FRCPP Important Dates:

• Starting May 3, 2024, School Districts must use the Administrator Changes page in the School Reconfiguration plan to submit changes.

• The Basic Education Circular is now updated with the new process.

• How to guide is available of the Basic Education Circular web page under Resources.

• 4-Step Focus Guides for getting ready for the PVAAS data release

• Actionable steps & checklists

• Available for LEA/District Leaders & School Leaders

Register for a webinar with the statewide PVAAS team to walk through the resource and prepare for data release:

* Preview Phase - April 17, 2025 to April 30, 2025

* Teacher Verification - May 1, 2025 to May 14, 2025

* School Verification - May 15, 2025 to May 28, 2025

* District/LEA Verification - May 29, 2025 to June 20, 2025

• Goal-setting & the SPM (summer offering)

• Connecting K-12 tools

• Preparing for the new data release

• Communication strategies

• 3-year teacher growth composites & teacher reporting

The CDT has operational technology enhanced items this school year!

Firefly Benchmark

• Are any WIU7 districts participating in the pilot?

• Have you started using it? Thoughts / feedback?

• Firefly Benchmark Interest Form

CDT is not a predictor of PSSA/Keystone performance.

Firefly will serve as a performance predictor; however, this will be in the future, after at least one year of performance data is collected.

• Economics, FACS, CEW, and Personal Finance; state board approved Sept 12. Set to be published in the PA Bulletin in December.

• Personal Finance Standards

• Still trying to get clarification on whether it is a graduation requirement for the class of 2027. Trying to firm up that understanding.

• STEELS- Live in 25/26

• STEELS Assessment toolkit, Communications toolkit are close to being released. Additionally, a Safety Guide is close to being released.

September 2024 News

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, in conjunction with the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) / Pennsylvania Thespians, is offering a professional development opportunity for teachers of theatre and any person who directs or provide support for production of plays and/or musicals in an educational setting. School administrators are welcome as well! There is no cost to attend, and lunch will be provided.

We are offering a comprehensive training series that supports teaching and learning of the new PA STEELS Standards. If you need customized support, please reach out to lcunningham@wiu7.org.

We are offering a series of math workshops this school year, facilitated and co-facilitated by Kevin Mauro, PDE Math Content Advisor and our Curriculum Services Team.

Come join us at Westmoreland Intermediate Unit to dig into learning and discussion around quality ELA instruction! Whether you are a new ELA teacher or a veteran ELA teacher, we have an excellent line-up of professional learning sessions targeted at supporting instruction in the ELA classroom.

Join us at the WIU to explore the no-cost Can We Talk? Civic Dialogue Toolkit for Educators (October 1) and/or the Teaching American History Seminar experience "The Electoral College: History & Politics" co-facilitated with Dr. Jividen of Saint Vincent College (October 24). Additionally, Westmoreland County schools are invited to the 2024 Social Studies Symposium hosted by the AIU (October 8).

Come “fill your toolbox” with information and ideas for advancing your school &/or district Career Readiness programming!

Join us for a comprehensive look at Career Ready PA, where you'll learn how to align classroom learning with workforce demands and stay informed about the career readiness regulations in Pennsylvania. We'll also explore the new Career Education and Work standards set to launch in 2026, ensuring you're equipped to prepare students for future success. Additionally, gain ideas for career readiness programming during educator presentations from multiple districts across Westmoreland County, and tap into resources and opportunities offered by local organizations that support workforce development.

Register through September 20!

The Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board (WFWIB) is accepting enrollment for the 2024-25 Teacher in the Workplace (TIW) program year. As a TIW collaborator with the WFWIB, our team is pleased to invited your educators to participate!

Please see the one-pager for a summary of program activities, including company and CTC tours, job shadowing, and educator collaboration. By participating, educators can make a difference in helping students align their skills to workforce needs.

If an educator is interested in the program, they should fill out the survey linked below by September 27!

P.L.A.Y. is Westmoreland IU7’s new professional learning experience that offers you an opportunity to grow and advance your skills anytime, from anywhere.

With asynchronous bite-sized, incremental activities, you focus on the topics that are most important to your professional development needs. Whether you are new to a topic or have advanced skills, there is something for everyone!

• ESL
• STEELS Academy
• An Introduction to PA STEELS and Ambitious Science Teaching
• Student Talk in the Science Classroom
• Digging Deeper into Modeling, CERs, and Direct Instruction
• Culturally Relevant Teaching in the Science Classroom
• Building Thinking Classrooms Book Study
• Teaching Strategies to Enhance Student Engagement
• WIU7's Webbs DOK
• Engaging in Effective School Improvement
• Assessment and Accountability
• Using Screencasts to Maximize In-Person Instruction

Until recently, WIU CPE courses were housed in Moodle. For the Fall 2024 WIU CPE semester, we're excited to share that all CPE courses are now within our P.L.A.Y. ecosystem on the Alludo platform.

What does this mean for the WIU CPE program? We're building a better CPE plane while flying it! 🚅

Program processes are under revision, standards are being established, and quality criteria is in place for WIU CPE courses. Course instructors have engaged in PLAYmaker certification training, received personalized instructional design support (specific to a virtual asynchronous delivery format), and responded to specific feedback during the transition process to ensure their courses provide up-to-date content, engaging learning activities, and relevant growth experiences for educators.

🍎 Please share the attached Fall 2024 CPE flyer and P.L.A.Y. Catalog & Registration link (Category: CPE) with your educators! Our team looks forward to offering new and timely WIU CPE courses in the semesters to come!