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Martha Holden Jennings Foundation SPR ING 2 0 11

ProExcellentia

Manipulating Math Kindergartners at Brimfield Elementary learn simple

addition by playing an assortment of math games.

They have their hands into math from all angles with

the new interactive materials added to their classroom.

(see story pg. 9)

Pro Excellentia is moving online! This is our last

printed edition. Seepage 15 to receivefuture issues.

The purpose of the Martha Holden

Jennings Foundation is “to foster the develop-

ment of young people to the maximum extent

through improving the quality of teaching in

secular elementary and secondary schools in

Ohio.” Pro Excellentia is published to

describe a sampling of those efforts in six

key areas:

We ask that you please share this copy

with colleagues who may gain valuable informa-

tion and ideas from articles covered in this

publication.

Editor: Mary Kay Binder

www.mhjf.org

Mathematics, Science & Technology

Language Literacy

Arts Education

Educator Development

Leadership Skills for Administrators

Other Student Services

2

2010 Teacher Awardseducator

excellence

P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 11

Leslie Leverone Finneytown High School

Arthur S. Holden Teacher

Award for Excellence in

Science Education

Through a digital sto-

rytelling project, Dr. Leverone’s students are

working to find chemistry in their everyday

lives. Students are required to select a local

merchant and uncover how chemistry

affects that business in some way and then

create a digital story about it. At a landscap-

ing company, one student studied a plant

that has been used to help treat cancer.

Another investigated the chemical makeup

of bowling balls and how the lanes at the

bowling alleys are treated. A third researched

the chemistry in a protein powder sold at a

local health food store.

“This project makes them an expert on a

small area of chemistry and empowers them

to learn,” says Dr. Leverone. “I want them

to see that chemistry is everywhere. If they

are looking for a career in chemistry they

might not just be pouring liquids in a lab.

“My job is not always sheer academics,”

she continues. “They need to take some-

thing more away from my class, such as

research skills and creativity.”

Rebecca GallimoreMason Middle School

Master Teacher Award

The language arts

department at Mason

Middle School has been

striving to develop a culture of readers and

writers who demonstrate a love for language

and value many perspectives. With the

Jennings award, Mrs. Gallimore is now able

to fully develop, within her classroom, a cul-

ture that engages students in “living literacy”

opportunities. Students are selecting and

reading “hot off the press” Young Adult

fiction and non-fiction books that are written

from a variety of perspectives. They are dis-

cussing characters, writing styles, voice,

and the writer’s craft. They have created fic-

titious Facebook pages for main characters

and are using Netbooks and iPads to con-

tact authors with relevant, professional

questions.

“I’m really trying to develop their love

and their curiosity about reading,” says Mrs.

Gallimore. “This class started the year not

very passionate about reading. But I’m see-

ing an increase in their willingness to read.

As we are sharing about the books, I don’t

even have to promote them. They are com-

pletely enthralled by what they are reading.”

Kimberly PuckettTri-Village Jr./Sr. High

School, New Madison

George B. Chapman, Jr.

Teacher Award for

Excellence in

Mathematics Education

In an effort to boost students’ interest

in math and science, Mrs. Puckett has

used the award to open an innovative

STEM Center in the K-12 building on the

Tri-Village campus. The center’s purpose is

to inspire, equip, and empower students to

successfully participate in STEM-related

activities. The center is open an hour

before school and attracts 30-35 students

every day from kindergarten through high

school. Students participate in design

challenges and create 3D models, build

and program LEGO robots, record music

in a sound studio, design web pages, and

create videos. Parents set up a variety of

activities for the students to work on and

assist Mrs. Puckett is helping them

complete their challenges.

“My big hope is that we start to break

down that fear barrier with math, that math

becomes something that is totally doable

and attainable,” explains Mrs. Puckett.

“What we’re really trying to do is breed

within them a love for science and math.”

3 P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 11

A unique program that combines

science and economics is engaging

students in grades 2-8 at William Howard

Taft Elementary School in Cincinnati. Under

the direction of representatives from the

Economics Center at the University of

Cincinnati, Taft 8th graders spent several

science classes creating “products” to sell

to younger students from their school.

The items were sold at the 2nd Annual Taft

Elementary Science Night held at the

Cincinnati Museum Center in March. (During

this event, students and their families

are treated to a museum visit where they

make science products, participate in

health-related demonstrations, and enjoy

the exhibits and displays.)

This is the second year the Economics

Center has partnered with Taft, a designat-

ed STEM school, on the “Science Squad”

project. The Center received a grant

from the Jennings Foundation to launch

the program in 2009-2010, which aims to

foster a mentoring relationship between

older and younger students through a

joint science / economics activity.

Greater Cincinnati Center for Economics Education

This year’s science products carried

a medical theme due to the collaboration

with Christ Hospital, which is located a

short walking distance from Taft School.

Working in teams, the 8th graders learned

to make animals out of plastic hospital

gloves; bracelets with different colored

beads representing traits in a child’s DNA;

and harmonicas assembled from rubber

bands and tongue depressors. Each

group packaged the materials needed to

make the toys in small plastic bags,

which they sold to younger students for

“school money” during the Science Night.

Part of the 8th graders’ assignment was to

create a poster advertising their business

to attract shoppers to their booth at the

museum. They also were required to help

the younger children make the products

with their parents to take home with them

that evening.

The 8th graders were in competition

with each other to win a $25 gift certificate

for creating an attractive display and being

good role models.

While the older students acquired some

fundamental economic skills related to

entrepreneurship, the younger students

learned the value of earning money. Prior

to the night at the museum, the youngsters

earned “school money” for making positive

choices in the classroom, such as regular

attendance and academic improvement.

They used a mock debit card to make their

purchases at the 8th graders’ booths,

with the hopes that they would grasp the

difference between spending money they

already earned as opposed to borrowing

money on a credit card that has to be

paid back.

“We want the children to realize the

power of their earnings,” remarks Valerie

Krugh, Student Enterprise Director for

the Economics Center and the project’s

director.

“Our tag line for kids is: ‘Life is aboutchoices andchoices haveconsequences.’ That’s basically what economics is distilled into a very simple statement.”

Beyond the science and economics

lessons this project imparts, Dr. Krugh

values the mentoring experience it

promotes. “Taft is a K-8 building and one

of its hardest hurdles is to show that it’s

okay for the little guys to be with the big

guys,” she explains. “The parents see that

the big guys are doing nice things with the

little ones. They are patient, tolerant, and

kind. So it breaks down barriers and the

parents appreciate having the older stu-

dents in the building.”

For more information:Dr. Valerie Krugh, Director, Student EnterpriseEconomics Center 90 West Daniels, PO Box 210223Cincinnati, Ohio 45221

Using rubberbands and tonguedepressors, 8thgraders producehomemade har-monicas, whichthey will “sell” toyounger studentsat a school-widescience night.

Science, Economics, and Mentorship

4P R O E X C E L L E N T I A • S P R I N G 2 0 11

“I taught math for years the conventional way. It was always, ‘Don’t ask mewhy, just do it my way.’ ThenI went to an Investigationsworkshop and this light bulb went off in my head. Ithought, ‘If it makes sense tome all of a sudden, howcould it not make sense tothe children?’”

These are the comments of 27-year

teaching veteran Cathy Allen, a fifth grade

mathematics teacher at Frank Ohl Middle

School in Austintown. Mrs. Allen and her

colleagues are learning to teach mathemat-

ics through a research-based program that

stresses hands-on exercises and

real-life problem-solving, a major paradigm

shift for teachers in this district just west

of Youngstown. The goals are to meet the

needs of all children and ensure that

students master the fundamentals, develop

a better understanding of concepts, and

become proficient in higher level, 21st

century mathematical skills.

With support from the Jennings

Foundation, the district has provided on-

going, embedded professional develop-

ment for K-6 teachers throughout the dis-

trict. This is helping teachers make the shift

from traditional to constructivist teaching

and to re-orient their thinking as to how

children learn mathematics.

Carol Kuchta, Austintown District

Mathematics Coach, says the district

began to react when teachers noticed stu-

dents entering Austintown Middle School

lacking certain math skills. To address this

concern, the district formed a committee to

examine how teachers were teaching math,

Austintown Local Schools

analyze students’ test scores, and research

new teaching methods that would help

teachers meet the needs of all students.

The outcome was the purchase of the

Investigations math program.

“Our plan was to teach math in a way

that the standards stated in order to get

the students to understand each concept

well beyond the level that they previously

did,” says Mrs. Kuchta. For most teachers

this required taking a long hard look at how

they teach, and more importantly, how

children learn.

Investigations is a complete K-5 curricu-

lum designed to help all children under-

stand fundamental ideas of numbers and

operations, geometry, data, measurement,

and early algebra. To develop a better

understanding of these concepts, students

explore ideas by using objects, drawing,

building, acting out, explaining to each

other, and looking for patterns.

“Research shows that many more

children can become proficient in math if

we teach it in a way that makes sense to

them,” explains Mrs. Kuchta. “Some

students just can’t learn sitting in a

classroom with a lecture. They need to

experience and investigate it. We believe

that if we use a variety of methods to

teach, we will make math accessible to all

children.”

Mrs. Kuchta purchased “boxes and

boxes” of materials for each age group,

which the teachers now use daily. Today

when she walks into a classroom, instead

of seeing rows of desks and students

listening to a lecture, she finds tables

pushed together and students working,

communicating, and reasoning out

problems together.

In a recent 4th grade classroom

students were learning to classify triangles.

Rather than working with two-dimensional

drawings on a worksheet, the students

were manipulating plastic triangles to study

the shapes from every possible angle.

“My students say this is much easier to

understand because they can pick up the

triangle and move it around,” says their

Math that Makes Sense

Ms. Hetmanski oversees studentsidentifying trianglesin a 4th grade mathclass.


teacher Adrienne Hetmanski. She adds that

because the students are more involved in

the lesson they pay more attention.

“When I first began teach-ing it was more skill and drillall based on algorithms,”comments Frank Pugliese,who also teaches 4th grademath. “Now they actuallybuild a foundation. The waythe lessons are set up there’smore hands-on, more discov-ery. They are now able toexplain what they are doingand why they are doing it.

“It’s only been three years since the

program began and we can see a differ-

ence already,” he adds. “They come to 4th

grade being able to do much more than

they used to.”

Another goal of the new mathematics

program is to make sure children master

fundamental skills by teaching strategies

that help students remember them. “Our

program is a blend of the new and the old

so that we have a balanced approach to

mathematics,” explains Mrs. Kuchta. “The

problem solving and discovery are the

ways that students make sense of math,

but we also believe that practice of skills is

important.”

Finally, the district’s program aims to

help all students develop higher level math

skills needed for 21st century problem-

solving. “They have to know multiplication

facts, but they have to know more than

multiplication facts; they need opportuni-

ties to think and reason with mathematics,”

says Mrs. Kuchta. “In our program, they

problem solve, communicate, and

reason with mathematics. They find rela-

tionships and connections using patterns.

They must really understand the concept in

order to make those connections.”

Mrs. Kuchta admits that it has taken

time for teachers to make the shift in their

teaching and explains that the district has

implemented the program gradually,

beginning with grades K-1 and eventually

working up to the 6th grade. An important

part of that process has been weekly grade

level meetings at each building as well as

quarterly meetings when teachers from all

buildings in the district meet to discuss

what is going on in their classrooms.

Currently, Mrs. Kuchta is one of four math-

ematics coaches working with teachers

throughout the district.

Support from the Jennings Foundation,

she says, has been invaluable to the

Mr. Pugliese says thestress level in hismath classes is verylow because learningtakes place in anopen environmentwhere students feelfree to explore andask questions.

process. Grant funds have provided

trainers, classroom materials, math literacy

books, materials for parent nights,

professional development books, and

videos, among others.

“The education model that for decades

prepared students for success in life no

longer meets students’ needs,” Mrs.

Kuchta says. “We must prepare students

for a future that even we as educators do

not understand. We can’t just focus on

their success in school and their scores.

We must prepare them for a future in a time

of drastic change in the world.

“We, as educators, mustalso be learners.We plan tobe creative and collaborativein providing the most effec-tive learning experiences for all children.”

For more information:Mrs.Carol KuchtaAustintown District Mathematics CoachAustintown Local Schools700 S. Raccoon RoadAustintown, Ohio 44515


Several years ago, educators from

five southeast Ohio institutions of higher

education decided they could accomplish

far more for the benefit of children in their

region by working together than they ever

could working on their own. At that time

they formed the Southeast Ohio Teacher

Development Collaborative (SEOTDC) and

have been meeting regularly ever since.

“We started having a conversation and

one thing led to the next, and we…decided

that this was the direction we needed to

go as a region to better serve the needs of

the schools, the students, and the

teachers,” says Paul Madden, Chairperson

and Associate Professor, Department of

Teacher Education, Shawnee State

University, thinking back to the beginnings

of the Collaborative.

Representatives from the five institu-

tions of higher education have been

working in tandem with area K-12 repre-

sentatives, including teachers, principals,

superintendents, and other instructional

leaders, to identify areas of strength and

concern for the region as they relate to

teacher quality, recruitment, and retention.

The Collaborative’s ultimate concern is

student success, and its strategy for

addressing this concern is to guarantee

high quality teachers in all southeast Ohio

schools.

Renée Middleton, Professor and

Dean, The Patton College of Education

and Human Services, Ohio University,

comments on some of the issues being

addressed by the Collaborative.

“There is no question that the southeast

Ohio region is under resourced. That’s a

challenge. And sometimes I think we get

lost in that,” she remarks.

Southeast Ohio Teacher Development Collaborative

“But what SEOTDC

does is collec-tively find ways

to work together torise above those challenges.SEOTDC looks at the regionand uses the assets of theregion to rise above the challenges. And that’s astrength.”

In 2010, the Jennings Foundation

approved a grant that provided funding for

SEOTDC to work on three initiatives:

“The Jennings Foundation really gave

us the seed money to be able to engage in

the activities that we wanted to do to help

us meet our program goals,” explains Dr.

Madden.

With grant funding, the Collaborative

held a workshop last November to focus

on the strengths of the Appalachian region.

It was attended by school administrators,

classroom teachers, university faculty, and

representatives from educational service

centers. Currently, a team is working to

design a series of three high quality, online

professional development modules where

educators can learn about the new stan-

dards for the teaching profession. And a

group of field and clinical experience

coordinators from the different institutions

are developing specific selection criteria for

teachers who are going to serve as men-

tors to student teachers.

“We have five institutions working

together to provide services to help meet

the expectations [placed upon us],” says

Dr. Madden, describing what he believes is

the Collaborative’s greatest success.

“We’re able to draw uponthe resources that we eachbring to the table. We’re ableto reduce duplication ofefforts. And ultimately, I thinkthe most amazing part of thisis just pulling folks togetherto give them an opportunityto talk to oneanother aboutprofessionalissues. Andthat’s atremendoushelp.”

For more information:Dr. Renée Middleton Ohio University, The Patton College of Education

and Human Services, McCracken Hall 133

Athens, Ohio 45701

Collaboration Benefits Students

instituting reforms of teacher educa-

tion– from initial preparation through

residency–that reflect the spirit of

House Bill 1 and the Ohio Board of

Regents’ mandate for accountability

of teacher preparation;

designing and delivering professional

development to teachers in the region

through the use of an online portal;

and

convening a two-day stakeholders’

workshop on “Appalachia from an

Assets Perspective.”

SEOTDC Members

• Marietta College

• Muskingum University

• Ohio University

• Rio Grande University

• Shawnee State University

•

•

•

Blueprint: College 2.0 Topics

• College Bound: the parents’ role ineducation; the different types of schoolsand degrees available; the benefits ofhigher education; college admissionsprocess; financial aid

• College Prep Basics: discussion ofOhio core curriculum and what academiccoursework colleges prefer; explanation ofand preparation for standardized testing

• Money Matters: financial literacytraining; the basics of savings and planning financially for college; overviewof the federal financial aid process

• Find the Right Fit: variety of higher education options available; finding an option where the students will be successful


Educators at The Ohio State University

(OSU) are starting early to help families in the

Columbus City Schools prepare for college.

Many of these students lack the parental

guidance to navigate them through the

complex planning process or the available

resources and assistance to make college

affordable. Two programs, Blueprint: College

and Blueprint: College 2.0, were developed to

alleviate these challenges. They empower

parents by working with families during their

children’s elementary and middle school

years to plan for the future.

“We have become increasingly more

mindful of the importance of college plan-

ning services both early and often in order

to change college readiness measures for

students and families,” explains Amy

Wade, Assistant Director, Undergraduate

Admissions and First Year Experience,

OSU, who helped develop both programs

after researching successful college aware-

ness programs throughout the country.

“It’s very, very clear in theresearch that you’ve got towork with the parents andyou’ve got to get them beforetheir kids make the transitionto middle school or highschool for them to be on theright path as far as collegereadiness goes,” she says.

The Ohio State University /Columbus City Schools

OSU began offering its initial program,

Blueprint: College, to parents of students in

grades K-5 several years ago. Through a

series of informative sessions, the goal is to

familiarize the adults with the academic and

financial requirements associated with

higher education. At the same time, the

children learn age-appropriate college

planning lessons that mirror topics covered

in the parent curriculum. Most of the

participants are low income, minority

families whose children will be first

generation college students.

Recently, a grant from the Jennings

Foundation allowed OSU to expand its

reach to middle school families by creating

Blueprint: College 2.0. This program also

serves as an initial introduction to the

importance of pre-college planning.

Workshops are offered to those who have

“graduated” from Blueprint: College as well

as interested newcomers. In 2010-2011,

the program was held at three different

sites in Columbus in an effort to reach

more families in their own neighborhoods.

While the parents attend evening sessions

designed for them, OSU students and

Americorps volunteers work with their

children on interactive activities also related

to the college planning process.

In addition to attending the seminars,

7th and 8th graders can tour the OSU

campus in the spring and take a practice

ACT test to learn key areas to work on

before taking the exam in high school.

After completing the program, Dr. Wade

hopes parents understand that there are

many options available in higher education.

She wants them to grasp the importance of

finding the right fit for their children so they

will not only gain admission to college but

will be successful and graduate.

Dr. Wade also believes it is very impor-

tant that parents recognize early on that

college can be affordable. “We have

learned from our parents that we need to

frontload this information,” she remarks,

explaining that they now discuss financial

aid packages during the first session to

ease parents’ concerns about affordability.

“It’s hard finding your way around every-

thing else if you’re not really sure college

could be affordable for your family.”

About to complete its second year,

Blueprint: College 2.0 is currently reaching

400 Columbus families with this important

planning process.

“This program opens upconversations [parents andchildren] were not having intheir home prior to this time,”remarks Dr. Wade. “I want parents to understand theirrole in this process. They dohave a lot of opportunity tobe influential.”

For more information:Dr. Amy WadeUndergraduate and First Year ExperienceThe Ohio State University134 Enarson Hall, 154 West 12th AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43210

Designing a Blueprint for CollegeSuccess

Blueprint: College Topics

• College Planning Starts Now

• Academic Fundamentals

• College Financing and Savings

• Admissions 101

• Make College Happen

8

Technology Transforms Teaching

Norton High School

“Last year I didn’t have any of this,” she explains, referring

to the teaching tools that have become an integral part of her

day-to-day instruction. “Nothing was interactive. I had to put

everything on the overhead. I had to type it up. I had to run

copies for all the students. It really wasn’t exciting.”

Mrs. Olivieri now uses the Mimio® for daily assignments,

requiring the students to conjugate verbs, put paragraphs in

order, identify the day, date, and weather. They also complete

matching activities and fill in the blank questions. When reviewing

for a chapter test, the students play a variety of interactive

games based on popular TV shows such as Jeopardy, Wheel of

Fortune, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The projection system also allows Mrs. Olivieri to show videos

on a large scale rather than a small TV mounted in the corner of

the room. She adds that the Mimio® enables her to use all the

resources that accompany the textbook – such as videos and the

grammar tutor – to their full potential.

“Although the textbook is the primary teaching tool, I want my students to be able to go outside of the book; I want them to be able to make connections to real life,” says Mrs. Olivieri.

For more information contact: Mrs. Amy Olivieri, Norton High School4128 South Cleveland-Massillon Road, Norton, Ohio 44203

TO APPLY FOR A GRANT Application forms for the Grants-to-Educators program can be obtained from the Foundation’s Web site, www.mhjf.org. No other forms will

be accepted. To apply, please follow the procedures explained on the Web site. The Foundation’s Distribution Committee reviews applications ten months a year (not in

July or December). Applications must be submitted by the 20th of the preceding month to be considered. Action on requests is generally communicated within two months.

Technology hasadded an interac-tive learning toolto Mrs. Olivieri’sSpanish classes,engaging studentsin daily lessons.

Technology is transforming Amy Olivieri’s teaching. A Spanish

instructor at Norton High School, Mrs. Oliveiri applied for a Grant-

to-Educators to obtain state-of-the-art technology to create inter-

active lessons that engage students in 21st century learning.

“In the classroom, students tend to excel when instruction is

realistic, hands-on, and collaborative,” explains Mrs. Olivieri, who

teaches 115 Spanish I students in four classes.

“Conversely, many students shut down when the textbook is the sole method ofinstruction.”

With the Jennings grant, Mrs. Olivieri purchased digital soft-

ware that includes an interactive game show series, flashcards,

world maps, and a Globe Trekker DVD set. In addition she acquired

the Mimio® interactive, which allows her to project this software

on a large whiteboard in front of the classroom. Using a Mimio®

tablet, which serves as a notebook size portable mouse, students

can “write” answers to questions from their desks, which then

appear on the whiteboard for the entire class to view. Mrs. Olivieri

can use the tablet to teach from any location in the classroom, as

opposed to writing on a chalkboard with her back to her stu-

dents.

The software and Mimio® equipment arrived at the high school

in June and Mrs. Olivieri spent the summer learning how to use it.

During the break, she also re-designed her lessons to make use

of the technology, keeping them aligned with Ohio’s Academic

Content Standards for Foreign Language.


grants to educators

9

Materials Help KindergartnersHandle Math

Brimfield Elementary School

“Pencil and paper tasks are not for kindergartners,” remarks

Judy Jones, a veteran kindergarten teacher who has been teach-

ing tiny learners for the past 14 years. “Probably 99 percent of

the time you walk into one of our kindergarten classrooms the

children are now doing something hands on.”

Ms. Jones is one of five kindergarten teachers at Brimfield

Elementary School in the Field Local School District, a growing

district south of Kent. She joined three grade level colleagues last

year (the fifth teacher was hired at the end of the summer) to

apply for a Grant-to-Educators to stock their classrooms with

much needed math manipulatives. The supplies would serve three

purposes: to help kindergartners meet the state standards; to

supplement the classroom learning centers; and to be used by

classroom assistants to tutor individual students.

The teachers met as a group one day last summer to com-

plete the grant application. “We spent 5-6 hours going through

the content standards and our current math supplies, which are

very, very few,” explains Kimberly Clements, who has been teach-

ing for 17 years but is a first year kindergarten teacher. They

determined where their current supplies were deficient and creat-

ed a list of manipulatives that would help them reach their goals.

With grant funds the teachers were able to purchase a variety

of materials focusing on the following math topics: patterning,

measurement, money, geometry, and number operations. They

ordered daily math calendars; magnetic money, numbers and

shapes; math sequencing puzzles; hands-on games; math boxes;

and books. Today, the teachers share all materials although they

are housed in individual classrooms.

“It takes a lot of time to make or accumulate all of the things

you need to teach kindergarten,” explains Nicole Babble, a sec-

ond year teacher who spent $1,000 of her own money last year

for extra teaching supplies. “The grant has given me a head start

on the materials I need.”

The two veteran teachers were just as eager to obtain the

new, up-to-date supplies, which now supplement many home-

made products they created over the years and still use in their

instruction. “It’s just easier to teach when you have the right

materials,” comments Judy Smeiles, who has been teaching

kindergarten for 19 years.

All teachers like that the hands-on materials give students the

opportunity to be independent. Once the children are taught how

to use and take care of them, they can take responsibility for their

own learning. They are able to play the games without assistance

and explore new ways to use the materials.

Ms. Clements is very appreciative to the Foundation for

awarding the grant and for trusting the teachers to “customize”

purchases to fit their needs.

“The Foundation allows us to be the professionals,”she remarks. “They trust us to purchase what weknow will make the best use of the monies.

“Our team is very efficient and effective,” she continues. “We

are successful at working together to meet our students’ needs.

Now that we have the materials we can provide our students with

concrete, hands-on experiences with up-to-date materials.

“We are all better teachers when we have the proper tools to

reach and maximize each student’s potential.”

For more information contact: Ms. Judy Smeiles, Brimfield Elementary School

4170 State Rt. 43, Kent, Ohio 44240


Now a staple in eachkindergarten classroom,the big daily math calendars are beingused to teach a varietyof math and scienceconcepts.


Learning From an InternationalPerspective

Walk down any hallway at Mercer

Elementary School in Shaker Heights and

the message is unmistakable: Mercer has

gone global. Signs written in Mandarin

Chinese mark each teacher’s classroom.

Clocks tell the current time in London,

Cairo, New Delhi, and Beijing. A display

cabinet showcases dolls dressed in the

native costumes of India, Australia, Japan,

Israel, and Kenya. Books written in

Spanish, Arabic, and Pashtu can be found

on library shelves, and colorful flags from

countries around the world hang from the

ceiling in the gymnasium.

“Part of being an international school

is looking like an international school,”

explains Principal J. Lindsay Florence,

while hosting a tour of the building and

pointing out many examples of how

students, teachers, and administrators

exhibit an international-mindedness in

day-to-day school life.

Mercer is not alone in displaying its

global spirit. Similar examples can be

found in schools throughout Shaker

Heights now that the district has adopted

the highly regarded International

Baccalaureate Program (IB) for all grade

levels. The program aims to prepare stu-

dents for higher education, career success,

and life in an age of growing international

dependence.

IB was founded by educators in

Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 to provide a

consistent, high-quality educational pro-

gram for international families. Over the

years, its applicability and value for stu-

dents of all backgrounds led to adoption

by schools all over the world. Only schools

that have been thoroughly vetted by the IB

Organization can earn official designation

as International Baccalaureate World

Schools. Its rigorous curriculum empha-

sizes creative problem-solving, hands-on

projects, inquiry-based learning, and com-

munity service.

IB is offered at three educational levels

through the Primary Years (K-4), Middle

Years (5-10), and Diploma programmes

(11-12). Schools can offer the program at

one, two, or all three levels. Shaker Heights

is the first school district in Greater

Cleveland to adopt IB at all three levels.

“This approach to education aligns

with the district’s mission and our commit-

ment to educate our students for life, work,

and citizenship in the 21st century,” writes

Superintendent Mark Freeman in a grant

request to the Jennings Foundation to sup-

port implementation of IB’s Middle Years

Programme.

“IB’s emphasis on professional development, international-mindedness,and the importance of nurturing positive andrespectful attitudes amongstudents is significantlychanging both teaching andlearning in our classrooms.”

IB does not replace anything in the

current curriculum. Students continue to

learn traditional subjects, meeting all state

academic content standards. Yet, at all

levels subjects are interconnected and

taught from a global outlook.

The hallways ofMercer ElementarySchool are filled withsamples of studentwork that showcaseIB themes. These 4thgraders are dis-cussing quilt squaresthey designed toreflect how their cultural beliefs andvalues impact theway they live.

He explains that all teachers in the

district received training; administrators

have attended national workshops; con-

sultants are helping to write curriculum;

and teachers are given planning time to

work with coordinators.

“It's a holistic way of teaching and helps

us understand better how students learn,”

says 4th grade teacher Maria Baker, who

has been teaching for 23 years. “The

students experience learning--they have

ideas, they ask more questions, and they

investigate to find the answers.

“This just becomes a part of what we

do,” she continues. “Even though it's

something new and really big for us,

because the district gives us planning time,

it's very doable for everyone.”

Sue Starrett, Director of Development

for the Shaker Schools Foundation, has

been deeply impressed with the benefits

of the IB program, stressing that it is

designed to enrich the learning of all

students.

“This is a wonderful way to respond

to diversity,” she remarks. “It has been a

revolutionary process for us; we are

rethinking everything we do.”

For more information:Dr. James PacesShaker Heights City School District15600 Parkland Drive, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120


Maria Baker, who teaches these 4th graders, says the IB programallows students to take ownershipof what they are learning: “It’s muchless teacher talk and much morekid talk. Every student has a chanceto participate; kids lead the discussions and they make a lot of connections.”

Shaker Heights City Schools

“Teachers write the curricu-lum using the framework of the IB program,” says Mr. Florence. “That’s veryimportant because it helpsensure that it is going to be taught and that teachersare buying into what’s takingplace in the classroom.”

Students are encouraged to develop

the ten attributes of an IB Learner: Inquirer,

Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator,

Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-

Taker, Balanced, and Reflective. At Mercer

these attributes are painted on walls,

displayed in classrooms, and entrenched

in all aspects of school life.

“What I think is fascinating about IB is

that across grade levels we are focusing

on students’ attitudes in addition to the

attributes,” remarks James Paces, Shaker’s

Executive Director of Curriculum. Words

such as appreciative, committed, confident,

cooperative, enthusiastic, and independent

define these attitudes. IB, he says, teaches

and encourages young people to be

positive, informed, and contributing world

citizens.

“We do anything we can to embed that

verbiage in what the children are learning,”

explains Barbara Rose, a third grade

teacher and Mercer’s International

Baccalaureate Coordinator. “This is a huge

change in the school, but teachers are

embracing it. Everybody wants to be

involved and I think everybody recognizes

that this is good for Shaker; it’s good for

our district.”

“The shift [to IB] has beena challenge for teachers,”admits Mr. Florence.“But whatI think is really important isthat the district is so support-ive in making that change.”

Ten Attributes of an IB Learner:

• Inquirer• Knowledgeable• Thinker• Communicator• Principled• Open-Minded• Caring• Risk-Taker• Balanced• Reflective


Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools / Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools

Districts Share Science Lessons

In June 2010, the Ohio Department of

Education refined new K-12 science stan-

dards which are more limited in

breadth/scope but require deeper content

understanding. The focus is upon embed-

ding scientific inquiry, technological

design, and 21st century skills into the

teaching and learning of science content.

Rebecca Quinn, Director of Curriculum

for the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools,

recognized that many teachers currently

teaching K-8 science are Elementary or

Primary certified and may have had little

college coursework in specific science

content, making it more of a challenge to

meet these new standards.

“There’s a huge gap at the elementary

level not only with teachers understanding

science content, but also with them under-

standing how to accomplish hands-on,

inquiry-based lessons,” says Ms. Quinn,

who began working in W-E last fall. “It’s not

that they don’t want to teach it, there’s just

a lot of discomfort because they never

learned it the first time themselves.”

Before taking on the new role in W-E,

Ms. Quinn had just completed a successful

Jennings-funded initiative with middle

school science teachers in the Cleveland

Heights-University Heights Schools District

(CH-UH). During the 2009-2010 school year,

CH-UH teachers in grades 6-10 worked with

a national McREL consultant to improve

science instruction in their classrooms. The

consultant engaged teachers in inquiry-

based science lessons, coached them in

lesson design, guided them in the integra-

tion of technology with their lessons, and

encouraged them to collaborate via their

Wiki page. The positive results prompted

Ms. Quinn to design a similar experience for

elementary teachers in W-E. But she did

so in collaboration with their counterparts

from her former district.

With a grant from the Jennings

Foundation she set out to connect and

engage teachers from both areas in inquiry-

based, hands-on learning in science. By

connecting an urban and suburban district,

she believed students and teachers would

be able to share resources and access

learning beyond their neighborhoods.

While the two districts have notable

differences (i.e. demographics and student

achievement histories), the teachers realize

that they share the same struggles and

teach the same content. “Everyone is in the

same boat feeling like they are not prepared

to teach science,” Ms. Quinn remarks.

To address this anxiety, she brought

elementary teachers from both districts

together and re-enlisted the expertise of

the national consultant from McREL. He

engaged them in the 6-part professional

development program, Designing Effective

Science Instruction (DESI), which is aimed

at increasing the quality of science lessons

with strategies teachers can use immediate-

ly in their classroom. Through collaborative

work, teachers were pushed to vertically

align with colleagues in other grade levels

to co-construct lessons, labs, and other

teaching tools.

“This program is quite rigorous, it’s like

taking a college course,” says Ms. Quinn,

explaining that teachers who participated in

all six sessions and completed all the

assignments could earn graduate credit for

the course. “This was an extra incentive for

teachers to show up, work hard, and be

involved.”

Through the process, the teachers built

professional relationships and friendships.

“We’re a very isolated profession,”

comments Chad VanArnhem, a 5th grade

teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in

Eastlake. “We very seldom get to talk with

teachers from other buildings or other

districts. It’s nice to share ideas as to what

we’re doing. We can bounce ideas off each

other and learn some new things.”

Mr. VanArnhem adds that he looks for-

ward to participating in professional devel-

opment opportunities like this program. “It’s

tough to leave your classroom, but looking

at the big picture, if you can get some ideas

that benefit your students and help your

teaching, it’s worth it in the long run.”

The outcome of the teachers’ work is a

series of units addressing the science stan-

dards in grades 4-6. The units are currently

accessible on-line to those who participated

in the program. Ms. Quinn is in the process

of reviewing each to determine which she

will make available to everyone.

As another component of the Jennings

grant, a local consultant is also working with

both teaching staffs to ensure they have a

deep understanding of the content to be

taught in science within each grade level.

For more information:Ms. Rebecca Quinn Willoughby-Eastlake Board of Education 37047 Ridge Road, Willoughby, Ohio 44094

Chad VanArnhemposes with his 5thgrade students at LongfellowElementary Schoolin Eastlake afterconducting ademonstration onstatic electricity.


The Cleveland Museum of Art

Arts-Integrated Science and MathCurricula

You would not expect teachers to turn to

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) to help

them teach weather, the classification of ani-

mals, geology, statistics, or the Fibonacci

Sequence. Yet there are critical links among

art, science, and math that teachers can uti-

lize to connect with students who may learn

in less traditional ways.

“For awhile now we have been trying to

create art-infused curriculum with a variety

of schools,” explains Michael Starinsky,

Director of Public Programs, CMA. “This

particular year, we tried to gear that toward

science and math.”

With a grant from the Jennings

Foundation that spans the 2010-2011

school year, educators at CMA are working

with 13 Cleveland-area teachers in grades

K-12, and two consultants from Case

Western Reserve University, to develop

assess, and disseminate standards-based

curricula that connect math and science to

works of art in the museum’s collection.

Last fall, the teachers attended a work-

shop at the museum where they learned

about arts integration and participated in

hands-on laboratory experiments that

demonstrated ways to connect math and

science to art. They left with a list of ideas

and the determination to create a stan-

dards-based unit – either in science or

mathematics – that integrates objects from

the museum. This lesson is required to

incorporate a laboratory experience, which

CMA educators admit has been a difficult

challenge for the math teachers.

Throughout the following months, the

participants have been working hand-in-

hand with Seema Rao, Director of Creative

Content for the Lifelong Learning Center,

CMA. Ms. Rao is guiding them through the

process and suggesting possible art

objects that may relate to the lesson they

have in mind. Ultimately, the teachers make

the final selections.

“We are asking teachers to build what

they need in the classroom right now; that is

their task,” explains Ms. Rao. “We will work

with them to do that, pilot that, and get that

right. Then we have two consultants who will

transform [the lesson] into something can be

used [by a wider audience].”

“The teachers are the ones who really

know what works in their classroom,” adds

Mr. Starinsky. “They are the ones who

know what’s going to work for the curricu-

lum they’ve already got in place and then

for the curriculum we are asking them to

develop. The goal is to give them the

impetus to start with something they are

comfortable with, and from that point

create something that is more universal

that they can use in their classroom from

year to year.”

The materials developed in the project

will be rigorously evaluated through

surveys and focus groups of teachers and

students. Ultimately, the curricula will be

available to area educators through the

museum’s workshops and to educators

and students through CMA’s distance

learning program and Web site.

For more information:Mr. Michael Starinsky, Director of Public ProgramsThe Cleveland Museum of Art11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Students from SmithElementary School inBerea display a project designed tomerge art with classifying animals.


Xavier University

Academy Puts New Teachers at Ease

Sharing the trials and tribulations of

what it’s like to be a new teacher… getting

the support and reassurance that you are

doing okay… having a chance to bounce

ideas off each other.

After spending a full day in the class-

room, these are some of the reasons why

new teachers find the time and energy to

attend evening sessions of the New

Teacher Academy at Xavier University.

“I really find it valuable to talk to other

teachers and get their feedback,” says

Nicki Strehle, a kindergarten teacher at

Bond Hill Academy in the Cincinnati City

Schools. “Sometimes this is just what I

need to hear.”

A second year teacher, Ms. Strehle is

one of 44 first, second, and third year

teachers participating in the New Teacher

Academy during the 2010-2011 school

year. Developed by Assistant Professors

Delane Bender-Slack and Teresa Young,

the program addresses the need for

professional development for new

teachers, which was created in Ohio

through the passage of HB 1 in July 2009.

It has attracted teachers from every grade

level (K-12) and discipline in both public

and private schools in the Cincinnati area.

Drs. Bender-Slack and Young, who

serve as the program’s directors, received

a grant from the Jennings Foundation to

put the program in place. They researched

the needs of new teachers before develop-

ing topics and lining up guest speakers for

each session. Topics include communicat-

ing with parents, classroom management,

school law, differentiating instruction, and

setting professional goals.

“One of the things welearned is that professionaldevelopment for new teach-ers should be relevant, reasonable, and recurring,”says Dr. Bender-Slack.

She is referring to a symposium she

and Dr. Young attended where they gained

access to current research on teacher

induction and support programs from the

New Teacher Center. “These three things

are what we focused on as we were plan-

ning the Academy.”

The Academy is designed as a series

of six seminars spread throughout the

school year. Each session runs from

4:30-7:30 p.m. and is held on campus at

Xavier. At each one, teachers get a chance

to share with grade level colleagues about

what goes on day-to-day in their class-

rooms. They listen to guest speakers and

discuss concerns they may have about

various job responsibilities.

“This is not a replacementfor their mentors; this is to enhance what is already happening in their schools,”explains Dr. Young. “It provides a different kind ofsupport.”

“In each seminar we spend time taking

the pulse of the teachers,” explains Dr.

Bender-Slack, referring to a continuum on

the whiteboard where teachers mark their

level of stress when they arrive at each

seminar ranging from “totally cool” to

“very stressed.” The professors then talk

with the teachers about their anxiety level

and give them 15 minutes or so to relax

and chat with colleagues before presenting

the more formal aspects of the program.

The New Teacher Academy gives novice teachers an opportunityto learn from university professors and discuss their classroomexperiences with colleagues.


“I think there’s an expectation out there

that they are suppose to know how to do

everything,” says Dr. Young, commenting

on the varying degrees of anxiety felt by

the new teachers at different points

throughout the school year. “It’s okay to

not know all the answers when you are first

getting out there.”

Because the Academy is designed for

teachers in their first to third years, the

newer ones benefit from those with more

experience. “As third year teachers we can

relate because we know exactly what it is

like to go through what the newer ones are

experiencing,” remarks second grade

teacher Meredith Loechle.

“This is beneficial for us too because

we’re not as overwhelmed as first year

teachers,” adds Becca Gasiewicz, who has

also been teaching second grade for three

years. “We have a good perspective as to

what we can really use in the classroom and

go home with a lot of really good ideas.”

“It’s important for teachersto know that they are part of a professional community,”says Dr. Bender-Slack, com-menting on what she hopesteachers gain from theAcademy.

“Teaching as a profession is a very

isolating experience. You spend your day

with children and you don’t get a lot of

collaborative time with adults. It’s impor-

tant to understand that you are part of a

larger professional community and that you

can be empowered to find the support you

need to be successful in the classroom.”

“The whole idea,” adds Dr. Young, “is

to build a professional community that we

hope will last long after the Academy.”

For more information:Dr. Delane Bender-Slack or Dr. Teresa YoungXavier University, 3800 Victory ParkwayCincinnati, Ohio 45207

Well Wishes The Foundation honored Wilda Donegan in December 2010

for 25 years of service as an Educational Consultant. Mrs. Donegan

evaluated numerous arts grants during that time. Prior to her work

with the Foundation, she spent 34 years with the Cleveland schools

as Supervisor of Music and Fine Arts and as an instructor of vocal

and instrumental music at both the elementary and secondary levels.

Mrs. Donegan retired from the Foundation at the end of the year.

Two other Educational Consultants, Daniel Kalish and

Dora Jean Baumgarner, also retired from the Foundation in 2010.

A former Superintendent in the Lakewood City Schools, Dr. Kalish

served the Foundation as Executive Director from 1995-2001.

For the next 10 years he continued to support the Foundation’s

efforts as an advisor and evaluator. Dr. Baumgarner began her

service with the Foundation in 2002 upon retiring as Superintendent

of the Marietta City Schools. She spent eight years evaluating

grants primarily in the southeastern areas of Ohio. We appreciate the

efforts of these educators and wish them the best.

We Need Your E-Mail Address!Pro Excellentia is Moving Online

The Foundation is excited to announce our new method of

communicating with Ohio educators. In order to allocate more

resources to grant programs, we will discontinue printing and

mailing our publications and instead deliver our news to you

through your e-mail inbox.

If you are a superintendent or principal, we have your school

e-mail so you do not have to do anything further to subscribe.

All other recipients, please visit http://www.mhjf.org/proex.html

to enter your email address and you will receive our next issue of

Pro Excellentia via email.

You can always view our current and past issues on our Web site,

at http://www.mhjf.org/proex.html.

news & notes

Non-profitOrganization

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Cleveland, OhioPermit No. 2282

Martha Holden Jennings Foundation

The Halle Building1228 Euclid Avenue, Suite 710Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Mary Kay Binder, Editor

PRO EXCELLENT IA

Helping Teachersand Students Help Themselves

TechnologyEngagespage 9

Teaching Teacherspage 14

InternationalEnrichment

page 10

We are moving online!See page 15for details.

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