8 with 8

In this episode, we are going to talk about one of the biggest innovations in the world right now, artificial intelligence or AI. We're sure this isn't the first time you're hearing of it or consider how it can be applied in an educational setting. Much of what is being discussed about AI in education is, of course, focused on its teaching and learning applications… which makes sense, given our core mission as educators. In this episode, we take a different approach and explore how AI can be used by administrators to help them be more effective and innovative in their leadership capacities.

Host:Dr. Jenine Sansosti, Director, SST8

Guest:Corey Hoynacke, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Summit Educational Service Center

Additional Resources: Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) - On citing AI generated material

Newsletters/email subscriptions:

AI Policy in Education (Resources and Links) - Google Doc managed by Corey

In this week's episode, Michelle Smith and Heidi Kerchenski from our team are talking with colleagues in Green Local Schools about an extremely creative and impactful partnership they have developed with the Starbucks Coffee location in their community.  What started as Starbuck's general interest in supporting the local district has grown into a robust partnership in so many innovative ways, including recognizing staff members doing outstanding work in PBIS and highlighting students that exemplify the Safe, Kind, and Responsible expectations of the district. So if you don’t have a cup of coffee in your hand - maybe pause this and get one before listening.

Co-Hosts: Michelle Smith and Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 consultants

Guests: Erica Bauer, District PBIS Coordinator, Green Local Schools; Jaymz Keller, Starbucks Coffee, Green Ohio

This week, we are discussing the many strategies utilized in Akron Public Schools to create consistency and high-fidelity implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (otherwise known as PBIS). Nearly every district we work with, of every size, situation, and location, finds that it is extremely challenging to get all buildings doing the same thing - or at least meeting district non-negotiables that keep everyone aligned to the same set of priorities. And of all the districts are who making the shift to a district-wide focus, only one in Region 8 has a whopping 47 buildings to coordinate, and that is Akron Public Schools. Today, we're talking with Nicole Hassan, APS Coordinator of School Climate, and Taylor Hair, APS District Instructional Specialist, about the many creative strategies their district uses to make this happen. Co-Host:Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

District Systems Fidelity Inventory (DSFI; website and resource download)

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.

This week we wind down our season of co-teaching chronicles, exploring the myriad types of partnerships and collaborations that can best support students with and without disabilities in the general education setting. Tracy and Mike talk to two of Kent City Schools’ co-teachers from Stanton Middle School in Kent Ohio, which is a 6th through 8th grade building. The two teams we meet today are Ashley Ford, Intervention Specialist, and Kimberley White, 6th grade English Language Arts teacher. They describe their partnership as a beautiful friendship verging on sisterhood, and once again, we get to hear how these partners lean into their personal strengths and skill sets in order to maximize impact for all students, using a variety of different teaching strategies. There is no “one size fits all” going on here - which requires a lot of work but helps students get what they need.

Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Tracy Mail, SST8 Educational Consultants

Co-teaching in a preschool setting is not a common configuration, but one that is extremely powerful when attempting to meet the needs of a classroom that spans many ages and developmental needs. As there has been a push toward serving young children with disabilities in typical early learning environments, rather than special education classrooms, co-teaching has become an increasingly important strategy for ensuring a full continuum of services for preschoolers with disabilities. Today, we’re thrilled to speak with two educators in Barberton City Schools about how to make co-teaching magic in early childhood: Sheila McGhee, Barberton Preschool Director, and Raetina Giovanini, Barberton Preschool Intervention Specialist.

Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Tracy Mail, SST8 Educational Consultants

In this episode we meet Jamie Lormeau, former building principal with Cloverleaf Local Schools in Medina. She shares her personal experience with us and a principal's "recipe" for successfully implementing co-teaching as a building leader. Many of the "ingredients" she shares will sound familiar to those who are familiar with the work of Gately and Gately. With any great recipe not only are the ingredients important but how you prepare the recipe is important too. Jamie shares with us the structures and the systemic pieces needed for a successful co-teaching implementation as well.

Co-Hosts: Tracy Mail and Mike Kaschak, SST8 Educational Consultants

In this episode we meet Amber Smith & Paula Funfgeld - a co-teaching team at Cloverleaf Elementary School in Medina County. They are joined by building principal Karen Martin. This team, and their fearless leader, share with our listeners their journey in co-teaching, and how they leverage each others’ strengths. One of the best compliments to co-teachers is when a classroom visitor can’t tell who is the general educator and who is the special educator, because this shows a true integration of their roles. Paula and Amber are a great example of this!

Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Tracy Mail, SST8 Educational Consultants

Medina High School's award-winning co-teaching team has been recognized by the district for the great work they are doing. Anne Fortney and Kelly Miller are the the two stars of the this dynamic duo, sometimes referred to by their colleagues as the Wonder Twins. They share with us what their superpowers look like in the co-taught classroom. They are joined by Ronda French, Medina City Schools' Assistant Director of Pupil Services and Katie Hartung Coordinator of Special Education.

SST8 Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Tracy Mail, Educational Consultants

We are continuing to capture the ups, downs, ins, and outs of co-teaching… and we’re back today with two co-teaching teams from Wadsworth High School, “living the co-teaching dream” as our co-host Tracy Mail says, to support math and science. This week’s episode really highlights the alchemy of co-teaching. Personality dynamics, curriculum, student needs, and educator skills and preferences all have to come together to make something almost magical. And despite how challenging that sounds to come together, one of the Wadsworth co-teaching pairs has been a team for over 40 years - how is that even possible? Take a listen and find out. Co-Hosts: Tracy Mail and Mike Kaschak, Educational Consultants

Today we’re getting a window into what co-teaching is like at a career center - specifically Portage Lakes Career Center. This pair of teachers, Diane Forrest (from General Ed) and Nikki Weigand (intervention specialist) work together to teach English Language Arts for 11th and 12th grade students. They are joined by Tina Saley, PLCC's assistant principal, in talking about how support for students with disabilities has grown and become more robust over the years. This fluid partnership, which they characterize as a marriage, has been the work of 20 years and our three guests offer great suggestions for newer co-teaching pairs just starting out on this journey.

Co-Hosts: Tracy Mail and Mike Kaschak, SST8 Educational Consultants

SST8 has been doing a lot of work to support co-teachers over the past two years, and we have met some incredible educators with great stories and insights into co-teaching. Today's episode features Towpath Trail High School, a dropout recovery and prevention community school located in Akron. Their team is creative and dedicated bunch that go above and beyond to meet their students’ where they are at and then help them get to where they need to be. Listen and learn how, despite the challenges they face, students at Towpath Trail get that “warm cookie straight out of the oven” feeling.

SST8 Co-Hosts: Tracy Mail and Mike Kaschak, Educational Consultants

Welcome to the 9th season of the 8 with 8 podcast: The Co-Teaching Chronicles. The big idea behind co-teaching is that when general and special educators pair up to co-plan, co-instruct, and co-assess their students, it should provide instruction and support that is substantively better than what each teacher could provide on their own. But, like many collaborative endeavors, co-teaching is HARD to do well. So SST8 has been working like crazy over the last two years to create a range of supports for co-teachers in our region. In doing so, we have met dozens of teachers and leaders throughout our region with inspiring stories and unique angles on the art and science of co-teaching. In this season of 8 with 8, you’ll hear from teachers in a variety of settings and circumstances - from traditional districts to community schools to career centers - and across all grade levels. Regardless of what role and position in education YOU listen from, we’re confident that this season will bring you stories that ring true and ideas that will inspire. 

So get ready for a new season of 8 with 8 - The Co-Teaching Chronicles - coming to Anchor and all other podcast platforms on Friday, December 1. See you soon!

SST8 Online Co-Teaching Resources:

The Why of Co-Teaching (video | 28 min)

The What of Co-Teaching  (video | 24 min)

The How of Co-Teaching, Step 1  (video | 27 min)

The How of Co-Teaching, Step 2  (video | 12 min)

The How of Co-Teaching, Step 3  (video | 12 min)

The How of Co-Teaching, Step 4  (video | 14 min)

As we wrap up this season’s exploration of the essential questions we should ALL be asking about special education, based on Ohio’s Special Education Profile, we have a great conversation for you with one of our favorite colleagues at the Ohio Department of Education, Amy Szymanski. Amy is the Secondary Transition and Workforce Development Consultant in the Office for Exceptional Children. In the decade-plus that we’ve known Amy, she has always been a tireless advocate for students with disabilities - with a particular focus on what we can all do to help SWD be more likely to transition successfully into the workforce, post-secondary education, or the military. Join us as we discuss with Amy the increased focus on graduation in Ohio - what has brought that on, what the research suggests we should be looking at, and Ohio’s big plans for helping districts close the graduation gap for students with disabilities.

Co-Hosts:Helen Brophy, SST8 Educational Consultant, and Stacia Kaschak, SST7-8 Career-Technical Education Consultant

About our Guest:Amy Szymanski, Workforce Development Consultant in the Ohio Department of Education Office for Exceptional Children

Additional Resources

Ohio High School Graduation Requirements: Class of 2023 and Beyond (PDF flier)

Ohio's Each Child on Track Project Overview (website)

What does the movie Grease have to do with the Special Education Profile? Today’s essential question about special education focuses on students’ readiness for life beyond school: Are youth with disabilities prepared for life, work, and postsecondary education?From the perspective of Ohio's Special Education Profile, this essential question covers Indicators 1, 2, 13, and 14. In other words, at what rates are students with disabilities graduating by regular education standards, how often do they drop out, do they have a transition plan in place to guide their final years of schooling, and do they enroll in college or vocational training, enlist in the military, or obtain employment once they graduate? These are the required data points that the federal government and Ohio monitor - however, we know that there is so much more that predicts post-school success for our students. Joining us today are Helen Brophy, SST8 consultant and transition guru, and Stacia Kaschak, Career-Technical Education consultant for SST regions 7 and 8. Grab your Pink Ladies/T-Birds jacket and take a listen as we "tell you more" about what it really means to be successful beyond school, and what to focus on to promote positive post-school success.

Co-Hosts:Mike Kaschak and Helen Brophy, SST8 Educational Consultants, and Stacia Kaschak, SST7 and 8 Career-Technical Education Consultant

Additional Resources

Ohio Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment (AATA) Library

ODE's Secondary Transition and Workforce Development for Students with Disabilities Resource Page

“Dispro” is a term familiar to seasoned special education leaders, but may not ring a bell for other educators. It refers to disproportionality, or significant disparities in our data regarding how we identify, serve, and discipline student with disabilities from various racial and ethnic groups. From the perspective of the Special Education Profile, it would seem pretty clear - you either have this phenomenon happening, or you don’t.  But as we tackle this week’s essential question - Are children with disabilities receiving equitable services and supports?- we will talk about ways that hidden disparities could be lurking in your data, and what you can do about them.

Co-Hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director and Rachel Undercoffer, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

Equity in Special Education (ODE Fact Sheet)

Addressing Significant Disproportionality in Special Education (ODE resource page)

Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity: A Leader′s Guide to Using Data to Change Hearts and Minds (Fergus, 2016 | book)

Ten Commitments for Equity Literate Educators (webpage)

PBIS Cultural Responsiveness Field Guide

Welcome back to our season focused on critical questions we all need to be asking about special education. Today we are focusing on an essential  question that actually gets a lot of attention because it focuses on compliance. However, in today's episode we will bring to light the REAL reason why dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s in special education is so critical - and spoiler alert, it’s NOT about trying to stay out of trouble with the state.

Co-Hosts:Dee Dee Howes and Stacey Smith, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Ohio's Special Education Profile and Essential Questions

Ohio's Annual Performance Report to USDOE

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

We’re really enjoying this opportunity to dig into the most essential questions of special education - and we’re loving the feedback we’ve gotten from our colleagues and across the state who have found these episodes helpful! Today’s essential question, taken from Ohio’s Special Education Profile, is this: To what extent do students with disabilities have access to the general education environment? This is a question that educators consider for both individual students and for their buildings and districts overall, on a regular basis. But we want to really tackle this question from a different angle. It starts with the words “to what extent” - which makes me wonder how meaningful students’ participation in general education is. SST8 consultants Tracy Mail and Dee Dee Howes might word this question another way: Is it enough just to be invited to the party? If you’re wondering what this has to do with Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), this episode is for you!

Co-Hosts:Tracy Mail and Dee Dee Howes, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Creating Communities of Belonging for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (article and self-reflection tool for teams)

Ohio UDL Center - OCALI

UDL Guidelines - CAST

Ohio currently ranks 31st in the country with regard to education of our young people and one has to wonder, "why? What can we be doing differently to improve the academic outcomes of our students?" Join us as SST8 consultants interview Bernadette Laughlin, Education Program Specialist with the Office for Exceptional Children, to discuss state, district, and classroom level practices that can influence all students systemically, not just those with neurodiverse needs.

Co-Hosts:Tracy Mail and Rachel Undercoffer, SST8 Consultants

About Our Guest:Bernadette Laughlin is a Related Services Program Specialist at the Ohio Department of Education where she oversees all areas of related services in special education and provides professional development and training throughout the state to educators. Bernadette has a wide range of previous professional experience as a due process coordinator, education consultant, pupil services department facilitator, speech language pathologist, and as a lawyer. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education-Speech Pathology and Masters of Arts in Education Policy & Leadership from The Ohio State University. She then attended Capital University Law School where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Bernadette has been working for the Ohio Department of Education since 2010, with 26 years of previous experience at Westerville City Schools.

Additional Resources:

Each Child Means Each Child

Welcome back to our 8th season, which was inspired by Ohio’s Special Education Profile, a tool that helps districts know how their students are faring on key indicators - these indicators are aligned to six essential questions that we ALL should be asking about special education. If you missed last week’s episode, you may want to go back and take a listen so you can get an overview of the profile and the essential questions it poses. Today, SST8’s Stacey Smith and Dee Dee Howes will talk us through the first essential question of Ohio’s Special Education Profile, focused on how we’re supporting our youngest learners.

Co-Hosts: Stacey Smith and Dee Dee Howes, Educational Consultants, SST8

Additional Resources:

Reimagining School Readiness: A position paper with key findings

Preschool Inclusion: Ohio’s Guidance

This week we're kicking off a new season where we dig into some critical questions about how students with disabilities are really doing - questions that come from Ohio’s Special Education Profile. But our goal is to go much bigger than just the monitoring compliance implications of the Profile, and really get into what our goals are for students with disabilities, and what are some key considerations that we should be focusing on. Take a listen to get a handle on the six questions that EVERY educator should be asking for students with disabilities.

Co-Hosts:Stacey Smith, SST8 Educational Consultant and Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director

Additional Resources: 

Ohio's Special Education Profiles (website)

Ohio's 20-21 Annual Performance Report to USDOE (PDF; most recent data available)

We’re bringing our season on PBIS connections to a close… but not before we talk about what is most important of all: the people who do this work. How do we build a sense of collective responsibility and shared ownership across all educators in a building, so that everyone is contributing to a safe, predictable, and positive learning environment? Join us as we spend a few minutes summarizing some effective ways to get everyone involved in building and sustaining PBIS across the system.

Co-Hosts: Heidi Kerchenski and Mike Kaschak, Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Your Foolproof Plan to Create Staff Buy-In That Sticks 

High School PBIS Implementation: Staff Buy-In

We're gearing up for our great-8th season of 8 with 8! In the weeks to come, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the state of special education in Ohio - what we know from the data, what the research is pointing us to, and some examples of outstanding practices that allow districts to help students with disabilities reach their fullest potential. SST8’s special education team is going to take you on 8 brief but powerful explorations of all major areas of special education. And we’re going do it through the lens of a specific tool in Ohio that many of us have come to know well: the Special Education Profile. The data points of the Profile are aligned to six essential questions: the most powerful things we can be asking about our support for students with disabilities. And THAT is what we really want to talk about this season - we’re going to spend each of our upcoming episodes asking an important question, examining the current state of affairs, and seeing where we go from here.

So get ready for "Special Education in Ohio: We’ve Got Questions," 8 with 8’s 8th season - coming to your favorite podcast app or the Anchor website, starting next Friday, January 13th. 

Expectations for today’s youngest students are higher and more rigorous than ever, but these little learners are also just learning how to be safe, respectful, and responsible as they interact with each other. With so much to teach in such little time, where do we start? SST8 Early Childhood consultants Michelle Smith and Stacey Smith are back this week to talk about one particularly critical skill for early learners, and the ways that developmentally appropriate practice and PBIS help us build it. 

Co-Hosts:Michelle Smith and Stacey Smith, SST8 Early Childhood Consultants

Additional Resources

Empathy In The Classroom: Why Should ICare? (Article by Edutopia)

Respectful Touch: 60 Second Strategy (Video | 1 min)

The Serious Business of Play (Article by PBIS Apps)

Did you know that PBIS can give you a major leg-up when it comes to preschool licensing and Step Up to Quality? Today we discuss some ways in which the PBIS framework not only creates safe and secure learning environments for our youngest students, but sets preschool programs up for success with their regulatory and quality programming requirements. Two birds - one stone... or rather, one highly effective and impactful evidence-based framework!

Co-Hosts: Michelle Smith and Stacey Smith, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Ohio Preschool Licensing Rules

The last two years have been trying for educators: Staffing shortages, limited access to substitute teachers, students whose learning, development, or behavior is off-track due to the pandemic, financial shortfalls... Every corner of the educational system is feeling the strain. In a recent survey 78% of educators feel physically and emotionally exhausted at the end of the day. Is there hope for a shift in education? Is there anything we can do about it?

Co-hosts:Frank Gant, SST8 Educational Consultant and Kim Labriola, Summit ESC Community and Family Partner Liaison. 

Additional Resources

SST8 Google Folder with Educator Burnout presentation and resources

What is 'quiet quitting'? Inside the viral trend sparking controversy (4min Today Show segment)

Professional Quality of Life (proQOL; survey)

Did you know that the US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murphy, issued an urgent advisory statement on youth mental health? Increases in youth mental health needs were observed even prior to the pandemic, with 1 in 3high school students and half of female students reporting in 2019 that they experienced. persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. This was an overall increase of 40% from 2009. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped the mental health landscape. It’s clear that schools have a lot to deal with these days. That’s why this week we are talking with some local mental health leaders who can show us how PBIS helps to support districts’ mental health needs.

Co-Host: Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 Educational Consultant

Guests: Kristin Fazio, Summit Educational Service Center (SESC) Director of Student Services and Wellness Initiatives; Kim Labriola, SESCCommunity and Family Partnership Liaison

Additional Resources

Summit Educational Service Center (agency website)

Interconnected Systems Framework Brief (Project Aware Information Brief)

Ready, Set, Go, Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools (Toolkit for selecting MH screeners)

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines trauma as the response to an “event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful, or life threatening, and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.” Trauma can result from a single event or it can result from multiple traumatic events over time. Potential traumatic events include, but are not limited to accidents, child abuse and neglect, bullying, medical illness, parent/caregiver death, inconsistent parenting due to mental health/alcohol or drug issues and more. The sad fact is that educators are becoming more and more familiar with trauma in the classroom because we are seeing it more often in the students we serve. Today we'll discuss how specific PBIS classroom practices can help us create a system of support that is ready to address these needs.

Co-Hosts: Heidi Kerchenski and Mike Kaschak, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources: 

Trauma Aligned Classroom Practices Crosswalk-Midwest PBIS

Integrating a Trauma Informed Approach Within a PBIS Framework

SST8 Canvas Catalogue: PBIS Effective Classroom Practices (free account required)

We're continuing our focus on the many connections PBIS has - or should have - with the rest of educational practice. This week, we’re hitting another pretty obvious connection: social emotional learning (SEL). Join us as SST8’s own Rachel Undercoffer discusses practical considerations for aligning social emotional learning with the PBIS framework, why that matters for our students, and how that can make our work as educators a whole lot easier.

Co-Host: Rachel Undercoffer, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

ODE: Supporting Student Wellness Toolkit

USDOE: Supporting SEL, Behavior, Mental Health Needs

Welcome to the first episode of our new season, where we’ll focus on the many ways that PBIS - AKA Positive Behavior Interventions and Support - connect to and strengthen the rest of educational practice. This week, SST8 consultants Frank Gant and Mike Kaschak are going to kick us off with one of the most obvious - but also one of the most consequential - connections: school discipline.  More and more districts are realizing the unintended consequences of disciplinary removals - those times when students are removed from the educational environment - and looking to PBIS as a way to shift educators’ energies to teaching and encouraging desired behavior.

Co-Hosts: Frank Gant and Mike Kaschak, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Teach By Design: PBIS Apps (Website)

PBIS is everywhere and in everything! That’s what’s on our minds and in the research, in our seventh season of 8 with 8. You might think that SST8 would have nothing new to say about PBIS. After all, we have been aggressively supporting PBIS for over a decade! But once you see the power of this framework, you can’t help but see all of the ways that it strengthens or supports other educational priorities. Some of the connections we’ll cover this season are obvious: PBIS plays a big role in decreasing student discipline, promoting social-emotional learning, providing trauma informed care, and of course addressing student mental health needs. But what does PBIS have to do with curriculum and instruction? How can PBIS help you with preschool licensing? And, perhaps most important to our administrator colleagues: what can PBIS teach us about how to create a thriving workplace, overcome burnout, and onboard new staff?

For just about every challenge our profession is facing today, implementing PBIS can play a significant role in helping address it. So get ready for “8 Connections to PBIS”, 8 with 8’s seventh season - coming to your favorite podcast app or the Anchor website, starting next Friday, October 28th.

Additional Resources

Horner, R. H., Sugai, G., and Lewis, T. (2020). IS SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS (PBIS) AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE?(Article) 

We are wrapping up a fascinating season exploring why it is that some educational practices continue to hang on, despite empirical evidence showing that they aren’t effective - or even do harm. This week, we talk to Drs. Persida and William Himmele, the authors of the great little book that inspired this season, Why Are We Still Doing That? What led them to write this book? What practices did they consider adding to the book, but didn't make the cut? Their combined wealth of experience makes them very knowledgeable and credible on the topic of evidence-based teaching practices - but what we loved about them was their down-to-earth, real life way of addressing these common challenges in our profession. We hope you enjoy hearing from them as much as we did.

Co-Host:Sarah Egan-Reeves, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guests:Drs. Bill and Persida Himmele are both on the faculty of the Department of Early, Middle, and Exceptional Education at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. In addition, they have conducted over 500 keynote, featured, and professional presentations around the world, both inside and outside of the field of education. One of their major areas of interest is cognitively engaging learning experiences and they are the authors of the ASCD best-seller, Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner. Prior to their careers in higher ed and on the speaking, consulting, and writing circuit, Bill and Persida both worked within a classroom environment - Bill as an Speech-Language Pathologist and ESL teacher, and Persida as elementary and middle school teacher in bilingual and multilingual classrooms and later as a district administrator serving ELL students in a high-incidence district. 

Additional Resources

Why Are We Still Doing That?(book | ASCD study guide)

Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner(book| website/resources)

As we close in on the end of this podcast season, and the end of another busy school year, we’re continuing to challenge ourselves with the question: Why are we still doing that? (Also the title of a great little book by Persida and William Himmele!) In this episode, we’re looking at social studies - why do we continue to short-change it as an instructional priority? In this episode, SST8’s Sarah Egan-Reeves talks to two state and local leaders in the area of social studies: Jim O’Connor, President of the Ohio Council for the Social Studies, and Adam Motter, a Learning Specialist for Social Studies in Akron Public Schools. In this ever-changing and complex society we live in, it’s critical that students understand our past and present in order to be prepared for the future - and we know that high-quality social studies instruction is a major part of how our children prepare to participate in our society as adults… and we know that it contributes to improved reading ability and overall learning!

Co-Host:Sarah Egan-Reeves, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

Ohio Council for the Social Studies

Sojourner Truth statue to honor Akron’s historic role in women’s suffrage movement(article | 2021)

Attack on Capitol, Inauguration Offer Real-Time Social Studies Lessons (article | 2021)

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! Yet, you can also go back to the 1970s, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness, and find there were concerns that there was too little homework. How much homework is too much? Not enough? Who should get it? What value does homework add? These are just a few of the questions that have been debated over the years. The topic is controversial and complex because seemingly everyone has an opinion about the benefits of giving homework. In this episode, SST8's Denise Ward takes listeners through eight perspectives from leading educational researchers - and then asks the people most impacted by homework - students - to weigh in with their thoughts on the pros and cons. 

Co-Host:Denise Ward, SST8 Educational Consultant and SESC Diversity Consultant

Additional Resources:

The Cult of Homework (article | 2019 | The Atlantic)

Is Homework Good for Kids? Here's What the Research Says (article | 2016 | Time Magazine)

We’re continuing this season’s exploration of educational practices that are mainstays in many schools - even though research may be saying it’s time to let them go. This week, we’re tackling a big one - behavior charts. You know... if you're having a good day, you're on green... if you've made some bad choices, you're on red. Different classrooms use different approaches, including colors, clips, etc., but they all work the same basic way: by publicly displaying the level of behavioral performance for each particular student in a class. Behavior charts have been used for decades as a means of displaying behavioral progress and adherence to classroom rules. BUT - does this practice actually work the way we think it does? How does this practice align to the PBIS framework so many of us are working to implement? And most importantly, can behavior charts, like some of our previously covered practices, actually backfire and cause more harm than good? 

Co-Hosts:SST8 Consultants Heidi Kerchenski and Mike Kaschak 

Additional Resources:

DITCH THE CLIP! Why Clip Charts Are Not a PBIS Practice and What to Do Instead (Article)

I Ditched My Behavior Chart(video, 11:45)

We’re continuing our exploration of educational practices that lack empirical support - yet continue to be mainstays in our profession. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to check out the book Why Are We Still Doing That? by Persida and William Himmele, which inspired this season’s focus. It’s a quick and thought-provoking read! One of the chapters focuses on formative assessment. Now, we definitely NOT saying that formative assessment is something we should turn our backs on - in fact, the authors of this book assert that the research on formative assessment suggests there is no better way to accelerate student growth. BUT there are some things we may do that SEEM like formative assessment, and in fact are not really all that helpful at all. Today we talk about what we can do to have a clear understanding of student success - and how to know with confidence when they have reached it. 

About Our Guest:Jarred Zapolnik is a middle school principal in Massillon City Schools, adjunct professor at Ashland University, and doctoral candidate in Education Leadership at Kent State.  He is also active in the conference circuit, presenting on leadership, depth of knowledge, culturally inclusive practices, and many other topics focused on improving the field of education. 

As we continue this season's focus on enduring educational practices that really don't have the research support we might think. Today, Mike Kaschak and Michelle Smith from SST8 have a quick but powerful conversation about recess and play time. Should we be taking it away from students when they misbehave? We know some educators consider this to be a tried and true consequence for challenging behavior - but take a listen for some great considerations about how this might backfire… and what we could be doing instead.

Co-Hosts: Michelle Smith and Mike Kaschak, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources:

Edutopia’s resource page on play & recess

Literacy has been one of the most talked-about aspects of education over the last few years, due to a statewide focus on the science of reading, several grant opportunities, and now the dyslexia legislation going into effect next school year. And now, as our podcast delves into ineffective teaching practices this season, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Tim Shanahan to the podcast. Dr. Shanahan is a noted researcher, speaker, and thought leader on all things literacy, and he has been a partner with the Ohio Department of Education for the last several years, as we have developed and implemented Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement. Today, Dr. Shanahan talks with SST8’s Sarah Egan-Reeves and gives us a lot to think about in terms of how we design literacy instruction - really, this is a master class on literacy from one of our favorite gurus. We can’t wait for you to hear all that he has to share.

Co-Host: Sarah Egan-Reeves, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guest:

Dr. Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chi­cago where he was Founding Di­rector of the UIC Center for Literacy. Previously, he was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. He is author/editor of more than 200 publications on literacy education, and research emphasizes the connections between reading and writing, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. Tim is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and he helped lead the National Reading Panel, convened at the request of Congress to evaluate research on the teaching reading, a major influence on reading education. He chaired two other federal research review panels: the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth, and the National Early Literacy Panel, and helped write the Common Core State Standards. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007, and is a former first-grade teacher.

Additional Resources:

Shanahanonliteracy.com | Dr. Shanahan's website and blog

Why Children Should Be Taught to Read With More Challenging Texts(Article, 2019)

What Constitutes a Science of Reading Instruction? (Article, 2020)

Disciplinary Literacy in Elementary Education: Video | Slides (presentation at Ohio Literacy Academy, 2020)

Welcome back to this season’s discussion about some of the “sticky” practices in our profession that have persisted, despite lack of research evidence. Today’s topic is a very polarizing one: retention. Education researcher John Hattie has been quoted as saying, “No single intervention by schools is worse than retention.” That’s a pretty serious condemnation! Yet it continues to be something that schools consider when students are encountering serious learning struggles.

In today’s episode, SST8’s Frank Gant talks with Lisa Shannon, the Director of Special Services for the Lake Local School District in Stark Co.  Throughout her career in northeast Ohio, she has had numerous opportunities to discuss retention with educators and families - starting first as a co-teacher in her district’s first co-teaching team, then as an assistant principal, assistant superintendent, and director of special services. Lisa and Frank will consider why we have retained retention as a routine educational practice, and what alternatives can be explored. They close out this episode with 8 critical factors for educators and families to consider when having a conversation about retention. Be sure to listen to the whole episode to under why these are so critical! 

Present level of achievement, particularly in reading and math Gender Intellectual ability Present grade placement English language proficiency Size (height/weight) History of previous retention Presence of a disability

Co-Host:Frank Gant, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guest: Lisa Shannon is the Director of Special Services for the Lake Local School District in Stark Co. She has served students with exceptionalities for the majority of her career, with more than twenty years of leadership experience in Ohio’s public schools.  Lisa started her career as the general education teaching counterpart of her district’s first co-teaching team where she provided specially designed instruction alongside an intervention specialist.  She later moved into building and district leadership roles working in positions ranging between Assistant Principal to Assistant Superintendent.  Lisa states that her greatest professional fulfillment is supporting thousands of students, staff, and families and watching children grow by leaps and bounds by maximizing their various and unique strengths. 

Additional Resources

Alternatives to Grade Retention (article) | AASA: The School Superintendents Association

Retention(book excerpt) | Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning. Routledge.

This season, we are diving into the research to practice gap, exploring why it is that ineffective teaching practices continue to hang on despite growing evidence that it’s time to let them go. We are so excited to welcome to the podcast Dr. Judy Willis - a board-certified neurologist who made a dramatic switch into classroom teaching, where she taught in elementary middle school for 10 years. Today we talk with Dr. Willis about about common misconceptions about learning, including teaching to learning styles, and ways to promote use of research-based practices among educators.  

Co-Host:Sarah Egan-Reeves, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guest:Dr. Willis is an expert on learning and the brain, has served on the adjunct faculty of the University of California Santa Barbara Graduate School of Education, and travels nationally and internationally giving presentations, workshops, and consulting. She recently revised and expanded her 2006 book, Research Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning, in which she helps educators understand how to select teaching strategies based on how the brain works and learns best. She shares many great resources on her website, RADteach.com, and an article we love called The High Cost of Neuromyths in Education. 

8 with 8 is back with a sixth season! This time, we are taking a really different approach and focusing on a range of educational practices all with one common theme: they LACK research support. Why is it that ineffective instructional practices continue to be used in schools, when we have ample research showing us that they don’t work - or even do harm? We landed on this topic after reading a 2021 book by Persida and William Himmele, Why Are We Still Doing That? Positive Alternatives to Problematic Teaching Practices. The authors focus on 16 problematic practices, including round robin reading, assigning homework as a default, rigidly adhering to pacing guides, shortchanging science and social studies, and using behavior charts. This season, we’ll dive into some of these practices by exploring the research around them and the alternatives that can help us reach our goals for students. We hope to support the work of dedicated professional educators as they reflect on their craft. Share these episodes with your educator colleagues and friends, or use them at internal staff meetings and PDs to provoke some necessary conversations about how to evolve teaching practices.

Get ready for Why Are We Still Doing That? Coming to your favorite podcast app or the Anchor website, starting this Friday, April 8th.

It's a bonus episode! We're following up on our 8 Great Literacy Learnings season because we know that here in Ohio, dyslexia is on the minds of many, many educators these days. Our new dyslexia support laws establish a variety of requirements for screening, professional development, certification to provide multi-sensory structured literacy instruction, and the Ohio Dyslexia Committee. There is so much to learn right now - both about dyslexia and about the requirements associated with this bill. Today, we want to focus on dyslexia itself: what it is, what it isn’t, and what’s most critical to understand as we move forward with the new legislative and policy requirements. We're talking with Dr. Sarah Sayko, Deputy Director of the National Center on Improving Literacy, and today she joins SST8 literacy leads  to answer 8 FAQs regarding dyslexia.

Co-Hosts:Pam Kennedy and Kim Nagy, SST8 literacy leads

About our Guest:

Sarah Sayko, Ed.D., is a Deputy Director of National Center on Improving Literacy, and leads the Parent and Family Strand of the center.  She is a Senior Research Associate at RMC Research Corporation in Arlington, VA. Sarah was previously a literacy content specialist with the Center on Instruction (COI) and a technical assistance provider with the National Reading Technical Assistance Center (NRTAC).  She was an elementary reading coach and literacy specialist in two Massachusetts public school districts and is a certified K-12 reading specialist.

Additional Resources

National Center on Improving Literacy: Improving Literacy Briefs

International Dyslexia Association 

We’re wrapping up our season called 8 Great Literacy Learnings, and today we want to step back from the specific frameworks, strategies, and research on teaching kids how to read and instead, lean into considerations for how to make our literacy instruction more equitable and accessible for all. Listen as some of our SST8 literacy team members share some great ways to ensure that our literacy instruction efforts are truly reaching and benefitting all learners.

Co-Hosts:Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist and Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equityby Jennifer Gonzalez 

20 Ways to Bring More Equity to Your Literacy Instructionby Lindsay Barrett

Literacy instruction does not end in the elementary grades! It is still very much a need for our adolescent learners - but it can be hard to figure out how best to integrate that with all of the other content area instruction that secondary education demands. Well, if you are looking for ways to break down the barriers of Adolescent Literacy, you are in the right place. Today, we are joined by Roger Howard, one of Ohio's Adolescent Literacy leads and also a consultant at the ESC of NE Ohio. He has a rich history of high school and curriculum leadership, and was named 2011 Met Life Ohio Principal of the Year.  In his conversation with SST8 literacy team members, Kim Nagy and Sarah Egan-Reeves, Roger will discuss 8 common barriers to adolescent literacy, along with the research that supports how districts and teachers can make meaningful shifts that will yield noticeable results.

Co-hosts:Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist, and Sarah Egan-Reeves, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guest:Roger Howard is an Adolescent Specialist–ODE Literacy Network for State Support Team - Region 3 at the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio. Roger began his career as a residential treatment counselor at Parmadale/St. Anthony before serving 10 years as a teacher and coach at Tallmadge High School. He then dedicated the majority of his career to serving as a building administrator in multiple secondary schools: Tallmadge Middle School, Solon High School, Chagrin Falls High School, Hudson High School, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, and Independence High School. Roger was selected as the 2011 Met Life Ohio High School Principal of the Year and served two terms on the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators Board of Directors. Roger also performed multiple central office responsibilities for six years as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Independence Local Schools.

Additional Resources

Literacy Lessons Learned(article) - Mel Riddile

LIteracy Lessons Learned (webinar, 1 hour) - Mel Riddile

IES Practice Guide: Adolescent Literacy

Dr. Fierro is back to help us improve our effectiveness in teaching literacy to students who are simultaneously learning the English language. This can seem like a daunting task, but it is absolutely doable. In our last episode, Dr. Fierro shared four considerations for supporting literacy development in English language learners. If you missed that episode, we encourage you to go back and listen now to the first half of Dr. Fierro’s conversation with SST8 literacy leads Kim Nagy and Pam Kennedy. Today, we’ll pick up where we left off and hear four more ideas that will take you and your students even farther!

Co-Hosts: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Early Literacy Specialist, and Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist

About Our Guest

Antonio A. Fierro is a former Texas State Teacher of the Year and currently a member of the national LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats. He also is a visiting professor working with university and college professors throughout Mississippi. Dr. Fierro has more than 25 years of experience in the field of education and has contributed to several literacy curricula focusing on instruction for the English learner. He is a co-author of Kid Lips®, a curriculum that teaches the phonetics of English to young children. His areas of interest include early childhood education, all aspects of phonology, and research that impacts students’ learning of English as a second language. Dr. Fierro has a personal interest in advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities because he has a child living with dyslexia.

Additional Resources

Educator Accountability: Preparing for the Tough Literacy Challenges Faced by English Language Learners (podcast)

Best Practices in English Learner Instruction: The LETRS Gold Standard (webinar)

Over the last ten years, Ohio’s percentage of EL students has doubled to approximately 60,000 students. Spanish is the home language of almost 40% of Ohio’s English learners, along with 90 other home languages. How are we teaching these students to read WHILE we teach them to speak English?

We are thrilled to welcome to the podcast Dr. Antonio Fierro, an award-winning educator and one of our very favorite LETRS trainers. We’ve asked him to share the 8 critical considerations for teaching reading to students who are simultaneously learning the English language. Our conversation with him was so rich that we had to break it up into two episodes. Today, Dr. Fierro will share the first four tips - and we’ll bring you the final four next week.

Co-Hosts: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Early Literacy Specialist, and Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist

About Our Guest

Antonio A. Fierro is a former Texas State Teacher of the Year and currently a member of the national LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats. He also is a visiting professor working with university and college professors throughout Mississippi. Dr. Fierro has more than 25 years of experience in the field of education and has contributed to several literacy curricula focusing on instruction for the English learner. He is a co-author of Kid Lips®, a curriculum that teaches the phonetics of English to young children. His areas of interest include early childhood education, all aspects of phonology, and research that impacts students’ learning of English as a second language. Dr. Fierro has a personal interest in advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities because he has a child living with dyslexia.

Additional Resources

Educator Accountability: Preparing for the Tough Literacy Challenges Faced by English Language Learners (podcast)

Best Practices in English Learner Instruction: The LETRS Gold Standard (webinar)

Raising literacy achievement is one of our top priorities at SST8, and we bet it's one of yours too. But it's not the only priority! How can design our instruction in one area of learning so that it supports learning in other areas of development? Today, two of our team members will discuss resources and strategies for helping some of our youngest learners build social-emotional competencies while also developing critical emergent literacy skills. Research shows that when we tackle these important learnings together, we don't just get two for the price of one - we might get even more than that.

Co-Hosts: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Early Literacy Specialist and Stacey Smith, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

Stick and Stone

Big Feelings / Book That Celebrates Diversity (A Great Book For Kids)

The Rabbit Listened

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction

Ohio’s K-12 Social and Emotional Learning Standards

Ohio’s Early Learning & Development Standards: Birth to Kindergarten Entry; Domain: Social and Emotional

We’re expanding our view of literacy by delving into the world of writing - emergent writing in particular. We are joined by another outstanding guest: researcher and author Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson. In the space of just 30 minutes, Lucy will have our listeners looking up the science of WRITING, searching for golf pencils and art easels, and maybe rethinking how and when we introduce keyboarding for young writers. Intrigued? You should be!

Co-Hosts: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Early Literacy Specialist and Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist

About Our Guest

Lucy Hart Paulson, M.S., Ed.D., is a speech-language pathologist and literacy specialist with years of experience working with young children and their families and teachers in public school, Head Start, private, and university settings. She has a unique and broad- based perspective blending areas of language, literacy, and social communication together, resulting in effective and engaging learning opportunities for children and valuable foundations for teachers. She is the lead author of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) for Early Childhood Educators, Second Edition (Voyager Sopris Learning, 2018); Building Early Literacy and Language Skills (Sopris West, 2001), a resource and activity guide for young children; and Good Talking Words (Sopris West, 1998), a social communication skills program for preschool and kindergarten. In addition, Dr. Paulson served on the faculty of the Communicative Sciences and Disorders Department at the University of Montana, sharing responsibilities for teaching, supervising, research, and service.

Additional Resources

From Scribbles to Writing: Early Literacy Foundations for Print Knowledge(slide deck)

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are experts in language, by definition - but they may be an untapped source of professional learning for colleagues, as well as a support for developing readers and writers. What role can SLPs play in supporting literacy development in our schools? SST8’s Tracy Mail recently attended a conference called Reading, Writing and the SLP: Preschool to High School, sponsored by the American Speech and Hearing Association, and she talks with our own Kim Nagy about what she learned - and how buildings and districts can put this learning to use.

Co-Hosts: Tracy Mail, SST8 Educational Consultant and Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources

Register now for ASHA's 2022 Reading, Writing and the SLP: Preschool to High School conference - Feb 2-14, 2022

Research indicates that, with effective instruction, over 90% of all students CAN read at grade level. Join us for our first episode of our 8 Great Literacy Learning season of 8 With 8, and you’ll leave with the stepping stones needed to move your instruction into that effective realm. Our very special guest, Dr. Carol Tolman, shares 8 ways to make this happen for each child in your classroom, building, and district using an approach called structured literacy. Dr. Carol Tolman, reading expert, international speaker, and co-author of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) joins us to share her thoughts on the most important steps for employing what science tells us works for teaching all students to read.

Co-Hosts: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Early Literacy Specialist, and Kim Nagy, SST8 Urban Literacy Specialist

About our Guest: Dr. Carol Tolman

In addition to spearheading many successful, long-term literacy initiatives throughout the country, Dr. Tolman has published Working Smarter, Not Harder: What Teachers of Reading Need to Know and Be Able to Do and The Relationship between Teacher Knowledge and Effective RtI: When we Know Better, we Do Better(IDA Perspectives). Carol is co-author ofLETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Presenter’s Kits, co-author of LETRS Modules 1, 2nd Edition, co-author of LETRS Module 10, 2nd Edition, and co-author with Dr. Louisa Moats of the LETRS 3rd Edition series of text and on-line supports for teachers of reading and spelling. Dr. Tolman has presided over the LETRS Leadership Board, created LETRS On-Line, and provides LETRS Trainer of Trainer (TOT) workshops to prepare others for the rigorous study involved in becoming a Certified Local LETRS Trainer. Dr. Tolman has presented internationally in China and Australia and is passionate about the importance of empowering teachers with the knowledge necessary to impact change for all children. Learn more about her work at https://drcaroltolman.com/ and find her on Twitter at @drcaroltolman1. 

Additional Resources

The Science of Reading (webinar series by Dr. Tolman and Voyager-Sopris)

Phonological Awareness, Reading, and Writing: What Teachers Need to Know (webinar by Dr. Tolman, June 2020)

We are back with a fifth season we are calling 8 Great Literacy Learnings. We’ll be sharing the eight topics that have most significantly shaped how we are thinking about literacy instruction, and that we think have the power to dramatically impact the way we go about teaching reading, writing, and language in our schools. In this thought-provoking season, we’ll tackle topics both big and small, including

And more!

Get ready for 8 Great Literacy Learnings, starting this Friday, December 10th.

As we wrap up season 4, we have spent the last seven episodes shifting our thinking about so many important considerations for supporting students with disabilities: our mindsets in general, curriculum, assessment, family engagement, and so much more. But there’s an overarching theme that we haven’t touched on yet, and that is the topic of equity in education. The word equity has become a bit of a buzzword lately, but what do we really mean by equity?  Does it mean that everyone gets the same thing? Does it mean we are lowering our standards? What does it have to do with special education? In just the last few weeks, our team at SST8 been talking with ODE about some thought-provoking ways to think about and apply equity in our work, and how we can leverage these ideas in our work with students with disabilities. This week on 8 with 8, we'll hear from two key leaders at the Ohio Department of Education: JoHannah Ward, Director of the Office for Exceptional Children (OEC), and Joe Petrarca, Associate Director of OEC, about how we can better think about equity to make a meaningful difference for students with disabilities. 

Co-Hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director, and Rachel Undercoffer, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

Each Child Our Future - Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education

Each Child Means Each Child - Ohio’s Plan to Improve Learning Experiences and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Today, we’ll be taking a look at career/technical education, also known as CTE. This is an avenue of education that has really grown and thrived in Ohio over the last decade or more, and we know that all students can benefit from the opportunity to learn job-specific skills from experts in their chosen field. For students with disabilities, CTE is a particularly exciting option because it offers additional opportunities for highly motivating, engaging learning tied to students’ transition goals. What should career centers be thinking about when working with students with disabilities? Join us in this quick listen as we share 8 best practices for supporting students with disabilities in a career-technical education environment.

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

This season, we have been reflecting on ways to reset/restart the year, with a focus on students with disabilities and eye toward getting back on track after the pandemic. We know that one of the biggest keys to the success of our students is the involvement and support of their parents. This is especially true for students with disabilities. In this episode, SST8's Helen Brophy talks with Marianne Lesko, herself a parent of a student with a disability, about a wonderful resource that SST8 offers to support parents of students with disabilities in their critical role.

Co-Host:Helen Brophy, SST8 Educational Consultant

About our Guest: Marianne Lesko is SST8's Parent Access Collaborative (PAC) liaison. She is the parent of a 21 year old son with Down Syndrome and a 19 year old son who attends Ohio State University. She also works for the Twinsburg City School District as a secretary for the Pupil Services department. She has a lot of experience dealing with parents of special needs students and can personally relate to their challenges and the complicated world of special services. She loves being involved with PAC because she continues to learn about so many things that impact her son's life and how she can help him make the most of it.

Want to join the PAC mailing list? Sign up by emailing Marianne at PAC@sst8.org

SST8 Parent Access Collaborative Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/SST8PAC

PAC Schedule/Registration links (all meetings start at 9:30am and generally run 2-3 hours, allowing time for networking and discussion)

September 29, 2021 (lunch provided)

October 20, 2021

November 10, 2021

February 9, 2022

April 13, 2022 (lunch provided)

Everywhere we look in education, we see the term "curriculum" - especially "the general curriculum" as it relates to students with disabilities. It even features prominently in IDEA. But what exactly do we mean by curriculum? Not everyone uses this word the same way. What if we thought differently about exactly what we’re giving access to - and how we go about doing it? In this episode, we welcome special guest Shawna Benson. Shawna is the Program Director for the Center for Teaching Diverse Learners at OCALI. Shawna will talk with SST8's Dee Dee Howes about how we can reset our understanding of curriculum, to transform teaching and learning for students with disabilities. 

Co-Host: Dee Dee Howes, SST8 Educational Consultant

About Our Guest:Shawna Benson is the Program Director at the Center for Teaching Diverse Learners at OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence.) She has held this position for 13 years and before that, Ms. Benson served as an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Disability Center at Urbana University. 

Additional Resource

http://LiteracyAccessforAll.org (log-in required to access resources)

What is one thing all teachers do with all students? All teachers give assessments to check for student understanding! From formative checks to state-wide tests, it’s something we, as educators, all do. The hard part is figuring out if you’re getting a true picture of what each student knows and can do. As we continue our season on resetting and restarting education for students with disabilities, it is more important than ever to ensure that assessments of all types are truly designed to be accessible to students with disabilities - meaning that nothing about their disability gets in the way of them showing what what they are capable of. And that means that we, as educators, have to be creative and flexible.

Co-hosts: Tracy Mail, Educational Consultant, SST8 and Cherie Smith, Educational Consultant, SST6 

Click here to download this episode's Resource Guide

How do we address unfinished learning that exists for students with diverse needs? We can't possibly cover everything so what do we do? Listen in to learn how you can use the three easy to remember steps of "Weed, Feed, and Seed" to prioritize, target, & deliver instruction to meaningfully address gaps in learning!

Co-Hosts: Dee Dee Howes and Stacey Smith, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Addressing Unfinished Learning After COVID-19 School Closures (article, Council of Great City Schools, June 2020

How do you support the establishment of an inclusive community to support the needs of students who receive special education services? Join us to hear 8 strategies for promoting a positive and inclusive school climate; one in which all staff believe that in order to meet the needs of ALL students, it’s necessary to meet the needs of EACH student.

Co-Hosts: Stephanie Denham*, former SST8 Educational Consultant and Stacey Smith, current SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

*Just after recording the first few episodes of Season 4, Stephanie took a position at another organization in Northeast Ohio. We already miss her perspective, knowledge, and humor, but of course we are excited to see her continuing to find new ways to serve the students and educators of northeast Ohio. Best wishes to Stephanie in her new adventure, and we look forward to introducing some new team members to you in the coming months!

This is our first episode of season 4 of 8 with 8, and for the next eight episodes we’ll be focusing on strategies school leaders and educators can use to push the reset button and re-focus ourselves around effective strategies for meeting the needs of students with disabilities. To help us, we have been revisiting ODE's Reset and Restart guide, particularly the section on Additional Considerations for Special Education. Today we’re starting from a Leadership and Administration focus and we're going to talk about collective responsibility - a powerful strategy that can be particularly impactful for diverse learners.

Co-Hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director and Stephanie Denham*, former SST8 Educational Consultant

*Just after recording the first few episodes of Season 4, Stephanie took a position at another organization in Northeast Ohio. We already miss her perspective, knowledge, and humor, but of course we are excited to see her continuing to find new ways to serve the students and educators of northeast Ohio. Best wishes to Stephanie in her new adventure, and we look forward to introducing some new team members to you in the coming months!

The circumstances of the 2020-2021 school year offered many opportunities for innovation and new ways of delivering learning, and in many ways our field has grown stronger as a result. But nevertheless, we are starting to see in statewide data that some students have experienced significant learning losses as a result of the pandemic, especially among vulnerable student populations - including students with disabilities.

But there is good reason to be hopeful. There are powerful and evidence-based solutions for so many of these challenges our students face! For that reason, SST8 is kicking off the podcast this year by reflecting upon ways that we can intentionallyreset and restart educationonce more. Join us this season on8 with 8, as we refresh our expectations and strategies around leadership, school climate, curriculum, instruction, and assessment, family engagement, and college and career readiness. We will bring you some bite-size episodes, with quick and actionable ideas. We will also have some interviews with some amazing leaders who have taken this challenging season as an opportunity to dig even deeper into utilizing evidence-based and creative strategies for supporting diverse learners. As always, we’re here with you every step of the way.  Enjoy the rest of your summer and we’ll meet you back here on August 13th, at8 with 8!

This is the last episode of Season 3, which we have called Learning through Leadership. It has been an incredible journey through the histories and insights of some of our very favorite educational leaders - including some of our great colleagues in region 8, outstanding leaders at the state level, and even international speaker and author Dr. Peter DeWitt. Join us today as SST8 consultants Denise Ward and Chris Ferrell take stock of these conversations and highlight some of the most impactful takeaways. 

Thank you for joining us this year as we have learned our way through this new podcast endeavor. It has truly been a labor of love and a full team effort. We’ll be taking some time off this summer to rest and recharge, and we hope that you do as well.  See you in the new school year!

8 with 8Production Credits

Editor/Producer: Christian Kerchenski

Graphic Design: Savannah Evans

Technical Advisor: Matthew Ferrell

8 with 8 Advisory Team (AKA “brain trust"): Stephanie Denham, Christine Ferrell, and Heidi Kerchenski. 

Lead Host: Jenine Sansosti

Co-Hosts: SST8 Educational Consultants

This week, 8 with 8 brings you a fun and wide-ranging discussion with Joe Iacano, Superintendent of the Summit Educational Service Center (Summit ESC). Most of us know Joe as a supportive educational leader who has been in the field for more than 40 years of experience in education, and in a wide range of leadership roles. His current leadership role at Summit ESC affords a unique perspective across many types of districts, leadership styles, and local needs. In this interview, Joe shares his Learning through Leadership journey, including his thoughts on the biggest priority needs of the day, why it's important for new leaders to reflect on the "why" behind the actions of those they serve, and his rockstar hobby that helps him chill out and recharge.

Co-hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director and Janelle Schuler, SST8 Assistant Director

Musical credit: Texas Twister, original song by Joseph Iacano. Did you know that Joe is a guitar-playing, songwriting, international recording artist? Check out on Spotify (search for artist Joseph Iacano)

Additional Resources

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, by Jim Collins (book| e-book)

We’re continuing our “Learning through Leadership” journey today as our own Denise Ward talks to Superintendent Melvin Brown about his own leadership journey. Melvin is currently the Superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, which is just outside of Columbus. Our colleagues in Region 8 may remember Melvin from his time as Deputy Superintendent of Cuyahoga Falls City Schools. In today’s episode, Ieading with passionis a recurring theme: listeners will clearly hear how passionate Melvin is about doing what is best for children, how he builds a network of connections with leaders who inspire him, and how emerging leaders should seek new opportunities that align with their own professional passions. 

Co-host: Denise Ward, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

Casteby Isabel Wilkerson (book| audiobook)

Check out some of Melvin's favorite leading thinkers and speakers, including Dena Simmons, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., and Wes Moore

Why would a student-focused leader choose the word "ME" as her word of the year? Join us this week to find out, as SST8 consultants Debbie Theirl and Chris Ferrell catch up with Aireane Curtis, Superintendent of Windham Exempted Village Schools. She has held a wide range of educational consulting roles and leadership experiences in Northeast Ohio, which prepared her for her current position. In this episode, Aireane shares her thoughts on prioritizes district decisions, self care, and support network tips - her one treat that she can't resist!

Co-Hosts: Debbie Theirl and Chris Ferrell, Educational Consultants

Additional Resources

Leadership Freak by Dan Rockwell (Blog)

No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines (Book| Audiobook)

Off Balance by Matthew Kelly (Book| Audiobook)

This week, we’re bringing you another great interview with another great educational leader.  SST8 consultant Denise Ward sits down to talk with Jeff Ferguson, who recently retired from Tallmadge City Schools after serving as Superintendent for 15 years. This makes Jeff Summit County’s longest-serving Superintendent, and listeners with an interest in educational leadership will learn a lot from his experiences and insights.

Co-Host: Denise Ward, Educational Consultant

Dr. Marva Kay Jones, Senior Executive Director of Continuous Improvement at the Ohio Department of education, has served in many positions of educational leadership from the local to the state level.  In a candid interview with Heidi and Denise, she imparts important lessons for school leaders in this time of COVID and beyond, and advises aspiring leaders on how to stay authentic, fulfill their life's mission, and take care of themselves - so they can take care of those they are called to serve.

Co-hosts: Heidi Kerchenski and Denise Ward, Educational Consultants

Want to read/listen to what Dr. Jones is into these days?

Dare to Lead (book, audiobook) by Brene Brown

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism(book, audiobook) by Robin DiAngelo

The Culture Code: Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (book, audiobook) by Daniel Coyle

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy, Jon Gordon

Assorted works of Dr. Doug Reeves

Dr. Peter DeWitt, our special guest and international speaker/author on leadership, is back for more! We had so much fun talking with from Dr. DeWitt that we didn't want it to end - so we kept going, with the goal of learning even more through his unique leadership lens. This week, he talks to us about social media literacy in the "post-truth era," social-emotional learning and educator well-being, strategies for increasing family engagement, and the importance of developing collective leader efficacy. This is part 2 of a 2-part interview; you can catch part 1 in our previous episode, which aired April 30, 2021.

Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant  

About Our Guest and Resources

Dr. Peter DeWitt, former K-5 teacher and principal, is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as, fostering inclusive school climates. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K. For more information, check out http://peterdewitt.com, where you can find out more about his upcoming books and resources. Check out some of our favorite of his works, including

We're kicking off Season 3 in a big way - we've got Peter DeWitt! He's a national and international speaker on all things educational leadership, and he has so many great thoughts on the major issues of our field: anti-racist education and equitable funding; student engagement and empowerment; making the shift from managerial to instructional leadership; and high-stakes testing. Dr. DeWitt's unique blend of stories, research, and policy insights will have you nodding your head and saying "YES!" This is part 1 of a 2-part interview. 

Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant

About Our Guest and Resources

Peter DeWitt, former K-5 teacher and principal, is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as, fostering inclusive school climates. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K. For more information, check out http://peterdewitt.com, where you can find out more about his upcoming books and resources. Check out some of our favorite of his works, including

What does training for a marathon have to do with reforming districtwide literacy instruction? In the final episode of Season 2, Why Words Matter, we share the words and insights of Region 8's Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grantee, Kent City Schools, as they lead their district in growing a literacy program based in the Science of Reading. Join Karen Rumley, Rachel Yohn, and Kristin Garner in a candid conversation with our own Annette Gross, as they share the what they've learned about defining a district vision, looking for the good, having a plan (and yet, being flexible), and so much more.

Co-host: Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist

About our Guests: Rachel Yohn and Kristin Garner (Literacy Coaches) and Karen Rumley (Director of Instructional Programs), Kent City Schools, Ohio K-12 CLSD grant recipient 

Additional Resources:

Hard Words: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read? (Podcast, ~45min)

Of ‘Hard Words’ and Straw Men: Let’s Understand What Reading Science is Really About(Article)

Ohio's Comprehensive State Literacy Development Grant (PDF)

It has been a year unlike any other.  As we prepared to launch our third season of 8 with 8, our team agreed that, more than anything, our leaders need to hear from experts who are leading the way at the national, state and local levels. We all need some inspiration right now as we wrap this year and look forward to a new start next year. We kick off Season 3 in grand fashion as we interview Peter DeWitt, international speaker and author of books such as Collaborative Leadership and Instructional Leadership. From there, we get the inside scoop from leaders at ODE and wisdom from leaders of a variety of school districts and an Educational Service Center.  Join us as we learn from these inspiring and innovating leaders! Season 3 starts Friday, April 30th.

As you think about teaching vocabulary, have you ever wondered how you can address the wide range of literacy skills and learning needs within your classroom ? In this episode, Annette and Tracy share ideas for proactively designing your lessons for student variability, using principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Every educator will be able to use these ideas, and not just for vocabulary - because variability is actually the norm across students in your classes.

Co-hosts: Tracy Mail, Educational Consultant and Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources

UDL Guidelines - CAST Center

When it comes to early literacy development, words really do matter. Join Annette Gross and Janelle Schuler to learn how these three principles - tune in, talk more, and take turns -  can guide us as we work to boost the vocabulary and background knowledge of our youngest learners.

Co-Hosts:

Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist, and Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director

Additional Resources:

Building Early Language & Literacy Skills (book) by Lucy Hart Paulson

30 Million Words: Building a Child's Brain (book) by Dana Suskind

Read It Again PreK (curriculum supplement), from Crane Center at OSU

Project Ready (instructional materials), from Mt. St. Joseph University

Scaffolding With Storybooks (PDF) by Laura Justice, Crane Center at OSU

Debbie and Kim are back with the final installation in our 3-part mini-series on "Before, During, and After Strategies" for teaching vocabulary to older students. This episode highlights what teachers can do after instruction to reinforce learning. Spoiler alert: fun and games may be involved.

Co-hosts: Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant and Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources:

SST8 Webinar: Word Play (12 min) | Participation Guide

SST8 Webinar: Interactive Word Walls (10 min) | Participation Guide

As you may recall from last week, we’re focusing on strategies to use before, during, and after vocabulary instruction. Today, Kim and Debbie will focus on what we do DURING instruction - or how to use evidence-based teaching strategies and engaging activities to boost student learning.

Co-hosts: Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist and Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

SST8 Webinar: Selective Highlighting (9 min) | Participation Guide 

SST8 Webinar: Double Entry Journals (11 min) | Participation Guide

This week, Debbie and Kim bring our listeners a quick 8 minutes on using something they call “BEFORE” strategies, which are a way to strengthen vocabulary instruction for adolescent learners. We're continuing to build on our learning from our interview with Natalie Wexler and these strategies are great ways to capitalize on students’ prior knowledge as they build their vocabulary.

Co-Hosts: Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant and Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources

We're diving deeper into last week's interview with educational journalist Natalie Wexler, to unpack the great ideas she shared. Are you considering the role background knowledge and vocabulary play in comprehension?  Join Annette and Chris as they discuss the impact that these critical areas of focus can have on instruction across all content areas.

Co-Hosts: Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

Explicit Instruction in Vocabulary: Demonstration by Dr. Anita Archer

An Informed Framework for Comprehension Instruction: Ohio Literacy Academy 2021

Did you know? The biggest determinant of reading comprehension is not decoding ability or comprehension skills - it's background knowledge! In this episode, SST8 consultants ask eight questions of author and educational journalist Natalie Wexler. Natalie was the riveting Keynote Speaker at the 2020 Ohio Literacy Academy and her sessions on this topic changed the way SST8 consultants think about background knowledge and vocabulary. Join us as Natalie shares what she has learned through the research, as well as some powerful considerations for district leaders looking to improve literacy outcomes and close equity gaps among learners.

SST8 Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director; Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist; Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

About Our Guest: Natalie Wexler is an education writer whose articles and essays on education and other topics have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. In 2019, she published The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System - and How to Fix It. She is also the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades.

Additional Resources

Literacy Academy 2020 presentation

https://www.thewritingrevolution.org/

Forbes Magazine article (January 2020): Will Getting Rid Of Admissions Tests Make Selective Schools More Equitable? 

At the heart of a strong PBIS framework is always strong relationships. Can you identify all of the relationships in action at Greenwood Early Learning Center (right here in region 8)? Join three staff members from Greenwood along with Michelle and Stacey as they highlight the impact on children, families, community and staff.

Co-hosts: Michelle Smith and Stacey Smith, Early Childhood Consultants

About our Interviewees: Greenwood Early Learning Center is a Preschool-Kindergarten building in their fourth year of PBIS implementation; they serve as an Early Childhood PBIS demonstration site for SST8 and Ohio.  They were recognized this year as a Silver award winning building and had the opportunity to share their Tier 1 and 2 practices at the state PBIS showcase in December 2020.

Additional Resources:

SST8 PBIS Warehouse: Examples and Ideas from Region 8 buildings

8 with 8 is back. (Actually, we never left!) Our second season is going to shift gears and focus on evidence-based literacy instruction. Specifically, we'll be looking at how background knowledge, vocabulary and oral language might just our best bets for accelerating student learning. Join us to learn Why Words Matter, in our second season of 8 with 8, starting March 5, 2021.

Head, Hands and Heart: What does this have to do with community engagement?  Join Michelle and Stephanie for 8 minutes to find out!

Co-hosts: Michelle Smith and Stephanie Denham, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources:

Community Involvement in Positive Behavior Support

Community Wide PBIS Checklist

Educators agree that it is critical for schools to build strong and positive relationships with the families they serve.  What barriers get in the way, and how can schools expand beyond traditional ways of involving families? Jenine and Michelle share two strategies and a 6-point framework (for a total of 8 takeaways) to get schools thinking creatively, as we continue this season's exploration of Ramping Up Relationships.

Co-Hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director and Michelle Smith, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

11 Easy Tips to Really Engage with Families

An Inventory of Present Practices of School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center - Family Resources

Staff relationships matter in schools. Join Stacey and Stephanie in this short 8 minute look into research and district examples that highlight the power of staff relationships.

Co-hosts: Stacey Smith and Stephanie Denham, SST8 consultants

Additional Resources:

In this interview, Dr. Stephanie Martinez from the Florida PBIS project discusses strategies to foster relationships with students in a remote learning environment.  She recommends practices for all tiers of the PBIS framework and restorative practices.

Co-host: Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 consultant

About Our Guest: Stephanie Martinez is a Technical Assistance Specialist at the Florida PBIS Project at the University of South Florida. Dr. Martinez provides training and technical assistance to districts around Tier 1, Tier 2, Classroom Coaching and 4 step problem solving to address disproportionality. She recently completed the coursework for certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. Prior to coming to the project she worked as a Special Education Teacher and a Placement Specialist. Her current research interests include implementation of school-wide PBIS in urban schools and secondary schools, Tier 2 supports, classroom supports and disproportionate discipline.

Additional Resources:

Did you know that the relationships you build with your students today could impact the lives of their great-grandchildren? Stacey and our guest Missy McClain discuss the connection of relationships to the brain, trauma and mental health.  Hear some ideas and strategies that you can implement immediately to intentionally build relationships with students.

Co-Host: Stacey Smith, SST8 consultant

Guest: Missy McClain is the Community Education Program Coordinator at Akron Children's Hospital.  She has spent the last 14 years traveling across the state presenting on trauma-informed care, the power of relationships and alternatives to traditional school discipline. Find Missy on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest: @followmissy.

Additional Resource: Banking Time - ECE Virginia

Building, and keeping relationships in a remote setting is different, but doable. Stephanie and Heidi share easy and practical strategies, in under 8 minutes, for making this happen in your classroom.

Co-hosts: Stephanie Denham and Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 consultants

Additional Resources:

Did you know that teachers' relationships with their students is directly linked to the amount of joy versus anxiety they experience in class? Join Heidi and Stephanie, two SST8 PBIS consultants, as they share research on the power of student and teacher relationships and strategies for making that happen.

Co-hosts: Heidi Kerchenski and Stephanie Denham, SST8 consultants

Additional Resources: 

Success in teaching and learning is a moving target, now more than ever.  Join us on 8 with 8, a podcast from Ohio State Support Team Region 8, for brief episodes chock full of ideas for supporting students, educators, and learning systems. You’ll hear from SST8 consultants and some of our favorite speakers, writers, and thinkers in education. Our first season, brought to you by our PBIS team, is called Ramping Up Relationships, and our first episode drops Friday, January 8th. Subscribe now on your favorite podcasting app, or visit https://sst8.org/podcast.aspx.