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Programs and Services
Up one levelData 1:1 Consultations for Principals
Principals are busy people. Who has time to search for data...try to figure out what’s important...and put it in a form your teachers can use? Besides, there’s so much data out there, it can be overwhelming. Schools are on data overload.
ESL
IU8’s ESL Consortium consists of 38 entities: All 35 school districts, two vo-techs, and the Cresson Secure Treatment Unit. Members of the ESL Consortium receive assessment services, technical assistance, staff development, curriculum development, and other ESL services as requested.
eStrategic Planning
In an effort to support sound, systemic strategic planning and to streamline state and federally mandated plans, the Pennsylvania Department of Education designed this Web-based tool to be used by the local education agencies for the creation and management of a consolidated strategic plan and for the submission of program-specific plan reports to the state.
IU8 Leadership Academy
The Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 Leadership Academy, conducted every summer in July, provides professional development opportunities for administrators in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, and Somerset counties, as well as neighboring IUs. Over 150 administrators participate in this annual event.
PMSC (AmeriCorps)
The PA Mountain Service Corps (PMSC) is a branch of AmeriCorps. Members serve at non-profit agencies, including schools, in the 9 surrounding counties. Corps members perform a variety of activities, including tutoring and mentoring of K-12 students, teaching GED classes, and mentoring at-risk youth.
Principals Forums
As part of IU8's Leadership Development Initiative, IU8 offers professional development activities specifically for principals in the four-county region. Topics and speakers are chosen with input from principals.
Reading Recovery® Consortium
The IU8 Reading Recovery® Consortium involves over 10 school districts in the IU8 region and surrounding areas. The Reading Recovery® Program targets students in the lowest 20% of first-grade reading classes and provides intensive, one-on-one remediation with a specially trained Reading Recovery® teacher. All teachers trained in Reading Recovery® participate in continuing professional development every year in the form of Continuing Contact classes.
Safe Schools Initiative Grant
For the past seven years, IU8 has used Safe Schools Initiative grant funding to assist its member school districts with their own safe schools activities, as well as helping them to develop comprehensive crisis response plans in cooperation with emergency responders in their respective counties.
School Improvement
In Pennsylvania, school improvement is based on Chapter 4 standards found in the Pennsylvania School Code, the federal requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the Pennsylvania Accountability System.
Special Projects
The Special Projects Office plans, coordinates, and administers "student centered" programs that take place outside the realm of the regular school district's curriculum. These diversified events occur throughout the year after school, on weekends, and during the summer. For example, the ATOMS Scholars Program provides Mathematics and Science experiences during the summer for students in grades 2 through 8 and the Interscholastic Reading Competitions are held in the evenings during the fall and spring. Other projects offer students enrichment opportunities dealing with computers, scholastic quiz teams, and science fair participation.
SuperConference for Student Leaders
Each year, about 10 Cambria County public schools, 7 nonpublic schools, and approximately 165 secondary students participate in the SuperConference for Student Leaders. Local community leaders in education, business, law enforcement, and medicine volunteer to speak to students who have been recognized by their teachers for their leadership potential.
Teacher Induction
The purpose of the Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 Teacher Induction Program is to help beginning teachers to function more effectively and grow professionally during their first year in the teaching profession. The program provides beginning teachers with a series of five trainings that focus on current issues in education and the opportunity to network with colleagues. Two other components of the program include a session tailored toward mentors and a second-year program for teachers.