(PB) AdminiScope Fall 2012

A dmini Published quarterly for members of The Buckeye Association of School Administrators .

S cope And once again, the holidays are upon us. As a child, I used to think the holidays would never come, and when they arrived, I thought they lasted forever. How that perspective has changed through the years! What has not changed is that I still look forward to the holidays and the time they provide to spend time with family and friends. I also look forward to a little slower pace and the opportunity to reflect upon the year that has just flown by. My message to each of you at this holiday season is quite simple. We live in challenging times with ever- changing expectations, plenty of pressure to make sure we have ample opportunity for an abundance of stress and never enough time or resources to accomplish what we would like to accomplish. That said, there is much for which each of us can be grateful. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you and work with you each day. Ours is noble work. Ours is work that makes the difference that everyone can see but few who see it relate the successes they observe back to us. Ours is work that opens doors, reveals opportunity, and offers hope that some would never see without our leadership. Ours is work that shapes the future of young men and young women, and in the end, shapes our communities. Ours is work that frequently is not acknowledged through outward praise or words of thanks. Ours is work that makes a difference. On behalf of the entire BASA staff we would like to express our thanks to you for the service you provide to your students and communities. We thank you for sharing your immense talents with others for their betterment. We thank you for the difference you make each day and encourage you to capture a quiet moment during this season so that you can reflect upon the great work you do and the many successes you have been a part of in 2012. So however you celebrate this holiday season, may it be a time of peace and happiness for you and your families. By Dr. Kirk Hamilton, BASA Executive Director Fall 2012

President’s Message By Randy Boroff

The official campaign season has finally ended, and as usual there are some winners and losers. It is refreshing not to see or hear the often negative and disturbing commercials on the television and radio. I know that many school districts had issues on the ballot, and many more than in past years were successful. Congratulations to you all. In our world it seems as if we are always campaigning and trying to educate our communities about the positive educational opportunities and services public school districts provide students. There is no such concept as a "campaign season" for public education. In this era of great change, our job has taken on new roles: recruiter and campaigner. There seems to be a greater need for local public schools to focus attention on "out recruiting" private, parochial, charter, voucher, and on-line schools. We are being challenged by the private sector and politicians, most of whom have no understanding of the educational process, about the effectiveness of public education. They come armed with little data and no research but bearing biases and allegations that put us all on the defensive. It is time that we take the offense and sell our districts and educational opportunities like never before. It is imperative that we clearly educate our communities that everyone does have a choice for educational opportunities, and the public school system is an appropriate choice. Regular and consistent messages to our constituents need to be shared with the community. We have to re-educate our staff that our game is no longer the only one in town. Everything they say and do may impact a student or parent's decision about where they go to school. We have to embrace the changes that are ahead of us and plan to meet the challenges of those changes. In Revere, I have decided (continued on page 4)

HB 555 Overhauls District and School Report Cards By the BASA Staff

A proposal to revise Ohio’s district and school report cards was originally embedded in Senate Bill 316, the portion of the Mid-Biennial Review legislation that focused on education. However, on May 22, the House Education Committee removed references to the report card and accountability system from SB 316 in favor of House Bill 555. However, HB 555 was originally merely a placeholder to be replaced by a substitute bill at a later date. As originally drafted, the bill committed the legislature to revise by December 31, 2012 the following: Ohio’s accountability/report card system; dropout recovery school performance standards; and performance evaluation and ratings for community school sponsors. For the past several months, meetings have been held with legislators, representatives of the Governor’s Office, and Ohio Department of Education staff to identify the elements of the new report card. While not being a proponent for the proposal, BASA has joined with the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO), the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), and the Alliance for High Quality Education (AHQE) as interested parties in offering testimony late last month. After five hearings before the House Education Committee, the bill emerged from the committee on November 28 after numerous amendments were accepted and was adopted the following day by the House. However, additional changes will occur as the Ohio Senate considers the legislation. The House version of the overhaul of the report card system basically has six components with numerous elements to be presented in what is called a “dashboard” approach.  Achievement Status – The Performance Index and Performance Indicators will be similar to what exists on the current report card. Obviously, these measures look at students’ achievement at the time assessments are administered to students.  Student Progress – The existing valued-added composite measure will continue to be a major feature of the report card but additional measures will be added for the following subgroups: students identified as gifted (already in law), students with disabilities, and students whose achievement falls in the bottom 20% statewide. A progress or value-added measure eventually will also be developed for the high school level.  Gap Closing – The Gap Closing measure or Annual Measureable Objectives (AMOs) is to measure progress toward reducing achievement gaps by 50% over the next six years. This is an alternative to AYP and is a federally-required component to states’ accountability systems.  Graduation Rate – Graduation rate, currently combined with test results in the Indicators Met component, will play a more significant role in the report card system where it will be a separate component that will include results for both the 4-year and 5-year cohort graduation rate.  K-3 Literacy Progress – This measure will track the progress of schools and districts in reducing the number of students in the primary grades reading below grade level. It is obviously intended to monitor implementation of the reading intervention provisions (i.e. the Third Grade Reading Guarantee) included in the recently passed SB 316.  Prepared for Success – This component of the report card will focus on measures intended to indicate to what extent high school graduates are prepared for life after high school, whether it is additional education or entry into the workforce. These measures will include: participation and score for a national college entrance assessment (most likely the ACT); the college remediation rate based on data generated by the Ohio Board of Regents; results of an “on-track” national assessment (in the process of

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BASA Fall Conference – Great Leaders – Great Schools

The BASA Fall Conference was held in October bringing school administrators from across the state to learn about the most pressing issues facing school leaders. The conference opened with Dr. Michael Fullan speaking about what steps we need to take to look at the data and determine what changes should be made to reach the moral imperative of whole system reform. This keynote session was followed with breakout sessions addressing issues from negotiations, employee behavior modification, strategic communications, new evaluations systems, literacy and many other relevant topics. The conference ended with Hall Davidson showing the audience ways to “Go Digital” and make technology work for each administrator. Dr. Richard Ross, Tom Ash, and Michael Sawyers gave updates on the latest in the world of educational reform, legislation, and direction of the Ohio Department of Education. The conference received rave reviews and proved beneficial for all who attended. BASA would like to thank those who participated and hope that all were able to learn and grow from your experience.

Dr. Kirk Hamilton, Executive Director of BASA and Dr. Michael Fullan.

Randy Boroff, President of BASA (left), and Jerry Klenke, Deputy Director of BASA (right) presenting Joseph Regano, Superintendent of Solon City Schools the Warren Russell Leadership Award .

Exemplary Leader Award Winners Region 1 Tod Hug , Ayersville Local Schools Region 2 Michael Lamb , McComb Local Schools Region 3 Randy Boroff , Revere Local Schools Region 6 Gregory Young , Ross Local Schools Region 8 Dale McVey , Hilliard City Schools Region 9 Rusty Clifford , West Carrollton City Schools Region 10 Jeffrey Layton , Northwestern Local Schools Region 4 D. Wayne McClain , Trumbull Career & Tech Center Region 5 Thomas Gibbs , Fort Frye Local & Warren Local Schools

Robert Stabile, Ph.D. receiving the Dick Maxwell School Finance Award with Dick Maxwell, former executive director of BASA.

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The Power of Teacher-Based Teams Showcased in OLAC’s Newest Online Resources

The Power of Teacher-Based Teams Showcased in OLAC’s Newest Online Resources At its annual Action Forum, the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC) hosted more than 400 educators for a day of learning about the knowledge and tools they need to advance the work of Teacher-Based Teams (TBTs). Educators walked away with resources that underscored the importance of teacher collaboration, and clarified important work happening across the state around Ohio’s New Learning Standards, new measures of student achievement and progress, and teacher and principal evaluations systems. Two of the featured TBT resources that will continue to live on OLAC’s website—which educators are encouraged to check out—include: 1. OLAC’s newest online learning module: “Teacher-Based Teams: What Districts Need to Know” This online learning module provides support for the development of teacher-based teams by helping connect their work to the goals and strategies developed by the district and the related action steps established by their school. 2. Teacher-Based Teams in Action video This video brings to life the framework that OLAC and the Ohio Improvement Process (OIP) have developed to help schools use collaborative structures and share the responsibility for improving student achievement. It thoroughly explores how the 5-Step Process works in teacher-based teams and in the classroom. Visit www.ohioleadership.org to access these and other online learning tools. President’s Message – Continued from page 1 - to place an ad in the local papers listing the accomplishments, course offerings, and awards of our high school. It ’s recruiting season for some of the private schools in our area...I want to out-recruit those schools and keep students in our school system. The issues that impact public education need solutions that require components other than more difficult assessments, a more rigorous curriculum, an alternate school and district ranking system, and a revised evaluation process. As Diane Ravitch so eloquently stated during her remarks at the recent Ohio School Board Association Capital Conference, "School reform must occur in tandem with social reform.” This requires a collaborative effort for improvement, not a negative campaign about public education. We have the ability to create a new appreciation for public education. We all need to begin immediately; this campaign is not about levies and bond issues, but the preservation of what makes America great: a strong public education system. Take the opportunity during the upcoming holiday season to make time for yourself and your family. We all need to re- charge and re-focus for the challenges ahead, but nothing takes precedence over your personal health and family obligations. I wish you all a very enjoyable holiday and a happy, healthy New Year.

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The State of LED Lighting 50 Years In Having recently celebrated their 50 th birthday, Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) provide a timely topic for discussion as they relate to energy efficiency improvements for school facilities. Invented in GE laboratories as a visible spectrum option to infrared laser technology, LED’s have since become ubiquitous and can be found operating in everything from birthday cards to nuclear submarines. However, the rocky road from single diode light source to becoming a technically, and financially, feasible replacement option for our everyday lighting needs has been a long one, but it appears as though the final hurdles are quickly being overcome. The main challenge to implementing LED’s into a lighting retrofit project has consistently revolved around high product cost. However, the high cost assoc iated with LED products has taken a sharp turn in customer favor this year with a roughly 20% reduction in pricing for superior quality offerings since 2011. This reduction has allowed energy efficiency companies to begin offering affordable LED retrofit options where high annual hourly use (such as school campus exterior lighting) and high cost maintenance issues (such as indoor swimming pools, auditoriums, and other difficult access areas) are present. The payback periods associated particularly with building perimeter and parking lot lighting are now well within the parameters outlined by House Bill 264 and, depending on the application, comfortably within reach when considering capital expenditures without House Bill assistance. In addition to energy savings, exterior LED retrofit projects offer a significant improvement to safety conditions on your campus as the light distribution and color delivered by this technology is far superior to the “orange & yellow” lighting provided by High Pressure Sodium lamps commonly found in parking lots. Additionally, these LED products offer an extended life expectancy approaching 100,000 hours of operation versus their HID counterparts, allowing staff to feel confident that facilities will remain maintenance-free and adequately lit well into the future. In closing, two additional factors should be considered as one examines a district’s plans for improving lighting efficiency. First, when selecting an LED product be sure to take note of the manufacturer, its experience with LED products, and the Warranty being offered. There are a large number of start-up LED companies “on the climb” and not all of them offer products equal in quality of components, fixture performance , or warranty. Any reputable manufacturer will offer a 5-year minimum warranty on an LED fixture it is selling. Second, ask for a sample to be installed to ensure its performance will meet a facility’s needs and that the maintenance staff understands how it functions and can be maintained should issues arise. While more affordable now than ever, LED replacement fixtures sti ll represent a significant investment on the part of a district, and every measure should be taken to ensure that the purchase of a product with which the school will be happy for the next 18 – 20 years.

Douglas Trimbach VP of Engineering Lighting Optimizers, USA

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In a recent report, published by Renaissance Learning, reading practice trends of Ohio’s young children were analyzed. These trends highlight the importance of personalized reading practice and demonstrate how reading practice, as monitored and managed by Accelerated Reader, relates to the objectives of Ohio’s Third Grade Guarantee. Reading practice trends in early grades as measured by Accelerated Reader suggest that students who perform at satisfactory levels on the OAA in third grade consistently spend more time reading, read more challenging books, and better comprehend what they are reading than students at risk for not meeting the standards in Ohio’s Third Grade Guarantee. This report serves as an important reminder that one of the best ways to help students become proficient readers is to provide in-class time for reading practice. The computer- adaptive STAR assessments and Accelerated Reader provide an easy way for educators to identify each student’s unique reading level, set individualized goals, and monitor personalized reading practice. After determining students’ reading level using the STAR Reading Enterprise assessment, educators can set individualized reading practice goals in Accelerated Reader, a proven way to motivate students to read. Easy-to-read Accelerated Reader reports help educators monitor students’ progress towards these goals. Before students become independent readers, STAR Early Literacy Enterprise can help educators monitor their progress by providing detailed early literacy skill information. In addition to identifying independent readers and their appropriate reading ranges, the computer-adaptive STAR Enterprise assessments can help screen students, identify skills students are ready to learn next, find instructional resources to target specific skills, and provide research-based goal setting and progress monitoring tools. STAR Reading Enterprise has also been statistically linked to the Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) helping to assist educators in identifying students who are not ‘on track’ to meet proficiency on the OAA by the end of third grade. To request a copy of this report or for more information please contact Renaissance Learning local account representative Dr. Kathleen Brewer at Kathleen.Brewer@renlearn.com Help students meet third grade proficiency requirements with personalized reading practice

HB55 Overhauls – continued from page 2 being chosen now, likely the PSAT or PLAN test); percentage of Honors Diplomas earned; Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate scores; degree of participation and eventually college-level credits earned while in high school; and industry credentials earned (where appropriate). The college remediation rate will be delayed until at least the 2015-2016 school year in order to allow the Ohio Board of Regents time to develop systems to capture both out of state and private college remediation statistics. Other Important report card provisions: The individual performance components on the report card will be graded using an A-F grading system beginning with the current school year, but there will be no overall grades assigned to schools or districts for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Several measures (high school value-added, K-3 literacy, post- secondary credits earned) are under development and will be added to the report card over the next three years or may appear immediately but will not receive a performance grade The State Board of Education will be required to adopt rules regarding the performance benchmarks through a public process that will include stakeholder input. Items such as voucher eligibility and community school closure that utilize current school/district performance designations (like excellent or academic emergency) will continue. However, instead of the overall designation, items will be based on combinations of two or more measures. The bill also requires significant recalibration of several of the performance components and measures prior to the 2014-15 school year to integrate expected Common Core performance levels. Changes Being Sought in the Senate The education organizations have been pursuing additional changes in the Senate, and these revisions would include a delay in implementation of at least one year and the removal of letter grades on items included in the “Prepared for Success” component over which schools and districts have little control (e.g. college entrance examination participation, Advanced Placement enrollment, dual enrollment program students, etc.). Next Steps Following the anticipated approval of the legislation by the General Assembly and signature by the Governor, the plan must move on to the U.S. Department of Education since approval of a revision to Ohio’s accountability system is required if the one-year waiver of certain requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act is to be extended by the federal government. More detailed information on the new report card will be shared during the regional meetings to be held in January.

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Superintendent Reminders

December

Development enrollment projections for 2013-2014 school year Prepare annual State of the Schools Address (if done in January) Organize student scheduling process for spring Discuss new courses/programs for 2013-2014 Discuss and delete courses/programs for 2013-2014 Approve course catalog for 2013-2014 Review administrator evaluations and contract status and inform anyone who may be non-renewed (in writing) Formative assessment of superintendent (OSES) for 2012-2013 Organize district committee to review district school safety plans for 2013-2014 Review recommendations from the School Wellness Team Review district strategic/long-range plan If a board wishes not re-employ a teacher on a limited or extended limited contract, the first evaluation must be conducted and completed no later than January 15 Oct December 14 Post November election campaign report 22 Absentee ballots available for eligible overseas and military voters for February 2013 election. January 7 Last day for voter registration for February 5, 2013 special election January Election Information

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Executive Director

Dr. R. Kirk Hamilton Dr. Jerry L. Klenke

BASA Calendar & Professional Development Programs

Deputy Executive Director

Director of Governmental Relations Co-Directors of Member Development

Tom Ash

January 3

Options for Financially Troubled Schools (Bricker & Eckler), BASA Regional Meeting, Bowling Green State University Regional Meeting, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center

Kathleen D. Lowery/Debbie Campbell

Executive Assistant Executive Assistant Executive Assistant

Denise Hall Elaine Werries Kathryn Williams

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Adminiscope is published quarterly by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Annual subscriptions are included in membership dues. All rights reserved. How to contact BASA Phone: (614) 846-4080 Fax: (614) 846-4081

8 Regional Meeting, BASA 11 Regional Meeting, Montgomery County ESC 16-17 OALSS, Doubletree Worthington 22 Regional Meeting, Logan Hocking High School 22 Employee Discipline, Cuyahoga County 23 Employee Discipline, Montgomery County 24 Employee Discipline, Muskingum Valley 31 Ohio Best Practices Conference, Crowne Plaza North February 1 Ohio Best Practices Conference, Crowne Plaza North 7 Ohio School Employment Law (Bricker & Eckler), BASA 20-21 How to School Finance I, BASA 21-23 AASA National Conference, Los Angeles 28 New Superintendent Transition, Doubletree Worthington Save the Date School Facilities

Email: hall@basa-ohio.org Web: www.basa-ohio.org

BASA Executive Committee

Randy Boroff President Revere Local Schools (330)666-4155 rboroff@revere.k12.oh.us

Region 7

Kevin Spears

East Central Ohio ESC (330)308-9939 kevin.spears@ecoesc.org

Randy Lucas President-Elect Barnesville EVS (740)425-3615 barn_rl@omeresa.net Jeffrey Weaver Past President Upper Arlington City Schools (614)487-5007 jweaver@uaschools.org

Region 8

David Axner

Dublin City Schools (614)764-5913 axner_david@dublinschools.net

Region 9

Mary Jo Scalzo

Oakwood City Schools (937)297-5332 scalzo.maryjo@oakwoodschools.org

Region 1

Region 10

Nate Johnson

Ben Chaffee

Stryker Local Schools (419)682-2841 njohnson@strykerpanthers.org

EHOVE Career Center (419) 499-4663 bchaffee@ehove.net

Region 2

David James Appointed Director Akron City Schools (330)761-2920 djames@akron.k12.oh.us OACTS Warren County Career Center (513)932-5677 maggie.hess@mywccc.org Margaret Hess

Kevin Haught

Arlington Local Schools (419)365-5121 haughtk@ag.noacsc.org

Region 3

Todd Hoadley

Conference March 13-14, 2013 Doubletree Hotel Worthington

Olmsted Falls City Schools (440)427-6000 thoadley@ofcs.net

Region 4

OALSS

Debra Mettee

David Baits

Springfield Local Schools (330)542-2929 dmettee@springfieldlocal.us Rick Edwards Region 5 Athens-Meigs County ESC (749)985-4292 91_redwards@seovec.org

Cedar Cliff Local Schools (937)766-6000 dbaits@ccliff.org

OESCA

David Distel

Our Mission

Hamilton County ESC (513)674-4236 dave.distel@hcesc.org

The mission of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators is to inspire and support its members, develop exemplary school system leaders, and advocate for public education.

Region 6

Todd Yohey

Oak Hills Local Schools (513)574-3200 yohey_t@oakhills.hccanet.org

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