Issuu

CLXXVII | MARCH 2022

Fundamental Resources and Editorials for School Administrators This issue of Better Schools Magazine was in production before SB 1647 was defeated on March 23, 2022.

FINISHING OUT THE YEAR: FEDERAL PROGRAMS

SMALL TOWN STUDENTS WOULD PAY FOR HIGH PRICE TAG OF SCHOOL CHOICE

ADVOCACY DO’S AND DON’TS

VOUCHER TALKING POINTS

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CONTENTS CCOSA Executive Committee Melisa Kifer CCOSA Chairperson ODSS Past-President Special Services Director Stillwater Public Schools Kyle Reynolds OASA President Superintendent Woodward Public Schools Dr. Matt Posey OASA President-Elect Superintendent Bethel Public Schools David Beiler OASSP President Jenks High School Jenks Public Schools Randy Biggs OASSP President-Elect Principal, Frederick HS Frederick Public Schools Robb Mills OMLEA President Principal, Dewitt Waller MS Enid Public Schools Kate Creekmore OMLEA President-Elect Activities/Athletic Director Bixby Public Schools Teresa Golden ODSS President Special Services Director Kingston Public Schools Rachelle English ODSS President-Elect Special Services Director Stilwell Public Schools

9 Words From the Director By Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director

11 Don’t Miss the CCOSA Summer Leadership Conference! 21 Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) By Jennifer Gambrell, Assistant Director, OEQA

22 Important Background Check Information: How They Impact Certification and Employment By Jeff Smith, Executive Director of Teacher Certification, Oklahoma State Department of Education

24 What’s New on Bus Waivers? By Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Broken Arrow Public Schools

25 New Certification Examinations for

Oklahoma Administrators

By Renée Launey-Rodolf, Interim Executive Director, Office of Educational Quality and Accountability

27 Finishing Out the Year: Federal Programs By Kathy Dunn, Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs, CCOSA

Ashley Hoggatt OAESP President Principal, Kirkland ES Putnam City Public Schools Janalyn Taylor OAESP President-Elect Principal, Nance ES Clinton Public Schools Dr. Gregg Garn Higher Education Liaison Sr. Associate Vice Provost of Digital Learning University of Oklahoma

ASSOCIATION UPDATES 33 OASA 37 OAESP 34 OASSP/OMLEA 39 ODSS

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CONTENTS ADVOCACY RESOURCES

13 Small-Town Students Would Pay for High Price Tag of School Choice By Don Ford, Executive Director, Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools

15 Advocacy Do’s and Don’ts

It's more important than ever to advocate for public education! By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, CCOSA Education Policy and Research Analyst

17 Vote NO on Vouchers

Talking Points for Legislator Meetings

19 Shadowing Visits

An Eye-Opener for Elected Officials By Chris LeGrande, Guthrie High School Principal, Guthrie Public Schools

CCOSA Staff Dr. Pam Deering CCOSA/OASA Executive Director Derald Glover OASA Assistant Executive Director William D. Parker OASSP/OMLEA Executive Director Glen Abshere OAESP Executive Director Andrea Kunkel CCOSA General Counsel ODSS Executive Director

Dr. Jeanene Barnett Education Policy & Research Analyst & TLE Coordinator

Charlotte Murphy OASSP/OMLEA/CEC Executive Assistant

Elyse Maxwell Director of Marketing and Communications

Lynne White OAESP Executive Assistant & Assistant to the TLE Coordinator

Kathy Dunn Director of Professional Learning, State and Federal Programs

Laura Crabtree Membership Coordinator ODSS Executive Assistant

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Words from the Director Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director deering@ccosa.org

Voucher Bill Lacks Both Dollars and Sense Throughout the first few weeks of legislative session, we’ve witnessed a lot of conversation around education in our state. Much of the strongest rhetoric has centered around the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, a controversial voucher bill that its proponents and their outof-state lobbyists have touted as reshaping how students are funded in our state. Yet for a bill focused on funding, very little has been said about how much it would cost and where the money would come from. This voucher bill will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The money would come directly from the state funding formula that aids in the education of every public school student in Oklahoma. All public school students would lose funding – even if none of their classmates leave the school for a private option. Analysis of the bill in its current form predicts as much as a $350 million impact to the state in the first year with similar numbers in each subsequent year. The voucher proposal could add as many as 60,000 new private and homeschooled students into the education funding formula, reducing the amount of public dollars available for educating all current public education students. Even with significant education investment by the legislature the last several years, Oklahoma ranks 47th in the country in per-student funding. The financial ramifications of this bill could drop our state even further down in these rankings. Earlier in my career, I worked in the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance. I was fortunate to help create the state’s funding formula and have since been able to utilize it at the local level through various school administrator positions. The state’s funding formula is rooted in equity. It utilizes a financial snapshot of all corners of our state. Schools in areas with historically lower income and property

value are allocated additional funding to make up for the lesser amount of locally generated funds. Districts with historically greater needs – higher numbers of special needs students, for example – are able to receive additional state dollars for students who need more educational services to succeed in school. Should elected officials pass the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, hundreds of millions of dollars would be taken directly from that funding formula each year. Significantly less money would be available to provide communities and students with the resources they so badly need. This is why it would be especially harmful for students in our rural school districts, who will lose funding even if their enrollment numbers remain the same. The millions of dollars being siphoned to private groups through the Oklahoma Empowerment Act will have zero accountability to taxpayers. Worse, there are no consistent academic standards or benchmarks for how these entities are teaching our kids. This dramatic diversion of taxpayer dollars has been positioned by its champions as a plan to “fund students, not systems.” In reality, it creates two distinct systems with vastly different rules. It takes away funding from a large majority of students to build a separate system benefiting a small group of families. It financially punishes the districts whose families have chosen their local public school. The secret is out. Oklahoma doesn’t have the dollars to implement this bill without jeopardizing education for a majority of students in our state.

Sincerely, Dr. Pam Deering CCOSA/OASA Executive Director ■ This issue of Better Schools Magazine was in production before SB 1647 was defeated on March 23, 2022.

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DON'T MISS OUT ON THE CCOSA SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE THIS JUNE 7-9, 2022! Held at the new Oklahoma City Convention Center, this year's conference will be bigger and better than ever! Join us for more breakout session options, more exhibitors in the vendor hall, more networking opportunities and more conference fun! REGISTER AT: www.ccosa.org/professional-learning/ccosa-summer-leadership-conference.

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ADVOCACY RESOURCES

SMALL-TOWN STUDENTS WOULD PAY FOR HIGH PRICE TAG OF SCHOOL CHOICE

This issue of Better Schools Magazine was in production before SB 1647 was defeated on March 23, 2022.

By Don Ford, Executive Director, Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools I’ve cherished pouring my heart and soul into teaching small-town students over the last four decades. I was drawn to rural schools early in my career because of the connection to the community. It’s a special opportunity to lead a school where you know every child’s name and can communicate with every parent. Rural Oklahomans take pride in our schools and see them as a hub of our communities. Entire towns rally behind our kids from first period on Monday mornings to the fourth quarter on Friday nights. In places where residents live far apart, the schools bring us together. As a former principal in communities such as Mason, Paden and Okemah and superintendent in Oilton, Midway, Alva and Holdenville, it was my job to instill values in our students that would help them become leaders. One of the lessons I taught is that our choices have consequences. We’ve been hearing a lot about choices lately, particularly in education. This legislative session, lawmakers are pushing to expand Oklahoma’s school choice and voucher programs through the Oklahoma Empowerment Act. The bill would siphon hundreds of millions of dollars away from educating public school students to pay for families enrolling in private school or home school. For students in our rural communities, there is no debate about school choice. Rural families overwhelmingly choose their local

public schools and the educational opportunities they provide. The plan offers no benefit to students and families in our rural communities, yet we will still pay the price—literally—if this bill becomes law. Under the proposal, when families— even those already enrolling students in private schools—utilize the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, that money is transferred from the pool of taxpayer dollars used to fund all public schools at the state level. Every public school in Oklahoma will lose significant funding if this bill passes,regardless of what private choices are offered in their district. It’s no secret that many of our small towns have lower incomes and home values compared to the metro areas and suburbs. While schools in metro and suburban areas have higher financial support from local taxes, rural schools often rely to a greater extent on state funding. The state dollars are a larger percentage of most rural schools’ budgets and are critical to helping small towns educate their kids.

That’s why this bill is so backward. If it is passed into law, every time families in Oklahoma City or Tulsa are given a voucher to place their kids in private schools,money is taken away from a rural student’s public education. The 90% of Oklahoma students enrolled in public schools will all lose funding so the10% in private schools or home-schooled can be handed thousands of dollars each. For years, rural educators and the towns they represent fought hard for the historic increase in education funding in 2018. The passing of this voucher bill would be a damaging step backwards from that progress. Oklahoma already ranks near the bottom of the country in education funding. Can our kids and their communities afford to pay the price of a massive cut? Remember, our choices have consequences. ■ Don Ford is executive director of the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools and resides in the small town of Dewar.

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By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, CCOSA Education Policy and Research Analyst

Oklahoma law (26 O.S. § 16-119 ) states: “Any official in this state who shall direct or authorize the expenditure of any public funds under his care, except as specifically authorized by law, to be used either in support of, or in opposition to, any measure which is being referred to a vote of the people by means of the initiative or referendum, or which citizens of this state are attempting to have referred to a vote of the people by the initiative or referendum, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and the office held by such party shall be adjudged vacant and shall be filled in the manner prescribed by law.”

DO’s

DON’Ts

■

Do use personal time and resources to advocate for or against candidates, petitions or ballot questions.

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Don’t use school resources (including property, time or funds) for election-related purposes.

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Do discuss political issues or campaigns that directly benefit your school or organization with others on your personal time. Be informed!

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Don’t use school phones and email in order to support or oppose a candidate for office, petition or ballot question.

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Do campaign door-to-door on your own time.

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Do send personal emails and/or letters from home, using your own computer, paper and postage.

Don’t post on social media to advocate for/against candidates or ballot measures while on contract time; follow your school’s social media policy.

■

Do donate personal resources to a campaign.

■

Do place a campaign bumper sticker on a personal vehicle.

Don’t post or distribute campaign materials in any building or property owned, leased or maintained by the State of Oklahoma, except as otherwise permitted by law.

■

Do follow local policies regarding the sharing of neutral, informational materials that do not advocate for or against a candidate, petition or ballot measure.

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Don’t campaign for or against a candidate or proposed ballot measure during time you are on the clock – including phone calls and/or emails.

■

Don’t send home information with students supporting or opposing a candidate for office, petition or ballot measure.

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Don’t permit supporters to utilize school property during the school day or during school activities to campaign or solicit signatures for a petition.

For example, you may share information regarding specific pieces of legislation, proposed ballot questions, a candidate’s voting record, etc. – just keep it factual and neutral! ■

Do grant employees who are registered voters time to vote (up to two hours of time or more if needed given the employee’s distance from the voting place) during the period when the election is open. 26 O.S. §7-101.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY: ■

Teach about the referendum and election process.

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Conduct mock elections and voter registration drives.

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Encourage students to debate and discuss electoral issues.

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Host and/or facilitate candidate or issue forums on school property.

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Provide information to employees and district patrons about impacts of legislation and/or a ballot measure. (Information must be factual and must not advocate for or against bills, ballot measures, or candidates.)

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Spend money to encourage people to vote and remind them of election dates - post election dates on school marquee, social media and school message systems, etc. ■

ADVOCACY RESOURCES

Advocacy Do’s and Don’ts

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CLIP & KEEP FOR REFERENCE

This issue of Better Schools Magazine was in production before SB 1647 was defeated on March 23, 2022.

The Oklahoma Empowerment Act, also known as SB 1647 by President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R) - OKC, is a Voucher+ which allows state taxpayer funds to be used to send a student to a private school with minimal restrictions or accountability.

Voucher+ Has No Accountability SB 1647 creates and funds different systems with vastly different rules. This voucher+ bill will easily allow for other private, for-profit companies to take advantage of state funds as we recently saw with the former Epic owners and their forprofit management company. Recently, the state’s auditor called Epic’s mismanagement the largest abuse of taxpayer funds “in the history of this state.” 90% of Oklahoma students attend public schools; we can’t afford to have these taxpayer dollars diverted from public school students to private pockets.

Vouchers Will Hurt Students in Rural Schools Most private schools are in urban and suburban areas, so rural schools and taxpayers would be subsidizing the private education for urban and suburban areas.

Oklahoma Will Be Top 10 for Private School Funding With This Bill; We Are Currently 47th for Public School Funding. Oklahoma parents already have many options when deciding how to educate their children, including open transfers,charter schools, statewide virtual charter schools, Equal Opportunity Scholarships and Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships. Oklahoma already has the most choice options among its neighboring states (through Equal Opportunity Scholarships and Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships). In 2021, Oklahoma spent nearly DOUBLE the amount on private choice than its five neighboring states COMBINED. ■

2021 Spending on Private School Choice in Our Region

VOTE NO ON VOUCHERS

ADVOCACY RESOURCES

VOTE NO ON VOUCHERS+

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An Eye Opener For Elected Officials by Chris LeGrande, Principal, Guthrie High School, Guthrie Public Schools The first time I ever visited my U.S. senator’s office on Capitol Hill, it really piqued my interest in advocacy on behalf of NASSP and principals throughout my state of Oklahoma. But I realized that while a visit to an office in Washington, D.C., is great, why not have elected officials and their staff come visit my school instead? That’s why, for the last few years, I have regularly had visitors come to shadow me and see all the great things that happen in school. I have hosted the governor, state legislators, and field staff from members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation. Schools and schooling have changed tremendously over the past 20 years, and a lot of these lawmakers haven’t been in a school building in at least that long. What better way to really let them see how the money they allocate for public schools is being used than to have them visit so they can observe what the daily life of a principal is like? I tend to do a few things on each shadowing visit. I start by having an informal conversation about how we use federal education funding in our school. For example, I recently hosted two members of U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas’ staff. I explained that we are very dependent on Title I funding to run our school, and I gave them some examples of how we use that money locally. We were able to purchase Chromebooks to help students who are engaged in distance learning or having to quarantine at home and lack their own device. They can go to the school library and check out a Chromebook just as they would a book. Of course, I take visitors around to various classrooms including a special-needs classroom. We have a severe and profound special education classroom, and students there have a special adaptive physical education class they attend. I like the visitors to meet these students and see firsthand some of the challenges and adaptations we make to help them be successful.

Chris LeGrande with Kylie Northcott and Luke Vanderwork from Rep. Frank Lucas’ office.

I also like to take them to our career-technology classes, like family and consumer sciences or agriculture education. We receive a lot of federal dollars to support these programs, which promote college and career readiness for all our students. Even though I love these visits, at the end of the day, it’s the students who benefit the most. I’m here to ensure they receive the high-quality education they deserve and part of that obviously involves funding from our federal government. When elected officials see how we’re spending those federal dollars and that we’re resourceful and good stewards of the money, then in the next round of legislative talks when they’re deciding on budgets, they can think back to how our schools are indeed using this money to support students.

I received a thank you letter the other day from the two members of Rep. Lucas’ staff, and it really reinforced our efforts to provide a high-quality education to our students here in Guthrie. They said it was great to see how we utilized funding in ways that have the best interests of students at heart. I hope other principals not only in Oklahoma but around the country will see what a difference it can make when legislators visit their school. It’s one thing to get a surface view from the outside, but it’s so much better to come in and get an up-close look at what life is like in a 21st century public school. ■

This article first appeared November 8, 2021 in NASSP’s School of Thought Blog: nassp.org/blog.

ADVOCACY RESOURCES

SHADOWING VISITS:

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Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) By Jennifer Gambrell, Assistant Director, OEQA

The move towards more authentic measures of teacher candidate professional knowledge and skills began with the adoption of the PPAT (Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers) by the Commission of Educational Quality and Accountability (CEQA) in the Spring of 2019. A two-year phase-in plan was created to allow time for the retirement of the Oklahoma Professional Teaching Exam (OPTE) in September of 2021 and for candidates in educator preparation programs and alternative pathways to prepare for the expectations and nuances of the new assessment. The PPAT is a performancebased assessment, designed to seamlessly integrate into the teacher’s classroom practice. The assessment was developed by educators for educators, for the purpose of measuring entry-level teacher candidates’ readiness to effectively impact student learning. The assessment assesses the examinee’s understanding of how to gauge their students’ learning needs, interact effectively with students, design and implement lessons with well-articulated learning goals, and to design and use assessments to make datadriven decisions to inform teaching and learning. Examinees are provided feedback identifying their strengths as well as areas where

there are opportunities for additional professional development. The assessment consists of four tasks whereby examinees submit artifacts and respond to prompts addressing Knowledge of Students and the Learning Environment, Assessment and Data Collection to Measure and Inform Student Learning, Designing Instruction for Student Learning, and Implementing and Analyzing Instruction to Promote Student Learning. The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) continues to provide multiple professional learning opportunities for educator preparation programs and P12 districts so that they may

adequately assist their teacher candidates with the new assessment. A cadre of PPAT Support Providers has also been created and is available to individual candidates upon request. Districts interested in learning more and/or providing professional learning opportunities for their teachers can contact Jennifer Gambrell, Assistant Director, OEQA, at jennifer.gambrell@oeqa.ok.gov ■

Additional information about the PPAT can be found at: www.ets.org/ppa/states/ teachers/about www.ok.gov/oeqa/ Certification_Testing/PPAT_ Information/index.html

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Important Background Check Information:

How They Impact Certification and Employment By Jeff Smith, Executive Director of Teacher Certification, Oklahoma State Department of Education As you may be aware, House Bill 3398 was passed during the 2020 regular legislative session and went into effect May 19, 2020. This bill requires a one-time national fingerprint background check for school employees with no national fingerprint background check on file with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) by July 1, 2022. Some background on the purpose of the bill: ■

Background checks for teacher certification were not a statutory requirement until November 1, 2001.

■

Background checks for new hires to school districts were not a statutory requirement until July 1, 2010.

Therefore, it was possible for a teacher who had been certified prior to 11/1/01 and with the same school district since before 7/1/10 to have no national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE. Indeed, research in December 2019 yielded a total of some 33,000+ individuals, employed by school districts, who fell into this category. House Bill 3398 was aimed at reconciling this situation.

A breakdown of the bill is as follows: ■

Section 1(G)(1): Requires any teacher currently employed by an Oklahoma school district who does not have a national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE to complete one upon renewal/reissuance of his or her teaching Certificate.

■

Section 1(G)(2): Requires any other person employed by an Oklahoma school who does not have a national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE, to complete one by July 1, 2022.

■

Section 1(G)(3): Requires any teacher eligible to retire from the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma who does not have a national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE, to complete one by July 1, 2022 or upon renewal of his or her Standard Teaching Certificate, whichever comes first. (If an individual is retired or retiring in 2022 and does not plan on going back into the school

You may read the actual bill here: http://webserver1.lsb.state. ok.us/cf_pdf/2019-20%20ENR/ hB/HB3398%20ENR.PDF.

system, he or she may provide the Teacher Certification section documentation of their retirement status, with a statement declaring they are not planning on going back into the school system. That will exempt them from the provisions of this bill.) ■

Section 2(B): Prohibits local boards of education from contracting with any teacher lacking a national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE

*In addition to this bill, please be reminded that any teacher whose certification has lapsed/expired for a year or more must also have a new national fingerprint background check on file with the OSDE before renewing his or her certificate, regardless if they have had one in the past. Should you have any questions related to this bill, please contact the Teacher Certification section in the OSDE at (405) 521-3337. ■

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What’s New on Bus Waivers ? By Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Broken Arrow Public Schools CDL Inspection Waiver It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain school bus drivers. A nationwide survey conducted in August 2021, produced by the National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT), National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, and National School Transportation Association (NTA), concluded that the shortage of school bus drivers has become conspicuous. To ease the bus driver shortage the portion of the commercial driver license (CDL) test that requires applicants to identify “under the hood” engine components is now optionally waived. The waiver is good through March 31. The applicant will be given the option to waive the under the hood inspection when they take the CDL test. Drivers receiving a CDL under this temporary waiver will have a restriction on their license disallowing them to transport outside the State of Oklahoma. During the inspection portion of the test, the driver will still be responsible for demonstrating that the vehicle is safe to operate by walking around the vehicle and pointing out each item on the

bus, and explaining what they are checking and why. In addition, the internal inspection and basic skills portions of the test are still required. The school bus industry is excited for this waiver and the forethought that went into making this decision, however; there has been little impact on recruiting drivers. What would be additionally helpful would be a school bus-only CDL that speaks to what is needed for a school bus driver to operate a vehicle safely differentiated from what an over-the-road truck driver is expected to do. As a school bus driver, a lot of districts have a mechanic available to review issues with buses from a fleet maintenance standpoint. An overthe-road driver may not have the same resources out on the road alone.

ELDT FMCSA Requirement The Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulation is a new set of minimum requirements for entry-level driver training set by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). The ELDT is part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act signed in 2012. The regulation took effect on February 7, 2022.

With these higher standards, all entry-level drivers will be fully trained to federal standards before taking the roads. The new training standards are broken into two areas: Theory Instruction and Behind-the-Wheel (Range and Public Road). The Theory Instruction training can be supplemented through an online training curriculum. The Behind-the-Wheel training must be provided by one training provider and cannot be provided online. There are no minimum hours required for the training, only specific topics. In addition to the training requirements, training providers are required to register themselves and training location. Our state-required School Bus (S) endorsement covers the majority of the topics so there will not be a huge issue in the implementation of the new training requirements. However; the regulatory and compliance components of registering each driver, trainer, and training will be cumbersome and time-sensitive. The overall impact is that the time to train and test drivers will increase. ■

M ARC H 2022 | better sch o o ls

New Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Administrators

by Renée Launey-Rodolf, Interim Executive Director, Office of Educational Quality and Accountability The Office of Education Quality and Accountability (OEQA) is pleased to announce the redevelopment of the certification examinations for Oklahoma principals and superintendents. The new assessments were developed with significant input from CCOSA, Oklahoma administrators and administrator educators to ensure that test items were accurate, appropriate, free from bias, jobrelated and are aligned to the 2019 National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards. The exams were made available to administrator candidates beginning November 8, 2021.

With the successful completion of the new Principal Comprehensive Assessment, examinees will have the met subject area test requirement for Principal PK-12 certification, no longer having to complete multiple exams for different grade levels. The new Superintendent exam was condensed to reflect the length and breadth of subject area tests similar in content, containing 80 multiple-choice items and one constructedresponse assignment. ■

26 r s chools bette b e t t e r |s chools M A R CH |2 0M2AR 2 CH 2022

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

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M ARC H 2022 | better sch o o ls

FINISHING OUT THE YEAR:

FEDERAL PROGRAMS By Kathy Dunn, Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs, CCOSA

Imagine your team in a championship battle that has been hard-fought since the tip-off. Time expires with the score tied at the end of the third quarter, and all the players raise their hands to show four fingers signifying they will finish strong in the 4th quarter! So it goes with Federal Programs in FY22. Everything you do in the 4th quarter sets you up for success in the new season FY23. Let’s Go! As you close FY22, Assess, Engage, and Plan! U. S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has shared his priorities for using ESSER money to support students through the pandemic response and recovery. How will we establish priorities for the final two seasons of ESSER funding? ASSESS students’ needs for academic progress, health and well-being; assess your teachers’ needs for professional learning, instructional resources, and health and well-being; and assess the comprehensive needs of your district in staffing, facilities, and programs to build strong learners, teachers, and school culture. ■

Who is in need of academic enrichment or intervention?

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Do all students have a connection at school, such as an extracurricular activity, to motivate attendance and engagement?

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What facilities upgrades and staffing are needed to expand the reach of our programs to engage all students in academic and extracurricular pursuits?

U. S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has released the U. S. Department of Education’s Priorities to Support Students Through Pandemic Response And Recovery.

b e t t e r s chools | M AR C H 2 0 2 2

ENGAGE stakeholders to study the assessment results and to prioritize the critical needs that your district will address within the budgets of your Federal Programs for FY23. To make significant changes to ARP ESSER III Plan activities, you will need to meet with the stakeholders as prescribed in the American Rescue Plan and denoted in the chart below.

FEDERAL PROGRAMS 4TH QUARTER: Timeline of the Work to Finish FY22 FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2022 Needs Assessments and Consultation Teams are required for: ■

Title I, V

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Title II and IV – At least two consultation meetings per year

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Title III – Ongoing (more than one per year) parent and family engagement activities could include Planning Committees

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Title VI – Tribal Consultation, including representation from all federal programs, tribes of students in your district, and parents

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Homeless/McKinney Vento

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ESSER Projects

MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY 2022 Fiscal Responsibility

PLAN for intervention and enrichment opportunities during the summer and for next school year. Plan for professional learning experiences to target specific instructional strategies and to motivate and inspire your staff. Plan your Federal Programs budgets to support your goals.

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Many districts require all site spending in federal programs to be completed by late March.

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Ensure ALL funds are obligated with spending finalized by June 30, 2022 for these expiring projects: 721, 723, 788, 789, and 561 – all expiring June 30, 2022

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Check balances in each Federal grant program to reconcile any discrepancies

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Are we addressing the needs for student success, PreK-12 and beyond?

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Finalize any purchases that have not been ordered or received, including Summer School

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Will additional staff be hired, and what training is needed to address student needs?

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Complete all open Purchase Orders and close them out

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Will facilities upgrades and equipment purchases require pre-approval and/or a Construction Application?

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Contact any Private Schools that have not expended their funds

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Be aware of any funds that will be going into Second Year Carryover funds that will need to be expended now or no later than September 30

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Be certain the remaining carryover in Title IA is less than 15 percent of the allocation

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Have an “in case” file of desired items that could be ordered and quickly closed out, in case you have projected wrong on final balances and find that you need to spend remaining balances quickly. This is particularly important for Title VI, Indian Education, and other programs in which no funds are carried over to the next fiscal year.

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As you plan to START new programs and strategies, you should also evaluate which former plans and practices you will CONTINUE because they support your goals and which you will STOP to make room for the new.

PROFESSIONAL NETWORK: Don’t do the work alone! Join CCOSA, receive all the benefits of the organization. (https://www.ccosa.org/membership) Join our Professional Learning Network in the CCOSA consortium group that best matches your work: ■

Federal Programs and English Learners Network

Monitoring Status

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Student Accounting Network

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Indian Education Collaboration

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Virtual Education Network

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Facilities and Operations Network

If your district is to be monitored in the coming year, download the Federal Programs Monitoring Toolkit found here: https://sde.ok.gov/consolidatedmonitoring. The three-year Monitoring Cycle document at the same website will tell you if your district is going to be monitored in the coming year.

■

Review all required elements in the Monitoring Tool, particularly required Board Policies.

M ARC H 2022 | better sch o o ls

Literacy Is a Journey, Not a Race Scholastic Education Solutions is proud to support your work to engage all learners with effective teaching tools that provide personalized and equitable learning experiences.

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characters stories and choose the settings evidence is affected by happens to the setting and provides characters in a story stories or that what is affected by evidence of both claims. the setting and provides characters in a story of evidence Ask children to write one sentence with an unabbreviated title and a second 2 or more examples of one of the claims. the setting and provides of authors • Identifiesusing details to reveal who, what, using authors sentence with a shortened title. to support the claim. • Identifies 1–2 examples ideas and details in a story, significant interesting of authors the key interesting andof GRADE 2 using details to reveal a clear understanding the setting. • Identifies 1 example interesting both setting information about demonstrate tosignificant information about of how an Write the following sentence and have children find and fix the errors. details to reveal and about • identify an example to revealChildrenusing will ask and answer questions characters. and characters. 2.1 details both setting and and significant information Standard examples of author uses Fiction characters. how. and examples of We will see governor g Smith and senator b Almeda in the parade. 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Connects to in text understanding of and art that add children’s exaggeration characters. examples of of of to evaluate • Provides multipleStory the rubric below Standards: or art that adds humor. to interpret • Provides 1–2 examples articulate an exampledescription or •Use story, using who, what, in aScore using story details and to interpret 1 example of using story details and RL.2.5, RI.2.1, exaggeration in text of the key ideas and details • Provides at least to interpret 4=Exceeding characters’afeelings understanding Unit clear Goals characters’ feelings 3=Meeting Name using story details and art that adds humor. RI.2.5, SL.2.2, relationships. 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Under the Surface Dealing With Change It Takes a Leader Historical Fiction

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Grade 5

parties ate pizza cake with went to two house. You was a birthday Imagine you your friend’s for lunch. There you went to the other children. ate sandwiches party on the next day, games with at the first You played say you did At the and slides. with candles. What did you What did the parties. a birthday cake was the same? There was TOOLKIT you do that asked you about What did party? home, someone the secondGRAMMAR When you came you did at did you say party? What was different? you do that there context to reading. comparing them. At both parties, you were Connect the subjects. were different, 2. 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√

THE ARTS

Colors and Shapes

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Into the Woods

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Whirling and Spinning

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Bright Ideas

HABITATS CLOSE UP

At the Pond

√

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Tallest, Smallest, Biggest

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Save the Earth

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ON THE MOVE

Ways to Go

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All Kinds of Homes

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IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

The comprehensive early childhood program that uses authentic books and purposeful play to ensure all children develop the foundational skills they need for a lifelong love of learning!

El programa integral para la primera infancia que utiliza libros auténticos y juegos con propósito para garantizar que todos los niños desarrollen las habilidades básicas que necesitan para aprender y siempre quieran aprender más.

IMPLEMENTATION

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UNIT 2

PEOPLE & PLACES

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Jobs Around Town

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√ √ Bugs! Bugs! Wild Bugs! Weather

What's the Problem? Cinderella Tales Amazing Animals Taking Responsibility The Artist's Eye Fantasy

Contrast Compare and

Getting Around Back in the Day

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On the Farm

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√ Seasons

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Grade 4

or stored in a retrieval in whole or in part, without written may be reproduced recording, or otherwise, 10012. Scholastic part of this publication TEST • 1 classroom use, no mechanical, photocopying, New York, NY parts intended for Inc., 557 Broadway, any means, electronic, this book those Excepting those write to Scholastic in any form or by to reproduce from Books permission system, or transmitted For information regarding permission, Readers: Take-Home of copyrighted materials. publisher. Scholastic Decodable copyright must appear on all copies permission of the who have purchased Notice of Inc. grants teachers use in their classrooms. Inc. pages intended for 2000 by Scholastic Inc. Copyright © 2002, Published by Scholastic All rights reserved.

STRATEGIES

IT'S MY JOB

Helping at Home

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It Happened in School

Grade 3

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Then and Now

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Wishes & Promises Search & Survive Like No One Else Animal Watch Realistic Fiction

Brothers & Sisters Trickster Tales Life Depends on Water Courage Sports Stars Mystery

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Day and Night

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Grade 2

GO ON ➜

GRADE 3 •

AMAZING ANIMALS

Cats and Kittens

Fantastic Feathers

My Family & Me Stories With a Moral Strong & Healthy What I Can Do It Happened to Me Animal Stories

I T QS onemic P hG a re n e s s Aw LVC O U P A ET N R S I D YA EB FK NOM PGH E COMPREHENSION

Grade-Spec ific Unit Alignment W.O.R.D. and Between Scholastic Literacy

GRADE

Kindergarten

Being a Friend Telling Tales Trees & Other Plants Feelings All Kinds of Jobs Concept Books

Grade 1

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feathers. at each other’s and stared to met one afternoon himself up Two birds and puffed He like a fan gray feathers. out his tail at Crane’s Peacock spread he laughed path, and legs. block Crane’s my tall, skinny of Crane’s “Notice how made fun said Peacock. Crane, are am, Crane,” rainbow. You, beautiful I color of the “Look how ash.” with every as gray as feathers sparkle feathers are dull. Your that peacocks common and words. “I agree with gentle is that?” to Peacock what good Crane spoke among birds, me, feathers. Yet sky. “Follow have lovely took to the wings and spread his value of feathers.” Then Crane fly! How enjoy the true Crane could Peacock, to know that He did not surprised. Peacock was be. soar on flying must watched Crane wonderful ground. He stuck on the out of sight. remained flew Peacock Crane wings until his powerful

Inc. All rights

Then answer

Peacock and

Read the passage.

Inc.

Directions:

Item #C17PR6-1297.

UNIT 2

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If your district will need to develop policies and gain Board approval to satisfy elements of the monitoring checklist, begin that process now!

Continue to use your district’s Needs Assessments to develop your: ■

Title I Site Plans. Use the needs assessment data to work with Site Title I Committees to develop the Site Title I Plans for the coming school year.

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Follow the same process for other Title programs (II, III, IV, V, VI, IX). Always plan based on identified needs, program guidance, and collaborative committee planning.

MAY AND JUNE 2022 Performance Reports due (many data points pulling from the WAVE). Be sure your Student Information System is up to date. ■

Title I, Part A: Single Sign On

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Title I, Part D: Single Sign On (Title IA N & D no longer reports)

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Title V, Part B: Single Sign On

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Title III, Part A: Single Sign On > Grants Management and Expenditure Reporting

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Migrant Credit Accrual Report: https://sde.ok.gov/ title-i-part-c

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CARES Incentive Grant Project 789, End of Year Report, due July 15

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Homeless Census Report (will be pulled from the WAVE late in May): keep homeless data in your Student Information Systems up to date for both active and inactive students

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If your Title I Comparability Report caused you to add a temporary employee to create required equity, evaluate that situation to see if the same position will still be needed in the coming year before renewing the contract for that position

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Prepare new Purchase Orders for all contracts and materials that can be held in queue and released July 1 for expenditures from the new fiscal year’s funds

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Certify District Assurances for FY23 in Single Sign On/ Grants Management

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Watch for other evaluation reports for COVID Relief projects

JULY AND AUGUST 2022 Setting Up FY23 for Success ■

Begin to set up financial systems for the new fiscal year.

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If adding a new Title I program, complete the application tab within Grants Management for Intent to Establish New Schoolwide or Targeted Programs by September 30.

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By July 15 for CARES Incentive Grants, Project 789 and CDC Grant, Project 723 – file the End of Year Report and Final Claim.

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Begin the Federal Programs applications for FY23

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Around July 1, 2022, once an LEA has completely finished expending funds in FY22 and received reimbursement for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the LEA will need to perform the closeout process in the Grants Management System (GMS).

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Follow Close-Out procedures for each Federal Program. Title programs that receive transferred/ contribution funds (i.e., REAP, CAC, and Schoolwide Consolidated for Funds etc.) must be closed first before closing out the Title programs where those funds originated. Example: an LEA transfers Title I and Title II funds to Consolidated Administrative Costs (CAC). CAC would need to be closed out before Title I and Title II. More information at: https://sde. ok.gov/federal-programs

Once you reach this point in the year, keep your hand extended in the air just as it was to signify we were entering the 4th quarter. Now, make a fist and pump the air because, my Oklahoma educator friends, you will have made it! You will have stayed strong and weathered the storm that we will all remember as one of the “times that tried our souls!”

CCOSA Contact for Federal Programs Support:

Kathy Dunn, CCOSA Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs dunn@CCOSA.org • Cell: (405)-615-0844

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

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OASA

Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director Derald Glover, OASA Assistant Executive Director Mid-Term Funding Mid-Term Funding allocations were recently released with the factor increasing a whopping $106 bringing the factor to $3,623/ WADM! This is the first time that many can remember that the WADM growth actually dropped for the mid-term due to a law change that CCOSA supported regarding virtual student counts and the SDE holding out 2% of state aid at the start of school. OASA hosted a discussion explaining the funding changes in detail in a free workshop on January 18th.

Bus Driver Shortage Finding bus drivers is a major problem for schools and the requirements to obtain a bus driver license can complicate getting drivers even more. We were recently pleased that the federal government offered a waiver to states for the “under the hood” portion of the test. Lieutenant Preston Lay, Legislative Liaison, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, provided CCOSA the following statement: "The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety confirmed that Oklahoma will be compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) regulation waiver on school bus driver testing requirements.” While this is good news, there are still concerns about the short three month window for the waiver and the fact that the federal government has added more training components.

federal programs, student information, and Indian Education consortiums are expanding the reach of OASA to hundreds of members and potential members and also providing an avenue to share great information between schools.

Ongoing training areas include: OASA Elections/Executive Committee Seats OASA had several district executive committee seats open this year. The OASA Vice-President position is the only officer position that requires a statewide election. The new board members, new Vice President, and AASA Representative are:

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Finance Bootcamp III is a spring workshop that guides a school in projecting the budget for the upcoming school year and assists in making wise decisions on hiring. Look for registrations for Bootcamp I in your email soon.

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McRel Principal Evaluation is just one of the state required trainings that CCOSA/OASA facilitates. Hundreds of administrators have already had intial training or attended our refresher sessions.

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CCOSA partners with OSSBA to provide training for emerging leaders who are seeking to someday become a school superintendent. Approximately 20 administrators are attending this valuable training this year and those who have attended in the past attest to the quality of this unique opportunity.

Vice President - Scott Farmer, Fort Gibson Supt. District 7 Director - Dr. Nick Migliorino, Norman Supt. District 12 Director - Jason Goostree, Sentinel Supt. District 15 Director - Jimmie Dedmon, Walters Supt. District 18 Director - Rachel Pugh, Wister Supt. AASA Representative - Dr. Melonie Hau, Supt., Newcastle

OASA Expanding Services to Central Office Groups OASA is continuing to reach out to central office administrators to introduce them to the networking power of OASA. Recently, OASA started monthly zoom networks for virtual education directors and leaders. A new Facility and Operations Network zoom group began as well. These consortiums along with the already popular

Membership OASA is working to help CCOSA reach our goal of 3,000 CCOSA members!! Currently 93% of our superintendents are members. ■

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

OASSP / OMLEA Will Parker, OASSP/OMLEA Executive Director

OASSP/OMLEA Combined Conference Even amidst snow cancellations, our annual conference was able to provide a modified schedule for both in-person and virtual guests by live-streaming our keynote events on February 23-24 at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center in Edmond. February 23 featured keynote speaker, Timothy Alexander who is a bestselling writer, award-winning speaker, and life coach who thrives at the intersection of character development, counseling, and mentorship. After a life changing car accident in 2006, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, Timothy has embodied a “never giving up” spirit that inspires educators to do the impossible in their schools and lives. February 24 included keynote speaker Joe Sanfelippo, Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI, who shared on the topic “Leading with Hope and Confidence,” which includes strategies for educators who are committed to improving student outcomes by building positive school culture. In addition to great keynote speakers, both days include breakout sessions and round-table discussions from Oklahoma middle-level and secondary educators.

New Principals Academy Elementary, Middle-Level and Secondary Principals benefited from the fourth session of CCOSA’s New Principal’s Academy held on December 9, 2021, with 55 principals completing the training. Principals received professional development in the following areas: ■

School Safety and Security with Jon Parker, OSDE Office of School Safety and Security

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Running Effective Meetings with Chris LeGrande, Guthrie High School Principal

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Hiring and Supporting Staff with Julie Bloss, Grove Early Childhood Center Principal

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Human Resources Best Practices with Dana Ezell, Chief Human Resources Officer, Jenks Public Schools.

Principal’s Day at the Capitol OASSP/OMLEA and OAESP will host a Principal’s Day at the Capitol on March 30, 2022. Building leaders will be encouraged to attend CCOSA’s legislative update meeting as well as schedule meetings with their state representatives for advocacy visits. Please encourage your principals to participate in this opportunity.

Assistant Principal of the Year Recognized On December 7, 2021, OASSP announced Dr. Fielding Elseman, Assistant Principal at Jenks Freshman Academy, Jenks Public Schools, has been named the 2021 Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year. As assistant principal for the past eight years at Jenks Freshman Academy, Dr. Elseman helped develop the school’s ICAP program and a freshman induction program called Freshman 101. He will be recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as a State Assistant Principal of the Year, and he is eligible to become one of three finalists to be named as contenders for the National Assistant Principal of the Year award.

NASSP Advocacy Conference The National Association of Secondary School Principals hosted an advocacy conference February 28-March 2 in Washington, D.C. The event was attended by OASSP President David Beiler, OASSP/ OMLEA Executive Director Will Parker and OASSP State Coordinator Chris LeGrande. Participants received updates on current federal issues as well as schedule advocacy meetings to Capitol Hill with fellow school leaders from OAESP.

Advocacy Champion of the Year During the NASSP Advocacy Conference, February 28-March 2, Chris LeGrande, Principal of Guthrie High School, was recognized as the 2022 Advocacy Champion of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. LeGrande is especially deserving given his long record of taking on important advocacy and leadership roles with the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals (OASSP) and NASSP. He serves on the OASSP Executive Committee and updates principals across Oklahoma with legislative alerts, hosts networking gatherings, and encourages his colleagues across the state to join him in raising their voices on behalf of students, school leaders, and public education. LeGrande has served as OASSP president, and in 2020 he was named Oklahoma Principal of the Year. You can read more about his award at this link: https://www. nassp.org/2022/03/01/chrislegrande-of-oklahoma-the-2022advocacy-champion-of-the-year/

Membership As of mid-March, OASSP membership is 875, exceeding last year’s total of 811 by 64 members. We are continuing efforts to reach new members through outreach to former members as well as campaigns to non-member principals across the state. OMLEA has 615 members representing 385 principals, 178 assistant principals, and 52 directors, deans or central office administrators. We have exceeded last year’s membership of 526 by adding 89 new members. OMLEA membership is a combination of both elementary and secondary members who also serve middle level learners. ■

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

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OAESP

Glen Abshere, OAESP Executive Director Association Business: OAESP Elementary Principal of the Year/ NAESP National Distinguished Principal The OAESP Principal of the Year/ NAESP National Distinguished Principal (NDP) program honors outstanding elementary and middle-level principals across the nation who ensures that America's children acquire a solid foundation for lifelong learning and achievement. This year, we had 12 principals nominated for Principal of the Year. We have received their application packets. At the February 9, 2022 OAESP Executive Committee meeting, the NDP committee members were chosen. The committee will review all of the packets and score them based on the newly designed rubric. The committee will narrow the candidates to the top three by the end of March. The top three candidates will be selected for a site visit. The committee will conduct interviews with the principal, a teacher committee, and a parent/community committee in order to make a decision on the OAESP Principal of the Year/NAESP National Distinguished Principal. The final decision is expected to be made by the end of April.

Membership OAESP membership continues to increase. OAESP currently has 828 members. This is an increase of 43 members over last year's membership. OAESP is committed to inviting as many elementary principals, assistant principals, and school leaders to join OAESP. In February, OAESP received awards from NAESP. OAESP received second place nationally in the increase number of NAESP memberships and third place nationally in the increase in percentage of NAESP memberships.

OAESP Mid-Winter Conference The OAESP Mid-Winter Conference was held on February 10, 2022 at the Edmond Conference Center. Dr. Andy Jacks provided two keynotes. His first keynote was titled “Playing to Win.” He encouraged everyone to make every second count with students. He challenged us to rethink our current practices in order to provide an inclusive culture for a chance at victory. His second keynote was titled “Discipline Win” based on his newly released book with the same title. He encouraged everyone to incorporate ways to regularly check with our students and ourselves. Developing relationships with every child, every day and finding something special or unique in every students so they know they are valued. The conference was concluded with the last keynote by Geary (OK) Public Schools Superintendent, Sean Buchanan. Mr. Buchanan is the author of “Student Success? It’s As Easy As T.L.C.!” He encouraged everyone to reach students and parents and change their outlook toward education.

NAESP National Leaders Conference

NAESP National Conference

The Annual NAESP National Leaders Conference was held February 17–March 2, 2022 in Washington, D.C. OAESP President Ashley Hoggatt, OAESP PresidentElect Janalyn Taylor and Executive Director Glen Abshere attended the conference and visited with the Oklahoma delegation at the U.S. Capitol.

The NAESP National Conference will be held this summer in Louisville, Kentucky. The conference is July 15-17, 2022. Some of the speakers include Jennifer Abrams, Todd Whitaker, Pam Allyn, Howard Fields, Caitlin Mehra, and Amber Peterson. Registration is now open. ■

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

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ODSS

Andrea Kunkel, CCOSA General Counsel & ODSS Executive Director ■ ODSS

exceeded its goal to increase active membership by 10% over last year. We finished 2020-21 with 180 active members and, with three months left to go, have 202 active members for 202122. Thank you for supporting ODSS!

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We’re continuing to find new directors for the 2021-22 First-Year Special Education Directors Project and currently have 67 participants. We finished most of our first-year training sessions in the fall, but we’ve been able to pair even post-Valentine’s Day joiners with experienced director mentors who can provide some on-the-job training through the rest of the school year.

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We’ve set a “boot camp” for incoming first-year directors and other new-ish directors on Thursday, July 21. We’re in the process of identifying a location. This day will be all about helping our less experienced colleagues gain understanding and confidence going into the next school year. Whatever your level of experience, please mark your calendars! TeleSPED ECHO is going beautifully, with only three sessions left this school year. Our 2022 sessions have focused on dyslexiarelated presentations, as we work to support districts making decisions related to the dyslexia screener mandate that takes effect for the 2022-23 school year.

ODSS is planning a Best Practices Conference to be held October 2627 at Moore-Norman Technology Center, South Penn Campus. If you have ideas about any aspect of the conference you’d like to share, please contact ODSS President Teresa Golden at tgolden@ kingstonisd.org, President-Elect Rachelle English at renglish@ stilwellk12.org or Andrea Kunkel at kunkel@ccosa.org. ■

Finally, by the time you read this, information about nominations for the three ODSS awards will be out. Please search your Inbox for the emails and send in your nominations! ■ ■

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