

Educational Programs Update
January 2024
Assessment Updates
Fall- Winter 2023- Combined Test/Answer Booklets THIS Spring and NO MORE Red Stickers
Low Keystone Alg. scores in the PA Future Ready Index
Click here to understand why.
Legislative Updates
Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal Updates
Slides p. 6, 13 Due Dates, p. 11 Implementation Timeline, p. 15 Pitfalls, p.16 reqirements
Updated User Guide - all users should register at the LEA level, owner role removed from the Admin tab.
Carrie Anderson will be coming to RIU6 on Feb. 1 @ 10:30 (during the principals' meeting.
Carrie Anderson, Division Chief at PDE
CEW- What is New?
CEW; Family & Consumer Sciences; Economic Standard
- These updated standards will include a NEW requirement, "financial literacy" as a grad required (1/2 credit) course in HS. At this time there is no timeline and will happen after the new standards roll out
- The writing of the new standards "may" be in July 2024
- Full implementation 26-27 school year
- press release currently 53% of all high school students nationwide take a personal finance course before graduation! Way to go, PA
Ethics Requirments
Ethics SAS course= 5 hours (actual time 3.5-4)
Resources in SAS course
Professional Ethics Program Guidelines
What are the Professional Ethics requirements?
- 2023-24 included in 3- year professional development plan
- 2024-25 included in induction programs
How is Professional Ethics defined?
The standards of behavior, values, and principles that inform and guide professional
decision-making. These standards of behavior, values and principles include those detailed in the Pennsylvania Model Code of Ethics for Educators.
Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education
What are the Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education requirements?
- 2023-24 included in 3 year professional development plan
- 2024-25 include in induction programs
How is Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education defined?
Education that ensures equity for all students and seeks to eliminate systemic
institutional racial and cultural barriers that inhibit the success of all students in this
Commonwealth—particularly those who have been historically underrepresented.
Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education encompasses skills for educators including,
but not limited to, approaches to mental wellness, trauma-informed approaches to
instruction, technological and virtual engagement, cultural awareness, and emerging
factors that inhibit equitable access for all students in this commonwealth.
PVAAS Updates
Step by Step PVAAS Directions for Educators
- PVAAS data will be publicly released by Thanksgiving
- Slide 7- Scatterplots will be posted on the PVAAS site
- Slide 10- Roster Verification training (highly encouraged)
Mandated Trainings
Here is the most updated document of the mandated trainings. Also, here is the Comp Plan SMORE that also has some dates related to comprehensive planning.
Standards Approved
Standards Approved
At the January 11, 2024 State Board of Education meeting, all four standards packages were unanimously approved by the Chapter 4 Committee, Council of Basic Education, and the full PA State Board of Education.
Please review the Board Actions (pa.gov) from the January 11, 2024 State Board of Education meeting. The link contains the final proposed standards documents and amendments to Chapter 4.
Attached is a document that outlines the Pennsylvania Regulatory Process. As you will see, there are several more steps before they are codified.
New and Note Worthy SAS Information
Updates and resources to SAS:
Structured Literacy
Structured Literacy Professional Development
Several different offerings for structured literacy professional development: Structured Literacy Professional Development Offerings
STEELS Updates
🧪Introduction to the STEELS Trainings🧪
Interested in learning more about the new PA STEELS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability) Standards? There are two introductory trainings, one for School Leaders and the other for K-12 educators, being held at RIU6 in January! See below for more details and registration links. Reach out to Ben Brobst (bbrobst@riu6.org) for more details.
- Monday, January 22: Intro to the STEELS for School Leaders
- Wednesday, May 8: Intro to the STEELS for K-12 Educators
⚛️OpenSciEd One-Day Launch Training⚛️
Are you interested in adopting OpenSciEd as a STEELS aligned curricular resource? RIU6 will be offering a free one-day launch training intended to help educators get started with this high-quality curricular resource. During this session, we will be doing a deep dive into one middle school unit, but all K-12 science educators are welcome to attend.
The training will be held at RIU6 on Tuesday, March 19 from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Click here to register.
Reach out to Ben Brobst (bbrobst@riu6.org) for more details.
📙Free Virtual Science Book Study - Ambitious Science Teaching📙
Interested in improving and aligning your science instruction with the PA STEELS Standards? Riverview Intermediate Unit #6 is holding a free, virtual book study for Ambitious Science Teaching, a best-selling book on science teaching practices. During the book study, participants will meet after school four times to discuss the four sets of teaching practices. There will also be an asynchronous option where participants can watch recordings of each of the live sessions.
All participants will receive a FREE copy of Ambitious Science Teaching from RIU6 after registering! The first book study session will be Wednesday, January 24.
⭐🌟⭐Click Here to Register⭐🌟⭐
Contact Ben Brobst (bbrobst@riu6.org) with any questions.
Implementing ELS of the STEELS Standards: Cultivating Success with Hydroponics
IU6 recently partnered with FluxSpace and Fork Farms to engage five school districts in a Hydroponics workshop. Those who attended received a unit to utilize in their classroom.
- ACV - HS Tech Ed/STEM, Joe Graf
- Clarion-Limestone: HS Science, Robin Zacherl
- Keystone - Jr. High Science, Pam McCandless and David McCullough
- North Clarion - Elementary STEM, Raquelle McFarland
- Valley Grove - Elementary STEM and Science, Ben Barrett
T&E of STEELS Standards
Through a PAsmart grant, Ben and Kelsi will facilitate a Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) PD workshop. Participants who attend the PD workshop on March 1, 2024 will receive a kit of classroom materials. Kits are available for Grades 3, 4, and 5. Each district is guaranteed to receive (at least) one kit. Depending on interest, there may be more kits available. Please complete this INTEREST FORM to share your district's interest in participating.
PSSA Assessment Schedule Update
Below is the anticipated timeline for implementation of the STEELS standards and testing. Please note that this timeline requires an official change in Chapter 4, moving the 4th grade PSSA to 5th grade. The change is pending formal approval and change in regulatory language in Chapter 4.
January Spotlight: AI in Education
January Spotlight: AI for School Leaders SlideDeck
Upcoming PD Offerings:
Navigating the Role of AI in Education:
February 27, 2024 (half day)
Unleashing the Power of AI for Educators:
March 12, 2024
BUILDING PRINCIPALS: NOMINATE A KEYSTONE TODAY!
Do you have a teacher on your staff willing to take innovative risks, try new instructional strategies, and demonstrate leadership qualities? In that case, they will benefit from KTI’s collaborative network that works to strengthen student learning and inspire educators to try new practices in the classroom. The KTI Program identifies and supports exemplary educators through a distinct and dynamic learning community, and we would like you to nominate your best staff member!
Keystones Nominee Benefits Include:
Automatic membership in a strong community of innovators where members share resources and collaborate around innovative teaching practices.
The opportunity to apply to become a Keystones STAR and join a small and prestigious group of innovative educators that spend one week during the summer at Shippensburg University learning new ways to integrate technology they can bring back to your building and district to share. The only cost will be a $150 event fee.
An option to enroll in a three-credit graduate-level course explicitly designed for Keystones. Wilson College awards credits, and Eduspire offers the course.
Access to other Keystones through various social networks and in-person events to benefit student learning and inspire co-workers to try new practices in the classroom.
To nominate a future Keystone from your building, follow these four steps:
Pick your nominee.
Check to see if your nominee has been nominated before.
If you want someone willing to attend Summit, check and make sure they are eager to apply and are available July 22-26, 2024.
Make your nomination by February 10, 2024.
The whole process should take at most 5 minutes of your time.
The Keystones Technology Innovators Program honors the best educational innovators in the state. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to nominate your outstanding educator!
Remake Learning Days 2024
SAVE THE DATE: May 2 - May 22, 2024
We are looking for event hosts!
Does your school host a family-engagement event in May? Consider adding it to the Remake Learning Days event calendar and receive some funding, too! Events can be for any age and should be hands-on focused related to one or more of these learning themes: arts, maker, outdoor learning, science, technology, or youth voice.
Schools often use these events as opportunities to showcase work from the school year and engage parents and families alongside their children.
Remake Learning Days is offering event host awards of $250 or $500 to event hosts across northwestern Pennsylvania.
We are also looking for your help in connecting us with community partners who may want to become event hosts. Please share their information with us: Connect us with Community Partners!
Student Competitions
STEM Design Challenge (Grades 4th-8th)
April 4, 2024
What:
The STEM Design Challenge is a competition open to ALL 4th through 8th-grade students who attend a public or private school, or home school groups. Students may work in teams of 2-4 to design and build their projects out of K’Nex pieces.
2024 Challenge:
Pennsylvania agriculture contributes $132.5 billion to our state economy annually and supports more than 593,600 jobs, paying wages of $32.8 billion. Did you know that farmers use robots to help them? “High-tech Farming” is important especially as our population grows and food demand increases. Your team is being challenged to help our Pennsylvania farmers by creating an agricultural robot or other type of “high-tech farming” equipment that they could use.
MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND HERE
Categories: 3D Design, Animation, Logo and Graphic Design, Digital Movie, Programming, Web Page Design, Open to Grades 6th-12th
We are now accepting submissions for our annual WQLN PBS Kids Writers Contest! This contest is for children in kindergarten through 5th grade. Stories may be submitted through March 28th. (must live in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Venango and/or Warren Counties)
The WQLN PBS Art Show and Contest for tweens and teens is designed to promote creative artistic expression through painting. This show and contest is open to students in grades six through twelve. First, second, and third place ribbons are awarded in the following grade level categories: 6th-8th, 9th-10th, and 11th-12th. (must live in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Venango and/or Warren Counties)
Math Updates
Changes Made to PSSA Math Reference / Formula Sheets
The Reference Sheets for PSSA Mathematics Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 have been updated (especially in grades 7 and 8)!
The updates on the Reference Sheets all match existing content – there has been no change in the Assessment Anchors or Eligible Content. The goal of the changes is to provide additional information to students so they can demonstrate what they know on the PSSA.
⭐Click Here to read more about the specific changes and for links to the updated documents⭐
DESMOS Calculator with PSSA and Keystone Exams
Some questions have arisen regarding students’ use of the DESMOS calculator while testing with paper/pencil.
Students are not to use any electronics other than handheld calculators which comply with the PA Calculator Policy during PSSA Mathematics, PSSA Science, Keystone Algebra I or Keystone Biology Exams. Students may not use Chromebooks, iPads, cell phones or other devices with the DESMOS app as a calculator or use the web version of DESMOS even in test mode, during paper and pencil administered testing.
The DESMOS calculator is embedded in the online PSSA and Keystone exam, and if testing online, students will have access to the DESMOS test mode calculator. If school staff members want to have students use the DESMOS calculator, a solution would be to change to online administration. Students testing online may also use a handheld calculator which complies with the PA Calculator Policy.
Robin Fillman, rfillman@riu6.org (curriculum, instruction, assessment)
Katie Neal, kneal@riu6.org (SEL, college and career ready)
Kelsi Wilcox Boyles, kboyles@riu6.org (STEM, Literacy)
Ben Brobst, bbrobst@riu6.org (STEELS, Math, STEM)