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OhioThe Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and its many partners continue to plan strategically and take action to prepare students for success in the 21st century in Ohio. At the policy level, the State Board of Education has adopted as a long-term priority a statement titled Education in the New Global Economy which charges the ODE with ensuring “that Ohio’s students are prepared to compete in the new global economy by engaging stakeholders in strategic conversations about the changing role of education, improving standards and assessment and benchmarking student achievement against international standards.” ODE facilitates, supports, and actively participates in numerous initiatives designed to enhance international education opportunities for its students: • International Benchmarking: Ohio was the first U.S. state to engage in a detailed international benchmarking study, comparing and aligning the education benchmarks and indicators contained in the state’s academic content standards with top educational systems in the world. With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an external analysis of Ohio’s educational system was completed. Subsequently, academic content standards in science and social studies were revised and adopted by the State Board of Education in June 2010. • The State Superintendent’s International Education Advisory Committee (IEAC) In 2006, the ODE convened the International Education Advisory Committee (IEAC), a group of educators, business leaders, foundation representatives, policy-makers and community organizations who believe that Ohio must actively strategize and take action to prepare students for success in the world of the 21st century. After gathering input from stakeholders at a statewide summit in April 2007, the IEAC began work on a strategic plan by defining international education as a comprehensive approach that includes the following components: Global Context, Global Content, Global Thinkers, and Global Systems. • Statewide International Education Summits The IEAC and the ODE have hosted two statewide international education summits in 2007 and 2009 initiating Statewide International Education Regional Summits. For 2011, ODE will support and facilitate up to 5 regional initiatives designed to enhance international education opportunities. • Annual Global Institutes for PK-12 Teachers With the assistance of its partners at Kent State University, the Ohio State University, and Ohio University, the ODE has coordinated two Global Institutes in August 2009 and again in August 2010 for PK-12 teachers from all content areas. These three-day workshops are designed to provide individual teachers and teams of educators with a broader view of how they can connect their students with classrooms and experts around the world. The 2011 Global Institute will occur in August at Ohio University with the support of Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. • International Education Grant Program (IEPG) The ODE initiated the IEPG, which seeks to award small grants to Ohio’s public school districts who submit successful proposals for innovative programming in international education. In the 2010-2011 the academic year, grants of up to $2000 each were awarded to fourteen schools/districts. • Ohio’s Database of International Education Schools and Programs Ohio is currently in the process of implementing an international education schools and programs database. The database will catalog and profile Ohio schools that provide international education. • ThinkGlobalOhio.org Website and International Education Tools As a result of the 2007 summit, the Think Global Ohio Web site hosted by Time Warner Cable, was launched to function as an advocacy toolkit for international education. The ODE and IEAC maintain ThinkGlobalOhio.org as a multimedia toolkit of resources to help Ohio schools prepare students for the interconnected world of the 21st Century. Ohio developed three guidance documents for Ohio educators: Ohio Teachers Going Global, Connecting Ohio Classrooms to the World, and International Rubric for Ohio Schools. • Visiting International Teacher Programs. ODE world language consultants continue to direct the state’s Visiting International Teacher Programs that bring educators from France, Spain, mainland China, and Taiwan to teach in Ohio schools. Ohio-Hubei Administrator Shadowing Exchange Program. Through this innovative job shadowing program selected superintendents and principals have an opportunity to host counterparts from our state’s sister province of Hubei, China. In 2011-2012, twelve Ohio administrators will participate. • The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (OSSLE). With the promotional support of the Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN), which received technical assistance to conduct international education training for after school providers, OSSLE administers the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant. • Ohio - Recipient of Race to the Top. Ohio received $13.5 million to support innovative models and school transformation. The Asia Society’s International Education model is one of the preferred options. • ODE International Education Coordinator. ODE is one of only a handful of state departments of education to employee a specialist tasked with coordinating the state’s efforts in PK-12 international education. Contact information: Desiree Caliguire-Maier, International Education Coordinator, desiree.caliguire-maier@ode.state.oh.us Updated September 2011 |
