DECEMBER 2023

HERE We Grow MONTHLY HEADLINES FROM THE ESC OF LAKE ERIE

WEST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

MORE INSPIRING READS THIS MONTH:

DIRECTOR'S HEADLINE

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, and it provides a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of educating the whole child. Beyond traditional academic learning, this season allows us to focus on developing a child's social, emotional, and moral intelligence. By engaging in activities that encourage empathy, kindness, and gratitude, we can help children understand the value of giving and sharing, fostering qualities that are essential for their personal
growth and the well-being of society as a whole.

Upcoming Event	2

ESCLEW Book Club

Headlines	3-4 Governing Authority
Headlines	4 Academic Services

Headlines	5-6 Compliance

Headlines	7 Special Education
Headlines	8

Moreover, the holiday season often involves various cultural and religious

celebrations. Educating the whole child during this time can help them gain a

Professional Development

Headlines	9

broader perspective of the world, fostering tolerance, diversity appreciation, and a	ESCLEW Staff	10 sense of global interconnectedness. This can lead to greater cultural awareness and

open-mindedness, building a foundation for acceptance and inclusion as they grow into responsible and compassionate adults.

Finally, by engaging in creative activities and exploring various arts and crafts during the holidays, children can enhance their creative and problem-solving skills. These experiences encourage self-expression and innovation, contributing to an education that goes beyond the classroom. In essence, educating the whole child during the holiday season not only promotes academic growth but also fosters character development, cultural awareness, and creative thinking, all of which are
crucial for their personal development.

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	DECEMBER 2023

Upcoming Event

You will not want to miss this year’s school choice fair for grades K-12. Register now. Space is limited.
Visit https://forms.gle/dVkhMqfdjMhydxSa6 Families will receive free admission and parking to the zoo when they attend the school fair.
Questions contact Ann Riddle at ariddle@scohio.org

3	DECEMBER 2023

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 – Chapters 13-14

Use Stories to Teach

In Chapter 13, Jim discusses the power of storytelling. He says, “In his book, The Storyteller’s Secret, author Carmine Gallo offers an observation I’ve made numerous times when testifying and watching testimony to state legislators; one emotional and vivid story is worth a gazillion PowerPoint slides.” When telling a story, Jim cautions against telling too much by over explaining and instead keep the following three elements in mind:
Audience. What about the story will be meaningful to the particular audience? What is the purpose of telling the story to this audience?
Single Message. What is the message you want to get across? What is the lesson? Structure. Who and what is the story about? How do the characters attempt to deal with the problem? How does it all turn out?

4	DECEMBER 2023

Love What You Do

In Chapter 14, Jim shares the importance of loving what you do. He shares research from Daniel Pink on what really motivates people to achieve and find purpose in their work. Pink has found three ideas that are the key to motivation – purpose, autonomy, and mastery.

ESCLEW Statewide Meeting
Purpose is the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.
Autonomy is the urge to direct your own life.

Mastery is the desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Jim sums up his advice to leaders and teachers regarding loving what you do at the conclusion of the chapter when he says, “Bloom where you are planted, find yourself a trustworthy mentor, take risks, learn from your failures, and be of good intention in heart and head when you decide on a new position.”

Governing Authority Headlines
Written by Julie Kadri

State Board of Education Update

On November 9th, Governor DeWine nominated Stephen D. Dackin, former Member-at-Large on the Ohio State Board of Education, as Director of the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW). Most recently, Dackin served as Superintendent of School and Community Partnerships at Columbus State Community College. His career experience includes serving as a teacher in Elida Local Schools and Upper Scioto Valley Local Schools; a principal at Elida High School and Reynoldsburg High School; and an administrator at Reynoldsburg City Schools, Westerville City Schools, and the Ohio Department of Education. In May of 2022, Dackin was selected by the Ohio State Board of Education as the Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction, and he resigned less than a month later amid concerns over the superintendent selection process. The Director of the DEW must be confirmed by the Ohio Senate prior to assuming the role.

5	DECEMBER 2023

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

CAN I HAVE A RIP AND NOT A RAP? KEEPING THE TWO STRAIGHT!

With the end of the COVID era and the release of the FY23 Ohio School Report Cards, several legislative determinations that were previously placed in Safe Harbor have come back to identify our community schools. Two of those requirements are part of the current Literacy movement - the Reading Intervention Plan and the Reading Achievement Plan. While in many cases one good local literacy plan will be acceptable for both requirements, the school must ensure that the required pieces of the puzzle are included. In order to understand the need for the plan, first we must identify the qualifying factors for each, as it is possible to have one required and not the other.

What are the determining factors and requirements needed to meet compliance?

Reading Improvement Plan is required for all schools that had a reporting (on the Ohio School Report Card) of less than 80% of third grade students scoring proficient on the 2022–23 Ohio State ELA Test in the spring.

There is no required template for this plan and the completed plan is not required to be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
This plan must include the term Reading Specialist in the plan.

This plan does require approval from the school’s Governing Authority prior to implementation.
The school will have a task in Epicenter to submit a copy of the plan and a copy of the board resolution of approval prior to implementation of the plan. This Epicenter task is due December 31, 2023.

6	DECEMBER 2023

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

CAN I HAVE A RIP AND NOT A RAP? - CONTINUED

Reading Achievement Plan is required if the school earned less than 3 stars for the Early Literacy Component and 51% or less of the 3rd grade students scored proficient on the 2022–23 Ohio State ELA Test in the spring.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has a required template for this plan.
The plan is not required to be approved by the school’s Governing Authority, however it is best practice.
The school is required to submit the completed plan to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by December 31, 2023. The ESCLEW is not collecting this plan.

Aimee Mendelsohn with the ESCLEW Community Schools Center is hosting several Professional Learning Opportunities to assist schools in writing either the RIP or RAP (or both) along with the regional State Support Teams. If you have questions regarding your status or are looking for assistance, please reach out to Aimee directly.

2023–24 PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK GOALS (ATTACHMENT 11.6)

At this time, all Performance Accountability Framework goals have been approved for all schools. A copy of the approved goals can be located in Epicenter as well as with your Regional Technical Assistance Educator. During your monthly site visits, your Regional Technical Assistance Educator will check in on the progress of these goals. The Governing Authority goals will be reviewed during the sponsor update portion of regularly scheduled Governing Authority meetings. The fiscal goals will be reviewed with the school treasurer by Linda Moye, our financial consultant, during the monthly enrollment meetings in January/February. At the end of the FY24 school year, we will evaluate as many goals as the current data that is available during the June site visit. The final determination of goals will be conducted in September 2024 with the release of the Ohio School Report Cards.

If you have any questions regarding the monitoring or evaluation of the annual goals, please feel free to reach out directly to your Regional Technical Assistance Educator or Academic Services Team Leader, Kristi Hayward.

7	DECEMBER 2023

Compliance Headlines

ITEMS OF NOTE December 2023

Financial Submission

CS Annual Budget – Board Resolution or Approved Meeting Minutes – Please upload evidence of board approval for the annual budget. ESCLEW submits the documentation to DEW.

School Submission

School Safety Drill Notification Verification – Not later than December 5th of each year, the principal or person in charge shall provide written certification by mail, facsimile, or electronic submission of the date and time each school safety drill required under division (D)(1) of this section was conducted during the previous school year, as well as the date and time each drill will be conducted during the current school year, to the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer of the municipal corporation township, or township or joint police district in which the school or institution is located.

December 2023

BOARD SUBMISSIONS

Governing Authority Roster – As a reminder, each community school
governing authority must have at

Compliance Requirement	Due Date

Monthly Financial

Type           Responsibility             least five members with current BCI background checks and FBI
(if the member has not lived in

Financial Reports - November

CS Annual Budget - Board Resolution or Minutes

December 15 December 15

Submission	Linda

Submission	Julie

Ohio for the past five years). All potential candidates must be
preapproved by ESCLEW and

Board Submissions

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Agenda	2 Weeks After Meeting	Submission	Regional Rep

provide current BCI & FBI criminal background checks and Conflict
of Interest Disclosure Form.

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Minutes

Governing Authority Board Roster

#121 Reading Improvement Plan

#156 Parental Notification of Core Curriculum

Requirements (Secondary Schools)

2 Weeks After Approval

December 31

December 31

December 31

Submission

Submission

Submission

Submission

Regional Rep

Julie

Kristi

Kristi

#121 Reading Improvement Plan – Schools in which less than 80% of students score at the proficient level or higher on the 2022-23
third-grade ELA assessment must

#438 Compulsory School Age Requirements for Admission December 31	Submission	Kristi to Kindergarten or First Grade - Pupil Personnel Service
Committee (K-1 Schools)

complete the plan and submit it

to Epicenter by December 31st.

#787 Seizure Action Plan Designated Employee	December 31	Submission	Julie	#787 Seizure Action Plan

#901 Corporal Punishment Policy & Procedures –	December 31	Submission	Julie Positive Behavior Intervention, Restraint, and Seclusion

School Submissions

Designee – This is a new legislative requirement. Submit board meeting minutes designating at
least one employee in each school

School Safety Drill Notification	December 04	Certification	Julie

building, aside from the school nurse, to be trained on the implementation of seizure action plans. Draft meeting minutes are
acceptable.

8	DECEMBER 2023

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

OPERATING STANDARD REVISION HIGHLIGHTS

IEP-O.A.C. 3301-51-07

A transition progress report, including a description of progress toward the completion of transition services as defined in 34 C.F.R. 300.533 shall be provided to the parent at least as often as report cards are issued to all children. If the school district provides interim reports to all children, progress reports must be provided to all parents of a child with a disability concurrent with the issuance of progress reports for students without a disability.

In the past, the requirement was only to send out progress reports quarterly with report cards. Now, any time a report on general education progress is sent out, progress must also be given on IEP goals.

More information can be found here

Notable Items

Are you using the Students with IEPs Graduation Decision - Making Tool? If not you can find it here. This tool can assist the IEP Team to determine if a student with an IEP has met or will meet graduation requirements following a typical pathway and when the student must exit secondary school.

Are you confused on the steps to take when suspending a student with disabilities? Here is a link to a prerecorded professional development breaking down the steps for you and reviewing FBA and BIPs. Upon completion of watching the PD you can click this link to complete an assessment
for contact hours.

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFILES

Special Education Profiles are scheduled to be released on December 13, 2023. It is crucial that school leaders review these profiles as they may reflect that the school has required action. The ESC of Lake Erie West’s Special Education Specialists will be reviewing each school’s profile. If a school has required action ESCLEW will be requiring that school to attend a brief online meeting to ensure the school understands their next steps. The profiles are available through OH/ID accounts to whomever is listed as the school’s superintendent and
special education contact.

9

Professional

DECEMBER 2023

Development

Headlines

Our fall 2023 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 visit our Professional Learning Website to discover additional face-to-face and virtual learning.

10	DECEMBER 2023

ESCLEW Staff

Superintendent Sandra C. Frisch

ESCLEW Governing Board

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

Kurt Aey (419) 246-3142

Jared Lefevre

Jeff Bunck

Joan Kuchcinski

TEAM LEADER, ACADEMIC SERVICES

Kristi Hayward (419) 214-3893

TEAM LEADER, OPERATIONS

Julie Kadri (419) 724-4288

Barbara Laird James Telb

Treasurer Richard A. Cox

Director

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND ACADEMIC SPECIALIST

Aimee Mendelsohn (419) 280-1661

SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

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

Kurt A. Aey

Administrative Offices

2275 Collingwood Blvd.

Toledo, OH 43620

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

Linda Moye (419) 724-4291

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Natalie Miller (419) 246-3137

(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