June 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- OEA student members and new educators join together to “Fuel the Fire to Inspire”
- why local involvement in school board elections matters
- Trump-DeVos budget includes devastating education funding cuts
- In Memoriam; Legislative Update, Association news, and more
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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OEA applauds Governor’s vetoes of cap on Medicaid expansion and charter school measures, but is disappointed by other actions
COLUMBUS – July 1, 2017 – “The legislature’s attempt to put a cap on Medicaid expansion would have had a profoundly negative impact on our students and their families,” said Becky Higgins, President of the Ohio Education Association (OEA). “We strongly support the Governor’s veto of this provision. We urge House and Senate lawmakers to oppose any effort to override this veto. Jeopardizing access to health care for 500,000 Ohioans is unacceptable.”
“We also thank the Governor for holding firm on charter school accountability by vetoing provisions that would have weakened standards for charter school sponsors,” said Higgins.
“At the same time, we are disappointed that the Governor and legislature missed an opportunity to improve the Resident Educator program by eliminating the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA),” Higgins added, “but we appreciate the maintenance of mentoring support for new educators.”
“Lastly, it is unfortunate that the Governor chose to veto the paper testing option for local school districts,” said Higgins. “Without this option, some students will be measured not only by their command of the subject on which they are being tested, but also by their ability to master technology in which they are not always proficient.”
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 123,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Statement from the Ohio Education Association on the House budget
COLUMBUS – April 25, 2017 – “We appreciate the addition of $90 million in education funding in the House budget given the tight revenue situation, and we are glad the House listened to the voices of educators and removed the unnecessary and unworkable teacher ‘externship’ proposal,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “We look forward to continuing to work with members of the House and Senate to ensure equitable and adequate funding for all students, no matter their zip code or family income.”
“We also encourage the House and Senate to address Ohio’s looming graduation crisis by incorporating the recommendations of the Graduation Requirements Work Group and State Board of Education in the budget.”
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 123,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
April 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Lancaster educators advocate for student success by making sure kids have breakfast at school
- Huron County locals join together to host a booth at the fair to connect with the community, each other, and to support public education
- Legislative update, Association news, and more
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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February 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Sylvania EA’s story of community collaboration
- Coverage of the OEA 2017 Advocacy and Organizing Institute, and a look at opposition to Betsy DeVos
- OEA President Becky Higgins’ message; Ohio’s national education rankings; Legislative update, Association news, and more.
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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Your Career ABCs: Demystifying Acronyms and Abbreviations
Click here for a printable PDF.
Acronyms-
| EMIS | Educational Management Information System |
| eTPES | Electronic Teacher Principal Evaluation System |
| HQT | Highly Qualified Teacher |
| HET | Highly Effective Teacher |
| MRM | Multivariate Response Model |
| OAA | Ohio Achievement Assessments |
| OPES | Ohio Principal Evaluation System |
| OTES | Ohio Teacher Evaluation System |
| PARCC | Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College Careers |
| RTTT | Race to the Top |
| AIR | American Institute of Research |
| SGM | Student Growth Measure |
| TSDL | Teacher Data Student Linkage |
| SLO | Student Learning Objective |
| SOAR | Schools On-Line Achievement Reports Project |
| TIF | Teacher Incentive Fund |
| TOR | Teacher of Record |
| URM | Univariate Response Model |
| VA | Vendor Assessment |
| VAM | Value Added Method |
| IEP | Individualized Education Program |
| EVAAS/SAS | Education Value Added Assessment System-Statistical Analysis System |
| TGRG | Third Grade Reading Guarantee |
Definitions-
| Educational Management Information System | The Education Management Information System is a statewide data collection system for Ohio’s primary and secondary education, including demographic information, attendance, course information, financial data, and test results. |
| Electronic Teacher Principal Evaluation System | The Ohio Teacher and Principal Evaluation Systems (eTPES) is an online educator evaluation system for statewide use by Ohio districts and schools.
Evaluators can* collect and store growth and improvement plans, evidence and documented observations to determine educator performance based upon defined rubrics. The electronic system will follow the framework* for educator evaluation as adopted by the State Board of Education. |
| Highly Qualified Teacher | The actual definition and teacher requirements of highly qualified teacher can be found in §9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), otherwise known as NCLB.
Requires all core academic teachers and instructional paraprofessionals especially those whose positions are paid by Title I targeted assistance funds to meet requirements designated by ODE to meet federal standards. Starting in 2016-2017, intervention specialists of students eligible for the Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in Grades 7-12 will need to comply. Shift to HET with ESSA* |
| Multivariate Response Model | Multivariate Response Model (MRM) is used for tests given in consecutive grades, like the OAA math and reading assessments in grades three through eight. |
| Ohio Achievement Assessments | The Ohio Achievement Assessments for grades 3-8 measure students’ achievement levels in Reading, Math, Social Studies, and Science.
Previously known as OAPs, OATs, and proficiency tests. Replaced by PARCC in Spring 2014-2015. |
| Ohio Principal Evaluation System | ODE suggests the following model-
Two components, each weighted at 50 percent: 1. Principal performance rating, determined from:
2. Student academic growth rating 3. Reported via eTPES |
| Ohio Teacher Evaluation System | Standard 50/50 Framework–
Two components, each weighted at 50 percent:
New Alternative Framework– optional (effective 9/11/14)
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3319.111v2 and http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3319.112v2 |
| Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College Careers | One of two consortiums which developed online K-12 assessments in English and math. Will also supply assessments for Science grades 5 and 8, Social Studies grades 4 and 6. End-of-course tests to meet Ohio high school graduation requirements. They are ELA 1 and 2, algebra I, geometry (or integrated math 1 and 2), American history and American government and physical science. All will begin administration in Spring 2015. |
| Race to the Top | Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provides funding to States to
|
| Student Growth Measure | Measures student growth which Ohio requires within teacher evaluation, principal evaluation and district grade card reports. Ohio law allows three types: Value Added, Approved Vendor Assessment and Local Measure (s). |
| Teacher Student Linkage | An online process which ‘links’ teachers to the students to whom they have provided instruction. Also known as Roster Verification (RV) |
| Student Learning Objective | A student learning objective is a measurable, long-term academic growth target that a teacher sets at the beginning of the year for all students or for subgroups of students. |
| Teacher of Record | The teacher to which student learning is attributed. However definitions differ based upon procedure, purpose and politics. |
| Univariate Response Model | Univariate Response Model (URM) is used when a test is given in non-consecutive grades, such as OAA science assessments in grades five and eight or any End-of-Course tests. |
| Vendor Assessment | A commercial product used to assess student growth. Law requires ODE to select and approve vendor assessments. If a local uses the vendor’s product, the data must be used within student growth measures. |
| Value Added Method | Value-added analysis, which originated in economics, is a statistical method which purports to measure the impact schools and teachers have on students’ academic progress rates from year to year. Various models exist. |
| Education Value Added Assessment System (SAS) | EVAAS and SAS builds on methodology developed by Dr. William L. Sanders, and provides software, data analytics and management to a wide variety of industries including education, government and insurance. |
| RANDA | “ RANDA acquires, manages and utilizes data providing a variety of education intelligence: Student Data (student identification, student demographics, assessments, student growth, course completion, and college readiness), Educator Data (educator identification, educator demographics, professional development/continuing education, Teacher/Student Data Link (TSDL), value added assessment alignment, and teacher effectiveness), and third-party data (community demographics, school climate, early warning data).” |
| Local Measures | Provided for student growth measure purposes. Currently SLOs and shared attribution have been provided via ODE and eTPES. |
| Shared Attribution | Teachers ‘share’ student assessment results for purposes of evaluation. |
| AIR | Replaces PARCC for Online State Assessments in 2015 |
| EOC | End of Course Exams |
| ESSA | Every Student Succeeds Act (law) |
| OSA | Online State Assessments |
| OIP | Ohio Improvement Plan |
| CCIP | Cycle of Continuous Improvement Plan |
| CHPT | Consistently High Performing Teacher |
| IPDP | Individual Professional Development Plan |
| CTC | Career Technical Courses (sometimes CTC is used for Career Technical College) |
| LPDC | Licensed Professional Development |
December 2016 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- stories of Ohio educators working together to improve student health and achievement, celebrate diversity, and build professional connections
- Know Your Charter report finds local taxpayers have subsidized charter schools at a cost of more than $1 billion since 2012
- OEA members provide valuable input on federal Every Student Succeeds Act
- Educators focus on ways to support GLBT youth at OEA GLBT Issues Conference
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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Local Chapter Development: Ten steps for organizing
Step One: Form a Steering Committee
What is a Steering Committee
A Steering Committee is a small group of people who share common interest and goals
Whom can I contact?
Friends, classmates, roommates, club members, people in your dorm.
How do I approach these people?
Ask questions like:
- Have you heard of NEA Student Program?
- What do you think of the NEA Student Curriculum?
- Are you covered by insurance?
- Do you know what certification requirements are for your state?
Follow with:
- The Student Program helps _________________.
- The Student Program is an advocate of ________.
- The Student Program offers $1,000,000 liability insurance.
What do I need?
To know what the Student Program is and what it stands for.
To have literature available
To be committed
Step Two: Enlisting the Support of Key People
Who are the Key People?
President of the College, college deans, chancellors, committee chairpersons, Department chairpersons, other student leaders.
How do I find out who has the power?
Read the college governance documents.
Read minutes from meetings.
Read the campus newspaper.
Ask college faculty members
Consult with the former Advisor(s) if there was one (or more).
What do I do when I find them?
Make an appointment to see them.
Take someone with you to show support.
Explain what you are trying to do.
Ask about funding and facilities.
Ask about being a recognized campus organization.
Send them a thank you note.
Step Three: Select an Advisor
Is an advisor important?
Yes, they are the most important link between your organization and the college.
What do I look for in an advisor?
Someone who has a good rapport with the students, is willing to spend time with the organization, has a commitment to teacher education. Hopefully, the person is in the Education Department and is an NEA member.
What if no one on campus will do it?
Check the local schools for an NEA member. Be careful though, this may affect campus recognition. Another possibility is a retired teacher or professor in the area.
Step Four: Steering Committee
Who goes to the meeting?
Your Steering Committee advisor, and maybe some of the key people you contacted.
What do I do?
At this meeting, you are going to look at the remainder of your organizational plan and prepare for your first general meeting. Make assignments for the next meeting; be sure to include publicity, program and refreshments. Do not hesitate to contact your state association for help at this time.
Step Five: Chapter Meeting
What do I need to remember?
To prepare plenty of advance publicity
To select a time and date which allows the most people to attend
To have an interesting program
To keep the meeting as short as possible
To have NEA Student Program literature available
To have membership forms available
To leave participants with the thought that they should join because membership in a chapter is going to be a rewarding experience for them.
To set the date for the next meeting
To have a sign-in sheet so you have the address of everyone who attends 20
Step Six: Membership Collection
WHAT IS A MEMBERSHIP COLLECTION SPOT?
The membership collection spot is a place that is: centrally located on campus, open most of the time, and where someone can keep an eye on it.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
If someone has a membership form but does not know where to take it, they won’t turn it in.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO HAVE ONE?
Ask a secretary if they would do it.
Set up a ballot box arrangement.
See if the campus bookstore would collect them
Publicize the location of the membership collection spot.
You may even be able to have more than one.
Step Seven: Personal Contact Follow-Up & Membership Promotion
WHAT KIND OF CONTACT SHOULD I MAKE?
Some possibilities are: phone calls, post cards, letters, visits, and, of course e-mail.
WHAT DO I SAY?
Thank them for attending.
Remind them of the next meeting.
Ask if they have any suggestions.
Did they join; do they want to?
Do they know of anyone else who might be interested?
Would they like some literature to distribute?
HOW DO I KNOW WHOM TO CONTACT?
You should have a list from your first meeting. If not, ask people you know attended.
WHY A CONTINUED PROGRAM?
Membership promotion is a year-round task for your chapter. There are peak seasons for membership drives, fall and spring. The process, however, should never take a break. Always have promotion materials visible and readily available. You never know when someone will have the urge to join and you don’t want to be caught with your membership down!
WHERE DO I GET MY MATERIALS?
Contact your state student organizer to obtain membership brochures about both the national and state levels of the Student Program.
Step Eight: Steering Committee Second Meeting
WHAT HAPPENS AT THIS MEETING?
Three important tasks must be accomplished at this meeting:
- Plan for second general meeting
- Select a slate of officers
- Evaluate what you have done so far.
WHAT DO WE NEED FOR THE GENERAL MEETING?
You need to:
- Follow the same procedures as your first meeting.
- Hold election for officers.
- Propose local dues.
- Establish any committees you may need.
WHAT OFFICERS DO WE NEED?
President, vice president, and secretary/treasurer
HOW DO WE EVALUATE?
Take a good look at your past activities.
Don’t be afraid to admit mistakes.
Take measures to correct them.
WHAT SHOULD I SUBMIT TO THE STATE ASSOCIATION?
You need to complete the affiliate application and submit it along with the appropriate documents (Constitution & bylaws etc. See Appendix for samples)
Step Nine: Plan Activities
WHO IS INVOLVED?
Your elected leaders, committee chairpersons and advisor.
WHAT TYPES OF THINGS DO WE PLAN?
Suggestions:
- Set a membership goal
- Plan the membership drive.
- Identify program areas of concern.
- Set tentative meeting dates
- Plan for state activities.
- Plan for national activities.
- Develop a budget.
Remember:
- To prevent problems by asking for help.
- To set only those goals you can reach.
- To be patient; growth takes time
Step Ten: Contact Local and State Associations
WHAT IS THE LOCAL ASSOCIATION?
Your local community school district will have a local education association, employees that are affiliated with the state and the national Association.
WHAT CAN THE LOCAL ASSOCIATION DO?
Local leaders and staff can give you advice and help you with your student local.
They can speak in classes or at your local meeting.
They can provide opportunities for student members to visit local classrooms and to attend teacher In-Service day.
They can also invite students to attend regular association or regional meetings.
They can help answer questions about building your chapter and about entering the teaching field.
Be wonderful contacts for you when you begin your job search.
WHOM SHOULD I CONTACT?
Call the Association President and /or UniServ.
If you are student teaching, ask to meet the Association representative in your building.
WHAT CAN THE STATE ASSOCIATION DO FOR YOU?
Arrange for members to speak at meetings.
Provide materials or other information.
Provide other speakers.
Provide statewide conferences.
Student Local Affiliate Guidelines
Student local “guidelines” should be adhered to as closely as possible.
Each student local should:
- Consist of no fewer than ten (10) members.
- Have a constitution consistent with the constitution of OEA. At least have a local president and officers, i.e., vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc., as needed.
- Conduct elections annually to elect local officers, by April 1 prior to the upcoming membership year.
- Meet locally a minimum of five (5) meetings annually.
- Be represented by a university faculty advisor or any OEA member. Said advisor should actively coordinate, communicate and participate in the activities of the organization, especially in the membership recruitment and organizational development activities of the local.
- Establish a local dues structure.
- Establish effective communication channels between local members, officers and advisor(s), and also between the local and state affiliate.
- Conduct membership drives each term with follow-up recruitment efforts, in order to maximize participation in the association’s annual activities.
- Adhere to the standards of the Code of Ethics of the United Education Profession.
Each student local is encouraged to:
- Conduct local fundraising activities to make the local functional.
- Send at least two representatives, with at least one being an underclass person, to the OSEA state conferences/training sessions.
- Invite state, regional and national elected OSEA/NEA-Student Program leaders and staff to meet with local and potential members to discuss the benefits of OSEA membership.
Seven Steps to an Effective Chapter Web Site
Attracting and retaining Student Program members is crucial to NEA’s mission for advancing the education profession. NEA members who join as college students are more likely to remain active, committed members throughout their careers.
Today’s college students are technology savvy and turn to the Internet first for information. States with a strong Internet presence for their Student Programs are well positioned to attract new members.
State affiliate Web sites that are most effective in promoting their Student Program contain:
- A prominent link to the Student Program in the main navigation
- An overview of the Student Program (what it is)
- Benefits of membership (why join, and what you get)
- A way to join immediately (join now!)
- State contact information
- Local chapters and contacts
- Calendar of events (state and local)
- Resources
- Job listings and/or a resume bank
1. Use Clean Design and Clear Navigation.
You don’t have to be a professional web designer to create an attractive Web site. There are many tools and templates available that you can easily customize for your chapter. Microsoft Word and Microsoft FrontPage both come with Web templates and wizards. In addition many Internet service and Web site hosting providers offer Web page creation tools and wizards. The most important things to remember are:
- Use a light background and dark text color for easy readability.
- Use clear, consistent navigation on every page.
- Stay away from frames.
2. Focus on Providing Useful Information, Not Bells and Whistles.
Before you begin, decide who your audience is and what message you want to convey. Most likely, your audience will be prospective and current members but may also be members of the campus community and general public.
Be sure to include essential information, such as the name of your chapter, location/university, membership benefits and how to join, contact information (including e-mail), and your relationship to NEA and your state association. You may also want to include officers’ names and bios, guest speakers’ names and bios, and descriptions of ongoing programs.
Avoid using acronyms and jargon that only current members would understand, and make sure you double check for spelling, grammar, and bad links.
3. Keep it Fresh.
Try to update your Web site at least once a month. New information may include upcoming meetings, highlights of past meetings, community outreach activities, recent award or scholarship winners, newly elected officers, member of the month, education statistics, etc.
4. Assign Accountability.
For consistency, it’s a good idea to make one person or committee responsible for maintaining the chapter’s Web site. You may wish to make the Web site part of one officer’s duties. The Web site is a form of official public communication, so be sure to establish procedures for approving new content before it is posted. Also, outgoing webmasters or Web committee members should make sure their replacements have password access to all Web hosting accounts, e-mail list management, and HTML templates.
5. Connect the Dots.
Ask your university, State Association and the NEA Student Program to link to your site—and link back to them as well.
6. A Photo is Worth a Thousand Words.
“Action” photos showing members doing community service, a guest speaker giving a lecture, or a student teacher leading a class will have much more impact than photos of chapter members posing in front of the campus student center. Add a caption telling who’s in the photo and what they’re doing. Just make sure the photos load quickly for users with slower Internet connections.
7. Do Your Homework!
Before you begin, check out what other Student Program chapters are doing online, and take a look at the websites of other organizations on your campus.