For more information about the APLDS Evaluation System, including example PLPs and step-by-step directions, you can go to https://www.alabamaprincipals.org/evaluation-system. You can also access the Principal Act Overview session presentation materials and recording by going to https://www.alabamaprincipals.org/presentations under the section titled, "Principal Act Overview Sessions".

We also hope you can join us in October for a session!

October 1 and 3: Sessions for superintendents and APLDS district contacts

October 22 and 24: Sessions for school administrators

AMSTI-ASIM will host ongoing trainings throughout the fall semester. Registration for these sessions is available at https://amsti-ua.wixsite.com/amsti-ua. Please contact Sara McGee (smcgee@ua.edu) if you have questions or requests for other professional learning support.

• ASIM Biology Training and Support (Lisa Clark, lclark@ua.edu)

• ASIM Chemistry/Physical Science Training and Support (Brooks Moss, moss020@ua.edu)
• ASIM Physics and Earth/Space Science Training and Support (Julie Covin, jcovin@ua.edu)

Contact our specialists today to request on-site instructional support as you return to school! We are here for you!

• Leadership Labs Are Coming to A School Near You! Leadership labs are full-day authentic professional learning experiences designed for instructional leaders. (Virtual sessions will be provided for central office staff.)
• Neuhaus Professional Learning Sign Up- See attachment https://forms.office.com/r/wzm0itAjDp
• Contact Dr. Tiffany Davis (tiffany.davis@alsde.edu) or Dr. Tracie Howard (tracie.howard@alsde.edu) with any questions.
  
• Alabama Summer and Afterschool Program (ASAP) grant, including attachments, can be found using the following link: ASAP Grant

ARI Quick Links Document (Includes Proficiency Scales for K-5)

Quick Links

Additional Resources:

• Alabama Coaching Framework - Coaching Framework Presentations and Documents
  
• Principal Calendar - Presented at Mega
• OSI Mega Sessions - Presentation Links
• Secondary ELA COS Resources
• OSI Website

• ACIP Support Site

• ACAP/ACT Resource Page

• Youtube (Recorded PL)

• 2021 ELA Course of Study: Secondary (6-12) ELA Resources:The following document provides access to curated resources to support implementation of the 2021 ELA Course of Study in Grades 6-12. The link will allow you to create your own copy of the resource document.

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XKFtlDduyfdOt6uN1sxM9wXu_9QPLi4Ib11JiOpaax4/copy
  

Visit the OSL website at the following link: https://sway.office.com/x6GMkvnr5n1z2O6F

PREP Public Website: Recordings, Slides and Resources

Ongoing updates are continuously added at the following link: OSL Updates

Join Dr. Mayben for his technology sessions this fall! You may find all of his posted opportunities at www.uatim.org/opportunities.

Contact Dr. Robert Mayben at rmayben@ua.edu to support your school or district's technology professional learning needs.

2024-2025 Everyone Counts

We are excited to announce the 24-25 Everyone Counts professional learning dates! These sessions aim to enhance the foundation necessary for developing a strong and comprehensive mathematics program. Participants will explore collaborative team structures to engage in high-quality, evidence-based practices and leverage the strengths of all stakeholders to maximize student opportunities. These sessions are designed for principals and assistant principals. Central office leadership is also invited to attend. Please share this information with your assistant principals.

Participants in this year's Everyone Counts sessions may earn 15 clock hours toward the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS) requirement. In addition, participants may earn an ACLD-PLU, pending approval.

Registration details for region 4’s 2024-2025 Everyone Counts in-person sessions can be found here. Please note that there are two different dates available for session 1 and session 3. We look forward to your participation in these valuable sessions and to working together to enhance mathematics teaching and learning in our schools.

OMI Newsletter

OMI is thrilled to present our newsletter, OMI Numeracy News ! Inside this issue you will find a recap of OMI summer math camp, important upcoming events for instructional leaders, valuable information related to curriculum and instruction, professional learning opportunities, ideas for coaching, resources for family engagement, and more!

• Ellevation Training Opportunities:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FEtuq50-nNbZesaGqJr-O8zPnH0I9Wcf50G79EVT-ds/edit?usp=sharing

• We have added NEW FORMS TRAINING SESSIONS for teachers below. Please note, teachers to complete monitoring forms for Former ELs (FELs). These are students who have exited the EL program by scoring a 4.8 composite score or above on the ACCESS test. This training will help them learn how to access and complete monitoring forms. We have also curated a new EL Progress Monitoring form for current ELs. This form is recommended but if you have another method of monitoring current ELs, please continue using this method. Training registration links are below

• Audience: EL Teams, any EL team member responsible for completing monitoring tasks in Ellevation

• Manage EL workflows using Ellevation for compliance needs such as FEL Monitoring, EL Progress Monitoring and more with Forms. In this course, users will understand how to use Forms to gather educator input and document decisions.

**Make sure to use your district email address**

• EL Office Hours: Join our team as we collaborate all things EL! Office hours Q@A sessions are open to all teachers, administrators, coaches, specialists, etc. across the state. Feel free to join us! Microsoft Teams Need help? Join the meeting now

FALL EL Quarterly Newsletter

World Languages Newsletter

For more information, contact EL Region 4 Specialist: Dr. Stephanie Reynolds (stephanie.reynolds@alsde.edu)

The flyer below highlights sessions offered by our PowerSchool coaches in October. Please also feel free to request specific sessions. To request training for your district or school, either reply to this email or click the link in the flyer and submit an Ed Tech ticket request via the following link: Submit Ed Tech Support Ticket

PowerSchool Coach Quandria Robinson (quandria.robinson@alex.state.al.us)

Please find the Alabama MTSS Fall Newsletter at the following link: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/teqlPscXzfiOCHXd?ref=email

Check out the monthly updates from ALSDE Physical Education:

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/lKKDJDPa9SxJ6XGc?ref=email

Monthly Updates from ALSDE Social Studies:

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/BSYQe3e6HAx1IrhB?ref=email

Use the link below to view Special Education Services' ALPDS offerings for administrators:

Special Education Services APLDS Offerings

Contact Elizabeth Greene at elizabeth.greene@alsde.edu with any questions.

Librarians, please find the October 2024 Alabama Library Media Newsletter from Susanne Estes.

• OSI ACAP/ACT Resource Doc: ACAP and ACT Tools and Resources

ALSDE has developed proficiency scales that can be used by teachers and students. The following link shares how to access those proficiency scales: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15eWbGs3CQ1D2wHZJUww9cl6Y4NjUDjUi/view?usp=sharing

ATLAS is a resource designed for National Board Certification, but it can also be used by teachers for personal growth or incorporated into district teacher induction programs.This resource is open to our full-time, public school educators in Alabama. Please contact Dr. Morgan at hgmorgan@ua.edu for an account.

ACCESS Virtual Learning is an initiative of the Alabama State Department of Education that provides free online classes to all sixth through 12th grade Alabama students.

The program offers Advanced Placement, foreign language and credit recovery courses as well as all the courses needed for a high school diploma. ACCESS courses are led by Alabama-certified teachers and are aligned to the current Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

Students enrolled in ACCESS courses earn credits from their local school and receive their diploma from their local district.

ACCESS is your partner in education! For more information, please visit access.ua.edu or contact the UA Support Center at access@ua.edu or 205-348-2647.

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UWA Black Belt STEM Institute Training Opportunities:

Elementary Virtual Math Workshop

Dive into Data through a STEM Lens

Dr. Holly Morgan, Director

Mrs. Tami Barron, Accounting Specialist

Mrs. Tenika Milsap, UWA Coordinator

Email: hgmorgan@ua.edu
Website: www.inservice.ua.edu
Location: 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Phone: 205-348-3319
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uauwaric/
Twitter: @UofARIC