January 06, 2010
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Upcoming Events
Poetry Out Loud
The Ohio Arts Council, in partnership with Thurber House, the Ohioana Library, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is offering the national recitation contest Poetry Out Loud in 2009 – 2010. This program provides an exciting avenue for high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. For more details and online registration, click here.
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Articles of Interest...
New Appropriations for Charters
For the full article click here
Congress ties federal charter school spending to quality controls
For the full article click here
Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Named Best High School by U.S. News & World Report
For the full article click here
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Contact Us
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools
33 N. Third Street,
Suite 600
Office: (614) 744-2266
Fax: (614) 744-2255
www.oapcs.org
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Notes from CEO Bill Sims
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The staff at the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools wishes its members the best of season’s greetings and wishes. But there’s much to do in the first part of January. The New Year begins with a bustle which requires some hustle from you. Read carefully about important opportunities for charter schools. Number one falls into the category of a MUST:
1. DON’T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN RACE-TO-THE-TOP FUNDS. IF YOU ARE A CHARTER SCHOOL, YOU ARE AN LEA IN THE STATE OF OHIO. BECAUSE YOU ARE AN LEA YOU QUALIFY FOR RACE-TO-THE-TOP FUNDING DISTRIBUTIONS THROUGH TITLE 1 FORMULATIONS. BUT YOU MUST HAVE SUBMITTED AN “MOU” (A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING) TO THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BY THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 8TH TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. THE MOU SIMPLY OUTLINES YOUR AGREEMENT TO THE PARTICIPATORY RULES AND MUST BE SIGNED BY YOUR “SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD PRESIDENT. NO EXCEPTIONS AND, NO EXCEPTIONS FOR LATE SUBMISSIONS. YOU CAN ACCESS THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING HERE, WHICH TAKES YOU TO A PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE PAGE.
MOU Submission Details: Completed MOUs must be received by 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2010. Late submissions cannot be accepted. MOU submissions should be sent via e-mail or U.S. Postal Service to: michael.dougherty@ode.state.oh.us or Michael Dougherty; ODE; 25 South Front Street; MS 701; Columbus, OH 43215-4183
For ODE information on this process please click here.
http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=11&ContentID=78973
2. DON’T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EXCITING: Innovative Learning Environments Program (ILE). Ohio is participating in an international program on Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) sponsored by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Center for Education Research and Innovation (CERI). This project is focused on how people learn and under which conditions and dynamics they can learn better. It is identifying inspiring practice to help enrich mainstream education for children and young people. The project aims to inform educational reform by generating evidence from the learning sciences and providing innovative examples from the field which help the positive transformation of teaching and learning practices in today’s schools.
Ohio is the only state participating in this initiative. It is an opportunity for us to highlight existing concrete examples of innovative learning environments that are positively impacting student achievement. To date, examples have been collected from 12 countries or regions. Because Ohio joined the project well after its inception, we are on a short timeline to provide examples for consideration by the OECD/CERI. For an educational environment be considered, all that is required at this time is a document a maximum of two pages in length addressing the questions on the accompanying application. The deadline for submission is Jan. 20, 2010. Click here to download the ILE application.
Following an internal review of the applications, information from selected sites will be forwarded to the OECD/CERI for their consideration. Assuming sites convincingly describe their own learning arrangements and why these are innovative, each participating state or region will likely have one or more ILEs selected for inclusion in what is being called the “Universe of ILEs.” A core set of the “Universe” of ILEs will be asked to provide a more detailed description of their environments. These will become part of an “Inventory.” From this “Inventory”, there will be further selection of sites for detailed case studies conducted by an international team of researchers. The goal is to determine what makes a successful ILE that can serve as an exemplar of outstanding teaching and learning practices.
The ILE may be a public or private school, a classroom, an after school program, any place where innovative teaching and learning are occurring that impacts the learners’ academic, social, personal, or meta-cognitive development.
If you believe you or your colleagues have something to share, not only with Ohio, but with an international community of educators, please submit an application. (Please note: this is a recognition program, not a funding program.)
Contact: Constance Barsky; Constance.barsky@ode.state.oh.us; Curriculum and Instruction;
Ohio Department of Education; 25 South Front Street; Mail Stop 509; Columbus, OH 43215; (614) 387-0942
3. A NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN COLUMBUS, OH: With help from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a grant from the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools will be organizing and hosting a national conference this year in Columbus on BEST COOPERATIVE PRACTICES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, September 27-28, 2010 at the Hyatt at Capitol Square. This should be both a remarkable and precedent setting event. Mark your calendars. Check our web site for information as the program develops. Participation will be limited because of the national participation.
4. CURRENT LEGISLATION RECENTLY SIGNED BY GOVERNOR STRICKLAND
H.B. 19 - DATING RELATIONSHIPS (Harwood) This so-called "Tina Croucher Act" requires school districts to adopt a dating violence prevention policy and to include dating violence prevention education within the health education curriculum. For charter schools, this will require adjustments to harassment policies and also in-service training for teachers relating to dating violence; but, for charters, NO changes in curriculum are required.
H.B. 290 (S.B.190) – ROTC and FIXING THE CLOSURE “TRAP” in H.B. 1. There are three important aspects of this bill: 1) This bill permits Junior ROTC as an elective within the Ohio Core Curriculum. 2) There is an amendment to this bill that is important to charter schools as it allows certain charters that were caught in an unintentional effective date “trap” in the closure language of HB 1 to remain open. 3) The bill also permits the state superintendent and chancellor to create a statewide longitudinal student data system for conducting longitudinal research and evaluation of P-16 education programs, which will significantly strengthen Ohio’s application for federal Race to the Top grants.
– Bill Sims
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The Deadline for the Race to the Top MOU submission is January 8th!
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MOU Submission Details
• Completed MOUs must be received by 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2010. Late submissions cannot be accepted.
• MOU submissions should be sent via e-mail or U.S. Postal Service to michael.dougherty@ode.state.oh.us or
Michael Dougherty
Ohio Department of Education
25 South Front Street; MS 701
Columbus, OH 43215-4183
If you have questions about the MOU, please contact Marianne Lombardo, at (614) 744-2266 ext.201. We would like to see 100% of Ohio’s charter schools submit by deadline to illustrate the force of the charter school community’s commitment to educational reform. Remember that federal funding to your school is dependent upon timely submission of this document!
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OAPCS High Quality Workshop 6: Building a Successful Fundraising Program for your Charter School
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OAPCS is teaming with Toledo School for the Arts for an all-day workshop that will lead participants through how to start a grass-roots fundraising system to advanced strategies for long-term funding. Toledo School for the Arts, rated excellent for the three years, has built wide community support and sophisticated development efforts that assure long term sustainability for the school. Come learn from Ohio’s own experts how to apply these strategies to your school!
The workshop will be held at the Toledo School for the Arts on Friday, March 5th, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and includes a school tour (TSA’s “First Fridays”), the general morning session, lunch, and afternoon mini-sessions. The cost $300 members/$350 non-members for the 8-hour course. Information for registration will be available soon at www.oapcs.org.
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OAPCS announces the National Best Collaborative Practices Conference, September 27th & 28th, 2010
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With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ohio Grantmaker’s Forum, OAPCS is proud to announce the first National charter school conference to be held in Ohio. The National Best Collaborative Practices Between Traditional and Charter Schools Conference will be held September 27th & 28th , 2010, at the Hyatt at Capitol Square Columbus. A panel of distinguished national education reform experts will help us select 50 best practices of collaboration between charter and traditional schools from across the nation, and 24 will be profiled at the conference. Please watch our website and upcoming Insight newsletters for participation information.
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Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) Program
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Ohio is participating in an international program on Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) sponsored by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)/Center for Education Research and Innovation (CERI). This project is focused on how people learn and under which conditions and dynamics they can learn better. The project aims to inform educational reform by generating evidence from the learning sciences and providing innovative examples from the field which help the positive transformation of teaching and learning practices in today’s schools.
For an educational environment be considered, all that is required at this time is a document a maximum of two pages in length addressing the questions on the accompanying application. The deadline for submission is Jan. 20, 2010. Click here to download the ILE application. Contact: Constance Barsky, Curriculum and Instruction, Ohio Department of Education, 25 South Front Street Mail Stop 509 Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 387-0942; Constance.barsky@ode.state.oh.us
This is a great opportunity for Ohio charter schools to receive international recognition for innovative best practices!
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Walton Family Foundation High Quality Start-up Grant Expanded Opportunities
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The Walton Family Foundation High Quality Start-up Grant opportunity has significant changes this year. As in the past years, new start-up and conversion schools with a high likelihood of success in delivering high quality programming to disadvantaged students will be considered for $250,000 in assistance. Important changes this year include:
1. Schools expanding existing programs can be considered (adding middle school grades to an existing elementary school, adding middle school grades to a high school, etc.)
2. Ongoing financial support after the first year of operation, such as a $500 per student subsidy for up to five years, with performance goals met
3. Geographic flexibility (we can consider new schools statewide)
Contact Marianne Lombardo, Director of School Performance and Accountability, at (614) 744-2266 ext. 201 for more information.
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The Intergenerational School's FREE Professional Development Training
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Through a federal PCSP dissemination grant, the consistently excellent The Intergenerational School is providing FREE professional development to share how their school became so successful educating urban children. Key elements of the model include the use of an individualized developmental curriculum with aligned assessment, incorporating community volunteers into the daily life of the school to create a culture of civility, and use of an effective schoolwide behavior approach that nurtures each child’s potential.
In order to fully understand the core elements that make TIS successful, participants must come to each of the first three days of training during any of the selected weeks. However, participants are not limited to the number of sessions they attend. Participants will spend ample time in TIS classrooms observing the implementation of the model. TIS can reimburse Ohio residents for a portion of, or all, travel and substitute teaching expenses. Participants can choose training dates and topics that most interest them.
2010 Dates of Full Day On Site Trainings:
January 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
February 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
March 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
April 13, 14 (optional) how we prepare for the OAT
May 17, 18 (optional) conversations with Dr. Whitehouse
Day 1 Foundations (Jan18, Feb 15, or Mar 8): Philosophy and Overview of TIS, Developmental Learning, Relationship-based learning
Day 2 Instruction and Culture of Learning (Jan 19, Feb, 16, or Mar 9): Literacy, Math
Day 3 Factors for Change (Jan 20, Feb 17, or Mar 10): Parent Involvement and Motivation, Intergenerational Learning, Institutional Change
Specialty Training Dates and In Depth Topics:
Thurs, January 21: School-wide Discipline and Nurtured Heart
Fri, January 22: Intergenerational Learning
Thurs, Feb 18: Developmental Curriculum and Aligned Assessment
Fri, Feb 19: Literacy Instruction: Growing Readers and Writers
Thurs, March 11: Accountability
Fri, March 12: Ohio State Testing: Strategies for Success
To Register please call The Intergenerational School at (216) 721-0120 or send an email to emcgarvey@tisonline.org. At the end of training your team will receive the following:
• Three hours of consulting from Co-Founder and Chief Educator of TIS, Dr. Catherine Whitehouse
• Hard copies of our exclusive training manual
• All DVD’s used in training
• All Power Point presentations used in the training
• Continuous access to our web forum
• Copies of student assessments
• Travel reimbursements for all team members
• Stipends for costs associated with hiring substitute teachers.
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Mayor of Euclid Visits Noble Academy-Cleveland
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On September 29, 2009, Mayor Cervenik of Euclid visited Noble Academy Cleveland and congratulated Noble Academy’s staff, students, and families for receiving an EXCELLENT rating with the Ohio Department of Education. The Mayor praised students for their dedication to academics, math and reading and stressed the importance of education for future success. He said that he hoped students realize how fortunate they are to be attending Noble Academy Cleveland, because receiving a quality foundation is important for success at all levels of education. The mayor described to the students how his performance in his job includes many directors, and those directors had to attend school to learn their job and specialty. Mayor Cervenik believes that the EXCELLENT education our students are receiving will facilitate their ability to continue to learn, even past University level. He emphasized that learning is a life-long process that never ends.
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Noble Academy Cleveland wins LEGO League Robotic Competition
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Noble Academy Cleveland’s Techno Team proudly displayed their aptitude of talent and skills during the First LEGO League Robotic Competition. On December 12, 2009 NAC’s Techno Team, under the guidance of math teacher, Mr. Emre and peer mentor Kerem Kose, advanced their level of competition and reputation by receiving 1st place in program design and 2nd place for overall score. The FLL Robotic Competition was held at Hathaway Brown School, and over 30 schools (private and public) participated. NAC applauds Steven Funnel (8th), David Chappel (8th), Jacob (6th) and Patricia (4th) Opperman, Kiyla Cooper (6th), and Anastasiya Thomas (4th) for their strong execution of skills in the competition. Along with the distinct awards earned, the team received an invitation to compete at the State level in February. As a community school, NAC continues to pave the way to excellence, and leads a student force that proves effectiveness of community schools. Noble Academy Cleveland anticipates the State Competition and the prospect of attaining high marks.
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Parent Membership Program
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The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) firmly believes that quality performance is the key to the healthy growth and sustainability of the community charter school movement in Ohio.
Quality performance cannot be achieved without parental engagement. Parents deserve to be able to choose the best school for their child, and they need to be involved, informed and active with organization that can help with school choice. So it stands to reason that we want charter-school parents to be knowledgeable and engaged on matters that relate to their children’s schools. If we stand together, we can build strong walls that stand firmly for charter schools.
OAPCS is now offering a Parent Membership program that allows individuals to join our organization. Benefits of being an individual member:
• An association of quality values
• Legislative “Updates” and “Alerts”
• Bi-monthly newsletter
• Content-rich website
• Parent Networking/Newsletter
• Discount on products at all Staples Stores
• E-mail bulletins
• Access to OAPCS Community Boards
Please contact Jennifer Brzoski at jbrzoski@oapcs.org or at 614-744-2266 ext. 205 to become a Parent Member.
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New Benefit for our Members!
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Hyatt Regency Columbus, Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and Hyatt Regency Cleveland have agreed to offer a discounted rate to all charter schools that are members with an OAPCS rate of $109.00/night at these two locations. Also, when reserving a room at any other Hyatt Regency Nationwide, you will receive 10% off your stay at all other locations, for being a member with OAPCS. Please look forward to hearing about other Hyatt Regency discounts in Ohio’s other major cities!
Please contact Jennifer Brzoski at jbrzoski@oapcs.org or at 614-744-2266 ext. 205 to receive more information on how to take advantage of this offer or how to become a member as soon as possible.
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