Annual Report

2011-12

A Message from the Superintendent

Throughout the 2011-12 school year, Jefferson County ESC continued to look at ways to expand our culture of service. Conversation and reading assignments for staff meetings focused on developing habits, practices, and attitudes that build and sustain capacity for service.

As we listened to superintendents and other stakeholders, we tried to develop or modify and deliver programs and services that responded to their needs.

Throughout the year, the JCESC staff worked with districts in “rolling out” the Common Core and revised academic content standards.     From August 23, 2011, through May 2012,
supervisors made fifty Standards Focus 1 and 2 presentations to teachers, principals, and	Joy Howell district office administrators. We smilingly referred to the 50th presentation as the “golden         Superintendent meeting.”	JCESC staff continued to lead the Math Mentoring Program to increase the
knowledge, skills, and leadership capacity of Grade 4-8 math teachers and facilitated Year 1 of the Resident Educator Program. They worked with districts in serving at-risk, disabled, and gifted students; building the leadership capacity of principals; and integrating 21st century learning skills into classrooms. While external forces relating to laws, regulations, and funding swirled around them, superintendents maintained their leadership focus on students and learning.

The content of this annual report highlights many of the programs, services, and collaborative initiatives provided and/or facilitated by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. For additional information, we invite you to visit our website at www.jcesc.k12.oh.us.

Jefferson County Governing Board

As a primary connector of professional learning communities, the Jefferson County Educational Service Center links boards of education, administrators, staff, college/university personnel, and business representatives with services that meet the needs of Jefferson and Harrison County students. Along with community connections, the Jefferson County Educational Service Center provides opportunities that connect programs and curriculum with national, state, and local standards.

Front l-r: Joy Howell, Superintendent; Ken Simeral, President; Robert L. (Larry) George, Vice President; Don Donahue, Treasurer; Back l-r: William Schaefer, Barbara Cunningham, William Lollini

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VISION

The Jefferson County Educational Service Center

will be an innovative leader in creating and providing

educational opportunities and alternatives that

maximize achievement for all learners.

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MISSION

The Jefferson County Educational Service Center

models and promotes effective research-based practices

in teaching and learning. The ESC is dedicated to

serving the needs of schools, families, and communities

through partnerships and collaborative leadership.

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BELIEF STATEMENT

The Jefferson County Educational Service Center believes in …

 increasing student achievement and enhancing teacher instruction;  supporting life-long learning;
 providing leadership and services that result in educational opportunities for all learners;  providing programs that are service-oriented, data-driven, and cost- effective;
 promoting and modeling collaboration to enrich learning opportunities; and  utilizing technology and research-based models in service and programs.

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GOALS

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Annual Report

Goal #1:

Goal #2:

Goal #3:

Goal #4:

To set high expectations for what all students should know and be able to do

To provide leadership and support to school districts and other stakeholders in their efforts to build capacity

To build a credible accountability system that holds educators, students, and families responsible for high academic achievement

To become a high performance organization that effectively and efficiently supports customers

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INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT GERD
“GERD” meetings have taken the place of gifted teacher meetings for the Gifted Education Department at the JCESC. Gifted programs have almost vanished in the area, so the coordinators have created meetings for teachers interested in Gifted – Enrichment – Response to Intervention (Intelligence) and Differentiated Instruction (GERD). “GERD” meetings are held four times during the year with special sessions scheduled when needed. The meetings are individualized

professional development. The session is divided into segments so teachers have time to interact and network with other teachers using the same teaching strategies, gather new and innovative techniques, meet with coordinators for individual questions and concerns, review state and local policies and how they relate to the goals set for the “GERD” team, and provide feedback on the lessons and discussions from the previous meeting.

In 2011-12, teachers from Toronto, Indian Creek, Edison, Bishop Mussio and Buckeye School Districts participated in the “GERD” program. Toronto offers a gifted program with a gifted intervention specialist. Indian Creek team members who come from three elementary buildings and the teacher from Bishop Mussio are focusing on Differentiated Instruction and Enrichment ideas. Buckeye has an

Teachers     work to enhance their     curriculum enrichment “Brain Boxes”

enrichment program and a gifted intervention specialist who works with students. Edison has a teacher devoted to the higher level thinkers during their Response to Intervention classes. All these districts are working with the JCESC gifted coordinators to make “GERD” a useful, helpful and informative professional development.

Special “GERD” meetings have also been held to familiarize teachers with how to use the Virtual Learning Academy as an enrichment and higher level thinking tool. This concept will be expanded as interest grows. The 21st century skills and the new standards reinforce the need for higher level thinking.

The Gifted Education Department of the JCESC has worked with our districts as well as ESCs across the state to enhance the productivity of our program. Now is the time for expanding gifted education concepts into all areas of the curriculum as higher level thinking and problem solving are the very foundation of 21st century skills and a viable pathway to college and career readiness.

Expanding “Gifted Gab” to encourage sharing ideas via the internet

Karen Martin demonstrates to participants how Geocaching can be used as an enrichment activity

Targeted Professional Development for Administrators

The Professional Development & Curriculum Department held a workshop in the OME-RESA Lab for area administrators entitled “A Conversation About the Revised Standards and Model Curriculum.” Two sessions were held - one for Elementary Principals on February 6 and one for MS/HS Principals on February 13.

Administrators gained an overview of the Revised Standards and Model Curriculum, the ODE transition plan, and key links on the ODE website for administrators, as well as teachers.	Area administrators were also given time to collaborate with their colleagues and discuss how each of their districts planned to implement the standards. Over 40 administrators (principals, curriculum directors, superintendents, and assistant superintendents) participated in this very worthwhile workshop for instructional leaders.

The JCESC Professional Development & Curriculum Department will continue to work with area administrators and their staffs throughout the three-year transition period.

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Standards Focus 1 & 2 Workshops

The Professional Development & Curriculum Department presented standards workshops throughout the 2011-2012 school year.	The “free” content-area workshops allowed participants to gain a deeper understanding of the Revised Standards and Model Curricula for each content area.	These workshops prepared them to begin the revision of local curricula so it is aligned to the revised standards.

The “Peer-to-Peer” Model training prepares Building-Level Facilitators to deliver high-quality professional development in their respective buildings.	It also ensures a smooth transition and implementation of the standards through ongoing “coaching.”

Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, supervisors made 50 PowerPoint presentations, with 1,660 teachers being trained in English/language arts, math, science, and social studies.	Eighty-three district administrators and 116 building administrators attended the various content-specific trainings.

The JCESC Professional Development & Curriculum Department will continue to provide assistance to teachers and administrators throughout the three-year transition period.

Improving Teacher Quality Program

Seventy-four math and special education teachers from grades 4-8 participated in seven days of summer 2011 training and four follow-up days during the 2011-2012	school year to improve teacher quality in mathematics instruction. The training featured the Geometer Sketchpad, the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, and the SMARTBoard to increase proficiency in targeted areas in math.

The program dove-tailed with the Math Teacher Mentor Program by utilizing the Math Teacher Mentors to facilitate program follow-up group instruction. Staff members from Franciscan University of Steubenville and The University of Dayton also participated as instructors.

Resident Educator (RE) Program

During the 2011-12 school year, the Jefferson County ESC Consortium Resident Educator Program completed Year One of the Ohio induction program for beginning teachers. There were 44 participants (22 Resident Educators and 22 mentors) in the year-long program.

The program was rather prescriptive in nature with the Ohio Department of Education expecting several specific experiences to be included in Year One. Mentoring, RE Self Assessment, goal setting, professional observations, an understanding of the Standards for the Teaching Profession, and professional development, along with other experiences, were embedded in this first year of the four-year RE Program.

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Resident Educator Program Mentor Training

The first officially sanctioned training for Resident Educator Program Mentors from Jefferson and Harrison counties was conducted September 8 - 9, 2011, at the EGCC Pugliese Training Center. Fifty-six teachers completed the two-day training which qualifies them to mentor Resident Educators for years to come.

The names of these trained mentors are officially registered with the Ohio Department of Education to assure future Resident Educators are matched, for mentoring purposes, with a fully trained mentor.

Nancy Tingle, a trainer from The Ohio Valley	Resident Educator mentors share ideas and learn from one another. Educational Service Center, provides professional
development to Resident Educator Mentors from Jefferson and Harrison Counties.

DISTRICT SUPPORT INITIATIVES Math Mentoring Program

Eight	mentors	worked	collaboratively	with	eighty-two	(82) mathematics classroom teachers during the 2011-12 school year, focusing upon sharing effective instructional practices, integrating state math standards into effective lesson plans, developing common grade level assessments, and preparing teachers/students for Ohio Achievement Assessments.	Dr. Janet Herrelko from the University of Dayton provided two inservice days.     She introduced the College and Career Ready 2010 standards and the transition tools
math teachers need to implement revised standards for the 2014-15 school year when the new assessments for Ohio students become effective. For the second consecutive year, the Math Mentoring Program focus was on grade 3-6 classroom teachers.

Teacher Leader Endorsement

The new Ohio licensure structure includes four levels, the highest and most prestigious of which is Lead Professional Educator. To attain this status, a teacher must hold a Master’s Degree, Master Teacher status, and the Teacher Leader Endorsement.

Earning the Teacher Leader Endorsement typically requires successful completion of twelve semester hours of specifically described graduate work. The coursework is usually arranged so teachers can complete it in one year. Completing the work and earning the Lead Professional Educator status qualifies a teacher to be engaged in non-administrative, out-of-classroom work such as new teacher supervision, professional development, curriculum improvement, and data-based building-level research.

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Master Teacher Program

On April 8, 2009, the Jefferson County ESC Consortium adopted a plan that outlines a pathway and enables every teacher in the JCESC Consortium to earn the status of Master Teacher. If successful in this venture, a teacher will hold the designated “master teacher” status for a period of five years. Information relating to this plan is available upon request in the Professional Development Department.

A master teacher demonstrates excellence inside and outside the classroom through consistent leadership and focused collaboration to maximize student learning.	A master teacher strives for distinguished teaching and continued professional growth as specified by The Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession.

All Schools Spelling Bee

After four months of classroom, building, and district level competitions, the stage was set for 50 contestants from Buckeye Local, Edison Local, Harrison Hills City, Indian Creek Local, Steubenville City, Toronto City, and a home school student to gather at Buckeye North Elementary School in Brilliant, Ohio, on a beautiful, sun-filled, winter day,	Saturday,	March	10,	2012,	for	the	right	to	represent	the	Herald Star/Jefferson/Harrison     County     Region     in     the	National     Spelling     Bee	held May 29-June 1, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

When the two-and-a-half-hour competition ended, Dharani Kotekal, an eighth grade student at Indian Creek Junior High School, spelled “nativistic” to earn a second Regional Championship (2010) in her four years of participation in the competition. Dharani attributes hard work, much study time, and a great deal of support from Mom and Dad as reasons for her success. Her previous appearance in the National Bee was also a “huge factor in my preparation” for this regional event.

We also congratulate all other spellers who provided the challenges to make our regional competition a success again this year.

Dharani Kotekal, 2012 Regional Spelling Bee Winner, and Ross Gallabrese, Executive Editor, The Herald Star

Best Practices Mini-Grants

The Jefferson County Governing Board adopted the classroom Best Practice Grant Program as a way to support teachers’ efforts in utilizing new and existing instructional practices that link curriculum, instruction, and assessment with activities that actively engage students in their own learning.

At the regular November 2011 meeting, the Jefferson County Governing Board awarded eleven Best Practice Grants of $400 each to teachers in school districts in the service area. Recipients of the 2011-12 grants are Jamie Bauman, Buckeye Local High School; Dani Carroll, Edison High School; James Evans, Edison High School; Julie Kireta and Kelly Dopp, Stanton Elementary; Alisha Steele, Harrison North Elementary; Kelly Zeroski, Harrison North Elementary; Susan Macenczak, Harrison Jr./Sr. High School; Mary L. Morgan, Hills Elementary; Joyce Cammilletti, Indian Creek Junior High; Michelle Fabbro, Indian Creek Junior High; and Cindy Hinerman, Karaffa Elementary.

All proposed projects had to reflect best instructional practices and enhance the learning process leading to improved student performance. Titles of the winning grants include Project Based Learning with Authentic Assessment (Special Education/Social Studies), Using Nintendo Wii (Music), Bookemon.com Narrative Showcase (English), Reading with Rigor (English Language Arts), Increasing Achievement with Innovative Multimedia (Reading), Inclusion Math Intervention for At Risk (Math), Celebrate National Poetry Month 2012 (Library Media), Geocaching (Cross Curriculum), NookColor (Cross Curriculum), Science “Toys” (Chemistry/Physics), and Positive Behavior Support (Student Behavior).

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E-Rate Training

Lorrie Germann, State E-Rate Coordinator/Program Director eTech Ohio, provided E-Rate training to school district personnel from throughout the region at Eastern Gateway Community College in fall 2011.	This training brings everyone the knowledge to successfully build a strong technology program.	Along with funding information, the presenter provided updates regarding the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and also the Technology Plan for each district.	Mike Edwards, an Educational Technology Consultant for eTech Ohio, spoke on the topic of the newly revised Technology Planning tool. The E-Rate eTech Ohio staff meets with district members throughout the year to share updates on various projects.

Lorrie Germann, State E-Rate Coordinator/Program Director e-tech Ohio, provided E-Rate training to     school district personnel from throughout the region at Eastern Gateway Community College.

Public Records Training

JCESC hosted two public records trainings during the 2011-12 school year, one Friday, September 16, 2011, and one May 10, 2012, at the Eastern Gateway Community College Training Center. Personnel from the Ohio Auditor of State’s office conducted the trainings. Topics at both trainings included responding to requests for public records, an overview of the Public Records Act, compliance with House Bill 9, highlights of records retention, and the Open Meetings Act.

JCESC had previously hosted a training March 31, 2010.

In addition to school personnel, participants included representatives from other government agencies and municipalities.

Records Storage and Retrieval

Jefferson County ESC is utilizing the OnBase Document Management System for converting paper records to an electronic format.

OnBase Document Imaging enables paper documents to be systematically scanned and stored in standard electronic formats.	By converting paper documents to images, the OnBase system reduces physical storage costs, enables documents to be securely utilized and shared, and results in faster retrieval of information.

OnBase enables JCESC the ability to capture documents, including paper, email, system reports, e-forms, etc.; manage content; store, organize, and track content; deliver documents to processes as soon as they are needed; and preserve and protect documents in compliance with internal and external standards.

Brenda Carnes facilitates the scanning and OnBase storage process for JCESC. She has completed several categories of paper files and enabled the office to eliminate multiple filing cabinets and boxes.

The Treasurer’s office is now engaged in the process and has been making great strides in scanning budgetary documents into the Document Retrieval System.

Once scanned and audited, the ESC will be able to discard the hard copies while still being able to access any needed records through the OnBase program.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT County/District Professional Development Day

The Jefferson County ESC, in collaboration with four local school districts (Buckeye Local, Edison Local, Indian Creek, and Steubenville) hosted the 2011-2012 Professional Development Day for teachers and administrators.

The agenda included presentations by four speakers, district meetings, and time for collaboration and sharing of teaching strategies and techniques. The speakers included Sasheen Phillips from the Ohio Department of Education, who spoke on the Revised Standards, Model Curriculum, and the New Assessments; Terri Bierdeman from STRS, who presented information	on	the	State	Teachers’	Retirement	System;	Kathleen	Nichols	from	the	Ohio	Attorney General’s Office, who discussed cyber-bullying; and Holly Hall from Region 12 SST, who presented information on the Preschool Model Curriculum and Updates.

Over 583 teachers, 43 administrators, and 7 curriculum/instructional coordinators from the Jefferson County ESC Virtual Learning Academy participated in the professional development day which was held at Steubenville High School.

The County/District Professional Development Day allowed teachers to network in large and small group settings.

Bus Driver Inservice

The Jefferson County Educational Service Center held its annual bus driver inservice at Eastern Gateway Community College on August 23, 2011. This program allows bus drivers an opportunity to receive 3.5 hours of training to renew their licenses to operate district vehicles. The American Red Cross presented topics including Blood Borne Pathogens, H1N1 Flu, and First Aid Preparedness. In addition, a trooper from the Ohio Highway Patrol discussed traffic safety, traffic violations, and other important driving issues. There were 114 bus drivers at the event.

Professional Development for Early Childhood Staff

JCESC collaborates with seven districts in the ESC Consortium to provide preschool professional development for classroom teachers and classroom aides. This collective collaboration enables teachers and aides the opportunity to share ideas, strategies, and promising practices across districts in Jefferson and Harrison Counties.

Effective teachers are the most important asset of a quality early childhood program. Our goal is to increase and enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers by providing a wide array of professional development opportunities.

Topics in this year’s professional development included children’s literature and early literacy, first aid, CPR and communicable diseases, positive behavior support, and hands-on science for preschoolers.

Preschool teachers and aides practiced CPR and the use of portable AED units during one of their sessions.

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Jefferson County ESC Consortium Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC)

The Jefferson County ESC Consortium LPDC completed its 14th year of operation during the 2011-12 school year. The LPDC fulfills two primary roles: 1) analyzing, considering, and approving credentials and Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs) for renewal of educator licenses and approve and 2) promoting and implementing High Quality Professional Development (HQPD) based on the Ohio Standards for Professional Development.

The JCESC Consortium LPDC is a multi-district collaborative venture consisting of five districts. The 42-member LPDC meets the third Wednesday of each month to fulfill its two primary roles.

Back-to-School Administrative Breakfast

On Thursday, August 11, 2011, the Governing Board hosted the annual back-to-school breakfast meeting for 85 district administrators, the ESC Leadership Team, and special guests. This year’s meeting was held at The Rose in Wintersville. Tom Ash, Director of Governmental Relations at BASA, was the guest speaker. His presentation titled, “A Legislative Banquet: Some Done, Some Still Cooking, and Some Raw,” related to aligning current legislation with the district “big arrow” focus for 2011-12.

Principals’ Leadership Academy

During the 2011-12 school year, administrators from school districts in the JCESC service area, as well as personnel from the ESC and Franciscan University, participated in four professional development sessions focusing on building leadership. The sessions were organized by building grade level and offered twice each month (October, November, February, and March). The sessions were repeated for each group. All sessions were held at Franciscan University.

Sessions for October were titled “Emerging Technologies for the Classroom” and “How to Use Technology in the Classroom.” November sessions were “Legal Update: Senate Bill 5” and “Hot Topics in Research.” The February topic was “How to Develop, Create, and Teach an Online Course.”	The last topics, covered in March, included “Implementing Change: Facilitation Skills Revisited,” “21st Century Classroom Skills,” and “Teacher Evaluation.”

Administrators completing the academy had the option of purchasing one semester hour of graduate credit from Franciscan University or receiving CEUs from Jefferson County ESC.

OPES

Staff from the Educational Service Center served as district facilitators for administrators during discussions concerning the Ohio Principal Evaluation System.

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2011-12 ENROLLMENT

Buckeye local

2,062

INDIAN CREEK local

2,345

EDISON local

1,963

STEUBENVILLE CITY

2,517

HARRISON HILLS CITY

1,627

TORONTO CITY

878

INSTRUCTION

Work-Study Services Summary

Students Enrolled -123 Evaluations/IEPs - 110
Workstations Monitored - 16 (Community - 2; In School - 14) Classroom Visits - 130
Student Seminars - 90 Student Earnings - $9,559.72
Taxes Paid on Earnings - $1,069.48

Work-Study Post-Secondary Options

On January 19, 2012, students from Indian Creek High School met with a representative from Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC). Mrs. Suggs held a planning session with eight intervention students in regard to attending EGCC this fall. She talked about what types of programs are offered, enrollment requirements, and the different kinds of financial aid available to help fund school expenses. In addition, the students also filled out applications to the college.	Mr. Maul provided transcripts to accompany the applications.	This is an annual event to help students with disabilities enter post-secondary education after graduation from high school.

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Work-Study Career Options

David Lucas, ESC Work-Study Coordinator serving Buckeye Local and Indian Creek School Districts, facilitated a Gas and Oil Seminar with Jefferson County Community Action Council (CAC) at Indian Creek High School and Buckeye Local High School to provide students with information about employment opportunities after graduating from high school.

Mike McGlumphy from CAC conducted an information session for students with disabilities on how to access gas and oil employment opportunities. He explained the types of jobs available, employment websites, and resume tips to help them find future careers in the gas and oil industry.

Students also observed a PowerPoint presentation on the processes of gas and oil drilling. CAC provided the students with handouts containing information on the gas and oil industry.

These events encouraged and supported students with disabilities who desire to enter the workforce in the gas and oil industry.

Mike McGlumphy (left and right) conducts     an     information     session regarding employment opportunities in the gas and oil industry.

Transition Services

The process for transitioning preschoolers with disabilities to kindergarten begins at the middle of the school year. For each preschool classroom, teachers compile a list of students who are age-eligible to attend kindergarten during the next school year according to the district cutoff date. Each district representative is contacted, and dates are selected to conduct transition meetings. These meetings include the student’s parent and teacher, the district representative, and the school psychologist.

At the meeting, the team discusses whether the child is ready to enter kindergarten or whether he/she would benefit from an additional year in preschool. If the child’s parents decide to keep the child in preschool an additional year, no further action is taken. If the parents wish to transition their child to kindergarten, a planning form, prior written notice, and consent to evaluate are completed. The team reviews previous testing, any areas in which the child previously qualified for services, and what additional testing needs to be completed. Related service personnel are notified if a child is in need of a reevaluation. The reevaluation can be completed through a review of existing records or through additional testing.

Once the testing process and necessary paperwork are completed, a meeting date is established to review the Evaluation Team Report (ETR). If the child qualifies for services upon entering kindergarten, the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is also reviewed and revised. Through this process, the child is able to proceed to the next level of education with no lapse in services.

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Itinerant Preschool Services

The itinerant preschool teacher provides services to students in Buckeye Local, Edison Local, Indian Creek Local, and the Head Start Program. Direct services are provided to students between the ages of 3-5 years who are not functioning at an age-appropriate level in the areas of speech/language, cognitive/social, and adaptive behavior. In addition to direct student services, the itinerant teacher provides consultation to parents and teachers by recommending strategies for instruction to meet the developmental needs of children.

Westfal and E in Loy of Help Me Grow, and Amy
meeting.
The itinerant teacher provides linkage with social agencies such as Help Me Grow, Leannel Hutton,rPreschool Itinerant Teacher, Carolyn Children & Family First Council, and the Jefferson County Board of Geddis from Community Action Council Head Start Developmental Disabilities. This agency support is a valuable asset to parents collaborate during a Family and Children First Council

seeking guidance for the age-appropriate development of their child.

The itinerant teacher is like a “preschool on wheels” in Jefferson County, where services are provided as needed for all the local school districts.

School Psychology Services

The Jefferson County Educational Service Center employs four school psychologists. Three school psychologists serve the school-age population in Buckeye Local, Edison Local, and Indian Creek Local school districts. The fourth school psychologist serves the preschool population in the aforementioned districts, as well as Toronto City School District.

The school psychologists are responsible for working with students and their families to identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success and for evaluating eligibility for special education services within a multidisciplinary team. Furthermore, school psychologists work with teachers to identify and resolve academic barriers to learning and to design academic and behavioral interventions.

The school psychologists also participate in preschool and kindergarten screenings. The screening dates for the 2012-13

school year are as follows: Toronto - May 18, 2012 Edison - May 30 - June 1, 2012
Speech and Language Pathology

Buckeye - June 11 - 14, 2012

Indian Creek - August 6 - 10, 2012

The Jefferson County Governing Board employed six full time Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) during the 2011-12 school year. The SLPs serve Buckeye Local, Edison Local, and Indian Creek Local School Districts. The general duties are to provide an ongoing speech and language program in the district to which they are assigned. The specific duties of the SLPs include identifying and providing direct therapy and intervention services to students diagnosed with communication disorders, providing consultation services with school personnel regarding communication disorders, counseling parents whose children are experiencing difficulties in the area of communication, supervising graduate students from local universities in the area of speech and language pathology, and documenting therapy progress and time through Medicaid Billing Services.

During the 2011-12 school year, 485 students benefited from ongoing speech and language services. To maintain certification and licensure, therapists attended various professional development workshops and inservices. Therapists have implemented current technology into their therapy sessions such as augmentative communication devices, iPads, and computer programs.

The SLPs serving the county school districts during the 2011-12 school year were Leslie Adamsky and Marianne Madzia, Buckeye Local; Tina Pearce, Indian Creek; Chris Somerville, Edison and Indian Creek; Marissa Wanchik, Edison, and Jane Herron, Preschool.

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ON-LINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING Welcome Kristina Ash

In July 2011, the Governing Board employed Kristina Ash to coordinate and lead the ESC outreach work for the Virtual Learning Academy. Mrs. Ash earned her bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University and her master’s degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

Mrs. Ash has served as an adjunct online faculty member at Eastern Gateway Community College since 2005.	She has developed and taught online courses in Principles of Management,	Organizational	Behavior,	Human	Resources	Management,	and Microeconomics.

She and her husband, George, along with their two children, reside in the Richmond area.

The Governing Board and staff welcome Mrs. Ash to JCESC.

JCESC/VLA Course Standard Alignment

With testing on new College and Career Readiness Standards just around the corner, JCESC/Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) staff wanted to guarantee that the courses met the needs of districts and students.

The Standard Alignment Project, launched in June 2012, was designed to assure the VLA online curriculum is ready to meet this challenge. Teachers familiar with the VLA program gathered at the JCESC on June 6 to discuss Phase I of the project and to view the Gap Analysis Tool provided by the Ohio Department of Education. Participants then worked individually to analyze existing VLA courses and to document standards that were not adequately aligned.

Phase II of the Standard Alignment Project began in July. Teachers used the information acquired through Phase I of the project to update and to align the current VLA courses. Content and assessments in all core academic areas were subject to these revisions. The courses selected for the first standard alignment cycle included Physical Science, Integrated Physical Science, Science 120, Science 130, English I, English II, English III, English IV, English 120, English 140, American Government, U.S. History, Social Studies 130, Social Studies 140, Economics, Citizenship, Geography, Math 120, Math 130, Algebra I, Algebra II, Integrated Math III, Integrated Math I, Geometry, Integrated Math II, as well as the Kindergarten Core courses. The JCESC/VLA staff is also currently working to enhance the revised curriculum by adding a variety of interactive activities, simulations, and video clips.

In addition, JCESC/VLA Social Studies staff is working on the high school American History and American Govern-ment courses to ensure they are in compliance with the revisions from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) re-quired by Am. Sub. S.B. 165.

This Standard Alignment Project will continue until all JCESC/VLA courses are fully aligned.

New VLA Courses

New VLA courses for the 2011-2012 school year included Spanish 150, Kindergarten Science, and Psychology. Courses in development are Chemistry, Spanish 160, Kindergarten Math, 1st Grade Core, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language, and a full year of Physics.

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Online Whiteboards Changing VLA Instruction

The online whiteboard, a 21st Century Web 2.0 Learning Tool, is changing the way students are learning in the JCESC/ Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) online environment. This learning tool brings students “closer” to the teacher as they collaborate synchronously online in a whiteboard “room.”

This past summer, 74% of the JCESC/VLA Math and English teachers and 53% of the JCESC/VLA elementary teachers participated in a two-hour training to implement this Web 2.0 Learning Tool. Connecting with students through an online whiteboard gives the JCESC/VLA teacher an opportunity to guide student learning and “lead” students to discoveries, while increasing student academic success in the virtual environment.

Students of ALL abilities can benefit from the individualized or group settings. A junior at one of the school districts participated in JCESC/VLA to complete her high school core requirements in preparation to attend Eastern Gateway Community College full-time this fall. As a JCESC/VLA ACT prep student, she used the online whiteboard tutoring to prepare for the math portion of the ACT test. When asked to share her thoughts about the online whiteboard sessions, she replied, “Whiteboard sessions are helping me tremendously! Most of the questions that I come across I am completely lost on. Having a teacher take me step-by-step through each question helps me to break the problem down and get the right answer. Not only does it help me to get an answer, it also helps me to confront the problem with the knowledge to solve it and the confidence to do so. I love having the sessions every week because they really do help!”

This Web 2.0 Learning Tool is viewable on both the teacher and the student computer screens with all having access to write and/or draw in real time. Students and teachers can also communicate with each other through VOIP (voice over the Internet) or by chatting in real time.	The teacher can demonstrate explanations by writing, drawing, and integrating photos, maps, documents, and/or graphics onto the whiteboard. Students can then respond by writing and demonstrating their knowledge of the topic.

Server Update

Shaye Casper and Zach Murray, from the Jefferson County Educational Service, meet with Network Administrators from Software Answers to update the servers used within the Virtual Learning Academy.

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Summary Technology Workshops

JCESC/VLA offered six 2012 Summer Technology Workshops held at Jefferson County Educational Service Center (JCESC) in Steubenville, Ohio, and at Union Local High School (UL) in Belmont, Ohio. These presentations were designed to extend professional development and to encourage the use of technology in the classroom.

Workshop titles included The Magic of Image Editing, Adobe Flash Animation Basics, Educaching: Geocaching for the Classroom, MS Office - Beyond the Basics, Using QR Codes in Education, and Resources and Apps? We Got ‘Em.

All the 2012 Summer Technology Workshops were successful. They brought together over one hundred registrants from various grade levels, content areas, and school districts. In spite of their varied backgrounds, teachers had a common goal of enhancing their students’ educational experiences with ever-changing technology.

Pictured left: Sharon Doty trains VLA teachers to use the online whiteboard. Pictured right: Teachers get hands-on experience on a geocaching trip.

Online JCESC/VLA Workshop

JCESC/VLA went beyond their traditional summer workshop venue to provide online opportunities for professional development and teacher training. In 2012, educators explored specific technology skills and online resources in Making Creativity Click with Web 2.0 Learning Tools, the first JCESC/VLA Professional Development Workshop presented entirely online, from January 23 through March 19. Attendees learned five, free, online platforms. They used Web 2.0 tools and 21st Century learning skills to create projects they can incorporate into their own teaching environments. After viewing a variety of examples, participants also discussed ways to assess and score student work.

Information on additional online workshops planned for the 2012-13 school year will be announced soon.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVES

High School to Higher Ed Alignment Project

The High School to Higher Ed Alignment Project, a three-year project, emerged from an unfunded grant and will be structured to closely follow the format of that grant. There will be nine professional development days for math and English language arts teachers equally distributed over three years - six professional development days during the summer and three during the school year. Stipends will be paid to participants for the summer work days.

The goal of the project is to more effectively and efficiently align both content and sequence of selected high school and higher education courses to significantly reduce the percentage of students who must enroll in remedial courses prior to beginning their “for credit” college courses. Enrolling in remedial courses leads to partial or complete depletion of a student’s grant/scholarship entitlement money prior to enrolling in credit coursework.

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Regional Shared Services (Transportation, Technology, Lean Six Sigma)

JCESC is a partner in the Southeast Ohio Shared Services Collaborative, an Ohio Department of Education pilot project funded through a $250,000 grant awarded to six educational service centers (Athens-Meigs, East Central Ohio, Gallia-Vinton, Jefferson, Muskingum Valley, and Ohio Valley) and two ITCs (OME-RESA and SEOVEC) in southeast Ohio.

The collaborative, an 18-county area covering “9,119 square miles of opportunity,” is charged with working with governmental agencies to save public money in two areas: transportation and technology. Lean Six Sigma principles to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of agencies will be a process introduced to ESC and ITC staffs.

The following data provide a quick overview of the southeast region impacted by this grant.

18 counties, 7 ESCs, 2 ITCs

65 school districts serving 112,000 children 9,119 square miles in the collaborative
1,169 school buses traveling 338,359 miles per day 18,335,352 miles traveled per year
$55,423,694 spent on transportation per year Gas prices range from $3.17 to $3.96 per gallon

TRANSPORTATION

The transportation subcommittee will focus on several areas to increase transportation efficiency to their respective entities. Examples of the grant targets are listed below:

Standardizing commodities such as buses, tires, oil filters, bus seats, and other bus supply costs Leveraging a cost savings by buying in bulk
Exploring ArcGIS routing for the 18-county area (one ESC and one ITC presently have the expertise to do this) Looking at what cost savings and better quality can be achieved through crossing district borders with buses to
transport children and possibly other citizens on the borders to their home school
Sharing the transportation of students to area parochial and other charter schools by mapping this through the ArcGIS routing system
Exploring shared bus maintenance facilities within the region. In all likelihood there will be more than one in each county; the goal is to reduce the number of maintenance facilities by approximately 20%. This would enable counties to share costs of mechanics and other maintenance garage costs. This could be used by the counties, townships, and cities for their maintenance vehicles.

TECHNOLOGY

A subcommittee consisting of technical staff from partner entities is discussing technology currently used in districts and looking for ways to share services. The goal is to standardize hardware and software to allow leveraging of purchase volume, increased application sharing, and reduced duplication of services.	This committee is also considering the possibilities of utilizing virtual technologies to reduce the number of entities hosting servers. Consolidation into data centers could provide maximum efficiency and increased reliability within the region and reduce the number of physical servers along with total costs associated with those servers by 10% across the region.

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Regional Shared Services (continued)

LEAN SIX SIGMA

The Southeastern Ohio Regional Shared Service Collaborative Grant, “9,119 Square Miles of Opportunity,” is offering Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training for district leaders interested in leading process improvement activities in their respective districts.

Lean Six Sigma is a well-established method for improving service and driving down costs by eliminating waste, reducing variation in operations, and reducing non-value added work. The Lean Six Sigma business improvement model represents the logical evolution - and fusion - of decades of learning, going as far back as Henry Ford and the Model T. The general goals of any Lean Six Sigma project are reducing process cycle times, improving on-time delivery, and reducing costs. By focusing on eliminating non-value added waste in a process, Lean Six Sigma helps a service environment become a customer-centered organization, gain control over process complexity, and improve performance and response time on signature services. Lean Six Sigma statistical techniques are used to understand, measure, and reduce process variation with the primary goal of achieving improvements in service/product quality, performance, and cost.

The Lean Six Sigma process requires leaders who are teachers and collaborators to be out of their offices and visible in the workplace, making problems visible, espousing and modeling clear simple standards, and focusing on “making it right” rather than just “making the numbers.”

Marsden Shared Services

Steve Niswonger, Vice President of Business Development , and Tony Messner, National Director of Facility Services for Marsden Industrial Services, introduce some of the cooperative programs at a Superintendents’ Cabinet Meeting.

Cooperative Classrooms and Programs

JCESC continues to support, operate, and partner with school districts to provide services for children and school districts when collaboration is required. During the 2011-12 school year, those partnerships have maintained programs for	preschool	children	with	special	needs,	children	with	visual	impairments,	severe	emotional disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral concerns.	Mrs. Beth Andlinger, a licensed Occupational Therapist employed by the ESC on behalf of county school districts, evaluates students, develops service plans, and supervises the work of COTAs who are contracted by individual school districts. Additionally, School Resource Officers were available in participating school districts. Collaborative relationships have been developed with seven school districts, the County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Juvenile Court, and the Sheriff’s office.

District Leadership Focus Groups

JCESC hosted separate monthly meetings for superintendents and district office administrators. College and university officials, Ohio Department of Education staff, elected officials, and community stakeholders were also regularly in attendance. These forums exist to allow discussion of managerial topics such as policy, procedure, and systemic organization as well as professional development planning around curriculum, instruction, and assessment across building, content, and grade levels. With the regular attendance of administrators from all consortium districts, topics are diverse and solutions to challenges are shared among colleagues. During 2011-12, the topic of priority discussion was the roll out of the Common Core Standards and related professional development.

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EXPENDITURES

Annual Report	Page 18

DISTRICT POINTS OF PRIDE Buckeye Local

The Buckeye Local School District started the 2011-12 school year off with a celebration. The district received its first ever “District of Excellence” rating handed down by the Ohio Department of Education. This distinction is based on student performance on both the OAA and the OGT. We want to thank everyone for his or her efforts in this great achievement.

In addition to the district rating, the Treasurer’s office received the “Auditor of the State” award. This assures that district funding is being distributed in the most effective and efficient manner.

The Buckeye Local School District was a recipient of the PEP Grant. This grant has helped the district integrated new physical education programs as well as implement a wellness policy. Many upgrades to old physical education equipment and purchases of new physical education equipment were made possible through the PEP Grant.

A district-wide initiative has been the “Relay for Life” campaign.	Each building

participates in yearlong events to help raise money that is donated to research for a cure on cancer. The 2012 campaign ended on June 2 with an all-night rally held at Buckeye Local High School. The district raised $53,000 for the cause.

Harrison Hills City School District

A yearlong effort has culminated with the Harrison Central Jr./Sr. High School gaining national accreditation.

Dean of Students Duran Morgan said the school is only one of three in the area to hold the distinction. Accreditation is given through AdvancED, a global leader in advancing excellence in education through continuous improvement, organizational effectiveness, and accreditation. It is the world’s largest educational network with 27,000 public and private schools throughout the U.S. and in 69 countries worldwide.

Over the past year, Morgan joined faculty members Elizabeth Brooks, Linnah Hodkinson, Ray Hibbs, Patti Knoop, Michele Huston, and Pam Cogan during professional development sessions to prepare and submit a lengthy report which followed the program’s criteria.

“It was a yearlong, very thorough self-assessment of our school,” said Morgan. “There are four criteria; we rate ourselves and they rate us. It is a five-year process. [The review team] is on-site once every five years, and we send online assessments to show we are continuously improving.”

The group met twice a week to complete the comprehensive review, and a four-member Quality Assurance Review Team headed by state Director Dr. Sharon Zimmers visited the school on May 4 to conduct its own study. Morgan led a presentation among QAR team members and district administrators to summarize what the school team compiled. Information detailed the district’s history, vision statement, course descriptions, and student opportunities ranging from 21st Century Learning to Advanced Placement courses, among other highlights. School team members also provided an overview on fulfilling key accreditation standards: vision and purpose, governance and leadership, teaching and learning, documenting and using results, resources and support systems, stakeholder communications, and relationships and commitment to continuous improvement.

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Harrison Hills City School District (continued)

The QAR Team then interviewed 30 “stakeholders,” including administrators, teachers, support staff, students, parents, and community members, observed practices and the learning environment, collected and organized data, and engaged in analysis and deliberations. The officials rendered feedback and found the school highly functional in two categories and operational in the remaining five standards. HCHS was commended for its use of technology throughout the curriculum; collaborative efforts among staff, administration, and the Harrison Hills Teachers’ Association to foster teachers’ creativity and flexibility to maximize student achievement; and partnerships with the community to support enhanced opportunities for students. Required actions were to optimize student
achievement, develop a process to monitor and maintain the integrity and effectiveness of all professional development offerings, and to create a systematic process that ensures a data-driven, decision-making process to optimize student achievement.

“They were really impressed by our flexibility and said we could serve a wide range of students,” Morgan added. “Dr. Zimmers said, ‘You have a gem of a school and should be really proud of what you’re doing.’ They said we have an environment that is very innovative, and they wanted to make sure we have a process in line to keep going.

“I think it’s very well deserved and nice to be recognized for efforts our	Harrison Hills Accreditation Committee professional team put in on a daily basis, and I appreciate the support of
our staff, faculty, parents, and students. The cooperation of the school team and district leadership made this happen.

Morgan added there were many benefits to holding accreditation, bot for the school and its students. The next step is for the state council to determine the status, after which AdvancED Accreditation Commission would grant the term of accreditation.

“It opens the door for school students, and from a student’s perspective, it’s a guaranteed transfer of credit from one school to another if they move,” he continued, saying it also impacts a student who applies for college or seeks employment.

Superintendent Dr. George Ash added that the school could also seek federal and state program assistance.

“It’s a badge of honor to say they are a fully accredited school,” Dr. Ash noted. “From the district’s perspective, we want to thank Mr. Morgan for his leadership and the faculty members who took part in this process. I’m glad it validated what we’re doing, and I appreciate the work they did to allow for more opportunities for our students.”

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Toronto City School District

Toronto City School District is Building a Foundation for the Future

Toronto City School District accomplished many significant milestones during the 2011-12 school year. The school district reorganized in August 2011. This step allowed for the demolition of S.C. Dennis School and the early completion of site work for the construction of the new Toronto Junior/Senior High School building. The district is now comprised of two schools: Karaffa Elementary serving students in grades PreK-5 and Toronto High School serving students in grades 6-12.

Hard hats are a common sight in Toronto as construction has started on both the stadium and school. Stadium General Contractor Mullins Construction expects the renovation of the home grandstand, press box, concession stand, and restrooms to be complete by August 22, 2012. The new home grandstand will have a castle-like façade similar to the previous stadium design. Ground breaking for the new Toronto Junior/Senior High School building was held on Saturday, May 19, 2012. Completion of the project is scheduled to take 450 days with crews working Monday through Friday. The district expects to take occupancy of the school on August 15, 2013.

Future Toronto Junior/Senior High School

The Toronto City Schools, a Race to the Top District, was chosen by the Ohio Department of Education to participate in the pilot project for the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. The new teacher evaluation system will be based on teacher performance on standards and student growth measures. These two factors will be used to determine a final summative rating for teachers. The evaluation system was piloted at Toronto High School by the principal and three teachers.

Karaffa Elementary School was the recipient of an i3 grant to implement the Success for All Reading program. Success for All (SFA) is a comprehensive approach designed to ensure that every child is successful in school by insuring that they read at grade level or above. The program, for grades PreK to 5, emphasizes prevention and early intervention to respond to and solve any child's learning problems. The Success for All program is based on extensive research into the ways children learn to read and write. At the heart of the program is 90 minutes of uninterrupted daily reading instruction. Cooperative learning embedded throughout the program focuses on individual student accountability, common goals, and recognition of group success.

The district leadership team completed the strategic planning process. The new strategic plan, which outlines the district’s goals for the next three years, was approved by the Toronto Board of Education in December 2011. The plan also includes the new mission and vision statements as well as the district’s new motto “Building a Foundation for Our Future.”

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HARRISON AND JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION 2011-2012

JEFFERSON COUNTY GOVERNING BOARD Kenneth D. Simeral, President
Robert L. George, Vice President Barbara Cunningham
William J. Lollini William Schaefer

Don Donahue, Treasurer Joyce Howell, Superintendent

BUCKEYE LOCAL Joseph Zelek, President
Naoma Kolkedy, Vice President Chuck Haggerty
Don Moore Alice Owens

Dana Garrison, Treasurer Mark Miller, Superintendent

EDISON LOCAL Larry Crow, President
Scott Lockhart, Vice President Frank Marcino
Nancy Smyth Tracy Wright

Dennis Menoski, Treasurer
Dr. David Quattrochi, Superintendent

HARRISON HILLS CITY Debbie Kenny, President
Judy Crawshaw, Vice President Melvin Allen
Bob Hugh
Kinney Thompson

Roxane Harding, Treasurer

Dr. George Ash, Superintendent

INDIAN CREEK LOCAL Dr. John Figel, President
Kimberly Mark, Vice President Daniel Bove
Bob Smith
Dr. Ted Starkey

Denise Todoroff, Treasurer John Rocchi, Superintendent

JEFFERSON COUNTY JVS Robert L. George, President William Lollini, Vice President Ruth Anne Bruzzese
William Hendricks Frank Marcino Kimberly Mark Kenneth D. Simeral Tim Starr
Zoseph Zelek

STEUBENVILLE CITY Jane Hanlin, President
Ruth Anne Bruzzese, Vice President Dr. Michael Giannamore
William Hendricks William Kerr

Lisa Bruzzese, Treasurer Michael McVey, Superintendent

TORONTO CITY Karen Walker, President
Tim Starr, Vice President Larry Davidson
Bill Eltringham Robert Reeves

Cheryl Vukelic, Treasurer Fred Burns, Superintendent

JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Lori Sullivan, President
Dr. Charles Joyce, Vice President Keith Bodo
Robert L. Bertram Dick Allen Stephen Bolger James Morgan

Karen Spoonemore, Treasurer Dale Edwards, Superintendent

Michael Zinno, Treasurer Mike Mehalik, Superintendent