IMPLEMENTING THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
Come to one of Battelle for Kids' workshops on implementing the new K–12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

• Develop a better understanding of the CCSS for English Language Arts and Mathematics.
• Understand how teacher teams can collaborate to successfully transition to the CCSS.
• Learn about Battelle For Kids' Common Core Vertical Progression Guides and how they can support teachers' efforts to transition to the new Standards.

These workshops are specifically for those who will be leading transition. Curriculum directors, math and literacy coaches, district leaders, principals, and other leaders will learn how to guide transition and support teacher as they implement the new Standards.
To learn more, visit www.BattelleforKids.org/CommonCore.

WORKSHOP DETAILS
9 a.m. check in
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. workshop
Registration is $40 per person or $100 for a team of three. Each participant will receive:

• Strategies for transition to the CCSS
• 1 Common Core Vertical Progression Guide for English Language Arts
• 1 Common Core Vertical Progression Guide for Mathematics
• Implementation handouts and activities to use with teachers
• Lunch

SOUTHWEST
Butler County ESC
February 14 or 16

CENTRAL
BMI Federal Credit Union
February 28 or 29

NORTHWEST
ESC of Lake Erie West
March 6 or 7

SOUTHEAST
Ohio University Zanesville
March 9 or 15

NORTHEAST
ESC of Cuyahoga County
March 22 or 23

Battelle for Kids
Tel: (614) 481-3141
www.BattelleforKids.org

January 30, 2012

Good afternoon:

It’s always heartening to recognize outstanding middle schools that have found ways to help their students find success, while developing a series of best practices that can serve as an example to other schools across the state. Last week, three middle schools joined a growing group known as Ohio Schools to Watch (OSTW).

Coventry Middle School and Dodge Intermediate School, both in Summit County, and Kings Junior High School in Warren County will be recognized at the 2012 Ohio Middle Level Association’s Conference next month in Columbus. I want to extend my congratulations to each school. For more information on the program and criteria for eligibility, click here.

In addition to these outstanding middle schools, last year ODE identified 122 schools around the state as Ohio Schools of Promise. These schools provide innovative ways for students to succeed, whether they live in rural or urban areas, and despite their economic disadvantages. The Schools of Promise program, which has been in existence for 10 years, identifies essential elements for success, case studies and lessons learned from successful schools. These can be found online. I encourage you to see what these schools do to make a difference and decide if there are some ideas that you think would help your district to raise student achievement.

Finally, with today’s technology, school can happen anywhere, anytime. As we celebrate Digital Learning Day on February 1 (see article below), we recognize that students and educators are no longer bound by classroom walls or bell schedules for learning opportunities. Today’s reality is that students use technology for entertainment and social interaction, but the educational community often provides little opportunity or incentive for students to use that same technology for learning. By expanding digital learning options, students can use technology as an education tool to expand their horizons. Changing the way we view education can change results!

Thanks for your continuing hard work on behalf of Ohio’s students. Make it a great week.

Sincerely,

Stan W. Heffner

Note: Below are news items of interest to all superintendents and principals. Please share these items as appropriate with other suggested educators who will benefit from the information.

For school superintendents and treasurers – Ohio Core Opt-Out information available online;Ohio Resident Educator Program updates coming; Innovation grants and loans available; Apply now to become a Green Ribbon School;Kathe Shelby Leadership Award announced; Webcast on Ohio’s Transition to Next Generation Assessments scheduled February 1

For curriculum directors, administrators, teachers and counselors – ODE to offer resources to celebrate digital learning throughout February; Teen Dating Violence Prevention webinar February 1;FAFSA completion help available

Good news for everyone – Blended Learning – Transforming the Classroom conference scheduled March 5

For school superintendents and treasurers –
Ohio Core Opt-Out information available online
SB 311 provides students who entered high school for the first time on or after July 1, 2011, a path to graduation without completing the Ohio Core curriculum requirements. The Opt-Out provision is temporary and was designed to provide some students with a period of transition to the more rigorous curriculum requirements of the Ohio Core.

ORC 3313.603(D) sets forth the requirements for students and parents to provide consent to opt out of the Ohio Core, consequences for utilizing the Opt-Out provision and requirements for districts to provide both support and counseling to students who opt out.

To help districts in explaining, initiating and implementing opt-out plans, informational resources have been added to the ODE Opt-Out Web page.

Ohio Resident Educator Program updates coming
This week, ODE will email information about the Resident Educator Program to program coordinators regarding funding for first year participants, as well as end-of-year requirements for Year 1 participants.
·         Funding – Information will be provided on the process to be used to request $350 for each first-year Resident Educator working in a public district, chartered community school, Educational Service Center, career center or joint vocational school. Because these are federal funds, they may not be used for private preschool or chartered nonpublic organizations. Funds must be spent by June 30, 2012, with a Final Expenditure Report due by August 30.
·         End-of-Year requirements – Information also will be provided about the requirements and processes for documentation and report of Resident Educators’ Year 1 progress. This will include resources, guidance documents and a webinar.

Information about the Ohio Resident Educator program is available on this Web page. Questions about the program can be addressed to REProgram@ode.state.oh.us.

Innovation grants and loans available
The Ohio Department of Development has announced that school districts may apply for Local Government Innovation Funds (LGIF). Ohio’s FY2012-2013 budget bill established the funds to improve efficiency and effectiveness of government services. The grants and loans may be up to $100,000 for a single entity or $500,000 for a collaborative project. The deadline for the first award period is February 15 for a “pre-application” and March 1 for a full submission. More information and the application are available on the Development website.

Apply now to become a Green Ribbon School
How “green” is your school? If staff, students, local officials and communities work together to save energy, reduce costs while protecting health, foster wellness, provide environmental education, and boost academic achievement and community engagement, then your school may be eligible to be for Green Ribbon  recognition being launched by the U.S. Department of Education. As one of 35 participating states, Ohio will nominate up to four schools by March 22, 2012, for the national recognition.

The Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio School Facilities Commission are partnering with the Environmental Education Council of Ohio to promote, facilitate and select Ohio’s four nominations. Schools wishing to participate must submit their completed application by March 1. For more information, view the Ohio Green Ribbon Schools Web page. Contact Brenda Metcalf, Executive Director of the Environmental Education Council of Ohio with questions.

Kathe Shelby Leadership Award announced
Kathe Shelby was the director of ODE’s Office for Exceptional Children from September 2008 until her untimely death in August 2011. To honor Kathe’s efforts and passion for the improvement of the education of children with special needs in Ohio, ODE has developed the Kathe Shelby Leadership Award to be presented to an outstanding special education leader currently employed in Ohio who has demonstrated exceptional skills in improving the quality of special education programming for Ohio's school children.

Nominees should display daily evidence of initiative, influence and respect toward children with special needs, their parents, special and regular education teachers, related services personnel and school administrators. The deadline for nominations is March 30. The first annual Kathe Shelby Leadership Award will be presented at Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference on September 26-27, 2012 in Columbus.

Webcast on Ohio’s Transition to Next Generation Assessments scheduled February 1
ODE and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium staff will host a joint webcast on the PARCC consortia assessment development on February 1 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

As you know, Ohio has become a full member of the PARCC consortium of states that is collaborating to develop common K-12 assessments in English and math for grades 3-8 and at the high school level. These assessments will be aligned to the Common Core State Standards and anchored in what it takes for students to be ready for college and careers.

A webcast is technology through which you see and hear the presentation through a computer. If you would like to participate in the live webcast, click here to register. The webcast will also be recorded and posted on the ODE website for later viewing.

For curriculum directors, administrators, teachers and counselors –

ODE to offer resources to celebrate digital learning throughout February
February 1 is Digital Learning Day in Ohio. ODE will use Digital Learning Day, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, to kick off a month-long initiative to promote the integrated use of technology as a teaching tool.

Schools across Ohio are currently embracing various forms of digital learning. We are partnering with KnowledgeWorks, eTech and INFOhio to share success stories, digital tools and other resources available to teachers on our homepage each school day through February.

Another event that will be taking place on February 1 is a Virtual Town Hall meeting from 1-2:30 p.m. that will feature Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s New Tech West, a member of the New Tech Network of innovative schools. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be a participant. For more information about National Digital Learning Day, including detailed instructions for the Virtual Town Hall meeting, click here.

Teen Dating Violence Prevention webinar is February 1
The Ohio Domestic Violence Network and the Ohio Department of Health are hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, February 1, from 3-4 p.m. to address teen dating violence. This is part of a monthly series of one-hour webinars designed for school professionals, parents and community-support personnel. The series is sponsored by ODE and several statewide agencies. Each webinar will accommodate the first 100 participants who register, with registration open 30 minutes before each program. The webinars will be recorded and posted on this Web page, where visitors may link to webinars the day of each event. Questions may be directed to Jill Jackson at jill.jackson@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 466-9540.

FAFSA completion help available
As students apply to colleges and celebrate their acceptances, the University System of Ohio reminds them to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) has set up a process to help students pay for college, and it starts with filing the FAFSA. The USDOE allocates billions of dollars in federal aid to students. FAFSA is the primary tool used to determine eligibility for federal and state financial aid, as well as aid from many colleges and universities.

The University System of Ohio has a video on its website to help families complete the FAFSA. It provides tips and advice for filling out and filing the FAFSA. The OhioHigherEd.org website also features a fact sheet about the FAFSA that answers potential questions.

Good news for everyone –

Blended Learning – Transforming the Classroom conference scheduled March 5
For the last three years, Learn21 has been a grassroots effort among school districts across the state of Ohio. The mission and vision of Learn21 is focused on collaboration, innovation and cost-effective delivery of blended and online learning.

Now in its third year, Learn21 will host its annual conference on Monday, March 5, at the Tolles Career & Technical Center, Plain City. The conference theme is Blended Learning: Transforming the Classroom.

With more than 15 member districts from across Ohio collaborating on blended and online learning, this year’s event will have sessions on the digital classroom, digital content design and delivery and infrastructure support for mobile technologies. The conference is a free event and any superintendent, curriculum director, technology director or teacher may attend. For more information or to register, click here.

ODE is interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

Follow our new Facebook page for Ohio families by clicking here.

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.

2012 is the year to really strengthen charter school governance!

And we’ve built some training courses just for you.

If you are a school leader, board member, senior school staff that works with the board, or someone who supports boards, including Authorizers and staff at State Charter School Associations, you’ll find courses to help you hone your governance expertise here. 

Maybe you’re thinking:

“Strengthen? How? We can barely get our members to show up to board meetings, let alone find time for training?”

We have 3 simple words to help focus your board improvement efforts:

Knowledge + Action = Results

Knowledge: You can’t govern effectively if you’re wasting time reinventing the wheel. The High Bar takes the guesswork out of governance. We’ve packaged 15 years of wisdom working with hundreds of charter school boards into easy to access expertise.
Click here to learn more.
 
Action: Knowledge is only as good as the action it leads to. We’ve created some web-based tools to help you better take your knowledge and translate it into real, tangible action, Click here to learn more.

which leads to...

Results: Yup, that's what this is all about -- creating outstanding public schools for those amazing kids! Our courses and tools are designed to help you do just that!

Please contact our Membership team at membership@reachthehighbar.com to learn more about our Governance Model, our Training Institute and The High Bar Membership program.

Where is Your Board on Its Path to Excellence?

Board’s don’t just attend training and miraculously govern at a very high level.  Effective governance is a skill you can learn. We’ve developed a Governance Model to help you identify the capability of your current governance practices and designed our training and membership program to help you move forward on the path to excellence.

Looking for an end-to-end solution to help strengthen the governance of your charter school?

We’ve combined Knowledge + Action into an annual membership designed to dramatically improve the governance of your charter school. You can learn more about an annual High Bar Membership here.

Contact our Membership team at membership@reachthehighbar.com to learn more about our Governance Model, our Training Institute and The High Bar Membership program.

Jan. 23, 2012

Good morning:

For many of you, last week marked the beginning of your second semester. For students, this is a chance to begin new classes or start the second half of their current ones. For us, it is a chance to take stock in the distance we have to go to meet our achievement goals. This time is also a great opportunity to determine what needs to be in place by the next school year, as Ohio transitions to new academic standards and assessments and teacher and principal evaluations policies.  I hope you can use your plans to inform your community about the steps needed to build on the progress you have been making for your students.

One way that ODE can work with you to embrace higher performance expectations during tough fiscal times is to complete our request for waiver from portions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The goal is to offer districts greater flexibility in how you use your funds in exchange for greater flexibility in how you produce results.  Our proposal will be based on two overarching strategies:  [1] college- and career-ready expectations; and [2] recognition, accountability and support. We will be focusing on the areas of quality of instruction, a culture of continuous improvement and enhanced community support, along with our Race to the Top goals to:

• Increase the state’s on-time graduation rate each year;
• Reduce the graduation rate gaps
• Reduce the gap between Ohio and the best-performing states; and
• Increase the number of students who graduate from high school and attend college remediation-free.

We plan to submit our waiver application before the February 21 deadline. In addition, we will need to work with the General Assembly to receive a concurrent resolution to allow us to move forward with our plans, assuming our proposal has been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Department of Education.  Then, the real work will begin.

We will continue to work with Ohio’s education organizations and to update you on our progress as we move the proposal forward.  Make it a great week.

Sincerely,

Stan W. Heffner

Note: Below are news items of interest to all superintendents and principals. Please share these items as appropriate with other suggested educators who will benefit from the information.

For school superintendents and treasurers – Jan. 31 webcast to provide overview of Ohio’s RttT Early Learning Challenge Grant, Webcast on Ohio’s Transition to Next Generation Assessments scheduled Feb. 1, RttT Value-Added mini-grants announced

For curriculum directors, teachers, intervention specialists, gifted coordinators and counselors –Body Mass Index Screening Webinar scheduled for Jan. 25, Conference call scheduled for Spanish Visiting Teacher Program on Jan. 26

Good news for everyone – Greentree Health Science Academy offers academic and technical skills with real-work environment

For school superintendents and treasurers

Jan. 31 webcast to provide overview of Ohio’s RttT Early Learning Challenge Grant 
The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning and School Readiness (OELS&R) in collaboration with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) will present a webcast on Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 1-3 p.m., about Ohio’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant. The webcast is open to anyone interested and involved with early learning and development systems from birth to kindergarten entry. Stephanie Siddens, OEL&SR director and Alicia Leatherman, deputy director for child care at ODJFS, will provide an overview of the grant and the ways that it will benefit the early childhood community.Registration is required. The webcast will be recorded and posted for those not available on Jan. 31.  Please contact ODE at ELSR@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 995-9974 with additional questions. A webcast is technology in which you see and hear the presentation on a computer.

Webcast on Ohio’s Transition to Next Generation Assessments scheduled Feb. 1  

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, ODE and PARCC Assessment consortium staff will host a joint webcast on the PARCC consortia assessment development from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Ohio has become a full member of PARCC, a consortium of states working collaboratively to develop common K-12 assessments in English and math aligned to the Common Core State Standards, anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. A webcast is technology in which you see and hear the presentation on a computer. Participants must register for this free webcast. The webcast will be recorded and posted on the ODE website following the live session. 

RttT Value-Added mini-grants announced

Thirteen Ohio school districts have been awarded more than $82,000 in mini-grants to expand teacher Value-Added beyond the tested grades and subjects. The mini-grants were part of Ohio’s Race to the Top (RttT) application. Under HB 153, 50 percent of teacher evaluations must include measures of student growth, with Teacher Value-Added included when available.

The Round 1 competition (for testing in Spring 2012) focused on LEAs who currently participate in an extended testing regimen that is used to produce a SAS® Value-Added measure with the Terra Nova and ACT End-of-Course assessments. Round 1 winners are:

The Round 2 competition (for testing in Spring 2013), is scheduled to be released later in 2012, will provide competitive opportunities for all RttT LEAs to implement an extended testing regimen to produce teacher Value-Added measures with additional assessments.

For curriculum directors, administrators, teachers, intervention specialists, gifted coordinators and counselors

Body Mass Index Screening Webinar scheduled for Jan. 25

ODE and the Ohio Department of Health will conduct a two-part webinar to provide information and technical assistance about the Body Mass Index (BMI) screening process, as well as data collection and submission procedures.

The first webinar will be conducted on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 3 – 4 p.m. A second webinar will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 3 – 4 p.m. to address the significance of conducting BMI screenings for schools, families and communities. This webinar will also highlight resources, support services and next steps. These webinars are open to all school nurses, administrators, school board members and other school personnel directly involved in the screening process.

Attendance for all events is free, but participants must register through STARS, which is accessible through their SAFE accounts. Search keyword: BMI in the Event search.

Conference call scheduled for Spanish Visiting Teacher Program on Jan. 26

Do you anticipate the need for Spanish teachers during next school year or beyond? Educators who wish to staff a Spanish language immersion program or expose their students to a native speaker and cultural expert are encouraged to learn about the Spanish Visiting Teacher Program during an ODE conference call on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Participants will learn about the memorandum of understanding that facilitates the placement of visiting Spanish language teachers in Ohio schools.

To register for the conference call please contact Ryan Wertz at ryan.wertz@ode.state.oh.us.  For more information about the program, application deadlines and instructions on how to join the conference call, click here.

Good news for everyone

Greentree Health Science Academy offers academic and technical skills with real-work environment

Patience, collaboration and flexibility were three key requirements for the launch of southwestern Ohio’s Greentree Health Science Academy that is at mid-year of its first year with high school, adult workforce and college students. Warren County Career Center Superintendent Maggie Hess points to Atrium Hospital as the driver, the city of Middletown as the financier and the educators – WCCC, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Miami University – as the curriculum builders. Greentree serves as a model of rigorous academic and technical knowledge and skills embedded in a real-work environment.

Partners for Greentree will be among presenters at the fifth annual Ohio Economic-Education Summit in Columbus on March 7. To read more about this industry-driven model of education, click here.

ODE is interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

Follow our new Facebook page for Ohio families by clicking here.

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 17, 2012

For more information contact: 
Susan Firey, Director of Communications 
(202) 429-2236

BAEO TO SPOTLIGHT ED REFORM CHAMPIONS UNDER 40

WASHINGTON - The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) announced today a new initiative to honor and encourage up-and-coming Black leaders in the education reform movement. Ed Reform Champions Under 40 will offer a yearly roster of young Black leaders advancing BAEO's mission of increasing access to high-quality educational options for low-income and working-class Black families.

Through its website, the organization is soliciting nominations of parents, educators, clergy, elected officials, and philanthropists who are making a significant impact on the movement; effective leaders of charter schools, advocacy organizations, and grassroots groups; and those shaping the critical discussions around education reform as journalists or thought leaders. Interested parties may nominate themselves or other Ed Reform Champions Under 40 by completing a questionnaire summarizing their achievements.

The timing of the initiative's launch, on the heels of Martin Luther King Day, is appropriate, said BAEO president Kenneth Campbell: "Dr. King has become so large in our national conscience, it's easy to forget that he accomplished all he did before his fortieth birthday. Education reform is the newest front of the civil rights movement, and many extraordinary young men and women have picked up the mantle of leadership and they're moving our cause forward."

This year's nominations period will close Tuesday, February 14, and honorees will be notified by February 21. BAEO will announce the 2012 honorees on its website and honor the top five nominees on March 1, at a special reception at the organization's Annual Symposium in Washington D.C. The Symposium is the nation's largest gathering of Black supporters of parental choice and other reforms that expand access to quality educational options.

Rocketship Education has partnered with BAEO as the inaugural sponsor of Ed Reform Champions under 40. Rocketship Education is a leading hybrid charter school network dedicated to eliminating the achievement gap.

Dr. Robert Sommers Leaving Kasich Administration

Education "czar" for the Kasich administration, Robert Sommers, will be leaving his position as head of the Governor's Office of 21st Century Education effective Jan. 31, Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols confirmed for Hannah News Tuesday night. He will be starting a consulting firm called  Student Minded Schools.

Bob Sommers has been a stalwart supporter of strong school choice options for Ohio’s parents and students.  The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools wishes him well in his new enterprise.

Good afternoon:

Two reports issued last week measure Ohio’s education performance and tell us where we should continue to focus our improvement and reform efforts.

Quality Counts 2012

Education Week’s Quality Counts 2012 report, released January 12, ranks Ohio’s public education system 10^th in the nation, up from 11^th in 2011, even though the state’s overall “grade” dropped from a B- in 2011 to a C+ this year. Education Week tracks states in six key education areas to calculate state scores and a national score. The nation as a whole received a C.

Ohio continues to get high marks for its work in Standards, Assessments and Accountability, earning a grade of "A" and ranking 4^th among the states. We received lower marks for the number of eligible children who attend preschool, the percentage of eligible students enrolled in kindergarten, the number of students proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the closing of some achievement gaps, the lack of a basic skills test for new teachers, incentives for teachers to take on tough assignments in targeted schools, time set aside by districts for professional development activities, and the disparity in spending between wealthy and poor districts.

Report findings related to preschool and kindergarten attendance confirm the importance of our recent receipt of a $70 million Race to the Top Early Learning Grant. Much of the work done under that grant will ensure that preschool and kindergarten are available to traditionally underserved families.

For additional information on the Quality Counts report, click here. 

Race to the Top: Ohio Report, Year One

A report on Ohio’s first year Race to the Top (RttT) work issued by the U.S. Department of Education last week also gives Ohio high marks and prompted positive comments from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.“Ohio is in really good shape,” Duncan told the Columbus Dispatch. “Our team is encouraged by the commitment and by the progress. There’s still a long way to go, but there’s been a good working relationship.”

The U.S. Department of Education issued performance reports for each of the 12 RttT states, providing summaries of progress in the four assurance areas: raising academic standards, building robust data systems to improve instruction, supporting great teachers and school leaders and turning around persistently low-performing schools.

The report gave Ohio good marks for our work to build capacity for statewide education reform, raising academic standards, improving teacher quality, turning around low-performing schools, investing in innovation and leveraging resources to improve rural schools.

 Click here to see ODE’s news release highlighting major year-one achievements, and see the full report for more extensive details.

While the Quality Counts and RttT reports confirm that Ohio has much work ahead of it, I believe we have a well-defined roadmap and the collective will to succeed.

Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of Ohio’s students. Make it a great week.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Stan W. Heffner

Note: Below are news items of interest to all superintendents and principals. Please share these items as appropriate with other suggested educators who will benefit from the information.

For school superintendents and treasurers – USDOE collects civil rights data from LEAs; Register now for Common Core Conference; Ohio Teacher of the Year nominations are now being accepted;

For curriculum directors, administrators and teachers – Register Now for Health Education Workshop; Teaching in Taiwan opportunity open to elementary and middle school teachers; Physical education evaluation training workshops scheduled for January and February; Healthy School Leadership Institute grant opportunity; Save the Date for the Coordinated School Health Conference                                                                         

Good news for everyone – Brunswick student wins 2011 Wendy’s High School Heisman

For school superintendents and treasurers

USDOE collects civil rights data from LEAs

Every two years, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) conducts a Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) from a large sample of districts in each state. Approximately every 10 years, USDOE conducts a Civil Rights Data Collection from all districts.  Last week, USDOE sent a letter to the superintendent of each LEA that is expected to complete the Civil Rights Data Collection for school year 2011-2012. The letter contains a unique identification and password that district personnel must use to login here and begin the data input process. Selected districts will work directly with USDOE. Many districts should be familiar with the CDRC because they are in the sample every two years. The purpose of the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection is to obtain data related to the nation's public school districts’ and elementary and secondary schools’ obligation to provide equal educational opportunity.

To fulfill this goal, the CRDC collects a variety of information, including student enrollment and educational programs and services data, that are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, limited English proficiency and disability. The CRDC is a longstanding and important aspect of the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) overall strategy for administering and enforcing the civil rights statutes for which it is responsible. This information is also used for policymaking by other USDOE offices, other federal agencies and researchers outside of USDOE.  It is essential that each LEA provide/verify their LEA profile information, including contact personnel and school identification. The superintendent must complete the requested profile update or promptly provide this information to the designated office or staff person who will be responsible for responding to the survey.

Register now for Common Core Conference

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is hosting  a conference about Ohio’s adoption and implementation of the Common Core Academic Standards on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (Rooms B200-201). 

Academic content standards define what students should know and be able to do, and provide guidance to teachers and schools on content and instruction.  Ohio’s schools will soon move from the current standards in mathematics and English language arts to more rigorous standards developed and embraced by a consortium of states.  For more information or to register, click here.  Space is limited; please register by February 8. With questions, please call 614-223-1580 or email OhioRSVP@edexcellence.net.

This event is presented free of charge with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Co-hosts include the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Ohio Grantmakers Forum, and Achieve, in conjunction withKidsOhio.org, the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy, and Ohio Education Matters.

Ohio Teacher of the Year nominations are now being accepted

Superintendents and principals are encouraged to nominate a deserving teacher from their district for the 2012-2013 Ohio Teacher of the Year award. The Ohio Teacher of the Year program is designed to honor, promote and celebrate excellence in teaching and the teaching profession. Each nominee must be a PK-12 classroom teacher who is engaged in the direct teaching of students and plans to continue in an active teaching role. He or she must be an exemplary educator who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership to classroom, school and community activities.

The program recently has been redesigned for Ohio with four major differences from past years: 

• The timeframe for nominations and applications has been changed. Nominations open Jan. 6 and applications must be completed no later than April 27, 2012;
• The application asks for data/evidence to substantiate student learning;
• Only principals and superintendents may nominate a teacher for this prestigious honor; and,
• Only one nominee per district will be considered. If more than one nominee is recommended, the district is responsible for choosing a nominee who will represent the district

To review this program and nominate a teacher, please click here.

For curriculum directors, administrators and teachers

Register now for Health Education Workshop 

The Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Department of Health and Buckeye Healthy Schools Alliance are sponsoring a two-day health education workshop for middle and high school health teachers. This

Workshop, held at the Hamilton County Public Health Department in Cincinnati, is set up as two interactive training sessions designed to teach educators to develop curriculum, teaching units and lesson plans that focus on building the critical thinking and decision making skills students need to establish good health behaviors. Facilitators for the workshop are Dr. Susan Telljohann and Dr. Joseph Dake of the University of Toledo. Participants will meet Feb. 24 to learn how to incorporate characteristics of effective health programs into their health curriculum/units/lesson plans then go back to their classrooms to implement and test these strategies. Participants will then come back together on March 30 to discuss lessons learned and work through challenges in their classrooms.

The cost to attend this workshop is $20 which includes lunch for both days and all workshop materials.

Space is limited and registration is required. Click here to register. The registration deadline is Feb.15. Please note that participants must attend both sessions. For questions, please contact Dawn Ayres, Office of Family and Community Support, at Dawn.Ayres@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 466-9271.

Teaching in Taiwan opportunity open to elementary and middle school teachers                                                                               

Through a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, Ohio teachers have the opportunity to spend a year living and teaching English in Taiwan. The Ohio Department of Education invites new and experienced elementary and middle school teachers to apply to participate in the Teaching in Taiwan program for the 2012-2013 school year.  The deadline for applying is Friday, April 6, 2012.  More information is available here, or by contacting Dwight Groce at dwight.groce@ode.state.oh.us.

Physical education evaluation training workshops scheduled for January and February

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has developed a physical education evaluation instrument to help teachers determine if the benchmarks required by law are being met. Senate Bill 210 identifies four components that will make up a measure which will be posted on the local and state report card. Those components are benchmark evaluation, BMI, physical activity and compliance with local wellness policy.

One part of the law will measure student success in meeting the benchmarks contained in the Physical Education Academic Content Standards. To help educators learn more about the physical education evaluation, ODE will hold the following free workshops:

• Friday, Jan. 20 – Wright State University, Nutter Center;

• Friday, Feb. 3 – Miami County ESC;
• Tuesday, Feb. 14 – Northwest Ohio ESC;
• Wednesday, Feb. 15 – Muskingum Valley ESC;
• Thursday, Feb. 16 – Hancock County Agricultural Service Center;
• Friday, Feb. 17 – Butler County ESC.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Individuals must register through STARS by using the SAFE sign-in. Additional workshops will be offered throughout the spring. For more information, see the calendar link on the ODE home page or contact Lisa Lyle Henry at lisa.henry@ode.state.oh.us.

Healthy School Leadership Institute grant opportunity announced

ODE, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health, has posted a Request for Application for the Healthy School Leadership Institute. The two-year Institute is designed to:

• Build districts’ capacity for data-based decision making and planning for sustainable changes that will improve learning and health outcomes;
• Integrate strategies that meet students’ physical, social and emotional needs into the school improvement plan; and
• Establish benchmarks that can document progress toward improved health and academic outcomes.

The application will be posted this week here.

Save the Date for the Coordinated School Health Conference

The 2012 Coordinated School Health Conference is scheduled for June 25-27, 2012. The conference theme, agenda and location are forthcoming.

Good news for everyone

Brunswick student wins 2011 Wendy’s High School Heisman

Congratulations are in order for Selena Pasadyn, who was named the female winner of the 2011 Wendy’s High School Heisman last month in New York City. Selena, a senior at Brunswick High School, was one of 48,000 applicants for the award and is the youngest recipient in the 18-year history of the award.

The award judges students on both their academic and athletic achievements, as well as their community service. The 16-year-old holds the school record for Ohio’s Division 1 cross country state meet and is a four-year member of the varsity swim team. In addition, she carries a 4.7 grade point average and earned perfect ACT and SAT scores in mathematics. After high school, she is considering a career in medicine and plans to run cross country, as well as track and field, in college.

Her community involvement includes volunteering at Medina General Hospital, where her father is a registered nurse. She is an altar server at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hinckley and teaches vacation Bible school.

Because of her selection, Wendy’s is donating $10,000 to Brunswick High School, in addition to the $2,000 it donated when she was named a finalist for the award.

ODE is interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

Follow our new Facebook page for Ohio families by clicking here.

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.

Dear J. Leonard:
Symposium 2012 is just 44 days away and early early bird registration rates expire on Friday! Save money and be eligible for early registration prizes by registering today!

For the first time, the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) will merge its Annual Symposium and the elected officials' Annual Seminar for Educational Policy and Parental Choice into one empowering event.  
On March 1-3, BAEO will convene its members, supporters, and allies at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC to discuss our victories, challenges and the strategies and tactics to achieve our mission:
To increase access to high-quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower low-income and working class Black families.
Our theme this year is A Dozen Years of Advocacy: What's Next?
Register today by clicking the "yes" button below!  As a registered participant, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Visit high-performing Black-led charter schools to observe high-quality options in action.
• Learn how to sustain and replicate high-quality Black-led charter schools.
• Participate in the return of the Bailey-Sullivan Leadership Institute to the Symposium program.
• Experience the enhanced participation of Black elected officials.
• Understand the teaching strategies of reading, science and character education programs that close the achievement gap.
• Celebrate how BAEO members, supporters, and allies in BAEO chapter, mobilization and advocacy sites enact, expand and protect parental choice legislation.
• Network with fellow participants, while enjoying the cultural offerings of our nation’s capital.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at Symposium 2012!

For the children,


View Symposium Agenda

Please respond by clicking one of the buttons below

You work hard to make your classes effective and engaging for your students.  We appreciate great teachers like you - and we'd like to say thank you!   

1. Place ANY order before January 31 and you'll be  entered to win a $200 Visa gift card!   

Place any order for print Curriculum Units between January 13 and January 31, 2012 and you'll be entered into this exciting drawing. Choose from our extensive assortment of titles in Language Arts, AP History, novels, dramas - and you could win a mini-shopping spree for yourself.  You deserve it -- shop our Web site now.

2. Get a free $10 Visa gift card with any order of two or more print Curriculum Units. 

This is a great opportunity to stock up for next semester or even next year.  Download our Fall Catalog to browse our complete selection.

Act fast, though. These special offers end January 31!

Don't forget our newly updatednovels and dramas.  

A Doll's House 
Animal Farm 
Hiroshima 
Night
The Outsiders 
A Streetcar Named Desire

Visit our Web site
to order

1.800.767.9090 to order by phone.  

The Kathe Shelby Leadership Award has been developed by the Ohio Department of Education's Office for Exceptional Children (ODE/OEC) to honor Kathe for her ardent efforts and passion in advocating for the improvement of the education of children with special needs in Ohio. The first of what will become an annual award to the Outstanding Special Education Leader in Ohiowill be made at Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference on September 26-27, 2012 at the Columbus Convention Center.

The Kathe Shelby Leadership Award will be presented to an Outstanding Special Education Leader in Ohio currently employed who has demonstrated exceptional and effective skills in improving the quality of special education programming for Ohio's school children. Each nominee should display daily evidence of initiative, influence, and respect towards children with special needs, their parents, special and regular education teachers, related services personnel, and school administrators. Each nominee should demonstrate excellence in providing high educational quality as well as express a genuine concern for the well-being of all children with special needs. The nomination form for the Award is available here. The deadline to submit nominations isMarch 30, 2012.

Kathe Shelby was the Director of OEC from September 2008 until her untimely death in August of 2011. In addition to her main responsibilities to ensure that the requirements of federal and state laws regarding serving children with special needs were carried out throughout Ohio, Kathe worked closely with the State Support Teams (SSTs) and other OEC-sponsored organizations charged with a variety of professional development activities related to supporting exceptional children. Kathe reached out to and took the time to meet with hundreds of people throughout Ohio as she traveled the state to carry the message that all children can learn and make progress. Kathe was elected to the Board of the National Association of Special Education Directors (NASDSE) after being a State Director for less than three years, a very unusual feat.

Prior to becoming Director of OEC, Kathe was the director of the State Support Team in Region 3, previously known as the Cuyahoga Special Education Regional Resource Center (SERRC). Kathe's entire professional career was devoted to supporting the education of children with special needs with the hope that their lives beyond school would be more satisfying and productive for them. Her work with OEC allowed her to carry out her work on a statewide basis.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
January 12, 2012
Contact: Susan Firey
susan@baeo.org
717.623.6574  

Kevin P. Chavous to Keynote Indiana MLK Event

Washington, D.C. -The Indiana Civil Rights Commission and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission announced today plans to celebrate the King Holiday in January. In addition to the 21^stAnnual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration and Youth Summit on January 12^th, the Commissions have announced a Day of Service on January 13th.

Sponsors of the Day of Service include the City of Indianpolis, Indy Parks and Indiana Black Expo. The groups will target IPS schools 42 and 44 and the Flanner House. Click here for more information about the King Day of Service.

"Dr. King believed strongly in community service projects," said Jamal Smith, Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission." That's why I am so excited about the Day of Service which places a heavy emphasis on giving back to the community."

More than 500 students from across the state, grades 6-8, will take part in the 21^st Annual Dr. King Youth Summit on Thursday, January 12^th. Students will begin their journey in theIndiana State Museum where they will take part in interactive programming and listen to famous speeches by Dr. King. Students will then travel across West Street for the Statehouse program.

The Statehouse program, which is free and open to the public, is expected to bring together more than 600 students, state employees, local and state government officials, human rights agencies and Indiana residents from across the state to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kevin Chavous, a native of Indianapolis and Chairman of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), will deliver the keynote address. There will also be remarks by Governor Mitch Daniels and the presentation of four awards. The awards ceremony will be highlighted by the Passing the Torch award which will be given, along with a $500 college scholarship, to the winner of the Art, Writing and Multimedia Contest sponsored by the Indiana Black Expo.

"The Art, Writing and Multimedia Contest requires students to select a medium to highlight a community service project they are currently or have been a part of," added Smith. "The winner of this contest will have demonstrated not only excellent community responsibility but artistic talent."

For more information about the 21^st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration and Youth Summit, or to find out more about the Day of Service and volunteer opportunities in your area, visit www.in.gov/icrc or call (800) 628-2909.

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission enforces the Indiana civil rights laws and provides education and services to the public in an effort to ensure equal opportunity for all Hoosiers and visitors to the State of Indiana. For more information on the Indiana Civil Rights Commission visit: www.in.gov/icrc.

 
 Update on BMI Screenings: Schools Must Notify Parents of Screening Program by February 1
All Ohio school districts, brick-and-mortar community schools, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools are required by law to establish Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category screening programs for students in kindergarten and grades 3, 5, and 9.  Charter schools that serve students in these grades must establish BMI screening programs unless they are e-schools or if they apply for a waiver from the Ohio Department of Education.   The recent budget bill, Sub HB 153, included a provision to repeal the BMI screenings, but the provision was vetoed by Governor Kasich, who expressed concern about the public health problem posed by childhood obesity.
A school can waive out of the required screenings by submitting an affidavit stating that it is unable to comply with the requirements.  The affidavit must be attested to by the president or presiding officer of the board of education or school governing authority.  The state Superintendent must grant the waiver upon receipt of the affidavit
For schools that have not applied for the waiver and who serve students in a required grade, parents must be notified about the screening by February 1.  The school can provide the BMI screenings themselves, contract with another entity for the provision of the screenings, or request the student’s parent to obtain the screening from a provider selected by the parent, who then submits the results to the school.  If the school provides the screenings, it must protect student privacy by ensuring that each student is screened alone and not in the presence of other students or staff.
Parents must also be given the opportunity to opt their child out of the screening.  A parent wishing to do so must submit a signed statement to the school indicating his or her wish to not have the child screened.  
The Ohio Department of Education recently published its annual report detailing how schools and districts have complied with the BMI screenings.  In 2011, ODE received BMI screening data from 17 charter schools, and it received waiver submissions from 59 charter schools.
For more information, contact OAPCS’ Vice President of Legal and Legislative Affairs, Stephanie Klupinski, at 614-744-2266, ext, 203, or visit this website: ODE Information on BMI Screening.

Dear J. Leonard:
For the first time, the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) will merge its Annual Symposium and the elected officials' Annual Seminar for Educational Policy and Parental Choice into one empowering event.  
On March 1-3, BAEO will convene its members, supporters, and allies at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC to discuss our victories, challenges and the strategies and tactics to achieve our mission:
To increase access to high-quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower low-income and working class Black families.
Our theme this year is A Dozen Years of Advocacy: What's Next?
Register today by clicking the "yes" button below!  As a registered participant, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Visit high-performing Black-led charter schools to observe high-quality options in action.
• Learn how to sustain and replicate high-quality Black-led charter schools.
• Participate in the return of the Bailey-Sullivan Leadership Institute to the Symposium program.
• Experience the enhanced participation of Black elected officials.
• Understand the teaching strategies of reading, science and character education programs that close the achievement gap.
• Celebrate how BAEO members, supporters, and allies in BAEO chapter, mobilization and advocacy sites enact, expand and protect parental choice legislation.
• Network with fellow participants, while enjoying the cultural offerings of our nation’s capital.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at Symposium 2012!

For the children,


View Symposium Agenda

Please respond by clicking one of the buttons below

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
January 9, 2012
Contact: Susan Firey
susan@baeo.org
717.623.6574  

Black Alliance for Educational Options Weighs in on Illinois School District ZIP Code Controversy

Washington, D.C. - In just a few hours, the Beach Park, Illinois School Board will meet to formally consider action against Annette Callahan - a mother accused of falsifying residency records in order to send her children to Beach Park Schools.

Annette Callahan and her former husband Samuel Callahan live in Waukegan and Beach Park, Illinois, respectively.  The Callahans share custody of their children, and since both mother and father have the Callahan children listed on their leases, they chose to send their children to the higher performing schools in Beach Park.  The children have had great success in the district, performing at or above grade level in many subjects.  But in a story that has become all too familiar and far too common, the Callahans now face potential criminal charges, accused of stealing an education by sending their children to an "out of district" school, despite the fact that the children's father is a taxpaying resident of Beach Park.

Over the past two months, the District has used the threat of legal action to force Ms. Callahan to remove her children from district schools.  However, Ms. Callahan is standing firm on principle, and BAEO is proud to stand with her, and with countless other parents across this country whose children are locked in underperforming and often dangerous schools.  We are more firm than ever in our belief that we should not live in an America in which parents -- desperate to ensure that their children receive a quality education -- have no option other than to defy district policies and in some cases circumvent state and local law. Wanting what's best for one's children shouldn't be a crime.

The actions of courageous parents like Ms. Callahan and Akron, Ohio's Kelley Williams-Bolar before her are indicative of a growing trend in the push to reform American schools.  More and more, parents are injecting themselves into the discussion, and it is becoming increasingly clear that they are fed up.  Through the formation of parent unions that advocate on behalf of parents, and with the adoption of parent trigger laws that allow parents to forcibly overhaul their schools, parents are coming together and demanding change.  The emergence of this new "parent power" movement has the potential to shake the foundation of our education establishment to its core. The establishment would do well to take note.

We at BAEO believe that it also important to note that the emergence of this new parent power movement turns on its head the notion that all of the problems in public education can be traced back to complacent parents.  Parents' desire and drive to improve the lives of their kids is universal, and over and over we see that parents (no matter their income level) will stop at nothing to find the right school for their children.

Now is the time to change the education landscapWe at BAEO believe that it also important to note that the emergence of this new parent power movement turns on its head the notion that all of the problems in public education can be traced back to complacent parents.  Parents' desire and drive to improve the lives of their kids is universal, and over and over we see that parents (no matter their income level) will stop at nothing to find the right school for their children.e and extend the promise of an excellent education to families in Illinois and across this nation. A real chance at the American dream should not depend on one's ZIP code or the size of one's bank account.  Let's start demanding action for parental choice so that every child has access to high-quality education options.

Jan. 9, 2012

Good morning:
I hope you all had a great holiday season with your family and friends. The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect on what you have accomplished and look forward to what lies ahead. As always, this next year promises to bring lots of excitement and change, as well as challenges.
As the new year begins, Ohio plans to apply for a waiver to provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as No Child Left Behind. Although it has been acknowledged that several provisions within the law need some fine-tuning, the ESEA has not been revisited since it was first enacted in 2001.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has invited states to apply for waivers and Ohio plans to take advantage of this opportunity. This is our chance to determine what will work best for our children. We know that we have to increase our performance levels, while showing greater transparency and accountability. At the same time, we hope to provide districts with greater flexibility in how they get their results. Three primary areas of the waiver request will include a redesign of the accountability system, consolidation of plans for and use of federal title dollars into a single plan, more flexibility for low-performing schools to improve student achievement, and greater district control over use of Supplemental Education Services (SES) money to provide tutoring to disadvantaged students.

We plan to file our waiver proposal by Feb. 18. Since we see the need for change in a number of areas, we will file a single plan that will describe how we will pool a number of federal funding sources to deliver on results.

Your suggestions on what the waiver needs to contain are important for us to hear. For more information about the waiver, click here. Please submit your comments and suggestions to eseawaiver@ode.state.oh.us.

Thank you for your continuing hard work on behalf of Ohio’s students. Make it a great week.

Sincerely,

Stan W. Heffner

Note: Below are news items of interest to all superintendents and principals. Please share these items as appropriate with other suggested educators who will benefit from the information.

For school superintendents and treasurers – Revised Standards and Model Curricula meetings underway
For curriculum directors, administrators and teachers – Apply now for free SPARK physical education training; Fifth-grade submissions to Amber Alert poster contest due Feb. 1

Good news for everyone – Miami Valley CTC shows how high school workplace readiness starts for small business

For school superintendents and treasurers
Revised Standards and Model Curricula meetings underway
Focus Two of the targeted professional development meetings on the revised standards and model curricula rollout have begun. These after-school workshops will run through May and are designed to help educators respond to Ohio’s revised academic content standards and model curricula in social studies, English language arts, mathematics and science. Participants will take a deeper look at the 2010 revised standards and how to transition from the 2002 standards. Registrants should plan to take one workshop session in each of the subject areas they teach.

Registration is available in STARS by searching keywords: targeted professional development. Participants should download materials needed for the meetings from ODE’s Academic Content Standards section by visiting their specific content area (accessible through links at left) and opening the relevant Targeted Professional Development page. The Academic Content Standards section also is accessible at the bottom of ODE’s home page under the Educators heading. Contact hours will be awarded for attendance. For questions about registration, contact lisa.simpson@ode.state.oh.us.

For those who were unable to attend the Focus 1 sessions, the PowerPoint and all materials/activities also are available on the ODE Web site in the same location. Webcasts that simulate the meeting experience also will be available later this month.

For curriculum directors, administrators and teachers

Apply now for free SPARK physical education training
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is offering 40 middle school physical education teachers in selected counties two full days of training in the Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK)  PE curriculum on Jan. 23 and 24 in Dublin, Ohio. The application deadline is Jan. 18, 2012.

The grant is designed to reduce risk factors, prevent/delay chronic disease, promote wellness in children and adults, and provide positive, sustainable health change in schools and communities. ODE is collaborating with the Ohio Department of Health on the initiative and the Centers for Disease Control.

Participants will be required to implement the SPARK curriculum during the 2011-2012 school year. The training and materials are free and $100 is available to the district for a substitute teacher for each day of the training. For more information and the training application, click here.

Fifth-grade submissions to Amber Alert poster contest due Feb. 1
In September, Ohio’s Missing Children’s Clearinghouse in the Ohio Attorney General’s office sent all elementary principals a mailing regarding a state and national poster contest for fifth-grade students.

The contest deadline is Feb. 1 for Ohio schools to submit their best poster. The Attorney General’s office will select a state winner to send to the national sponsor, the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). Ohio elementary schools can encourage all their children to practice safety tips by conducting local contests and incorporating related lesson plans into the curriculum.

Contest rules, application and resources are available here. The site also provides prevention tips and notes for parents. Questions may be directed to Vicki Germann at vicki.germann@ohioattorneygeneral.gov or by calling (800) 325‐5604 or (614) 466‐1711.

Good news for everyone

Miami Valley CTC shows how high school workplace readiness starts for small business
Miami Valley Career and Technology Center (CTC) in Montgomery County took a risk this fall and became the first to implement Ohio’s new Entrepreneurship Pathway standards into a two-year high school program. The 36 juniors and seniors are doing research and writing business plans along with applications of real-work experiences for business start-ups in such areas as health fitness, accounting and daycare. The success in this second year of the Business Ownership Tech Prep program is due in large part of planning and on-going collaboration with Sinclair Community College and with on-site business partnership with FirstDay Federal Credit Union.

A team from the center will be among presenters at the Ohio Economic-Education Summit on March 7, 2012, in Columbus. To read more about this example of career education, check out the feature story on the Ohio Department of Education Web.

ODE is interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

Follow our new Facebook page for Ohio families by clicking here.

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.

Office for Exceptional Children (January 2012)

Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference

The Ohio Department of Education's Office for Exceptional Children announces the Call for Presenters for Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference that will be held on September 26-27, 2012 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The 2012 Special Education Leadership Conference theme is Closing the Achievement Gap and the overarching focus is "Show Me What Works!" to improve reading, math, and behavior results for children with disabilities. This call for proposals is an invitation to local districts where children with disabilities are making progress in reading and math and where behavior is not holding them back. Proposals should describe research-based effective programs and practices that are contributing to this improvement and must include child performance data to show that the efforts are resulting in improved performance. Proposals from Institutions of Higher Education that are involved in preparing special education administrators and teachers are also welcome.
Conference Program
The conference program will include:

• Poster sessions (Specified time blocks) focused on instructional research, instructional strategies, and effective practices.
• Concurrent sessions (75 minute blocks) focused on demonstrations of instructional practice and specialized instruction; and
• Lecture: (75 minute blocks) focused on individual presentations on a specific topic. Interaction in this format is typically limited to questions and answers.

Time Lines for Proposals
The deadline for submitting a proposal application is February 10, 2012. Notification regarding proposal acceptance will be no later than March 2, 2012.
Proposal Requirements
Proposal requirements are described in the attached document.
Questions
For questions, contact Caroline Coston via email at coston-robinson.1@osu.edu.

Office for Exceptional Children (January 2012)

Video conferences planned for community school sponsors and administrators in January

Community school sponsors and administrators should plan to attend two January video conferences, both part of a series designed to support community school and student success.
The first, to be held Jan. 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m., will help participants understand Ohio’s revised academic content standards.
Community school special education supervisors and teachers, in addition to sponsors, are encouraged to attend the second session, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 31, in which Office for Exceptional Children staff will explain the Comprehensive Monitoring System for Continuous Improvement process.
The Office of Community Schools will email session locations and details to sponsors and community schools in early January. Participants may then register in STARS using the keywords: community schools. Please direct questions to Paul Preston at paul.preston@ode.state.oh.us.
OLAC Action Forum January 24, 2012: Registration ends January 13, 2012

Deadline for Registration: January 13, 2012

Join the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council's third annual Action Forum: Leading with Focus, by registering today!
www.ohioleadership.org/events
Event Details:
January 24, 2012 - 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Crowne Plaza North - Columbus, Ohio
This year's event is designed to help you gain clarity around key issues that impact educators across the state. You will also gain a more in-depth understanding of the OLAC online learning modules and how they can support your work.
Engage in the Focus Zones: During the forum, you'll be invited to take part in engaging Focus Zone sessions about the following topics:
Teacher-Based Teams in Action -The goal in Ohio is for district and building leadership teams and teacher-based teams to operate collaboratively with a high level of effectiveness. During these sessions, TBT members representing elementary, middle, and high school perspectives will share their own experiences to help other schools learn from their successes and challenges. Specifically, they will focus on cross-content teams, scheduling, how to use data to guide instructional decisions, and relationships between TBTs, BLTs and DLTs.
Successfully Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards-The Common Core State Standards provide coherence in academic expectations for students, teachers, and education systems by identifying what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Transition to the standards promises to be a significant undertaking, requiring collaboration and leadership at all levels. Come to this session to learn how educators can work together to understand the standards and to develop a plan for implementation that will ensure clarity and rigor to lead students to college- and career-readiness.
FIP Your School: Support for Embracing Formative Instructional Practices-Powered by Race to the Top, FIP Your School is designed to make every school in Ohio a FIP School - a school thats embraced formative instructional practices as part of its culture. Attend this session to learn more about: what it means to become a FIP School; how formative instructional practices benefit teachers, leaders, students, and parents; what free training and resources are provided by FIP Your School to support your district/LEA; and how you can join FIP Your School and begin your journey to becoming a FIP school.
What Every School Leader Needs to Know About Teacher-Level Value-Added Reports-With a thorough understanding of how value-added analysis and teacher-level reports fit into Ohios educational landscape, successes can be celebrated, strengths can be leveraged, and challenges can be addressed. Engage in honest discussion about the cultural implications of teacher-level value-added reports and how educators can harness the information in these reports for school improvement. Attendees will work through interactive scenarios that explore how teacher-level value-added reports impact a variety of audiences, from teachers to union representatives to community members.
Ohio Evaluation Models-Evaluations should help create high-quality schools by fostering and developing effective leadership at every level of the school system. At this session, participants will examine the systems created by the state of Ohio to evaluate administrators and teachers: the Ohio Superintendent Evaluation System (OSES), the Ohio Principal Evaluation System (OPES), and the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES). Participants will learn about the components of each system, how they can benefit districts/LEAs, and how these systems connect to Race to the Top.
Effective Leadership and Shared Accountability-During this session, participants will explore the critical relationship between leadership and shared accountability. Specifically, they will address the roles and responsibilities of teams (DLTs, BLTs, and TBTs) and how to develop shared accountability not only for outcomes but also for the systems, supports and adult actions that lead to these outcomes.
For more information contact Cortney Dziak at (614) 481-3141 or visit www.ohioleadership.org/events.
Free Webinar from the Personnel Improvement Center: Preparing Qualified Adapted Physical Educators: Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities-January 27, 2012 @ 2:00pm ET

Physical education for students with disabilities is a required and important part of special education federal law. Measurable and meaningful outcomes for students with disabilities in well-designed programs include physical, motor, health, behavioral and social skill improvements. Instruction to meet these needs takes place in a variety of settings or placements. The purpose of the webinar is to present the current status of adapted physical education (APE) teacher preparation and to present states, LEAs and IHEs with best practice strategies for teacher preparation and service delivery. Presenters represent PK-12 schools and teacher preparation programs from several states. All IHE presenters are current or former OSEP personnel development grant directors and are intimately involved in APE teacher preparation and collaborations with PK-12 schools.
Information will focus on the roles and responsibilities of highly qualified APE teachers and what schools should look for when hiring these special education staff members.  
Webinar Objectives:  After participation, persons should be able to:Describe the role and outcomes of physical education for student with disabilities.
• Describe the preparation of effective and highly qualified APE teachers, and how states meet the manpower needs for these teachers.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of APE teachers.
• Describe service delivery models in physical education for students with disabilities.
Join the event on January 27, 2012 using the weblink and phone number below: https://tadnet.adobeconnect.com/pic
1-888-447-7153  passcode: 692934

Office for Exceptional Children (January 2012)

Video conferences planned for community school sponsors and administrators in January

Community school sponsors and administrators should plan to attend two January video conferences, both part of a series designed to support community school and student success.
The first, to be held Jan. 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m., will help participants understand Ohio’s revised academic content standards.
Community school special education supervisors and teachers, in addition to sponsors, are encouraged to attend the second session, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 31, in which Office for Exceptional Children staff will explain the Comprehensive Monitoring System for Continuous Improvement process.
The Office of Community Schools will email session locations and details to sponsors and community schools in early January. Participants may then register in STARS using the keywords: community schools. Please direct questions to Paul Preston at paul.preston@ode.state.oh.us.
OLAC Action Forum January 24, 2012: Registration ends January 13, 2012

Deadline for Registration: January 13, 2012

Join the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council's third annual Action Forum: Leading with Focus, by registering today!
www.ohioleadership.org/events
Event Details:
January 24, 2012 - 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Crowne Plaza North - Columbus, Ohio
This year's event is designed to help you gain clarity around key issues that impact educators across the state. You will also gain a more in-depth understanding of the OLAC online learning modules and how they can support your work.
Engage in the Focus Zones: During the forum, you'll be invited to take part in engaging Focus Zone sessions about the following topics:
Teacher-Based Teams in Action -The goal in Ohio is for district and building leadership teams and teacher-based teams to operate collaboratively with a high level of effectiveness. During these sessions, TBT members representing elementary, middle, and high school perspectives will share their own experiences to help other schools learn from their successes and challenges. Specifically, they will focus on cross-content teams, scheduling, how to use data to guide instructional decisions, and relationships between TBTs, BLTs and DLTs.
Successfully Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards-The Common Core State Standards provide coherence in academic expectations for students, teachers, and education systems by identifying what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Transition to the standards promises to be a significant undertaking, requiring collaboration and leadership at all levels. Come to this session to learn how educators can work together to understand the standards and to develop a plan for implementation that will ensure clarity and rigor to lead students to college- and career-readiness.
FIP Your School: Support for Embracing Formative Instructional Practices-Powered by Race to the Top, FIP Your School is designed to make every school in Ohio a FIP School - a school thats embraced formative instructional practices as part of its culture. Attend this session to learn more about: what it means to become a FIP School; how formative instructional practices benefit teachers, leaders, students, and parents; what free training and resources are provided by FIP Your School to support your district/LEA; and how you can join FIP Your School and begin your journey to becoming a FIP school.
What Every School Leader Needs to Know About Teacher-Level Value-Added Reports-With a thorough understanding of how value-added analysis and teacher-level reports fit into Ohios educational landscape, successes can be celebrated, strengths can be leveraged, and challenges can be addressed. Engage in honest discussion about the cultural implications of teacher-level value-added reports and how educators can harness the information in these reports for school improvement. Attendees will work through interactive scenarios that explore how teacher-level value-added reports impact a variety of audiences, from teachers to union representatives to community members.
Ohio Evaluation Models-Evaluations should help create high-quality schools by fostering and developing effective leadership at every level of the school system. At this session, participants will examine the systems created by the state of Ohio to evaluate administrators and teachers: the Ohio Superintendent Evaluation System (OSES), the Ohio Principal Evaluation System (OPES), and the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES). Participants will learn about the components of each system, how they can benefit districts/LEAs, and how these systems connect to Race to the Top.
Effective Leadership and Shared Accountability-During this session, participants will explore the critical relationship between leadership and shared accountability. Specifically, they will address the roles and responsibilities of teams (DLTs, BLTs, and TBTs) and how to develop shared accountability not only for outcomes but also for the systems, supports and adult actions that lead to these outcomes.
For more information contact Cortney Dziak at (614) 481-3141 or visit www.ohioleadership.org/events.
Free Webinar from the Personnel Improvement Center: Preparing Qualified Adapted Physical Educators: Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities-January 27, 2012 @ 2:00pm ET

Physical education for students with disabilities is a required and important part of special education federal law. Measurable and meaningful outcomes for students with disabilities in well-designed programs include physical, motor, health, behavioral and social skill improvements. Instruction to meet these needs takes place in a variety of settings or placements. The purpose of the webinar is to present the current status of adapted physical education (APE) teacher preparation and to present states, LEAs and IHEs with best practice strategies for teacher preparation and service delivery. Presenters represent PK-12 schools and teacher preparation programs from several states. All IHE presenters are current or former OSEP personnel development grant directors and are intimately involved in APE teacher preparation and collaborations with PK-12 schools.
Information will focus on the roles and responsibilities of highly qualified APE teachers and what schools should look for when hiring these special education staff members.  
Webinar Objectives:  After participation, persons should be able to:Describe the role and outcomes of physical education for student with disabilities.
• Describe the preparation of effective and highly qualified APE teachers, and how states meet the manpower needs for these teachers.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of APE teachers.
• Describe service delivery models in physical education for students with disabilities.
Join the event on January 27, 2012 using the weblink and phone number below: https://tadnet.adobeconnect.com/pic
1-888-447-7153  passcode: 692934