Professional Growth
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Reading Achievement Center
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The AIU's Reading Achievement Center (RAC) provides services and support designed to increase student learning and achievement in reading. The center's programs and services provide Allegheny County educators access to high quality professional development, materials and resources to transform and sustain effective literacy instruction in grades pre-K to 12. RAC offers cohort based professional development at the AIU, as well as customized, onsite curriculum support and professional development.
Reading Achievement Center Resources:
The RAC room has limited samples of effective commercial programs and other educator resources to supplement and enhance classroom instruction and out-of-school learning. Reading Achievement Center staff are available to assist districts in reviewing curricular and instructional materials.
Contact heather.moschetta@aiu3.net or lisa.yonek@aiu3.net for more information.
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Act 45 Course: Supporting Teacher Growth with ELA Common Core Shifts
$300 per participant
Series Length: 6 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: administrators participate in six virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
- The targeted audience for this course is school-based administrators who are seeking additional professional learning to support teacher practice in the area of literacy as it relates to the Common Core Shifts, specifically in the elementary grades.
- The six-module course will provide administrators with a total of 41 Act 45 hours (21 in class hours, 20 hours of outside assignments).
Synchronous Meeting Dates: October 16, November 12, December 11, January 15, February 19, March 12
Registration is Open: https://rac2020act45ela.eventbrite.com
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English Language Arts (ELA) Symposium – 2 days (no cost)
2020-21 Topic: Teacher Questioning
The Reading Achievement Center provides two annual symposiums that focus on expert literacy practices aligned to the PA Core standards along with modeled instruction that meets the rigor of the standards. The 2020-21 symposiums will be held virtually.
3rd-5th ELA teachers – November 5 6th-8th ELA teachers – January 14
Registration: Opens October 1, 2019 Registration: Opens December 1, 2019
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Text Dependent Analysis PART 2: : Effective instructional Practices
$450 per participant, 4th-8th ELA teachers who have previously taken Text Dependent Analysis: Effective Instructional Practices
Series Length: 3 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in three virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
This three-module series is open to participants who attended “TDA: Effective Instructional Practices” during a previous school year. In this series, participants will deepen their understanding of the reading, thinking, and writing processes necessary for TDA success, examine student work, and use the TDA Learning Progressions to make instructional decisions.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
- Must have participated in the first TDA series to be accepted into this series
Synchronous Meeting Dates: October 15, January 21, February 25
Registration is Open: https://rac2020TDApart2.eventbrite.com
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Comprehension, Close Reading, and Complex Text: Laying the Foundation K-2
$400 per participant, K-2 teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
Transitioning students to the demands of the PA Core Standards is not a job just for teachers in the tested grades! This four-module series will support teachers in the primary grades in aligning their instructional practices to the PA Core. Participants will engage with teaching informational text, text dependent questions, close reading, scaffolding instruction using complex text, annotating text, designing rigorous tasks, and incorporating academic vocabulary into students’ vocabularies, specifically focusing on how to implement these concepts into everyday practice.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates: January 20, February 19, March 17, April 21
Registration is Open: https://rac2020k-2foundation.eventbrite.com
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Adolescent Literacy Institute
$600 per participant, middle and high school English and Reading teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
The Adolescent Literacy Institute is a series of online workshop modules for middle and high school teachers focused on research-based literacy practices that support students as they become college and career ready. Specifically aligned with brain research on how adolescents learn, this workshop series engages participants in the research behind and modeling of effective reading and writing instruction for the secondary grades.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates: October 20, December 9, February 2, March 4
Registration is Open: https://rac2020AdLit.eventbrite.com
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Thinking Through the Pencil
$600 per participant, 4th-8th grade ELA teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
Thinking Through the Pencil is a four-module workshop series designed to build students' critical thinking skills through writing. Designed for practical application in grades 4-8 ELA classrooms, participants engage in instructional practices based on current research on what makes a difference in student writing. Topics include teaching academic form, increasing the frequency of writing opportunities, providing effective and timely feedback, incorporating writing into reading, incorporating grammar instruction into reading and writing, conducting document reviews of student work, and teaching mode-specific writing to meet the writing requirements of the PA Core Standards.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates: October 6, November 10, January 12, February 10
Registration is Open: https://rac2020ThinkPencil.eventbrite.com
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Keys to Comprehension
$600 per participant, 3rd-7th grade ELA teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
This professional development series consists of four online modules that focus exclusively on the literacy domain of reading comprehension. Targeted for teachers in grades 3 to 7, the content is directly aligned with the PA Core standards and state test expectations. Participants learn instructional techniques to unlock reading comprehension, applicable to both literature and informational text.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates: October 13, November 17, January 28, February 24
Registration is Open: https://rac2020KeystoComp.eventbrite.com
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Text Dependent Analysis: Effective Instructional Practices
$600 per participant, 4th-8th grade ELA teachers
Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
This four-module series focuses on effective teaching practices for helping students overcome some of the biggest struggles with the text dependent analysis (TDA) portion of the PSSA. Modules will focus on teaching students how to understand the prompt, read and write for analysis, determine the best evidence, and craft the essay. Participants will engage in modeled research-based and classroom-tested activities to strengthen their own instruction.
- All materials are included
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates: September 16, October 27, December 8, January 26
Registration is Open: https://rac2020TDA.eventbrite.com
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The K-3 Reading Apprenticeship Model
Option 1: $3,800 per participant (includes 1-on-1 support) -- EARLY REGISTRATION: By June 30, 2020 and save $300
Option 2: $2,800 per participant (no 1-on-1 support) -- EARLY REGISTRATION: By June 30, 2020 and save $300
Series Length: 12 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: teachers participate in twelve virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates and complete online modules at their own pace.
- Twelve sessions of intensive, comprehensive training in reading pedagogy, theory, research, and proven instructional practices focused on the five areas of reading and writing, including strategies to support remote learning in a virtual setting
- Monthly sessions build depth and breadth of professional knowledge and application through collaborative learning, discussions, modeling and individual reflection
- This series supports primary teachers with helping students reach grade level benchmarks and proficiency while highlighting how to reach all learners through the use of assessments and data to drive instruction.
- All materials (including student materials and professional resources) included: professional books, word building pocket chart, student/teacher letter cards, and a customized RAC classroom kit to support teachers with multi-sensory teaching in the five areas of reading
- New for 2020-21 (for Option 1 only): individualized data-driven planning and coaching to support teachers with meaningful implementation of content and strategies from sessions; virtual informal observations with feedback
- Administrators may accompany their registered participants to any or all sessions at no cost
Synchronous Meeting Dates:
September 17, 24 January 27
October 21, 28 February 17
November 18 March 19
December 2, 17 April 15
May 13
Registration is Open: https://rac2020k-3.eventbrite.com
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PIIC Instructional Coaches’ Network
9 sessions – No Cost
Network Series Length: 4 modules
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: coaches participate in nine virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates led by PIIC and tech coach mentors.
Join a network of fellow instructional coaches for monthly professional learning workshops provided by Heather Moschetta, Instructional Coach Mentor for the PA Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC), and Kevin Conner, Instructional Technology Coordinator. Sessions will feature professional learning specific to the needs of instructional coaches, on topics determined by the network group and supported by PIIC and PDE. The network is open to all coaches in AIU3, including literacy coaches, math coaches, technology coaches, and instructional coaches. Email heather.moschetta@aiu3.net or kevin.conner@aiu3.net to join our network email list and receive registration information for each monthly session.
Dates:
September 9
October 7
November 4
December 7
January 6
February 18
March 6
April 13
May 13
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RAC Reading Specialists’ Network
4 sessions – No Cost
Network Series Length: 4 sessions
Delivery Mode: Facilitated synchronous/asynchronous: reading specialists participate in four virtual live meetings scheduled on set dates led by RAC facilitators and grow their professional learning through self-paced online modules.
Join the RAC Reading Specialists' Network for an opportunity to connect with other reading specialists in Allegheny County. Each online 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.
Synchronous Online Meeting Dates: November 16, December 14, February 9, March 10
Registration is Open: https://2020RSnetwork.eventbrite.com
