Educational Regional Service System (ERSS)
Mandated by Substitute House Bill 115
Passed by the 126th General Assembly, Substitute House Bill 115 became effective September 28, 2006. The purpose of the legislation was to amend sections 3301.075, 3310.08, 3313.843, 3314.014, 3319.01, and 3319.17 and to enact sections 3301.0713, 3312.01 to 3312.13, and 3313.845 of the Revised Code to establish the Educational Regional Service System and the EMIS Advisory Board, to revise the financing of Educational Choice Scholarships for kindergartners, to permit the governing authority of a start-up community school that meets certain conditions to establish another community school above the cap on the number of community schools, to permit school districts to establish residency requirements for superintendents, and to make an appropriation.
The Educational Regional Service System (ERSS) is a coordinated, integrated and aligned system to support state and school district efforts to improve school effectiveness and student achievement. It was the intent of the general assembly that the educational regional service system would reduce the unnecessary duplication of programs and services and provide for a more streamlined and efficient delivery of educational services without reducing the availability of the services needed by school districts and schools. The legislation also required the Ohio Department of Education to convene a State Regional Alliance Advisory Board (SRAAB).
State Regional Alliance Advisory Board
Substitute House Bill 115 required the Ohio Department of Education to convene a State Regional Alliance Advisory Board (SRAAB). The board is a statewide entity that is to address issues affecting the operation of the Educational Regional Service System (ERSS) and statewide education initiatives and to promote communication and coordination among the State Board of Education, the Ohio Department of Education, fiscal agents, advisory councils, and users of the ERSS.
A Regional Advisory Council (RAC) works to identify regional needs and priorities for educational services and develop policies to coordinate the delivery of services. In the state, there are 16 RACs, one assigned to each of the State Support Teams. Each Regional Advisory Council has subcommittees that encompass the areas of school improvement, educational technology, special education, professional development and data acquisition.
Ohio's State Support Teams (SSTs) are operated through fiscal agent educational service centers and provide services through the 16 regions that comprise the Educational Regional Service System (ERSS). SSTs provide a combination of facilitation, technical assistance, and direct support to districts and schools, as well as to partner educational service centers (ESCs) and others in their region, in the delivery of services outlined in the Performance Agreement.
Resource: Performance Agreement for Ohio's State Support Teams 20010 - 2011 (Ohio Department of Education: Columbus, Ohio)
For More Information
Substitute House Bill 115, 126th General Assembly, that created the Educational Regional Service System (ERSS) is available from www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_HB_115.
Chapter 3312.01 of the Ohio Revised Code stating the establishment of the Educational Regional Service System is available from http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3312.01.
The State Regional Alliance Advisory Board (SRAAB) posts meeting notices and agendas online at the Ohio Department of Education Web site at education.ohio.gov (Keyword Search: SRAAB). A schematic is also available.
The Office of Field Relations at the Ohio Department of Education offers information on the structure provided to State Support Teams and lists all regional field managers. This section is accessible from the department's Web site at education.ohio.gov (Keyword Search: Office of Field Relations).
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