Preparations are underway for school districts to transition to the revised academic content standards over the next three school years. The transition should begin with teachers and district leadership becoming familiar with the revised standards and how they compare with the previous standards. ODE has posted content-specific crosswalks on each of the content area pages to support this work. An additional Comparative Analysis tool will be available in September, to assist in comparing the new and current standards.

 

Because districts will design their own transition to the revised standards, it is natural to expect that each will be in a different place on the timeline. Some districts have completed the necessary curriculum realignment and are ready for implementation this year. These districts are encouraged to begin with the K-2 grade band, as this is the first group of students who will be subject to the new assessments in the 2014-2015 school year.  ODE is realigning the current K-2 diagnostics to the revised standards and plans to have them available for use by next fall for the 2012-2013 school year. Please contact Marcia Barnhart at Marcia.Barnhart@ode.state.oh.us with any questions.

 

 

 

Educational institutions receiving federal funding are required to provide (http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html) an education program celebrating Constitution Day, which is Saturday, Sept. 17. This year’s event marks the 224th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. When Sept. 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, Constitution Day is held during the preceding or following week. ODE encourages schools to involve all students in grades K-12 in activities, and where possible, invite teachers, parents and other community members. Although Constitution Day is an annual event, ODE also encourages schools to continue the study and discussion of our rights and responsibilities as U. S. citizens throughout the school year. To help engage students in meaningful activities aligned to the school’s curriculum and Ohio’s academic content standards, the following resources may be useful in planning events and activities:

 

ODE has joined several other state agencies to form the Ohio Anti-Harassment, Anti-Intimidation and Anti-Bullying (Anti-HIB) Initiative. They are sponsoring a series of one-hour webinars during the current school year. The next webinar is Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 3 p.m.
 
School professionals, parents and community-support personnel are encouraged to participate in each session, which will be presented by experts from each sponsoring agency on topics including: policy implementation and supports; cyber safety; legal ramifications; school-wide interventions; teen dating violence prevention; and girl aggression. In addition to ODE, speakers will represent the Attorney General, eTech Ohio, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and the departments of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Health, and Mental Health.
 
Each webinar is open to the first 100 participants, with registration open 30 minutes before each program. In addition, the webinars will be recorded and posted the same day on this link (http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=435&ContentID=29364) for viewing at a later time. Please direct any questions to Jill Jackson at jill.jackson@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 466-9540.

 

 

Because school improvement depends upon getting conditions and motivations right for learning, ODE is holding two-hour regional meetings throughout the state for principals, administrators and community support personnel. Discussions will focus on supporting schools in creating positive climates for their students, families and communities. Participants are asked to bring data about risk factors affecting school climate and academic performance. At each meeting, local support providers will discuss community-based services and participate in activities to foster collaboration with the education community.   Participation is free, but registration is required at the following link:  http://www2.learningpt.org/ohwebconferenceseries/default.aspx. Contact Jill Jackson for more information at jill.jackson@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 466-9540.