Annual Report: 2015 - Southern Ohio Educational Service Center

Committed to Serving Our Districts
Adams County/Ohio Valley Local Schools
141 Lloyd Rd.
West Union, OH 45693
937-544-5586
East Clinton Local Schools
97 Astro Way
Sabina, OH 45169
937-584-2461
Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools
301 E. Pearl Street
Lynchburg, OH 45142
937-364-2338
Blanchester Local Schools
951 Cherry Street
Blanchester, OH 45107
937-783-3523
Fairfield Local Schools
11611 St. Rt. 771
Leesburg, OH 45135
937-780-2221
Miami Trace Local Schools
3818 St. Rt. 41 NW
Washington C.H., OH 43160
740-335-3010
Bright Local Schools
44 North High St., PO Box 299
Mowrystown, OH 45155
937-442-3114
Greenfield Exempted Village Schools
200 N. 5th Street
Greenfield, OH 45123
937-981-2152
Washington Court House City Schools
306 Highland Ave.
Washington C.H., OH 43160
740-335-6620
Clinton-Massie Local Schools
2556 Lebanon Rd.
Clarksville, OH 45113
937-289-2471
Hillsboro City Schools
39 Willettsville Pike
Hillsboro, OH 45133
937-393-3475
Wilmington City Schools
341 S. Nelson Ave
Wilmington, OH 45177
937-382-1641
Adams County Ohio Valley
Clinton County
SOESC/Region 14 School Districts
Eastern Local Schools
11479 US 62
Sardinia, OH 45171
937-378-3981
Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools
551 South Apple Street
Fayetteville, OH 45118
513-875-2423
Georgetown Exempted Village Schools
1043 Mt. Orab Pike
Georgetown, OH 45121
937-378-2219
Manchester Local Schools
130 Wayne Frye Drive
Manchester, OH 45144
937-549-4777
Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Local
Schools
120 Main Street
Ripley, OH 45167
937-392-4396
Western Brown Local Schools
524 West Main Street
Mt. Orab, OH 45154
937-444-2044
Strategic Partners
Fayette County
Educational Service Centers
Brown County ESC
Clermont County ESC
Ross/Pike County ESC
South Central Ohio ESC
SOESC Joint Vocational School Districts
Adams County Career and Technical Center
Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development
Southern Hills CTC
Institutes of Higher Education
Ashland University
Ohio University
Southern State Community College
Chatfield College
University of Cincinnati
Wilmington College
Miami University
University of Dayton
Wright State University
Highland County
Xavier University
Regional and State Partners
Cincinnati Educational Television
Ohio School Boards Association
Southwest Ohio Computer Association
Ohio Department of Education
Miami Valley Educational
Computer Association
Southwestern Ohio Instructional
Technology Association
Ohio Educational Service Center Association
South Central Ohio Computer Association
Bright
Fairfield
A Message from Tony Long, Superintendent
On behalf of the Southern Ohio
Educational Service Center Governing
Board, I would like to express my
heartfelt appreciation to the educators,
administrators, and the Boards of
Education of the twelve districts in
Adams, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland
Counties for partnering with us in our
efforts to ensure educational excellence for all students in our region. We
congratulate all school districts on their
successes and continue our
commitment to serving all students and school districts. We
are committed to providing high
quality educational services that
are customized to best fit the
needs of our districts and welcome the opportunity to hear from
school personnel, collaborative
partners, and the community as
we develop 21st Century skills
that prepare students for higher
education and our work force.
Mr. Long was hired on October 27, 2009
to succeed Robert
Dalton on January
1, 2010 as the fourteenth superintendent of the SOESC
Mr. Long begins
his twenty-fifth
year with the
SOESC and has
held various positions within the SOESC.
SOESC Governing Board
Ohio’s New Local Report Cards
Ohio has changed how it evaluates and communicates the academic performance of its schools and
districts. Schools and districts will no longer receive
labels like “Excellent” or “Continuous Improvement.” In
its place, they will receive letter grades on several
measures in the same way a student receives grades
for his or her classes.
The new report card was phased in over several
years, starting in August 2013. Beginning in August
2015, schools and districts will receive grades on
measures like the four-year graduation rate. The
grades for measures will be combined into six broad
categories, called components, which also will receive
a grade. Finally, the component grades will be
combined into an overall grade for the school or
district.
The seven components that will be on the new report card are:
1. Achievement: This component measures absolute academic achievement compared to national standards
of success.
2. Progress: This component measures the average annual improvement for each student (i.e., whether a student gained more or less a year of knowledge and skills each year).
3. Gap Closing: This component measures how well a school or district is doing in narrowing gaps in reading,
math and graduation rate among students according to socioeconomic, racial, ethnic or disability status.
Back Row: left to right: Rod Lane; Dennis Mount; Richard Peck; Vice-President; Jim Luck; Roy Hill
Front Row: left to right: Corky Wilt; Jim Clawson, President; Martha Gausman; Roger West
The governing board members serve as your representatives for better education and a brighter future for students,
school districts and your community. They welcome your input.
Governing Board meetings are usually held at the Clinton County Office on the fourth Tuesday of each month. If you
would like to attend a Governing Board meeting, please call (937) 382-6921 to verify the correct time, date, and location
of the next meeting.
The Mission of the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center is to foster educational
environments that ensure excellence in performance through shared expertise, collaborative partnerships, and continuous learning.
4. Graduation Rate: This component measures the percentage of students who entered the 9th grade and
graduated in four and five years.
5. K-3 Literacy: This component measures the improvement in reading for students in kindergarten through
grade three.
6. Prepared for Success: This component measures whether students who graduate are prepared for college
or a career.
7. Educational Data: These measures answer several questions about spending and performance.
In August 2013, the report card had nine measures that receive grades. There will be no component or overall grades until
August 2016. This will give schools time to adjust to the new system and focus their efforts on being successful in all areas
that are being measured. The report card will also be interactive on ODE’s website.
What It Takes to Earn an Ohio Diploma
Graduating Classes of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Students must meet both testing requirements and curriculum requirements in order to earn a diploma. These new graduation requirements apply to students who entered ninth grade before July 1, 2014. See the information below for more information about these two diploma requirements. The third section provides information about an alternative way to meet the
testing requirements.
State Minimum Curriculum Requirements :
English language arts 4 units
Health ½ unit
Mathematics 4 units *1
Physical education ½ unit *2
Science 3 units *2
Social studies 3 units *4
Electives 5 units *5
Other Requirements
Economics and financial literacy *6
Fine Arts *6
*1 Mathematics units must include 1 unit of algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II.
*2 School districts may adopt a policy that would exempt students who, during high school, participate in interscholastic
athletics, band or cheerleading for two full seasons or an approved Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program for two years from the physical education requirement. Students must take another course of at least 60 contact
hours in its place.
*3 Science units must include 1 unit of physical sciences, 1 unit of life sciences and 1 unit advanced study in one or more of
the following sciences: chemistry, physics, or other physical science; advanced biology or other life science; astronomy,
physical geology, or other earth or space science.
*4 Social studies units must include ½ unit of American history and ½ unit of American government.
*5 Electives units must include one or any combination of foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education,
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education or English language arts, mathematics, science or social studies courses not otherwise required.
*6 All students must receive instruction in economics and financial literacy during grades 9-12 and must complete at least
two semesters of fine arts taken any time in grades 7-12. Students following a career-technical pathway are exempted
from the fine arts requirement.
Alternative Way to Meet the Testing Requirements
A student may meet the testing requirements for passing all five Ohio Graduation Tests if he or she meets ALL of the
following criteria:







Passes four of the five tests and has missed passing the fifth test by no more than 10 points;
Has a 97 percent attendance rate, excluding any excused absences, through all four years of high school;
Has not been expelled from school in any of the last four school years;
Has at least a grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 in the courses of the subject area not yet passed;
Has completed the high school curriculum requirement;
Has participated in any intervention programs offered by the school and must have had a 97 percent attendance rate
in any programs offered outside the normal school day; and
Has letters recommending graduation from the high school principal and from each high school teacher in the subject
area not yet passed.
NOTE: As specified in the Ohio Revised Code (Section 3313.615), this alternative way to meet the testing requirement
applies only to students graduating after Sept. 15, 2006.
SOESC Celebrates 100th Anniversary
served only one local school district
to merge with at least one other ESC.
The ESCs in Clinton, Fayette, and
Highland Counties saw this as an
opportunity to create a single ESC to
consolidate resources and leverage
personnel to better serve the students
and educators in the three counties.
The Clinton County ESC (serving
Blanchester, Clinton-Massie and East
Clinton Local Schools, and
Wilmington City Schools) merged with
In 1914, the Ohio Legislature estabthe Fayette County ESC (serving
lished county boards of education to Miami Trace Local Schools and
help coordinate and regulate educa- Washington Court House City
tional efforts within each Ohio county. Schools) and the Highland County
County Boards of Education eventual- ESC (serving Bright, Fairfield and
ly became Educational Service
Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools,
Centers (ESCs), a name that better
Greenfield Exempted Village Schools,
reflects their mission of providing
and Hillsboro City Schools). The Clineducational services. In 1995,
ton Fayette Highland Educational Serlegislation was passed that required vice District (CFHESD) was formed
smaller ESCs and ESCs which
on July 1, 1997.
On July 1, 2004, Adams County Ohio
Valley School District (ACOVSD)
joined the CFHESD. The addition of
ACOVSD prompted the CFHESD
Governing Board to explore options
for a new name, one which would
better reflect its member districts. On
July 1, 2005, the CFHESD became
the Southern Ohio
Educational Service Center.
Throughout 2014, the Southern Ohio
Educational Service Center celebrated its 100-Year anniversary. “Several
things have changed since we were a
county board of education—including
our name three times. However, one
thing has not changed and will not
change and that is the high quality of
service that we provide to our
member school districts,” stated
Superintendent Tony Long.
County Commissioners Honor SOESC
Commissioners from Adams, Clinton,
Fayette, and Highland Counties
presented Superintendent Tony Long
with proclamations celebrating the
100 year anniversary of the
establishment of county boards of
education and honoring the Southern
Ohio Educational Service Center for
its continued support of member
districts and its programs fostering
teacher growth and student
achievement, thus, forever changing
the means of education.
In part, the proclamations read, “One
of the most significant responsibilities
of a county board of education is the
training of teachers, and in 1997,
area school districts sought to meet
their needs more efficiently and more
effectively by merging the Clinton,
Fayette, and Highland County Boards
of Education to form the ClintonFayette-Highland Educational Service
District.
Southern Ohio Educational Service
Center was formed.”
Since 2004, “the educational process
continues to evolve, and serviceoriented agencies, such as the
Southern Ohio Educational Service
Center, offer expertise and support
services to member districts, providing supplemental programs, shared
service opportunities, and assistance
to the Ohio Department of Education
In 2004, the Adams County Ohio Val- with the deployment of many state
ley School District followed, and the and federal educational initiatives.”
Legislative Officials
Highlights 2014-2015
State Legislators and Educational Leaders
Discuss the Future of Education
Superintendents from Adams, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties, the Southern Ohio Educational Service
Center (SOESC) and the Ross Pike Educational Service
District met with Ohio Senator Bob Peterson May 8, at
McClain High School in Greenfield and with Ohio Speaker
of the House Cliff Rosenberger May 28, at the SOESC to
discuss K--12 education.
Superintendents took advantage of the opportunity to meet
with state legislatures and open the lines of communication to discuss shaping the future of k-12 education policy.
Peterson and Rosenberger participated in a round of "Q&A"
and welcomed the exchanging of ideas offering insights
and options to better education.
"The opportunity to meet with Senator Peterson and Speaker Rosenberger allowed administrators to speak candidly
with those who represent their districts and make decisions
that impact their students," said Tony Long, Superintendent
of the SOESC. "It was time well invested, and we hope to
keep the lines of communications open as decisions
regarding education policy continues to evolve."
Long Receives Exemplary Leader Award
SOESC Superintendent Tony Long received the Buckeye Association School Administrator’s
Exemplary Leader award for Region 6. Long received the nomination and award in October
2014.
Region 6 includes districts in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, Highland, Butler, Hamilton,
Warren, and Clermont counties.
Dr. Kevin Boys, president of Southern State Community College, nominated Long for this
award. In his nomination, Boys stated that the small districts served by SOESC greatly value
the services afforded to them. Boys complimented Long on his maintaining of relationships which are valued by the
districts and superintendents with whom he directly works.
Initiatives specifically noted by Dr. Boys included SOESC’s Aspiring Leader Program, that grows area educators interested in becoming district administrators and building career skills, and post-secondary awareness through workshops for district educators and presidents in the area.
U.S. House of Representatives:
Brad Wenstrup
170 North Main Street
Peebles, OH 45660
Mike Turner
120 West 3rd Street, Suite 305
Dayton, OH 45042
Steve Stivers
69 North South Street
Wilmington, OH 45177
U.S. Senate:
Sherrod Brown
425 Walnut Street, Suite 2310
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Rob Portman
312 Walnut Street, Suite 3075
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Second Congressional District
Phone( 513)605-1380
Ohio House of Representatives:
Terry Johnson
77 south High Street, 13th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
90th District
Phone: (614)466-2124
Tenth Congressional District
Phone (937)225-2843
Cliff Rosenberger
77 south High Street, 13th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
91 District
Phone: (614)466-3506
Fifteen Congressional District
Phone (937)283-7049
Gary Scherer
77 south High Street, 13th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
92 District
Phone: (614)466-3506
Phone: (513)684-1021
Phone: (513)684-3265
Ohio Senate:
Joe Uecker
Statehouse, 1 Capital Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Bob Peterson
Senate Bldg. 1 Capital Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
14th District
Phone: (614)466-8082
17th District
Phone: (614)466-8156
State Board of Education
President:
Thomas Gunlock, Centerville ……………………………………….At Large
Vice President:
Tess Elshoff, New Knoxville ……………………..…. ………....…..At Large
Governor Appointed Members:
New Member……………………………………………………………….TBD
Joseph Farmer …………………………….….…...………..………Baltimore
C. Todd Jones …………………………….…………… ……….New Albany
Cathye Flory …………………...…………….………...………….. …… TBD
Secretary:
Dr. Mark A. Smith …………………………….………...…………..Circleville
Dr. Richard Ross……………………………….………….… Superintendent Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings …………….………………………..Westerville
Melanie P. Bolender …………………….…………………….Mount Vernon
Elected Members:
Anne E. Jacobs, Lima ………………..………………………..…District 1
Kathleen McGervey, Avon………………………………………...District 2 Ex Officio Members
A.J. Wagner, Dayton……………………………………………….District 3 Senator Peggy Lehner ……………………………….……………..Kettering
Roslyn Painter-Goffi, Strongsville.…………………………….… District 5 Representative Bill Hayes ………...…………………………Harrison
Michael L. Collins, Westerville……………………………………District 6 Twsp.
Sarah Fowler, Rock Creek.……………………………………….District 7
Vacant……………………………………………………………….District 8 Phone: (877) 644-6338
Stephanie Dodd, Hbero.…..………………………………………District 9 TTY 1-888-886-0181
Ronald Rudduck, Wilmington ………….………………………District 10
Mary Rose Oakar, Cleveland ……………………….………….District 11
Strategic Partner ~ Ohio Educational Service Center Association
(OESCA)
OESCA provides support to member Educational Service Centers (ESCs) throughout Ohio that includes professional development opportunities for
ESC staff and board members, promoting regional and state-wide collaboration among ESCs and critical partners, and advancing state legislative
initiatives to maximize efficiencies in delivering regional educational services through ESCs.
Contact Information
Clinton County:
3321 Airborne Rd.
Wilmington, Ohio 45177
Phone: (937) 382-6921
Fax: (937) 383-3171
Highland County:
39 Willettsville Pike
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
Phone: (937) 393-1331
Fax: (937) 393-5394
Region 14/Hopewell Center:
5350 West New Market Rd.
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
Phone: (937) 393-1904
Fax: (937) 393-0496
Services Provided to Member Districts
SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS
Autism Classroom
Students Served:
Multiple Disabilities
Students Served::
9
19
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES
Adaptive Physical Education *
Students Evaluated:
Students Served:
Audiology*
Students Screened/Evaluated:
Students Served:
Augmentative Communication*
Students Screened/Evaluated:
Students Served:
Autism Services*
Students Evaluated:
Students Served:
Behavior Services*
Students Evaluated:
Blind/Vision Impaired Itinerant Services*
Students Evaluated:
Students Served:
54
152
87
100
4
1
24
n/a
5
28
43
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Itinerant Services*
Students Served:
79
Educational Interpreter Services*
Students Served:
6
Emotionally Disabled
Students Served:
73
Occupational Therapy Services*
Students Evaluated:
334
Students Served:
632
Orientation and Mobility Services
Students Served:
7
Physical Therapy Services*
Students Evaluated:
136
Students Served:
240
Preschool Itinerant Services*
Students Served:
117
Psychology Services:
Students Served:
n/a
Special Education Services—Clinton County
504, IEP/ETR Meetings:
701
Student Observations:
29
SST/Counseling—Highland County
New & Re-Evaluations/Plans:
7
MFE & IEP Meetings:
20
Teacher/Parent/Student Consultations:
43
Therapy/Counseling/Remediation Obs.:
998
Total Number of Students Served (3 Districts) 62
COOPERATIVE STUDENT PROGRAMS
Clinton County-Alternative School
Total Students Served in 5 districts:
165
Student Short Term Placements:
220
Student Long Term Placements:
113
Clinton County-Work Study Program
Classroom Visits/Presentations:
50
IEP/ERT Meetings:
156
Job Site Visits:
8
Transition Plans:
83
Highland County-Parent Mentoring*
Total Students & Families Served:
38
Total Contacts/Visits:
83
IEP/ETR/IAT/RTI Meetings:
35
GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAMS
Clinton County
~Students Tested/Students Identified
2501/88
~Written Education Plans
201
Students Served, Cooperative/Co-Teaching
Highland County—Whole grade screening for
identification; Superior Cognitive, Specific
Academic, Creative Thinking Ability, Visual &
Performing Arts
1641
~Notification of Identification (School/Parent) 58
Teacher & Administrator Support
Bus Certificates
Clinton County
Business Advisory Council Meetings
Educators Participating
BFK Regional account Training
Educators Participating
Effective Strategies for Go Math
Educators Participating
ESC/OSBA Leadership Academy
Educators Participating
eTPES Trainings
Educators Participating
Evidence Tables ELA
Educators Participating
Evidence Tables Math
Educators Participating
Google fusion Tables
Educators Participating
Greenfield FIP PD
Educators Participating
Implementing Mathematical Practices of
Paul Riccomini Online Course
Educators Participating
Legal Updates
Educators Participating
MAP Analyzing Reports
Educators Participating
75
3
38
1
56
1
16
4
71
5
45
1
8
1
5
1
35
3
209
2
18
3
97
1
38
MAP Informing Instruction
1
Educators Participating
39
Next Generation of Science
1
Educators Participating
58
Next Generation of Social Studies
1
Educators Participating
59
OTES Training
5
Educators Participating
317
OPES Training
1
Educators Participating
50
OWP Social Studies
1
Educators Participating
17
PARCC—The Myths
1
Educators Participating
47
Resident Educator 1 and Mentor Orientations 4
Educators Participating
144
Resident Educator 2 & Mentor Orientations 4
Educators Participating
156
Resident Educator 3/4 Orientations
4
Educators Participating
138
Rick Wormeli—Differentiated Instruction
1
Educators Participating
201
Standards for Mathematical Practices K-5
1
Educators Participating
30
Standards for Mathematical Practices 6-12
1
Educators Participating
22
Summer Learning Academy
?
Educators Participating
Superintendent Meetings
12
Educators Participating
102
TBT 5 Step Process Session
1
Educators Participating
21
Teach Like a Pirate Online Book Study
3
Educators Participating
10
Testing Tricks for PARCC
1
Educators Participating
20
Testing Tricks for PARCC Session
1
Educators Participating
15
Value Added Linkage (Wilmington)
1
Educators Participating
8
Value Added Linkage (Clinton-Massie)
1
Educators Participating
4
VA Presentation at Wilmington College
1
WC Student Teachers
18
VA URM Model
2
Educators Participating
10
Value Added Building Level Report Questions 1
Educators Participating
?
Writing for RESA Workshop
4
Educators Participating
50
World Language Teacher Round Table
2
Educators Participating
26
Highlights of 2014-2015
Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction
And Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents Honor Area Schools
Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Richard
Ross, and Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents John
Carey met with students and staff at Blanchester High
School, Lynchburg-Clay Elementary, and Sabina Elementary.
earning the distinction as a School of Promise for the third
time. Lynchburg-Clay Elementary School was also recently
nominated as a Blue Ribbon School and is nearing the completion of the application process for this additional honor.
When speaking with students at Blanchester High School,
Superintendent Ross and Chancellor Carey promoted the
new College Credit Plus program that begins during the
2015-2016 school year.
The new program allows students to earn college credit
while still in junior and senior high school at no cost to the
students, and according to Dr. Ross, students who earn at
least 9 hours of college credit before graduating high school Sabina Elementary School also opened its doors and welsignificantly increase the likelihood that they will graduate
comed Superintendent Ross who honored students and
from college.
staff for their achievements in reading and math, thus,
distinguishing Sabina Elementary as a High Progress
Superintendent Ross and Chancellor Carey began the day School of Honor adding to its accolades of Excellent with
at Blanchester High School where they honored students
Distinction and a 2011-2012 School of Promise.
and staff for once again being recognized as a School of
Promise.
As a School of Promise, Blanchester High School has
demonstrated substantial progress in ensuring high
achievement for all its students. This is the third consecutive year that BHS has earned such distinction, thus,
qualifying BHS also as School of Honor for the second
consecutive year.
A consistent message shared by Superintendent Ross during each school visit was the fact that while Ohio has over
4000 school buildings throughout the state, only 100 school
buildings achieved the honor and recognition that Blanchester High School, Lynchburg-Clay Elementary, and Sabina
Elementary have earned as Schools of Promise and
Schools of Progress.
Superintendent Ross’s second stop of the day was at
Lynchburg-Clay Elementary where he congratulated students and staff for their commitment to education and for
Superintendent Ross credits, the principals, teachers, parents, and community members who provide a high-quality
education and believe that children can overcome significant challenges and that they can learn.
Highlights of 2014-2015
Clinton County Bus Drivers Honored
The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center held its annual dinner meeting
to honor Clinton County school bus drivers at the Laurel Oaks Campus in
Wilmington on March 12th.
Tony Long, Superintendent of the SOESC, welcomed bus drivers from
Blanchester, Clinton-Massie, and East Clinton Local, and Wilmington City
Schools commending them for their work ethic and dedication to Clinton County
schoolchildren.
Superintendents from each district spoke briefly expressing their gratitude to
the bus drivers for waking up early each morning and putting themselves on the line for the safety and well-being of
their students. Transportation supervisors and superintendents from each district presented milestone “years of
service” awards for 5, 10, 15, and 25 years.
Financials 2014-2015
Rachel Meyer has just completed her first year as treasurer for the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center. Meyer, a long-time employee, joined the SOESC in 1988, serving
first as a member of the support staff and later transitioning to fiscal
manager for Region 14/Hopewell Center, a position she held for 23 years.
Meyer is committed to the success of the SOESC and its member districts. She strives for
effective and accountable practices and led her fiscal team in receiving the honor of Audit
of the State Award for exemplary financial reporting for fiscal year 2014.
Revenues: 7/12/2014—6/30/2015
Following dinner, motivational speaker Harvey Alston
shared his philosophy about working hard and working
smart. He called bus drivers heroes and talked about the
difference they make in the lives of students by simply being happy to see them each and every day. Harvey also
engaged the audience in an activity highlighting who and
what it takes to be happy every day: Heart—Attitude—
Pride—People—You.
Area Schools Honored
The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center brought together superintendents, treasurers, building administrators, and board members from neighboring
counties to recognize local achievements in educations. Educators from Adams,
Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties assembled on the Laurel Oaks Campus
for dinner and awards ceremony.
Expenditures FY 2015
The following were recognized as Ohio Department of Education-designated
Master Teachers: Stephenie Eriksson and Andrea Harpen, both of Blanchester
Local Schools; Nancy Reeves of East Clinton Local Schools; Kristen de Fasselle
and Karla Hieatt, both of Wilmington City Schools; Lara Hamilton and Kay Tyler,
both of Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools; Stacey Camp of Adams County/Ohio Valley Local Schools; and Loree Goddard,
Courtney Hagler and Sarah Kirkpatrick, all of Miami Trace Local Schools.
Three school buildings in the four-county region were recognized as a School of Promise: Blanchester High School,
Lynchburg-Clay Elementary School and North Adams High School.
Blanchester High School was recognized as a High Performing School of Honor. And Sabina Elementary School was
recognized as a High Progress School of Honor.
Feel free to contact Rachel Meyer at 937-382-6921 ext. 1025 or [email protected] with any questions
regarding the SOESC Fiscal Department.
Shared Expertise
During the 2014-15 school year, the SOESC was proud to
continue to serve as fiscal agent for the Region 14 State
Support Team as well as continuing to provide special education and related services through a cooperative arrangement with member school districts in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette and Highland Counties.
State Support Team
The SOESC applied for and was selected by the Ohio Department of Education to serve as the fiscal agent for the
Region 14 State Support Team (SST) in 2007. Since then,
each year the SOESC has entered into a Performance
Agreement with the Ohio Department of Education which
specifies the activities and priorities of the State Support
Team. The Region 14 Regional Advisory Council and its
subcommittees, comprised of superintendents, parents,
school board and teacher representatives, higher education
and technology agency representatives serving school districts in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette and Highland Counties provide input into the implementation of the Performance Agreement to ensure that these initiatives are tailored to and meet the needs of our region.
The 2014 Performance Agreement included eight deliverables that were addressed by Region 14 SST consultants or
through contracts with the ESCs serving the five-county
region comprising Region 14. The eight deliverables focused on implementation of the Ohio Improvement Process,
Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Early Learning and School
Readiness Programs, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for
Diverse Learners, State Personnel Development Grant,
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, Federal and
State Requirements and learning activities to promote parent and community engagement in the education of children
with disabilities and others.
Hopewell Cooperative
Since 1968, The SOESC has also served as the fiscal agent
for the Hopewell Cooperative. This cooperative provides
special education services and supports as identified by
member districts within the five-county region. Generally
these are programs and/or services that individual districts
and/or counties cannot provide because of the low incidence nature of the disability of the children for which it was
designed, the recruitment for particular personnel is extremely difficult, or the service needs to be shared by multiple districts due to the costs associated with the service.
The cooperative currently provides the following services:
occupational therapy, physical therapy, itinerant teacher
services for preschool students and for those students who
are blind or have visual impairment, deaf or hard of hearing,
augmentative communication services, adaptive physical
education consultant services, educational audiology and
consultation regarding Autism or other low incidence disabilities. Educational Interpreter Services were also provided
as needed. Feedback from customers in the member districts of Region 14, indicated that the services were of high
quality and valued by participating districts.
Like the State Support Team, the Hopewell Cooperative
Highlights of 2014-2015
Roger West Receives Service Award
Over 300 school board members and school district administrators from
Southwest Ohio attended the March 13th Southwest Ohio School Boards
Association Spring Conference held at the Miami Valley Career Tech
Center where Roger West was honored with the Veteran Board Member Service Award.
Roger West has served on the Highland County Board of Education, Clinton-Fayette-Highland Educational Service District and the Southern Ohio
Education Service Center Governing Board for 30 years. As a member of
the governing board, West has served on various board committees in
addition to serving as both president and vice president.
“Roger’s commitment to education and serving students has been steadfast for 30 years,” said Tony Long,
superintendent of the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center. “He’s remained dedicated and
thoughtful when making decisions about the future of our students, and we appreciate all that he has
done for our region.”
SOESC Earns Safety and Audit of State Awards
The Southern Ohio ESC
was the recipient of two
safety awards as presented
by the Highland-FayetteClinton Safety Council at its
May 6, luncheon meeting.
benefitted from the guidance and direction provided by the
Region 14 Regional Advisory Council, which made recommendations to the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center Superintendent and Governing Board for development
and implementation of programs and services provided
through the Cooperative.
Superintendent of the
Bureau of Workers Compensation Safety and Hygiene Division, Abe Al-Tarawneh,
presented the SOESC the “100% Award” for accruing
zero injuries or illnesses resulting in a day or more away
from work in the previous calendar year and the “Special
Award” for achieving at least 500,000 hours and at least
six months without an injury resulting in a day or more
away from work.
Human Resources Administrative Assistant, Lisa
Homan, accepted the awards on behalf of the Southern
Ohio ESC.
Ohio Auditor of State
Dave Yost has announced that the
Southern Ohio Educational Service Center,
which servers K—12
Schools districts in
Adams, Clinton, Highland, and Fayette Counties, has
received its third consecutive Auditor of State Award for
its clean audit reports.
Under the stewardship and steadfast efforts of outgoing
treasurer, Alleyn Unversaw, current treasurer Rachel
Meyer and their staff, the SOESC earned a “clean”
audit report free of any finding for recovery, material
citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies,
Single Audit findings or questioned costs. The audit
also recognized the SOESC for its timely filing of
financial reports as required by GAAP, (Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles).
Highlights of 2014-2015
Bennie Trail
American Red Cross Hero
The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center is proud to
announce that long-time educator Bennie Trail was presented the Heroes Lifetime Educator Award during the March
18th American Red Cross
Heroes Awards Breakfast.
Trail has committed his professional life to serving children,
working first as a health, physical education, and driver’s education teacher at Fayetteville-Perry and Clermont Northeastern Local School Districts where he also coached basketball, track, volleyball,
and cross country. He later transitioned to administration
where he served as principal at Clermont Northeastern,
Blanchester, and Wilmington Middle Schools.
Trail currently serves as director for the SOESC’s Learning Center serving students in grades six through twelve
from Blanchester, East Clinton, Hillsboro, Laurel Oaks,
and Wilmington schools.
Exceptional Teacher
Award Winners
Region 14/Hopewell Center presented
Heidi Friend and Kristina Stuckey
Exceptional Achievement Awards at its
32nd Annual Recognition Ceremony
held April 23, at the Hillsboro Elementary School.
Heidi Friend, a speech-language
pathologist working within the Fairfield
Local School district and Kristina
Stuckey, a multi-handicapped teacher
working within the Bright Local School District, work
closely with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to assure that students with disabilities receive the
highest standards of support and instruction as they
pursue personal, social, and academic goals.
The Exceptional Achievement Award is a unique
recognition in that it is an award by both parents and
educators and is granted to a select number of individuals
from throughout the five-county Region 14/Hopewell
Center.
The Business Advisory Council
Awards Scholarships to Area Seniors
The Clinton County Business Advisory Council (BAC) awarded its Integrity Scholarship to seven area graduating seniors who demonstrate
academic promise, ethics, and ambition.
Established in 1998 as a way to make the cost of post-secondary education more affordable, the BAC has since awarded 117 graduates
scholarships totaling over $53,000. This year’s recipients were each
awarded $500 scholarships.
Front Row L-R: Lauren Krause, Lauren Ames, Nicole
Walt. Back Row L-R: Drake Mallard, Hanna Duncan,
McKinis Beam, Reilly Hopkins,
Highlights of 2014-2015
The generosity of Clinton County businesses and community members make this scholarships possible.
The BAC Scholarship Fund is administered by the Clinton County
Foundation and the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center.
Summer Learning Academy
Just days after students celebrated the last day of school, teachers,
paraprofessionals, and administrators from Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette,
and Highland Counties began preparing for the 2015-2016 school year by
attending workshops during the “Summer Learning Academy” held June 8—
11 on the campus of the Southern State Community College in Hillsboro.
Sponsored by the Brown County Educational Service Center, Region 14 State
Support Team, and Southern Ohio Educational Service Center, the “Summer
Learning Academy” offered forty-nine full or half-day sessions tailored to
grade-level needs in the areas of curriculum and instruction and professional development.
Educators participated in workshops that offered new ideas and resources to empower students in Making Math Talk
Outside the Box, to nurture writers of all ages, and to differentiate instruction by using Gamification (the layering of
games into the learning process) and Classcraft (educational role playing) as a means to supplement classroom
learning.
Long-time Director Retires—Passes the Torch to Justice
Lisa Barnhouse, long-time
director of the Region 14 /
Hopewell Center, retired at
the end of the 2014-2015
school year.
Hired in 1981 as the coordinator of school psychology
when the SOESC was
named the Clinton County
Board of Education, Barnhouse has been at the helm of Region 14/Hopewell Center since January 1999.
SOESC Superintendent Tony Long recognized.
Barnhouse at the annual Four County Dinner Meeting
congratulating her on her retirement and her career of
advocating for improved educational opportunities for
students with disabilities.
Barnhouse was also recently inducted into the Highland
County Women’s Halll of Fame for her contributions to
education.
As the new director at Region
14/Hopewell Center, Beth Justice shares her vision to build
relationships with staff members
and to familiarize herself with
their jobs and what they offer the
districts in the region.
Justice also believes it is critical
to build relationships with
district administrators and to collaborate with them to
ensure her staff is providing optimal service to meet the
needs of its most precious commodities-the students
and staff.
Justice’s vision also includes becoming more efficient
and effective in the day-to–day operations and collaborating with the Southern Ohio Educational Service
Center, Brown County Educational Service Center, and
South Central Ohio Educational Service Center in
fulfilling their missions.
Highlights of 2014-2015
Rick Wormeli Talks
Differentiated Instruction
Ewry & Justice Present at
Ohio ASCD Conference
Highlights of 2014-2015
2015 Washington D.C.
TAG Field Trip
Highland County’s Talented & Gifted (TAG) students
recently experienced the nation’s capital on their annual
TAG field trip.
The forty-seven fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students,
along with their chaperones, toured Washington, D.C.
making stops at the White House, United States Capitol
Building, Lincoln Memorial, and Ford’s Theater.
The SOESC invited international speaker and award winning teacher and author Rick Wormeli to share his experience with “Differentiated Instruction: Walking through a
Lesson from Scratch.” Wormeli who is known for his
innovation, validity and high standards in promoting instructional practices, has effectively coached teachers
and principals to change their teaching perspective.
Over 200 educators from Adams, Brown, Clinton,
Fayette, and Highland Counties were in attendance to
hear Wormeli June 12 at the Gathering Place in Hillsboro. The event, was the capstone to a week-long series of
workshops offering teachers and administrators continuing education opportunities.
After a brief review of major differentiation principles
Wormeli demonstrated a step-by-step process of creating differentiated lesson plans from scratch that empower
teachers to explore ways to meet the diverse needs of
student instruction while utilizing Ohio’s Teacher Standards and the Ohio Teacher
Evaluation System framework.
As educators continued to
work through the summer
months preparing for the
start of the 2015-2016 school
year, they were more
equipped to “teach smarter,
not harder” having benefitted
from the techniques shared
by Wormeli.
School improvement consultants Misty Ewry and Beth Justice
served as guest speakers at The Ohio Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Winter Conference in
February.
With the recent changes in House Bill 487 Ohio graduation
requirements calling for additional and more challenging end
of course assessments, it is essential that educators align
classroom instruction and assessment to Ohio’s new learning
standards.
In their presentation titled, “Next Generation Assessments,
Social Studies & Science, and Understanding DOK Levels,”
Ewry and Justice discussed new trends within these disciplines and offered participants the opportunity to explore assessment items and use formative assessment tools.
“It speaks highly of our staff when they are invited to present
at a professional conference such as the Ohio ASCD,” said
Tony Long,
SOESC Superintendent. “I’m confident Ewry and Justice offered insights and opportunities that empowered participants to move forward with confidence as they incorporate new
strategies into their school and classrooms environments.
Students honored the nation’s military by visiting the
World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Wall, and Arlington National Cemetery, in addition to visiting the Iwo Jima U.S. Marine
Corps War Memorial, and the National 9/11 Pentagon
Memorial, along with the Jefferson and Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorials.
Students rounded out their trip by visiting George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Plantation, the American History
Smithsonian Institute, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and by enjoying a narrated cruise along the
Potomac River.
Students participating in this year’s field trip attend Bright
and Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools and Hillsboro City
Schools.
Power of the Pen Students
Write to the Finish
Approximately 8000 seventh and grade students from
across the state of Ohio called upon their Power of the Pen
writing skills during the 2014-15 school year to compete at
the various levels of competition in hopes of being named
one of Ohio’s best writers. Of those who competed, only
19% survived the qualifying rounds that allowed them to
compete in the state tournament held at the College of
Wooster, May 21—22. Clinton-Massie seventh grader
Amelia Binau and eighth grader Emily Brausch were
among those survivors.
Binau and Brausch both fared well in
the early rounds of writing, but it was
Binau and her excellent authoring in
the first three rounds of writing that
qualified her among the 54 who
would advance to the final Power
Round of writing and who would later
be named 17th among Ohio’s top
Power of the Pen writers.
National Geographic Bee
Blanchester Middle School student Nicholas Lansing was
among 100 students from across the state who gathered on
the campus of Ohio Dominican University in Columbus to
compete in the National Geographic Bee.
Lansing used several
sources to help him prepare, including Fact
Books, Interactive
Globes, National Geographic quizzes and National Geographic Wii
games. He also credits
his reading of nonfiction
titles such as Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy as they
contain points around the world that allowed him to
connect and better remember.
Highlights of 2014-2015
Franklin B Walter Award Recipients
The Ohio Educational Service Center Association recognized 82 of Ohio’s top students from across the state
during the 26th Annual Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Awards Program, named in honor of Ohio's 31st State
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Each year the SOESC honors one student from Adams, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties to be the
OESCA Franklin B. Walter Award Recipient. Award recipients must have demonstrated academic achievement in addition to other significant school and community accomplishments.
Highlights 2014-2015
SOESC and OSBA Sponsored Leadership Academy
When the school year began in August of 2014, students were
not the only ones returning to the classroom to learn new skills
and strategies that would help them become better and stronger
students. School board members, superintendents and treasurers also returned to the classroom to take advantage of professional development opportunities that would help them become
better educational leaders.
Representative from Blanchester, Bright, Clinton Massie, East
Clinton, Fairfield, Hillsboro, Miami Trace, Washington Court
House, and Ripley Union Lewis Huntington school districts and
the SOESC attended four installments of the ECS/OSBA Leadership Academy sponsored by the Southern Ohio Education Service Center and the Ohio School Boards Association that began in September 25, 2014 and concluded April 16, 2015.
This year’s Leadership Academy provided professional development opportunities to board members in regards to
“The Board’s Role in Levy Campaigns,” “The Board’s Role in Student Achievement and Treasurer and Superintendent Evaluations,” “Current Trends with Negotiations and Negotiated Agreements” and “The Legal Aspects of Social Media and ASK an OSBA Attorney.”
Adams County Recipient Karly Boerger
North Adams High School.
Clinton County Recipient Ian Henson
East Clinton High School
SOESC Sponsored Teach Like a Pirate Book Study
School Improvement Consultant Misty Ewry met with teachers from Adena, Bright,
East Clinton, and Fairfield Local Schools, the SOESC, and Ridge Jr. School Friday
March 20th to conclude a seven week, professional development, book study that
called upon teachers to “Teach Like a Pirate,” and hook students into learning by increasing student engagement and boosting teacher creativity when planning lessons.
Focusing on learning strategies that would “hook” and maintain students’ attention,
area teachers read Teach Like a Pirate, by David Burgess and participated in weekly
online discussions where they responded to assigned readings and shared ideas.
Fayette County Recipient Tobin Anderson
Washington Court House High School
Highland County Recipient Trey Moberly
Hillsboro High School
Congratulations
2015 Franklin B. Walter Award Recipients
As a culminating requirement of the book study, participants met in person at the
SOESC and presented “capstone” assignments—20 minute lessons that were so
engaging, students would actually want to pay to observe them. Presentations included a kindergarten math lesson on teaching shapes like a rock star, a writing lesson for junior high students that focused on details, a superhero unit for middle school students, a health lesson on pregnancy, a --fourth grade cross curricular unit on worms,
and life skills for a Super 5 autistic unit.
As an added bonus, author David Burgess heard about the event via Twitter, and after a series of tweets back and
forth, ended up taking part in the day’s discussion via Skype, yet another way to think like a pirate.