School Study Council of Ohio's (SSCO) Ohio Center for Substitute Teachers (OCST) was designed in response to school districts' growing need for qualified substitute teachers. The goal for the Center is to professionalize substitute teaching.

The correlation between teacher quality and student achievement is well established. When permanent teachers are out of the classroom, the only option available is the use of a substitute teacher. Nationally, a student, on average, will spend the equivalent of one academic year taught by a substitute teacher. With limited training, these valuable educators fill a void in what are often challenging situations.

Appropriate training results in higher retention rates of substitutes, as well as, increased levels of student performance. Yet, it is not uncommon for districts to spend millions of dollars a year on substitute teacher pay while spending nothing on training. Formal training of substitute teachers improves the quality of education, decreases school district liability, reduces the number of student and faculty complaints, and eliminates procedural uncertainty regarding district policies.

The Ohio Center for Substitute Teachers includes the following components and services:

1. A clearinghouse for research and best practices
2. Formal training sessions which include development and practice of effective strategies for classroom management, lesson plan interpretation and instruction, professional ethics, school expectations and procedures
3. A moderated, online mentor board that provides follow-up support to the participants of the OCST Substitute Teacher Training Program as they begin accepting classroom assignments. Forum topics include issues related to classroom and student management, instructional strategies, and professional behavior
4. A rigorous evaluation component that includes repeated administration of formative evaluation measures designed to gauge school district satisfaction with teachers trained through the OCST