Awards & Recognition
Excellence & Expertise in Education

The Educational Service Center of Franklin County is an award-winning and acclaimed organization providing expertise in achievement, leadership, student services and support services to school districts and agencies in Franklin County.

• ESCFC’s community-based transition programs WINGS and Project Plus were honored with the American School Board Journal's highest award, a Magna Award Grand Prize in 2007.
  
  
• Treasurer/CFO Marj Fenton was selected as Outstanding Treasurer/CFO of the Year for 2005 by the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. The award recognizes Fenton's contributions to the FCESC, the profession and the community.
  
  
• Governing Board President Robin Reid-Pleasnick was named the Central Region Ohio School Boards Association's sixth annual Outstanding Board Member in October 2005.
  
  
• Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Staff Tom Goodney was an editor of the recently published book Critical Perspectives on the Curriculum of Teacher Education. University Press published the book, which examines theory and practice in educating teachers.
  
  
• Center for Leadership Director Ralph Johnson published the article "Observations from the National Academy for Superintendents: Three Shifts in Thinking Toward Better School Communications" in the Journal of School Public Relations. The piece looks at schools fostering more community support through effective communication practices.
  
  
• Our BEST Practice Award winning school-to-work transition programs, Columbus State WINGS and The Ohio State University Project Plus, have been recognized nationally for improving employment and post-high school outcomes for students with mild to moderate disabilities, ages 18-22.
  
  
• The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium School, a collaboration between ESCFC, the Delaware Union ESC, the Delaware Area Career Center and the Columbus Zoo, was selected as a 2005 Magna Award Winner by the National School Boards Association. In 2003, student Katelyn Dever (Hilliard Davidson), was asked to present her research on manatees at the International Conference on Environmental Enrichment in Johannesburg, South Africa.
  
  
• ESCFC’s STACK Program (Structured Teaching for Autistic and Communication delayed Kids) was named by the Ohio Department of Education as a State Replication Program and featured in a 2005 National NBC Special Report on Autism as a model program for using socialization as a development tool for children with autism. In addition, Sue Wieging, STACK program coordinator, has completed The University of North Carolina’s Level III TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren) Training, and by school year 2005-06, 100 percent of our STACK Program teachers will have completed Level I TEACCH Training.
  
  
• The ESCFC/Columbus Montessori Preschool Program was recognized by the Ohio Department of Education with an Irene Bandy-Hedden Award for outstanding leadership, dedication and excellence in Early Childhood Instruction.
  
  
• ESCFC coordinated the Jennings Initiative grant project with the Ohio Learning First Alliance, the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and the Ohio Department of Education to enhance district and school-level implementation of Ohio’s new academic content standards in ten Ohio school districts. This collaboration enabled school districts to build and align the key partnerships of state-school community-family that are essential for ensuring students’ learning success.