Achievement Matters

Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki and Tiziana Casciaro recently wrote in the Harvard Business Review that networking is a necessity and a mountain of research shows that professional networks lead to among other things: broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, improved work quality and increased job satisfaction.

As we work to network with community members and district personnel, here are 8 essential ingredients that Fullan and Rincon-Gallardo assert as necessary for effective networks and collaboration.

1. Develop high-trust relationships
2. …

The Ohio Department of Education will open nominations for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award Sept. 1. The RISE Award honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service to their schools, students, colleagues and communities. The Ohio Department of Education will accept nominations for the award Sept. 1-30. Congress created the award in 2019 and the U.S. Department of Education oversees the program.

Find out more about this award and previous Ohio awardees…

September is Attendance Awareness Month, which is a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. This month recognizes the importance of mobilizing schools, partners and communities to promote regular attendance by developing tiered strategies and personalized interventions to reduce chronic absence. 
 
Many Ohio K-12 students continue to face barriers that result in chronic absenteeism. The start of the academic year presents an opportunity for districts and schools to support the needs of their students…

Learn how Ohio is using federal funds to help students, especially those who experienced the greatest disruptions to learning. The Ohio Department of Education introduces Future Forward Ohio, which encompasses the state’s priorities and strategies to address academic recovery and promote student success.

The Future Forward Ohio webpage has descriptions of major initiatives funded with the state portion of federal relief funds and spotlights promising strategies across Ohio using federal funds.…

Congress moved to extend nutrition waivers through…

Recently, Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 583 of the 134th Ohio General Assembly. As a result, the following changes related to dyslexia support laws will take effect Sept. 22:

• Delays by one year the requirement for annual tier one dyslexia screenings of students in grades kindergarten through six from the 2022-2023 school year to the 2023-2024 school year but allows a district or school to administer the tier one dyslexia screening prior to the 2023-2024 school year. (See ORC 3323.251);
• Permits districts and schools to use any best practices and…

The Ohio Department of Education is sponsoring the Summer Food Service Program again this year, providing children with free, healthy meals during the school break. 

Participation is simple, and no sign up is required. To learn about meal times and site locations, call (1-866-348-6479) or visit education.ohio.gov/KidsEat.

The Summer Food Service Program ensures children ages 18 and under continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer when they do not have access to school breakfasts or lunches. Children with disabilities…

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause stress, affect emotional well-being and intensify mental health needs. The Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory identified that mental health needs in young people continue to rise with symptoms of anxiety and depression doubling during the pandemic. Though increases in distress symptoms are common during disasters, most people cope well and do not go on to develop mental health disorders. Resiliency can be learned and developed, especially with home, school and community supports.

For students, these…

Attendance Works and its national partners are launching the 10th annual Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar series for 2022. The free, four-part series will emphasize the power of using chronic absence data to recover from challenges heightened by the pandemic.

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As district leaders, we know that student voice is critical to implementing effective whole child supports. The Ohio Association of Student Leaders and the Ohio Department of Education are hosting student-led roundtable discussions on Ohio's Whole Child Framework. Students in…