State Support Team Region 11

COSERRC and CORSIT Form State Support Team Region 11

The Central Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center and the Central Ohio Regional School Improvement Team at the Educational Service Center of Franklin County now represent a single regional service provider called the State Support Team Region 11 (SST 11).

A result of HB115 and the state’s initiative to integrate support services through the Educational Regional Support System (ERSS), SST 11 is charged with providing technical assistance to 49 public school districts and community school sponsors in Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union Counties. The Educational Service Center of Franklin County continues to serve as the fiscal agent for the newly integrated agency and houses the staff of the former CORSIT. The special education consultants and coordinators of COSERRC continue to use their former facilities at the Glenmont Elementary School building.

The mission of the State Support Team is to assist district leadership teams and community school sponsors enhance their capacity to effectively plan, implement and monitor school improvement processes to close achievement gaps in reading and math for all sub-groups. The majority of the resources of the SST 11 are targeted at districts in District Improvement status or that have school buildings in School Improvement status for not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two or more consecutive years. Additionally, the SST 11 will continue to provide student services relating to assistive technology, transitions, and early intervention and identification, as well as district level technical assistance around special education compliance issues such as Focused Monitoring, law and regulations, and procedural safeguards.

“This newly integrated system is an exciting opportunity for the entire SST staff,” noted Dr. Thomas Reed of the State Support Team Region 11. “From a school improvement perspective, the special education coordinators and consultants add a level of experience and expertise to the regional service system we just didn’t have last year. Everyone has approached the work openly and enthusiastically, and with the highest degree of professionalism. It is evident our team of school improvement consultants will add value to the districts we serve.”

Reed continued, “Neither the goals of COSERRC or the goals of CORSIT have changed. We will foster trusting relationships with leadership teams in the districts. We will be responsive and relevant to district needs. And we will deliver high quality technical assistance to districts through effective collaboration and coaching strategies. It is an extraordinary challenge that we will meet with extraordinary commitment.”