Dr. Richard Gacka

Dr. Gacka is the developer and web-master of this site. He is currently the Director of the NW PA Professional Development Center, a regional Adult Education Training entity that is part of the PA ABLE Professional Development System. He is the Director of the PA ABLE Learning Differences Project, a multi faceted professional development grant funded by the PA Department of Education as a state leadership project. He is employed by Stairways Behavioral Health and is the director of their educational program. He is a PA Licensed Psychologist and served as an examiner for the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for more than 31 years. He has 42 years of experience in the field of Education including service as a Speech Therapist, Special Education Administrator, Lecturer at Penn State University - The Behrend Campus, School Psychologist, and Special Projects Director (Tech Prep, School to Work, and Upward Bound projects).  He has experience conducting assessments needed to obtain GED Accommodations, has presented at numerous state and national conferences and has participated in the field testing of several nationally standardized assessment instruments. He is a member of the Northwest PA Workforce Investment Board is the chairperson of the Research and Quality Committee. At the 2009 PA Association for Adult and Continuing Education (PAACE) Mid-Winter Conference in Hershey, PA, Dr. Gacka was awarded the PAACE Outstanding Educator award.


Visit the Northwest Professional Development Center site at http://web.mac.com/nwpdc

Dr. Richard Cooper Ph.D. 

Richard Cooper, Ph.D., Director and Founder of the Center for Alternative Learning, earned his doctorate in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and a Masters degree in Guidance and Counseling at Inter American University in Puerto Rico. Richard Cooper is also the owner of Learning disAbilities Resources, a firm which produces and distributes educational and motivational materials for individuals with learning differences

As part of his private practice, Dr. Cooper conducts screening for learning problems and disabilities, specialized tutoring for children and adults who learn differently and counseling to help individuals and families deal with the issues which often arise when a person has a learning problem.

Dr. Cooper will provide both presentations and site-based mentoring, focusing on training for volunteer tutor agencies and LD screening.

Dr. Cooper’s web site is http://www.learningdifferences.com

Mr. Patrick Smith is a 1965 graduate of Penn State University with a BS in Secondary Education--- Comprehensive Social Studies. His graduate studies were done at Edinboro University.


Mr. Smith taught in the Social Studies Department at Meadville High School for twenty-eight years and served as chairman of the Social Studies department for three years.


He  began his retirement by volunteering in an ABE/pre-GED and later became the Impact coordinator, instructor of an enhanced pre-GED class, and department coordinator at Stairways Adult Education.


Mr. Smith continue as Impact coordinator and education department coordinator, and servies as an LD Project mentor and presenter for the NWPDC.

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  6. Fast Facts 4: Case Studies


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  10. Knowledge of LD  Self-assessment


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  16. Other articles and recommended readings


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  22. Mentoring Sites and Activities


Technology In Adult Education Blog


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