Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference
Closing the Achievement Gap: Show Me What Works!
The Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children invites you to attend Ohio’s 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference on September 26-27, 2012.
The Conference theme is Closing the Achievement Gap and the overarching focus is “Show Me What Works!” to improve results for children with disabilities in reading, math, and behavior.
"Very well organized and very good keynote speakers. They were very easy to listen to and motivating."2011 Conference Attendee
The Conference is designed by and for special educators. Nationally-recognized keynote speakers who have successfully worked with states and/or local districts to achieve improved performance for students with disabilities will kick-off each day. ODE consultants will provide the latest updates on special education issues. Technical assistance providers who work with local education agencies and local district staff from districts where children with disabilities have shown growth in reading or math achievement and where behavior is not holding them back will share efforts that are making a difference for students with disabilities.
A variety of Master sessions and concurrent sessions will be available for Special Education Directors, Supervisors, Coordinators, other administrative professionals, and Special Education instructional personnel. A specific strand on “Special Education Issues” will include a variety of sessions geared toward special education legal issues and monitoring issues to help Special Education Directors and other program administrators understand legal requirements. These sessions will provide information and knowledge about how to address Ohio’s top 10 noncompliance findings.
This year’s concurrent sessions will present professional development on effective instructional strategies that teachers can implement right away. A limited number of poster sessions will highlight some of the most current research on effective strategies in reading, math and behavior offered by Ohio’s Institutions of Higher Education and collaborations between researchers and vendors.
In support of this year’s conference commercial and non-profit vendors, including OEC’s Initiated Projects, will showcase a variety of products and services as well as conduct hands-on sessions for new and existing clients.
This conference aims to bring us all together toward a concerted effort to Close the Achievement Gap for students with disabilities in Ohio.
Featured Speakers
Nationally-recognized keynote speakers who have successfully worked with states and/or local districts to achieve improved performance for students with disabilities will kick-off each day. The conference will feature keynote presentations on critical topics such as: Special Education policy, Response to Intervention (RTI), Common Core Standards, scientifically based research interventions in Reading, Math and Behavior; and hardware and software technology resources.
Thursday, September 27, 2012 Morning Keynote Presentation
sponsored by McGraw Hill
Donald D. Deshler is one of the best-known and well-respected researchers in the field of special education at the secondary level and is a leading scholar in the area of bringing research into practice. He is the director of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, which has been providing specialized training to secondary special education teachers for over 20 years, and a member of the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy. Deshler is the co-developer of the Learning Strategies Model, one of the most thoroughly researched and widely used special education teaching methods. Deshler has been the recipient of the CEC Research Award and numerous federal research and personnel preparation grants.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Morning Keynote Presentation
Dr. Patricia A. Edwards
Dr. Patricia A. Edwards is a Distinguished Professor of Language and Literacy at Michigan State University. She was the 2010-2011 President of the International Reading Association, the largest literacy practitioner organization in the world. She was the first African American President of the Literacy Research Association (formerly National Reading Conference), which is the largest literacy research organization.
She is known for her exemplary teaching, as she is able to connect research to practical ideas for classroom teachers. In 2001, she was the recipient of the prestigious Michigan State University Distinguished Faculty Award. Dr. Edwards is a mentor not only to doctoral students in the literacy specialization of the PhD program, but she also serves as a formal and informal mentor to several faculty members at MSU as well as other colleges/universities.
Dr. Edwards is the author and co-editor of many books:
• Change is gonna come: Transforming literacy education for African American children (Teachers College Press, 2010)
• Best practices in ELL instruction (Guilford Press, 2010)
• Tapping the potential of parents: A strategic guide to boosting student achievement through family involvement (Scholastic, 2009)
• Children literacy development: Making it happen through school, family, and community involvement (Allyn & Bacon, 2004)
• A path to follow: Learning to listen to parents (Heinemann, 1999)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Afternoon Keynote Presentation
Timothy Lewis, Ph.D.
Dr. Tim Lewis is currently a Professor of Special Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia where he directs the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Support and serves as Co-Director of the national OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports; and the IES Center for Adolescent Research in Schools. His specialty areas include social skill instruction, functional assessment, and proactive school-wide discipline systems. He has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders in high school, elementary, and self-contained psychiatric settings.
Dr. Lewis has been involved in special education for 25 years and has worked directly with school teams on developing school-wide systems of behavioral support for over 20 years. He has secured federal grants to support his research and demonstration efforts and he is a frequent contributor to the professional literature on Positive Behavior Support. Dr. Lewis a member of various editorial boards and Associate Editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Afternoon Keynote Presentation
Paul J. Riccomini, Ph.D.
Paul J. Riccomini, PhD, began his career as a dual certified general education mathematics teacher of students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and gifted and talented students in Grades 7-12 in inclusive classrooms. He earned his doctorate in special education from The Pennsylvania State University and his master's degree in education and Bachelor of Arts in mathematics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
His research focus is on effective instructional approaches, strategies, and assessments for students who are low achievers and/or students with learning disabilities in mathematics. He has written several research and practitioner articles related to effective strategies for teaching mathematics to students who struggle and has coauthored three math intervention programs targeting fractions, integers, and algebraic equations. Most recently, he completed a book devoted to the implementation of a Response to Intervention framework in Mathematics. Additionally, Dr. Riccomini provides high quality professional development focused on effective mathematics instruction to school districts across the United States. As a former middle and high school general education and special education mathematics teacher, Dr. Riccomini knows firsthand the challenges and difficulties teachers experience every day when working with struggling students.
Conference Program
The 2012 Special Education Conference handouts available for download
The handouts that have been turned in by Conference presenters to date are available for download at http://www.edresourcesohio.org/handouts.
The 2012 Special Education Leadership Conference agenda is now available

Download the At-A-Glance Agenda
Questions
For questions, contact Caroline Coston via email at coston-robinson.1@osu.edu.
Registration
Registration for the Conference is closed.
There will be no onsite registration.
Sponsor and Exhibitor Information






"The traffic in the exhibit area was very good and we were glad that time was built into the schedule to visit the exhibits." 2011 Exhibitor
We are pleased to offer sponsorship packages to demonstrate the collaborative effort that is required in providing quality educational programs and services for all children. Selecting one or more of the sponsorship opportunities is a way for you to show your support for Ohio's 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference and to bring information about your resources to the expected 1800 participants.
Exhibit Booth Packages for commercial and non-profit vendors are available along with opportunities to advertise in the conference program. Details about securing exhibit space for your organization are available in the Sponsor and Exhibitor Application Package.
Exhibition Hours
This year's exhibits will be expanded and will be held in Exhibit Hall C of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Exhibit hours for the conference are:
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
3:00 pm – 6:30 pm - (EXHIBITOR Move-in)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
6:00 am – 8:00 am - (EXHIBITOR Move-in)
8:00 am – 6:00 pm - Exhibit Hall Opens
9:00 am – 6:00 pm - 2012 General Conference
Thursday, September 27, 2012
7:30 am – 2:30 pm - 2012 General Conference
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm - (EXHIBITOR Move-out)
Exhibit Hall Decorator
The George Fern Company is the official decorator for Ohio’s 6th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference. The Exhibitor Service Kits will be available by no later than August 1, 2012. Exhibitors will receive log in information to access the service kits on line once all fees and commitments have been finalized. Please contact Caroline Coston at (614-247-4830) for more information.
Legend
Contact Carolyn Coston at 614.247.4830 for details.
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Hotels & Directions
Lively downtown districts. A nationally renowned food scene. Professional sports. New downtown parks. A packed arts and entertainment schedule. This is just some of what awaits in Ohio's capital city. Columbus' top entertainment areas surround downtown meaning you don't have to venture far to have a good time. Next to the convention center, the Arena District is home to the Blue Jackets NHL and Clippers Triple-A Baseball teams, concerts and restaurants. In the neighboring Short North Arts District, you'll find restaurants, galleries and boutiques. South of downtown are the Brewery District and German Village, a historic district with restaurants and shops.
Visit Experience Columbus for visitor information.
Also visit 200Columbus.com for information about events celebrating Bicentennial Columbus.
Convention Site & Parking
The Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
columbusconventions.com
View parking information and maps.
Conference Area Hotels
| Hotel & Phone Number |
Code or Group Name |
Price for Single |
Parking Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Hyatt Regency Columbus |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$ 12.00 |
Hampton Inn & Suites |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$ 23.00 |
Courtyard by Marriott |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$ 19.00 |
Crowne Plaza Downtown |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$23.00 |
Drury Inn Convention Ctr. |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$ 12.00 |
Red Roof Inn |
The special education conference rate is SOLD OUT. |
|
$ 12.00 |
Map and Directions
Open larger map for directions.



