📚Curriculum Corner: ELA

Hi, I am Dr. Katie Monsour, and I recently joined ARIN IU 28 on October 20, 2025. I am a passionate educator, literacy advocate, and proud cat lover who began my career teaching in higher education, teaching composition, education, methods, and literacy courses at both Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ), for over a decade.

Later, I transitioned into the K–12 setting, and taught in the Marion Center Area School District for almost a decade, gaining valuable classroom experience and a deeper understanding of student needs.

I'm known for my approachable style and practical insights, and I'm deeply committed to helping teachers feel confident and supported in their work. Whether I’m leading a workshop, collaborating with schools, or diving into the latest research with a cat curled up beside me, I *try* to bring energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine dedication to the success of both educators and students. I cannot wait to meet you!

We’re excited to announce that our next ELA (English Language Arts) Networking Event will take place on Monday, October 27, 2025! This is a valuable opportunity for ELA educators across the region to come together, share best practices, explore new resources, and collaborate on strategies that support student success in literacy.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or curriculum leader, this event is designed to spark meaningful conversations around instructional trends, standards alignment, assessment strategies, and innovative classroom practices.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, October 27, 2025
Time & Location: 8:30-3:00 @ ARIN IU, 2895 West Pike, Indiana, PA 15701

Audience: ELA teachers

We look forward to a productive and inspiring day of learning and connection!

If you have questions, please contact Katie Monsour, kmonsour@iu28.org

Mark your calendars for January 7, 2026, and March 19, 2026, for more networking opportunities.

Upcoming Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) Networking Event – Thursday, November 20, 2025

We are pleased to invite you to our next Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) - Level 1 Event on Thursday, November 20, 2025! This event is designed to bring ELA educators together to deepen understanding of TDA instruction and assessment, share effective strategies, and collaborate on ways to support student growth in evidence-based writing.

This session will focus on building instructional capacity around TDA.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time & Location: 8:30-3:00 @ ARIN IU, 2895 West Pike, Indiana, PA 15701
Audience: ELA educators, instructional coaches, and curriculum leaders

Whether you’re new to TDA or looking to refine your approach, this is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, gain practical resources, and strengthen classroom practice.

For more information, please contact Katie Monsour, kmonsour@iu28.org.

Save the date for December 17, 2026, for level two, and January 21, 2026, for level three.

The Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE) and the Education Department at Saint Vincent College are cosponsoring a spring conference with the theme inspired by conference keynote Penny Kittle–Literacy Love: Reading and Writing Beside Our Students. This day-long conference is on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. This event will feature informative, interactive, and trendsetting professional learning sessions. Visit this link for more information.

Read about the English Festival that will be hosted by La Roche College.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's 2025 SAS Institute,

is scheduled for December 8-10, 2025, at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

The following sessions at the SAS Institute in December focus on structured literacy:

From Vision to Implementation: Building Literacy Systems for Effective Impact and Sustainable Growth About the Session

Join PDE Content Advisors for an interactive workshop designed to help educators move from strategic vision to actionable implementation. Through collaborative dialogue and shared problem-solving, participants will: Connect with peers to exchange successes, challenges, and lessons learned Explore practical steps for translating literacy goals into sustainable systems Identify tailored strategies to support Structured Literacy across diverse school and district contexts Reflect on current practices and co-design next steps for effective, equitable impact This session offers a supportive space to think deeply, share openly, and leave with a clearer path forward—whether you're refining existing systems or building new ones from the ground up.

Speakers: Kate Bacher - Structured Literacy Advisor, PA Dept of Ed

Jennifer Wicht - ELA Content Advisor, PDE

From Vision to Implementation Workshop: Building Literacy Systems for Effective Impact and Sustainable Growth

Empowering literacy leaders to drive lasting educational change begins with a strong, strategic literacy infrastructure. This session will provide actionable insights and evidence-based strategies to help participants build cohesive systems that elevate learning for all students. Topics include: Designing a Comprehensive Literacy Infrastructure, Creating Cohesive School Systems for Structured Literacy, Implementing a Continuous Improvement Cycle, Engaging General and Special Education Staff, and Leveraging Evidence-Based Practices and Materials. Participants will leave equipped to lead literacy transformation with clarity, confidence, and a system-wide lens.

Speakers: Kate Bacher - Structured Literacy Advisor, PA Dept of Ed

Jennifer Wicht - ELA Content Advisor, PDE

Transitioning a Large School District to Evidence-Based Reading Instruction

In 2014, the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) confronted a challenge familiar to districts nationwide: persistent inequities in reading outcomes tied to race and family income. Lincoln Elementary was identified for Comprehensive School Improvement by the PDE, prompting a bold shift from Balanced Literacy to evidence based reading instruction. What began as urgent change in one school became a district-wide transformation that reshaped teaching and advanced BASD’s vision: to eliminate race and family income as reliable predictors of success. Bethlehem’s work soon reached far beyond its classrooms. In 2018, journalist Emily Hanford highlighted the district in her groundbreaking report and podcast, Hard Words: Why Aren’t Kids Being Taught to Read, inspired in part by BASD’s journey. That report helped spark a national movement to align reading instruction with the science of reading. This workshop shares BASD’s over 10-year story of equity, leadership, and lasting literacy reform.

Speakers: Jack Silva - Superintendent, Bethlehem Area SD

Maureen Leeson - Assistant Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Bethlehem Area SD

When Teachers Feel Supported, Students Succeed

About the Session This session highlights how the Pennridge School District built an aligned system of support for structured literacy, expanding Tier 1 phonics instruction through Fundations and creating coherence across curriculum, instruction, and professional learning. Participants will explore ways to support teachers through change, connect systems to daily practice, and activate strategies that lead to growth for both educators and students.

Speakers: Dana Lupinacci - K-12 Instructional Coach, Pennridge School District

Sarah Raber - Supervisor of Teaching and Learning, East Penn School District

Activating Early Literacy: Lessons from a Targeted Implementation Journey

Faced with a decline in K–3 reading proficiency, the team at R.B. Walter Elementary in Northern Tioga School District took bold, collaborative action. Through the support of the Success for PA Early Learners (SPEL) grant, they implemented Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) in kindergarten classrooms for the 2024–2025 school year. This session invites participants to learn how targeted implementation, data-driven decisionmaking, and shared leadership fueled instructional change. Attendees will connect with peers through handson data analysis and reflective dialogue, gaining insight into the district’s journey and collectively activate strategies to strengthen early literacy practices and build a culture of continuous improvement in our own schools.

Speakers: Ashley Muchler - Curriculum Specialist, IU 17

Kathryn Slavinski - Principal, Northern Tioga School District

Structured Literacy in Secondary Education: Empowering Success Through MTSS

Learn about structured literacy in secondary education within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). This session is designed for educators who want to enhance their teaching strategies to better support all students, especially those who struggle with reading. Objectives include: • Understand Structured Literacy: Learn what structured literacy is and how it differs from traditional literacy instruction. Discover its systematic and explicit approach that integrates listening, speaking, reading, spelling, and writing. • Integrate Strategies into Tier One Curriculum: Explore effective strategies and instructional approaches that can be seamlessly integrated into existing Tier One curricula across various content areas to meet the diverse needs of secondary students. • Targeted Interventions for Struggling Readers: Identify strategies and instructional methods that can be used during intervention periods to support struggling adolescent readers, ensuring they receive the help they need to succeed.

Speaker: Kim Shank - MTSS/Literacy Consultant, Capital Area Intermediate Unit

Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy Learning (RA4ALL) – Engaging Striving Readers

Join us for an interactive session exploring Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy Learning (RA4ALL), a newly designed curriculum created to support striving readers in secondary classrooms. Participants will engage in a sample lesson from the curriculum and experience firsthand how Reading Apprenticeship routines build confidence, motivation, and academic literacy skills. In addition to the lesson experience, attendees will learn about opportunities to participate in our current study examining the impact of RA4ALL on student learning and engagement. This session is ideal for educators and instructional leaders interested in practical strategies for supporting adolescents who struggle with reading and comprehension across content areas. Information on how to participate in the grant will also be provided.

Speakers: Alicia Ross - Program Specialist, WestEd

Amaal Awadalla - Senior State Technical Assistance Specialist, WestEd

Laurie Erby - Program Specialist II, Literacy, WestED

Implementing Structured Literacy for Adolescents: Grades 6–12

Despite advances in early literacy interventions, secondary educators often lack tools to support older students with dyslexia or persistent reading challenges. Grounded in the science of reading and NCIL’s evidence-based framework, this session demonstrates how structured literacy practices can be effectively adapted for grades 6–12 (NCIL, n.d.). Participants will walk away with research-supported strategies, routines for older learners, and clear pathways to integrate structured literacy into discipline-specific instruction.

Speaker: Sarah Sayko - Deputy Director (NCIL), National Center on Improving Literacy

TDA trainings will be held at ARIN IU Central Office, from 8:30 - 3:00, on:

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Click on the links above to register.

December 17, by request, will be an ugly Christmas sweater themed TDA day!

Did you know PA educators play an important role in reviewing items for the PSSA and Keystone tests?

Each summer, educators from all over the Commonwealth engage in setting ranges for open-ended questions, reviewing new test items and reviewing data from field-tested items.

If you are interested in participating, complete the Educator Application: PSSA & Keystone Exams Assessment Committee Reviews.

Your application will be evaluated, and your name will be placed in a pool of educators.

You will receive an availability survey in the winter, and committees will be formed in early spring. Contact Dr. Beth Gannon, ELA Assessment Advisor, with questions at egannonrit@pa.gov.

Join author and professional learning coach April Smith as she explores research and insights into effective writing instruction in K-12 classrooms. She delves into methodologies, interviews experts, and shares practical strategies to support our students – all backed by evidence and research. Whether you're an educator, parent, or simply curious about literacy development, tune in to discover practical strategies that foster confident and successful writers.

In his second budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro charged the Department of Education and our Office of Commonwealth Libraries with developing resources to help schools incorporate information literacy into all aspects of learning so that our youngest Pennsylvanians have the skills to navigate the world around them. As more and more Pennsylvanians turn to digital sources for news and information, it’s more important than ever that students be equipped with the skills to discern between fact and fiction online. Information literacy is a vital component of the high-quality academic standards taught across the Commonwealth. These new resources will not replace those standards. Rather, PDE will provide tools that schools can use to enhance existing lessons and empower the next generation of Pennsylvanians.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone Exams are available for schools to administer online. In Spring 2026, all PSSA and Keystone test administrations will be conducted online, with the exception of students who require paper-and-pencil testing as an accommodation. The following resources have been compiled to familiarize students and teachers with the testing platform.

Pennsylvania State Assessments

The Online Training Tutorials are a series of videos designed to help students navigate the test platform. Choose the test (CDT, Firefly, PSSA, or Keystone) and subject area, then choose from the short tutorial topics on the left. In some cases, a colored box will appear to indicate which tutorials are applicable to a specific grade level. Publicly accessible versions of the PA Online Tools Training (OTTs) are available.

The online training tutorials provide teachers and students with the opportunity to experience the testing platform for CDTs, PSSAs, and Keystones before the test begins. Choose the test (CDT, PSSA, or Keystone), subject area, and grade level. Students and teachers can click through to experience the testing tools, navigation, and formatting available within the platform. For students using Video Sign Language, Color Chooser, Reverse Contrast, and Audio accommodations, choose the accommodated form.

Click here to explore.

Click here to read about Firefly's expansion in 2025-206.

The goal of My Pennsylvania Story is to bring students together from across the Commonwealth to learn about one another’s communities, experiences, and local stories. By pairing classrooms from different regions of Pennsylvania, students will share who they are, where they’re from, and what makes their part of Pennsylvania special.

Classrooms may choose to exchange letters, videos, or creative projects...whatever format best supports meaningful connections and storytelling. Once we gather all submissions, we will pair classrooms based on grade band, region, and shared interests to help create engaging and equitable partnerships.

Please complete the form (opens in new tab) by December 15, 2025 on behalf of your classroom. We look forward to connecting your students with peers across Pennsylvania!

Linked here.