Virtual Paraprofessional Trainings
2025-01-20 08:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
The day will consist of two morning and two afternoon sessions developed specifically for paraprofessionals.

Structured Literacy Training for Autistic & Life Skills Support Educators
2025-01-23 08:30 - 15:00
Sessions will lead participants through an exploration of:

how reading skills develop
the component skills of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency
the skills of vocabulary, inference-making, and content knowledge
effective instructional practices and evidence-based intervention approaches

Educators will leave prepared to administer and interpret assessments and implement effective classroom instruction including how to accommodate and modify content for students with complex communication needs.
This training series meets PA Act 49 Structured Literacy requirements.

Evidence-based intervention practices on structured literacy
Explicit and systematic instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness
A) Alphabetic principle, decoding and encoding; B) Fluency and vocabulary
Reading comprehension and building content knowledge

Check In / Check Out
2025-01-23 08:30 - 15:30
Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is a Tier II, evidence-based, behavioral intervention designed to support students by providing more frequent instruction regarding expected behavior, increasing structured contact between students and adults in school, providing a formal mechanism for students to receive feedback on their behavior and increasing opportunities for reinforcement contingent on expected behavior. This session will provide PBIS teams the necessary knowledge and skills to implement CICO within their buildings.

Lunch and Learn: UFLI Foundations
2025-01-24 11:30 - 12:30
UFLI Foundations is an explicit and systematic program created by the team at the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI—pronounced “you fly”). The program introduces students to the foundational reading skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence designed to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill needed and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. The program is designed to be used for core instruction in the primary grades or for intervention with struggling students in any grade.
Audience: Administrators, General Education teachers, Special Education teachers, Interventionists, and Coaches.

Word Wizards - ELA Grades 3-12*
2025-01-25 09:00 - 15:00
*This session is the final day of multi-day series that requires participants to attend all sessions to receive credit.
Learn more

Acadience Data Interpretation
2025-01-27 09:30 - 11:30, 2025-01-27 13:00 - 15:30
This session offers advanced training in the use of Acadience Reading and Math data in an Outcomes-Driven Model (ODM), perfect for schools implementing MTSS/RtII. The workshop illustrates the use of Acadience data at both the student level and the systems level. Participants will engage in the steps of the ODM: Identifying and Validating Need for Support, Planning Support, Evaluating Effectiveness of Support, and Reviewing Outcomes. Time will be provided for teams/individuals to explore their existing school data.

TCCAC Meeting Series The Resources Around YOUth: What, Why, Who & When to Use Them
2025-01-28 08:30 - 14:30
Pennsylvania’s transition community has a rich history of helping youth and young adults successfully transition from school to adult life. Since 1990, PA’s Local Transition Coordinating Councils (LTCCs) have played an instrumental role in this process.

With cross vested partner representation, the TCCAC will host 4 meetings during the 2024-2025 school year. The meeting series will be conducted as a full day, in-person experience to afford attendees time for professional development, networking, coordination, and resource development. Each session is designed to educate transition coordinators, educational professionals, parents, and agency providers to better coordinate, collaborate, problem solve, and support transition age youth with disabilities successfully navigate their pathway toward graduation.

Please consider attending each council meeting to expand your professional network, enhance your knowledge and expertise, gather meaningful tools and resources, while learning about upcoming events to develop your professional or community network.

Comprehension, Close Reading, and Complex Text: Laying the Foundation K-2
2025-01-28 09:00 - 15:00 | https://www.aiu3.net/event/comprehension-close-reading-and-complex-text-laying-the-foundation-k-2/
This is the first day of a hybrid, multi-day series. The in-person format requires participants to attend all four sessions to receive credit.
Transitioning students to the demands of the PA Core Standards is not a job just for teachers in the tested grades! Participants will learn a variety of techniques and how to implement comprehension concepts into everyday practice through close reading of complex text
Price: $600 per person
This series is offered in two formats: in-person and online asynchronous.
The in-person sessions will be held at the AIU Central Office on the following dates: Jan 28, Feb 25, Mar 25, and Apr 29

Register to attend in-person
Register to attend online

Learn more about the Reading Achievement Center

Elementary Science Institute (Course 2); Spring 2025
2025-01-30 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Note: For the Spring 2025 offering of Year 2 Science Institutes, elementary and secondary will combined as a K-12 offering. Administrators are encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building.
Join us for this in-person elementary science professional learning offering from the Math & Science Collaborative at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit! The Elementary Science Institute (Course 2) is designed for educators who have already attended our K-2 STEM or Grades 3-5 Elementary Science Institutes. This professional learning opportunity is perfect for elementary science educators who are ready to dig deeply into the classroom culture, pedagogical practices, and assessment practices aligned to science teaching and learning with the PA STEELS standards. Don’t miss out on this free opportunity to learn more about teaching elementary science for the next generation. Mark your calendars and get ready for the Elementary Science Institute (Course 2)!
Who: Any K-5 Science, Engineering, or STEM educators who previously attended an introductory three-day science institute (i.e., either the K-2 STEM Institute or the Grade 3-5 Elementary Science Institute) from AIU MSC
When: January 30, February 27, March 13, 2025 with an optional fourth day on April 9, 2025
Where: In-person at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit
Price: Free to all AIU3 educators; Educators outside AIU3: $450
Administrators are encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete all related assignments.

Secondary Science Institute (Course 2); Spring 2025
2025-01-30 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Note: For the Spring 2025 offering of Year 2 Science Institutes, elementary and secondary will combined as a K-12 offering. Administrators are encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building.
Join us for this in-person secondary science professional learning offering from the Math & Science Collaborative at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit! The Secondary Science Institute (Course 2) is designed for educators who have already attended our Secondary Life or Physical Science Institutes. This professional learning opportunity is perfect for middle school or high school science educators who are ready to dig deeply into the classroom culture, pedagogical practices, and assessment practices aligned to science teaching and learning with the PA STEELS standards. Don’t miss out on this free opportunity to learn more about teaching science for the next generation. Mark your calendars and get ready for the Secondary Science Institute (Course 2)!
Who: Any secondary science (middle or high school) educators who previously attended either the Secondary Physical or Life Science Institute from AIU MSC
When: January 30, February 27, March 13, 2025 with an optional fourth day on April 9, 2025
Where: In-person at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit
Price: Free to all AIU3 educators; Educators outside AIU3: $450
Administrators are encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete all related assignments.

Canva for Beginners
2025-01-30 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Effortlessly create stunning materials for your work by learning the basics of Canva.

Description
By now, you’ve probably heard how much people love using Canva. Discover what the buzz is all about!
Canva allows us to design beautiful media (think digital and hard copy flyers, signs, student activity sheets, presentations and more) with ease. Even your students will love creating with Canva.
Gain confidence as we work through Canva’s most basic features, step by step.
You will leave with some re-designed and new materials ready to be used right away. Prepare to be inspired!

What to Bring | A laptop or tablet, if possible

Who Should Attend | Anyone curious about Canva who has never used it or wants to be more comfortable with Canva’s most basic, fundamental features. All are welcome; please note the context of the workshop is geared toward educators

Lunch will be provided.

Mathematics Coaches Network 2024-25
2025-01-31 08:30 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Join us at Math Coaches Network where we’ll share strategies and resources for coaches to support mathematics teaching and learning.

Math Coaches Network 2024-25
Come join us at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit for a professional learning community focused on supporting mathematics coaches. This Network is led by Mr. Samuel Shaneyfelt, former school district level administrator and Math & Science Collaborative Project Director.
Price: free
Audience: K-12 mathematics coaches and leaders
When: October 11, 2024, November 15, 2024, January 31, 2025, and March 11, 2024
Where: In-person at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn and grow! See you there at East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA.

Lunch and Learn: V-Math Targeted Math Intervention
2025-01-31 11:30 - 12:30
Vmath® Third Edition is a targeted math intervention program for struggling students in grades 2–8 that provides additional opportunities to master critical math concepts and skills. Vmath delivers essential content using strategies proven to accelerate and motivate at-risk students.
Audience: Administrators, General Education teachers, Special Education teachers, Interventionists, and Coaches.

Classroom Management Structuring Your Learning Environment
2025-02-03 08:30 - 15:00
This professional development session offers comprehensive training on effective classroom management, focusing on evidence-based practices to reduce supervision issues. Participants will explore the six Evidenced-Based Practices of Classroom Management and learn practical strategies, tips, and procedures to design and implement an effective classroom management plan, fostering positive behavior modifications in students.

MTSS Networking for Administrators & Core Teams
2025-02-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-02-03 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for monthly virtual networking opportunities designed to create a robust Professional Learning Community (PLC) around the topic of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports).
Meetings in the 2024-2025 school year will be offered in two strands:

The morning session for Administrators leading efforts to scale implementation of MTSS at their district or building
the afternoon session intended for MTSS Core Team members working at the school level Administrators are free to join either or both sessions.

The focus for Networking is on fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and providing mutual support to enhance the implementation and management of MTSS frameworks, ensuring comprehensive academic support for all students.

The EBR Process, Building Capacity for Your EBR Team
2025-02-04 08:30 - 15:00
The Educational Benefit Review (EBR) is provided to teams who are entering a cyclical monitoring year and to ensure that students with IEPs are receiving educational benefit. Teams will be provided with the legal background on EBR and participate in a four-step process to analyze and compare three years of IEPs to determine if a student has received educational benefit. Additionally, teams will have the opportunity to work on their 10 EBR student cases to identify/target specific areas related to their school-age grade bands, compliance requirements, pros, cons, and identify technical support or professional development needs to support their knowledge and expertise of educationally beneficial IEP composition.
This training will not only to fulfill requirements for cyclical monitoring, but encourage districts to consider integrating EBR as a best practice when composing IEPs annually. For this training, the EBR Facilitator (Special Education Administrator, Principal, LEA representative, or designee) will be asked to attend with their team. It is highly recommended that schools attend as a team. EBR Teams must be comprised of at least 1 Special Educator, at least 1 general educator, at least 1 Related Service Provider, and the EBR Facilitator.
TOOLS & MATERIALS NEEDED: Teams will be required to bring laptops, paper copies of three years of the selected student’s IEPs (current year and two years prior)
*Please be advised, if your district has been selected for 2024-2025 cyclical monitoring (CMCI), you may utilize this training date to work with your EBR teams to complete the 10 EBR students’ cases selected by your BSE advisor. Additionally, support can be provided by AIU TaC to facilitate this requirement. Additional times and dates can be arranged to provide optimum support to complete this requirement.

EBPs in Elementary Mathematics Evidence Based Practices to Assist Struggling Students
2025-02-04 08:30 - 15:00
Join us for a comprehensive year-long professional development series designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to support elementary students struggling with mathematics. Based on the evidence-based recommendations from the “Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades” IES practice guide by the What Works Clearinghouse, this series will provide practical strategies, hands-on activities, and collaborative learning opportunities to enhance mathematical instruction and intervention.

No Jamboard? No Problem! Meet the Jamboard Alternatives. (Virtual)
2025-02-04 10:30 - 11:15
As we say “goodbye” to Google’s Jamboard, look forward to discovering new, powerful alternatives.

Description
If you are sad to finally say “goodbye” to Google’s Jamboard this year, worry no more! In this 45-minute virtual session, we’ll explore a few alternatives that will each simulate some of Jamboard’s features and more.
The future is bright with new, powerful options!
(A Zoom link will be sent to registrants prior to the event.)

Background | Google’s Jamboard is no longer available as of December 31, 2024. Many educators are seeking an alternative application.

Who Should Attend | Former Jamboard users or those who would like to learn about digital whiteboards and other tools that allow for digital collaboration among students

Integrating Bullying Prevention into a PBIS Framework
2025-02-04 13:00 - 15:30
Please join the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Training and Consultation Team for this VIRTUAL training.

Join this virtual session to learn how to address and prevent bullying behavior with preventative approaches that are integrated within your PBIS framework. Participants will learn core features of evidence-based prevention programs, leave with an understanding on implementation steps, and be able to align core features with existing PBIS systems.

Elementary Science Symposium
2025-02-05 08:00 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
You know kids learn science best by engaging in the subject from an early age, but how do we find time, and how do we teach it these days?
Science and engineering education is undergoing a transformation (Kober et al, 2023). We all know that children learn science best by engaging in the subject from an early age in the way that scientists and engineers do, but…

How can we find the time to teach science consistently and in a phenomenon-based, three-dimensional way in K through 5?
What does it look and sound like in an elementary science classroom these days?
How can we possible teach all the math and ELA we have to teach and still find time for science?
There are environmental literacy standards now, too?! What?

If you’ve asked yourself any of those questions (or others about elementary science) since the release of the PA STEELS (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability) standards in July, 2022, then you can benefit from joining the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science Collaborative at the Elementary Science Symposium.
Cost: Free. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Explore the STEAM Lending Library
2025-02-06 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Districts served by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit are invited to receive training on the transformED STEM Lending Library items.

Want to try something new in your classes? STEM concepts can be infused in any content area.
Receive hands-on training to build your confidence and skills with items in our lending library before borrowing these items to use with your students for a period of time. We will also discuss best practices and lesson ideas for meaningful, curriculum-aligned implementation.
If you are familiar with some of our items but would like to learn about others, please attend! (Browse our collection.)
Background | The AIU STEAM Lending Library is made possible with generous support from the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
What to Bring | A laptop and/or tablet
Who Should Attend | Teachers K-12 whose districts are served by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and who are interested in learning about and borrowing items from the transformED STEM Lending Library.
*No prior experience needed.

Building Thinking Classrooms: Part 2
2025-02-07 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Part 2 of Build a Thinking Classroom for K-12 will dig deeper into the 14 practices and effective implementation strategies

Building Thinking Classrooms: Part 2
This is not for novices or anyone new to BTC. You must be a K-12 educator or leader who has completed BTC: Part 1 OR you have read the book and are actively attempting to implement the first three toolkits.
Come engage in a professional learning community to learn more about a thinking classroom and collaborate with peers to share ideas and implementation strategies. A thinking student is an engaged student!
Built on 14 key practices teased out over 15 years of research, it’s a way of teaching that gets students up on their feet, collaborating and thinking through challenging problems on a daily basis.
A thinking classroom looks very different from a typical classroom. Students are working in groups rather than individually, they are standing rather than sitting, and the furniture is arranged so as to defront the room. Closer inspection will reveal that the teacher is giving instructions verbally, is answering fewer questions, and has drastically altered the way they give “homework.”
Part 2 focuses on the fine tuning implementation of the first eleven practices and delving into the assessment practices from the following chapters:
Chapter 12: What We Choose to Evaluate in a Thinking Classroom
Chapter 13: How We Use Formative Assessment in a Thinking Classroom
Chapter 14: How We Grade in a Thinking Classroom
All participants are expected to bring their own copy of Building Thinking Classroom In Mathematics, 14 Teaching Practices for Enhanced Learning.
Audience: K-12 educators and leaders who have completed BTC: Part 1 OR you have read the book and are actively attempting to implement the first three toolkits.
When: February 7, March 5, 2025, April 1, 2025
Price: $450/participant; Administrators may attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building at no additional cost.
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete related assignments.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn and grow! See you there at East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA.

RAC Reading Specialists' Network
2025-02-07 09:00 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit Central Office, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Join the RAC Reading Specialists’ Network for an opportunity to connect with other reading specialists in Allegheny County.
Each hybrid session will feature research-based best practices and strategies that specialists need in order to be effective in their role as they work with students, teachers, and parents in all three tiers of literacy. The network is open to Reading Specialists who have participated in past networks as well as new participants.
Cost: Free
2024-25 Meeting Dates: September 27, November 22, February 7, April 4
Registration

Learn more about the Reading Achievement Center

Students in Conversation: Podcasting for the Classroom with SLB Radio
2025-02-10 08:30 - 14:00 | SLB Radio Productions Inc, 10 Children's Way, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, United States
Explore using podcasting in your classroom as a way to let students express themselves while they practice conversation, empathy and civil d

Looking for new ways to document, share, and celebrate the voices of your students? Spend a day at the SLB Radio Youth Media Center and explore how to include podcasting and other audio projects in your curriculum.
This interactive workshop will explore how audio projects can help students practice conversation, empathy, and civil discourse in the classroom and beyond. Focusing on the roundtable podcast format, we’ll dig into the details of project implementation with strategies and tips for planning, recording, publishing, and more. Educators will also have the opportunity to participate in hands-on recording sessions in the SLB studios, learn about student-friendly recording equipment and technologies, and network.
Background | SLB Radio Productions, Inc. uses radio and audio to amplify voices of youth — and members of other communities whose stories are often marginalized — to educate, empower, and build community. Learn more at slbradio.org.
Who Should Attend | Educators working with students in grades 6-12
Lunch will be provided.
Special Location | SLB Radio, 10 Children’s Way, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 (co-located within the Children’s Museum); Parking information will be shared with registrants prior to the event.

FBA to PBSP Assessing Behavior & Designing Effective Interventions
2025-02-11 08:30 - 15:30
This series is designed to build internal capacity within schools for staff to conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and develop Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSPs). Across three full days all steps of the FBA & PBSP process will be explored. Time will be allotted to discuss function-based interventions, crisis planning, and implementation fidelity. Participants will be expected to attend all in person sessions as content connects and builds from one topic to the next.
Plan to attend training with a student(s) in mind. Follow up support will be offered to participants to ensure fidelity.

Get Your Hands-On FUN and Meaningful Assessment (Secondary)
2025-02-11 08:30 - 15:30 | Museum Lab, 6 Allegheny Square East, #suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, United States
Discover how to capture real-time learning and transform assessments into interactive experiences at our hands-on workshop at MuseumLab.

Description
Students of all ages are excited by opportunities for hands-on learning and play, but what happens when the fun is over and it’s time to finish the project or assess how much students learned?
This workshop at MuseumLab starts by exploring the learning that is actually happening as students tinker, explore, and create regardless of the actual product created. We then dive into strategies for capturing that learning in real time, reducing or even eliminating the need for additional assessment. We close by looking at curriculum-based materials and assessments for older learners to explore strategies for transforming them into interactive experiences that reveal so much more than just right answers.
*Note: Complimentary parking information will be provided to registrants prior to the event.

Background | MuseumLab, created by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, is a place where kids ages 10+ can have cutting-edge experiences that promote inquiry, creativity and independent thinking.
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh has once again been voted as the #2 children’s museum in the nation by USA Today’s “10Best” Readers’ Choice Contest. This is the fifth year for our museum to be honored in the contest for our innovative and inclusive experiences that inspire kindness, joy, creativity and curiosity for all learners.

Who Should Attend | Secondary Educators and Administrators
Lunch will be provided.
Special Location | 6 Allegheny Square E Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (across from the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh)

LETRS VOLUME 2 COHORT
2025-02-13 09:00 - 15:30
*Completion of Volume 1 and 2 course meets PA Structured Literacy Chapter 49 requirements.

Developed by renowned literacy experts Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Carol Tolman, LETRS® is a flexible literacy professional development solution for preK–12 educators. LETRS earned the International Dyslexia Association’s Accreditation and provides teachers with the skills they need to master the fundamentals of reading instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and language.
LETRS empowers teachers to understand the what, why, and how of scientifically based reading instruction

Promoting Instruction with PASA DLM Resources from the Dynamic Learning Maps
2025-02-17 08:30 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit Central Office, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
This training aims to provide educators who deliver the PASA-DLM and their administrators with a deeper dive into the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM). The focus is on improving student outcomes through standards aligned instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Participants will have the opportunity to explore multiple resources on the Dynamic Learning Maps website and find new strategies to support IEP development and/or instruction.
