In Spring, 2009, a group of educators, businesspersons, and civic and nonprofit leaders came together to consider a new effort to foster significantly better outcomes for students at each educational level in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, a pre-kindergarten through college or P-16 initiative. Such initiatives have gained national attention and have shown promise for connecting pre-school, elementary, middle, high school, and postsecondary education to create a comprehensive, integrated system of student learning.

2011 Innovative Teacher of the Year Named

Haley Shaffer, 8th grade English teacher at Poland Middle School was named P-16′s Innovative Teacher of the Year.  Haley received this award at The Partnership’s annual Excellence in Education award event.Haley was honored for classroom innovation.  She communicates with her students year round through blogging, tweeting and text messages.  She also implemented several new software programs to engage families.

Haley noted one of her most memorable experiences was when a parent sent her a text message stating she had to make her child stop reading late one school night because he had to get up early the next morning.  Haley noted this was a student who didn’t come to her classroom as an avid reader, but she is proud that he will leave as one.

Along with her award, Haley received a Student Response System from The Turning Foundation – Turning Technologies.

Kindergarten Readiness Summit a Success

Close to 240 key education stakeholders from Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties attended the Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership for Education’s Kindergarten Readiness Summit.  Participants walked away with key learnings and were provided a vehicle to launch important networking opportunities. 

Please click  Summit Packet for a link to all the valuable information presented at the event.

ACT Explore offered to students in Lisbon

LISBON – An Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership For Education grant has made it possible for Beaver Local Middle School eighth grade students to take the ACT EXPLORE test next month.

The test is for eighth grade only, and is to prepare students for high school and even for college. According to the ACT website, 17,384 Ohio eighth grade students took the EXPLORE test during the 2009-10 school year.

Middle school Principal Connie Shive said the free test is a “great opportunity” for students. The test will highlight students’ strengths and weaknesses in English, math, reading and science. It will also help students choose their high school courses for their freshman year, she said.

School staff learned about the grant through Superintendent Sandra DiBacco, who attended an informational P-16 Partnership For Education meeting.

“(She) got us involved in the project. We applied and were accepted,” Shive said. (more…)