Karen Boch has nearly 40 years of experience in education with 18 years as an Intervention Specialist.  She possesses an M.S. in Educational Administration with experience as a curriculum director, principal and superintendent. Karen is currently a Regional Literacy Support Team member, a Regional Data Lead with credentials in assessment, High Quality Student Data, Data to Serve Exceptional Children, and chronic absenteeism. She is also an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Approved Facilitator for the Introduction to Dyslexia Course for Early Literacy and for the upcoming course for Grades 4-12. She has provided professional development at the local, state and national levels.

Jule Haines spent 22 of her approaching 30 years of experience in education in the ELA or history classroom. She has taught all grade and ability levels at the high school level, from freshman skills development to dual credit and Advanced Placement. Possessing an MA in English and a teacher leader endorsement, Julie is currently a Regional Literacy Support Team member, an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Approved Facilitator for the upcoming Introduction to Dyslexia course for Grades 4-12, an Ohio Council for Teachers of English Language Arts and National Council of Teachers of English member, and a local, state, and national presenter on ELA-related topics.

Katie Kilgour is one of six adolescent literacy specialists across the state of Ohio. She is a member of the State Literacy Network, and provides services for SST regions 14, 15, and 16. In 2023, Katie completed the requirements to earn the credential of certified structured literacy dyslexia interventionist. Prior to her role as an adolescent literacy specialist, Katie was a co-coordinator of the GVESC Resident Educator program and a PBIS master trainer. She has 19 years of experience in education, including 16 years in the classroom. During her time in the classroom, Katie taught ELA courses from grades 7 to grade 12.

Services

Facilitation of an R-TFI

Consultation in the creation of a Reading Achievement Plan (RAP) or a Reading Improvement Plan (RIP)

Review of Local Literacy Plans

Support in curriculum adoption and implementation

Assistance in data analysis and assessment selection and deselection

Systems level MTSS support

Professional learning for literacy leaders- including administrators, literacy coaches and curriculum directors

Professional learning for classroom teachers

• Complex Texts for All Students is designed for educators in grades 6-12 to examine best practices and to implement new or improve current strategies in using complex texts with all students.

• Writing Across the Curriculum assists educators for grades 3-12 and content areas in expanding their skills to harness the power of writing as a tool for student learning. The session focuses on actual strategies that can be implemented immediately in the classroom at the sentence, paragraph, and multi-paragraph levels.

• Differentiation and Scaffolding in ELA focuses on practical definitions and examples of differentiation and scaffolding with time for teachers to collaborate on and design lessons integrating appropriate use of both.

• Close Reading and Text Analysis delves into teacher and student roles, best practices, assessment, and specific instructional strategies for close reading and text analysis. 

• ACT Prep Strategies for ELA looks at practical ways to embed ELA ACT prep in the classroom and methods for gamifying English and Reading test practice.

• Why Even Your Place Matters focuses on ways to utilize local literature and voices while teaching the canon. Embedding local literature into the full year curriculum versus highlighting in a special unit are explored. The Great Gatsby is presented as an example text for embedding place-based pedagogy.

• All the ELA’s a Stage explores ways to integrate performance elements into the ELA curriculum within and beyond teaching dramatic literature. This workshop can be expanded to any content area. 

• Scoring Calibration sessions help grade level or full ELA departments align their writing grading practices to school and district priorities and state standards.

• Teaching with the Test in Mind provides strategies for integrating standardized testing preparation, particularly Ohio’s State Tests in ELA, into a classroom that is still engaging, creative, and dynamic.

• Building Text Sets in all Content Areas advises teachers on the benefits of using text sets in the classroom as well as providing a step-by-step process on how to build them.

• What is the Science of Reading? provides an overview of structured literacy and evidence-based best practices at the K-5 level and at the 6-12 level.