Elementary and Middle School News

⏰ Reminders

• Kindergarten PD register HERE - April 10th - 💢 Don't forget your KRA binder 💢
• ❗❗Dyslexia Course Update ❗❗

❗❗URGENT - Dyslexia Course Update (3.16.26)❗❗

If you are completing (or plan to complete) 18 asynchronous hours, through the Department of Education and Workforce's Introduction to Dyslexia course, please note the following:

• All new and in‑progress trainings must be completed by May 7, 2026.

• On May 7, 2026, DEW courses will be deactivated in the Department’s current Learning Management System (LMS).
• Any training not fully completed by this date will be lost and cannot be recovered. You will not be able to earn a certificate to submit for payment after May 7, 2026.

• Payment for teachers who submit verification of successful completion of the course and post-assessment by May 5th, 2026 will be compensated no later than June 5th, 2026.

It is strongly recommended to complete the course and submit your certificate before May 7, 2026. After this date, we will no longer have access to the current system, and support for troubleshooting or retrieving certificates will be unavailable.

Dyslexia Training Reminder

All newly hired teachers, teachers new to Grades K–6, and Grades 4–12 intervention specialists must complete the Ohio Department of Education’s 11 Dyslexia Modules (18 asynchronous hours) during the 2025–2026 school year. General Education Teachers in Grades 4-6 who have previously taken Science of Reading training have the option to engage in the Ohio Department of Education’s 11 Dyslexia Modules (18 asynchronous hours) during the 2025–2026 school year if they have not already completed it in a previous year. HERE is the link to the Smartsheet where you'll submit evidence of completion of the Ohio Department of Education's 11 Dyslexia Modules (18 asynchronous hours). ​HERE​ is the full '25-'26 Dyslexia Training Update. SESSION 3 WILL RELEASE IN APRIL.

Have questions about Dyslexia or the online course? Click here to submit your question.

This professional learning webinar series guides educators through using i-Ready data and resources to strengthen teaching practices and support meaningful student growth throughout the year. Each topic will be presented at 8 am, 2 pm and 3 pm on the following dates. Click HERE to register.

April 7th – Teacher Toolbox Part 2: Analyze i-Ready data to complete an action plan for using Teacher Toolbox resources in small group instruction.

CEUs are available! Teachers who complete the training can upload their certificate of completion through the External Credit Portal.

Past Webinar Materials

• Using Data to Plan Instruction (Recording, Padlet)
• Literacy Tasks:·(Recording, Padlet)
• Teacher Toolbox Part 1 (Recording, Padlet)
• Preparing for Winter Diagnostic (Recording, Padlet)

OST Fall Grade 3 Scores

• OST scores for the Fall 2025 Grade 3 ELA assessment have been received. Please check Performance Matters and Powerschool for scoring information. It is recommended but not required to add any third graders to RIMPs who did not pass the OST (scored below 700) and were not previously on a RIMP.

• RIMP Training Decks
• i-Ready Cut Scores
• Progress Monitoring Probes (student facing in one file)
• K-3 Important Dates
• SY 25-26 Signature Pages
• 4-6th Grade RIMP Important Dates
• i-Ready School SY 25-26 Diagnostics and Assessment Guidance (Cut Scores for ELA and Math)

KRA Binders and iPads are DUE April 10, 2026

If you are at East (EPC) prior to April 10, you may sign your materials back in early with Ms. Jackie in Office 208A.

For any questions, please contact:
Mackenzie Wallace - Mackenzie.Wallace@clevelandmetroschools.org

Or

Jacqueline Williams - Jacqueline.Williams@clevelandmetroschools.org

Understanding and Interpreting OST Scores

As OST results begin to arrive, it can be helpful to review how the assessment is scored and how proficiency levels are determined. One important point to note is that the subscore thresholds for each domain typically remain consistent from year to year. However, the writing threshold for “at/near standard” can shift by grade level, meaning there is not a fixed writing score that guarantees a student will reach proficiency. Instead, overall performance depends on how students perform across all tested domains. In general, students must average at/near standard across the three domains in order to achieve an overall proficient score.

Scores can also vary slightly depending on grade level and the testing window in which the assessment was taken. Third grade is unique in that students may test in multiple windows (Fall, Spring, and Summer), while other grades test within a single window.

For a clearer picture of how proficiency is determined, two reports are particularly helpful. The Statistical Summary Report includes Table 1, which outlines the max raw number of points available on each OST. l. Additionally, the Raw Score Subscale Range Report shows how many points within each domain correspond to Below Standard, At/Near Standard, and Above Standard. Reviewing these resources can help determine how many points a student would need in each domain to reach proficiency.

It is also helpful to understand how weighting varies across grade levels. In grades 3–5, the number of raw points needed for writing is relatively low. Writing carries greater emphasis in grades 6 and 8, while grade 7 places slightly less emphasis on writing in comparison. Additionally, grade 6 places a stronger emphasis on Reading for Information than other grade levels.

To support communication with families and staff, several interpretive resources are included in this newsletter. You will find translated family interpretive guides that can be shared with parents whose primary language is not English. There is also a Grades 3–8 interpretive guide in English that explains how to read the score report step by step (using math as the example, though the structure applies to ELA, math, and science). Finally, a Third Grade ELA interpretive guide for families is included to help parents better understand how their child’s scores are calculated.

These resources can be useful for sharing with families, supporting newer teachers, or helping any educator better understand how OST scores are calculated and interpreted.

• https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Translated-Family-Interpretive-Guides
• https://oh-ost.portal.cambiumast.com/content/contentresources/en/OST_G3-8_Guide.pdf
• https://oh-ost.portal.cambiumast.com/content/contentresources/en/OST_G3_ELA_Guide.pdf
• https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Statistical-Summaries-and-Item-Analysis-Reports/OST_Spring2025_Statistical-Summary.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

Updated Math Assessment windows click HERE

Save the Date 📅 8th Grade Math Cohort 5/12/25

Below are optional opportunities for K-8 social studies teachers to participate in. If you'd like further information or how you can implement anything below in your classroom, please reach out to Amanda De La Rosa at amanda.delarosa@clevelandmetroschools.org.