DCIU Staff Update/Administrative Bulletin



DCIU Staff Update/Administrative Bulletin

Monday, March 12, 2007

Communication

This bulletin includes informal updates on a variety of issues across divisions of the intermediate unit. The bulletin will be distributed electronically to all intermediate unit employees with email accounts in an effort to broaden our collective understanding of DCIU programs and services.

Education Foundation Grants

Kim Maguire, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, extends thanks and appreciation to everyone who submitted a grant application. The list of approved grants for this spring is included at the end of this update. All applicants are thanked for their creativity and dedication.

School Improvement and Curriculum

DCIU hosted a three-day training for assessors for NASSP’s (National Association of Secondary School Principals) Selecting and Developing the 21st Century Principal Assessment Center. Over twenty educators from DCIU and Delaware County school districts attended and were trained. These educators will assess participants in upcoming Assessment Centers in April and as part of DCIU’s Highly Qualified Principals Institute. More information about the Institute is available on our website.

DCIU will host a Quick Study for New Principals on Crisis Postvention—“Being prepared for the death of a staff member or student”—on March 19 from 3:30-5 p.m. Linda Cummiskey will be facilitating the seminar.

Professional Development Department

The Professional Development Department continues to increase its service to the school districts of Delaware County as well as to DCIU Special Programs. The department is helping teachers to utilize Clear Track (IEP-writing software) that is expanding to all DCIU special programs. Across the county, members of the professional development department are equipping education professionals with strategies that help support their students. The department is also doing comprehensive work on school district data reports. The reports highlight strengths and weaknesses and include questions to help identify root causes.

Delaware County Technical Schools

In addition to testing at the local high schools, students at Folcroft and Aston participate in testing to insure rigorous standards. The NOCTI assessment will be give to all Technical School Completers on March 29. NOCTI stands for the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute. The Assessment is an indication of proficiency in a career area program.

Special Programs

DCIU has been working with the Pennsylvania Leadership Cyber Charter School on its Special Education audit. The School has requested continued support for their special education program.

Staff at Don Guanella and Francis Harvey Green schools are working closely with the OPTIONS programs to strengthen transition services for students.

DCIU Head Start is gearing up for the upcoming federal audit, which will occur some time in April.

Special Programs will have Supervisor of Special Education positions available for the upcoming school year due to recent retirements. Recruiting is currently in progress to attract highly qualified candidates.

The ESY (Extended School Year) program is moving forward. Hiring opportunities for DCIU staff are available on the website. Planning for program implementation is taking place. Communication with districts for student enrollment is taking place.

The division of special programs is beginning to work on the 2007 Special Education Plan as required by the state.

Business Office

The 2007-08 DCIU General Operating Budget is being circulated to local school districts for action during the months of March and April. The budget will be submitted to the state in May as required by the School Code.

Delaware County Intermediate Unit Education Foundation

Grant Awards

March 7, 2007

Artistic Enhancements Project Total: $1,000

Therese Hagee, Lima Juvenile Detention Center

Funds will be used to provide an artistic outlet for incarcerated juveniles currently residing at the detention center by increasing the number and variety of supplies available in the art education classroom.

Facilitating Social Opportunities Project Total: $1,000

Patricia Fredericks and Barbara Lefferts, Options

Funds will support events designed to improve client social event facilitation and to include more clients in more activities which require admissions.

Faculty and Student Wellness Program Project Total: $1,000

Helen Pitts, Collingdale Community School and Delaware County Academy

Funds will be used to support the DCIU’s Wellness Policy through providing healthy snacks, jump-ropes, and incentive prizes and modeling healthy lifestyle practices.

Growing Library Project Total: $1,000

Warren Andersmith, Aston Career & Technical School

Funds will be used to purchase the most recent technical resource publications from the American Nurseryman to facilitate student research and visual learning of landscape design, construction materials and installation techniques; plant lists, planting techniques and propagation; and greenhouse and business operations.

Integrated Approach to Speech Production Project Total: $900

Carol Rudé and Karin Stevens, Early Intervention – Roosevelt School

Funds will be used by speech therapists to purchase a resource kit for use in an integrated approach to serving pre-school students with apraxia and other motor speech disorders.

Job Club

Alison Smith, Options Project Total: $800

Funds will be used to purchase eight demonstration videos accompanied by reproducible print materials for use in interactive team workshops in support of an employability skills club.

Language and Literacy for Children Who are Deaf Project Total: $1,000

Carolyn Nell

Funds will be used to foster language development and literacy in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Learning Industrial & Residential Wiring Project Total: $785

Philip E. Cirincione, Aston Career & Technical School

Funds will be used to purchase eight instructional videos for the Industrial & Residential wiring program at the Aston Career & Technical School.

Learning to Ride & Riding to Learn Project Total: $1,000

Brenda Badis, Francis Harvey Green

Funds will be used to purchase tricycles, bikes and scooters to provide sensory motor activities for students that are aligned with their individual education plans.

Look What We Did! Project Total: $1,000

Julie Ramsey, Pennington School

Funds will be used to fund continued production of an extremely popular community building yearbook which is distributed to all students, parents and staff.

Nursing Skills for Nursing Assistants Project Total: $1,000

Mary Flanagan, Folcroft Career & Technical School

Funds will be used to cover part of the purchase of Delmar’s Basic Core Skills DVDs depicting actual procedures being performed on patients that at present can only be simulated in class.

PAEP Artist in Residence Project Total: $1,000

Debbie Goldberg, Collingdale Community School

Funds will be used to bring Peoples Light & Theatre Company personnel to the school to work with students for five days exploring the theme and history of the Underground Railroad.

The Game of Life Project Total: $1,000

Cynthia Berry, Delaware County Academy

Funds will be used to support a mathematical situation based on real life activities. Students will earn “paychecks” based on their academic and behavior performance and will pay “bills” and “taxes” among other financial simulations.

Water, Water, Everywhere Project Total: $1,000

Julie Ramsey, Pennington School

Funds will be added to a $2,000 parent donation to complete the purchase of an interactive outdoor water table to meet a wide variety of student sensory needs. In addition to sensory and attention span activities, students will engage in basic math and science principles.

Wellness Improvement Project Project Total: $1,000

Sharon Kreck, Don Guanella School

Funds will be used to purchase fitness equipment that is appealing to older students and take the first step in creating a fitness center. Home Depot joins in the project by painting and carpeting the room.

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