Allegheny Intermediate Unit

Emotional Support Teacher Training
2026-02-10 08:30 - 09:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for a series of professional learning that centers on the development of teachers of students receiving emotional support. Teachers will begin with two days of training where they will establish beginning of the year rules and routines with a trauma-informed lens. Teachers will also learn how to use the Pennsylvania Career Ready Skills Continuum to center social emotional skill development in their daily teaching. Additionally, teachers will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing networking sessions throughout the year, which will focus on topics targeted at the core components of being an emotional support teacher.

Building Bridges: Collaborative and Proactive Solutions to Student Behavior
2026-02-05 08:30 - 15:30
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) is an evidence-based model of psychosocial treatment originated and developed by Dr. Ross Greene, and described in his books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Raising Human Beings, and Lost & Found. This session will discuss application of his model across all three tiers of a PBIS framework. Resources and tools to implement the model will be shared in the session. Rather than focusing on kids’ concerning behaviors (and modifying them), CPS helps kids and caregivers solve the problems that are causing those behaviors. The problem solving is collaborative (not unilateral) and proactive (not reactive). Research has shown that the model is effective not only at solving problems and improving behavior but also at enhancing skills.

Strong Structure, Strong Engagement: Enhance your Learning Environment through Classroom Management
2026-02-05 08:30 - 15:30
This professional development series provides in-depth training on effective classroom management, grounded in evidence-based practices that help reduce challenges and promote positive student behavior. Participants will explore the six key evidence-based practices of classroom management and gain practical strategies, tools, and procedures to design and implement a classroom management plan that supports a structured, engaging, and well-managed learning environment.

Local Task Force 3 Meeting
2026-02-04 18:30 - 20:30 | https://www.aiu3.net/event/local-task-force-3-meeting-6/
Local Task Force 3 Meetings are VIRTUAL only.
Link to Online Meeting will be sent to Task Force members.

Cultivating Community: Fostering Agency, Belonging, and Connection
2026-02-02 08:30 - 15:30
?In this training session, participants will learn how to cultivate a supportive learning environment through Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Participants will explore strategies to empower students by developing agency, fostering a sense of belonging, forging meaningful connections, and promoting equity within educational settings. Participants will gain practical insights and resources to effectively integrate SEL practices into daily classroom routines, enhancing both academic achievement and overall well-being.

Structured Literacy for Special Educators K-12
2026-02-02 08:30 - 15:00
This comprehensive professional development series is designed specifically for special education teachers to deepen their knowledge and instructional practices in literacy. Participants will explore the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy frameworks, equipping them with the tools and strategies necessary to support students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. Meets Chapter 49 requirements.
Content will include:
Foundations of the Science of Reading -Understand the interdisciplinary research behind how the brain learns to read and the implications for classroom instruction.
Principles of Structured Literacy -Learn the essential components of explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction, including phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Understanding Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities- Identify characteristics of dyslexia and other reading difficulties, debunk common myths, and explore the neurobiological basis of these disabilities.
Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction – Gain hands-on experience with screening tools, diagnostic assessments, and progress monitoring measures to inform instruction and intervention planning.
Intervention Design and Implementation – Apply knowledge of reading science to deliver effective, individualized interventions and accommodations tailored to diverse learners.

Learn to Create with Canva (Canva Basics)
2026-01-29 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 to utilize in your work with Canva’s most basic features.

Description
By now, you’ve probably heard how much people love using Canva. Come find out 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 essential features, step by step. You will leave with some re-designed and new materials ready to be used right away. Prepare to be inspired!
*Note: The content of this workshop will be very similar to past “Canva Basics” and “Canva for Beginners” workshops. This workshop is for all educators.
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.

AI for Absolute Beginners
2026-01-28 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Discover AI basics in this supportive, judgment-free, education-focused workshop.

Do you hear about AI everywhere, but you’re not quite sure what it actually is? You will leave this workshop with a basic understanding of what AI is and will have opportunities, through guided exploration, to try some well-known tools. The implications of AI on teaching and learning will also be discussed in this judgment-free workshop.
What to Bring | Please bring a laptop or tablet, if possible.
Who Should Attend | Teachers and Administrators who are brand-new to AI.

Producing Accessible Digital Docs, Decks, & Videos: ADA Title II
2026-01-26 08:30 - 15:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Create accessible digital materials that meet new ADA rules.

The only thing better than designing your own digital materials is designing your own ACCESSIBLE digital materials! A rule ensuring the accessibility of digital materials under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act was issued by the US Department of Justice in April, 2024. As recipients of state and federal funds, public schools and intermediate units are required to ensure accessibility of materials that are created and shared digitally. This session will introduce the requirements and provide hands-on guidance in producing accessible documents in Word and Google, slide decks in PowerPoint and Slides, and YouTube videos.
What to Bring | A laptop or tablet, if possible
Who Should Attend | Administrators, teachers, administrative staff, and any individual creating materials that will be shared with others

Executive Function 101
2026-01-26 08:00 - 09:00, 2026-01-09 08:00 - 09:00
Student success extends beyond academic skills as all children and youth require essential cognitive and behavioral skills to be prosperous at home, school and the community. Join this virtual, nine-part professional learning series focused on developing and integrating the two domains and 11 core skills of executive functioning in K–12 classrooms. Each session will spotlight one skill, offering a concise overview, classroom integration strategies, resource sharing, and collaborative discussion.

Elementary MTSS Reading Tier 2-3 Intervention Systems
2026-01-23 08:30 - 15:30
Elementary school teams will develop, refine, and evaluate tiered reading intervention systems and practices in order to improve outcomes for learners. Content will be provided to enhance the effectiveness of advanced tiers’ teaming, assessment processes, data interpretation, and intervention selection and delivery. Products will include data meeting agendas, assessment and intervention protocols, and draft MTSS Handbook sections.
Registration:
This is a team training series. School teams are requested to keep attendance to no more than four (4) per building. District administrators may attend without an assigned team.
Required team members: Building Administrator, Interventionist or Coach

Check-In /Check-Out: Daily Support for Positive Change
2026-01-22 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 SWPBIS teams the necessary knowledge and skills to implement multiple variations of CICO within their buildings.

Elementary MTSS Networking and PLC Meetings
2026-01-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-17 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for a year-long virtual professional development series focused on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at the elementary level. Designed for teachers, principals, counselors, interventionists, and all school personnel who work with students in grades K-6, this monthly series explores how to effectively implement MTSS practices in elementary school settings.
Each session will dive into a specific topic under the MTSS umbrella—from foundational understanding and data-driven decision-making to intervention scheduling and evidence-based academic supports. The series features a blend of instructional guidance, practical tools, and guest speakers from leading intervention programs such as Spring Math, UFLI, and REWARDS.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine existing practices, these sessions will provide actionable strategies to support every student across all tiers.

Fostering Social Emotional Learning
2026-01-21 08:30 - 15:30
In this training series, participants will learn how to cultivate a supportive learning environment through Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Participants will explore strategies to empower students with the tools they need to develop agency, foster a sense of belonging, forge meaningful connections, and promote equity within educational settings. Participants will gain practical insights and resources to effectively integrate SEL practices into daily classroom routines, enhancing both academic achievement and overall well-being.

25-26 Transition Council of Allegheny County (TCCAC) Meeting Series
2026-01-21 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-stakeholder representation, the TCCAC will host 4 meetings during the 2025-2026 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 and learn about upcoming events to assist you in your profession or community network.

Secondary MTSS Networking and PLC Meetings
2026-01-21 08:30 - 09:30
Join us for a year-long virtual professional development series focused on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at the secondary level. Designed for teachers, principals, counselors, interventionists, and all school personnel who work with students in grades 6–12, this monthly series explores how to effectively implement MTSS practices in middle and high school settings.
Each session will dive into a specific topic under the MTSS umbrella—from foundational understanding and data-driven decision-making to intervention scheduling and evidence-based academic supports. The series features a blend of instructional guidance, practical tools, and guest speakers from leading intervention programs such as VMath, TransMath, REWARDS, Third Quest, and PVAAS.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine existing practices, these sessions will provide actionable strategies to support every student across all tiers.

PREPaRE Workshop 2 - Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding to Acute Traumatic Stressors in School
2026-01-15 08:00 - 2026-01-16 16:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit Central Office, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
PREPaRE Workshop 2 – Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding to an Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools
Note: This is a two day event, taking place on Jan. 15 & 16 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. You MUST attend both days of the workshop to achieve credit.
Free to attend
Earn Act 48 Credit Hours with this event!
Presenters:

Nick Fratto M.S.ED, Special Education Supervisor/Special Projects Coordinator
Shannon Fagan, MS, Program Coordinator

Overview: In this 2-day workshop, participants will develop the knowledge and skill required to provide immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor. The knowledge and skills developed within this session also help to build a bridge to the psychotherapeutic and trauma-informed mental health response sometimes required to address challenges associated with trauma exposure.
Target Audience: School-employed mental health professionals (school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses), community mental health providers who support schools, as well as administrators and other support staff who should understand the types of interventions and supports necessary to effectively meet short- and long-term student, staff, and parent needs.
WS2 Learner Objectives: This workshop will help participants acquire increased knowledge, skills, and confidence to:

Provide school mental health crisis interventions.
Identify variables that help to estimate the number of individuals traumatized by a crisis.
Recognize the differences between common crisis reactions and mental illness.
Identify the elements of school crisis preparedness specified by the PREPaRE acronym.
Recognize risk factors that predict psychological trauma.
Identify the warning signs that indicate psychological trauma.
Place PREPaRE mental health crisis interventions on a multitiered continuum ranging from least to most restrictive.
Match degree of psychological trauma risk to the appropriate school crisis interventions.

Contact Hours: 13 hours of in-person training + completion of pretest, posttest, and evaluation. Provides 13 hours of NASP[1] approved CPD.

English Language Arts Symposium
2026-01-13 09:00 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
2025-26 Topic: Tips for Shifting to Online PSSA

The English Language Arts (ELA) Symposium is the Reading Achievement Center’s annual workshop addressing a critical need for strengthening teacher practice that improves student achievement.
Price: Free

ELA Symposium (Grades 3-5)

Date: November 10, 2025
Register

ELA Symposium (Grades 6-8)

Date: January 13, 2026
Register

Explore the STEAM Lending Library
2026-01-13 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 borrow and receive training on transformED STEM Lending Library items.

Want to try something new and hands-on in your classes? STEAM concepts can be infused in any content area.
Receive interactive 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.)
*Note: Receiving training is not required in order to borrow items. View the website to learn more.
Background | The AIU STEAM Lending Library is made possible with support from the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Wesco.
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 exploring items in the AIU STEAM Lending Library. No prior experience needed.

Supporting Secondary Readers: Strategies for Teaching Reading at the Secondary Level
2026-01-13 08:00 - 15:00
Achievement assessments continue to show that students struggle to read and comprehend texts proficiently at the secondary level. In this session, participants will learn about the science behind secondary literacy development and how to translate the evidence base into their classrooms. Participants will also learn about intervention structures and supports that can benefit struggling secondary readers.

Inclusive PBIS: Including Students with Significant Disabilities in Tier 1
2026-01-12 08:00 - 17:00
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is grounded in a strong body of research demonstrating its effectiveness in promoting positive engagement for all students. Additionally, growing evidence supports the benefits of school-wide PBIS for students with significant cognitive disabilities. So how can schools ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are meaningfully included in their PBIS framework? This session explores the core elements of school-wide PBIS and offers practical strategies for making each component accessible and inclusive for all learners.

Workshop DLM: Plot the Path to Propel Progress
2026-01-09 08:00 - 17:00
Drop in the second Friday of each month to workshop your IEP goals, lesson plans, and instructional strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities. This workshop is your go-to space for hands-on support, where special education consultants guide you in aligning your instruction with grade-level standards, while leveraging the Essential Elements and Linkage Levels from the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM).
Together, we can:
– Review assessment resources
– Summarize data
– Align Essential Elements to IEP goals
– Connect data to instruction
– Plan for inclusion
– Explore Instructional Strategies
Whether you’re new to DLM or refining your approach, this is the place to connect with fellow educators, get personalized advice, and develop strategies for navigating the complexities of teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Please note this is an open forum to receive instructional and IEP development support, this is NOT about the PA Alternate State Assessment (PASA).

PREPaRE Workshop 1 - Comprehensive School Safety Planning: Prevention Through Recovery
2026-01-09 08:00 - 16:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit Central Office, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
PREPaRE Workshop – Comprehensive School Safety Planning: Prevention Through Recovery
Free to attend
Earn Act 48 Credit Hours with this event!
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Presenters:

Dr. Aaron Skrbin, Director of Safety and Security
Nick Fratto M.S.ED, Special Education Supervisor/Special Projects Coordinator
Shannon Fagan, MS, Program Coordinator

Overview: In this 1-day workshop, participants will learn how to establish and sustain comprehensive school safety efforts that attend to both physical and psychological safety. The workshop addresses critical components needed to develop, exercise, and evaluate safety and crisis teams and emergency operations plans (EOPs), including building vulnerability assessments. The model also integrates school personnel and community provider roles in providing school-based crisis preparedness and response activities. Additional topics addressed also include media/ social media, communication, reunification, students with special needs, culture, and memorials. After this workshop, participants will be better prepared to improve their school’s climate, student resilience, and crisis response capabilities of school personnel. This workshop makes a clear connection between ongoing crisis prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery.
Target Audience: : Any school professional or community provider/agency who serves on the crisis team or is involved in establishing and promoting school safety, including the development of emergency operations plans (e.g., school/district administrators, school mental health professionals, school resource officers/security officers, teachers, pupil services support personnel, nurses, front office staff, transportation directors, before and after school activities coordinators, community providers); optimal for members of school/district/community crisis teams to attend together.
WS1 Learner Objectives: This workshop will help participants:
Reduce anxiety and fear associated with school safety planning.
Increase knowledge and confidence associated with emergency operations planning and multitiered crisis response.
Identify the importance of balanced, comprehensive approach to crisis preparedness to include the five mission areas.
Understand how the Incident Command System is used to respond to multiple emergencies.
Identify the key components of effective school EOPs.
Discuss guidelines for exercising and evaluating EOPs.

Comprehension, Close Reading, and Complex Text: Laying the Foundation K-2
2026-01-08 09:00 - 15:00 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, USA, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
Price: $600 per participant, K-2 teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode:
Option 1: Face-to-face – Four in-person sessions at the AIU on scheduled dates listed below.
Option 2: Fully online, asynchronous – Work at your own pace through four online course modules.
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.

All materials are included
Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost

2025-26 Meeting Dates:
January 8, February 11, March 19, April 15
Register for in-person course
Register for asynchronous online course

Local Task Force 3 Meeting
2026-01-07 18:30 - 20:30 | https://www.aiu3.net/event/local-task-force-3-meeting-5/

Getting It Right from the Start
2025-12-19 08:00 - 09:00
This practical and engaging, virtual series is designed to equip special education professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to develop compliant, student-centered transition components within transition age Individualized Education Plans (IEP). Participants will learn how to write clear, individualized transition grids and craft meaningful postsecondary Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFPs) with a primary focus on the PELs of Postsecondary transition. Participants will also enhance their knowledge of alignment with students’ goals, strengths, and needs. Through real-world examples, compliance guidance, and best practices, attendees will leave better prepared to ensure each student’s transition plan supports a successful path to adulthood—whether that includes postsecondary education, employment, or independent living. Perfect for new and veteran educators, case managers, and administrators committed to “getting it right from the start.”

LETRS Volume 1
2025-12-18 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

Utilizing Trauma Responsive Practices in the Classroom Setting
2025-12-18 08:30 - 15:30
This training series is designed for classroom practitioners to gain a deeper understanding on the prevalence and impact of trauma in the classroom as well as the greater school community. The session will focus on specific trauma responsive classroom practices that can be embedded within daily classroom routines.
