Professional Development Updates
Education, Innovation, & Service Center
Will County Regional Office of Education
Dr. Lisa Caparelli-Ruff, Regional Superintendent
Education, Innovation, & Service Center
Heather Siegel-Hickman, Ed.D.
Director of Professional Development
hsiegel-hickman@willroe.org * 815.630.3103
Presenter: Heather Siegel-Hickman, Ed.D.
By the end of this session, Understanding ISBE's New Accountability System and Building Your School/District Profile, participants will have an understanding of the accountability system and profiles of performance and clarity on how their school/district's profile was developed. Participants will also discuss sharing the school/district's story and identifying priority areas for improvement decisions. *Participants are also encouraged to sign up for the Continuous Improvement and Excellence sessions for a deeper look at their profile. Click HERE to register.
Presented by ACT Trained Facilitators
The content of the ACT Instructional Mastery Math course provides candidates with the information necessary to provide effective ACT Math test preparation, identify and recommend test-taking strategies, and understand test structure and content. This course is focused on using a variety of techniques—applicable to different types and levels of student— to solve ACT math problems.
Includes:
- Structure of the Math ACT Test
- Initial Student Assessment
- Skills, vocab, symbols, formulas, and real-life settings on the Math ACT
- Using a Calculator
- Practicing with Authentic Math ACT Tests
- Tips and Memorizations
Why Take It?
- Comprehensive review of math coaching techniques
- Tools for teaching students of all levels
- Understand how each aspect of ACT math can be integrated into the general math curriculum
- Analyze Math test items and discern student misconceptions
The ACT Instructional Mastery English course provides candidates with the information necessary to facilitate effective preparation for the ACT English test, identify and recommend test-preparation and test-taking strategies, and understand test structure and content.
Includes:
- English content from Career and College Readiness Standards (CCRS).
- Item Analysis: What skills does each item measure?
- Coaching skills and remediation for improving
- English performance
Why Take It?
- Know what ACT English is really looking for
- What is typically tested
- What is typically not tested
- Learn how to thoroughly analyze student practice tests
- Learn how to replace fear of the unknown with practical question-by-question techniques
Assessment Best Practices in Mathematics:
- Monday, Oct. 5: Using key ideas from NCTM's Principles to Action: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All and Susan O'Connell's Math in Practice: A Guide for Teachers, this session will go over the most powerful ways to use assessment to address students' needs in mathematics. Classroom teachers and leaders will be able to implement more effective assessment practices to ensure response to students abilities and guide math instruction.
Numeracy Plan Series:
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Building Numeracy: Understanding the Six Components of the IL Comp. Numeracy Plan (primary audience: principals, curriculum directors, instructional coaches, other leaders)
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Teaching for Understanding: Using the Five Pedagogical Approaches in the IL Comp. Numeracy Plan (primary audience: classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, curriculum and content area leaders)
- Thursday, Jan. 21: Numeracy Plan K-5 Institute: Developing Numeracy from the Ground Up (primary audience: classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, curriculum and content area leaders)
- Thursday, Jan. 28: Numeracy Plan 6-8 Institute: Developing Mathematical Thinkers (primary audience: classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, curriculum and content area leaders)
- Thursday, Feb. 4: Numeracy Plan 9-12 Institute: Mathematics for Advanced Learning (primary audience: classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, curriculum and content area leaders)
Mathematics Network:
Learn and Network: The sessions will include targeted topics such as designing rich mathematical tasks, facilitating math discourse, the science of math, inquiry vs. direct instruction, and more as well as dedicated time to network with other educators and leaders.
Special Dates to Hold:
- October 26, 2026 - Paraprofessional and Support Staff Learning Day
- February 26, 2027 - Beyond the Core Professional Learning Day (focuses on educators of non-core content areas: Theatre, Art, Music, PE, Health, CTE and more)
Let me try to explain the experience of reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl books (at least the first two), which were recommended to me by one of our superintendents and two English teacher friends. Imagine reading the transcript of a video game: the interactions among the characters, the obstacles and successes, the loot boxes and life lines, and more. Alternatively, if you are an audiobook listener, as I am, imagine someone narrating all of that to you. Now, combine that with a Deadpool-esque stream of profanity-laced snark, and you have Dungeon Crawler Carl.
According to my son, the series is quite a sensation and is being made into a television show. I am not sure who the intended audience is for either the books or the show, but apparently it is a wide one. In addition to wondering which readers the author had in mind, I also wonder at what age young people are starting to read these books. Minus the profanity and video game-style violence throughout, the series seems geared toward a young adult audience.
I welcome anyone else’s take on these. I hung in through books one and two for Princess Donut (IYKYK), and I will continue the same reason. This is not generally my genre, but I started the series because the books seemed like good vacation reading, and they were, and I will finish it because I am not a quitter. 👑😸
Coaching and Professional Learning Support
1. Take the Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois Survey in IWAS
2. Log into RSSI to see your School Profile
3. Use the Learning Resource Hub and the ROE SEL Coaches for professional learning support and coaching to advance your work
