April 16, 2024
Empowering Futures: Showcasing the Promising Practices of Ohio's Schools
Empowering Futures: Showcasing the Promising Practices of Ohio's Schools
Join us as we highlight the great things happening around Ohio as schools implement differentiated programming that helps ALL students get TO and THROUGH High School Graduation.
The selected Promising Practices are not exemplars...they are real practices by schools in the trenches working to provide their students with the best education possible.
These sessions intend to highlight these practices and give you ideas to jumpstart your thinking, planning, and creation of innovative practices in your community.
This page is being updated daily...check back for more information.
Join us as we start off the day with a few words about our WHY...make some connections to work you are currently doing and learn how to navigate to the sessions for the day.
10:00 AM Sessions - Four Sessions from which to choose
Literacy ‘Lifts Off’ at TCTC: Helping All Students Soar as Readers
Trumbull County Career and Technical Center
Host: State Support Team Region 5, Jodi Glaser
Session Information
TCTC identified literacy as a focus area for improving student performance on end-of-course (EOC) assessments. With a continuous improvement mindset, they applied for and received a Reach All Students Literacy Grant. In the first year of implementing the grant, student outcomes are improving.
Planning and Creating Pre-Apprenticeships
Jon Szary, Principal
Hamilton High School
Host: State Support Team Region 13, Megan Horstmeier
Session Information
Hamilton High School is in its first year of implementing 4 incredible pre-apprenticeships. Hear how they got started and why they chose these career clusters.
Careers in My Community - K-5 Career Exploration
Joy Wolfel, Mid-East Career Technical Center
Host: Southeast Tech Prep, Katie Good
Co-Host: Rhedeshia Young-Willingham
Link to Materials
Session Information
Joy will share how she led the creation of a curriculum to expand career exploration in grades K-5 for five in-demand industries: Transportation, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture/environmental. This class is taught as a ‘specials’ class, and Joy has the opportunity to rotate through multiple schools within one year.
Career Advising & Middle School Programming - How to Become What you want to BE through the E's
Ruth Ray, M.Ed.,
Warrensville Heights City School District
Host: Northeast Tech Prep, Eric Norris
Co-Host: Crystal Bryski
Ruth Ray has been the STEAM Integration Coordinator PreK-12 for the Warrensville Heights City School District since 2017. She served in the Career and Technical Education office at CMSD before moving to Warrensville. The Gelfand STEM Center has collaborated with Ruth since 2013. She was also recognized by the HSTW (High Schools That Work) District Network with the Leadership Award for her exemplary accomplishments with their High School scholars!
Session Information
Beginning career exposure in primary school enhances students' leadership skills, empowers them to explore diverse opportunities, and enables informed decisions about their future careers.
11:00 AM Sessions - Five Sessions from which to choose
Approaches to Becoming a Lean Six Sigma School
Brian McKnight, Director of Secondary Education
Greene County Career Center
Host: State Support Team Region 10, Kari Hunter
Session Information
Teaching students critical thinking skills and working in teams is essential as a career tech center. Lean Six Sigma is a team-based problem-solving methodology that combines lean manufacturing and Six Sigma to improve processes, eliminate defects, and increase efficiency. Greene County Career Center is implementing this to enhance classroom productivity and deliver high-quality products or services.
Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Power of Internships and Work-Based Learning for Students with Special Needs
Ryan Myers, Supervisor of Special Education Services, Penta Career Center
Host: Northwest Tech Prep, Kathy Siebenaler Wilson
Link to Materials
Session Information
Work-based learning offers a range of benefits for students with disabilities, including skill development, increased confidence, career exploration, awareness of workplace accommodations, networking opportunities, smoother transition to employment, and improved long-term employment outcomes. By actively participating in work-based learning initiatives, students with disabilities can enhance their employability and achieve their career aspirations.
Innovative Practices - Becoming a 4-Star Business Advisory Council
Ashley Spangler - North Point ESC
Host: State Support Team Region 2, Matt Marino
Session Information
Ashley coordinates the North Point ESC Business Advisory Council, which was identified as a 4-Star BAC. They were also provided the Award of Excellence in Coordinating Experiences.
"If you want to be it, you have to see it!" is their motto. This is done through:
*YouScience and data that is pulled before each year begins.
Student Boot Camps in each county
Teacher Boot Camps each summer
Strong BAC presence within each county
PortfoliOH is used to track interest and career exposure
Career Showcases, Job Fairs, and Expo's of new technology
All of these expose students to possible jobs/careers for the future!
Academic Integration in CTE Labs
Tea McCaulla, Instructor
Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center
Host: Tech Prep Central Region, Carrie Giles
Co-Host: Jodi Glaser
Session Information
With nearly 30 years in education, Tea McCaulla has spent the last eight years at Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, teaching Cos. English I & II, English Composition I & II, and Voices of Freedom. In collaboration with Donna Patrick, the junior and senior cosmetology instructor, the two work together to bridge the gap between lab and academic learning by designing lessons that build students' cosmetology skills with their academics.
Career Advising: Making Pathways Personal
Beth Warner, Career Pathways Coach
Shenandoah High School
Host: Southeast Tech Prep, Katie Good
Co-Host: Melissa Solazzo
Session Information
With so many choices, how do schools help students find their pathway? Noble Local Schools has made pathways personal by creating a career advising program that helps students find their WHY, determine their WHAT, and plan how to reach the end goal of Employment, Enrollment, or ENLISTMENT.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM BREAK
12:30 PM Sessions - Five sessions from which to choose
Leadership Excellence Credential and IEP Goals - Students find success utilizing micro improvements to meet their IEP goals
Melinda Brown, Mariemont HS
Jennifer Dameron & Jessica Berry, Franklin HS
Host: State Support Team 13, Melissa Solazzo
Session Information
Intervention Specialists from two high schools will share their experience with implementing the Leadership Excellence Credential with students in different settings.
Empowering Students, Families, Partners, and TriRivers Through the Graduation Navigator Tool
Alysse Ross, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services & Kirstin Large, School Counselor, Tri-Rivers Career Center
Host: State Support Team Region 7, Julie Frankl
Link to Website
Session Information
Alysse and Kirstin will share the journey that Tri-Rivers Career Center has been on to promote collaboration with students, families, districts, and career center staff to ensure graduation pathway success.
Amplifying Academics: Providing Relevancy Through IRC and Mastery-Based Learning
Jaimie Smith, Grant Career Center
Host: Southwest Tech Prep, Rita Graf
Session Information
Jaimie will share Grant Career Center's journey of integrating industry-recognized credentials into academic courses. Grant has also moved to mastery-based learning, which has been integral to students' success in credential assessments.
Pathways to Careers Improving Post-Secondary Education Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities
Michelle Rodewald & Shelby Kaminski, Auburn Career Center
Host: State Support Team Region 4, Crystal Bryski
Session Information
From a unique programming request to a grant-funded model for providing career exploration opportunities and credentials for adults with disabilities. Explore what has been learned and gain insight into plans for sustainability.
Western BUILT: Western HS Career Development
Brock Brewster, Superintendent
Western Local Schools
Host: Southeast Tech Prep, Katie Good
Co-Host: State Support Team Region 2, Matt Marino
YouTube - Ribbon Cutting Video
Session Information
1:30 PM Sessions - Three sessions from which to choose
A Diploma with Meaning
Jeff Berk, Stebbins HS, Mad River School District
Host: State Support Team 10, Kari Hunter
Session Information
Jeff will share how Stebbins High School has worked to design and align programming to help students achieve a diploma with meaning...with the real potential to impact the students' futures, achieve goals for employment and lifestyle.
Aut-To-Be Partners: An Innovative Approach to Job Training for Students with Profound Disabilities
Joel Vidovic, Autism Model School
Host: State Support Team 1, Lisa Hite
Session Information
Joel will share how the Autism Model School's staff has created an authentic work experience for students within their school setting. This promising practice is school-based work-based learning that could easily transfer to employment with a local business.
Making Work-Based Learning Work for All Students
Tom Henderson - Centerville, Kettering, Oakwood Compact
Ann Rush - Butler Tech
Lauren Woehl - Stebbins High School
Host: West Region Tech Prep, Pam Hunt
Session Information
The WBL Coordinators, who represent all three delivery models of CTE, will discuss their unique approaches to WBL, ensuring student and district success. Overarching WBL strategies, roles and responsibilities, securing WBL opportunities, and tracking methods will be discussed.
2:30 PM Sessions - Three sessions from which to choose
Pathways to Possibilities: A model for K-12 Career Discovery
Nicole Will, Kettering City Schools
Host: State Support Team Region 10, Kari Hunter
Session Information
Opportunity and Access within Job Training Programs
Maria Angel, Transition Coordinator, Columbus City Schools
Host: State Support Team Region 11, Rhedeshia Young-Willingham
Session Information
Q & A - SST and Tech Prep Consultants
Facilitators: Melissa Solazzo, Pam Hunt, Megan Horstmeier
Host: Melissa Solazzo
Session Information
Please feel free to drop in here to chat with the consultants from the State Support Team and Tech Prep. If you have questions or want to run an idea by us, stop in and say hello. This session has no formal agenda—just questions, answers, and ideas!