• • Notes from CEO Bill Sims
• • OAPCS High Quality Workshop 6: Building a Successful Fundraising Program for your Charter School
• • Calamity Days and Winter Woes
• • OAPCS announces the National Best Collaborative Practices Conference, September 27th & 28th, 2010
• • Demystifying Race to the Top, School Improvement Grants, and the Innovation Fund
• • Funding Available for High-Quality E-Learning Professional Development Modules
• • Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Grant (CFDA 84.215E)
• • Teacher Academies for Financial Literacy 2010 Schedule Posted
• • Walton Family Foundation High Quality Start-up Grant Expanded Opportunities
• • Key Assessment Dates for Spring 2010
• • The Intergenerational School's FREE Professional Development Training
• • Education News You Can Use: Ohio State University
• • 2010 Grants Offered for International Education
• • Your Students are Youth for Justice!
• • Take Part in the Visual and Performing Arts 2010 Ohio Survey of Arts Education
• • OAPCS partners with Oswald Companies
• • Parent Membership Program - "Be A Brick"
• • Links to the States RTTT application

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD)
For the full article click here

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program
For the full article click here

Winning Back Homeschoolers
With the defection of local families causing a steep dip in its enrollment, a rural Ohio district goes virtual to stem the tide. For the full article click here

New Appropriations for Charters
For the full article click here

Congress Ties Ffederal 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

Advocacy

Events

Quality Values and Principles

Charter School Funding

How do charter schools fully fund the cost of educating their students? The Toledo School for the Arts and the OAPCS will address this question on March 4 in our “Quality Workshop No. 6,” at TSA in Toledo. Every charter school has a best practice that can benefit another charter school and the TSA, a blue-ribbon charter, has developed one of the most productive fundraising programs of any charter school in Ohio.  This is a workshop not-to-be-missed.

When I was a school principal at the largest and oldest private school in Colorado, Colorado Academy, I learned the fundamentals of how private schools make up the difference between school tuition income and the actual cost of educating their students, and that delta was very large. Ohio charter schools suffer from a similar gap since the average Ohio charter school receives about two-thirds the per-pupil revenue of their traditional public school counterparts.

Ohio charter schools have to be concerned about their long-term financial viability and how to grow the quality of their programs with such limited resources. It stands to reason that charters can learn a great deal about how to run successful school development programs from high-performing private schools. But in this case we are fortunate to have a charter school that has excelled in these regards and has offered to share its experiences and practices with the Ohio charter school community. I highly recommend this work shop on March 4, 2010. For more information, see below, or contact Marianne Lombardo, VP of School Performance and Accountability at OAPCS mlombardo@oapcs.org

– Bill Sims

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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 four 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 is $300 members/$350 non-members for the 8-hour course.

To register, please click here.

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The most recent budget bill (HB 1) did have a provision in it that said, “the department (ODE) shall waive the number of hours or days of learning opportunities not offered to students because the community school was closed during the school year due to… hazardous weather conditions… so long as the school was actually open for instruction with students in attendance during that school year for not less than the minimum number of hours required by this chapter.” Problem is, the Governor line-item vetoed this provision. Therefore, each community school does need to make up the day/hours that were missed.

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With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a grant from 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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A sea change in education is occurring with a number of new opportunities, funding streams and deadlines. Here is the Pocket Guide.
 
Race to the Top (RttT)
 
Race to the Top is a $4.35 billion national competitive opportunity for State Departments of Education to support education reform and innovation in
classrooms. To be considered, SEAs (State Education Agencies) needed to demonstrate their commitment to:
• Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals;
• Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and
• Turning around the lowest-performing schools.

Forty states submitted applications for the first round of the Race to the Top grant competition, which was significantly more participation than the Education Department had anticipated. Ohio’s application can be found http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=560 .

Round One awards are to be announced in April 2010. At least fifty percent of a state’s grant must be distributed to participating LEAs based on their relative share of Title I, Part A allocations. Ohio was placed in a funding category based on student population making the state potentially eligible for an award totaling $200 to $400 million over four years, which would potentially provide between $100 and $200 million in LEA subgrants.

To emphasize his administration's commitment, President Obama announced that he would ask Congress for an additional $1.35 billion for the initiative. And in a new twist, individual school districts and charters – not just states – will be eligible to compete for the extra funds. The second round of applications will likely be due in June 2010 and final awards will be made in September.

School Improvement Grant
 
School Improvement Grants are $3.5 billion in additional Title I funds to support states in efforts to reform struggling schools, and to focus on implementing turnaround models in the lowest performing schools. State Departments of Education had to identify eligible schools, and schools must choose one of four models:
• Turnaround model: Replace the principal and rehire no more than 50 percent of the staff and grant the principal sufficient operational flexibility (including in staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student outcomes.
• Restart model: Convert a school or close and reopen it under a charter school operator, a charter management organization, or an education management organization that has been selected through a rigorous review process.
• School closure: Close a school and enroll the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving.
• Transformation model: Implement each of the following strategies: (1) replace the principal and take steps to increase teacher and school leader effectiveness; (2) institute comprehensive instructional reforms; (3) increase learning time and create community-oriented schools; and (4) provide operational flexibility and sustained support.

Ohio’s eligible schools are listed http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=550. ODE will be providing Regional Technical assistance meetings from March through early April. Information to help applicants apply for the grants, and what pieces will help make that application successful will be shared at the regional meetings. Grant applications will be available March 1st on the CCIP website and will be due April 30th. For questions about the School Improvement Grants, please contact Kathy Harper (614) 752-1473, kathy.harper@ode.state.oh.us.
 
We encourage high performing charter schools to reach out to districts to discuss partnering on school turnaround strategies.
 
The Investing in Innovation (I3)Fund
 
$650 million will be distributed directly to school districts and their nonprofit partners as “seed money” to scale up or support innovative school reform initiatives. Competitive awards will be made to expand the implementation of innovative and evidence-based practices, programs and strategies that significantly:
• improve K-12 achievement and close achievement gaps;
• decrease dropout rates;
• increase high school graduation rates; and
• improve teacher and school leader effectiveness.

Local education agencies (including charter school LEAs), and nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with LEA(s) or a consortium of schools, are eligible to apply, if they:
• Have significantly closed the achievement gaps between groups of students;
• Have demonstrated success in significantly increasing student academic achievement for all groups of students;
• Have made significant improvement in other areas (graduation rates, high-quality teachers and school leaders);
• Demonstrate that they have partnerships with the private sector that will provide matching funds.

The Department of Education will award i3 funds in three categories: 1) Scale up grants (up to $50 million) is the largest possible grant and focus on programs and practices that show strong evidence of improving student achievement; 2) Validation grants (up to $30 million) will target existing programs that have good evidence and need to further build their research base; 3) Development grants (up to $5million) are designed to support new and high potential practices. The Department of Education anticipates accepting applications in early 2010, with all applications due in spring of 2010. The department will obligate all i3 funding by September 30, 2010.

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ODE worked with eRead at the University of Akron to develop online professional development courses and resources for K-12 literacy educators and parents. The e-learning modules provide comprehensive professional development that helps educators develop skills that are sustainable, ongoing and focused on student achievement.
 
Educators can build a strong literacy foundation through these eRead courses: Five Essentials, Early Language Learning, Differentiation, English Learners, Adolescent Literacy, Scaffolding, High-Yield Strategies or Assess Plan Teach. There also are modules on School Leadership and Instructional Coaching.
 
All online modules promote a blended, face-to-face, high-quality experience led by an experienced facilitator. In addition, the State Support Teams (SSTs) are providing funding to support the module’s implementation. To learn more about the modules, access www.eReadOhio.org and/or contact Lori Vargo at (330) 972-7708 or LVargo@uakron.edu. For more information about funding to support this elearning effort, contact your regional SST.

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• Eligibility: LEAs (School districts, including charter schools and ESCs)
• Project period: up to 36 months (3 budget periods of 12 months)
• Funding: $400,000.00 per year. (range $250,000-$400,000). No match requirement
• Deadline: February 26, 2010 (Notification expected late June 2010)
• Absolute Priority: Establish or Expand counseling programs in elementary schools (K-8)
• Invitational Priority: schools in corrective action (school improvement)
• Program focus: Special consideration to applications demonstrating greatest need for new or additional counseling services; propose most promising and innovative approaches for initiating and expanding school counseling; show greatest potential for replication and dissemination

Visit www.grants.gov and search by CFDA number for application information.

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The schedule for the 2010 series of Financial Literacy Teacher Academies around the state is now available online. The two-day workshops help prepare educators to teach financial literacy, an Ohio Core requirement. While the programs do not license teachers, they do help them gain the knowledge and resources needed for fulfilling the requirement.
 
Individual Centers of Economic Education at various universities throughout Ohio sponsor the workshops and set parameters for Teacher Academy sessions, including the possibility of earning graduate credit. For the workshop schedule and more information on financial literacy requirements, click here or visit education.ohio.gov and search keywords: financial literacy.

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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 years 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 OAPCS - (614) 744-2266 ext. 201 or mlombardo@oapcs.org for more information.

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Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) materials will arrive in districts March 1. The test window is March 15-28.
 
Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) test materials will be received in districts the week of April 5. The test window is April 19-May 7.
 
• Please contact Pearson at ohioK-8@support.pearson.com by Feb. 19 to arrange for delivery if your district will be out on spring break or if you close any days during the week of April 5.
 
Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA) test materials were due in districts the week of Jan. 11. The test window for grade bands K-12 is Jan. 18-March 12. Note: Students who have been identified as limited English proficient (LEP) must take the OTELA until they receive a score that will allow them to exit the program. While they are taking the OTELA, the students must also take the OAA or OGT. OTELA does not take the place of the required statewide assessments.
 
• March 15 is the last day for test materials to be picked up.
 
AASWD-OAA (Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities-OAA) – The last day to ship collections of evidence to Pearson for scoring is March 5.
 
AASWD-OGT last day to ship collections of evidence to Data Recognition Corporation for scoring is March 5.

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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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Applications are now available for the Ohio Global Institute, which will be held on August 3-5, 2010 at The Ohio State University. This three-day institute for teachers in grades K-12 provides opportunities to share best practices in international education; obtain new resources and tools for incorporating international content across curricula; and develop action plans for their classrooms and schools.
 
The Institute is funded in part through a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundations and is presented collaboratively by the Ohio Department of Education; the Ohio Geographic Alliance; the Gerald H. Read Center at Kent State University; The Ohio State University's Office of International Affairs, and the Wexner Center for the Arts and Area Studies Centers.
 
Ohio teachers of English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, world languages, career programs or technology in grades K-12 may apply. The registration fee is $100, and the application deadline is March 20, 2010.
 
To register, please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/globalinst2010app. For more information, contact outreach@oia.osu.edu 

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The Ohio Department of Education has received a second grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation to advance international education in Ohio. A portion of the funds will support a limited number of $2,000 grants to school districts for international education. The application deadline is April 2. For more information, visit education.ohio.gov and search keywords: international education. Please direct any questions to ryan.wertz@ode.state.oh.us or tom.rutan@ode.state/oh.us.

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Looking for ways to get your students involved in their community? Do you want them to be active in solving problems at their school or in their neighborhood? Youth for Justice is a FREE hands-on, interactive program that empowers teachers with resources that energize students. Youth for Justice enables your students to practice good citizenship first-hand! The program is aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards for the Social Studies and for English/Language Arts.
 
Ask for a free copy of the Youth for Justice Program Training Manual by contacting Tim Kalgreen at tkalgreen@oclre.org or 877-485-3510 (toll-free). For more information and to see what students have accomplished with the Youth for Justice program, visit www.oclre.org/yfj.
 
Students identify and research school or community problems, and then design solutions and action steps. Youth for Justice teams frequently identify injustice, intolerance, and inequality in their school or community as issues they wish to remedy.
 
Students present their work at the Youth for Justice Summit, May 12 at the Riffe Center in Columbus.
 
Coordinated by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education, Youth for Justice can be used in the classroom, as an after school activity, with scout troops, in a youth group, at a detention facility, or as a part of 4-H.

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Beginning March 15, Ohio is embarking on the Ohio Arts Education Survey Project, a statewide research initiative that will provide critical information on the current status and condition of arts education in our schools.

All school principals are asked to complete the survey by April 30. The survey asks for information about visual and performing arts programs, staffing and resources that is not gathered by the ODE Education Management Information System (EMIS). Principals are encouraged to seek input from staff members – counselors, curriculum coordinators and teachers – to complete the survey and help ensure accuracy and a high response rate across the state. Access survey information and forms at http://artsedresearch.typepad.com/ohio/.
 
Superintendent of Public Instruction Deborah S. Delisle said, “I strongly urge principals and their staffs to participate in this important initiative. This research, together with other ODE strategies, will help us chart a future course of action and guide us in building the public will to provide high-quality arts learning experiences for all young people in our state,” she said. “The arts play a significant role in our efforts to develop the creative imagination of our students and foster curricular innovations across disciplines at every level of our educational system,” Delisle added.

The survey results will be previewed in late summer 2010 with a final report presented this fall. These results will help all of us understand the condition of Ohio’s arts education programs, the level of student involvement with the arts and how to align resources to areas of need. The Ohio Arts Education Survey Project is a collaborative effort of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, ODE and the Ohio Arts Council, in partnership with Quadrant Arts Education Research.

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As risk managers and insurance brokers, Oswald Companies partners with health insurance carriers to reduce risks for employees. Oswald works with clients when organizing and structuring insurance programs that deliver results: healthier employees, increased production and improved bottom-line performance. As a member of OAPCS, your school can take advantage of calling Oswald and seeing what benefits they can create for your school.

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 of OAPCS.

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