www.BalanceEducationalServices.com
The Leader in Bullying Prevention

• Staff “Nip Bullying in the Bud”   Teachers and staff gain practical knowledge on how to reduce bullying that can be quickly and easily incorporated into their existing programs.
• Bystanders Stop Bullying   Students learn to recognize the different forms of bullying, how group dynamics can lead to bullying, and how bystanders can stop bullying and relational or social aggression. 
• Parents' Prevent Bullying   Parents learn what role they play in bullying and social aggression, how to help their children make good friends, and prevent bullying from occurring.

info@BalanceEducationalServices.com
802-362-5448
www.BalanceEducationalServices.com

June 21, 2010

Good morning,

Now that summer is officially here, (the summer solstice was this morning at 7:28 a.m.) I hope that the pace of activities has slowed a bit. However, I have been in this education world long enough to know that most of us don’t seem to find much relaxation during the summer because so much work surrounds us. 

Last week, I was part of a group of four state education chiefs that met with education leaders from around the world. We met with education ministers from Hong Kong, mainland China, Zambia, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Uruguay, and the United Kingdom. Much of the conversation focused on the changing role of technology in the teaching and learning process. Almost every country was keenly intrigued about the incredible possibilities that digital learning can provide students. This conversation was placed into context, however, as the minister of education in Zambia discussed the 80,000 schools she oversees with 5,000 of them not having access to electricity. It was interesting to hear how other nations are addressing technological issues and how, despite our geographical differences, we are experiencing many of the same challenges, such as universal access to resources and integrating new technology within traditional subjects.

What was particularly intriguing about our collective sharing was the fact that all of the countries discussed the issue of teacher quality. For most of the nations, this was indicated as the number one priority and issue facing their respective country. Mush of this dialogue included the sharing of strategies in the areas of recruitment, professional development, and retention. The following topics were also addressed through conversation and presentations by researchers: innovation and creativity in an era of heightened accountability, achievement gaps, leadership, family engagement, student aspirations and the status of assessments. All participants shared their country’s current work as well as their national goals. This meeting offered a great deal of opportunities to learn from the experiences of other nations and further solidified the notion that education is an issue that cannot be addressed in isolation. We have to be willing to share and learn with one another. Most importantly, it reminded me that no one country or education organization has the “silver bullet” and that others’ struggles are our struggles. 

An area of continued intrigue for me is the notion of a personalized educational experience and how we can best tap into the interests of our students to engage them in learning. The Toledo School for the Arts (TSA) provides promising examples of how career-technical education (more precisely known as workforce development programs) can work successfully in a community school. A new Web feature about TSA, alma mater of American Idol’s Crystal Bowersox, describes how the school prepares students by combining performing arts with mathematics, technology, science, social studies and business education. The story is accessible from education.ohio.gov. Such successful tactics are to be applauded. 

Another northwest Ohio school, Botkins High School in Shelby County, has at least one recent graduate who should be interested in a performing arts career. Kent Boyd, one of 41 graduates of Botkins’ 2010 class, is one of 10 finalists on the Fox TV series, So You Think You Can Dance. You can watch the program and vote for your favorite dancer (Kent, of course) Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. It appears that Ohio’s talented students are proudly demonstrating that Ohio is home to many talented individuals!

I hope all of the dads reading this had an enjoyable Fathers’ Day weekend and that you were treated like royalty!

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Here are additional items that may be of interest:

·         USDOE Promise Neighborhoods grant deadline approaching
·         Reminder: register for Model Curriculum Teacher Team Meetings
·         Special Education Leadership Events Scheduled for Sept. 20-21
·         Spotlight on Patrick Henry Middle School, Patrick Henry Local Schools

USDOE promise neighborhoods grant deadline approaching
The U.S. Department of Education announced the Promise Neighborhood program in May. The program makes $10 million available for up to 20 organizations to plan for the implementation of cradle-to-career services designed to improve educational outcomes for students in distressed neighborhoods. The program is open to nonprofit organizations. The application deadline is June 25, 2010. For more information about the program and application materials, visit www.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html.

Reminder: register for Model Curriculum Teacher Team Meetings
Teachers may learn from their colleagues while contributing to the refinement of Ohio’s Comprehensive Educational System July 12 through Aug. 19 at Model Curriculum Teacher Team Meetings planned statewide. Each meeting participant will receive a certificate for three contact hours of professional development (PD) for submission to his or her local PD committee.

During the small-group sessions, teachers will be encouraged to share instructional strategies and resources for the Model Curriculum, which will be a Web-based tool. ODE also is developing several other sections for the tool in consultation with advisory and working group committees.

The Model Curriculum, which will be posted for public review this fall, will be based on the final Common Core standards in English language arts and mathematics, as well as the revised content standards in science and social studies. These standards, which were adopted by the State Board of Education June 7, will be effective when newly aligned assessments are implemented in several years.

For teacher team meeting schedules by region and registration details, click here or visit education.ohio.gov and search for keywords: Model Curriculum. Access the content standards here or by visiting education.ohio.gov and clicking on Academic Content Standards under the Educator heading at the bottom.

Special Education Leadership Events Scheduled for Sept. 20-21
Registration is now open for three events in September that will focus on serving students with disabilities. All events will stress the theme Inclusion Works and will be held at the Columbus Convention Center:

·         Pre-conference sessions – Monday, Sept. 20, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Choose from three options: 1) a panel discussion with district personnel describing their special education profiles and monitoring plans, followed by four breakout sessions about panel topics; 2) a master session on Including Students with Special Needs; or 3) a master session on Intervention and Connection. ODE is cosponsoring this event with the Ohio Association of Pupil Services Administrators.

·         ODE’s Fourth Annual Special Education Leadership Conference – Monday, Sept. 20, 1 to 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 21, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Monday’s schedule includes a general session with ODE leadership, including Superintendent Deb Delisle, and a networking reception sponsored by the Council for Exceptional Children-Ohio. On Tuesday, more than 50 breakout sessions will feature topics such as co-teaching in inclusive classrooms; establishing schoolwide systems of support; and understanding how the Core Curriculum, revised academic content standards and credit flexibility relate to students with disabilities.

·         Principal’s Academy – Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – This program for building and district administrators will focus on acquiring skills and tools leaders need as they inspire inclusive practices. Wendy Murazski and Ervin Knezek of Texas will present the academy, which is cosponsored by ODE, the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators and the Ohio Association of Secondary Administrators.

For more details and to register for the preconference and conference, click here, and for the Principal’s Academy, click here.

Spotlight on Patrick Henry Middle School, Patrick Henry Local Schools
The students at Patrick Henry Middle School in Hamler (Henry County) recently participated in a mini Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Students spent a half-day in relay games and educational classes related to tobacco and alcohol awareness, sun safety, and health and nutrition. During the other half-day, the students walked on a track to symbolize a cancer patient’s journey with cancer. The students raised more than $2,700 for the American Cancer Society from the pledges made for each lap they walked.  Congratulations, Patrick Henry students!

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.

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Kathe Shelby, Director - Office for Exceptional Children (June 2010)

Updated Whose IDEA Is This?

Whose IDEA Is This? A Parent’s Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) has been updated to reflect a change to the federal regulations related to parental revocation of consent for special education and related services. This updated version, dated June 14, 2010, must be used starting July 1, 2010.
Click here to access Whose IDEA Is This?
To assist districts with meeting the requirement of providing this document to parents in their native language, we will once again have this document translated into the top 10 most commonly used languages in Ohio (which are: Albanian, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Ukrainian and Vietnamese). The translations will be available in a few months.
Important EMIS Year-End Reporting Reminder
It’s year-end reporting time in EMIS again. We can hear your groans from our desks! OEC would like to remind you that OEC is under intense federal pressure to increase our scrutiny of the EMIS data, and that data accuracy will be one of four components of LEA Determinations. We know you do many checks on the data this time of year, and many of you already check all of the data used to determine performance on SPP indicators.   
As we monitor districts next year, the first step in looking at each indicator will be to determine the accuracy of the data used in its calculation. If the data is found to be inaccurate, a finding for “Indicator 20” will be made. To decrease the likelihood of an Indicator 20 finding, we encourage district special ed staff to work with EMIS coordinators to ensure that data has been reported completely and accurately. In particular, OEC will be looking at your data to make sure that:

• A secondary transition code has been reported for every student who attended your LEA sometime during the school year and turned 16 prior to June 1, 2010;

• For every parental consent that has been reported, an ETR has also been reported; for every initial ETR, a consent has been reported.

• For every IEP, an ETR is currently in effect and has been reported; for every ETR that found a student eligible for services, an IEP has been completed and reported;

• For any initial IEP or ETR that was late, a non-compliance reason has been reported.

• The number of preschool transition conferences reported by districts in EMIS matches the number reported to the Department of Health by Help Me Grow

• For every student with an initial IEP event reported, there has been reported referral, consent, and an initial ETR.

• Admission and withdrawal dates from the LEA have been reported accurately. (This is not a special ed responsibility, but is needed to determine compliance on some indicators. we will be checking it when we monitor data.)

OEC staff will be doing preliminary analyses for compliance indicators in the next two weeks, and alerting LEAs with large amounts of missing data to check their data. However, all LEAs are encouraged to check their own data for inaccuracies. Please note that inaccurate reporting of data that is not resolved prior to the final submission date will result in a finding of noncompliance for the LEA in 2010-2011 and will impact the LEAs Determination.

ODE is Seeking Educator Input for Model Curriculum Development

All PK-12 educators are encouraged to have their ideas and resources become a part of the model curriculum which supports Ohio’s Revised Standards. The role of the model curriculum is to support educators with classroom ideas, resources and differentiation suggestions as they teach the revised standards. Meetings are being held around the state during July and August of 2010. To check meeting dates and to register to participate, follow this link. Registration directions can be found under “How to Register” heading.
The more input there is from educators statewide, the better the Model Curriculum will be. Please strongly consider being a part of these important meetings this summer!

Family School and Community Partnerships--Interested in learning more about the Joyce Epstein Family, School and Community Partnerships model?

The National Network of Partnership Schools will be presenting the Epstein model which is based on the Six Keys to Successful School, Family, and Community Partnerships. A statewide meeting sponsored by Westerville City School District will be held on Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mt. Royal Ave., Westerville, Ohio  43082. See www.partnershipschools.org for information.
Come and hear how Springfield City, Columbus City and Parma Preschool are implementing the model.
Register FREE: contact Darlene Mitchell darlene.mitchell@ode.state.oh.us. 

June 14, 2010

Good morning,

For many districts, this past week closed the doors of classrooms across the state. I am hoping that the next several weeks brings along some moments of relaxation and rejuvenation. The end of August will roll around soon enough and the challenging road will be awaiting our next steps.

As I mentioned last week, a tornado struck Wood and Ottawa counties and destroyed the high school in the Lake Local School District along with many of their school buses. Not only did the destruction postpone graduation, it disrupted the lives of so many people in the area. Even as our state and our nation suffer from a slumping economy, I am constantly reminded of the generosity and spirit we possess as Ohioans. I have read compassionate reports of neighboring cities donating public safety vehicles and citizens from across the state sending supplies or taking time from their schedule to travel and assist with the cleanup efforts. Early this week, Columbus City School District donated 10 buses to Lake Local to help replace some of their damaged equipment. ODE staff helped facilitate the arrangement so this was truly a partnership across different entities. I sincerely appreciate all who were involved. 

As educators, we are all linked by a common purpose — to do what is best for the children of Ohio. Seeing districts come together to help another during a time of need is tremendously heartwarming. I thank the Columbus City School District and their Board for making this happen. ODE and a host of other state agencies will be providing support to the district during the coming months to ensure that students are able to return to classes in August and gain some semblance of a routine to replace the disruption to their lives that this tragedy brought.

While I know the last two weeks have been filled with news of tragic events, I would like to turn our attention to some celebratory news and honor two Ohioans who were among the 103 teachers selected nationally last week to receive the 2009 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Rebecca Link, a middle-school mathematics teacher with Fort Recovery Local Schools, and Sandee Coats-Haan, a high-school science teacher in the Lakota Local Schools, will be honored at a Washington D.C. awards ceremony later this year. Awardees also will receive $10,000 each.

The PAEMST are the nation’s highest honors for mathematics and science teachers. The National Science Foundation administers the program on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The initiative is one of many efforts aimed at elevating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education as national and state priorities.

Congratulations to Rebecca, Sandee, and the distinguished Ohio finalists for this important award. I extend my heartfelt thanks for their outstanding efforts, which have earned national recognition for them and for Ohio. As excellent teachers and role models, they continue to spark their students’ interest in STEM subjects. No doubt, their efforts are inspiring many of our nation’s future STEM leaders to follow these critical career paths. To learn more about the 2009 national awards, click here. Although the 2010 deadline has passed, learn more about the state-level competition here or search for PAEMST at education.ohio.gov.

Ohio should also be proud of the National Spelling Bee champion. Congratulations to Anamika Veeramani, of North Royalton, who correctly spelled ‘stromuhr’ and was named the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion. This is Ohio’s ninth national spelling bee winner, and the first Ohioan to take the prize since 1964. Again, congrats to Anamika!

Last week, KidsOhio and the Ohio Grantmakers Forum hosted a “wrap-up” meeting for the individuals and groups that were involved in the review of Ohio’s Round 2 Race to the Top grant application. The presentation is available at www.rttt.education.ohio.gov. Please feel free to use the slides, or any information contained in the presentation, if you believe it will be helpful in speaking with the members of your education community.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Here are additional items that may be of interest:

·         Reminder: ASCD offers summer conference June 29
·         ODE co-hosts national conference on school readiness for young learners
·         Open enrollment EMIS reports available for year-end data submissions
·         Spotlight on Centennial Elementary School, Wapakoneta City Schools

Reminder: ASCD offers summer conference June 29
The Ohio Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) will sponsor a conference June 29 in Columbus titled Moving from Standards to Instruction: Integrating 21st Century Skills. Stan Heffner, ODE Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Assessment, will present one of the event’s keynote addresses. Other ODE administrators will present breakout sessions on the academic content standards revision process, Model Curriculum development, credit flexibility and other educational reforms contained in recent legislation. For more information and to register, visit the ASCD website.

ODE co-hosts national conference on school readiness for young learners July 11 to 14
Elementary school principals, superintendents, curriculum directors and other early learning leaders are encouraged to register for the July 11-14 conference in Columbus titled Ready Schools: Your Leadership in Systems that Help Young Learners to Thrive. At the event, ODE Associate Superintendent Jane Wiechel will serve on a panel that will provide national perspectives on what schools can do to help entering kindergarten students succeed. Additional sessions will feature case studies and best practices related to family-focused intervention programs, mathematics and literacy development, and community resources to ease transition.
The event, which is the second annual National Conference for Elementary School Principals, is co-sponsored by ODE and the Massachusetts-based Community Advocates for Young Learners (CAYL) Institute. Please visit the CAYL website for a conference agenda and to register.
Open enrollment EMIS reports available for year-end data submissions
The Department is changing the way it completes the final reconciliation of open enrollment students and will use Educational Management Information System (EMIS) period N (year-end) enrollment data submissions, which are due no later than July 16, to make necessary adjustments to the state aid payments for districts. These adjustments are necessary because open enrollment allows a student to attend school tuition-free in a district other than the district in which his or her parents reside. To assist districts with validating the open enrollment data submitted and resolving any conflicting data reported by other districts, new EMIS reports are available through Information Technology Centers.

As you may remember, ODE is converting the open enrollment adjustments from a paper to an electronic process and will no longer accept paper forms for this purpose. As they submit their data, districts should be cognizant of the “draft” business rules posted online for this fiscal year. These rules define the manner ODE will process the data submitted for the final FY 2010 adjusted payment and credit or debit districts for the open enrollment students reported.
ODE recently made changes to these rules and may make additional changes as the data is received and the Department begins processing the open enrollment adjustments. Please review the Open Enrollment Business Rules Summary carefully to ensure a complete understanding of this fiscal year’s procedures. You also may find the document at education.ohio.gov by searching for keywords: forms – traditional (see the Open Enrollment heading). ODE encourages districts to work together to resolve questions or issues and to contact their area coordinators for assistance as needed.

Spotlight on Centennial Elementary School, Wapakoneta City Schools
Centennial Elementary School in Wapakoneta is closing its doors today after 60 years of teaching students about the importance of both academics and community service. During eight of the last 14 years, Principal Wes Newland writes, the school community received training, recognition and grant funding as part of the Learn & Serve America program, which helped the school expand its plans for serving their community.

Many organizations have benefited from the school’s efforts – most notably Auglaize County’s Relay for Life program for the American Cancer Society and regional Ronald McDonald Houses. During the last 13 years, Centennial raised more than $112,000 to support these two causes. Among its major accomplishments, for 11 years Centennial was the number one team in financial contributions for the county’s Relay for Life. At this annual event, teams of students, families, and community members collected pledges for every lap they walked or ran around a track. The school also raised $30,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Foundation through sales of candy, homemade items and personalized gear that promoted good behavior. These funds provided 267 nights of lodging for families of critically ill or injured children at area Ronald McDonald House locations.

Next year, Centennial and Northridge Elementary students will attend the new Wapakoneta Elementary School. Newland says he expects Centennial students to continue “…to understand that they will be kids helping others by making a positive difference in their community, both immediate and extended.”

Congratulations and best wishes to Centennial Elementary students, staff and community members!

Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here. 

Kathe Shelby, Director - Office for Exceptional Children (June 2010)

Registration Open for the Fourth Annual Special Education Leadership Conference – Inclusion Works!

This conference will give Ohio special education leaders an opportunity to build knowledge and skills to locally promote inclusion for students with disabilities, based on research and best practices. Don’t miss out on this great conference featuring national inclusion experts!
Conference Dates: Monday and Tuesday, September 20-21, 2010
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center – downtown Columbus
Registration Costs: $100, whether you attend one or both days.
Make checks or purchase orders payable to the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities or OCECD, and mail to OCECD at 165 W. Center St., Suite 302, Marion, OH 43302.
See a conference flyer listing featured presenters.
See additional program options for Monday, September 20.
See an agenda for Master Sessions and Breakout Sessions on Tuesday, September 21.
For details on earning graduate credits for participation, click here.
To register for these programs visit www.ocecd.org, and click 4th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference.
++++++++++++

Also at the Conference – Principals' Academy on Inclusive Education Practices

September 20
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Registration is FREE!
The Ohio Department of Education's Office for Exceptional Children, the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators and the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators will co-sponsor a Principals' Academy with separate sessions for elementary and secondary principals.  Administrators will leave the session with the skills and inspiration they need to lead staff members in more inclusive education practices, while taking into consideration the many factors facing administrators.
For more details and to register for the Principals' Academy, download a Principals' Academy flyer. Or click here for direct link to the registration form. Please note that registration for the Principals' Academy is separate from the registration for the Special Education Leadership Conference.

Strategies for School Improvement

Your district will receive School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding to invest in resources that will improve teacher effectiveness and raise student achievement. iObservation is an established system for achieving these results and is offering two webinars on school improvement. These webinars will explore key factors related to school improvement and research-based strategies to achieve student gains.

You are invited to attend both of the following complimentary webinars:

Webinar #1: Strategies for School Improvement
Event Time: Wednesday, June 16, 3pm EDT Register

During this webinar district and school leaders will be introduced to key research-based principles for improving teaching and student learning including:

• Understanding how district leadership impacts student achievement
• Providing effective feedback to teachers
• Developing teacher expertise with a common language of instruction
• Supporting teachers to self-assess and develop professional growth plans for improvement

The webinar will be presented by Dr. Peggy Schooling, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development for iObservation and co-author of a white paper on Race to the Top with Dr. Robert Marzano.

Webinar #2: Tools to Meet DOE Expectations for Effective Practice
Event Time: Monday, June 21, 1pm EDT Register

The U.S. Department of Education has worked with the Center on Innovation and Improvement to develop a list of indicators of effective practice for SIG recipients. This second webinar will demonstrate iObservation features which align directly to the indicators of effective practice including:

• Connecting student achievement data to teaching practices for improved instruction
• Implementing a common language of instruction to tie observations, feedback, and professional development to indicators of effective teaching
• Aggregating reports from classroom observations to identify areas in need of improvement
• Facilitating peer observation and self-assessment for multiple views of teaching practices

These webinars are open to any superintendent, principal, curriculum developer or other school administrator. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions related to school improvement strategies. Registration space is limited.

What is iObservation?
iObservation is an instructional and leadership improvement system. It collects, manages, and reports data from classroom walkthroughs and teacher observations.

Learn More About iObservation

Classroom Observation Forms

Resource Libraries

Professional Growth Plans

Student Data Connection

PLCs


Live Webinars:
June 16, 3 pm EDT Register

June 21, 1 pm EDT Register

Remove yourself from this list.

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221 West Philadelphia St.
Suite 112E
York, PA 17401
1-877-411-7114

iObservation is a registered trademark of Learning Sciences International.
Copyright © 2010 Learning Sciences International. All rights reserved.

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Kathe Shelby, Director - Office for Exceptional Children (June 2010)

Another Scenario Available on GPS-IEP

Another scenario for the GPS-IEP is available along with the script and the IEP for the student.

In the new scenario, K.D. is 12 years old and in the fifth grade.  She has received special education and related services since she was three years old.  She is assigned to a fifth-grade home room and receives specially designed instruction in the resource room. She participates in the fifth-grade social studies and science classes with a modified curriculum and support from a teaching assistant.  She also participates in the regular physical education program.
K.D. has an adequate functional vocabulary to convey her wants and needs and uses natural facial and nonverbal gestures to communicate.  However, her speech is unintelligible a majority of the time. She receives speech and language therapy as a related service.

K.D. participated in Ohio's Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (AASWD) in the fourth grade.  

Click here to play K.D.'s scenario
Click here for the script for K.D.
Click here for K.D.'s IEP

Whose IDEA Is This?

Whose IDEA Is This? A Parent's Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 is being updated for the 2010-2011 school year. It will be posted on education.ohio.gov and www.edresourcesohio.org on June 14th and a message will be sent out announcing it's availability.

www.BalanceEducationalServices.com
The Leader in Bullying Prevention

• Staff “Nip Bullying in the Bud”   Teachers and staff gain practical knowledge on how to reduce bullying that can be quickly and easily incorporated into their existing programs.
• Bystanders Stop Bullying   Students learn to recognize the different forms of bullying, how group dynamics can lead to bullying, and how bystanders can stop bullying and relational or social aggression. 
• Parents' Prevent Bullying   Parents learn what role they play in bullying and social aggression, how to help their children make good friends, and prevent bullying from occurring.

info@BalanceEducationalServices.com
802-362-5448
www.BalanceEducationalServices.com

Kathe Shelby, Director - Office for Exceptional Children (June 2010)

Teacher Leader Opportunity from the ODE Office of Early Learning and School Readiness

The Office of Early Learning and School Readiness (OEL&SR) teacher leader project has been designed to assist teachers in the implementation of newly learned knowledge and skills. The current cadre of teacher-leaders has been working together for four years to learn 1) evidence-based strategies for language and early literacy development; and 2) coaching techniques for implementation of newly learned content.
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE), OEL&SR is interested in expanding the group to include teaching teams of one preschool special education teacher PLUS one teacher working with typically developing children (i.e., teacher working in an early childhood education entitlement funded preschool; community based preschool/child care; district kindergarten teacher; or Head Start classroom teacher). The funding available is for 80 teachers (40 teacher-teams) and may be used for substitute teachers and travel costs for the professional development.
Any district, educational service center or county board of developmental disabilities may apply to participate in this project. The two teacher-leaders will participate in a year-long project, June 2010 through June 2011 and will be provided professional development and support to develop content knowledge and coaching and mentoring skills; the newly learned knowledge and skills will in turn be put into practice with two protégés (sharing their skills with two additional practicing classroom teachers).
This training is scheduled in three parts. Part One of this training is scheduled on June 21-23. Part Two of the training will be “summer follow up “via email.  There will be a stipend to pay for attendance once attendance has been confirmed. Part Three of the training will be two days of training  tentatively scheduled September 9-10.  There will be additional sessions throughout the year. Districts will receive $1500 to assist with release time.
For additional information and questions about the teacher-leader project, you may contact your Early Language and Literacy Specialist (ELLS) located within your SST region or Sharon Sullivan at sullivan.239@osu.ed.

Non-ODE Items of Interest

University of Cincinnati Summer Institute--June 14 and 15, 2010

Proven Practices for Response to Intervention (RtI): Implementation Strategies for Supporting a Comprehensive System of Intervention
Featuring National Speakers and District and School Based Teams With Topics Including:
§ Leadership Practices for RtI Implementation
§ Mathematics Instruction and Intervention in a Tiered Approach
§ School Teams – Sharing Data and Strategies for RtI Implementation and Outcomes
Register Online at: http://www.cech.uc.edu/student_success/member/register

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June 1, 2010

Good afternoon,

I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend and the extra day off. Hopefully you had a chance to create new memories, soak up some sun, beautify your yard with some newly planted flowers, or try a favorite grilling recipe.

For many of your student this is the beginning of the final days of this school year. It seems as though it was not that long ago when I sent good wishes for a wonderful 2009-2010 school year and focused on all of the promise and opportunity that lie ahead. I hope that good wish came true and, as you reflect on the many months since August that have zipped past, that you are able to smile and feel good about the right things that happened this year. Take those memories into the summer months and know your focus on our students makes a difference!

On Thursday, we submitted our Round 2 application for Race to the Top and received word on Friday that it was received by the USDOE (maybe we can gain some extra credit for being early!!!). We have posted Ohio’s Round 2 application for Race to the Top funds to www.rttt.education.ohio.gov. This link will lead you to the full application and all appendices. As you may recall, following Round 1, we were informed that Ohio’s Round 1 application had strong initiatives, but left the reviewers wanting more details. We have reworked the Round 2 application to better tell the story of education reform in Ohio and affirm the commitment to improving Ohio’s education system from a wide array of stakeholders. Our application contains 222 letters of support from state leaders, education stakeholders, businesses and other groups who are proponents of education reform in Ohio. The letters of support will also be posted to the RttT website. I encourage you to read through them to gain an appreciation for the diversity of letters.

Again, to the districts and community schools that signed MOUs, I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation deeply enough. The map of participating districts included in our application shows that we have representation from every corner of the state and from every type of school district.

In addition to RttT news, the Common Core Standards for English language arts and mathematics are scheduled to be released tomorrow. They will be available at www.corestandards.org. Ohio has played an important role in crafting these Common Core Standards. The State Board of Education is expected to adopt the Common Core, as well as State standards in science and social studies at next week’s Board meeting. More information will follow in next week’s EdConnection.

I had a particularly interesting experience last week when the Chancellor of the Board of Regents Eric Fingerhut and I “met” with representatives from the Académie de Rouen in France. We spoke about and signed an agreement that will connect Ohio schools with students from France. Of course, travel budgets would not allow us to meet in person, but we were able to meet through a videoconference. Students participating in the program will use the same type of technology to interact with their counterparts across the Atlantic, which will be a great experience to help prepare our students for the 21st century.

Keep smiling as you scurry to finish all of the end-of-the-year details. Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Here are additional items that may be of interest:

·         Reminder: districts to complete bullying reports
·         Teachers can now register for all Model Curriculum teacher team meetings
·         Spotlight on Woodland Primary School, Greenville City Schools, and Circleville High School, Circleville City Schools

Reminder: districts to complete bullying reports
The Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 3313.666 requires school districts to collect and monitor data of all reported incidents of bullying. It also requires that districts submit semiannual written summaries of this data to the district board president and post the summary on the district’s website. Training and intervention activities should be scheduled as funds allow when bullying occurs. Please take a moment to ensure your district complies with this provision. To review ORC 3313.666, click here. To view bullying prevention resources, click here or visit education.ohio.gov and search keywords: bullying prevention.

Teachers can now register for all Model Curriculum teacher team meetings
As you may remember, ODE is preparing a new Model Curriculum with guidance for teaching content aligned to revised standards in science and social studies, as well as the Common Core standards in English language arts and mathematics. The State Board of Education is expected to approve these standards in June. To guide the development of the Web-based Model Curriculum tool, Educational Service Centers are assisting ODE in holding meetings throughout the state for teachers in July and early August. At the meetings, teacher teams organized by content area in each of 16 regions will be invited to suggest research-based instructional strategies and resources for inclusion in the tool. Registration is now open for the teacher team meetings in STARS. For more information, click here or visit education.ohio.gov, keyword search: Model Curriculum.

To provide further curricular and assessment guidance within the Model Curriculum, ODE is collaborating with advisory and working group committees in preparing additional components. These components, as well as the instructional strategies and resources, will be posted online for public review this fall. The Model Curriculum is scheduled for adoption by the State Board in March 2011.

Spotlight on Woodland Primary School, Greenville City Schools, and Circleville High School, Circleville City Schools
Two of the many schools that submitted their stories for the Spotlight feature in EdConnection share a common characteristic. Students at both schools enjoyed parties featuring their favorite foods to celebrate successful charitable activities held earlier this school year. The kindergarten through grade two students at Woodland Primary School in Greenville collected 1,720 food items weighing more than a ton. The class that collected the most items enjoyed an ice cream party as a reward.

Circleville High School students collected $2,383 for the Pennies for Patients drive that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Students in the three homerooms that raised the most donations enjoyed various prizes, including pizza, breakfast items or school supplies.

Congratulations to Woodland and Circleville!

Note: You also may find this document online at education.ohio.gov by searching keyword: EdConnection. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about this weekly e-mail or would like to be added to the mailing list, please feel free to contact me at superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

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