On April 19, Carrie Wood, Director of Teaching & Learning since August 1, presented highlights of her Teaching & Learning and Gifted departments to the Board. The Mid-Ohio literacy consultants contributed and interviewed leaders and teachers, sharing with The Board of Governors the positive impact of each consultant’s services in the literacy, math, and gifted areas.
The video presented to the board came with testimonies from Superintendents and students. Many expressed their appreciation for the creative customization, collaboration and excellence Mid-Ohio Teaching & Learning provides to meet specific student needs. Districts have come to know their consultants as extended staff, and as one of the leaders put it, their “T&L team!”
Leaders shared how recent opportunities have refined their professional practice, including Wood: “Our CIA Network has doubled in regular participation, as three of our department Directors have integrated learning regarding special services, leadership and achievement and literacy. She also thanked those in attendance: “Our districts are amazing, and we value the relationships we have with leaders and teachers and recognize that we are better together.”
Both the Teaching & Learning and Gifted departments are composed of highly credentialed professionals in literacy, math, and gifted education that stay on the cutting edge of research. Each member follows the state’s initiatives to provide high-quality services and supports professionals in the field in order to yield high student outcomes. The Gifted Department also hosts several family and community events to bolster the opportunities for student growth and partnerships extended beyond the school building. The impact on the students who attended these events was evident as they shared how proud they were to showcase their academic and art prowess with family and friends in the Academic Challenge, Spelling Bee, and Artapalooza events.
Wood described this school year’s literacy work to assist districts with the Dyslexia Law professional learning requirements, “Our literacy consultants helped teachers with ODE’s 11 dyslexia modules…Our literacy specialists received credentials in the first cohort from ODE to facilitate and provide implementation guidance as it related to each grade level K-3. Our districts were certain they wanted facilitation to help teachers actualize structured literacy in the classroom and not just proceed through compliance, but commitment to the work. I’m so impressed with our district leaders that are creating systems to operationalize the contents of Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy!”
Carrie is excited to add one more specialist to the team who will provide specific phonics training to teachers so they can use evidence-based practices within their curriculum. This change will create more effective instruction for students and speaks to the program’s alignment to Ohio’s “commitment to raising literacy and language outcomes for all kids.”
Wood also commented on the math department’s efforts to align with the Ohio Department of Education requirements, “Our math department provided one-on-one coaching and classroom modeling to accelerate learning in numeracy. Teachers learned how to leverage “math talks” to provide a foundation for algebraic thinking later in a student’s career! The gifted rule in our state is going through some changes, and we have three gifted consultants that are working with ODE and OAGC to impact the policy and provide first feedback. Our leaders love how connected our consultants are to these state initiatives that impact their service and report card indicators.”
Wood added, “Lastly, our collaboration with ODE in the Adolescent literacy position, held by Amber Clay-Mowry, has provided expertise guidance in our region and beyond with those that hold a CLSD grant and participation in a joint network.” Amber Clay-Mowry and Carrie Wood have been selected to present at the Literacy Academy on June 8,
held in Columbus for state leaders and teachers.
Carrie states, “Thank you to the support staff, Superintendent Kimmel and the Board of Governors for helping us grow our program from this school year to next, almost two-fold! I appreciate your support of our department and our districts!”.
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.