8 with 8 8 with 8: A Podcast by Ohio State Support Team Region 8

In this episode, we’ll shine the spotlight on the work of Woodridge Local Schools in Summit County. SST8 has had the great privilege of partnering with Woodridge Local on the development of Early Warning Systems to increase graduation and reduce dropout, through a state project called Each Child on Track. Using a tiered model,
the Woodridge team is working across all corners of the district to develop preventative and integrated supports that address all of the risk factors for failure to graduate.




Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Helen Brophy, SST8 Educational Consultants



Guests: N’ecole Ast, Superintendent; Joel Morgan, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Academic Services, and Caitlyn Sabo, Director of Pupil Services.



Additional Resources:
District guide for creating indicators for Early Warning Systems  (downloadable PDF)

Ohio Each Child on Track Theory of Action

Today we’re interviewing Barberton Preschool (BPS) and learning how they make magic happen with our youngest readers. As one of only two districts in our region taking part in Ohio’s Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant, BPS was able to identify what was working well: collaboration, culture, leadership and then use the CLSD resources to build upon those areas while also strengthening areas that may not have been as strong. BPS has been able to build their understanding of structured literacy with high-quality professional development, successful family engagement programs and resources for classrooms.


Co-Host: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Literacy Specialist

Guests: Sheila McGhee, Director Barberton Preschool; Raetina Giovanini, Intervention Specialist

Today, as we continue to delve into the huge priority of chronic absenteeism, we want to shine the spotlight on Springfield Local Schools in Region 8. Springfield is a district just outside of Akron that had a huge hill to climb in terms of increasing student attendance, with more than 4 in 10 students chronically absent (meaning they were absent for at least 10% of school days) in 2021-2022. By working systematically through the Ohio Improvement Process and systemically across their entire district, Springfield saw stunning improvement in their chronic absenteeism rate in just one year. SST8’s Frank Gant talks with Michelle Warner and Todd Lovell, two administrators from Springfield Jr/Sr High about the MANY things they did as a district and a building to make this happen. You'll quickly learn that data and decision rules aren't enough - building stronger relationships with students and families is at the heart of attendance work as well.



Co-host: Frank Gant, SST8 Educational Consultant



Additional Resources:

Attendance Playbook (PDF) from Attendance Works - evidence-based strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism


Root Causes of Attendance from Attendance Works website - overview and downloadable worksheet

We're kicking off Season 10 with a focus on chronic absenteeism, a topic that has garnered increasing attention and concern over the past few years. Today, SST8’s own Frank Gant will talk to Zach Miley, Wellness Initiatives Coordinator at Summit ESC - two regional leaders working individually and collaboratively to help area districts identify the barriers to attendance as well as the strategies and partnerships necessary to get more kids in school more often.



Resources:

Men Who Talk Heal - Zach's podcast

Ohio's Whole Child Framework

Ohio Attendance Task Force Recommendations Report

As we wind down the school year, we know that folks have been giving it their all for a very long time and may be feeling tired - or even, a bit uninspired. But when we at SST8 look around, we see no shortage of inspiration in the creative and innovative ways our local colleagues are tackling today’s challenges and opportunities in education. So this season, we are bringing you another series of interviews - still talking to educators across the region, for the most part - but this time thinking about how we can shake things up to improve education in our community. We’ll answer questions about things you might never have thought to ask, like:


How can Starbucks help a district implement PBIS?


How are police officers helping a district promote early literacy?


How did chronic absenteeism become a public health crisis and what 


How do you get 48 schools on the same page about implementation?


How can educational leaders use artificial intelligence to move their districts and schools forward?



And many other exciting topics to come.

So get ready for a new season of 8 with 8 - Eight Great Educational Innovations - coming to Anchor and all other podcast platforms on Friday, April 12. See you soon!

Check out a BONUS episode of 8 with 8, where we re-air another great educational podcast: Take the Lead, an Ashland University Professional Learning Podcast. We were delighted to have SST8’s own Pam Kennedy (Regional Early Literacy Specialist or RELS) invited to be on Take the Lead recently. She was so excited to share about the great literacy work going on statewide and in region 8. The Take the Lead podcast is produced by students in the Modern Communications through Media Production career program at Cuyahoga Falls HS, a featured part of the Six District Compact. Be sure subscribe to the Take the Lead podcast on your favorite podcasting platform or listen at
 https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/au-takethelead.



Co-Host: Dr. Dave Silverberg, Northeast Director of Professional Learning Services, Ashland University.