About the Ohio Middle Level Association
More than 9500 individuals are members of OMLA. Founded in 1973 by a group of middle level educators, OMLA is the fastest growing professional organization in Ohio. Members include people at all levels of the profession–teachers, administrators, supervisors, parents, college personnel, state department officials and students. It is governed by an executive board made up of elected officers and regional representatives. OMLA became affiliated with the National Middle School Association in 1975 and has become the official voice for Ohio’s middle level people.
The OMLA Annual Conference, originally scheduled for October 22-23, 2020 was rescheduled to March 4-5, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Find bios from the keynote speakers, call for presenters, and full registration details on the OMLA website.
The need for family and community engagement and partnership has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. This virtual network series is designed for administrators and district leaders to explore evidence based practices around family and community engagement.
Each 2-hour session will focus on a particular topic, including:
• An overview of family and community engagement practices, then and now
• Evidence-based strategies and family and community engagement frameworks
• Alignment of family and community engagement with school improvement efforts
• Tools for evaluating family and community engagement
After attending these sessions, participants will be able to:
• Describe evidence based practices to improve family and community engagement in schools
• Create action steps to infuse family and community engagement into their school improvement goals
• Choose and use at least one tool for evaluating family and community engagement in their districts and buildings
• Describe evidence based frameworks for family and community engagement
• Create an action plan for the 2021-2022 school year to align family engagement practices with school improvement plans.
Would you like to build your family and community engagement toolkit? Books, supplies and other resources will be given to participants who attend each meeting.
Questions? Please contact Tamie Cruz, SST 1 Consultant.
Registration
Each session has a unique registration link. You must register individually for the dates you wish to attend. You will receive a confirmation email upon successful registration. Please contact Jill Barnhisel if you have questions about registration.
February 4, 2021 | Closed |
March 4, 2021 | Register via Zoom |
April 22, 2021 | Register via Zoom |
May 13, 2021 | Register via Zoom |
Download the flyer for the Virtual Family and Community Engagement Professional Learning Opportunity
This three-part literacy series is for preschool teachers, paraprofessionals, supervisors, child care workers, kindergarten teachers, and others looking to build emergent literacy skills at the preschool level. The series was created based on current literacy research in conjunction with Ohio’s State Literacy Plan to provide practices to increase literacy for all students, birth through age five.
Series Dates
- Part 1: January 22, 2021 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Introduction to Emergent Literacy & Teaching Early Phonological Awareness
Participants will explore the three components of emergent literacy, with connections to research supporting their use, and learn the significance of, and instructional strategies for developing early phonological awareness in children from birth – age 5.
- Introduction to Emergent Literacy & Teaching Early Phonological Awareness
- Part 2: February 12, 2021 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Developing Oral Language and Vocabulary for Emergent Literacy
Learn the significance of developing oral language and vocabulary in young children, and how to build these skills in multiple environments – home, preschool, and child care centers through formal and informal instructional contexts. Participants will also learn to choose vocabulary from vocabulary rich read-aloud texts to pre-teach prior to shared reading experiences.
Register for this Zoom session.
- Developing Oral Language and Vocabulary for Emergent Literacy
- Part 3: March 5, 2021 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Building Print Awareness through Interactive Read-Alouds
Explore the significance of print awareness and how to use read-alouds as a tool for print referencing and building meta-linguistic awareness in young children. Modeling of questioning during interactive read-alouds will be used to demonstrate how to direct young children’s attention specifically to print. Participants will leave with a thorough understanding of how to use read-alouds to teach ALL components of emergent literacy using a variety of texts. Connections will also be made to developing early literacy skills along the language and literacy continuum.
Register for this Zoom session.
- Building Print Awareness through Interactive Read-Alouds
If you have questions regarding the content of the series, email Heather Gaskins or call 419.720.8999, ext. 134
Questions regarding registration can be directed to via email to Lisa Jenkins or by calling 419.720.8999, ext. 151
Do you have questions regarding the One Needs Assessment or One Plan? Drop in for assistance during this virtual open office hours session.
The journey to becoming a skillful reader beings with phonemic awareness, or the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds.
The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum focuses on eight phonemic awareness skills, along with two additional activities to develop letter and sound recognition and language awareness. Best of all, it’s engaging, quick, fun, and effective!
Join us for this Professional Learning session for an introduction to the Heggerty Curriculum, learn how to put it into practice, and begin using it with fidelity.
Questions about this session may be directed to Debbie Nagel, M.Ed., SST 1 Consultant.
RESCHEDULED: The February 16 session was postponed due to inclement weather. Please join us March 9.
Meeting Registration – Zoom >>
Registration
This professional learning opportunity is by invitation only. Please call 419.720.8999, ext. 151 or email Lisa Jenkins with questions.
Participants from the 2019-20 New Special Education Administrators Network will build upon the foundation from the first year of the cohort in this second year support program. During this second year, participants will continue to build on foundational knowledge of the law, which can contribute to the disposition and skills necessary to build special education instructional leaders, resulting in improved outcomes for students with disabilities.
During the 2020-21 school year, participants will:
- reflect and evaluate current district special education policies, processes, and practices
- learn how to work in district teams as strong collaborative leaders
- identify areas of strength
- complete a gap analysis to align program improvement efforts with overall school improvement, completing a draft three-year improvement plan
- continue to build relationships and grow together to support school improvement
- receive coaching
Please Note
- Event is open only to 2019/20 Special Education Administrator Network Year 1 participants.
- Participants will be asked to complete pre-work to prepare for each session.
- Registration will be closed after the first session.
- Participants are expected to make a strong commitment to attending sessions, as content is cumulative.
Event questions may be directed to Laura Low, M.Ed.
Network Event Dates
November 11, 2020 | March 10, 2021 |
December 9, 2020 | May 12, 2021 |
January 13, 2021 |
Event Flyer
Click to download event flyer for full details.
Registration
Email Jill Barnhisel or call 419.720.899, ext. 152 to register for New Special Education Administrator Network: Year 2 of 2. Zoom session information will be sent to registrants prior to the date of each event.
In this 4-part virtual series, sponsored by State Support Team Region 1 and presented by Cathy J. Lassiter, Ed.D. Administrators and their Building Leadership Teams (BLT’s) will learn about the keys to creating equitable classrooms where all learners thrive, whether it is face to face or in distance learning. All sessions will be highly interactive, engaging participants in short reads, group discussions, self-reflections, and implementation planning. Strategies shared by the presenter will be relevant for teachers and leaders in distance learning environments, face to face classrooms, and any variation of hybrid instruction.
Participants will delve into three main topic areas:
- Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy: includes a discussion on what this means and why it is so critical to equity in the classroom
- Building Teacher Credibility: considers the huge impact of teacher credibility on student learning outcomes and the factors that influence students’ determination of the credibility of their teachers
- Strengthening Core Instruction: focuses on practices that improve instructional design and delivery for strong Tier 1 instruction
Questions about the content of this series should be directed to SST 1 Consultants, Marty Schloegl or Nicole Herbert.
Series Dates & Registration
Date | Time | Attendees | Registration Link |
December 9, 2020 | 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Administrators only | Registration closed |
January 22, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Administrators and Building Leadership Teams * | Registration closed |
February 26, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Administrators and Building Leadership Teams * | Zoom link: February 26 |
March 11, 2021 | 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Administrators and Building Leadership Teams * | Zoom link: March 11 |
* BLT participants are required to attend all three sessions
NOTE: Participants who register by November 23 will receive a free copy of The Teacher Credibility and Collective Efficacy Playbook by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Dominque Smith.
Please call 419.720.8999, ext. 151 or email Lisa Jenkins with registration questions.
This is a two-part virtual series focusing on interactive and innovative read aloud practices involving both teachers and caregivers.
Questions regarding the sessions may be directed to Debbie Nagel.
Event Details
Part 1: STAR in the Classroom
February 19, 2021 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Discussion centered on classroom practices for read-alouds and print awareness. Following this session, participants will use read-alouds for the purpose of advancing emergent literacy skills in all students using the strategies modeled throughout the PD session.
Part 2: STAR at Home
March 12, 2021 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
STAR at Home focuses on bringing effective read aloud practices into the home and provides a clear line of communication between the classroom and home. Following the session, participants will engage caregivers to use the strategies modeled on STAR cards. They will create a feedback loop between the classroom and home by using a STAR journal.
* Register for STAR at Home >>
* NOTE: Participants must register for each event date separately. You will receive a confirmation email upon successful registration. Please call 419.720.8999 ext. 151 or email Lisa Jenkins with registration questions.
The Literacy Leaders Network will take a deep dive into all components of the Literacy Improvement Pathway.
Designed for district leaders, superintendents, curriculum directors, special education directors, principals, and literacy coaches, participants will learn the processes needed to create, update, or improve their district’s literacy plan based solidly in the Science of Reading. Vital tools such as the R-TFI, District Implementation Team/District Leadership Team guidance, decision rules, MTSS, curriculum review and adoption, assessment, and more will be covered.
Virtual Meetup Dates and Registration Links
All sessions will be held from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
November 10, 2020 | Registration Closed | |
December 8, 2020 | Registration Closed | |
January 12, 2021 | Registration Closed | |
February 9, 2021 | Zoom Registration | Based on the Literacy Leaders Network feedback, our February Literacy Leader’s Network Session on “time” will take place in the form of a recording. Video content will be sent to you directly.
To keep the true intent of this team a network, there is a participation requirement. We will open our March session with this discussion. We intend to honor your time, so the recording and your participation will not exceed 1.5 hours total time. |
March 16, 2021 | Zoom Registration | |
April 20, 2021 | Zoom Registration | |
May 11, 2021 | Zoom Registration | |
June 8, 2021 | Zoom Registration |
Download the event flyer for more information >>
Note: This Professional Learning opportunity is by invitation only.
For registration questions email Lisa Jenkins or call 419.720.8999, ext. 151.
For questions on the content of the network, please contact Debbie Nagel.
This network is for recently assigned preschool administrators, or administrators wishing to revisit foundational aspects of preschool administration. Participants will dive into the foundational framework of preschool administration to include both early learning and special education federal, state, funding, and quality requirements. Evidence based practices taught will align completion of ETRs and IEPs to influence student achievement. This is a multi-session, 2-year cohort.
During the 2020-21 school year, participants will:
- identify their current location in the educational cascade, and how roles throughout the cascade differ
- learn tenants of state and federal mandated requirements and identify how each is represented in their program/school
- begin to establish skills to self reflect on their progress as an instructional coach and leader
- draft an internal monitoring plan to align proper implementation of timeline driven requirements through documentation and implementation
- draft an annual calendar of routine department requirements, responsibilities, best practices, and action
Please Note
- This Professional Learning Opportunity is by invitation only.
- Participants will be asked to complete pre-work to prepare for each session.
- Registration will be closed after the first session.
- Participants are expected to make a strong commitment to attending sessions, as content is cumulative.
Contact Laura Low with session questions.
Network Event Dates
November 3, 2020 | January 19, 2021 | March 2, 2021 |
November 17, 2020 | January 26, 2021 | March 16, 2021 |
December 1, 2020 | February 16, 2021 | May 4, 2021 |
December 15, 2020 | February 23, 2021 | May 18, 2021 |
Event Flyer
Click to download event flyer for full details
Registration
Participants may register by emailing Jill Barnhisel or calling 419.720.8999 ext. 152. Zoom session information will be sent to registrants prior to each event.