Programs

The Pinal County Educational Service Agency provides services and support for local school districts, private schools, charter organizations, parents and community personnel. Workshops, in-services, trainings, and other outreach seminars are conducted by the PCESA throughout the county to provide professional development opportunties aligned to the Arizona Academic Standards. Each corresponding program area is highlighted below including contact information for corresponding personnel.

Reading

The Reading cadre within the PCESA focuses on bringing the latest scientifically based reading research to K-12 teachers and leaders in our county.

Our workshops are designed to affirm your knowledge of what works at your site and to present new research in a manner that is:

• clear, direct, and explicit
• practical
• engaging
• collaborative
• reflective

We will be offering the following workshops/meetings throughout the year:

Reading Academies, K-3 & 4-12: These are 2-4 day workshops covering the foundations of reading. The focus is on how to reach the struggling reader with research based instructional practices geared to each grade level-a must for any teacher who feels "left behind" in how to teach reading.

DIBELS Overview: This 2 hour training provides an introduction to the purpose of the reading assessment tool. Included is a video clip depicting the administration of each measure. The workshop is available at school sites upon request.

DIBELS Assessment Team Training: This 3 day training provides instruction in how to administer the DIBELS assessment and organize the materials for school-wide assessment. Practice with K-3 students is provided. Day 3 covers how DIBELS scores impact grouping and instruction.

Site Analysis: Reading specialists come to your site annually or upon request to review the reading program and collaborate on ways to meet your specific needs.

Reading Leadership Consortium: This year's focus is "Research into Practice". National speakers address our pressing needs. Upcoming presentations are "Effective School Practices" by Jo Robinson on Dec 6, and "Assessment and Interventions" by Susan Hall on Feb 7. Consortium members include administrators, curriculum directors and literacy coaches within our county.

Other Customized Workshops include: Student Engagement, Classroom Management Systems, Designing Effective Presentations, Reading in the Content Areas, Reading Comprehension Strategies, Interactive Word Walls, Direct and Explicit Instruction, Vocabulary Strategies, Coaching, and AIMS Web Training for grades 4-8.

Recommended Websites:
http://www.ade.az.gov/azreads/ - for trainings listed with ADE
http://www.fcrr.org - for curriculum review

For more information, call Judie Bartch or Janet Chouteau at 520.866.6565.

Math/Science

The PCESA Math and Science program serves the entire K-12 educational system and ensure countywide capacity to deliver high-quality professional development programs that meet the identified county needs of teachers, principals, and students in Math and Science. The PCESA Math Science program strives to implement professional development plans and activities that reflect nationally recognized strategies and those defined in NCLB for high quality professional development. All professional development will address content and pedagogy as identified by the Arizona State Math and Science Standards.

Our long-term goal is to support Pinal County Educators through a collaboration of services, resources, and funding to prepare students to be successful life-long learners.

We will be offering the following workshops throughout the year, as well as on site follow-ups.

• Number Sense I & Number Sense II - K-5: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated mathematics standards, specifically STRAND 1 NUMBER SENSE. Participants will explore the "Big Ideas" of standards-based education. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based mathematics strategies.



• Geometry & Measurement K-8: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated mathematics standards, specifically STRAND 4 GEOMETRY AND MEASUREMENT. Participants will explore the "Big Ideas" of standards-based education. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based mathematics strategies.



• Data Analysis & Probability/Discrete Mathematics K-8: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated mathematics standards, specifically STRAND 2 DATA ANALYSIS, PROBABILITY, AND DISCRETE MATHEMATICS. Participants will explore the "Big Ideas" of standards-based education. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based mathematics strategies.



• Unwrapping the Math Standard K-8: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated mathematics standards. Participants will explore the "Big Ideas" of standards-based education. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based mathematics strategies.



• Unwrapping the Science Standard K-12: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated SCIENCE standards. Participants will explore the "Big Ideas" of standards-based education. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based SCIENC INQUIRY strategies.



• Using Data to make decisions in Mathematics Instruction K-12: Participants will become familiar with the COLLABORATIVE INQUIRY PROCESS. Participants will analyze student achievement to determine strengths and needs. Participants will engage in the collaborative inquiry process to identify instructional best practices and research-based mathematics strategies, which may impact student achievement.



• Science Olympiad - Applying the AZ Science Standard 3-9: Participants will become familiar with the AZ articulated science standards. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based science strategies, using performance-based science Olympiad activities.



• Reading and Writing in the content area of Mathematics K-12: Participants will use the AZ articulated mathematics standards to explore ways to integrate mathematics in the reading and writing content areas. Participants will engage in instructional best practices and research-based strategies.

For more information, call Nancy Harrison, Virgil Prokopich, or Debbie Valdiviezo at 520.866.6565.

Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)

The Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) two-day training provided by PESA targets “Standards, Strategies, Assessment: Improving Academic Achievement - Part II,”. This workshop assists teachers in obtaining the 15 hours necessary for the SEI provisional endorsement. The session covers every aspect of the SEI Training Rubric Objectives and includes:

• ELL Proficiency Standards



• Assessment & Data



• Foundations of SEI, and



• SEI Strategies

The SEI training complies with all ADE/EAS Task Force Requirements and is approved by the State of Arizona. Completion of the two-day training earns participants a certificate and Provisional Endorsement Attestation form, both of which are required to be on file with each school district. For more information, call Robert Frie at 520.866.6387.

Technology

The Technology area highlights the fluid integration of technology into core curriculum areas. This unit works collaboratively with the Arizona Department of Education Instructional Technology division to assist teachers in not only meeting the Arizona Technology Standards but also including them within content curriculum activities and assessments instead of as an independent component.

Essential in fulfilling technically integrated efforts, critical collaboration with other area specialists as well as the agency professional development coordinator within the agency is a must in modeling integration of various technologies in each of the core curriculum areas. Each content area is correlated to the Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS)relating not only to the content area strands and concepts, but also those that apply to technology integration as well.

Trainings offered include:

• Data analysis using graphing elements to illustrate student achievement in order to assist teachers in making data-driven instructional decisions



• Database integration of benchmarking and progress monitoring in core reading concepts using both DIBELS and AIMSweb



• Alternative assessments integrating technology and/or various assistive technologies



• GPS Geocaching Adventure Series



• School-wide seminars for demonstration, overview, and teaching strategies which incorporate SmartBoards



• Webquest and website creation



• Online communication tools using NetMeeting, WebEasy, and



• Distance and online course delivery platforms such as Blackboard, WebCT, and CourseBuilder

Other workshops targeting specific software and various lesson planning strategy-based workshops which integrate technology tailored to teacher needs.are also provided at participant request. Contact Steve Harrison to discuss your training ideas.