MAY 2024

HERE We Grow MONTHLY HEADLINES FROM THE ESC OF LAKE ERIE

WEST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

DIRECTOR'S HEADLINES

MORE INSPIRING

READS THIS MONTH:

Noteworthy News from

the Office of Community Schools

Student Records

As a reminder, community schools, not the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, are required to maintain student transcripts permanently. If a school closes, student records must be provided to each student’s district of residence.

Please take the time now to review your school’s records retention policy and how student records are stored to ensure student records are maintained in an organized and accessible manner.

Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit

School Spotlight	2

ESCLEW Book Club	3

Academic Services	4-5

Compliance	6

Special Education	7 - 8

Professional Learning	9

ESCLEW Staff	10

The 2024 Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit is an exciting event that brings together educators from schools, districts, and organizations doing innovative work to develop teacher leaders. The summit takes place in Columbus on June 5.

Summit attendees will share successes, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming challenges around teacher leadership implementation. It offers an opportunity for participants to become engaged in a statewide network of teacher leaders and administrators to promote and strengthen teacher leadership.

Registration is free, and attendees will receive contact hour certificates. Register using this form

Contact teacher.leadership@education.ohio.gov with questions.

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	MAY 2024

School Spotlights

HEIR FORCE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STEM Hands on Workshop

Heir Force Community School hosted an engaging STEM Hands-On Workshop, offering students an immersive experience in constructing an electronic circuit to illuminate an LED light. Emphasizing the crucial safety practice of "Power off during building," scholars were introduced to fundamental concepts, laying the groundwork for future understanding, such as the principle of "Lock Out, Tag Out," albeit in an age-appropriate manner. Delving deeper, students explored the visual and functional aspects of various electronic components, alongside mastering the utilization of a solderless breadboard for circuit assembly. A heartfelt appreciation is extended to Procter & Gamble for their generous financial contribution, enabling Heir Force Community School to realize this educational endeavor. Such initiatives serve as a gateway, broadening students' horizons and exposing them to potential pathways they might not have previously considered.

PATHWAY SCHOOL OF DISCOVERY Purple Star Class of 2024!

Pathway School of Discovery has earned the special designation of becoming a Purple Star School. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce uses the Purple Star Award to recognize schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display on site.
Pathway School of Discovery satisfactorily completed all required activities, as well as an additional activity to qualify for the Purple Star Advisory Board to determine their eligibility.

Congratulations Pathway School of Discovery!

More information on how your school can be a Purple Star School can be found here.

3	MAY 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 22

There’s No Leadership Without Followership

“You don’t hire for skills. You hire for the right attitude. You can always teach skills.” – Herb Kelleher, founder Southwest Airlines

In Chapter 22, Jim analyzes great leaders through the lens of their followers.

Leadership Troubles. Jim discusses ways leaders create followership – either inspire it or manipulate it. He quotes a placard he keeps on his desk, “All people bring happiness. Some by coming, others by leaving.”

Symbolic Leadership. Jim describes different ways leaders spend time on the little things that symbolize their leadership style such as attending less popular sporting events, visiting sick staff in the hospital, sending birthday cards with a personal note to all staff members, making positive phone calls to parents and students, giving introductions at meetings and events, and planning celebrations … even if they are invented occasions vs. annual traditions like graduation.

Ownership. Leadership is local. You want your community to know and trust you, so you need to make sure you know yourself, your values, and what is most important to you.

Context of Leadership. Leadership is not universal. What it takes to be a leader depends on the type of environment where that leader exists.

4	MAY 2024

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

SUMMER READING SIZZLERS: HOT LITERACY UPDATES AND INSIGHTS

On April 24th, ESCLEW was informed by the DEW that the Dyslexia Committee deemed the new Science of Reading course sufficient to fulfill the dyslexia requirement. This means that teachers only have to take the Science of Reading course and not both the dyslexia course and the Science of Reading course. Click here for more information. Aimee Mendelsohn is available to facilitate training. Please contact her to ask questions and/or to set-up a time to discuss what facilitation will look like.

The state operating budget set aside $64 million to subsidize the cost of high-quality instructional materials purchased by schools aligned to the Science of Reading. Allocated funds were disbursed on the April 12th community school foundation payment. The spreadsheet with HQIM allocations is posted to the Department’s website. Please click on the link and scroll down past the traditional public districts to find your community school(s). If you believe your school’s alignment to the Science of Reading is incorrect on the spreadsheet, please reach out to ReadOhio@education.ohio.gov no later than Friday, May 17th.

EMERGENCY DRILL LOGS … THE MUST DO!

Community Schools are required to complete at least one emergency drill log per month as long as students are in the building. If students are in the building just two days into the month of June, an emergency drill is required by law to be completed. The type or number of drills may depend on what drills have already been completed and recorded for the school year.

Tornado drill season includes April, May, June, and July for Ohio, therefore if students are in session for any of these months, a tornado drill is required by law to be completed.

If the school has completed all required fire and safety drills for the school year, then only a tornado drill will be required for the remaining months students are in the building. If you have any questions regarding the emergency drill requirements, please reach out to your RTAE.

5	MAY 2024

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

END OF YEAR SITE VISITS … WHAT TO EXPECT

As the school year wraps up, so will the on-site visits conducted monthly by the ESCLEW Regional Technical Assistance Educator (RTAE). RTAEs will schedule an on-site visit during the month of May and may opt to conduct an end of the year wrap-up call in June instead of an actual visit to the school. During May and June, the RTAE will discuss the year as a whole in order to collect FY24 data to be included in the school’s Annual Performance Report. The information that will be discussed and collected includes the following;

Student Demographics – Information will include all end of year data on total student enrollment by grade, gender, and ethnicity. This data is collected to provide a snapshot of the demographics at the end of the school year. This data will not be used to determine the financial goals of the Performance Framework Goals (Attachment 11.6).

Evaluation of Other Academic Measure and Non-Academic Goals (Attachment 11.6) – Review in detail the final end of year assessment data to determine the end of year rating for the Achievement and Growth goals. RTAEs will also be reviewing the data for the discipline and mission specific goals.

As a reminder, all three academic components of the Performance Framework Goals (Attachment 11.6) will be evaluated, however only the goal with the highest earned points will count towards the High Stakes Review for contract renewal.

6	MAY 2024

Compliance Headlines

ITEMS OF NOTE May 2024

DEW Reminders

State Testing - Ohio law requires districts to notify parents of students’ test results by June 30 of each year. Results will be available in the Centralized Reporting System (CRS) according to the schedule on the Testing Dates webpage. Printed Family Reports, if requested, will be delivered to districts on July 23, therefore will not be available to meet the June 30th notification deadline.
Student Records - Community schools, not the Department, are required to maintain student transcripts permanently. This requirement continues even as schools experience changes in sponsor, location, name or management organization. If a school closes, student records must be provided to each student’s district of residence.
Transportation - The Department of Education and Workforce, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, has drafted revisions for Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3301-83, Pupil Transportation, rules 3301-83-01 through 3301-83-25. The draft rules and draft business impact analysis are available for review and public comment on the Department’s website. Individuals may submit comments to the Department regarding the draft rules and the draft business impact analysis. The Department will consider each comment received during the public comment period. The public comment period closes May 17, 2024.
Kindergarten Survey – The Kindergarten Survey previously conducted through SurveyMonkey is now collected through EMIS during the Beginning of Year Student Collection that runs from August-December. This year was the first year for the change. Results will be posted by April 30th.

Monthly Financial

May 2024

Compliance Requirement	Due Date	Type	Responsibility

Monthly Financial

Five-Year Forecast Update – If your school was granted an extension on the submission of this task, please email a draft of the Five-Year Forecast Update in Excel
format directly to Linda Moye

Financial Reports - April	May 15	Submission

#S-601 Communication with State Auditor	May 31	Submission

Board Submissions

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Agenda             2 Weeks After Meeting Submission Approved Governing Authority Meeting Minutes            2 Weeks After Approval Submission

School Submissions

Linda

Julie

Regional Rep

Regional Rep

Julie

for review and feedback prior to your board meeting in May.
#S-601 Communication with State Auditor – The form attached to this task in Epicenter must be completed by the school treasurer as evidence of
participation or waiver of the

Staff Affidavit	May 31	Submission	Regional Rep	pre-audit, post audit and/or any other meetings in which

audit issues were discussed, whether in-person or on a
If you have any questions, please contact Julie Kadri.	conference call with the Auditor of the State.

7	MAY 2024

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

SPECIAL EDUCATION SUMMIT

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. The professional learning is intended for special education coordinators, intervention specialists, related service providers, and school psychologists. For more information click HERE. To register click HERE

*Registration will reopen August 1 - 12 for any new employee that may want to attend

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFILE UPDATE

SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE
The second phase of special education profile release is scheduled to occur in May. This phase will include the data release of :
Indicator 3 - Assessment Participation and Performance Indicator 5 - School-age Educational Environments Indicator 6 - Preschool Educational Environments Indicator 7 - Preschool Outcomes Enrollment

These indicators will not have required action, but they will provide districts with valuable information to plan for the 2024-2025 school year.

As a reminder, if your school had special education profile findings resulting in required action to submit student records, the record submission form and record items for individual correction of non-compliant records are due by May 12, 2024.

If you were required to distribute family surveys, the window closes May 7, 2024.

8	MAY 2024

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

Notable Items

Nutrition Lesson for Individuals with Intellectual and

Developmental Disabilities

This short video from Adaptive Physical Activity shows how individuals

use physical activity to also learn about nutrition.

CLICK HERE

Teaching Music to People with Special Needs

In this short video, Mr. B teaches music to people with special needs.

According to Mr. B, "It’s the idea that it’s not really about what’s

different about you, it’s really about what’s the same. We all have the

same needs and wants to express ourselves.“

CLICK HERE

9	MAY 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.

10	MAY 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