Skip to main content

News and Events

Professional Learning Series


Join the OLAC team for a series of free professional learning sessions designed to provide educators with the structures and resources necessary to develop and support effective leadership at every level. Explore OLAC’s latest online learning tools, including modules, webinars, videos, podcast episodes, and more to support educators as they work to embed essential leadership practices at every level of a school system. Remember, all resources are free, and you can earn credit.

2023-2024 Sessions

Spring 2024


Re-imagining Education: Doing What Has to be Done

January 18, 9-10:30 a.m.

Presenter: Eugene Blalock, Superintendent, North College Hill City Schools

North College Hill City School District is implementing the Blended Learning Schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Blended Learning will combine students attending school four (4) days a week, Tuesday through Friday, and working from home remotely one (1) day a week, Mondays. Teachers will use Mondays as District Data Days. Like many school districts, North College Hill City School District needed help to recruit and retain teachers. Our teachers struggled with the increased workload caused by not having a consistent plan bell due to high absent rates and substituting to fill our building teaching positions daily. Teacher wellness is essential, and I agree with the experts who say that teachers who care for themselves are better prepared to take care of students.

View All Professional Learning


Using OLAC’s Assessment Tools to Support School Progress

CANCELLED February 16, 9-10:30 a.m.
To be rescheduled at a later date.

Presenters: Jim Gay and Karel Oxley, Ohio Leadership Advisory Council

Just as districts measure the impact of student performance, it is equally important for districts and buildings to assess the impact of their instructional and organizational programs, strategies, and practices. For those programs and strategies that are having a positive impact in the district or building, it is also essential to determine how to sustain that work for long-term success. The Ohio Leadership Advisory Council has developed a variety of assessment tools to help district and building teams to measure a district’s progress toward providing high-quality instructional and organizational leadership and build capacity for sustainability across a range of specific organizational and contextual factors.

This hands-on session will explore the Systemic Improvement Practices Review (SIPR), Ohio Sustainability Assessment Tool (OSAT), and Building Leadership Team Assessment Tool (BLT). Time will be allotted for participants to view each tool and set up test assessments for your teams.


Using OTES to Coach Teachers and Influence Change

February 21, 9-10:30 a.m.

Presenter: Carrie Sanchez, Director of Leadership & Learning, North Point Educational Service Center

Coaching teachers, nurturing teachers, and holding teachers accountable is the single most important duty of school leaders. High quality instruction is ensured through high quality educators and principals are profoundly influential in that process. In this session, Carrie Sanchez will teach you how to use the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) framework to coach teachers to greatness. Carrie will also highlight the numerous tools provided for principals by OLAC that will enhance their work, especially the robust Principal Crosswalk tools that tie it all together!

View All Professional Learning


Planning for All: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Family Engagement

March 8, 9-10:30 a.m.

Presenters: Dr. Barb Boone and Dr. Hadley Bachman, Ohio’s Statewide Family Engagement Center

Participate in an interactive workshop to learn a proactive approach to planning for family engagement with the core aim of enhancing student outcomes. This process starts by considering families’ strengths, needs, and preferences and plans strategic school responses and supports. This process also ensures your efforts are more efficient and effective as it streamlines planning. Attendees will receive a planning tool and a facilitator’s guide to implement this process at your school.

View All Professional Learning


Principal 2.0: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact

March 22, 9-10:30 a.m.

Presenter: Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, OISE/University of Toronto, Co-Director of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning

The principal’s role continues to change―alongside our changing world―and how we can embrace the transformation in short order. As crucial in-school influencers of student learning, principals have an opportunity and an obligation to maximize student achievement. Even in difficult times of crisis, there’s room for principals to take action. In The Principal 2.0, Fullan explains how to loosen focus on accountability and instead concentrate on capacity-building; focus less on technology and more on pedagogy; abandon fragmented strategies; and forgo individualistic solutions in favor of collaborative effort.

Register Now: Principal 2.0: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact


Evidence-Based Interventions in Literacy

March 26, 3:30-5 p.m.

Presenters: Mary Heather Munger, President of Ohio Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (OACTE); Aaron Bouie & Jodi Kosek, Youngstown City Schools; Maura Brewster, Urban Literacy Specialist; Jennifer Walker, Ohio Adolescent Literacy Specialist

Examine evidence-based interventions that support students as they move toward literacy proficiency. In Ohio law, eventually all students reading below grade level must be on a Reading Improvement Monitoring Plan (RIMP) that documents the use of evidence-based intervention strategies until they are reading on grade level. Examine the work of the Youngstown City Schools District and learn tangible ways to replicate their efforts, including the creation and implementation of decision rules around evidence-based interventions. Additionally, learn what institutions of higher education are doing to prepare teachers to meet this challenge.

Register Now: Evidence-Based Interventions in Literacy


Leading the Littles: Intention, Engagement, and Outcomes

April 12, 9-10:30 a.m.

Presenter: Wendy Grove, Ohio Department of Children & Youth

Explore three areas of leadership in early childhood, including intention, engagement, and outcomes. The first part of the session will provide the link between intent and the importance of understanding standards, curriculum, and assessments. Engagement will be discussed in the second part of the session, focused on the leaders’ role in creating safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate experiences centered in play. The session will finish with an overview of how data can and should be used to drive leadership decisions about programming, instruction, and resources.

Register Now: Leading the Littles: Intention, Engagement, and Outcomes


Shared Leadership Practices to Support the Ohio Improvement Process

April 25, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Presenters: Dr. Paul Kish, Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Lynne Stark, Principal, Vincent Elementary, Clearview Local Schools

Clearview Local Schools was recently awarded the 2023 Outstanding District of the Year by OLAC and BASA. Join members of the Clearview administrative team as they share the systems and structures they are using to support the Ohio Improvement Process. The leadership framework that they have established is characterized by shared leadership, collaboration, and open dialogue. Learn more about their District Leadership Team (DLT) meeting process and how it scaffolds to support the work of Building Leadership Teams (BLTs) and Teacher-Based Teams (TBTs) in the district. Their “Relationships First” motto serves as the foundation for school improvement.

Register Now: Shared Leadership Practices to Support the Ohio Improvement Process


Become an OLAC Facilitator

May 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Presenters: OLAC Team

From the beginning, the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council’s goal has been to provide educators – no matter their role – with the structures and resources they need to develop shared and effective leadership at every level. OLAC is proud to offer free resources to support your personal or team’s professional learning—in a safe online environment and at your convenience. By becoming a certified OLAC facilitator, you will be able to share these resources with others and demonstrate how to integrate them into their leadership and instructional practices. Become familiar with and gain working knowledge of:

  • The OLAC web platform, including new features and enhanced functionality
  • How to use module, webinar, podcast, and video content to enhance the effectiveness of district and building leadership teams and teacher-based teams (DLTs, BLTs, TBTs)
  • Ohio Principal Evaluation System (OPES) Crosswalk—Lead superintendents/principals through the Principal Crosswalk, which aligns relevant OLAC modules, webinars, podcasts, and videos to the Ohio Principal Standards
  • Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) 2.0 Crosswalk—Lead principals/teachers through the Teacher Crosswalk, which aligns relevant OLAC modules, webinars, podcasts, and videos to the Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession
  • How to support superintendents, principals, and teachers in developing a professional growth plan
  • Assessment tools—Become familiar with the our assessment tools, including the Systemic Improvement Practices Review, an online team assessment designed for DLTs; Ohio Sustainability Assessment Tool; and Building Leadership Team Assessment Tool
  • New modules, webinars, and videos on demand
  • Credit options—Become familiar with templates for workshop offerings using OLAC modules that can be presented to colleges and universities for consideration for college credit. Facilitators will also become familiar with LPDC credit options available through the OLAC website.

Register Now: Become an OLAC Facilitator


Fall 2023


Three-Part Series: You Have Your Staff, Now What?

Presenter: Carrie Sanchez, Director of Leadership & Learning, North Point Educational Service Center

June 28, 2023: Watch Recording: Strategies for Strengthening Building Leadership

August 7, 2023: Watch Recording: Making OTES Meaningful

August 29, 2023: Watch Recording: Understanding and Using Your School Data


Become an OLAC Facilitator

Presenters: OLAC Team

September 15, 2023: Watch Recording: Become an OLAC Facilitator Fall 2023


Understanding Your School Report Card

Presenter: Carrie Sanchez, Director of Leadership & Learning, North Point Educational Service Center

September 19, 2023: Watch Recording: Understanding Your School Report Card


Leader Credibility: The Essential Traits of Effective School Leaders

Presenter: Cathy Lassiter, Author, Former 35-year public school teacher, principal, and central office administrator

September 29, 2023: Watch Recording: Leader Credibility


Two-Part Series: Data for School Improvement

Presenter: Carrie Sanchez, Director of Leadership & Learning, North Point Educational Service Center

October 11, 2023: Watch Recording: Part 1 - Making Your Data Meaningful

October 25, 2023: Watch Recording: Part 2 - Making Your Data Meaningful


A Deep Dive into Ohio's School Report Cards: Achievement and Early Literacy

Presenters: Rachel Wakefield, Interim Director of Accountability. Andrea Spitnale, Social Science Research Specialist, Office of Accountability, Ohio Department of Education.

November 2, 2023: Watch Recording: A Deep Dive into Ohio's School Report Cards


Master Scheduling: Team Time IS Possible

Presenter: Carrie Sanchez, Director of Leadership & Learning, North Point Educational Service Center

November 29, 2023: Watch Recording: Master Scheduling: Team Time IS Possible


Watch Recordings from 2022-2023 Series

Watch Recordings


Questions?

Contact Mike Trego or Jim Gay or Karel Oxley.