Common Professional Learning Day – Dayton Schools

October 23, 2026

AOC Professional Learning Day ~ Dayton Schools

Ascension School

Check In 8:15-8:40am

Morning Sessions 8:45-11:15am

 

Session #1

Leading the Way: Supporting Successful Report Card Implementation

 Principals and Leaders |  Krista Devine

Successful implementation of the new report card requires more than understanding the reporting tool—it requires thoughtful leadership and ongoing support for teachers. This collaborative session is designed to help principals and school leaders strengthen implementation within their own school communities.

Together, we will explore Collecting Evidence of Learning and the resources available to help teachers confidently determine student progress toward the Exiting Skills. Leaders will consider how they can support teachers in using classroom evidence, common assessments, exemplars, and other resources to make consistent and meaningful reporting decisions. A significant portion of the session will be dedicated to implementation support and collaborative problem-solving. Leaders are encouraged to bring their questions, challenges, and experiences so we can work through them together. Participants will have time to reflect on their school’s current implementation, identify next steps, and determine what additional resources, professional learning, or individualized support may be needed.

The goal is for every leader to leave with greater clarity, practical resources, and a plan for continuing to support teachers and strengthen implementation of the new report card in their school.

Session #2

Total Participation Techniques- Every Student, Every Lesson: Strategies for Active Engagement

 Teachers and Leaders of all grades | Sharon Willmes

How do we move from a classroom where a few students participate to one where every student is thinking, responding, and engaged in the learning? In this interactive session, teachers will explore Total Participation Techniques and other high-impact engagement strategies designed to increase active participation and keep all students focused on learning. Participants will experience practical techniques that encourage every student to think, respond, discuss, and demonstrate their understanding throughout a lesson.The focus will be on simple, effective strategies that can be implemented immediately without requiring teachers to completely redesign their instruction. Teachers will leave with a collection of ready-to-use techniques they can incorporate into their classrooms to increase participation, check for understanding, and create learning environments where every student has an opportunity to engage and contribute.

Session #3

Now What? Turning Reading Diagnostic Data into Action

 Teachers and Leaders who work with K-3 students |  Jodi Turpening

Administering a reading diagnostic and identifying students as not on-track is only the beginning. The real work begins when educators use that information to determine what students need next.

In this session, participants will explore the purpose of Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee through an instructional lens, moving beyond compliance to consider how diagnostic information can guide meaningful support for students. Participants will examine the difference between remediation and learning acceleration, explore the purpose and key components of high-dosage tutoring, and consider how targeted intervention can strengthen, not replace, grade-level core instruction.

Using Ohio’s RIMP Intervention Video Series and other state literacy resources, participants will examine examples of explicit intervention in foundational reading skills and identify practical resources that can support students’ individual reading needs. The session will conclude with guided working time for participants to begin building a collection of instructional resources and planning how those resources can be used within their school’s MTSS and RIMP processes.

Participants will leave with:

• A clearer understanding of the instructional purpose of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee
• A framework for moving from diagnostic results to targeted instruction
• An understanding of learning acceleration and high-dosage tutoring
• A collection of state-supported intervention resources
• Dedicated planning time to organize resources for students who are not on-track

Session #4

From Patterns to Algebra: Building Mathematical Thinking

  Math Teachers Grades 2-6 | 

Discover how patterns, relationships, and mathematical connections help students build a strong foundation for algebraic thinking! In this interactive session, teachers will explore Patterns and Functional Thinking and take a closer look at how these important concepts develop and connect across grade levels. Through hands-on examples, models, representations, and collaborative discussion, participants will strengthen their own understanding of the mathematics while exploring ways to make mathematical thinking more visible and meaningful for students. We’ll unpack common student misconceptions, consider the language and representations that support understanding, and make connections that can strengthen everyday math instruction. Teachers will leave with a deeper understanding of algebraic thinking, practical ideas to bring back to the classroom, and a clearer picture of how the mathematics they teach today prepares students for the learning that comes next.

Session #5

Teaching That Makes a Difference: High-Impact Strategies for Student Learning

 Teachers of all grades |  Kevin Vance

What instructional practices make the greatest difference in student learning? In this interactive session, teachers will explore research-based, high-impact teaching strategies that strengthen instruction and help all students learn at deeper levels. Participants will examine practical approaches for making learning goals clear, engaging students in meaningful thinking, checking for understanding, providing effective feedback, and using evidence of learning to guide instructional decisions. Throughout the session, teachers will consider what these strategies look and sound like in the classroom and how they can be incorporated into everyday instruction. Teachers will leave with practical, ready-to-use strategies they can apply immediately to strengthen instruction, respond to student needs, and create learning experiences that lead to greater student growth and success.

Session #6

Resident Educator Orientation Session for Year 1

 Teachers in Year 1 of RESA |  Kathy Kane

This session will go over all of the requirements for the State of Ohio Resident Educator Program for resident educators in Year 1 and their mentors.  Please print and bring a copy of the Resident Educator Program Packet for Year 1.

Session #7

Prayer: Fostering student growth and leadership- Vocare Credit

 Teachers of all grades |  Veronica Murphy

Together we will learn Ignatian and other methods of praying, how to incorporate them into the classroom, and how to foster student growth and leadership in prayer at all ages. Let us help our students grow in their relationship with God and teach them how to share their own prayer life with their classmates and with their own families.

  

11:15am-12:30pm – Lunch on your own

Afternoon Sessions 12:30-3:00pm

Session #8

Servants of Hope Introduction

 Teachers new to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati |  Matt Daniels

Superintendent Matt Daniels will present an introduction to all new teachers. He will include information about the Servants of Hope program and will answer the question “What does it mean to be a teacher in a Catholic school?”

Session #9

Recognize and Respond ~ Understanding Student Mental Health & Behavior

 All Principals, Teachers and support staff |  Jodi Turpening

Student behavior is observable—but the reason behind it is not always as clear. Anxiety, executive-functioning difficulties, emotional dysregulation, developmental needs, and other mental health concerns can appear in the classroom as avoidance, disengagement, impulsivity, conflict, or even defiance. This practical session will help educators move beyond simply reacting to behavior and become more intentional about recognizing what may be happening beneath it. Participants will explore the Recognize and Respond framework: recognizing patterns and signs of student need without diagnosing, regulating their own response during challenging interactions, and selecting strategies that support regulation, accountability, and skill development. Through relatable classroom examples and practical strategies, educators will consider how adult responses can either increase or decrease escalation and how small shifts in timing, language, structure, and connection can make a meaningful difference for students. Participants will leave with a simple framework and practical strategies they can immediately use to support student mental health, behavior, and regulation in the classroom.

Session #10

From Learning to Evidence: Bringing the New Report Cards to Life

 Teachers Grades K-2 |  Krista Devine

How do we know when a student has demonstrated the skills identified on the new report card? In this interactive session, teachers will take a closer look at the Exiting Skills and explore practical ways to collect and use evidence of student learning to support reporting decisions. Participants will examine common assessments, exemplar questions, and other resources developed for each Exiting Skill and consider how everyday classroom learning—student work, observations, conversations, tasks, assessments, and other demonstrations of learning—can provide meaningful evidence of student progress and mastery. Teachers will have time to explore available resources, collaborate with colleagues, and develop additional tools and learning opportunities they can use in their own classrooms. The goal is not to add more assessments, but to help teachers make intentional use of the evidence they are already collecting to confidently determine where students are in their learning and communicate that progress through the new report card.

Session #11Creating the Conditions for Learning: Classroom & Behavior Management

All teachers and leaders |  Sharon Willmes

Ready to strengthen your classroom management toolkit? This session takes classroom and behavior management beyond the basics, focusing on practical strategies that help teachers create positive, predictable, and productive learning environments. Participants will explore ways to prevent and respond to challenging behaviors, reinforce expectations, increase student responsibility, and maintain a classroom environment where learning can thrive. Through practical examples, discussion, and problem-solving, teachers will consider strategies for responding to common classroom challenges while maintaining positive relationships with students. Teachers will leave with realistic, ready-to-use strategies they can put into practice immediately to strengthen routines, address behavior more effectively, and spend more time focused on what matters most—teaching and learning.

Session #12

From Patterns to Algebra: Building Mathematical Thinking

  Math Teachers Grades 2-6 | 

Discover how patterns, relationships, and mathematical connections help students build a strong foundation for algebraic thinking! In this interactive session, teachers will explore Patterns and Functional Thinking and take a closer look at how these important concepts develop and connect across grade levels. Through hands-on examples, models, representations, and collaborative discussion, participants will strengthen their own understanding of the mathematics while exploring ways to make mathematical thinking more visible and meaningful for students. We’ll unpack common student misconceptions, consider the language and representations that support understanding, and make connections that can strengthen everyday math instruction. Teachers will leave with a deeper understanding of algebraic thinking, practical ideas to bring back to the classroom, and a clearer picture of how the mathematics they teach today prepares students for the learning that comes next.

Session #13

Resident Educator Orientation Session for Year 2

 Teachers in Year 2 of RESA |  Kathy Kane

This session will go over all of the requirements for the State of Ohio Resident Educator Program for resident educators in Year 2 and their mentors.  Please print and bring a copy of the Resident Educator Program Packet for Year 2.

Session #14

Evangelizing Catechesis – Vocare Credit

 Teachers of all grades |  Veronica Murphy

In this workshop, we will discover how to move from teaching the information of the faith toward sharing the faith from the heart. Working with children to open their heart to discover Christ and their place as a child of God is a process which takes time and gracefulness.  We plant seeds, work in the Spirit, invite the child and even their family to come into relationship with Christ who loves them and calls them to live in the community of the Church. Come learn what is an Evangelizing Catechesis.

RSVP at the link 

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