Curriculum Department Updates

PDE is hoping to provide more training and support for Health and Physical Education teachers across the state. On January 20th, 2023, Nick Slotterback from PDE will be offering a virtual training to the IU28 region for HPE teachers. More information, including registration, is forthcoming. Here is a description of the training:

Training Description:

This hands-on training will examine the proposed new skills-based standards that reflect current trends, practices, and concepts as well as appropriate terminology. Participants will be provided time to work with the new outcomes, applying them to areas in their own curricula, and will be aware of how the shift to skills-based standards will encourage all students to be lifelong and healthy learners.

This session also provides an in-depth training on the PA HPED Skills and Knowledge-Based outcomes. Participants will learn how to interpret the outcomes then create a scope and sequence followed by a review of a sample health and physical education lesson plan.

Please access the SMORE to learn more about how to access the HPE community available in the SAS portal, which is filled with resources.

PVAAS Statewide Updates October 2022 (click for presentation)

• Custom reports LEAs have created do get removed with the new release in late October / early November

• Student level projections are not archived so LEA should export if they want saved.

• PVAAS is getting a lot of questions on accounts. Many school user accounts are updated automatically if the person was included in the staff template for PIMS. Check they are there. For questions on PVAAS access or to check/modify access, see the slide deck for screenshots.

• Check presentation slides for information to ensure that PIMS data is complete to allow projection reports. Projection data can be a powerful tool to address students who are in your classes right now. Using these in the fall provides an opportunity to know their students’ needs and address. Keep enrollment data current so that you can run projection reports periodically to include new students. Can also be used in the spring for course placement decisions.

• For teacher specific data, you will get a one year snapshot (not the three year) that is used for reflection and professional learning.

• Registration for upcoming webinars is available in the slide deck.

Most Interesting Webinar:

• Signposts on the Road to Recovery: Indicators for Your District/School (Dr. John White, VP SAS EVAAS)

• November 22, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

• November 30, 1:00-2:00 pm

• December 8, 2:00-3:00 pm

• December 19, 10:00-11:00 am

Mark your calendars for December 5, 6, and 7, 2022, and register now for SAS Institute 2022: Strategic Leadership: Guiding Schools to Excellence.

This year’s conference offers three keynote sessions, multiple breakouts, and special events!

• Over 120 breakout sessions addressing leadership and its challenges from multiple perspectives.
• An Act 45 course, Strategic Leadership, will commence on December 4.
  • This 40-hour course includes onsite attendance at the SAS Institute, virtual work consisting of readings and journal writing, and the completion of a culminating activity.

Registration is $150 for all three days of the Institute, which includes continental breakfasts and lunches each day.

Click here for more information.

Response from PSBA on Sample Act 1 Policy:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Act 1. If the inquiry is regarding Act 1 of 2022 which pertains to Education Instability, we have draft policies in place that are being actively reviewed by our legal team at this time. We anticipate merging policies 251. Homeless Students and 255. Educational Stability of Students in Foster Care because Act 1 contains additional requirements to ensure the educational stability of such students. We also have a number of other policies that are affected as a result of Act 1 including issues involving enrollment, attendance, graduation, dress and grooming, etc. All policies will be issued in the Policy News Network (PNN) as soon as they are finalized.

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do to assist you.

Comprehensive Plans (*Extension includes all State Required Reports*)

• Phase 1 - Due March 30, 2023
• Phase 2 - Due August 30, 2022 (Extension granted by PDE)

• Phase 3 - Due August 30, 2022 (Extension granted by PDE)

Special Education Plans:

• Phase 1 - Due July 30, 2022 *UPDATED*
• Phase 2 - Due May 1, 2023 (Now available in the FRCPP)
• Phase 3 - Due July 30, 2022 *UPDATED*

K-12 Guidance Plan (339) - UPDATED as of 3/11/22

• Phase 1 – March 31, 2024

• Phase 2 – March 31, 2025

• Phase 3 – March 31, 2023

Please click here to access the full statewide comprehensive planning team's September edition of the CP Tip Jar.

A new feature in the CDT Interactive Reporting platform is Student Subgroup Filtering. Users upload demographic data and then select applicable filters such as IEP (Not Gifted), English Learner, Migrant Education Program, or Economically Disadvantaged to learn more about the strengths and areas of need of the respective sub group.

In the next few weeks PVAAS will populate CDT Growth & Diagnostic Reports in the interactive reporting platform. CDT data from previous school years is automatically provided to SAS EVAAS for this reporting. In the growth reports, indicators follow the same red, yellow, green, blue color indicators and same exceeds, meets, below and far below labels.

The Diagnostic Reports show the base test results by achievement groups and standard error of measure for each group.

Click here to see the full summary card for this information, plus more!

On April 23, 2022, the final form amendments to Chapter 49 (relating to Certification of Professional Personnel) of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code became effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. 1 22 Pa. Code § 49.14(4)(i) requires the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to identify competencies and develop associated standards for educator training in structured literacy.

Structured literacy supplements core instruction with an increased focus on the five essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension).

Research on Pennsylvania’s Dyslexia Pilot and Expansion project demonstrated significant impact for students and school systems in the use of structured literacy. Chapter 49 requires instruction in structured literacy to be integrated in educator preparation and continuing professional development programs for professional employees who hold instructional certificates in early childhood education, elementary-middle level, PK-12 Special Education, English as a Second Language, and Reading Specialist.

• Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, PDE must establish a program of professional development and applied practice in structured literacy. The continuing professional development plans of each school entity must include training in structured literacy competencies/standards for the five specified certification programs.
• Educator preparation programs must integrate the structured literacy competencies/standards for the five specified certification programs no later than August 1, 2024.

Pa. Code § 49.1 defines “structured literacy” as systematic, explicit instruction that provides a strong core of foundational skills in the language systems of English, integrates listening, speaking, reading, spelling, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse.

For more information and to access the competencies, please click here.

Reporting opened in the FRCPP as of September 14th, 2022. The deadline for reporting of the 2021-2022 test results will be December 1st

We are excited to announce a partnership with ABC CREATE that has been forged through the PA Smart Advancing Grant writing process and also through past relationships of our curriculum department staff. ABC Create has been awarded a grant and is partnering with ARIN to provide push in professional development with interactive remote robotics & coding classes for students & educators. The goal of this work through the PA Smart grant is to provide more opportunities for CS learning across our region. Please check out the button below to learn about FREE and AMAZING learning opportunities for both students and teachers.

Purpose: We are a K-16+ partnership that helps students land in careers they were prepared for in a program they chose after they had meaningful career connected learning (CCL) experiences in K-12.

Vision: Through collaboration with community stakeholders and partners, we will create an environment where residents engage in impactful career-connected learning and experience academic learning through a real-world focus on in-demand careers and career readiness.

Mission: To provide hope and opportunity by strengthening and expanding collaboration among school districts, career and technical centers, postsecondary institutions, employers, workforce agencies, and other community stakeholders in order to create a countywide, self-sustaining framework that builds and supports rigorous career pathways for all learners; leverages and aligns resources; coordinates and expands communication among stakeholders; and supports regional workforce needs and strengthens our economy.

What do we offer?

• Clearinghouse of Resources

• Think Tank

• Cross Sector Collaborations

• Ecosystem for Funding

• Communication Hub

• Relationship Building

• Mutual Public Support

• Support for Inclusivity

• Redefine and Realign K-12 Programming

• Crafting and Sharing Career Connected Learning (CCL) Experiences for K-12+ students

• Systemic Examination of Course Offerings

• Connectors of Schools, Businesses, Funding, and Resources

• Working to Make a Difference

In order to identify existing programs in our respective organizations, the partnership is distributing an asset inventory This inventory will allow us to identify existing programs and gaps so we can target our efforts to create career connected learning opportunities for our students.

We are asking each district to complete one asset inventory per building by November 1, 2022. For a digital copy, please click the link below or visit: https://bit.ly/ARINPSAI22

Sixteen math teachers from eight of our districts in Indiana and Armstrong county came together to look at PSSA and Keystone Data, as well as beginning to have discussions on improving scores across both counties. There were discussions on what is happening in different classrooms around Math instruction, concerns with current scores, as well as starting to analyze data from all districts. The teachers moved around in pairs to analyze data from every district (without seeing school name) by grade level. The teachers looked at the PVAAS data over three years, as well eligible content specific data from the 2022 PSSA assessment. They were looking for commonalities among all districts in a grade level, as well as identifying any outstanding data in hopes of getting those teachers involved in future meetings to share what they are doing. District teachers then had time to work with all data from their district to look for areas of concern, patterns in scores, etc. The teachers, as well as myself, are hoping to get more teachers involved for the next meeting and having time to hold discussions by grade levels, or grade level bands.

Eighteen science teachers from nine of our districts in Armstrong and Indiana counties attended the first session of the Science Liaison Network in October. Participants heard from Dave Bauman, State Science Advisor from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, about the new science standards, 3-Dimensional Teaching and Learning based on phenomena. Teachers shared what was happening in their science classrooms and buildings.

Teachers were also emmersed in two 3-dimensional learning activitiies and given time to discuss and reflect on this learning experience. During our next networking session we will break into grade level bands and subject areas to dig into the standards and map out curriculum options. We will also review Open Educational Resources and share activities.

The first Gifted Network meeting of the year was hosted in October with eight educators attending. Participants shared gifted programming in each of their districts and learned about new ideas for students. The Gifted Monitoring process was also discussed by United School District. Student activiites, field trips and state updates were also shared.

The first meeting for 2022-23 of the STEM Integrators was hosted in September. We had a small, but mighty, group of two for the day. We shared what has been happening in our schools and some new ideas for STEM/STEAM to do with our students. One of our main topics of discussion was providing coding opportunites to our students. What age do we begin? What program(s) do we use? How do we gather interest? Another big topic of discussion was the use of physical computing by using the resources in the ARIN STEAM Lending Library. Each participant had time to view items in the lending library and take home some items to investigate further.