SST3 Updates, Resources, & Supports
May 2021 | Issue 8
Hello and Welcome!
Welcome to the SST3 newsletter! Each month SST3 will share updates, educational topics that might be of interest to you, and upcoming professional development. We encourage you to review this information, share it with others and visit our website for additional information. We also would appreciate learning of topics that would support your work.
Director's Update
Greetings,

I wanted to pass on the podcasts in the article below that you may find of interest and beneficial. As a former district administrator, I was more inclined toward materials and resources that include vignettes, scenarios, and stories from district leadership teams that describe how they operationalized the issues within their district infrastructure. Educators interviewed in this podcast include:
  • Rocco Adduci, Curriculum Director, Buckeye Local Schools
  • Dr. Reva Cosby, Superintendent, Trotwood-Madison City Schools
  • Dr. Brian McNulty, Partner, Creative Leadership Solutions
Links to related articles and a keynote presentation by Dr. Doug Reeves are included with the podcast.


“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”
— Mark Twain
(As you all know, this is so true about O-H-I-O!)
 
Best Regards,
Michele (Shelly) Gaski
Director for the State Support Team-Region 3
NEW Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC) Podcasts
Looking at the Effects of COVID-19 on Schooling in Ohio: Impact on Failure Rates (two-part series)

Equity issues were more apparent as a result of the pandemic. These issues remain as students transition back to in-person learning. These podcasts feature two districts that have taken action to address equity issues and student failure related to remote learning. They work to address student failure and increase student engagement continues as students move back to the school buildings. You will need to create an account to listen to these podcasts which are still available on the site.

Originally broadcast on March 12, 2021: Part 1 focuses on the national and state perspective, and issues faced by educators in Buckeye Local Schools and Trotwood Madison City Schools.
Originally broadcast March 12, 2021: Part 2 focuses on structural issues and how educators addressed these issues, changes in practice and plans for the future.
SST 3 Book Studies
In the coming months, SST3 will conduct a series of book studies that will explore such topics as literacy, behavior management in early childhood, academic growth, phonemic awareness, and other areas of interest. Each book study is designed to engage participants to think deeper on a specific topic. The first 30 people to register from Region 3 (Cuyahoga County) will receive a free book for each book study! (If you are from outside of Region 3, you will be placed on a waitlist and you will need to provide your own book.) The maximum number of participants is 30. A minimum of 10 participants must be registered to hold each book study.

The book studies consist of synchronous and asynchronous learning models. Participants are expected to read the text, respond to questions, interact with other participants for the duration of the book study, and fully engage in all activities to receive contact hours. No partial credit will be given. Please refer to the table below for the list of upcoming book studies and click on the links provided to register for the book study of your choice. Information regarding additional studies will be available soon.
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
By Robin DiAngelo
In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

Dates: June 1 - June 17, 2021,
The first book study session will take place on Tuesday, June 1 from 2:00-3:30 pm.

Face-to-Face meetings are on Mondays:
June 7, June 14, and June 21, 2021, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Zoom meetings are June 3, and June 10, and June 17, 2021, from 10:00 - 11:30 am


Equipped for Reading Success
By David Kilpatrick
The author of Equipped for Reading Success contends that this book is a practical guide to implementing a step-by-step program in phonemic awareness as part of a comprehensive literacy program. Full of amazing insight and resources that teachers can use immediately in the classroom.

Dates: September 13 - November 1, 2021 (All work due Nov. 22, 2021)

Zoom meetings are Sept 13, Sept 27, Oct 18, and Nov 8 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Four asynchronous sessions in the weeks of Sept 20, Oct 4, Oct 25, and Nov 1


2021 Summer and Beyond Directory

State Support Team Region 3 (SST3) offers the 2021 Summer and Beyond Directory as a resource to parents, family members, and school district/community school personnel about extended opportunities around the Cuyahoga County area. Each school year SST3 collaborates with local agencies, camps, and community partners around summer activities for students with disabilities. Many of those agencies and organizations offer continued academic skill-building, therapeutic and social-emotional supports throughout the year to assist students with disabilities to become independent and self-sufficient. Some agencies and camps are still deciding what they will be doing for the year, so we will continue to have rolling updates between April and June 2021. Please continue to check back if you do not find what you are looking for. A hard copy is available by calling Yvonne Daycak at 216-524-3000.
In a non-pandemic year, SST3 would host a face-to-face event where families and educators could talk directly with a representative about their agency and organization or camp. SST3 hopes to reunite with everyone in February 2022. Please visit our website http://www.sst-3.org/ for more information.

Recruitment for
Surrogate Parent
Federal law recognizes the importance of parental involvement in making decisions about a child's education programs, especially programs and services for children with disabilities. When there is not a parent available for the student school districts must appoint a surrogate parent to represent the child with a disability or suspected disability. To learn more about the role of a surrogate parent, the requirements and responsibilities– click here. To become a surrogate parent complete the requirements noted on this Ohio Department of Education site
 
Ideas for actively recruiting throughout the school year to find volunteers to become surrogate parents:
  • Reach out to retired teachers
  • Reach out to foster parents in your community to complete the surrogate parent training
  • Reach out to local PTA groups, community groups, and alumni.
  • Reach out to partner agencies working with the school to inquire about interested individuals.
News You Can Use
Supporting Comprehension for Young Emergent Readers
How do we support comprehension for young, emergent readers? This article provides concrete examples and strategies to support all kids and teachers. The author, Tanya S. Wright, states "Successful and engaged readers comprehend, learn from, and enjoy what they read. This requires far more than the ability to look at the symbols on the page and say the words that these symbols represent. Readers need background knowledge and vocabulary, they need to know how texts are constructed and how they are used, they need strategies to coach themselves when reading is challenging, and they need to feel motivated to read". Click on the article to learn more. 
High School PBIS
When implemented with fidelity, similar to elementary and middle school, high school PBIS can result in a reduction in office discipline referrals, frequency of tardy behavior, and in- and out-of-school suspensions. High schools also see an increase in attendance and improved student ownership of school climate and safety. These outcomes are important at the high school level because they are related to reducing the rate of dropout.

Leadership, Communication, and Data Systems
District and building leadership, clear communication, and systems for collecting and using data are 3 primary foundational systems. Leadership, as defined at the implementation level, includes the building principal or an assistant principal, the PBIS team, which may include the dean of students, department heads, and members of grade level teams. Communication includes plans for what specifically needs to be communicated, the frequency of communication, how it should be communicated, and when it will be communicated to faculty and staff, parents and students. Communication should be reciprocal. Data systems, at the high school level, are associated with collecting, summarizing, and using data to drive decisions. Because high schools collect lots of information, the systems need to be clear and managed by school personnel who understand how these data intersect with each other, specifically behavioral and academic outcomes. These data managers also need to know how they will make the data clear and accessible for all stakeholders. 
Covid’s Effect on Pre-K Learning
Learning Curve is a statewide reporting project that examines the state of funding, opportunity gaps, curriculum, services offered and the impact of the pandemic. The series also explores what’s next for public education and how public educators, researchers, government officials and advocates are using the pandemic to improve public education for the future. As part of this series, author M.L. Schultze's article "Covid's effect on Pre-K Learning and Efforts to Grow Classrooms Post Pandemic" provides in-depth personal narratives and research findings that further explain the effects of Covid on early learners. Click on the link above to to explore this and many other issues pertaining to Covid's impact on education.

Early Childhood PBIS Office Hours
The final early childhood PBIS office hour is Wednesday May 5 from 12:00-12:30. Register at this link 
Each Child Means
Each Child
If you have not had the opportunity to read the recently published document Each Child Means Each Child: Ohio’s Plan to Improve Learning Experiences and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities it provides an overview of Ohio’s data specific to students with disabilities. The document also outlines Ohio’s philosophy of change for students with disabilities and three specific focus areas for improvement:
  • Getting to the Problem Early- MTSS
  • Building Educator’s and Systemwide Capacity- Professional Learning
  • Educating for Living a Good Life- Postsecondary Readiness and Planning
Each Child Means Each Child also tells the story of two students with learning challenges who, based on the structures and adult practices in each district, have very different outcomes. Click on the image above to access the document.
One Needs Assessment/One Plan Due Dates
As a reminder, the One Needs Assessment and One Plan are due for districts and community schools in Cohort 2 and 3 on June 20, 2021. The Ohio Department of Education has many resources to support the completion of this comprehensive needs assessment and the new One Plan. The Office of Federal Programs is hosting office hours throughout May. Please visit the ODE One Plan website for more information about office hours, resource documents, and training videos. 
 
There are two upcoming professional learning sessions that might be of interest to you from OLAC. Please visit the OLAC website for more registration details.  Both sessions are hosted by Dr. Brian McNulty:
 
With the passage of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), more states across the country are developing post-secondary training programs for students identified as having Intellectual Disabilities (ID). Progress has been slow, but thanks to strong advocacy groups and a shift away from a "deficit mindset", more and more students with ID are showing up on college campuses across the country, fully participating in campus life, and "graduating" with solid skills leading toward competitive integrated employment.

One major shift that came with the HEOA was the ability for students with ID to qualify for needs-based financial assistance, such as Pell Grants and Federal Work-Study employment on campus.

Through Think College, institutions of higher education can apply to develop a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Program (CTPP) by meeting certain HEOA requirements, such as delivering the CTPP to students who are physically attending the institute of higher education, have a design that supports students with ID for employment, and include an advising and curriculum structure.

In Ohio, there are currently nine such programs at institutions of higher education that offer CTPP. To find out more about those programs, visit the Ohio Statewide Consortium (OSC) While the nine programs may look a little different, they are all built upon the idea that postsecondary education can be a realistic option for students with ID. Just like the Ohio Employment First's belief that competitive-integrated employment should be the first consideration for students with disabilities, so too should a belief that postsecondary education should be considered first.
Save the Date for the 2021 Ohio Family Engagement Leadership Summit! 
 The Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center at The Ohio State University is proud to announce the date for the second annual Ohio Family Engagement Leadership Summit. Mark your calendars for September 17, 2021 for a day of learning and networking with family engagement leaders from Ohio and beyond. In the meantime, click here to access all the recordings and materials from last year’s Summit. 

Milestones National Autism Conference
Milestones Resources is holding their 19th annual Milestones National Autism Conference this year! This year’s virtual format makes the Milestones Conference more accessible than ever, and Milestones is very excited to offer an educational resource that everyone can utilize to gain new autism strategies and resources, from the comfort and safety of home. Need-based scholarships are also available. You can find more information about the Milestones National Autism Conference at milestones.org/conference
Don’t forget to visit the SST3 Virtual Booth during the conference!
Ohio Perkins V Transition Plan
With the primary focus of the Ohio Perkins V Transition Plan being improved access, enrollment, engagement and performance for all students, and an intentional focus on students in special populations and subgroups, the Ohio Department of Education, Office of Career-Technical Education has made equitable education for each student a priority.

Perkins V has identified targeted special populations as students from economically disadvantaged families, students with disabilities, students preparing for nontraditional fields, English learners, students experiencing homelessness, youth in/aged out of the foster care system, students with parents in the armed forces on active duty, students who are single parents, and out0of-workforce individuals.

Perkins V and UDL
From an instructional lens, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a major aspect of equity with the focus on providing multiple means of representation, providing multiple means of action & expression, and providing multiple means of engagement.

The Perkins V Equity Labs reinforce the importance of UDL, as when done right, instruction is geared towards "teaching to the margins". The beneficiaries are all students.

This month we share resources from the Ohio Department of Education, and other professional organizations that offer tools and information to assist the Career-Technical Education community in UDL implementation:

Professional Development
State Support Team 3 is offering several opportunities for professional development. Click here to view our calendar of events. Please visit this site often as ever-changing circumstances may warrant cancellation or postponement of scheduled events.
Information regarding Ohio's Reset and Restart plan is available to assist parents, families, caregivers and educators as they navigate the world of remote learning during this unprecedented time. Review for timely updates.
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Our Moral Imperative:
To ensure equitable access and achievement for all students, State Support Team 3 partners with districts and community schools to support inclusive leadership and collaborative teams in the implementation of an effective Multi-Tiered System of Support.


Belief Statement: 
We believe that ALL children/students have the right to belong, learn, and thrive in a
proactive, integrated, and rigorous learning environments.