News and Events for March 24 through April 4, 2025

Stronger Together: a Unified Approach for Educating

Students with Disabilities (NEW DATE)

Curriculum and Special Education Director teams (1 person representing special education, 1 person representing curriculum at a minimum) are invited to join us for a dynamic professional learning on the intersection of literacy practices for students with disabilities, the speech pathologist role in literacy, and successful graduation for all students.

We will emphasize the necessity of collaboration across departments. Together, we will explore how evidence-based literacy practices support students with disabilities. Lunch will be provided and we invite you to engage in a focus group discussion around designing successful educational experiences for students with disabilities and identifying what support from SST8 is needed to overcome barriers to implementation. Our goal is for this focus group to continue to work on addressing these barriers into the 2025-2026 school year.

In the afternoon, we will dive into Progress Toward Graduation (PTG) data, using the ODDEX tool to identify at-risk students and assign targeted interventions. Register below for May 21, 2025 9am-3pm at the Summit ESC.

R8LL SOR Network Meetings

8:45-9:45 am on Zoom

Thank you for those that joined us for R8LL. We are excited to continue our collaboration community improvement network with the Region 8 Literacy Leaders Network with SST8, Summit ESC, Medina ESC, focusing on the Science of Reading. This initiative allows professional development to come alive in the classroom as educators share practical applications. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss challenges and solutions with colleagues, enhancing their ability to apply the Science of Reading knowledge effectively.

If you would like to give us some feedback on what you would like to see in this network next year, please use this link to take a quick survey.

The remaining meetings for this year will be offered on Zoom at 8:45-9:45am.

May 16th: Implementing Vocabulary and Fluency

🎙️Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Education: Podcast Episode🎙️

Did you know that background knowledge is the key to reading comprehension? In this episode of 8 with 8, educational journalist and author Natalie Wexler joins SST8 co-hosts Janelle Schuler, Annette Gross, and Kim Nagy to discuss how building background knowledge and vocabulary can transform literacy outcomes. Drawing from her influential book The Knowledge Gap and her research, Natalie offers practical insights and strategies to close equity gaps and support all learners.

🎧 Tune in to explore actionable ways to improve literacy and unlock student success. Listen now to make an impact in your district and classroom!

Got Special Ed Questions?

Keep Calm & Join Dee Dee & Helen’s SpEd Office Hours!

Join us for updates & insights on hot topics and frequently asked questions in the world of special education. Participants can email questions ahead of time or ask “in the moment.”

When: April 16th

Time: 9:00 am

Who: Special Educator Administrators, Leads

Simplify & Strengthen Your PD with SST8’s Ready-Made Resources

The SST8 PD Resource Brochure is an invaluable tool for school districts and buildings looking to conduct in-house professional development. It provides a curated selection of high-quality, research-based training opportunities tailored to meet the diverse needs of educators and support staff. With a focus on improving instructional practices, student outcomes, and school climate, the brochure offers flexible and customizable options that align with district goals and priorities. Check out all the options and topics!

Northeast Ohio Annual SuccessBound Conference 2025

Learn how Career Tech Education (CTE) is evolving for middle and high school students
Gain insights into AI, workforce development, and career coaching strategies
Discover how to expand partnerships with businesses for student work-based learning
Engage in networking and working groups to turn ideas into action

Audience: School Administrators and Educators

Date: Friday, April 11, 2025

Location: Corporate College East, 4400 Richmond Road, Warrensville Heights, OH 44125

Time: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM (Lunch Provided)

Last Day to Register: April 7, 2025

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at hhohlbaugh@uakron.edu.

How can MTSS work in

Secondary Schools

Scheduling is an essential piece of MTSS infrastructure. If every student deserves access to the support they need, we have to prioritize that in the way we set up the school day. A well-thought-out master schedule can ensure time for intervention and enrichment to move all students forward in their learning. Thoughtful scheduling also ensures that teachers and teams have time to appropriately plan instruction and intervention.

Consider your student population, staffing, and what model will fit your needs: There is no one proper schedule. Check out this blog with suggestions.

2025 Survey - A Dad's Perspective: Supporting Fathers of Children with Developmental Disability

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities continues to build on a collaboration among state agencies, communities, and other networks to ensure fathers of children with developmental disabilities are supported, engaged, and empowered. As work moves forward, we want to know: What are fathers’ current perspectives? What are fathers' experiences in systems that support their child with developmental disabilities? What do fathers want? What do fathers need? How do systems and organizations best support fathers of children with developmental disabilities?

If you are an Ohio father of a child or children of any age with a developmental disability, please take the short A Dad’s Perspective survey to share your experiences.

The 2025 A Dad’s Perspective survey will be open until March 31.

FY2026 E4E Grant News and One Funding Application Updates

The Equity for Each grant is now called the E4E grant! The E4E competitive grant assists recipients, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, in identifying and promoting promising practices for continuously improving career-technical education delivery and may support recipients in the ongoing development and alignment of local data collection systems to improve data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. The state of Ohio is committed to improving access, engagement, and outcomes for all career-technical education students with an intentional focus on students included in Perkins V's defined special populations.

FY2026 E4E Competitive Grant Application

Applying for the grant will include a document upload in the One Funding Application. A soft launch of the One Funding Application is planned prior to the official launch in June. The soft launch is intended only for entities that intend on applying for the FY2026 Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant or the E4E Grant.

Interested E4E applicants are required to attend one of the One Funding Application Soft Launch and Training sessions.

Question about the E4E Grant scan be directed to Christopher.Moscato@education.ohio.gov.