Good morning,
Attached
is the February Community School Newsletter in two versions (Microsoft
Word 2003 & 2007) for your convenience.
Please share the newsletter with other interested stakeholders and constituents.
We hope the newsletter provides you with relevant professional information
and supports your efforts to promote student success.
Paul Preston
Sponsor Consultant
Office of Community Schools, MS 615
25 S. Front Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-644-8396 Fax: 614-728-8470
The new issue of "...what's for lunch?" is now
available at the link below.
This Month's Headlines Include:
- Flavored, Fat Free Milk a Good Way to Encourage Consumption of Essential
Vitamins
- School Lunch Vs. Bagged Lunch
- SNA Partners with First Lady Michelle Obama's Childhood Obesity Initiative
- No Cash? - No Problem!
- How Hungry Kindergartners can Actually Increase Your Food and Labor
Funding
At FSS, we strive to make each issue of the “…what’s
for lunch?” e-newsletter as enjoyable as it is informative. We’d
love to hear your feedback/reaction to this month’s editorial content.
If you have any suggestions for articles that you’d be interesting
in reading about in future issues, we’d love to hear that as well.
Please send your suggestions and comments to: lercanbrack@foodserve.com.
FYI….
Below are a few reminders regarding pending deadlines as well
as information about an important meeting on March 3rd!
Deb
Reminders!!
ASSESSMENT UPDATES
Key Dates for Spring 2010 ( source: The
Ides of ODE Monthly Information from the Offices of Curriculum, Instruction
and Assessment, February 2010)
- Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) materials will arrive in districts March 1. The test window is March 15-28.
- Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) test materials will be received in districts the week of April 5.
- The test window is April 19-May 7.
- Please contact Pearson at ohioK-8@support.pearson.com by Feb. 19 to arrange for delivery if your district will be out on spring break or if you close any days during the week of April 5.
- Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA) test materials were due in districts the week of Jan. 11. The test window for grade bands K-12 is Jan. 18-March 12.
- March 15 is the last day for test materials to be picked up.
- AASWD-OAA (Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities-OAA) – The last day to ship collections of evidence to Pearson for scoring is March 5.
- AASWD-OGT last day to ship collections of evidence to Data Recognition Corporation for scoring is March 5.
SPP Profiles
Please check your profile and information from ODE regarding any corrective
action that may be required. The deadline for submission of corrective
action plans for some indicators is February 23!!
School Finance Calendar/Deadlines:
Attached is a calendar
detailing school-finance related deadlines and other significant events
for the 2009-2010 school year (from ODE’s School Finance page)
SPP Profiles, EMIS connections and Reporting: Information
for Special Education Directors and EMIS personnel
Anne Skaggs, Kara Waldron and Susan Wilson from ODE will be at CRES
on March 3rd starting at 10:00 to discuss:
- Understanding SPP data and profiles - and how they affect district monitoring
- EMIS connections and why it's important for EMIS personnel to know about SPP data
- Year-End special education EMIS reporting
Watch for email from Debbie Clyde or Diane Brunsman with registration information!!
Deb Durbin
Director of Special Education
Clermont County Educational Service Center
2400 Clermont Center Dr., Suite 202
Batavia, OH 45103
513-735-8300
Feb. 16, 2010
Good morning!
As I write this, I am reminded of how many friends told me how different from Cleveland the weather would be in Columbus. I think Lake Erie and its notorious impact on the amount of snow that descends upon northeast Ohio has made its way to the center of our great state. YIKES!
The snowfall these past couple of weeks has resulted in several unscheduled days off for many of you. We have received several inquiries about the number of calamity days available this school year. A school district whose calendar contains the minimum number of days continues to have five calamity days available to it this school year, the same as in previous years. However, during the 2010-‘11 school year, the number of calamity days available to a district with the minimum school calendar will be reduced to three. Community schools do not have calamity days available to them and must make up all hours missed, regardless of the cause.
As you know, you have many options for making up days should your district miss more than the five calamity days. Each school district calendar should have five contingency days built into it to make up these days. If your district exceeds both the calamity and contingency days (misses more than 10 days), you can choose to extend your regularly scheduled school day to make up these days. Days can be extended in 30 minute increments. Once a school adds to their schedule the minimum number of hours for a school day (five hours for elementary and middle schools and 5.5 hours for high schools), it is considered to have made up one day. For example, an elementary school that used 11 calamity days could extend the school day by 30 minutes for 10 days to make one day.
I know that the safety of your students is of paramount concern when you make the decision to cancel school. I am also aware that many of your parents will be asking about makeup days and I want to be certain you are aware of all of the rules and options surrounding calamity days.
Throughout the past year, when House Bill (HB) 1 shifted funding for Ohio’s schools from a per-pupil foundation formula program to the Evidenced Based Model (EBM), a decision was made to have FY 2010-‘11 as a transition period as we begin to phase in the EBM over time.
During the past several weeks, we have received information from district personnel regarding changes being made at the local level to gifted programs. We have learned that in some instances, districts are reassigning gifted teachers and coordinators, reducing their hours, or eliminating their positions. ODE understands that the legislative intent for the gifted funding methodology in HB 1 for FY 2010-‘11 is to protect gifted services through this transition period at the same funding level that the state supported gifted education in FY 2009, and that these funds are to be used for certified gifted staff. The intent was to give districts time during this transition period to plan for future EBM funding levels. Once fully phased in, the EBM will provide higher levels of funding to most districts for services to identified gifted students. I urge you to consider this as you determine your district’s gifted staffing and service levels for the next school year.
In the coming months, ODE will be working to establish gifted spending and reporting requirements as provided in HB 1. In addition, HB 1 requires that a performance indicator be established reflecting the level of services provided to, and the performance of, gifted students. Please continue to work with your district gifted personnel to ensure a smooth transition for your gifted program as we all transition to the EBM. A successful transition during FY 2010-‘11 is critical to ensuring that your district will be prepared to meet the expectations set forth in HB 1 for gifted education in Ohio.
On March 2, Governor Ted Strickland will be hosting the 2010 Statewide STEM Conference at COSI in Columbus. Several national education leaders, including Michael Lach, senior policy advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, are scheduled to speak. I will be participating in a panel discussion on Ohio’s STEM initiatives. This will be an exciting opportunity to hear about the progress we have made with STEM education in Ohio and learn about the direction we will be pursuing. For more information about the conference and to register visit the Etech Web site. Registration closes Feb. 24.
It was wonderful to reconnect with so many superintendents at the recent American Association of School Administrators education leadership conference. There were many solid sessions along with several thought-provoking keynote speakers. I was particularly touched by the message of Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone. His work combines educational, social and medical services that start at birth and follow children to college. Canada shared powerful insights and a vision that with hard work, dedication and a prioritizing of our resources, we can create opportunities for success for all of our children. With one inspirational story after another, I thought so much about the work so many of you do. I was particularly moved when Canada reminded the audience that no one is coming to any of our states to save our children. It is up to each one of us to save Ohio’s children – a powerful message that defines our critical roles. I know that together we can create a brighter future for all of Ohio’s children.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Here are additional items that may be of interest:
- Registration deadline is Feb. 22 for Momentum 2010: Ohio Young Women’s Summit
- Follow-up Q&A on family and civic engagement offered Feb. 19
- Representative from Spain to explain Visiting Teacher Program
- Student name-SSID crosswalk entry closed; student names available in EVAAS
- Spotlight on Elida Local Schools, Horizon Science Academy and Nordonia Hill City Schools
Registration deadline is Feb. 22 for Momentum
2010: Ohio Young Women’s Summit
Due to school snow days and inclement weather, the deadline to register
for the statewide Momentum 2010:
Young Women’s Summithas been extended until
Monday, Feb. 22. The summit, set for Sunday, March 7,
at the Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, is designed to bring together
young women (ages 12-18) of diverse backgrounds from across the state
to celebrate their potential. Participants will learn about issues including
entrepreneurship, financial literacy, health, leadership, self-esteem
and accessing higher education in Ohio. In addition, speakers will describe
nontraditional career areas for women, e.g., science, technology, engineering,
mathematics and medicine (STEMM fields). The diverse array of speakers
will include Gov. Ted Strickland, NASA Engineer Kim de Groh, WBNS 10TV
central Ohio News Anchor Andrea Cambern, and many business and STEMM professionals.
The Governor’s Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach and First Lady of Ohio Frances Strickland are coordinating the event. Space is limited so act quickly to ensure that young women students represent your school at this program honoring International Women’s Day on March 8, when a related program is offered for adult women.
To access the full conference schedule, visit www.ohiowomen2010.org. To register, click here. A $5 registration fee includes a boxed lunch. Direct questions to Melissa Marshall at mmarshall@regents.state.oh.us or Earnika Pitts at (614) 644-2103.
Follow-up Q&A on family and civic engagement offered
Feb. 19
District teams concerned with developing family and civic engagement plans
can now view a recorded webinar and submit related questions via e-mail.
Presenters will answer viewers’ questions in a live, interactive,
question-and-answer session from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 19.
The webinar explains district and community data sources that provide insight on grades, discipline, school climate, and family and community conditions that affect student engagement and learning. The session also describes how to meet House Bill 1 requirements for family and civic engagement plans.
To view the 60-minute webinar in advance and join the live Q&A on Feb. 19, click here or visit education.ohio.gov, keyword search: data FCE. For additional information contact Jennifer Vargo at (614) 995-0231 or jennifer.vargo@ode.state.oh.us.
Representative from Spain to explain Visiting Teacher Program
On Feb. 26, ODE will hold an information session in Columbus detailing
Ohio’s Memorandum of Understanding with Spain, which makes two programs
available to our state’s public and private schools. ODE staff and
a representative from the Ministry of Education of Spain will explain
how the memorandum facilitates the placement of visiting Spanish language
teachers and Spanish language assistants in Ohio schools and promotes
cultural exchange. Superintendents, principals, human resource directors,
foreign language coordinators and curriculum coordinators will find the
program of interest.
The meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Worthington Board of Education building. Participants must pre-register by Feb. 24 using the STARS system. Access STARS through your SAFE account by clicking the SAFE link at the top of any page at education.ohio.gov. Within STARS, search for the event by title: Spanish Visiting Teacher Program Information Meeting. For assistance, please contact Teresa Cole at (614) 387-2215 or teresa.cole@ode.state.oh.us.
Student name-SSID crosswalk entry closed; student names available
in EVAAS
The opportunity for districts to send their student name-SSID (statewide
student identifier) crosswalks to SAS for the Ohio Education Value-Added
Assessment System (EVAAS) reports has closed. More than 90 percent of
all traditional districts (553 out of 612) and 34 percent of all community
schools that have value-added data (74 out of 220) submitted their crosswalk
data. Special thanks go to the Information Technology Centers for their
diligence in organizing, preparing and submitting data on behalf of most
local education agencies (LEAs).
LEAs that have their data uploaded can now view their student names in the EVAAS reports. The data will make these reports much more useful as diagnostic tools. ODE developed this mechanism to address district needs while still meeting FERPA and state law requirements.
Districts again will have the voluntary opportunity to upload the student name/SSID crosswalks for the 2010 school year test results as soon as the summer EMIS data submission closes. Detailed information will be sent out in the next few weeks. In the meantime, please direct any questions or concerns to vainformation@ode.state.oh.us.
Spotlight on Elida Local Schools, Horizon Science Academy and Nordonia Hill City Schools
Elida Elementary School
(Elida Local Schools)
Elida Elementary School in Lima is one of many schools that have contacted
ODE about their fundraising efforts to support the people of Haiti. Elida
students and staff have raised $1,879 for a Haitian orphanage, which is
managed by former Elida residents Hal and Chris Nungester. Students are
learning first-hand about the needs of the earthquake-stricken island
as they become acquainted with the Nungester’s three adopted Haitian
children. Berline, 11, Michael, 7, and Filenta, 5, recently settled in
the Elida school community with one of the Nungester’s grown daughters.
Hal and Chris have managed the HIS Home for Children orphanage in Port-au-Prince
for 13 years. Proceeds from the Elida fundraising efforts will be used
to buy mattresses for children still at the orphanage.
Horizon Science Academy, Cleveland
Cleveland’s FOX 8 TV News and MedWish International sought assistance
in gathering, loading and sorting donations for Haitian earthquake victims
last month – and students at Horizon Science Academy, which is next
door to the station, responded to the call. Despite the timing of the
station’s relief efforts during their exam week, more than 100 Horizon
students and staff took turns during free periods and after school to
help with the 12-hour effort. As part of the station’s volunteer
corps, they retrieved donations from cars that lined up for a mile. They
also repacked the items and filled 28 trucks with more than 160,000 pounds
of water, diapers, flashlights and medical supplies. MedWish coordinated
the delivery of goods to Haiti.
Lee Eaton Elementary, Nordonia Hills City Schools
A collection at Lee Eaton Elementary in Northfield resulted in a $1,513
donation to the American Red Cross – and a colorful outdoor display.
For every $5 collected for the effort, one ribbon was tied to a long piece
of twine. The ribbons were displayed while hanging from a tree on the
school’s front lawn.
Congratulations to all three schools for encouraging learning through giving!
If you would like to share news about a service project involving a group of your students who are helping the community, please send an e-mail with “Spotlight” and your school name in the subject line to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us. We also are pleased to learn about any curricular connections to projects and to receive digital images of these activities.
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.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.
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Colleagues,
A reminder that our All County Task Force meeting
is scheduled for February 18th at CRES. We’ll
begin the morning promptly at 9:00 with state and regional updates.
Denny Thompson, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, and Kathe Shelby
from the Office of Exceptional Children will present on CORE Curriculum
beginning at 9:30. Their presentation will focus on CORE,
implications for students with disabilities as well as opportunities for
questions from the audience.
IF you have specific questions for Denny and/or
Kathe, please submit those to Terri Densford at terri.densford@hcesc.org
or call Terri at 674-4278. Questions can be compiled
and provided to them for review prior to the 18th.
We look forward to your attendance at this important meeting! Please
let Terri know the total number of people from your district planning
to attend on the 18th so that we can have materials prepared.
Sent for: Bill Bogdan
By: Terri Densford
Support Staff, SST Region 13/HC CRES
1301 Bonnell, 3rd Floor Suite
Cincinnati, OH 45215
674-4278
terri.densford@hcesc.org
Dear SES Providers
The Education Industry Association (www.educationindustry.org) closely monitors SES policy issues on behalf of the provider community. We have written to you over the past six months with very cautious predictions about the future of SES under Secretary Duncan and this Congress.
I am writing to you at this time to bring you the unvarnished truth about
the future of SES if the Administration has its way during the upcoming
reauthorization of ESEA (aka NCLB). The plain facts as outlined in the
President's FY 2011 for Education, are:
(http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/index.html?src=ct
)
1. No AYP proficiency measure that triggers SES and Choice.
2. No carve out or set-aside of Title 1 for SES/Choice 3. Preference to
focus on outputs for student achievement and not mandates inputs (like
SES)
We will host a very important conference call for SES providers this Thursday, Feb. 4th at 3:00 EST (12 PST) to fully brief you on these developments and what the ESEA Coalition's Campaign to Preserve and Improve SES intends to do with your support.
If you want a realistic assessment of the future of SES, and learn about what you can do to protect your organization's future role in after school tutoring, please join us at 866-213-1962 code 59533313.
Make plans to attend the SES Forum and Education Industry Day conference in Washington, DC on Feb. 24-26th to hear directly from Education Department officials and Congress about their plans for reauthorization. Program and registration details on the EIA website.
Thank you,
Steven Pines, Executive Director
Education Industry Association
5909 Barbados Place, Suite 202
Rockville, Maryland 20852
(office) 800-252-3280
(cell) 301-919-4137
(fax) 301-468-3249
spines@educationindustry.org
Connect with us at www.educationindustry.org
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