April 2022- Social Studies Newsletter

4/4/2022

Certain Ohio State Test Results Available as Early as May 10

In response to district and stakeholder feedback, the Ohio Department of Education is announcing early reporting of certain Ohio State Tests results for spring 2022.

The Department and Cambium Assessment have worked to accelerate the timeline for reporting preliminary results for mathematics, science and social studies tests administered online. These results will be available in the Centralized Reporting System (CRS) beginning May 10.

With early reporting, districts have the benefit of receiving actionable data before the end of the school year. This can aid in decision-making for graduation, summer testing notification and intervention programs, evaluation of student progress and planning for the following school year.

Be aware that aggregate test results, such as those for class, school, district and state, will reflect only currently reported results. These results will update throughout the spring reporting window as other results become available.

Preliminary results for mathematics, science and social studies paper tests will be accessible in CRS June 20. Educators can read more about the spring 2022 test results schedule on the Department’s website.

Now Open: 2022 Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit Registration

The 2022 Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit will be June 8 at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University. This exciting event brings together educators from across Ohio who are doing innovative work to develop teacher leaders. Together they will share successes, lessons learned and strategies for overcoming challenges around teacher leadership implementation. 

The summit is an opportunity to become engaged in a statewide network of teacher leaders and administrators to promote and strengthen teacher leadership in Ohio. Participants will share their knowledge, network and participate in professional learning.

Registration is free and attendees can earn contact hour certificates. Register using this form. Direct questions to teacher.leadership@education.ohio.gov.

First Academic Excellence for All Conference Set for October

With the support of the Ohio Department of Education, the Office of Educator Effectiveness is convening the first Academic Excellence for All Conference Oct. 14, at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. The conference’s focus is on supporting equity, diversity and inclusion in Ohio schools and districts. There is an opportunity for professionals to present during the conference’s breakout sessions. Organizers are currently seeking presenters for the conference that support and address topics within the following six areas of the Academic Excellence for All framework:

• Equitable Student Access;
• Culturally Responsive Practices;
• Student-Centered Learning;
• Diverse Staff of Excellent Educators;
• Family and Community Engagement; and School Climate

Professionals interested in presenting at the conference should complete the Call for Presenters form by April 29. 

For additional information about the conference, visit the Ohio Human Capital Resource Center website. For questions about the conference or potential presentations, contact equity@education.ohio.gov.

Fed Futures 2022-2023 Applications Deadline is April 8

The Fed Future Professionals Program (Fed Futures) introduces and develops knowledge and awareness of careers in the financial industry and economics to high school students from underserved communities. Fed Futures combines curricula created by the Federal Reserve System to provide skill development, training and professional mentoring focused on career paths in finance and economics. The goal of the year-round paid program is to help develop a diverse pool of future interns and employee candidates and support racial equity initiatives throughout the Federal Reserve System. The application period for the 2022–2023 cohort closes April 8.

Eligible students are rising sophomores with a minimum 2.5 GPA. This Federal Reserve program targets students from underrepresented backgrounds, for example, young women and people of color, interested in finance and economics. Students can apply at this registration link. Students will complete a short essay and provide additional information to be considered for the program. 

For additional information, please email Khaz Finley at learningcenter@clev.frb.org or visit the Federal Reserve’s website.

Call for Nominations: National Council for the Social Studies Vice President and Board of Directors

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Nominations and Elections Committee seeks candidates for vice president and members of the board of directors. Interested individuals may nominate themselves or recommend a colleague with experience in advocacy and leadership in social studies education. NCSS encourages all members to recommend possible candidates. Educators can learn more and submit a nomination before the April 15 deadline on the NCSS website. 

Ohio History Connection Celebrates the Bicentennial of President Ulysses S. Grant’s Birthday

April 27 marks the bicentennial of President Ulysses S. Grant's birthday in 1822. The Ohio History Connection, Historic New Richmond Inc., the U.S. Grant Birthplace and the U.S. Grant Homestead Association have planned a series of events recognizing Grant's bicentennial. Educators can read more about those events on the Discover Clermont County website. 

Kids Voting Ohio: It's (Mock) Election Time

Give your students the chance to put civics into practice with the Kids Voting Ohio Mock Elections this spring. The easy-to-use mock election system is free to educators and gives students a chance to learn the importance of voting and civic involvement in an engaging and fun way. 

 The Kids Voting Ohio Mock Elections are interactive, exciting, and provide a wealth of knowledge about informed voting. Kids Voting Ohio recognizes that many teachers are often unable to bring additional activities and subjects to their classrooms that fall outside subject standards and requirements. With this in mind, participating in mock elections is simple and requires little to no extra work for teachers. Kids Voting Ohio's staff customize all the ballots, create student voter IDs, provide all the curriculum and information necessary for mock election prep, and provide participating schools with "Future Ohio Voter" stickers.

Interested educators can learn more and register for a mock election on Kids Voting Ohio's website. Have questions? Contact the project director, Matina Bliss.

H. Kenneth Barker Center for Economic Education Teaching Financial Literacy Summer Institute

Join K-12 educators and industry experts around Ohio at the H.Kenneth Barker Center for Economic Education 2022 Teaching Financial Literacy Summer Institute on the campus of The University of Akron. Educators will receive instructional materials and resources aligned to Ohio's Financial Literacy Standards on saving, earning, credit, investing and risk management. Educators also will learn about recently enacted Senate Bill 1, Ohio's Financial Literacy graduation requirement for students entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2022. Costs include all supplies, lectures, fees, certificates of completion and meals, with discounted graduate credit opportunities available. Spots are limited. Educators can visit the Barker Center's website to learn more and register.

We the People Summer Institute

The We the People Summer Institute is June 27-30, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The Ohio Council for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) will provide a scholarship and stipend for first-time attendees. Interested educators can contact OCLRE We the People coordinator, Cheyenne Oechsle, at coechsle@oclre.org.

Summer 2022 Professional Development at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress invites educators to join them in Washington, D.C., for the 2022 Teaching with Primary Sources Onsite Summer Workshop. The Library of Congress will offer three sessions this summer:

• July 6-8
• July 20-22
• July 25-27

In each session, Library of Congress education specialists will model various hands-on, inquiry-based teaching strategies for using primary sources to engage students, build critical thinking skills, construct knowledge and launch original research. Activities will feature some of the millions of historical artifacts from the library’s collections – photographs, prints, manuscripts, maps, multimedia and more – that are digitized and freely available online.

Tuition and materials for the workshops are at no cost to participants. However, participants are responsible for all other expenses, such as transportation, meals and lodging. Participants will receive a certificate for 20 hours upon successful completion of the workshop.
For more details, educators can visit the Library of Congress' website.

Free Standards-Aligned Lesson Plans from the Ohio Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Ohio is excited to announce a new lesson plan for Under Advisement: Ohio Supreme Court Cases On Demand. This program is designed to help strengthen Ohio high school students’  understanding of Ohio’s court system. The new lesson plan focuses on Rebecca Buddenberg v. Robert K. Weisdack et al., Case no. 2018-1209.

There are now four, free Under Advisement lesson plans with this new addition. The lesson plans highlight two civil cases and two criminal cases aligned with Ohio’s High School American Government Model Curriculum. Educators help students explore the cases through video recordings of oral arguments and primary documents associated with each case. Previews and decision summaries of the cases, written to high school Lexile reading levels, also are included in the materials.

The educator and student resource guides for each case are available on the Court’s website.

April is International Black Women’s History Month

April is International Black Women's History Month. The Smithsonian's Because of Her Story website shares an informative article titled Twelve Black Women to Know and the National Park Service's resource Black Women and the Struggle for Equality highlights the stories and contributions of notable black women in U.S. history. 

Upcoming National Constitution Center Live Classes Focused on AP Government

The National Constitution Center offers several live classes to support students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) Government in April and May. During the week of April 18, courses will focus on AP Founding Documents. Courses the week of April 25 focus on AP Landmark Court Cases. Interested educators and students can learn more about these courses on the National Constitution Center's website. 

The resources in this newsletter are free and have been reviewed using the Department’s Social Studies resource filter against established criteria. Copies of the completed filter forms are available upon request. Inclusion in this newsletter does not represent a recommendation to use a resource. Many quality resources are available beyond those included here. Educators should use their professional expertise to determine the suitability of any particular resources for use in their districts, schools or classrooms. Justin Leach, Social Studies Consultant, Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies justin.leach@education.ohio.gov.

Linda McKean, Social Studies Consultant, Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies linda.mckean@education.ohio.gov.