SDCO Winter Newsletter No. 2, February, 2005K

2005 Greetings … Patty Canupp, SDCO President
Welcome, all of you, to a brand new year. With all the different calendars that we live with in education, there's always another opportunity for "new starts." Whether you're celebrating a new school year, a new calendar year or a new fiscal year, your Staff Development Council of Ohio hopes we can make it even better than last. This edition of our newsletter brings you…
  • Hayes Mizell's "What If?" perception of the Superintendency.
  • Meet a few of your SDCO Board members
  • An opening ice breaker activity for the baby and non-baby boomers out there.
  • Some ideas on what really GREAT teachers do differently.
  • Help from Dr. Zelman's office on Adolescent Literacy.
  • FAQ on your special education teachers being "highly qualified."
  • Part 2 of this year's Showcase Article, "Effective School Leadership -- Adopting a Systemic Approach."

To Patty's complete article including comments abut Vancouver's NSDC Conference.

A "Superintendent" Speaks … Hayes Mizell
"In my experience advocating, supporting, and observing school reform, I have concluded that lack of imagination is often a major impediment to change. Many people do not believe reform is possible because they cannot imagine that public schools can ever be different than they currently are. This is especially true of people working in schools because each day they fight to keep their heads above water. They are often dispirited, if not exhausted. While it is not possible to imagine a school system or school into becoming more productive, firing up one's imagination can generate energy and even enthusiasm for taking on the hard work of school reform. Tonight, I invite you to open the doors to your imaginations, and think about the roles you might play as leaders of school reform in this community. Here is how I imagine one way of moving towards a different reality for almost any urban school system in the South, but lest anyone react as some citizens did to the 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, let me assure you that what follows is not real…"

This is the opening to Hayes Mizell's presentation to the Swann Fellowship last August. Mizell is the Distinguished Senior Fellow of the National Staff Development Council.

To the complete text of Hayes Mizell's presentation.


Meet Your SDCO Officers … click on their name for a brief bio


Rhonda Phillips…Program Team Rep         John Schweitzer…Governance Team Rep           Sharon Jones…Membership Team Rep

So How "Old" Is Your Professional Development Audience?
1. Name the four Beatles.
2. Finish the line: "Lions and Tigers and Bears, _____ _____!"
3. Hey kids, what time is it? _____ _____ _____ _____
4. What do M& Ms do?_____ _____ _____ _____ _____, _____ _____ _____ _____

These are the first 4 questions in a fun survey ice breaker for your next professional development session. Probably best to use with an "older" group. Makes them feel smart, not old. Thanks to cable TV, the young ones might do well too! Don't forget, we invite you to submit your own professional development training ideas. If yours is selected for publication, we will send you a digital desk/travel alarm clock compliments of Ashland University. Send your ideas to our Newsletter Editor Larry Pfrogner (lpfrog@ashland.edu).

To 20 more questions/answers.


What Great Teachers Do Differently (Book Review)
The difference between more effective teachers and their less effective colleagues is not what they know. It is what they do. This book describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that form the fabric of life in our best classrooms and schools. In it Todd Whitaker (www.toddwhitaker.com) answers these essential questions…

  • Is it high expectations for students that matter?
  • How do great teachers respond when students misbehave?
  • Do great teachers filter differently than their peers?
  • How do the best teachers approach standardized testing?
  • How can your teachers gain the same advantages?

Read on to find out what Dr. Whitaker believes are the 14 things that matter the most.

To a listing of the 14.

Why Focus on Adolescent Literacy? ... Dr. Susan Tave Zelman
Across the nation, teachers of chemistry or mathematics often don't believe they are reading teachers and don't know how to teach comprehension strategies. It is our responsibility to provide training for all content area teachers in how to help students comprehend what they are reading and learning across all subject areas. Read on to see what this means for classroom teachers and what training and resources can be provided to Ohio teachers and principals.

To Dr. Zelman's complete article
.

Highly Qualified Special Educators/Intervention Specialists
As you are most likely well aware of, certification/licensure requirements have changed for high school special education teachers. By the end of the 2005/06 school year, to be highly qualified, they must be certified in the core content areas in which they assign grades.

To meet the federal definition of highly qualified teacher, special education teachers must accumulate 90 clock hours of professional development in each core area by completing at least 45 clock hours in content specific professional development opportunities and 45 clock hours devoted to pedagogy

WVIZ/PBS in Cleveland is creating a unique statewide, on-line option for those teachers still needing the 45 content specific clock hours. Contact WVIZ's representative Nick Carpas at ncarpas@neo.rr.com or 330.414.1567 for more information. Read on for an FAQ on "Highly Qualified Teachers."

To PDF File of complete FAQ
.


SDCO Showcase Article



Effective School Leadership -- Adopting a Systemic Approach

Our Fall newsletter included Chapter I of the Cleveland Initiative For Education's publication, "Effective School Leadership - Adopting a Systemic Approach." Once again, our thanks and appreciation is extended to the Executive and Associate Directors, Dr. Rosemary Herpel and Dr. Helen Williams, of the Cleveland Initiative for Education for their approval to share of this report with you.

As we reflect upon the state of public education in our nation, we often feel assaulted by criticism from many groups who keep repeating that public schools, especially in large urban districts, fail to successfully educate our students. However, research suggests that many school districts across the country are developing and implementing successful instructional approaches to improve our schools and increase student achievement. Nowhere is this more evident than the efforts to develop effective school leaders who hone their skills and increase their expertise to positively impact student learning.

The report, Effective School Leadership - Adopting a Systemic Approach, highlights several of these districts and their cutting edge practices. The report is not all-inclusive, for there are many school systems and programs that reflect high quality leadership development efforts, which are not referenced. However, we believe that those districts and programs selected offer a snapshot of what school systems and their collaborative partners accomplish to develop leaders that drive the educational process in their schools.

Our first installment linked research to best practices. Now in Chapter 2 we move on to more specifics in application. Read on for the district focus of building a strategic plan. How do successful districts approach school leadership? In our next newsletter we'll move on to Principal and Teacher Leadership.

Chapter 1 is still available at the SDCO website (www.sdcohio.org/newsletters.htm) and chapters 3-5 will appear in our spring and early summer 2004/05 SDCO newsletters.

To PDF File of Chapter 2


Need More Information on the Staff Development Council of Ohio?

  • Who are the board members?
  • How can I get a membership brochure?
  • What professional development opportunities are available?

For these and more, visit our website at www.sdcohio.org



2005 Greetings … Patty Canupp, SDCO President
Five SDCO Board members traveled to Vancouver in early December to attend the National Staff Development Council Conference. The conference lived up to its theme of Inspiring Learning - Achieving Results. The 50 plus Ohioans who attended were definitely inspired and came away with a renewed spirit to achieve positive results in our respective schools.

Our thanks to Harcourt Publishing and Kathryn Frances for sponsoring a fabulous evening reception for Ohio and Michigan attendees at the Vancouver Convention Center. The food was wonderful and the conversation and networking with our Ohio counterparts and our friends to the north was a great way to end the day.

Next year's NSDC conference will be held in Philadelphia, December 5-7, 2005, with pre-conference dates on Dec. 3 and 4. Over 3,400 educators attended the Vancouver conference from all over the world. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this year in Philly!!

Remember our SDCO Spring conference in Columbus is rapidly approaching on May 4 & 5, with Joellen Killion on Assessing the Impact of Staff Development. Check the website at: www.sdcohio.org for more information. Save September 21 and/or September 22 for the Fall 2005 conference with Tom Guskey.

Working together, we can keep our staff development for professional learning moving forward in a positive way.

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So How "Old" Is Your Professional Development Audience?
1. Name the four Beatles.
2. Finish the line: "Lions and Tigers and Bears, _____ _____!"
3. Hey kids, what time is it? _____ _____ _____ _____
4. What do M& Ms do?_____ _____ _____ _____ _____, _____ _____ _____ _____
5. What helps build strong bodies 12 ways?
6. Long before he was Muhammed Ali, we knew him as _____ _____.
7. You'll wonder where the yellow went, _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.
8. Post baby boomers know Bob Denver as the Skipper's "little buddy." But we know that Bob Denver is actually Dobie's closest friend, _____ G. _____.
9. M-I-C, …See ya' real soon, … K-E-Y, _____? _____ _____ _____ _____!
10. "Brylcream: _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ."
11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone _____ _____.
12. From the early days of our music, real rock 'n roll, finish this line: "I wonder, wonder, who oo, oo, oo, oo, oo, _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____?"
13. And while we're remembering rock 'n roll, try this one: "War, uh huh, huh, yeah; what is it good for? _____ _____."
14. Meanwhile, back home in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and _____ _____ _____.
15. He came out of the University of Alabama, and became one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He later went on to appear in a television commercial wearing women's stockings. He is Broadway _____ _____.
16. "I'm Popeye the sailor man; I'm Popeye the sailor man. I'm strong to the finish, _____ _____ _____ _____ _____, I'm Popeye the sailor man."
17. Your children probably recall that Peter Pan was recently played by Robin Williams, but we will always remember when Peter was played by _____ _____.
18. In the movie from the late sixties, Paul Newman played Luke, a ne'er do well who was sent to a prison camp for cutting off the heads of parking meters with a pipe cutter. When he was captured after an unsuccessful attempt to escape, the camp commander (played by Strother Martin) used this experience as a lesson for the other prisoners, and explained, "What we have here _____ _____ _____ _____ _____."
19. In 1962, a dejected politician chastised the press after losing a race for governor while announcing his retirement from politics. "Just think, you won't have _____ _____ to kick around anymore."
20. "Every morning, at the mine, you could see him arrive; He stood six foot, six, weighed 245. Kinda' broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip, and everyone knew you didn't give no lip to _____ _____, _____ _____ _____."
21. "I found my thrill _____ _____ _____."
22. _____ _____ said, "Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, _____ _____ _____."
23. "Good night, David." "_____ _____ _____."
24. Liar, liar, _____ _____ _____."


Answers to Age Test
1. John Paul, Ringo, George
2. Oh my!
3. It's Howdy Doody time!
4. They melt in your mouth, not in your hand.
5. Wonder Bread
6. Cassius Clay
7. when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
8. Maynard G. Krebs
9. Why? Because we like you.
10. A little dab'll do ya.
11. over 30
12. who wrote the book of love
13. Absolutely nothin'
14. the American way
15. Joe Namath
16. "cause I eats me spinach"
17. Mary Martin
18. is a failure to communicate
19. Richard Nixon
20. Big John, Big Bad John
21. On Blueberry Hill
22. Jimmy Durante, Wherever you are
23. Good night Chet
24. pants on fire

Scoring
22-24 correct = 50+ years old
18-21 correct = 40s
14-17 correct = 30s
10-13 correct = 20s
0-9 correct - You're like sorta' a teenager, dude!

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What Great Teachers Do Differently (Book Review)
The difference between more effective teachers and their less effective colleagues is not what they know. It is what they do. This book describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that form the fabric of life in our best classrooms and schools. In it Todd Whitaker (www.toddwhitaker.com) answers these essential questions…

  • Is it high expectations for students that matter?
  • How do great teachers respond when students misbehave?
  • Do great teachers filter differently than their peers?
  • How do the best teachers approach standardized testing?
  • How can your teachers gain the same advantages?

Read on to find out what Dr. Whitaker believes are the 14 things that matter the most.

1. Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school.
2. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year, and follow them consistently as the year progresses.
3. When a student misbehaves, great teachers have one goal: to keep the behavior from happening again.
4. Greta teachers have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves.
5. Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom: They are. Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control-their own performance.
6. Great teachers create a positive atmosphere in their classrooms and schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise.
7. Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.
8. Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair-to avoid personal hurt and to repair any personal damage.
9. Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation.
10. Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they do. If things don't work out the way they had envisioned, they reflect on what they could have done differently and adjust their plans accordingly.
11. Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: What will the best people think?
12. Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make. They treat everyone as if they were good.
13. Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective; they center on the real issue of student learning.
14. Great teachers care about their students. They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

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Why Focus on Adolescent Literacy? ... Dr. Susan Tave Zelman
Across the nation, teachers of chemistry or mathematics often don't believe they are reading teachers and don't know how to teach comprehension strategies. It is our responsibility to provide training for all content area teachers in how to help students comprehend what they are reading and learning across all subject areas. Read on to see what this means for classroom teachers and what training and resources can be provided to Ohio teachers and principals.

Why focus on adolescent literacy?

In Ohio, our vision is higher achievement for all students, with particular emphasis on closing achievement gaps among diverse groups of students. Ultimately, we want to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and are prepared for college, careers and life. Literacy is the foundation for all academic success, and learning to read doesn't end in elementary school. For our students to succeed in a 21st century global marketplace, they must receive support to develop advanced literacy skills throughout their middle and high school years.

The major problem for most of our adolescents isn't that they can't read. The problem is they have difficulty comprehending. As adolescents move from grades four through 12, their ability to think critically and understand complex concepts, vocabulary and material needs to be cultivated by all teachers, not just English or language arts teachers. Giving a 250-page social studies textbook to a ninth-grader who has difficulty comprehending is a setup for failure. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

National research tells us:

  • Reading comprehension strategies are rarely taught in middle or high school.
  • Teachers believe they have no time to teach reading in addition to academic content.
  • Teachers say they don't know how to teach reading.
  • Students who need the most help are most likely to drop out.
  • More than half of all postsecondary students enroll in remedial courses.

Across the nation, teachers of chemistry or mathematics often don't believe they are reading teachers and don't know how to teach comprehension strategies. It is our responsibility to provide training for all content area teachers in how to help students comprehend what they're reading and learning across all subject areas.

What does this mean for classroom teachers?

In some Ohio school districts, students already have a solid foundation in reading strategies by the time they get to high school. In others, students get lost in middle school. For instance, only 65 percent of our sixth-graders can read at the proficient level, and some teachers in Academic Emergency districts have 70 percent of their sixth-grade students struggling in both reading and mathematics. When we look at Ohio enrollment figures, we see that by ninth grade, there is a "bubble" in enrollment that drops off year by year as students drop out year after year. In Ohio, 15 percent of our students never graduate. Half of our students in poorer urban school districts never get a high school diploma. Of those who do, 20 percent need remedial help in college.

All teachers are literacy teachers. As we work to improve and transform Ohio's high schools, we need to send a clear message to principals and teachers that students' lack of literacy and numeracy skills affects passage rates on the Ohio Graduation Test, directly creates gaps between our -highest- and lowest-performing students, leads to diminishing graduation rates, and ultimately, deteriorates the quality of life for those students, for our state, and for our nation.

What training and resources can we provide teachers and principals?

AdLIT Online Resources
"When Adolescents Can't and Won't Read," "But I'm Not a Reading Teacher," "You Want Me to Do WHAT in Biology Class?" These are just a few of the online articles now offered to teachers in a new journal, Adolescent Literacy: In Perspective, which can be downloaded from the Advancing Adolescent Literacy Instruction Together (AdLIT) Web site at www.ohiorc.org/adlit.

In collaboration with the Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science and Reading at The Ohio State University, this Web site draws on national literacy researchers, Ohio college faculty and scholars, and the personal voices of Ohio teachers and students about adolescent literacy. Teachers can see how research is put into practice. Students reflect on their literacy needs. The best literacy experts in Ohio explain the connection between literacy training and academic performance. The journal offers educators:

  • Instructional Resources where they can browse lessons, instructional activities, and Web-based literacy materials.
  • Research and Best Practices where they can explore current research findings in key areas of adolescent literacy instruction.
  • Profiles in Adolescent Literacy where they can read about promising classroom practices shared by Ohio literacy educators.

AdLIT is linked to ODE's Instructional Management System" a resource of model lesson plans for teachers in the content areas that reflect Ohio's academic content standards.

SIRI Training in Adolescent Literacy
Based on ongoing feedback from educators in Ohio schools, ODE is now launching its third edition of the State Institutes for Reading Instruction (SIRI) for middle, junior and high school teachers. This professional development is available year-round and consists of 8 sessions for 25 hours of total training, offered after school or on weekends, depending upon the region. Targeted to low- performing schools, SIRI training brings together teams of teachers across the curriculum who collaborate and learn how to apply reading strategies in content areas, including mathematics and science. Teachers learn how to diagnostically assess students so they can tailor and customize lessons to meet all students' needs. They share best practices, problem solve, reflect on their own work, collect data, and learn to be instructional diagnosticians to improve their teaching.

For principals, there is Leadership Connections to SIRI, a one-day course where administrators gain a general understanding of the contents of SIRI and how to facilitate continued professional development in literacy for teachers. Administrators learn how they might observe good literacy instruction and learn how classroom observations might take place. Principals are encouraged to develop an action plan that includes literacy supports for both teachers and students. SIRI syllabi, books and other materials are provided. In March, this training will be available to middle and high school principals.

CORE Curriculum Training in Grades 4-12
This past fall, literacy specialists and coaches participated in a professional development pilot through John Carroll University in several regions of the state. This network of field faculty, literacy specialists and teachers prepares coaches and literacy specialists to provide embedded professional development in their own districts and school buildings. Field faculty serve as mentors to literacy specialists, guiding the overview of content and learning activities and providing ongoing support of the literacy specialists through monthly meetings, usually held on the university campuses. We now have more than 30 faculty from universities and colleges participating in Teaching Adolescent Literacy: A Core Curriculum for Educators (Grades 4-12) through this field faculty network.

Adolescent Literacy Improvement Grants
Beginning in FY 2006, grants will be offered to middle and high schools to focus on developing quality adolescent literacy programs that includes research-based reading instruction, volunteer/home-community partnerships, practical tools and resources, teacher and volunteer training, and safety nets for reading development. These grants are an outgrowth of the elementary school OhioReads grants and will be awarded competitively to low-performing schools via the CCIP in 2005.

In summary, we know schools are ensuring academic literacy success when:

  • Literacy is viewed as developmental.
  • Schools and districts have a structured literacy plan.
  • Literacy instruction is embedded in the school day.
  • Teachers use evidence-based practices.
  • Administrators provide leadership and guidance.
  • Educators participate in ongoing professional development.

If you have any questions about these opportunities or need more information, please contact the Office of Reading Improvement at (888) 644-6732. Throughout this new year and next school year, we hope you will tap into these professional development resources in adolescent literacy for your school district.

Thank you for your hard work and the dedication of your administrators and teachers in helping all Ohio students learn. Best wishes for a great new year!

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