Networks and Newsletters

We understand the critical role educators play in guiding students through the secondary transition process. This network is designed specifically for educators working with students of transition age, and serves as a platform for career advising, workforce readiness, and secondary transition support. This network will provide comprehensive resources, guidance on best practices, networking opportunities, and be a collaborative community to build our career advising, workforce readiness, and secondary transition capacity. 

Location: Virtual

Meeting Link 

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Dates: 

• Thursday, October 9, 2025

• Tuesday, December 9, 2025

• Tuesday, February 17, 2026

• Tuesday, April 14, 2026

CAREER ADVISING - CAREER TECH EDUCATION, GRADUATION PATHWAYS & TRANSITION NEWSLETTER

SST9 Fall 2025 Career Advising and Transition Newsletter

CLICK HERE to access the Archived SST9 Career Advising Newsletters.

This newsletter contains information to support career awareness, exploration, and advising for students with and without disabilities. Career Technical Education and secondary transition are the focus topics. Resources to support planning, implementation, and professional development are included.

DATA - Understanding the Ohio Report Card

(Download Flyer)

Thursday, September 25, 2025

9:30-11:30

Stark County ESC

Or

Thursday, September 25, 2025

1:30-3:30

Tri-County ESC Event Center

Contact Hours:  2

Registration Link  Registration closes September 22, 2025

Unlock the power of the Ohio Report Card with our comprehensive professional development workshop designed to provide educators, administrators, and teachers with a deep understanding of this vital tool for assessing and improving educational outcomes.

Key components of the workshop include:

• Overview of the Ohio Report Card: Gain insight into the structure, components, and indicators featured in the report card, including performance measures, achievement metrics, and growth indicators.

• Interpret Performance Data: Learn how to interpret various performance metrics, including proficiency rates, graduation rates, and progress measures, to assess the strengths and areas for improvement within your school or district.

• Explore Subgroup Performance: Understand how to analyze subgroup data to identify achievement gaps to support all students..

Through a presentation provided by the Office of Accountability, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), participants will leave this workshop empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the Ohio Report Card and confidently and strategically drive positive change within their educational communities. Join us in our commitment to leverage data to ensure every student receives a high-quality education that prepares them for success in college, career, and life.

If you have any questions about either of the above sessions, please contact Barb Cockroft, SST9 Consultant - barb.cockroft@sst9.org,  David Rogers, SST9 Consultant - david.rogers@sst9.org, Michelle Rentsch, SST Consultant - michelle.rentsch@sst9.org, or Colleen Kornish, SST Consultant - colleen.kornish@sst9.org.

Description: This network for Early Childhood Directors will cover pertinent topics in early education from a regional, state, and national perspective. Participants will ascertain the latest information specific to these topics, consider how they apply them to their setting, and how to support program implementation.

Format: Hybrid

Dates: 9/30/25, 11/14/25, 2/5/26, 5/1/26

Time: 9:00 - 11:00 am

Location: All meetings are virtual only

Registration Link

OA Hours: 12.5 

Important KRA Change for Fall 2025

Ohio Department of Children and Youth - Bulletin sent 3/21/2025

Please read the KRA Change for Fall 2025 article linked below.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHDCY/bulletins/3d7ee60

PARENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY AGENCY PARTNERS

Sign up HERE for the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center’s Family-to-Family Newsletter. This bi-monthly newsletter for educators, parents, and caregivers of children includes resources for families to support their students’ success and connect with their child’s school and community from preschool through high school graduation.

SST9 Fall 2025 Quarterly Update - link 

The purpose of the Intervention Specialist Network is to identify and analyze best practices related to planning for and delivering special education services. Networking with colleagues is a focus for each session. Registration is not required.

Virtual Meetings

2:45-3:45 for MS/HS intervention specialists

4:00-5:00 for Elementary intervention specialists

Dates:

• September 30, 2025

• November 19, 2025

• February 23, 2026

• April 29, 2026

Meeting Link 

Contact Michelle Rentsch at michelle.rentsch@sst9.org or Andrea Ciavarelli at andrea.ciavarelli@sst9.org for network information.

Description: This networking opportunity for itinerant teachers will focus on planning and providing individualized support and instruction for young children with disabilities. Participants will learn practical, research-based practices for use in inclusive classrooms and other early learning environments. Forms and resources for planning, teaching, and monitoring children’s progress will be shared. Facilitators: Debbi Bailey, SST9, and Michelle Smith, SST8.

2025-2026

Time: 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm - All meetings are in person.

Registration Link  (register one time only)

Itinerant Network

Date: Oct 7, 2025 12:30 PM EDT Location: Summit County ESC

Date Dec 2, 2025 12:30 PM EST Location: Stark County ESC

Date: Jan 20, 2026 12:30 PM EST Location: Summit County ESC

Date: Mar 10, 2026 12:30 PM EDT Location: Stark County ESC

Regional Literacy Network (embedded in Special Education Leadership Network)

Beginning in 2025-2026, our Regional Literacy Network will be merging with our Special Education Leadership Network!  We believe bringing Curriculum Directors and Special Education Directors together to learn and collaborate in the development of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support aligned to the Science of Reading will allow for more clarity and intentionality as we build integrated, data-driven frameworks that are inclusive of all students and educators.

• Flyer

Information to join the meeting will be mailed to the SST9 district special education directors.

All sessions will be virtual from 9-11:30 am

Facilitators: Leeann Weigman, Michelle Rentsch, Erin Class

Dates:

September 17

November 13 *New Date

January 21

March 11

May 14

Target Audience: Special Education Directors and Curriculum Directors

• Use screening data to create targeted RIMPs and IEPs and understand the alignment between the two.

• Understand the essential "WH's" of progress monitoring for tracking student growth.

• Discuss Special Education Profile (SPP) literacy indicators.

• Determine the data analyzed by teams, from district to classroom.

• Apply data to inform SDI instruction.

Increase district and building capacity with data by joining OEDPN. The purpose of the Ohio Education Data Professionals (OEDP) Network is to bring together individuals who are passionate about education data and to provide a collaborative space for members to deepen their knowledge and expertise in educational data; collect, share, and manage resources; and create new ideas, knowledge, and practices.

OEDP Network members come from all around Ohio and are employed by public school districts, community schools, educational service centers (ESCs), state support teams (SSTs), universities, and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Members include district administrators, academic coaches, ESC/SST consultants, professors, EMIS coordinators, and many more. 

General Network Members:

General network members include individuals who are committed to building knowledge, sharing resources, and connecting with other data professionals to help support the vision of the network. General network members may have credentials and support their own organization, but they do not provide any regional supports.

Regional Data Leads:

Regional Data Leads (RDL) are network members who work at the regional level. They provide professional development, technical assistance, and coaching support for educators to strengthen professional practice, and improve learning for all students. 

Complete this form to become a member of the Ohio Education Data Professional Network.  

Ohio Education Data Professional Network Meetings

The OEDP Network virtual meetings are the first Tuesday and third Friday of every month from 9-10:30 a.m. on Microsoft Teams.
Tuesday Microsoft Teams meeting link.
Friday Microsoft Teams meeting link.

Are you looking for high quality professional development that meets the needs of your school?  All PBIS training is now being provided through  Ohio's Free Online Professional Development Modules. 

To access the Tiered Fidelity Inventory or the Self Assessment Survey, log on to PBISapps. Do you want  to know more about the updated TFI 3.0?  Live online overview sessions  can be found here

Early Childhood Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports training modules

The Early Childhood Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports training modules support the implementation of the PBIS framework with children in early childhood settings through grade 3.

Have questions about PBIS? Feel free to contact Debbi.Bailey@sst9.org or David.Rogers@sst9.org.

Audience: District Staff who serve in special education leadership positions – Pupil Services Directors, Special Education Directors, and Special Education Coordinators

This series will provide updated information related to federal and state regulations. Sample topics include the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), OSDOE, OSEP, IDEA, ODE, Office of Exceptional Children and Special Education Profile Indicators. Opportunities for networking and resource sharing will be provided.

DATE & TIME

• September 17, 2025 - 9:00 - 11:30

• November 6, 2025 - 9:00 - 11:30

• January 21, 2026 - 9:00 - 11:30

• March 11, 2026 - 9:00 - 11:30

• May 14, 2026 - 9:00 - 11:30

Download Flyer

The meeting link will be emailed to the SST9 district special education directors.

If you have questions about the network meetings, please contact Leeann Weigman, SST 9 Consultant at leeann.weigman@sst9.org

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Welcome Back!

Welcome back! We hope you had a relaxing summer. Please click HERE for the calendar of SST9's special education events.

Revised ETR/IEP Forms

We are still awaiting the release of the new forms. If the forms are released in time, they will be included in the SST9 ETR/IEP training in October.

Listen to the Inclusive Schooling Podcast Episode 32: The Educator's Life Line: 10 Strategies to Support Challenging Behaviors

Key Takeaways:

• Educators can use “lifelines” as practical strategies to support students with challenging behaviors, helping them stay calm and engaged without resorting to exclusion.

• Approaching students with empathy and giving them choices allows educators to guide them back to a ready-to-learn state, prioritizing emotional safety in the classroom.

This network provides updates on federal and state regulations, assessment practices, and other relevant school psychologist topics. NASP, OSPA, and KAASP resources are discussed, and networking time is provided during each meeting. Registration is not required.

All Meetings are Hybrid

Dates and Times:

• September 23. 2025 - 8:30 - 10:00

• December 11, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30

• February 3, 2026 - 8:30 - 10:00

• April 10, 2026 - 12:00 - 1:30

 Meeting Link

Contact Leeann Weigman at leeann.weigman@sst9.org for network information.

Tri-County ESC School Psychologist Network

This network provides updates on federal and state regulations, assessment practices, and other relevant school psychologist topics. NASP, OSPA, and KAASP resources are discussed, and networking time is provided during each meeting. Registration is not required.

Dates and Times:

• September 24, 2025 - 8:30 - 10:00

• December 10, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30

• February 11, 2026 - 8:30 - 10:00

• April 8, 2026 - 12:00 - 1:30

Meeting Link 

Contact Leeann Weigman at leeann.weigman@sst9.org for network information.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The goal of UDL is learner agency that is purposeful and reflective, resourceful and authentic, strategic and action-oriented. Learner agency is when students own their learning. It involves students being active participants in their educational journey. When students have learner agency, they are more engaged, motivated, and successful. CLICK HERE to access SST9’s UDL webpage. 

If you want to know more about UDL, email michelle.rentsch@sst9.org and/or colleen.kornish@sst9.org. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Family Engagement

SST9 creates two-minute (sometimes three-minute ) videos for individuals to learn a little bit more about Universal Design for Learning. Click HERE to view the Fall 2025 video. 

The goal of UDL has evolved from students being expert learners

to students having learner agency.

Learner agency is when students own their learning.

It involves students being active participants in their educational journey.

When students have agency, they are more engaged, motivated, and successful.

CLICK HERE to see The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0 from CAST.

If you want to know more about UDL, send an email to michelle.rentsch@sst9.org and/or colleen.kornish@sst9.org.

Fall 2025 Topic

UDL for Family Engagement

Universal Design for Learning is a great way to improve family engagement. It fosters a deeper partnership, it normalizes variability, and it directly supports student success.

Here are some UDL techniques that you can use to enhance family engagement…

• Offer various communication methods

• Provide information in multiple formats

• Make materials accessible

• Offer varied options for involvement

• Create flexible participation opportunities

• Solicit feedback in multiple ways

• Optimize relevance and authenticity

• Foster collaboration and community

• Clarify goals and provide supportive feedback

CAST offers a variety of resources for educators and families. Their website has a section dedicated to families, including a self-directed course. CAST UDL for Families Course