Many changes in the life of the CAIU occurred during the past year and are a reflection of the dedication of our hard-working employees.
Accomplishments Unique to 2007-2008:
- Entered into lease for Hill Top Academy, consolidating four student centers into one new, custom-designed facility
- Entered into lease for Lemoyne Technology Services Center, locating entrepreneurial technology services in a new office to accommodate growth
- Hosted Speech and Language Recruitment Fair for the first time
- Hosted Speech and Language Summer Academy for the first time
- Hosted the Association for Experiential Education Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for the first time
- Hosted Spring Leadership Conference for Superintendents for the first time – in addition to traditional Fall Leadership Conference
- Began offering American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) -approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for certified speech and language personnel working in early intervention (in addition to CEUs offered to school-age speech and language personnel)
- Instituted staff and parent notification system (Connect-Ed)
- Replaced the pitched roof on the Summerdale Office Center
- Built a new maintenance garage and storage facility
- Increased parking by 60 spaces at the Summerdale Office Center
- Relocated programs within the Summerdale Office Center to better utilize space
- Remodeled front lobby
- Relocated “Hillside Room” to “Gay Keiser Room” to retain early intervention classroom at Summerdale
- Established internet connections at all Early Intervention sites and the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA)
- Reached a new enrollment high at CASA with 143 students compared to a projected 125
- Reached a 4-year agreement with the Bargaining Unit after 18 months of negotiating, improving our ability to recruit and hire staff
- Created several new networking opportunities for professionals, including psychologists, school counselors and occupational therapists
- Instituted “Amy's Notes” (initially “Friday Notes”) to improve internal communication
- Initiated “Pizza Lunches” to bring staff together and improve internal communication
- Prepared staff for changes in health care coverage
- Increased positive media coverage for CAIU programs and services
- Began a clipping service for member districts to share regional education news weekly
- Redesigned Leadership Council into Supervisor Team and Leadership Team to create a monthly professional development forum for supervisors
- Unprecedented number of staff were presenters at local, regional, state and national conferences
- Improved Helpdesk services by restructuring to internal and external support teams
- Implemented Early Intervention grant to connect preschool/daycare providers with best early intervention practices
- Implemented Autism Transition grant to introduce students with autism to the workforce
- Selected a new logo for the CAIU
- Introduced a newly designed CAIU website
- Implemented new reconciliation model in pricing/billing school-age special education services
- Implemented new Central Referral/Timelog application in Student Services
- Submitted all of the new Pennsylvania Information Management Systems (PIMS) reports on time
- Successfully administered several multi-million dollar projects for PDE, including Distinguished Educator ($4 million), Classrooms for the Future ($11 million), and eStrategic Planning ($1.4 million)
- Completed the PA Academic Standards Revision Project for PDE and the State Board of Education for Mathematics and Reading/Writing/Speaking/Listening
- Expanded Early Intervention’s Hanen Program
- Successfully completed PDE’s OCDEL Early Intervention Verification Process
- Reinvigorated the CAIU Grantsmanship Consortium at no additional cost to member districts
- Increased membership in the Capital Region Partnership for Career Education and Development from 21 in 2006-2007 to 24 in 2007-2008
- Partnered with Clarion University to offer a Master’s program in Teaching and Learning
- Implemented new student achievement data tracking system in our Aid to Non-Public Schools (ANPS) program
- Served in a leadership role in developing the new PAIUnet Articles of Agreement among all 29 intermediate units
- Completed a needs assessment and inventory of on-line learning in our member districts in preparation for a regional distance learning solution
Significant Personnel Changes
- New organizational chart
- New Executive Director
- New Student Services Director
- New Curriculum Services Director
- New Technology Services Director
- HR Coordinator promoted to HR Director
- Contracted with Wendt Communications Partners to provide Communication Services
- Reassigned program responsibilities with hiring of two new supervisors in Student Services
- Promoted our two accountants to accounting supervisors and reorganized staff to improve revenues and create efficiencies
- Hired two new accountants in Business Services
- Successfully replaced/filled key educational consultant positions in Student Services due to retirements and growth in demand for services
- Successfully replaced retired evaluation specialist
- Reorganized the Human Resources Team to be more responsive to employees
- Substantially increased Technology Services staff to meet growing demands in application development, application support, and website design
- Created Conference Services position to facilitate Summerdale Office Center use and rentals