APRIL 2024

HERE We Grow MONTHLY HEADLINES FROM THE ESC OF LAKE ERIE

WEST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

DIRECTOR'S HEADLINE

MORE INSPIRING

READS THIS MONTH:

The Ohio Department of Education & Workforce Momentum Award Winners

The ESCLEW is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of several of our sponsored schools, which have recently garnered recognition from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce. These schools met the criteria of the State’s Momentum Award by having exhibited remarkable advancements in achievement while maintaining a trajectory of growth. Eligibility for the Momentum Award is based on schools improving their performance index by at least 3 points between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 report cards, coupled with receiving a value-added progress rating of 4 stars or higher. However, buildings that have attained an overall rating of 5 stars
are ineligible for this accolade.

School Spotlight	2

ESCLEW Book Club	3-4

Governing Authority	4

Academic Services	5-6

Compliance	7

Special Education	8 - 9

Professional Learning	10

Momentum Award Recipients	ESCLEW Staff	11

Alliance Academy of Cincinnati

Horizon Science Academy Columbus High School Horizon Science Academy - Cleveland Middle School Horizon Science Academy - Denison Middle School Pinnacle Academy Winterfield Venture Academy

Please join us in celebrating their accomplishments and the remarkable journey they have undertaken towards shaping brighter futures for their
students and communities.

OUR MISSION

"The ESCLEW Community Schools Center is a student-centered authorizer of charter schools, advancing quality educational opportunities throughout
the state of Ohio"

2	APRIL 2024

School Spotlight HORIZON SCIENCE ACADEMY - CLEVELAND MIDDLE SCHOOL

CYSP International Day

This month, we would like to direct your attention to the worldly offerings students from Horizon Science Academy - Cleveland Middle School shared with one another and distinguished guests. Scholars at the school researched and presented what they learned on their CYSP International Day. Students researched countries including Nigeria, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Japan, Zambia, Mexico, Jamaica, France, Germany, and Turkey. Each group exhibited their assigned country’s unique culture through the lens of food, celebrities, clothing styles, dances, and much more.

To go on a quick world tour, please click below.

3	APRIL 2024

ESCLEW Book Club

Headlines Written by Julie Kadri

To Lead is to Teach:

Stories and Strategies from the Classroom to the Boardroom

Author Jim Mahoney divides his book into two parts. Part II includes compact lessons informed by the author’s experiences and thoughts and practices of current writers, thinkers, and researchers. At the end of each chapter are three actionable pieces that can be used by practitioners to introduce, reinforce, or teach the topic of that chapter.

Part II Life Lessons Learned – Chapter 21

Continually Improve

“When you are through changing, you are through.” – Bruce Barton

In Chapter 21, Jim reflects on the keys to making positive change.

Change. The change must be worth it. In Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Joseph Grenny suggests two critical questions for anyone attempting a substantive change. “One, is the change worth it? If it isn’t, why would you want to disrupt your work or life? Two, can you do what is expected? Again, if not, who will support the learning required?”

Initiating Change. As the leader, make sure you are committed to the change before you involve other people. Do not let your people down. Make sure the people who will be doing the work are included in the planning process to create a sense of ownership.

Implementing Change. Believe in the change and use relationships you’ve formed to enlist others who believe in the change. Don’t forget to engage people or groups who could potentially disrupt the change. Involve them in the process before they have a chance to dislodge it.

4	APRIL 2024

Making Successful Change. The purpose of change is to benefit students – not convert staff. Know your end result. Jim asks leaders seeking change, “If your change were implemented successfully, what would be different for students?”

Institutionalizing Change. Institutionalizing change requires administrative support and staff buy-in. As a leader, don’t hog the spotlight. Empower others and give them credit for their good work. Know that change takes time, and it’s not easy.

ESCLEW Statewide Meeting

Governing Authority Headlines
Written by Julie Kadri

5	APRIL 2024

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

OHIO’S INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF READING – ADDITIONAL COURSE PATHWAYS NOW AVAILABLE

Under Section 265.330(A)(2) of House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly, districts and schools shall require all teachers and administrators to complete a course provided by the Department of Education and Workforce not later than June 30, 2025, except that any teacher or administrator who has previously completed similar training, as determined by the Department, shall not be required to complete the course. The Department has created multiple course pathways to meet the professional development requirements in law.

Three additional pathways are now available on the Department’s Learning Management System:

Pathway B: Ohio’s Introduction to the Science of Reading Course, Kindergarten-Grade 5 (Abbreviated) Course
Pathway D: Ohio’s Introduction to the Science of Reading Course, Grades 6-12 (Abbreviated) Course
Pathway E: Ohio’s Introduction to the Science of Reading Course, Grades 6-12 Content Areas Course

Districts and schools should determine which pathway an educator will take based on the grade band they serve, their role, and whether they have previously taken one of the Department’s dyslexia professional development courses to partially fulfill the requirements of the law. It is not recommended that educators determine by themselves which pathway they should take.

Educators should only take abbreviated pathways (Pathway B and Pathway D) if they have completed the 18-hour Introduction to Dyslexia Course, Grades K-3, the Introduction to Dyslexia Course, Grades 4-12, or 18 hours of training provided by instructors of Structured Literacy Certification programs. Courses and trainings other than these do not qualify educators for the abbreviated pathways.

6	APRIL 2024

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

OHIO’S INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF READING – ADDITIONAL COURSE PATHWAYS NOW AVAILABLE - CONTINUED

The Professional Development in the Science of Reading page on the Department’s website provides more information on available course pathways and how to access them through the Learning Management System. This page also contains information on accessing and completing the course, and Frequently Asked Questions. For further guidance on course pathway selection, stipends, and other questions, see Science of Reading Professional Development Requirements under House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly.

If you have any questions regarding the requirements for the Science of Reading, please reach out to Aimee Mendelsohn, amendelsohn@esclakeeriewest.org.

PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK GOAL (11.6) DETERMINATION

The spring data collection will be the last bit of data evidence that will be used to determine if the school’s academic Performance Framework Goals (11.6) will be met for the 2023–24 school year. The academic goals consist of three sections: Ohio School Report Card data, Achievement, and Growth. All three academic sections will be evaluated, however the academic section with the highest score will be used in the school’s annual evaluation and the high stakes review for the school. Each academic section will utilize the spring assessments in the following data collections:

Ohio School Report Card – Ohio’s State Tests results when released in September 2024
Achievement – Internal spring benchmark assessment (NWEA, STAR, iReady, etc.) goal determination based on percentage of students scoring at/above grade level Growth - Internal spring benchmark assessment (NWEA, STAR, iReady, etc.) goal determination based on percentage of students demonstrating at least one (1) year of academic growth

During the month of June, your Regional Technical Assistance Educator will be scheduling a data review visit with you to review your spring data, review data reports, and collect evidence to make final determinations on the Achievement and Growth section of the goals.

7	APRIL 2024

Compliance Headlines

ITEMS OF NOTE April 2024

Monthly Financial

Five-Year Forecast Update – This task is due in Epicenter by April 30th. Although approved meeting minutes/resolution are not collected by ESCLEW/ODEW, the forecast must be board approved prior to submission. If your school has a board meeting scheduled in May, please reach out to Julie Kadri to discuss an extension.

Board Submissions

#667 Open Meetings & Public Records Training Affidavit – Please submit a signed training affidavit with complete information and certificates of the training that include training dates. A template is provided in the task. Board members, treasurer, chief administrative officer, other administrative employees, and all individuals performing supervisory or administrative services for the school under a contract with the operator of the school are required to complete annual training on public records and open meetings law between July 1st and June 30th of the current academic year.

Compliance Requirement

Financial Reports - March

Five-Year Forecast Update

April 2024 Due Date

Monthly Financial

April 15

April 30

Board Submissions

Type

Submission

Submission

Responsibility

Linda

Linda

School Submissions

• #661 Employment of Attorney – The school must employ an attorney, independent from the school’s sponsor or the operator, for any services related to the negotiation of the community school’s contract with the sponsor or the school’s contract with the operator (if applicable). Evidence could be a copy of the work agreement/contract that the attorney has with the school, especially if the contract
includes a provision that specifies the

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Agenda	2 Weeks After Meeting Submission	Regional Rep	“working independently of sponsor and/or

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Minutes	2 Weeks After Approval Submission

#667 Open Meetings & Public Records Training Affidavit	April 30	Submission

School Submissions

Regional Rep

Julie

operator” point.It could also be documents related to contract negotiations that include information on both the school’s attorney and the
sponsor/operator’s attorney, as well as

#621 Workers’ Compensation

#660 Nonprofit Corporation Law Definitions

#661 Employment of Attorney

April 30

April 30

April 30

Submission

Submission

Submission

Julie	meeting notes that show that attorneys Julie	from both sides participated. The school

Julie	cannot enter N/A to this task. The school

Kurt               must be able to answer the question “yes” on the Compliance Worksheet – Oversight

of Schools in order to be rated Sponsor

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Kadri.	Certified Compliant”.

8	APRIL 2024

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

OHIO DYSLEXIA REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS

The Ohio Dyslexia Law requires all intervention specialists to have dyslexia training.

ALL K-1 Intervention Specialists needed to be trained by the start of the 2023-2024 school (meaning they should already be trained)

ALL 2-3 Intervention Specialist need to be trained by September 15, 2024

Intervention Specialist who teach 4-12 need to have their training completed by September 15, 2025

All intervention specialists (all grades) will be required to complete the Science of Reading Course in addition to the dyslexia training by September 15, 2025
SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE
Taking the dyslexia course work prior to the Science of Reading Course will only

require you to take 7 hours of Science of Reading Courses instead of 30 hours.

For more information you can refer to the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook and the Department’s Dyslexia webpage.

9	APRIL 2024

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

THIRD GRADE READING GUARANTEE

State testing and retention are often a hot topic in schools this time of year. Please make sure you are in the know of how the Third Grade Reading Guarantee impacts your students identified with a disability. Click here to see pages from the The Third Grade Reading Guarantee manual that are specific on exemptions and how to address RIMPS in a student’s IEP.

SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE

A Summary of Performance (SOP) is a document that provides a comprehensive overview of a student's academic achievement, functional performance, and abilities as they transition from high school to post-secondary education, employment, or independent living. For seniors with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the SOP serves as a vital tool to facilitate a smooth transition. An Intervention Specialist should typically fill out the SOP towards the end of the student's senior year. CLICK HERE for the SOP document

SAVE THE DATE

The ESCLEW Community School Office will be hosting an all day, in person Special Education Summit on September 13, 2024. Topics will include special education compliance and best practices. This professional learning opportunity is intended for special education coordinators, intervention specialists, related service providers, and school psychologists.

Registration will be sent in May.

10	APRIL 2024

Professional Learning Headlines

Our summer 2024 Professional Learning Newsletter is now published. Please take a few moments to read about the upcoming professional learning available as well as consultation services that are always available and ongoing.

Please see our new curriculum page included in the Professional Learning Website to discover additional resources.

As the explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to change the educational landscape, the Ohio Educational Service Center Association is here to help. Starting in May, the association is teaming with aiEDU to provide educators with free AI summits to help them find inspiration and discussion regarding AI literacy and innovation. For more information, including dates, times, locations, and registration details, please see the attached pdf. Or simply CLICK HERE to visit the website.

11	APRIL 2024

ESCLEW Staff

Superintendent Sandra C. Frisch

ESCLEW Governing Board

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

Kurt Aey (419) 246-3142

Jeff Bunck

Jared Lefevre

Brent Buehrer

TEAM LEADER, ACADEMIC SERVICES

Kristi Hayward (419) 214-3893

TEAM LEADER, OPERATIONS

Julie Kadri (419) 724-4288

Thomas Ilstrup Joan Kuchcinski

Treasurer

Richard A. Cox

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND ACADEMIC SPECIALIST

Aimee Mendelsohn (419) 280-1661

SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

Jessica Bair (419) 367-3562 and Heather Tester (419) 260-4793

Director

Kurt A. Aey

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

Linda Moye (419) 724-4291

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Natalie Miller (419) 246-3137

Administrative Offices

2275 Collingwood Blvd. Toledo, OH 43620 (419) 245-4150

Community Schools Center

4955 Seaman Rd. Oregon, OH 43616
(419) 246-3137

IN NEED OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE?

Contact your school's regional technical assistance educator (RTAE) for direct support related to on-site visits, governing authority updates, compliance, academics, and more.

Brittany Beck	DeAnna Hardwick	Augie Herman

(419) 461-5375	(330) 591-0217	(937) 243-4900

www.esclakeeriewest.org

Allison Lentz

(419) 260-7708

Joyce Lewis

(419) 290-4759

Jennifer Little

(419) 764-9545