College Board Updates
📰 Final AP Exam Orders Due March 14th
The final AP exam order deadline is Friday, March 14th. Submit any changes or second semester orders by this date. Pro tip: ensure all students are in their AP sections and their exam decisions are accurate on the APRO site. The “Orders” box should be gray and say “Submitted.” If it’s blue and says “Unsubmitted Changes,” click “Review and Submit Changes.”
💻 PARSS Webinar Invitation
Discover the transformative impact of the SAT Suite of Assessments in this webinar sponsored by PARSS. Learn how the SAT Suite can enhance college and career readiness, provide valuable data, open scholarship opportunities, and help students meet graduation requirements through ACT 158 pathways.
Date: Monday, March 10, 9am-10am
Register Here
💡 PSAT/SAT Roundtable Invitation
Join us for a roundtable discussion about the SAT Suite of Assessments, including the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT. Designed for Pennsylvania educators, these sessions will cover insights from higher education, data analysis, and free resources for students.
Option #1
Date: Wednesday, March 19, 8am-12pm
Location: Lincoln IU, 65 Billerbeck St, New Oxford, PA
Option #2
Date: Thursday, March 27, 8:30am-12pm
Location: Carbon-Lehigh IU, 4210 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA
Option #3
Date: Tuesday, April 8, 8am-12pm
Location: Westmoreland IU, 102 Equity Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601
PA Student-Centered Learning Resources
Pennsylvania is transforming education through a student-centered approach that prioritizes personalized, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences for all students. PA Student-Centered Learning (PASCL) supports schools and districts in shifting from traditional, one-size-fits-all instruction to dynamic, student-driven learning environments that foster deeper engagement, ownership, and academic growth.
At the heart of PASCL are two essential tools: the Student-Centered Learning Blueprint and the Blueprint Navigator. Together, these resources provide a structured framework and self-assessment tool to help school and district leaders evaluate their current practices, identify priority areas, and develop strategic action plans for sustainable improvement.
Through collaborative leadership, innovative learning models, and strong community partnerships, PASCL empowers educators to create learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of today’s students—preparing them for success in school, careers, and life.
✅ What is the Student-Centered Learning Blueprint?
- A comprehensive framework designed to guide schools and districts in implementing student-centered learning.
- Focuses on five key system components: Administration & Leadership, Learning Models, Curriculum Design & Development, Teaching & Learning, and Community Outreach.
- Provides essential actions, guiding questions, and benchmarks to help educators assess and improve student-centered practices.
✅ What is the Blueprint Navigator?
- A self-assessment and progress monitoring tool designed to be used alongside the Blueprint.
- Helps school and district teams evaluate their current practices, identify priority areas, and set actionable improvement goals.
- Uses a clear rating scale (1–4) to assess readiness and implementation, ensuring a data-driven approach to advancing student-centered learning.
✅ How Can Schools & Districts Use These Tools?
- Facilitate team discussions to evaluate student-centered learning efforts.
- Identify strengths and areas for growth using the Blueprint Navigator’s structured assessment process.
- Develop targeted action plans to improve student engagement, personalized learning, and instructional practices.
- Monitor progress over time and refine strategies to ensure sustainable implementation.
✅ Get Started Today!
- Access the Blueprint and Blueprint Navigator to begin your self-assessment and planning.
- Connect with Intermediate Unit (IU) Points of Contact, Eric Lech (leche@cliu.org) and Melissa Volcskai (volcskaim@cliu.org) for support in implementation.
- Take the next step in transforming learning experiences for students across your district!
Click the logo to access the PASCL Resource Hub for access to these and other tools.
Using WIDA Proficiency Descriptors & Instructional Strategies to Design Core Instruction
In this workshop led by ELD expert, Dr. Andrea Kolb, you will:
- Closely analyze WIDA ACCESS Report Cards
- Utilize the WIDA Proficiency Level Descriptors to determine appropriate instructional scaffolds and growth goals
- Review a number of instructional strategies to support ELs
- Practice connecting a particular language barrier to an appropriate strategy and tool
Join this workshop on March 13 by registering on CPE Tracker or at www.cliu.org/register.
Questions? - Christin Adams (adamsc@cliu.org)
Elementary Immersive STEELS
What does an elementary STEELS classroom look like? In this STEELS training, educators become students in a hands-on lesson. This immersive experience enables educators to grasp student-centered approaches, real-world context integration, and tech usage. By walking in students' shoes, educators gain insights to enhance their own methods for a more engaging and impactful classroom.
Join this hands-on workshop on March 18, 2025, by registering on CPE Tracker or at www.cliu.org/register.
Questions? - Tony Mirabito (mirabitoa@cliu.org)
Student Centered Learning: Empower Book Study
Join this virtual book study from March 18 - April 15 (with 3 online meetings) by registering on CPE Tracker or at www.cliu.org/register. (First 10 registrants receive a free copy of EMPOWER.)
Questions? - Eric Lech (leche@cliu.org)
Educator retention: Interactive virtual workshop series
We invite school leaders and LEA staff to participate in one or more virtual sessions on educator and staff retention. The workshops are open to all PA schools and LEAs, so please share this information with any colleagues who may be interested.
What
1. Strategic retention: (Tuesday, March 18, 4-5 pm) Explore motivating factors for teachers’ decisions to stay or leave. Practice applying “retention lenses” for different types of educators. Learn about general best practices, such as retention interviews.
2. Onboarding and new teacher experiences: (Wednesday, April 2, 4-5 pm) For novice teachers, early experiences and support can form a foundation to increase the likelihood of long-term retention. This session will discuss best practices from onboarding through ongoing mentoring.
3. School climate and culture to drive retention: (Thursday, April 10, 4-5 pm) The quality of working conditions and climate are among the top factors that influence educator retention. Improving school climate requires complex and multi-faceted strategies. Explore some of the steps schools and LEAs can take to enhance school climate and culture for both students and staff.
Who
The workshops are intended for school leaders and for LEA staff whose responsibilities include: human capital; onboarding; induction; mentoring; and/or principal supervision.
How
Register online at: https://iu13.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0w1m95xdT9mbN32_xuERcA
Sessions will also be recorded and posted on the PA System for LEA/School Improvement website at:https://www.iu13.org/school-improvement/human-capital-resources/human-capital-pre-recorded-webinars/.
Please contact Meagan Steiner, State Lead—K-12 Human Capital Strategies, at Meagan_Steiner@iu13.org with any questions about the workshops.
