Curriculum Updates

CEW Standards are approved by the Board. They are still going through regulatory process. Information on CEW Standards can be found here: CLICK HERE

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is soliciting district volunteers to participate in the Firefly Pilot for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Firefly benchmark will be available for ELA grades 3-8, Mathematics grades 3-8, Keystone Algebra I, and Keystone Literature during the pilot in 2024-2025. The pilot window will run from mid-November through mid-March. The benchmark will be administered online, and we anticipate each assessment will take about 45 minutes for students to complete.

For the pilot year, ELA grades 3-8 will assess and report only reading; writing will be added in 2025-2026. For mathematics, information will be reported for each of the five grade level assessment anchors. PSSA Science for grades 5 and 8 and Keystone Biology will be added during the 2025-2026 school year. Also, during the 2025-2026 school year, the Firefly will be available from August/September until a few weeks before the beginning of the PSSA and Keystone administration windows.

PDE is developing suggested assessment schedules which could include the Classroom Diagnostic Test (CDT) and the Firefly Benchmark. The CDT is a true diagnostic assessment; the Firefly benchmark is designed to be an interim assessment and will provide a prediction as to how students will perform on the PSSA or Keystone assessment. The CDT and Firefly assessments are free to Pennsylvania schools.

If your district or school is interested in participating in the Firefly Benchmark Pilot, please complete the PDE Firefly Benchmark Pilot Interest form.

Please direct questions to Dr. Megan Clementi at mclementi@pa.gov.

What certifications will be qualified to teach the new Financial Literacy content?

Certification and Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPG) that pertain to economic education/financial literacy certification, and course assignment include: CSPG 33 - Business, Computer and Information Technology; CSPG 35 - Citizenship Education; CSPG 44 - Family and Consumer Sciences; CSPG 49 - Marketing/Distributive Education; CSPG 50 - Mathematics; and CSPG 59 - Social Studies.

When are new standards released?

We are hearing Summer 2024. Implementation 2026-2027 with a similar rollout to STEELS. More info as I receive it!

Financial Literacy Simulations- an interactive literacy activity with prizes!

Click HERE for free resources from FNB. Budgeting, saving, investing, and more!

Teacher Resources to accompany student resources can be found HERE.

See the full menu of offerings HERE.

ARIN supports the implementation of the Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (PA STEELS Standards) by providing assistance for building curriculum, instruction, and assessment capacity.

Please click here for details on upcoming trainings and supports for the STEELS Standards.

Coming Soon from PDE/Workgroups:

• Assessment Toolkit
• Safety Guidelines
• EL&S Curriculum Framework to SAS Portal

REGISTER HERE

This is a refresher and no longer mandated through Act 70, however, still relevant.

We are offering "bite size" modules for self-paced sessions. Currently, we have the following available, but we are continuing to listen to your needs and design more as requests are made!

🌐Professional Ethics (2 hours)

🌐STEELS for Elementary (2 hours)

Contact Susan Griffith if you are interested: sgriffith@iu28.org

A FREE workshop for biology teachers

Dear Principal,
Have you ever wondered how your job satisfaction as a principal compares to that of your peers and what factors most contribute to it? My name is Christine Joy, and I am conducting a research study as part of my dissertation process at Alvernia University. The focus of my study is to explore the various factors that contribute to job satisfaction among school principals. Understanding these elements can significantly enhance educational leadership practices and improve the professional well-being of principals like yourself.
Why Your Participation Matters: Your insights and experiences are invaluable. By participating in this study, you will be contributing to a deeper understanding of what affects job satisfaction for school principals. This, in turn, could inform strategies aimed at fostering a more supportive and fulfilling work environment in our schools.
About the Study: This study is aimed at examining key factors such as pay, relationships with coworkers, gender, leadership experience, educational attainment, and the intrinsic nature of work to understand their impact on job satisfaction. To do this, I am using Spector's Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), a well-regarded tool for measuring job satisfaction levels.
What Participation Involves: If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) through an online platform, Qualtrics, which will also include some additional comparison and demographic questions. The survey is designed to be both comprehensive and respectful of your time, taking approximately 7-10 minutes to complete.
Your Privacy: Please rest assured that your responses will remain confidential and anonymous, and the data collected will be used solely for this research. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time without penalty.
Next Steps: If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please click on the following link: https://alvernia.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dpqo6HwMY4yaQSO
Thank you for your time and for all that you do for our educational community. I look forward to the possibility of your participation.
Warmest regards,
Christine Joy
PhD Educational Leadership Program
Alvernia University

Changes:

• Implemented by 2026
• More Technology Enhanced Items (TEI)/Less TDA or open response (not elimination)
• NEW! Benchmarks Assessment
• pilot 2024-2025/Operational 2025-2026
• 30 Questions
• Grade Level

🍏Annual Autism Conference August 5-8 @ PaTTAN Central Conference Center

🍎2024 PCTM (Pa Council of Teachers of Mathematics) July 24-26 @Desmond in Malvern

Act 13 Flowcharts are available HERE 👈

Great Learning Opportunities Coming Up:

PVAAS Professional Learning Page

Digging Deeper Guides- these are a great resource for identifying root cause and diving deeper into your data! User friendly for all users!

FRCPP Support: Office Hours every 1st and 3rd Tuesday via TEAMS. Click Here

The newest edition of “The CP Tip Jar” newsletter has been released. 🚩🚩Click here to access the most current Comprehensive Planning/FRCPP information.

Induction registration should be opening soon. Each session will be offered on two different dates to hopefully help alleviate substitute coverage. The sessions will be offered on the following dates. Please divide your teachers up between the dates when possible to help keep group sizes equal.

Day 1: Welcome to Education

• Thursday, September 12, 2024
• Tuesday, September 18, 2024

Day 2: Special Education for All Teachers

• Tuesday, October 8, 2024
• Thursday, October 17, 2024

Day 3: Understanding the Standards, Curriculum and Universal Design for Learning

• Tuesday, October 22, 2024
• Thursday, October 31, 2024

Day 4: What Would You Do? Dealing with At-Risk Student Issues, Trauma and SEL

• Thursday, November 7, 2024
• Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Click here for more information on each session.

Our new professional learning site houses the menu of options for professional learning and development! Check it out: https://bit.ly/IU28PL

Our intent is to make learning meaningful, accessible and engaging for all adult learners. We look forward to working with you and your teams in the 2023-2024 School Year!