CH-UH Cited as Leader in 21st Century Skills

The Cleveland Heights–University Heights School District was recognized as a model for providing students with 21st Century skills. The Hanover Research Council, a research and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.,  recently released a report profiling 15 public school districts from across the country and two independent high schools in Ohio, all identified as providing students with 21st Century skills.

CH-UH and the other districts stood out for their traditionally high graduation rates, assessment scores, and attendance rates. Specifically, CH-UH was selected as a district that shows how an improving school system can use 21st Century skills to boost its performance.

“We are very proud to be featured in this report. It is our goal to constantly stay ahead of the curve on technology and programming to give our students the best education possible and prepare them for continuing education and our ever-changing workplace,” said Assistant Superintendent Joseph Micheller.

All school districts described in this report share several common characteristics with regards to 21st Century skills initiatives:
•Sophisticated technology programs
•Clear strategic goals for 21st Century skills implementation
•Innovative curriculum initiatives
•Explicit incorporation of 21st Century goals and commitment to preparing students for the 21st Century workplace and environment.

The Hanover Report highlighted some of the District’s programs that exemplified 21st Century learning. This included the “Preparing All Students for Success in a Global Economy” (PASSAGE) initiative, “One to One Teaching and Learning with Technology,” “Infinite Campus” technology for students, staff and parents, and the District’s documentary student film festival at Heights High School.

The analysis uses a Framework for 21st Century Learning developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, an advocacy organization with members from the business community, education leaders, and policymakers. The framework includes skills in three areas: Learning and Innovation; Information, Media and Technology; and Life and Career.

Here’s a full list of the skills and core subjects that are included in the framework:

Mastery of core subjects and 21st century themes is essential to student success. Core subjects include English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government and civics.

In addition, schools must promote an understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects:
• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health Literacy
• Environmental Literacy

Learning and Innovation Skills
Learning and innovation skills are what separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in today’s world and those who are not. They include:
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Technology Skills
Today, we live in a technology and media-driven environment, marked by access to an abundance of information, rapid changes in technology tools and the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. Effective citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills, such as:
• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

Life and Career Skills
Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability
to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires
students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills, such as:
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity and Accountability
• Leadership and Responsibility

Gearity’s Natalie Wester Named 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year

Gearity third-grade teacher Natalie Wester has been named the 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). “Natalie, our 2010 Teacher of the Year, excels at giving every student a strong foundation, recognizing hidden potential and guiding students to find excellence within,” said Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction (and former CH-UH Superintendent) Deborah Delisle.

In addition to teaching a third-grade class, Wester has served as a data liaison and been active in the professional learning community. She also has presented at the Model Schools Conference at the International Center for Leadership in Education. Last year, Gearity was selected as one of only eight elementary schools nationwide to be named a Model School by the center, in part due to Wester’s efforts.

“Believing in children, empowering them, and exciting and engaging them by stimulating their imaginations are key to my teaching philosophy,” Wester has said.

Wester’s belief that the teacher is the most important component for student learning has driven her to take a leadership role in teacher training and mentoring. She developed the concept for the New Teachers College’s Center for Cultural Competence and Teaching, an innovative, graduate-level teacher preparation program that has provided summer professional development workshops to private and public school educators. Since 2006, she has helped train, develop and serve as a role model for student teachers from John Carroll University.

Wester graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor of science degree and then earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. After a successful 22-year career in public relations and marketing, including 14 as president of her own advertising agency, Wester went back to school to obtain a master’s in education at Ursuline College. She made the decision to become a teacher because she wanted to help foster in every child “an unwavering confidence and belief in their own absolute genius.”

Outside of school, Wester is involved in the community, volunteering her time and talents with organizations including the United Way, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Shaker Heights Public Library and the Cleveland Scholarship Program.
The 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year was selected from nominations submitted by schools across the state. Nominations were reviewed by a statewide review panel composed of representatives from a wide range of professional organizations and school constituencies, including community and business representatives, elementary and secondary administrators, principals and teachers –including teachers who have been recognized for their excellent performance in the classroom.

The review panel chose five finalists and personally interviewed each of them before selecting Wester. The four other finalists for the 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year are:
•         Michael Andric, Barberton High School, Barberton City Schools;
•         Sheri Halagan, Gurney Elementary School, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village;
•         David Harms, Penta Career Center, Wood County; and
•         Lynne Krug, Allen Elementary School, Strongsville City Schools.
The Ohio Teacher of the Year program was initiated by ODE in 1969 to honor and promote excellence in teaching and the teaching profession and to build a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in school improvement initiatives. All Ohio school districts and chartered nonpublic schools are invited to nominate outstanding teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership to classroom, school and community activities.

More Instructional Time Coming Next School Year

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education met on January 12 to discuss a proposal from Superintendent Doug Heuer to lengthen the instructional day for elementary students in the district.  As a result of the discussion, the administration will work with teachers to come up with a proposal that would take effect with the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

Here’s a press release from the district with more information about the original proposal:

In an effort to provide a positive learning experience for young students, the Cleveland Heights–University Heights City School District is proposing to extend the elementary school day by 25 minutes. Instead of ending at 3:05, the school day would end at 3:30 p.m.

“The fact is, our district has a significantly shorter school day than the nearby districts recently surveyed,” Superintendent Douglas Heuer said. “We don’t have enough time devoted to instruction. This puts our students and teachers at a disadvantage.”

Students in K-3 classes currently spend five hours a day in instructional time. Fourth and fifth graders spend five hours and 15 minutes every day in instructional time. Nearby school districts spend anywhere from 15 minutes to more than a full hour longer than the CH-UH elementary day. That time adds up to 10,000 minutes in a school year.

Sally Levine, director of elementary education said, “Adding the 25 minutes will result in an additional two hours of teacher/student instructional time every week. We have studied this carefully in order to ensure that a decision is made based on the best available data.”

CH-UH administrators presented two options to the CH-UH Board of Education: implement the change at the start of the second semester, on Jan. 25, or at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

“A clear case has been made. In order to improve achievement levels, this has to happen. However, we are aware that a sudden schedule change will impact families,” Kal Zucker, board president.

“The longer we wait, the more minutes of instructional time we lose. We want to make the best possible decision for our families and our community, so we will ask families to help us determine the best time to implement,” said Superintendent Heuer.

This article was written by Angee Shaker, coordinator of communications and community engagement for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.