Read the report, Teacher Quality in a Changing Policy Landscape: Improvements in the Teacher Pool, and/or view the slide presentation. Click: Full Report (PDF) and/or Press Briefing Slide Presentation (PDF)
August
1, 2008- More Students To Attend Private Schools At Taxpayer Expense
Per-pupil revenue (the amount districts bring in) for school districts in Ohio ranges from just over $6,400 to just over $21,000. 155 districts bring in more than $10,000 for every student; 80 districts bring in less than $8,000 per student. Per-pupil spending (the amount districts spend) ranges from $6,876 (Columbus Grove) to $18,750 (Cuyahoga Heights). 106 districts spend more than $10,000 per student; 145 districts spend less than $8,000 per student The revenue-per-pupil raised by a 1-mill property tax ranges from $39 to $650. This means that the same tax rate (about $35 per year for every mill for someone who lives in a $100,000 house) will provide a substantially different dollar amount per pupil in different local school districts. Inside millage in school systems - unvoted millage that allows school district revenue to grow as property values grow - ranges from a low of 0.35 mills to a high of 6.90 mills. In Marion County, there are five public school districts and five different inside millage rates - from 3.3 mills (Marion City Schools) to 6.0 mills (Pleasant Local Schools). Voters in 172 districts have enacted an income tax that supports the local school system
Percentage of preprimary children ages 3–5 who were enrolled in center-based early childhood care and education programs, 1991–2005
The
2007 edition of "Vital Statistics" provides
comparative data on 12 factors for the 127 Appalachian school districts grouped
by counties. The mean is listed for
eleven factors (median is used for income per state return 2005) for 609
(three island districts and College Corners are outliers and not included
in this report) school districts in Ohio, including the 127 Appalachian
districts in this report.
Decrease the amount Ohio students pay for state colleges and universities to among the lowest in the nation. Increase the amount the state spends on higher education per student to above the national average (Ohio currently ranks 39th). Double the amount of Ohio students doing internship or co-op programs with Ohio businesses to 100,000. Enable those taking adult learner courses to apply them for credits toward a bachelor's degree. Adult education centers will function essentially like community colleges.
EFM Per Pupil Expenditure
EFM Per Pupil Expenditure 2007 (below $7,400) for Ohio Appalachian Schools Districts
EFM (expenditure flow model) used by ODE. Data Source: Ohio Department of Education
The following table breaks the levy passage/failure data down into operating vs. capital and new vs. renewal.
School choice
No Child Left Behind
Merit pay
Universal preschool
Read a related article. Click: • Ohio educators feel left behind by presidential hopefuls
CORAS Superintendents: Please let CORAS know what you think about the Governor's proposals. Send to: rfishe5@columbus.rr.com
Setzer’s House Bill 423 would allow teachers who now hold board certification to continue to receive an annual stipend from the state until the 10-year credential expires. However, teachers who earn their board certification after July 2008 wouldn’t qualify for the bonus unless they teach certain subjects or work in qualifying schools
An analysis by the Columbus Dispatch found that national board certified teachers in Ohio tend to work in higherperforming, wealthier school districts. Among the findings:
Stanford University researchers who followed 375,000 Texas teachers from 1993 to 1996 found "that teachers systematically moved to schools with greater resources and higher test scores for about the same pay, on average, as the teachers in the schools they left behind." A 2004-2005 study of New York City teachers revealed largely the same pattern. The president of the nonprofit Center for Teaching Quality said, "Ef fe ctive and supportive leadership also crops up consistently as the single most important issue in the working-conditions surveys that the center has helped conduct in Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina."
The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday that Governor Strickland said, “The status quo does not result in things staying the way they are. The status quo results in things getting increasingly worse in comparison to the rest of the world.” He said that rule applies to initiatives he has in the works, including a plan for addressing the state’s unconstitutional school funding system. “This [fixing school funding] is my responsibility as governor. I’ve got a four-year term. I want to get it done,” the Governor said. “My self judgment and probably the judgment of the people of Ohio will be made based on whether I am able to do this. So I want to do it in a way that actually leads to positive results.”
AP said the Governor envisions a single statewide educational system that extends from preschool through adulthood where credits and courses are more uniform to eliminate confusion and disparities. He said has not yet figured out how he would pay for such a system in a state whose formula for paying for public education has been deemed inequitable because it relies too heavily on property taxes. But he said, through input from many interested groups, he is coming closer to a proposal. “I don’t want to just have another failed attempt,” Strickland said. “There have been sincere efforts in the past which I think have fallen short because they have not been adequately embraced by the parties involved.”
November
28, 2007- Indiana Debates School Funding, Property Tax Relief
Read additional related articles from Sunday newspapers. Click on the links below.
OHIO
The state’s system for funding public education was ruled unconstitutional four times. The order to fix the system has been largely ignored by state leaders who have, instead, put more state money into education through a program to build new schools. The state is still heavily reliant on property owners to fund schools.
KENTUCKY
Complied with a court order to lower reliance on property taxes to support schools by removing the state’s education department and rebuilding it for a more efficient operation. The state’s legislature and governor were given one year to devise a new system for funding schools and did so without question.
PENNSYLVANIA
Taxpayer Relief Act was passed last year allowing some property tax revenue for schools to be replaced by $1 billion generated annually from the gaming industry. But even that won’t be enough. Property owners pay about $6 billion a year to fund schools.
Source: Ohio Department of Education
HOW NCTQ GRADED OHIO
Read the National Report and/or the Ohio Report. Click: Download National Report | Ohio Report
Sources: Cleveland Plain Dealer and Columbus Dispatch
Click here for the executive summary of the pilot study Click here for the full report of the pilot study Click here for a press release on The Cost of Teacher Turnover Study
In addition to “Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future,” backed by 12 state education organizations, this latest school-funding constitutional amendment proposal called “Education Funding Reform,” was developed by Republican State Senator Kirk Schuring. According to the Repository, Schuring developed his proposal by putting together a coalition of businesses, unions and education groups. Last Thursday's Repository said Senator Schuring met with Governor Strickland's chief of staff the previous week to go over a constitutional amendment he intends to propose. Drafting the proposal's language is now underway.
The following summary of Schuring's proposal was printed in Sunday's Canton Repository.
What happens now?
State accountability systems:
To access more report findings, click below.
---- Create a separate education budget - starting at $11 billion - for primary, secondary and higher education.
---- Finance the budget through an Ohio Education Trust Fund made up of a percentage of Ohio's income, sales and some excise taxes. The fund would be created by a constitutional amendment so its money could not be frozen or changed by the Legislature.
---- Allow the fund to grow as Ohio's revenue collection grows.
---- Allow the state to contribute more to local school districts, decreasing the dependence on local property taxes.
---- Establish a "rainy-day" fund for schools.
---- Create an Ohio Knowledge and Economic Empowerment Commission, which would be a partnership between the business and education communities and make recommendations for the use of the funds.
Even the well to do can stumble into poverty PDF | Who are the extremely poor? PDF | Where the extremely poor live
Ohio school facilities commission, At a Glance
Read H.B. 700. Click: As
Introduced
ACHIEVE INC., REPORTS TO STATE BOARD. The Columbus Dispatch said today that Ohio public schools stack up fairly well with other states, but not so well with other nations? According to the Dispatch, a report by Achieve Inc., said, "Required coursework is less rigorous, the high-school graduation test is too easy and too few students are ready for college." "The system reflects the standards of the past, yet we’re sending students out into the future. We’ve lost track of cutting edge," an education consultant told the state board yesterday, The final report with recommendations is expected in January.
Source: Quality Education Data, The Scholastic Company
Passed-Failed Rate for Ohio School District Tax Levies 2003-06
Sources: Ohio Department of Education, Ohio School Board's Association and the Columbus Dispatch
More than 10,450 public school students in Ohio will attend private schools at taxpayer expense this fall, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Last year about 7,000 students used vouchers to enroll in private schools. The vouchers are worth up to $4,375 for elementary and middle school tuition, and up to $5,150 for high schools. The report said only students who attend schools that have been rated in Academic Watch or Academic Emergency for at least two of the last three years qualify. The Ohio Educational Choice scholarships (vouchers) program is in its third year.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer
July 31, 2008- Media Commentaries Worth Repeating
"Over-reliance on local property taxes to fund public education creates tremendous inequalities around Ohio from one district to the next. It cheats the young people of our state of the best possible education we can provide." ..... Bucyrus Telegraph Form
"For more than a decade, school funding in Ohio has been like the weather. We love to talk about it. But no one does anything about it. That simply must change. One difference this time could be [Governor] Strickland will represent himself at the "listening table" more often than not. Hopefully, that will make a difference." ....Bucyrus Telegraph Forum
[Governor] Strickland acknowledged the financial challenges inherent in most of the ideas, but said it's imperative to talk about reforming education before tackling school funding itself, which was his campaign pledge in 2006." ...Cincinnati Enquirer
"He [Governor Strickland] also continues to challenge voters to judge him on his efforts to address the education funding conundrum. It is the rare politician that reminds voters of his or her campaign promises long after the final votes have been tabulated."....Akron Beacon Journal
July 30, 2008- Fuel Prices Force Schools To Weigh Cuts
A survey by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) finds 99% of superintendents contacted say they're feeling the pinch from high fuel costs and 77% say they're not getting any help from their state. The AASA survey of 546 superintendents, released yesterday, follows an informal poll last month that found fuel and heating costs rising from 10% to 32% over last year. Other surveys have found that transportation costs are up by as much as 40% in the nation's 14,100 school districts.
The percentage of superintendents who say their school districts are taking the following steps to counteract rising fuel prices:
- 59% Various energy conservation measures
- 44% Cutting back on student field trips.
- 37% Cutting back on heating and air conditioning
- 35% Consolidating bus routes
- 34% Limiting staff business travel
- 33% Eliminating/modifying support personnel jobs
- 31% Cutting back on purchasing supplies
- 29% Delaying facility upgrades and repairs
- 29% Eliminating or modifying teaching positions
- 21% Eliminating/modifying administrative jobs
- 15% Eliminating bus routes
- 15% Eliminating/modifying extracurricular offerings or sports.
- 15% Considering moving to a four-day school week.
Sources: USA Today and American Association of School Administrators Fuel and Energy Snapshot Survey
July 29, 2008- Is Denver Merit-Pay Model In Trouble?
An article in this week's edition of Education Week said Denver’s performance-pay system for teachers has long been hailed as a model, in good part because it was jointly conceived and implemented by the school district and the local teachers’ union. But, according to the article, that collaborative spirit is now in jeopardy, with union and district leaders engaged in a protracted battle over proposed changes to the system. The impasse in Denver is significant at a time when performance-pay, or merit pay, has gained popularity among politicians, including Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, who have spoken out in favor of performance pay.
It was pointed out that the only study relating to the effectiveness of the Denver performance-pay system, conducted by an assistant professor of education at the University of Colorado, found that teachers who opted into the program raised student test scores only slightly compared with their peers who did not take part in the pay plan. However, that study looked at only two years’ worth of data.
Read the article. Click: Denver Merit-Pay Plan Embroiled in Conflict
July 28, 2008- Reforming Public Education And School Funding In Ohio
From "Featured Commentaries," Akron Beacon Journal
"As a former congressman and lifelong resident of Appalachia, he [Governor Strickland] understands that your place of birth and where you are raised in this state predetermines the quality of your educational opportunity."
"Lawmakers have been reluctant in the past to address school funding in any meaningful way in large part because the current system burdens local school boards and superintendents with asking voters for tax increases and frees lawmakers to run on anti-tax platforms."
"But with so much at stake, and the lack of any leadership on this issue from previous governors, it is not too much to give Strickland the benefit of the doubt and trust he is sincere. It is really the only hope we hold."
....Dennis Willard, Akron Beacon Journal, July 27, 2008
Read the commentary. Click: Dennis Willard: Governor's 12-city tour seems sincere
From "Columns," Akron Beacon Journal:
"He [Governor Strickland] spoke memorably about ''the anemic . . . cowardly political structure that is unwilling to take the bold action that needs to be taken . . . to make elementary and secondary education adequately and fairly funded in our state.''
"Say, the governor puts forward a reasonable plan, one meriting discussion, inviting compromise, offering the possibility of improving a funding system that has been punishing to schools and the state. Will Republicans choose to be part of the solution?"
"Ted Strickland wants to get beyond much of the here and now. He wants to engage Ohioans in something larger, their capacity to compete and prosper, the quality of life they will leave to the next generation. He's doing what a governor should do."
....Michael Douglas, Akron Beacon Journal, July 27, 2008
Read the column. Click: Ted Strickland starts a conversation
July 25, 2008- "School Funding Still Ridiculous" & "Talking With Ted"
From the editorial in the Thursday, July 24, 2008, Ironton Tribune, School funding still ridiculous
"More affluent school districts have more prepared students to work with and more resources to teach them. Poorer districts have fewer resources to teach many students who have more needs and it’s necessary for the government to recognize the correlation between economics and educational performance. Furthermore, the system appears to be backwards. More funding, not less, is required for these districts to devote the necessary resources to students who may need more attention."
Read the editorial. Click: School funding still ridiculous
From the editorial in the Friday, July 25, 2008, Akron Beacon Journal, Talking With Ted
"Again, much high-minded talk has been uttered, and many rocky paths remain, interest groups defiant, even destructive. Yet here is a governor mobilizing his office in a vigorous way, seeking to rally its considerable power. The governor plans a second set of conversations in the fall specifically about funding. Yes, he may fail, ultimately. For now, Ohioans are right to consider: Maybe this time will be different."
Read the editorial. Click: Talking with Ted
July 24, 2008- Governor: School Funding Discussions To Be Held This Fall
Governor Strickland told an Akron audience yesterday that a discussion on school funding will take place in a second series of conversations this fall, but he wants to know what kind of education system he's funding before he talks to voters about how to pay for it. ''We're going to be more successful if we can say to people, this is what we want to provide educationally, and this is how much we think it's going to cost or how we think it ought to be financed,'' the Governor said. ''I think that's a better argument than just simply implying that we want more money to do whatever we're already doing. We're already spending a lot of money to do what we're already doing.''
July 23, 2008- Governor's Conversation On Education Schedule And Video Connections
Governor Ted Strickland has scheduled 12 statewide meetings to help develop his education plan . The Governor has invited business leaders, educators, parents and students to attend the meetings to be broadcast on some public television stations and live on the Internet. The first meeting was held yesterday in Columbus with another meeting this afternoon in Akron, Monday in Cincinnati and Tuesday in Dayton.
The meetings will address education policies. The focus is on six principles the Governor spelled out in his State of the State address earlier this year. They are:
-- Strengthen the commitment to public education;
-- Link education to economic prosperity;
-- Identify the strengths of schools;
-- Consult and follow the lead of teachers;
-- Develop specific, personalized education programs appropriate to a student's needs and abilities; and
-- Use testing to understand a student's capabilities, weaknesses and growth.
A second set of meetings this fall will explore changes to Ohio's school-funding system.
Live video of each meeting will be broadcast on the homepage of this site (www.ConversationOnEducation.org), . In order to view the live video presentation, you must have a recent version of Adobe Flash Player and a broadband Internet connection. Upon completion, all meetings will also be saved in the media archive on the website above for later viewing. Visit the site above for information on how to sponsor a WATCH PARTY.
The times and locations for the remaining meetings are:
| |
Akron--July 23, 2008 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM |
Cincinnati--July 28, 2008 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
Dayton--July 29, 2008 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
Cleveland--August 6, 2008 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
Zanesville--August 11, 2008 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
Chillicothe--August 12, 2008 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM |
Lima--August 15, 2008 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM |
Marietta--August 18, 2008 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM |
Toledo--August 20, 2008 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM |
Youngstown--September 3, 2008 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM |
Mansfield--September 15, 2008 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
July 23, 2008- Graduate Credit For Attending 2008-09 CORAS Meetings
OHIO UNIVERSITY TO GRANT GRADUATE CREDIT, TUITION FREE, FOR ATTENDING 2008-09 CORAS MEETINGS
The format will be different for the first four CORAS membership meetings during the 2008-09 school year. CORAS has arranged with Battelle for Kids to conduct four interconnected programs that can also stand alone as four separate presentations. The programs are:
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Look at the National Education Landscape-What Does it Mean for My District?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Highly-Effective Teaching Revealed and Replicated Through Classroom-Level Value-Added Analysis
Tuesday, January 27, 2008
Help Your District Develop a Vision for Assessment Excellence
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Leadership for Results
Each session will begin with registration/continental breakfast at 9:00 AM and conclude following a buffet luncheon at 12:30 PM. All four sessions will be held at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan, Ohio.
The Ohio University College of Education has agreed to grant one (1) quarter hour graduate credit, tuition fee, (a savings of nearly $400) to administrators and employees of CORAS member schools who attend all four sessions. However, there will be one-time $85.00 Ohio University fee, plus a $15.00 CORAS registration fee for each session. The latter fee is to cover the cost of materials, continental breakfast and buffet lunch.
Attendance at all four sessions is required to receive one (1) quarter hour of graduate credit from Ohio University. Those seeking graduate credit must submit payment of $145.00 prior to September 16, 2008, which includes the $85.00 Ohio University fee and the $15.00 CORAS registration fee for each of the four sessions. Those not seeking graduate credit may pay the $15.00 by P.O. or at the door, as in past years.
Mark your calendars today. Registration materials and more detailed information about each session will be mailed to CORAS members in early August.
July 17, 2008- More On Ohio's School Funding Gaps
An Education Trust website news release says Ohio, "not only closed their low-income funding gaps, they reversed them and began providing more funding to their highest-poverty districts."
We do not know what data were used by the Education Trust to arrive at this conclusion, but it doesn't measure up against data on the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website. According to ODE data, a number of Ohio's wealthier school districts per pupil expenditure has increased by at least $5,000 to over $7,000 during the 10 year period since the DeRolph decision in 1997. The increase in the per pupil expenditure during the same period for the 10 lowest spending Ohio Appalachian school districts ranged from a low of $411 to a little over $2,800. In addition, a recent email from the E&A Coalition pointed out that from 1997 to 2008 the average expenditure per pupil in the 30 lowest expenditure districts increased $2705, while the 30 highest expenditure districts increased $5080. Bob Haas, a member of the River Valley Board of Education and guest columnist for the Marion Star, listed a variety of school funding inequities and said, "By almost every financial measure, there is no "equity" in funding for Ohio's public schools. The state of Ohio is supposed to have a public school system that provides similar educational opportunities for all Ohio children. We are not even close." To read his article click:
It may also be worth noting that the per pupil expenditure in some of the wealthier Ohio school districts has increased by more dollars since FY 1998 than the total 2007 per pupil expenditure for several Ohio Appalachian districts. Do not be deceived by reports that claim the school funding gap in Ohio has decreased even slightly. It is increasing!
July 16, 2008- School Supplies, Textbooks Costs Continue To Rise
A recent online survey by Huntington Bank found more than half of public school students underestimate the cost of buying school supplies. The bank estimates that parents need to be prepared to spend $385 for elementary school children, $551 for middle school children and $911 for high school students. The outlook isn't any better for college students. In the past two decades book prices have risen at twice the rate of inflation, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. This school year, textbooks and supplies are expected to cost college students $805 to $1,229, according to the College Board.
Visit the CORAS website at: www.coras.org
July 15, 2008- Number Of Homeless Children Expected To Rise
The Ohio Department of Education recorded a 13 percent increase in student homelessness between the 2005-2006 school year and 2006-2007, the last year for which statistics were available. A total of 13,610 Ohio school children had experienced homelessness at some point during the 2006-07 school year, an increase of more than 1,600 over the previous year. Ohio had 9,887 homeless children in 2004-05 and 11,977 in 2005-06. Poverty issues are one of the main causes for homelessness, according to the youth advocacy program coordinator with the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. However, because of the housing crisis, a much higher number of homeless children is expected this school year. The increasing numbers of homeless children extends beyond cities to rural areas, according to reports.
Source: Toledo Blade
July 14, 2008- "A Reality Check For Ohio k-12 Public School 'System' Funding"
The following article appeared in the Guest Columnist Section of the Sunday, July 13, 2008 Marion Star.
A reality check for Ohio's K-12 public school 'system' funding
Seventeen years ago, in May 1991, the DeRolph lawsuit, which challenged the way Ohio funds its public K-12 schools, was filed in Perry County. Just over eleven years ago, in March of 1997, the Ohio Supreme court declared the school funding system unconstitutional, and directed the Ohio legislature to create a new system, one that lessened the reliance of local property taxes for funding public schools.
What is the result?
The February 2008 Cupp report (available from the Ohio Department of Education Web site), which summarizes spending for public K-12 districts in Ohio, reveals the following facts:
By almost every financial measure, there is no "equity" in funding for Ohio's public schools. The state of Ohio is supposed to have a public school system that provides similar educational opportunities for all Ohio children. We are not even close.
It is time to consider some radical changes in school funding
Pooling a substantial portion of property taxes, either statewide or by region or county
Setting a consistent inside millage rate for all school districts
Consolidating districts or splitting large district
Shifting property tax revenue from "rich" districts to "poor" districts
Changing the law to allow for some additional revenue growth for districts (eliminate the "rollback" provision in HB920)
There is little support for any of these changes; that's one reason we are stuck with the funding system we currently have. School organizations (OSBA) are against "pooling;" rich districts understandably do not support any redistribution of their revenue; legislators and taxpayers do not support eliminating the rollback; few want to discuss consolidation.
Another problem with either providing additional funding or redistributing existing funding for schools is that it is difficult to say with certainty that a specific dollar amount will result in a corresponding gain in student performance (assuming we have an agreed-upon definition of performance). Learning and teaching are complex processes and improvements are not immediate. But to those who say that the per-pupil funding level doesn't make any difference, I propose a straightforward experiment - let's ask Cuyahoga Heights and Columbus Grove to swap funding levels for three years. Let's see if this will make any difference in student performance at those schools.
Ohio's children are not "raw material" that can be run through a "process" to create a consistent "product." Ohio's public schools have to meet students where they are and move students forward. Students in the same grade do not all start at the same place - each student is unique. There are teaching methods that work, but teaching and learning are not "one-size-fits-all" processes. Test scores cannot be the sole determinant of quality or performance.
To be fair, in the 17 years that have passed since the DeRolph decision, the legislature has taken steps to reduce inequities in funding, has provided significant state funding for buildings, and has tinkered around the edges of the funding system. The state of Ohio does try to account for the difference in local property tax valuation through the state foundation formula; low-wealth districts get a higher amount of state funding per-pupil than high-wealth districts. But the result of all of this is clear - significant funding inequities remain.
The governor has promised to release details of a new funding plan within the next few months, but as long as local property taxes are a primary source of revenue for local school systems, many schools will struggle. If we cannot fix Ohio's public school funding system to provide a more consistent education (yes, that means funding level) for every child enrolled in Ohio's public schools, it may be that we should just quit trying. Perhaps we need to create a "full disclosure" statement similar to the following:
Dear Ohio Public School Student:
Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to devise a way to fund Ohio's public schools so that every student will have a similar educational experience; some public schools will continue to have three times as many dollars-per-student as other public schools. This means the educational opportunities available to you in an Ohio public K-12 school will depend to a great degree on where you live. This does not mean your local community does not value education, or that your parents do not support your school - it just means that our funding system causes significant inequalities. Of course, every public school will do the best it can with the resources available.
We wish you good luck as you pursue your education,
Ohio's elected representatives, on behalf of the citizens of Ohio
Bob Haas has served as a member of the River Valley Board of Education since 1992. His opinions do not necessarily reflective of the opinions of the River Valley School Board or administration.
| Data source: FY-2007 District Profile Report (also known as the Cupp Report) |
July 11, 2008- Fuel Costs, Forcing Busing Cuts, May Jeopardize Safety
Superintendents and boards of education are trying to cope with the soaring costs of fuel for school buses. A USA Today report said fuel costs are up 35%-40% since last year. As a result schools are requiring more students walk to school, cutting buses for extracurricular activities, and more are considering a four-day school week.
The USA Today report said more schools in Ohio are cutting back to the minimum requirement, which means buses only for kindergartners through eighth-graders who live more than 2 miles from school. The article said the number of Ohio students on daily buses is down 9 percent, from 1.1 million to 1 million. However, busing advocates say cutting basic bus service jeopardizes safety. About 800 students die each year going to and from school, but only about 20 deaths are bus-related, according to the National Academies of Sciences.
Read the USA Today article. Click: Schools cutting bus service because of fuel prices
July 10, 2008- One System Of Public Education In Ohio And A Question About Fairness
In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court said, "In establishing such a system [an entirely new school financing system], the General Assembly shall recognize that there is but one system of public education in Ohio: It is a statewide system, expressly created by the state's highest document, the Constitution." If it is in fact one statewide system of public education, established by the Ohio Constitution, why does the state treat some of its school children better than others?
July 9, 2008- Districts With Low Property Valuation Left Behind
The DeRolph decision focused on the over-reliance on the property tax to fund schools. However, many districts with low property valuation have been left behind since that 1997 ruling. Using the Ohio Department of Education EFM (Expenditure Flow Model) per pupil expenditure, the following is a comparison of Ohio's highest (above $14,000 per pupil) school districts to the lowest (below $7,400 per pupil) Ohio Appalachian school districts. The chart shows the per pupil expenditure increases since the DeRolph decision in 1997.
Ohio's Highest (over $14,000 per pupil) 2007 EFM Per Pupil Expenditure Districts
1998 2007 Increase
Cuyahoga Heights Local....................................$11,585..........$18,761...............$7,176
Beachwood City..................................................$12,969..........$18,294..............$5,325
Orange City........................................................$10,842..........$18,247..............$7,405
Cleveland Hts-University Hts City................$ 9,509..........$15,805..............$6,296
Youngstown City.................................................$ 7,829..........$15,388..............$7,559
Shaker Heights City..........................................$10,151...........$15,151................$5,000
Perry Local..........................................................$11,228...........$14,930..............$3,702
Princeton City.....................................................$ 9,414...........$14,434..............$5,020
Ohio Appalachian Counties Lowest (below $7,400 per pupil) 2007 EFM Per Pupil Expenditure Districts
1998 2007 Increase
Ross Southeastern............................................$4,694................$7,129..............$2,435
Columbiana Exempted Village.........................$5,811.................$7,168..............$1,357
Bethel-Tate Local..............................................$4,723...............$7,237.............$2,514
Union-Scioto Local............................................$5,377...............$7,285............ $1,908
Western Brown..................................................$6,905................$7,316..............$ 411
St. Clairsville-Richland City...........................$5,261................$7,324.............$2,108
East Palestine City............................................$4,959................$7,365.............$2,406
West Muskingum Local.....................................$4,955................$7,370.............$2,415
Strasburg-Franklin Local................................$4964.................$7,387.............$2,423
Zane Trace Local..............................................$4,539................$7,390 ............$2,811
Data Source: Ohio Department of Education
July 8, 2008- Performance Pressure and Resource Allocation In Ohio
To explore how state and national performance expectations have altered educational resource decisions, the School Finance Redesign Project (SFRP) at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington conducted interviews of state, district, and school leaders in four states, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Washington, asking these leaders about their efforts to improve student performance and the constraints they face in implementing improvement reforms. The report, Performance Pressure and Resource Allocation in Ohio, released in February 2008, presents the findings of interviews conducted in Ohio.
The Ohio report concludes by saying, "Our findings also make clear that Ohio policymakers and legislators cannot continue to view education finance discussions as unproductive distractions divorced from the work of education reform; instead they must attend to the system’s structural problems if they are to reach the objective of bringing all students to standard. We hope that the findings of this and other SFRP reports will encourage policymakers, practitioners, and the public to overcome historical precedents, partisan politics, and resistance to change in order to create an educational system that truly makes student achievement the ultimate goal."
Read the full report. Click: Download Full Report (this report is long, but provides some insight for Ohio's education/school funding reform issues)
Source: Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington
July 7, 2008- "School Funding's Tragic Flaw"
“At every level of government, federal, state, and local, policymakers give more resources to students who have more resources, and less to those who have less,” states the new report, School Funding's Tragic Flaw, released in May 2008 by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education. “These funding disparities accumulate as they cascade through multiple layers of government, with the end result being massive disparities between otherwise similar schools.” “By perpetuating school finance systems that treat children from different districts so differently, by shackling students to the economic circumstances into which they were born, states are undermining the egalitarian goals of public education," the report concluded.
To illustrate how this three-layered K-12 funding benefits students and schools that are better off, the report says:
Federal policy – The Title I program, which provides money to school districts with high concentrations of poor students, contributes to the funding disparity problem. Title I allocations are dependent upon how much states and districts spend. States and districts with more money spend more money, so they get more federal dollars. States and districts that are poorer and, therefore, have less money to spend, get fewer federal dollars, penalizing poorer states.
State policy – Many states have adopted policies, some prompted by lawsuits, to equalize funding between richer and poorer school districts. However, laws allowing local districts to augment state funding with local property tax levies often mean those districts with higher property wealth wind up with more money. Also, when state funds are distributed according to staffing reimbursement formulas, wealthier districts that spend more typically benefit.
Local policy – Districts make decisions that determine how funding is distributed among individual schools, especially around budgeting for teachers. When teachers are allowed to choose where they work, they tend to go to lower-poverty schools where working conditions may be better. High-poverty schools typically have less experienced teachers and higher turnover rates, so the average teacher salary is usually much lower in those schools, resulting in significant per-student funding disparities between schools within districts.
The report offers a series of policy ideas to help remedy the problem of funding disparity at the three levels of government. While the study focuses on North Carolina and Virginia, it presents implications for all states.
Source: The Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington
Read the full report. Click: Download Full Report
July 2, 2008- Governor's Conversation On Education Forums
Governor Strickland will hold televised, invitation-only forums across the state in July and August on reforming public education in Ohio. Educators, business leaders, parents and students, among others, will make up the live audiences. The meetings will be broadcast on local PBS stations and streamed live on the Web. In addition, each school district in the region is encouraged to organize at least one "watch party" for the broadcast or Webcast and conduct a facilitated group discussion following the forum. To have the voices in our region heard in Columbus, we urge CORAS member superintendents to host a "watch party" and provide feedback to the Governor. [For information for hosting a "watch party," "Click: How To Host a Watch Party ]
The Governor's Conversation on Education regional meetings scheduled in Ohio's Appalachian counties are:
Zanesville, Monday, August 11, 2008 - 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM - Location: Elson Hall at Ohio University -Zanesville
Chillicothe, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Location: Bennett Hall at Ohio University-Chillicothe
Marietta, Monday, August 18, 2008 - 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Location: To be announced
A second round of education forums will be held later in the fall of 2008 and will focus on how to properly finance public education in Ohio. The governor said he will unveil his plan for both reforming and funding education in 2009.
For more information, click: www.conversationoneducation.org.
July 1, 2008- "Unique ID's" Proposed To Track Students
Earlier this year U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced she will take administrative steps to ensure all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time, and how many drop out. According to the Associated Press (AP), the proposed new rules would require states to assign students a unique ID number to track the individual from ninth grade through graduation, or until that student drops out. The federal government has offered grants to state education departments to improve their data systems and help pay for a system to track students by unique IDs. The government gave a total of $62.2 million to 13 states in 2007 for data systems, according to a U.S. Education Department spokesman.
Washington state assigned a unique ID to every student four years ago. The class of 2008 will be the first with a graduation rate based on the method the U.S Education Department wants mandated for all states by the 2013-14 school year, AP said. Washington state officials don't know yet if the new method will help or hurt Washington's steady 70 percent on-time graduation rate, but say accuracy is more important.
Read the April 2008 press release: Click: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Announces Department Will Move to a Uniform ...
Sources: Associated Press and U.S Department of Education
June 30, 2008- Poll: Education Slips As A Campaign Issue
Two years ago, when governors and state legislators were being elected, education ranked as the most important issue according to a poll by the Public Education Network, a group of community-based organizations that work on school improvement in low-income areas. During the 2004 presidential election, education ranked second behind the economy.
According to a similar Public Education Network poll, conducted in May and funded by the MetLife Foundation, education ranked no higher than third this election year. The 2008 poll found only 12 percent of poll participants declaring education the most important issue facing America. Overall, only 10 percent of voters said a presidential candidate’s view on education is one of the “most important” issues in determining how they will vote in November.
Read the June 2008 Public Education Network report. Click: Download PDF (270 kb)
Sources: Public Education Network and Education Week
June 27, 2008- While Schools And Families Struggle............
Most of us have read about the record profits reported by Exxon-Mobile and other oil companies, now it's the mega-grocery chains. A headline in Tuesday's newspaper read, KROGER REPORTS RECORD PROFITS. While schools and families struggle, the big corporations have the luxury to increase revenue by raising prices, not only to cover their costs, but to make record profits.
June 26, 2008- Study: Teachers Not Being Taught Math Properly
Elementary-school teachers are poorly prepared by education schools to teach math, according to a study being released today by the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research and advocacy group. The report looked at 77 elementary education programs around the country, or roughly 5 percent of the institutions that offer undergraduate elementary teacher certification.
The study found the programs, within colleges and universities, spend too little time on elementary math topics. The report found significant differences in the number and kind of courses required by each education program. Education schools also are not being selective enough, the report stated. Most require applicants to take an admissions test, usually around their sophomore year of college. But the test, which typically includes reading, writing and math sections, is far too easy, according to the report.
The report also criticized the tests education students take when they complete their coursework, which are generally relied on by states in granting teacher licenses. In many cases, the prospective teachers are judged on an overall score only, meaning they could do badly on the math portion but still pass if they do well in the other areas. Since states oversee the preparation of the nation's school teachers, the report recommends they set tougher coursework and testing standards.
To read more, click: National Council on Teacher Quality - NCTQ
To read more, click: National Council on Teacher Quality - NCTQ
June 25, 2008- Small High Schools Experiment Doesn't Deliver Promises
Small Schools And The Pressure To Consolidate
Oregon's highly touted small high schools have graduated their first class of students who spent all four years in smaller, more intimate academies intended to revolutionize the big American high school. The Seattle Times said, "Backers of small schools heralded the academies as the best way to curb high dropout rates, forge connections to keep teenagers on track and prepare every graduate for college. Four years into that effort, however, the small schools have yet to deliver on those promises." (read article below)
Oregon's small-schools initiative was launched in 2004 with grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust. Nationally, the Gates Foundation has donated more than $1 billion to create and support small academies. The Seattle Times article said Gates Foundation leaders have grown impatient at the uneven results when big schools break into small ones. "This fall, Gates probably will switch the focus of its grants for fixing high schools to target teaching and raise teacher quality," the director of the Gates' education initiatives said.
Read the Seattle Times article. Click: Small-school experiment doesn't live up to hopes
Small Schools And The Pressure To Consolidate
"Despite research evidence demonstrating the advantages of smaller schools and districts, especially for low-income students many states continue to pass regulations that require or strongly encourage small districts to consolidate or to close their small schools and replace them with larger, consolidated school." ..........quote from Small Schools and the Pressure to Consolidate
Read article published in Education Policy Analysis Archives, a publication of Arizona State University and University of South Florida, written by Drs. Aimee Howley and Craig Howley, Ohio University. Click: Access this article in PDF format
June 24, 2008- Bad News For Schools?
"Though the 52-page National Governors Association-National Association of State Budget Officers (NGA-NASBO) report doesn’t focus on education, it’s clear the findings don’t bode well for K-12 schools, which took up the biggest chunk—34.4 percent—of states’ general-fund budgets in fiscal 2007. Even though state leaders typically cut K-12 spending only as a last resort, it’s unclear how many states can continue to weather the economic storm without slashing funds for public schools." .....Education Week, June 19, 2008
According to Education Week, the reason for states’ budget problems are numerous: Rising fuel costs are driving up the cost of doing state business, the slowdown in the real estate market has hit states’ tax revenues hard, and general sales, corporate, and personal income taxes aren’t growing as much as they did during stronger economic times.
Read the NGA-NASBO, June 2008 report. Click: new report
Adding to Ohio's economic woes, a report released Friday show the state's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in May, up from 5.6 percent in April. The number of unemployed workers in Ohio in May was 380,000, up from 335,000 in April. The number of unemployed people has increased by 43,000 in the past 12 months. Ohio's 6.3 percent unemployment figure tops the national rate of 5.5 percent.
June 23, 2008- Speculation Begins Over Who Will Be Ohio's Next School Superintendent
The following article appeared in the Sunday, June 22, 2008 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Potential candidates are many to replace Susan Tave Zelman as Ohio schools superintendent
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Scott Stephens
Plain Dealer Reporter
Ohio State's not playing football yet, and pro hockey is on ice for the summer. So among the popular sports in Columbus these days is the guessing game over who will replace Susan Tave Zelman as state schools superintendent. Even before Zelman's announcement last month that she would be departing before year's end, pundits in the state capital were laying odds on who would replace her. This much is known: Some members of the State Board of Education, which is charged with hiring a new superintendent, have said they want to snag a person with strong Ohio ties. And to get the job, that person will need the blessing of Gov. Ted Strickland. "The governor expects to have a strong voice in the process," said his spokesman, Keith Dailey. "I think the governor sees himself as being a partner in this process with the board." What has emerged is a short list of names of potential candidates who would appear to meet those prerequisites.
GEORGE WOOD
Principal, Federal Hocking High School in Athens County
Why: Friend and ally of the governor and his wife from southeast Ohio. Authored the then governor- elect's K-12 transition paper. Out-of-the-box thinker not afraid to make waves. Has been a teacher, school board member, professor and principal. Founding director of Wildwood Secondary School in Los Angeles. His current school is rated one of America's 100 Best by Reader's Digest.
Why not: May lack the administrative experience to run a major state department.
JAMES MAHONEY
Executive director, Battelle for Kids.
Why: Point man in the state's effort to use "value added" data that measures the academic growth of a child. Vast experience as a superintendent, principal, teacher and professor. Skillful in building bridges among education, community, political and business leaders.
Why not: Good resume, but he might be more valuable making sure the value-added project stays on course.
EUGENE SANDERS
CEO, Cleveland city schools.
Why: Track record of moving student achievement in urban districts and fostering cooperation between administration and teachers unions. Good relationship with Strickland's staff. Strong administrative skills. Has been a visible advocate for public education in the state legislature. Experience as a college professor doesn't hurt.
Why not: Could be substantial pay cut.
DAVID ESTROP
Superintendent, Lakewood schools.
Why: Articulate critic of state and federal accountability systems. Had delivered strong academic results in Lakewood in the wake of changing social and economic demographics. Under contract in Lakewood through 2009-10 school year but has indicated interest in making a move.
Why not: Brings a lot to the table, but Strickland might want someone better known in statewide business and political circles.
GENE HARRIS
Superintendent, Columbus city schools.
Why: Dynamic urban school leader with strong track re cord of academic success. Heads Ohio's largest school district. Has been open to innovation programs, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, schools. Familiar with the lay of the land in Columbus and known by folks inside the I-270 beltway.
Why not: With her district probably seeking a large tax increase in November, this might be a bad time to jump ship.
CARL KOHRT
President and CEO of Battelle for Kids.
Why: Seasoned business leader with an ability to overhaul large state department. Runs the world's largest independent nonprofit research and development organization. Key player in Strickland's push to establish STEM schools. Understands link between education and the economy.
Why not: Lack of direct experience in education could hurt.
A few of the prospective candidates, such as Sanders, declined to comment on the possibility of seeking the state superintendent’s post. Others said they have heard the rumors, too. “I’m flattered people would give me that consideration,” Wood said. “I love doing what I’m doing, but I’m anxious to help this governor any way I can.”
Estrop also confirmed that he’s heard his name floated. “I’m certainly aware my name is being advanced,” Estrop said. “Obviously, I’m very humbled and honored that there are those who believe I’d be qualified to serve the people of Ohio as their superintendent of public instruction.”
Mahoney said he hasn’t talked to anybody about the job. “I love what I’m doing,” he said.
The State Board of Education has hired the Worthington- based Hudepohl & Associates to handle the search. Zelman said she will stay on the job until a new superintendent is hired. Zelman, who has been actively seeking another job in and out of the state, is in her 10th year as the state’s top education official. Her days became numbered after Strickland in February suggested establishing a new Cabinet-level education director’s position. That idea has not materialized, but Strickland is expected to have a large role in helping the state board replace Zelman.
However it ends up, Mahoney said groups like his will help. “We’re going to support whatever person it is,” he said. “That’s what we do.”
Click for original article: Potential candidates are many to replace Susan Tave Zelman as Ohio schools superintendent
June 20, 2008- 2008 OGT Results For Public School Sophomores
In March 2008 nearly 135,000 public school sophomores took the Ohio Graduation Tests. Statewide, students performed slightly worse this year than last, with 65 percent of the public school sophomores who took the test passing all five subjects. Community school students are included in the public school totals. Science and social studies proficiency improved statewide, while math, reading and writing proficiency declined.
In previous years, the percentage of public school sophomores passing all five subjects were: 65.3% in March 2007; 66.5% in March 2006: and 63.6% in March 2005.
The complete OGT results are available on the Ohio Department of Education’s Web site at www.ode.state.oh.us by hovering over “Teaching and Assessments” on the left, then clicking “Ohio Graduation Tests.” On the next page, click “OGT Assessment Results.”
Source: Ohio Department of Education
June 19, 2008- Report: Bottom Students Show Greater Gains On NAEP Tests
A new study, released yesterday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, compared trends in scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests in reading and math for the bottom 10 percent of students nationwide with those for the top 10 percent. The data show that from 2000 to 2007, the scores of the top 10 percent of students essentially held steady on National Assessment of Educational Progress tests in reading and math, increasing by 3 points in 4th grade reading and 5 points in 8th grade math. The scores for the bottom 10 percent of students, meanwhile, rose by 16 points on the 4th grade reading test and 13 points in 8th grade math. One exception to that pattern was in 8th grade reading, where low-achieving students' scores declined and the achievement gap widened slightly.
The report also included results of a survey of a nationally representative sample of 900 teachers. Seven in 10 teachers said their schools were more likely to focus on struggling students than average or advanced students when tracking achievement data and trying to raise test scores. And about three-quarters of the teachers surveyed said they agreed with this statement: “Too often, the brightest students are bored and under-challenged in school — we’re not giving them a sufficient chance to thrive.”
According to the New York Times, a vice president at Education Trust, which lobbies for policies to help close the achievement gap, said the gains by low achievers should be applauded. “My concern is that this report makes it seem like we have to choose between seeking equity and excellence,” she said. “We need to strive for both.”
Read the report. Click: Full report | Foreword | Executive Summary
Also see: Slideshow presentation of the findings
Sources: New York Times, Education Week and Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
June 18, 2008- Report Calls For Greater Attention To Low-Income Students
A new report, Raising Graduation Rates in an Era of High Standards: Five Commitments for State Action, singles out the "chasm-like gap" between the graduation rates of students from low-income families with limited formal education and their peers from higher-income, better educated families. The report notes that 91 percent of students from middle-and upper-income families graduate from high school, compared to only 65 percent of students in low-income families. In addition, the report said one out of two students (52%) from middle-and upper-class families can be expected to earn a college degree, while only one in ten students (11%) from the lowest socioeconomic group will do so. The report said, "Even though students from low-income families struggle to graduate from high school and college, they do not lack ambition."
The report, a joint project of Achieve and Jobs for the Future funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, calls on state policymakers throughout the nation to "make a commitment to early and continuous support for struggling students" and to "exercise crucial leadership, especially for low-income students, who are more likely than their more affluent peers to drop out of high school or be unprepared for college and work."
Read the report. Click: Download Raising Graduation Rates
Sources: Alliance for Excellent Education and Jobs for the Future
June 17, 2008- Record Enrollments, Shifting Demographics, Minority And Poor Students
Public school enrollment across the United States will hit a record high this year with just under 50 million students, according to a new federal report. Overall, about 43 percent of the nation's students are minorities, according to the Condition of Education 2008, a congressionally mandated annual look at enrollment and performance trends in schools and colleges. According to the report, the number of school-age children will continue to grow, hitting an all-time high of 54 million in 2017.
Reporting the projected record enrollments and shifting demographics, the Washington Post said educators and activists believe it is becoming urgent to find ways to boost achievement of minority and low-income students, who often lag behind white and middle to upper-income peers. According to The Education Equality Project, a non-partisan group of elected officials, civil rights leaders, and education reformers, by the end of fourth grade, African American, Latino, and poor students of all races are two years behind their wealthier, predominantly white peers in reading and math. By eighth grade, they have slipped three years behind, and by twelfth grade, four years behind.
Read the full report. Click: The Condition of Education 2008
Sources: Washington Post, National Center for Education Statistics and The Education Equality Project
June 16, 2008- CORAS Summer Meeting, Golf Outing At EagleSticks
Seventy-five CORAS members and quests attending the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools summer meeting and golf outing heard BASA Deputy Director Kirk Hamilton discuss current education and school funding reform efforts in Ohio. The event was held at the EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn, Zanesville.
In addition, Kyle Kanuckel, Superintendent, River View Local Schools District, Joe Wengerd, Superintendent, East Holmes Local School District and Robert Ferrell, Superintendent, Milford Exempted Village School District, were recognized for their district receiving an "Excellent" on the 2006-07 Local District Report Card. The following received a certificate honoring their retirement: Cindy Hartman (Southern Local, Perry County); Frank Vostatek (Toronto City); Tom Wolfe (Berne Union Local); Bob Greenwood (East Guernsey Local); and Doug Spade (Tri Valley Local). Tom Wolfe and Dale Edwards (Jefferson County JVS) received a plaque for their service as members of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools Board of Directors.
Following the presentations, CORAS President Dr. Richard Murray passed the presidents gavel to 2008-09 CORAS President David Branch, Superintendent, Franklin Local School District. In-coming President Branch then presented Dr. Murray (Muskingum Valley ESC) with a plaque for his outstanding leadership as President of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools during the 2007-08 school year.
Brunch was served on the veranda, followed by fellowship and golf. At the evening awards dinner, the team of Mike Waggoner, Kenny Waggoner, Travis Waggoner and Kevin Waddell (Vinton County Local) were crowned the winners of the golf scramble.
June 13, 2008- Tax-Funded Vouchers For Special Education Resurrected
The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that majority Republicans in the General Assembly are once again pushing to create tax-funded vouchers for special-education students to use for tuition at private schools. The latest proposal, Senate Bill 57, would create a five-year pilot program beginning in 2010 for up to 7,500 students (3 percent of the state's 250,000 special-education enrollment) to receive up to $20,000 a year. The Governor vetoed a similar measure last year and has promised to do so again.
Read the Dispatch article. Click: Special-education tuition voucher plan resurrected
June 12, 2008-= Report: Quality Of Life For Ohio Children At Lowest Point
The quality of life for children in Ohio has fallen to its lowest point ever, according to the national report 2008 Kids Count. The report, released today, measures the well-being of children and is published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 2008 Kids Count is their 19th annual report.
Ohio was ranked 30th worst among the states by the report. Ohio's highest previous ranking was 26th in 2002. In the past six years, the percent of children living in poverty and in homes where parents don't have stable full-time employment has risen by double digits, the report said. According to the report, the number of children living in poverty and unstable homes has outpaced the national average. In 2006, 34 percent of Ohio's children lived in homes with parents who didn't have stable employment, 33 percent of children lived in single-parent families and 19 percent of children in Ohio lived in poverty.
Recently, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland established a poverty task force to study the problem and submit recommendations.
Read the report. Click: 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book Released
June 11, 2008- Report: Challenges Rural Districts Face To Comply With NCLB
The six-year-old federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires reading and math proficiency for all students and a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, has had scant influence on the nation's rural schools, according to a report released yesterday by the Center on Education Policy. The Center is a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools. The report is significant in developing policy in states such as Ohio, which has the fifth-largest rural student population in the nation. It's also significant because enrollment in rural schools nationally is up 15 percent, including a 55 percent increase in rural minority students.
Among the report's findings:
- Federal highly qualified requirements have little impact on teacher recruitment and retention in rural districts. Often because their salaries are not competitive, rural districts have trouble keeping good teachers, especially in hard-to-fill areas such as math and science.
- Rural schools are struggling with academic achievement gaps between students from low-income households - as well as disabled students - and their peers.
- Rural school leaders rated their own policies and programs more significant than No Child Left Behind regulations in raising student achievement. One exception: Reading First, the federally funded program designed to get children reading well by the end of third grade.
Read the report, Some Perspectives From Rural Districts On The No Child Left Behind Act. Click: View Materials
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: Rural schools left behind federal mandate
Sources: Center on Education Policy and Cleveland Plain Dealer
June 10, 2008- Long-Term Economic Pay-Off Seen From Early Childhood Education
According to an article in Education Week, the latest analysis of a long-running early-childhood-education program for children of low-income families in Chicago suggests economic payoffs from such services that continue well into adulthood. Researchers looking at data from the study, which is now more than 20 years old, say that for every dollar spent on children who attended the Chicago Child Parent Centers, almost $10 is returned by age 25 in either benefits to society such as savings on remediation in school and on the criminal-justice system, or to the participant in the form of higher earnings.
For more information on the topic, click: “Dollars and Sense: A Review of Economic Analyses of Pre-K.” and Chicago Child Parent Centers
Sources: Edweek.org and Pre[K]now
June 9, 2008- Poorer Schools Less Likely To Have Highly Qualified Teachers
In 2006-07, 96 percent of core-subject classes in low-poverty schools nationwide were taught by highly qualified teachers, compared with 91 percent in high-poverty schools, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
In some states, the gap between high- and
low-poverty schools was glaring. In Maryland, 95 percent of elementary classes in low-poverty schools were staffed with highly qualified teachers, compared with only 66 percent in poorer schools. But the overall picture showed progress. According to the data, there was an increase of 7 percentage points in the total number of highly qualified teachers nationwide who were teaching core-subject classes since 2003-04.
Only one state, North Dakota, met last year’s deadline to have highly qualified teachers in 100 percent of its core-subject classes. Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia reported a backslide of more than 5 percentage points over five years in their numbers of highly qualified teachers. In Ohio, 99.2 percent of elementary teachers in low-poverty schools were highly qualified, while only 89.5 percent in high-poverty districts were highly qualified. Low-poverty Ohio high schools had 98.8 percent of their teachers highly qualified and only 87.2 percent were highly qualified in the poorer high schools.
To view the data from each state, click: data (requires Microsoft Excel)
Source: Edweek.org
June 6, 2008- Report: Ohio Now Facing Steep Achievement Gains
The federal No Child Left Behind law says that by the 2013-14 school year all students must pass state tests in reading and mathematics.
Associated Press (AP) reported, that according to the U.S. Department of Education nearly 11,000 of the nations schools, or a little more than 10 percent of all public schools, from elementary to high school, have missed their state-set progress goals and are taking corrective steps...... and that number has been rising slowly and is expected to grow at a faster clip over the next few years.
A report, released May 20, 2008 by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), said "almost half of the states (23 states) have 'backloaded' their trajectories for reaching 100% proficiency. In other words, they have called for smaller achievement gains in the earlier years of the trajectory and much steeper gains in later years, as 2014 grows nearer. Another 25 states and the District of Columbia have adopted a more incremental approach that assumes steadier progress toward the 100% goal. The two remaining states have blended trajectories that do not fit readily into the backloaded or incremental categories."
According to the CEP report, Ohio "backloaded" their trajectory for reaching100% proficiency and is among those "states now facing steep achievement gains."
Read reports from the Center on Education Policy. Click: View Materials
Sources: Associated Press and Center on Education Policy
June 5, 2008- "Parochial Schools Rule Sports"
"Only 8.5 percent of Ohio's high school students attend parochial schools. But of the 10 Ohio schools that have won the most sports championships, 70 percent are parochial. Parochial schools have won 31 consecutive Division I titles in wrestling, 21 straight in boys swimming, 10 straight in volleyball, seven straight in ice hockey and five straight in girls basketball. In the big-money sport, football, church-affiliated schools have won 22 titles in the 36-year history of the state playoffs — a whopping 61 percent. Why the huge discrepancy? Simple: The playing field is not level." ....Bob Dyer, Akron Beacon Journal
Read the rest of the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Parochial schools rule sports
June 4, 2008- Diplomas Count 2008: Schools to College
A new report released today, Diplomas Count 2008: School to College, said, "Nationwide, about 71 percent of 9th graders make it to graduation four years later, according to data from 2005, the latest available. And that figure drops to 58 percent for Hispanics, 55 percent for African-Americans, and 51 percent for Native Americans."
Those rates improved slightly from 2004 to 2005 for all groups, but large gaps remain across states, according to the report. While more than eight in 10 students graduate on time in Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, for example, the proportion drops to fewer than six in 10 in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and South Carolina. Ohio showed a graduation rate of 75.9 percent.
Read the press release. Click: Press Release
Read the executive summary. Click: Executive Summary
See PowerPoint presentation. Click: Powerpoint Presentation
June 3, 2008- May 29th STEM Meeting
On May 29, 2008 eight ESC's, covering 15 Ohio Appalachian counties, attended a meeting in Athens to discuss the potential for establishing STEM programs for Ohio's rural Appalachian counties. ESC's present included Muskingum Valley (Muskingum-Morgan-Coshocton counties), Perry-Hocking, Jefferson, Columbiana, Athens-Meigs, Ross-Pike, Belmont and Tuscarawas-Carroll-Harrison. Lisa Gray and Angela Gresser, representing the Ohio Stem Learning Network (OSLN) and the Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy (BAHEE), facilitated the discussions. Shaun Yoder, Executive Director of BHEE, along with Angela Gresser, attended an earlier meeting on April 28, 2008. At the conclusion of the May 29th meeting, the OSLN and BAHEE representatives agreed to submit a proposal to fund a STEM exploratory committee in the Ohio's rural Appalachian region to OSLN for consideration.
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) and the South East Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (SEOCEMS) (SEOCEMS is a consortium that includes Ohio University, Shawnee State University, University of Rio Grande and the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools) co-hosted the meeting. For more information about the STEM initiative contact Angela Gresser BAHEE, agresser@ohiobahee.com ; Lisa Gray, OSLN, lisagray@lgaconsult.com ; Larry Burgess, CORAS, burgessl@ohio.edu ; or Al Cote, SEOCEMS, cote@ohio.edu
June 2, 2008- State School Superintendent
"After nine years on the job, Superintendent of Public Education Susan Tave Zelman announced she is leaving. Zelman will be lauded by her supporters for making major inroads into improving education for schoolchildren all across the state by establishing higher standards for teaching and testing. The truth is the impetus for any increased academic scores is the result of two decades of pressure from the Ohio General Assembly and the federal government to teach to the test and ignore any other warning signs that the state's education system is falling short." ....Dennis Willard, Akron Beacon Journal
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: School chief resignation is overdue
Read related editorial in today's Columbus Dispatch. Click: Leader needed
Read related editorial in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer. Click: Zelman's exit could bring calm
May 30, 2008- Putting Clinical Findings To Work In Classroom
Dr. Mary Brabeck, Dean of The Steinhardt School of Education, New York University, urges adoption of a new paradigm that would foster better working relationships among researchers and classroom practitioners.
She writes, "Those of us who conduct educational research have a new paradigm to guide our work, if we choose to use it. Like other research initiatives, such as evidence-based practice, this model finds its genesis in the medical sciences, and is coined “translational research.” What is it, and what does it potentially offer education?"
"In medicine, translational research is often identified as “bench to bedside” work. It recognizes the gap between basic research in the lab and the practice of medicine that can make a difference in health outcomes. The goal of translational research is to give practitioners the latest information from basic-research labs in usable form. The idea is to produce better medications, improve diagnostic and treatment strategies, and enhance health through the application of information from basic science research. In education, not unlike medicine, vital knowledge too often remains with the researchers and is unavailable to the professionals who are in positions to help children and youths—that is, the teachers."
Read the article. Click: Dean Mary Brabeck: Putting Clinical Findings to Work in the Classroom
May 29, 2008- Homeless Schoolchildren
A national study released last month by two Washington, D.C., think tanks projects a growing number of homeless schoolchildren over the next 18 months as families lose their houses and apartments to the subprime mortgage meltdown. The Brookings Institution, a research group specializing in public policy, and First Focus, a nonprofit children's advocacy group, estimate that more than 2 million children, including 68,500 in Ohio, will become homeless.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a record 2,272 children in the Cleveland public schools have been homeless over the last 10 months, and their ranks are growing. That means one in 25 children at one time or another was either living in a shelter or staying with relatives or friends. So far this year, more than 1,400 students have had to double up with other families, while about 800 have lived in shelters. A half-dozen lived in motels. School officials say the number of homeless students in Cleveland has jumped 43 percent since last year. The district has been tracking homeless students since Project ACT was established in 1993, when the number of homeless students was about half what it is today. It has been steadily rising ever since.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Education Week's annual Quality Counts 2008 report gave Ohio C+ in the category, "The Teaching Profession." The National Council on Teacher Quality, a Washington, D.C.-based group, examined state policies across the nation last year and gave Ohio one C, four D's and an F in the various categories.
- Meeting No Child Left Behind Quality Objectives-----D
- Teacher Licensure-------------------------------------------------C
- Teacher Education and Compensation-------------------D
- State Approval of Teacher Education Programs------D
- Alternative Routes to Certification --------------------------D
- Preparation of Special Education Teachers-------------F
Ohio's preparation of special-education teachers received the strongest criticism in the National Council on Teacher Quality report, while the licensing requirements earned the most praise. Ohio does more than most states to hold teacher preparation programs accountable, the report said.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that experts say Ohio's education programs train solid teachers, but just too many of them. Ashland University leads the state, the Plain Dealer said, with more than 5,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The school offers many of its classes online, a trend some experts find troublesome.
Read the report, State Teacher Policy Yearbook 2007, Progress of Teacher Quality: How the States are Faring. Click below.
| + Download your state report | |
| Read a related article from Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
May 27, 2008- Half Of Charter School Money Ends Up With For-Profit Companies
A new book about the charter school movement has been published by Rethinking Schools, a Milwaukee-based education-reform group. The book, "Keeping the Promise?," includes an essay critical of Ohio's 10-year-old charter school program. The biggest concern: More than half the money that goes to Ohio charter schools ends up with for-profit companies. The authors of the book include Amy Hanauer of Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland-based think tank specializing in economic policy, and nationally known educators Ted Sizer and Linda Darling-Hammond.
For more information about the book, Keeping the Promise?, Click: Keeping the Promise?
May 23, 2008- School Funding Equity An Issue For Many Appalachian District
Ohio Department of Education (ODE) data on expenditure per pupil (EFM- Expenditure Flow Model) show that 104 of the 127 Ohio Appalachian school districts expenditures per pupil were below the state average in FY 2007. Some districts were as much as $2,000 under the state average. In 2007, the average expenditure per pupil (using EFM) for Ohio's Appalachian school districts spiked from $446 to $663 per pupil below the state average. The 2007 spike pushed the funding gap to the widest it has been since the Ohio Department of Education began using the Expenditure Flow Model (EFM) in the year 2000 (See graph below). In addition, 2007 ODE data show that 31 of the 127, or one in four, Ohio Appalachian school districts expenditures per pupil were greater than their revenue per pupil, meaning they were forced to dip into their reserves or carry-over to maintain their schools.
As reported last week, the New America Foundation: Federal Education Budget Project's analysis ranks Ohio 40th of the 50 states in school finance equity. Click: Map | Analysis
Data Source: Ohio Department of Education
May 22, 2008- NAEP: Charter Schools Scores Lag In Three Of Four Main Categories
Recent findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress on the nation's 4,300 charter schools do not bolster advocates' early hopes that charter schools would significantly outperform regular public schools, according to a report released recently. The overall scores of charter school students tested in 2007 were lower than for students in regular public schools in 4th grade reading and mathematics, and in 8th grade math, all by statistically significant margins. But in 8th grade reading, charter students appeared to essentially close a gap from 2005, with charter and regular public school students scoring about the same in 2007.
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics and Education Week
May 21, 2008- State Superintendent Search Committee
The Columbus Dispatch reported today that a State Board of Education subcommittee met this week to plan the search for Ohio's next Superintendent of Public Instruction. Last week, according to the Dispatch, State Board President Jennifer Sheets of Pomeroy appointed six board members to the search committee. They are: Virgil E. Brown Jr. of Cleveland, Deborah Cain of Uniontown, Heather Heslop Licata of Akron, Stephen Millett of Columbus, Eric C. Okerson of Cincinnati and Carl Wick of Centerville.
The Dispatch said, "John Haseley, Governor Strickland's chief of staff, told members that the governor wants a superintendent who understands Ohio values and the importance of education, kindergarten through college, to the state's economy. Finding an Ohioan for the job would be desirable, he and several members agreed."
Read the Dispatch article. Click: State Board of Education set to find new schools chief
May 20, 2008- The 50 Policy: How an F Becomes a D
"In most math problems, zero would never be confused with 50, but a handful of schools nationwide have set off an emotional academic debate by giving minimum scores of 50 for students who fail." Officials in schools in Nevada, Texas and New York have proposed or implemented versions of such a policy, with varying results, according to a USA Today article.
THE GREAT DEBATE: Is 'minimum-F' grading an unfair penalty or unfair boost?
Their argument: Other letter grades — A, B, C and D — are broken down in increments of 10 from 60 to 100, but there is a 59-point spread between D and F, a gap that can often make it mathematically impossible for some failing students to ever catch up.
"It's a classic mathematical dilemma that the students have a six times greater chance of getting an F," says Douglas Reeves, founder of The Leadership and Learning Center, a Colorado-based educational think tank who has written on the topic. "The statistical tweak of saying the F is now 50 instead of zero is a tiny part of how we can have better grading practices to encourage student performance."
Read the USA Today article. Click: Great education debate: Reforming the grade system
May 19, 2008- Small Schools Study: No Significant Trends On Achievement
The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program was established as a response to growing national concerns about students too often lost and alienated in large, impersonal high schools, as well as concerns about school safety and low levels of achievement and graduation for many students. The SLC program, authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, was designed to provide local educational agencies with funds to plan, implement, or expand SLCs in large high schools of 1,000 students or more.
The Implementation Study of Smaller Learning Communities: Final Report (2008) was designed to study the early implementation of the SLC program. While the study was primarily focused on implementation issues, some limited data on outcomes were included in the report, along with a number of limitations and cautions in interpreting the data. While there were several positive outcomes, no significant trends were observed in academic achievement.
Major outcome findings from the SLC study included:
- The data suggest an upward trend in student extracurricular participation before and after program participation.
- There was a statistically significant positive trend in the percentage of 9th-grade students being promoted to 10th grade during the post-grant period.
- There was also a downward trend in the incidence of violence in SLC schools over time.
- The data suggest increases in the percentage of graduating students who reported they planned to attend either two or four-year colleges.
- There were no significant trends observed in academic achievement, as measured by either scores on statewide assessments or college entrance exams over the short period of the study.
Read the highlights and/or the report. Click: Highlights: 
PDF (93 KB) | MS Word (51 KB) Final Report: PDF (755 KB) | MS Word (3.73 MB)
PDF (93 KB) | MS Word (51 KB) PDF (755 KB) | MS Word (3.73 MB) Source: U.S. Department of Education
May 16, 2008- CORAS Summer Meeting/Golf Outing Set For June 10th
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools annual summer meeting/golf outing registrations due next week. Golf registrations must be received by Friday , May 23, 2008. The event will be held at the EagleSticks Golf Club & Inn, Zanesville, on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with special presentations and the program to follow. Dr. Kirk Hamilton, Deputy Executive Director, BASA, will discuss "Current School Funding Reform Efforts in Ohio." Brunch will be served on the veranda and golf will follow. The days activities will conclude around 4:00 p.m. with dinner and presentation of prizes.
To register contact Lori at: Phone: (740) 593-4414 or (740) 593-4445 or Email: stumpl@ohio.edu or FAX: (740) 593-9698. The registration fee is $60.00 which includes the program, brunch, golf, dinner and much more. There is no charge for those attending only the program and brunch, but registration is required.
May 15, 2008- Reading First Ohio Co-Director Refutes Report
Dr. James A. Salzman, Co-Director , Reading First Ohio Center, said, "To paraphrase Mark Twain: There are lies, damned lies, and the latest Reading First report. The report is methodologically flawed, statistically glamorous, and ultimately meaningless in terms of its conclusions. It’s caused the usual sharks to roil the waters as if chum were being served. And in the end, it says nothing about the positive impact of Reading First in Ohio."
To read Dr. Salzman's response, click: Reading First Interim Report
To read the Reading First Interim Report, Click: Reading First Impact Study
May 14, 2008- Percent of U.S. Children In Early Childhood Programs Down From 1999 High
The percentage of U.S. children ages 3–5 who attended center-based early childhood care and education programs rose from 53 percent in 1991 to 60 percent in 1999 and then decreased to 57 percent in 2005.
Percentage of preprimary children ages 3–5 who were enrolled in center-based early childhood care and education programs, 1991–2005
| 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1996 | 1999 | 2001 | 2005 |
| Total % | 53 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 60 | 56 | 57 |
| Age | |||||||
| 3 | 42 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 46 | 43 | 43 |
| 4 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 63 | 70 | 66 | 69 |
| 5 | 64 | 66 | 75 | 73 | 77 | 73 | 69 |
Click: 281 KB to read the report, The Condition of Education 2007, Indicator 2, Enrollment in Early Childhood Education Programs.
May 13, 2008- Poverty In Ohio Grown Worse In Recent Years
An article in today's Columbus Dispatch said:
- 13 percent of Ohioans now live below the federal poverty level -- $17,600 a year for a family of three.
- One in 10 Ohioans relies on food stamps.
- Half the babies born in Ohio receive cereal and nutritional services through the Women, Infants and Children Program.
- More than a third of schoolchildren are on the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.
- 1.3 million Ohioans have no health insurance.
Most of those statistics have grown worse in recent years, according to the Dispatch article.
"Education reform must occur in the poorest locations as well as the wealthiest. Job training must occur in Appalachia, inner-city Cleveland, the suburbs of Cincinnati and the rural areas of northwest Ohio," said Philip E. Cole, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies. At the April 29th CORAS meeting, Dr. Kern Alexander, Professor of Excellence, University of Illinois, stressed that education is often the only chance a child of poverty has of raising his or her economic class as an adult.
Source: Columbus Dispatch
May 12, 2008- Ohio 40th Worst Among States In School Finance Equity
According to the New America Foundation: Federal Education Budget Project's analysis, Ohio ranks 40th of the 50 states in school finance equity. Ohio has an equity factor of .155 or 15.5 percent. That means that in the state of Ohio per pupil expenditures in school districts vary, on average, by 15.5 percent from the state average. Another way to think about it is to look at what that means for the average school district in Ohio. By multiplying Ohio's equity factor of .155 by the average per pupil expenditure which was $8936*, we find that the average Ohio school district spends $1,385 more or less than the state mean in per pupil dollars. For the average size district in Ohio of 2943 students, that is a difference of more that $4 million from the state mean.
The federal government’s equity factor is a measure of how much per-pupil expenditures vary across districts within a given state. The U.S. Department of Education calculates the equity factor for each of the 50 states. For more detailed information click Federal Standard for School Finance Equity.
The link below provides "at-a-glance" assessments of how states compare in school finance equity.
*NOTE: The FEDERAL EDUCATION BUDGET PROJECT data comes from federal and state policy offices, as opposed to budget division staff. While this data can be used to help analyze policy and trends, it should not be used for local budgeting purposes.
Also worth noting is, according to Ohio Department of Education data, from FY 2006 to FY 2007 Ohio's average per pupil expenditure (EFM model) grew by $541, while the average per pupil expenditure in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties increased by only $324.
Sources: New America Foundation: Federal Education Budget Project and Ohio Department of Education
May 9, 2008- Studies Shows Trend Toward Increased Weighting For Poverty
According to the study, in 1999 less than half of the states had a weighting for poverty in their state aid formula. For those states that did account for poverty, the most common weighting was 0.25 (25 percent above base spending). By 2008, the national recommended additional weighting for low-income students ranged between 40 and 60 percent. The authors of a 2001 Wisconsin study concluded that a weighting of 3.4 times the base cost for education was needed for poverty students to reach state standards. In a 2003 New York Study, authors Duncombe and Yinger conclude that low-income students needed over 100% in additional funds. The Mathis study said poverty weights increased the most before 2004, but have continued to rise between 2004 and 2008.
According to Mathis, the United States now has the highest relative childhood poverty rate among developed (OECD) countries. Kern Alexander shared similar data at the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools meeting in Athens on April 29, 2008.
Source: National Access Network, Teachers College, Columbia University
May 8, 2008- Survey: Teachers Agree, Tenure Protects Bad Teachers
More
than half of teachers believe it is too difficult to weed out ineffective
teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a
teacher, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Education Sector,
a non-partisan think tank. Approximately 1,000 teachers nationwide responded to
the survey, which also revealed that 69 percent of teachers...said receiving
tenure was just a formality that has little to do with teacher quality.
Sources: Education Sector, New Teacher Project and School Business Daily
May 7, 2008- Vital Statistics Report: Fiscal Year 2007
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) annual publication, "Vital Statistics Report: Fiscal Year 2007," is being mailed to all CORAS members today. FY 2007 data shows a 48.7% increase in the size of the gap between the average per pupil expenditure for the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties and the state average (not the highest) per pupil expenditure. The data also shows a considerable gap in average per pupil revenue, teacher salaries and property valuation per ADM. NOTE: These gaps would be much greater if the 127 Ohio Appalachian school districts were compared to the remaining 482 Ohio school districts, rather than all 609 Ohio school districts.
The following is re-printed from the Introduction to the full report.
Four
factors in the 2007 "Vital Statistics"
are worthy of additional discussion:
1.
The
gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Per Pupil Expenditure
increased by $217,
from $446 to $663.
2.
The
gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Per Pupil Revenue is
$781.
3.
The
gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Teachers Salaries is
$4,391.
4.
The
gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Property Valuation per ADM
is $34,509.
To
put the above figures in perspective, consider the following:
- There are school children in Ohio’s rural Appalachian region receiving a $7,128 education, while the state average (not the most expensive) per pupil expenditure is $9,216. (EFM Expenditure Flow Model) The $2088 shortfall translates into $41,760 less annually per classroom of 20 students, or over $2 million less annually for a school district with 1000 students, than the state average. Revenue per pupil shows an even greater gap between the low and the state average.
- There are school districts in Ohio’s rural Appalachian region with local property valuation per ADM as low as $38,766, while the state average (not the highest) is $130,411. These numbers illustrate the lack of ability for some local communities to raise revenue to support education for their school children.
- There are school districts in Ohio’s rural Appalachian region with average annual teacher salaries as low as $33,842, while the state average (not the highest paid) teachers salary is $49,265. The $15,423 less annually translates into $462,690 in lost income for those teachers over a 30-year career.
To read the full Introduction and view the Summary of the report, click: Vital Statistics for Appalachian School Districts
May 6, 2008- Report: NCLB's 'Reading First" Ineffective
Reading First, a program at the center of the No Child Left Behind, hasn't added to children's understanding of what they read, according the Reading First Impact Study, released May 1st. “Reading First did not improve students’ reading comprehension,” concluded the report, which was mandated by Congress and carried out by the Department of Education’s research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences. “The program did not increase the percentages of students in grades one, two or three whose reading comprehension scores were at or above grade level.” The federal government has spent about $6 billion on Reading First since 2002, or about $1 billion a year.
Read New York Times article. Click: An Initiative on Reading Is Rated Ineffective
Read Education Week article. Click: ‘Reading First’ Not Helping Students Grasp Meaning, Federal Study Finds
May 5, 2008- Meeting To Gain Support For Director of Education
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today (May 5th) that Governor Strickland is scheduled to meet privately with six state board members next week to try to gain support for his plan to establish a new director of education who would report directly to him. That arrangement would relegate the state superintendent and 19-member State Board of Education to advisory positions, the Plain Dealer said.
May 2, 2008- Ohio's Income Gap
The income gap between the richest and the middle grew in Ohio over the past two decades, as it did in the country as a whole, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, released in Ohio by Policy Matters Ohio. Families in the richest five percent now earn nine times as much as families in the bottom 20 percent and have added more than $44,000 to their annual incomes since the mid-1980s, dwarfing what low- and middle-income families have added to their paychecks.
Nationally, since the late 1990s, low- and middle-income family income has declined and high-income family income grew. By the end of this period, on average, the bottom fifth of Ohio families earned $18,337, the middle fifth of families earned $49,051, the top fifth earned $114,353 and the top five percent earned $174,026.
According to the latest data CORAS has available, median income per state tax return in Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties fell from $26,429 in 2004 to $26,256 in 2005. Over the five-year period 2000-2005, the median income per state tax return in the 29 county Appalachian region has increased by only $446, or 1.7%.
Read the Policy Matters Ohio report. Click: report
Sources: Policy Matters Ohio (May 2008) and Ohio Department of Education
May 1, 2008- Kern Alexander: Education Often Only Way Out Of Poverty
Over 60 school superintendents, Ohio University faculty and guests heard Dr. Kern Alexander, Professor of Excellence, University of Illinois and 2008 Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence honoree, argue that taxation redistributes wealth, and pointed out that in Ohio, the poor are taxed at a higher rate than the wealthy. He also said that as a developed nation, the United States has one of the highest disparities of wealth, with the income ratio of the richest to the poorest being 12 to 1. Dr. Alexander stressed that education is often the only chance a child has of raising his or her economic class as an adult. Following his presentation, Dr. Renee Middleton, Dean College of Education Ohio University, honored Dr. Alexander by presenting him the Hicks award.
Prior to the Alexander address, Michael Shoemaker, Executive Director, Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC), motivated those in attendance with a presentation on the importance of continuing the effort to secure quality opportunities for school children, in addition to discussing the positive changes as the OSFC.
CORAS President Dick Murray presented the annual Leadership & Service Awards the Superintendents' Roger Bartunek, Dan Doyle, Carolyn Everidge and Dale Edwards.
| Read article from the Athens Messenger. Click: Speaker: Education is the only way |
Dr. Alexander was also featured in the Ohio University publication, Outlook. To read the article in the Outlook, click HERE.
April 30, 2008- State Funding For School Buses Down, Costs Up
In 2001, the state provided about $40.7 million to school districts to purchase school buses, down to about $17.2 million by 2004 and, with recent funding cuts, that number is down to $8.9 million this year, according to the Columbus Dispatch. "There's a fairly predictable result: Districts can't buy buses," said Pete Japikse, director of student transportation for the Ohio Department of Education. The Dispatch article said the cost for a new bus, which was $65,000 a few years ago, has risen above $85,000 because of new federal Environmental Protection Agency rules on diesel fuel emissions. More requirements are taking effect in 2010, and some are predicting the price of a new bus to reach $100,000.
State records show the average school bus in Ohio is 8.8 years old, with 109 buses around the state that have been in operation for as long as 21 years. The Dispatch said that in some wealthier districts in the Columbus area school buses, on average, are 5 to 6 years-old and are replaced at 12 to 15 years.
April 29, 2008- "Democracy At Risk: The Need For A New Federal Education Policy"
The Forum for Education and Democracy has released a new report, “Democracy At Risk: The Need for a New Federal Educational Policy”. Noting that April marked the 25th anniversary of “A Nation At Risk”, the Forum argues that during this time the federal government has not focused its attention upon the investments our children deserve and our democracy needs. In particular, the report calls for renewed federal attention to equalizing educational opportunity, a national commitment to a well-prepared and well-supported teaching force, research that focuses on higher order thinking skills, and community involvement in schools. The report was released at The National Press Club in Washington , DC attended by a wide range of educational policy makers, including Congressman George Miller (D-CA) who is chair of the House Education Committee. Miller called the report ‘spot on’ and said that it might be time to hit the ‘pause’ button on NCLB and use the report as a way to begin rethinking the federal role in supporting public schools.
The full report, Democracy At Risk: The Need for a New Federal Policy in Education is available here. You can also sign up for The Forum’s newsletter at www.forumforeducation.org to follow future developments.
Source: Dr. George Wood, Director, Forum for Education and Democracy
April 28, 2008- Appalachian School Districts Awarded Senior To Sophomore Grants
Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut announced last Friday 42 first round Early Adopter grant recipients for Governor Strickland’s new Seniors to Sophomores early college credit program. The 42 school districts were selected from 78 grant applications that were received and examined by a joint Ohio Board of Regents /Ohio Department of Education review committee.
Eleven school districts awarded first round grants were from Ohio Appalachian counties. They are:
Belmont-Harrison Vocational School (Belmont), Ohio University - Eastern; Belmont Technical College, $100,000
Columbiana Exempted Village (Columbiana), Youngstown State University, $100,000
Lisbon Exempted Village (Columbiana), Kent State University-East Liverpool, $100,000
Salem City Schools (Columbiana), Kent State University-Salem, $100,000
Logan-Hocking Local (Hocking), Hocking College, $100,000
Chillicothe City (Ross), Ohio University-Chillicothe, $100,000
Collins Career Center (Lawrence), Ohio University -Southern, $100,000
Morgan Local (Morgan), Washington State Community College, $64,405
Portsmouth City Schools (Scioto), Shawnee State University, $100,000
Scioto County Career Technical Center (Scioto), Shawnee State University; Southern State Community College, $89,000
Sandy Valley Local (Tuscarawas), Stark State College of Technology; Kent State University-Stark, $100,000
A full list of recipients can be viewed at http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/seniorstosophomores/index.php.
April 25, 2008- "A Nation At Risk," 25-Years Later
"Twenty-five years ago this week, April 26, 1983, President Ronald Reagan took possession of 'A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Education Reform.' The report, depending on your point of view, either ruined public education or saved it. The product of nearly two years' work by a blue-ribbon commission, it found poor academic performance at nearly every level and warned that the education system was "being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity." ....USA Today
THINGS ARE BETTER: FACT OR OPINION?
A Nation at Risk made five key recommendations. Here, according to USA Today, is a quick look at where we stand 25 years later:
Content
Recommendation: High school graduates should master four years of English, three of math, science and social studies and one-half year of computer science.
Reality: Schools have made modest progress: In 2005, the U.S. Education Department found that 36% of high school graduates had completed such a curriculum, up from 26% in 1990.
Standards
Recommendation: Schools should adopt "more rigorous and measurable standards" and expectations.
Reality: Critics note that a few aim low. In one key reading test, fourth-graders in Wisconsin must tell whether the statement "Cats are better than dogs" is fact or opinion.
Time
Recommendation: Schools should "strongly consider" seven-hour days and a 200 to 220-day year.
Reality: While a few charter schools have extended days and years, the idea has not taken root.
Teaching
Recommendation:
Reality: Teacher qualifications have improved sharply. Salaries have risen too up to $47,674 in 2005.
Leadership, Fiscal Support
Recommendation:
Reality: While nearly all governors have dubbed themselves "education governors," few have stepped forward to provide "the leadership necessary" to really help schools, critics say.
Re-printed from USA Today, April 24, 2008
Read the USA Today article. Click: 'Nation at Risk': The best thing or the worst thing for education?
April 24, 2008- More Apply For School Vouchers
- Ohio has 14,000 available voucher slots.
- More than 10,000 applications were submitted for next year, triple the number that arrived during its first year.
- About 40 percent of the applications submitted were for new students, but about 10 percent of current students chose not to reapply.
- About 3,500 applications were filed in the first year of the program and 7,900 for the current school year.
- This year, 6,760 students use the program (Some applicants are ineligible and not all awarded a voucher use it).
-
Interest from private and parochial schools is increasing. Next year, 49 schools want participate, compared with 15 the first year and 33 this year
Read an Associated Press article on vouchers. Click: Tuition vouchers grow in popularity
April 23, 2008- Governor: "a ballot issue if needed"
The Gongwer News Service said, "For the second day in a row, Gov. Ted Strickland enlisted support of a teacher union Friday (April 18) for funding changes and "reformation" of the primary and secondary school system that he plans to unveil early next year." Gongwer said the Governor told OEA that his school reform plan will go to legislators in early 2009 and there would be "a ballot issue if needed." The Governor delivered a similar message to the OFT the day before.
In a followed-up story yesterday the Columbus Dispatch reported that Governor Strickland said he intends to unveil an education-reform plan next year for the legislature to consider while leaving himself enough time to collect petition signatures to put an issue on the November 2009 ballot if lawmakers don't approve his plan. "My goal will be to do it early enough to give sufficient time for evaluation and a reaction from the legislature while preserving enough time to go to the ballot if I have to," the Governor said.
April 22, 2008- Public Education And Politics
The following appeared in Sunday's Akron Beacon Journal.
"Some claim that giving the governor more control would politicize education, but it's already controlled by politicians. The legislature passes education bills and approves any Department of Education recommendations. Legislators alone wrote Senate Bill 140, an early education reform bill. Ohio's first effort at a state standard — a model language arts curriculum — was recommended by an Ohio Senate Commission, mandated by the legislature, resisted and then totally botched by the education department. So education is already politicized." ......Pat Smith, former teacher and past president of the Worthington school board and the State Board of Education and former executive assistant for educational policy in the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, Akron Beacon Journal, April 20, 2008
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Digging Ohio out of an education rut
April 21, 2008- Governor, "Some" State Board Members Hold Private Meetings
On Saturday the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Governor Strickland met privately in early March with a half-dozen members of the State Board of Education to discuss his proposal to create a new director of education.....and the private talks between four board members and Strickland's staff has evolved into a discussion about a compromise that would give the governor a significant say in hiring a new state superintendent. But, according to the Plain Dealer, some board members are miffed. Why, they wonder, has the majority of the 19-member panel been left out of the discussions?
According the Cleveland Plain Dealer article, the following views were expressed by members of the state board:
- "It leaves us in a very awkward position," said board member Colleen Grady of Strongsville. "It's disappointing to me that some of the colleagues on the board felt more comfortable talking about this in the press than talking to me and other board members. "This hasn't been handled, at least in my mind, the way it should have been handled,"
- Board President Jennifer Sheets said some board members sought meetings with Strickland on their own and there was no effort to exclude others. Sheets, who also met privately with Strickland, said she reiterated the board's opposition to creating an education director who would report directly to the governor. But she said she is also willing to listen to the governor's desire to have input on the selection of a superintendent.
- Board member John Bender of Avon, who was among the group that met with Strickland, said he favors keeping Zelman in place until a new board is sworn in come January. The new board will have at least seven new members, including four Strickland appointments. "My logic is that the governor can influence that board come January," Bender said. "I hope we can get to January and our superintendent can leave with dignity. I think she's a visionary, and her intellect has helped guide us."
Read the Plain Dealer article. Click: Plan for new director of education inches forward
Read today's Dayton Daily News editorial. Click: EDITORIAL Our view: State school board has duty to bow to governor
April 18, 2008- OFT Endorses Cabinet-Level Director of Education
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) unanimously endorsed Governor Strickland's proposal for a cabinet-level director of public education. The Plain Dealer said the OFT resolution says "the plan would improve public education by making it directly accountable to the governor and lawmakers." The proposal, requiring approval by the General Assembly, would reduce the State Board of Education and the state superintendent to advisory roles. An Ohio Education Association (OEA) spokesperson told the Plain Dealer that OEA sees arguments for and against the idea and has not taken a position.
In a related story, the Columbus Dispatch reported Governor Strickland said he will spend much of the last half of the year working on his plan to revamp Ohio's school-funding system and wants a new state superintendent of schools to help. He said would welcome the opportunity to help the state board pick a new superintendent. "I think it would be helpful to have a very strong partner leading the Department of Education to help me do that," Strickland said. However, in an interview with the Dispatch yesterday, the governor said he still wants the legislature to approve his proposal to appoint a director of education to oversee primary and secondary schools.
Read the Plain Dealer and Dispatch articles. Click on links below.
April 17, 2008- State Board Members, Governors Office Meeting
The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that a spokesperson for Governor Strickland acknowledged ongoing meetings with members of the state board of education to discuss the issue of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction but said the governor remains committed to his proposal for an education director to oversee primary and secondary schools.
Read the Dispatch article. Click: State schools chief appears on her way out
April 16, 2008- Technology: Ohio Lags Behind Surrounding States
The Executive Summary of Technology Counts 2008 said, "Business leaders, governors, and others are urging a redoubled commitment to strengthening U.S. students’ preparation to succeed in the subjects known by the increasingly familiar shorthand of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)." Technology Counts 2008 provides technology data for all 50 states. How does Ohio compare overall in technology with surrounding states?
| IN | KY | MI | OH | PA | WV | |
| Overall Technology Grade | C+ (78.2) | B+ (88.5) | C (76.0) | C (74.6) | B- (81.8) | A (95.3) |
| Access to Technology Grade | B (82.5) | B (82.5) | C (72.5) | C (75.0) | B (86.3) | A (96.3) |
| Use of Technology Grade | B- (79.5) | A- (89.8) | A- (89.8) | D+ (69.3) | B- (79.5) | A- (89.8) |
| Capacity to Use Technology Grade | C (72.7) | A (93.2) | D (65.8) | B- (79.5) | B- (79.5) | A (100.0) |
Source: Technology Counts 2008
For more detailed information on technology in Ohio and other states, Click: Technology Counts 2008
April 15, 2008- Study: After-School Tutoring Failing To Help Needy Kids
According to a study presented at the American Educational Research Association in March 2008, federally mandated public after-school tutoring isn't always reaching the children it's intended to help, and when it does it doesn't always help as much as it could. These findings support previous research on the free tutoring that schools must offer under the No Child Left Behind law if math and reading levels don't rise for three years.New data from Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee find that few children take up the offer. In Milwaukee, 90% of students who registered in 2003 attended sessions. By 2006, only 34% did. In Milwaukee, researchers found no rise in scores. Researchers in L.A. found similar results, though children tutored for several years did better; in Pittsburgh, tutors got better results grouping students by achievement level rather than grade level.
Source: USA Today and American Educational Research Association
April 14, 2008- Ohio To Apply For NCLB Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Education has announced a pilot program that would allow up to 10 states to pilot their own programs on punitive measures to take against schools failing to meet annual goals under the No Child Left Behind. The pilot program is a response to complaints from states about a lack of funding and concern that schools who come close to meeting adequately-yearly progress (AYP) benchmarks are treated as harshly as those missing the benchmarks by a lot.
Ohio's proposal, approved by the state Board of Education last week, would eliminate deadlines for schools to meet goals provided they are close to reaching them and making progress. The plan also would eliminate a requirement that state aid be provided to all districts failing to meet benchmarks. Instead, money for tutoring and other intervention efforts could be targeted to those districts with the greatest need. According to media reports, about 38 percent of Ohio schools missed benchmarks this year.
| The application must be submitted to federal regulators by May 8, 2008. |
| |
April 11, 2008- Update: Funding Gap Continues To Increase
In FY 06 the average expenditure per pupil in school districts located in Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties was $446 below the state average. In FY 07 the average expenditure gap increased to $663 per pupil. In addition, the Ohio Appalachian school districts average available revenue per pupil was $691 less than the state average in FY 07. The Education Trust web site says, "Maryland, Ohio and Wyoming not only closed their low-income funding gaps, they reversed them and began providing more funding to their highest-poverty districts." (1999-2005) When conducting research "inputs" determine "outcomes," which may account for different results. But it appears evident that when using current ODE data, the average per pupil funding gap is not closing for school districts in Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties.
Sources: Ohio Department of Education (EFM) Expenditure Flow Model 2007 and The Education Trust
April 10, 2008- Center Applies Cost-Benefit Analysis to Education Policy
Launched last year by a pair of economists, the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, specializes in calculating and comparing the long and short term costs, and probable payoff, of different educational strategies.
"Educators never really connect the effects of education with the costs," said Henry M. Levin, the Teachers College professor who co-directs the center with Clive R. Belfield, an assistant professor of economics at Queens College at the City University of New York. "Educators look at costs as constraints on spending and then they ask, 'What do we know about what seems to work?' They never seem to connect the two."
For an example, click the following for a 2005 benefit-cost study for Ohio preschool programs, by Clive R. Belfield.
| For more information about The Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, click: www.cbcse.org |
April 9, 2008- State May Owe School Districts $50 Million
According to the Columbus Dispatch, relying on charter schools to accurately report their student enrollment might cost the Ohio Education Department $50 million. Two years ago the Cincinnati City School District sued the Ohio Department of Education when the department started using charter school numbers instead of public school district numbers to count students, the Dispatch said. Cincinnati disputed the number reported by charter schools, costing the district about $4.6 million in state funds. Two Hamilton County courts, including the Court of Appeals, agreed with Cincinnati that the law didn't allow the state to base per-pupil payments on figures that come from charter schools.
The Dispatch said districts receiving the $50 million would be traditional public school districts, possibly including Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo, in addition to Cincinnati. The State Board of Education voted to appeal the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Read the Dispatch article. Click: State may owe school districts $50 million
April 8, 2008- Sanders Value-Added Model "Solid Despite Scrutiny"
Jim Mahoney, Executive Director, Battelle for Kids, said, "Value-added is the "hot" topic these days. It's getting lots of national attention on the academic front, with policy makers, the media and elsewhere. The differentiated compensation dialogue is driving this attention, and is responsible for escalating the urgency of identifying good value-added models. This is one area where simpler is not better. As researchers are putting value-added models under the microscope, the simple models aren't holding up. Simplicity doesn't replace accuracy.
Value-added tends to be complex, but for the right reasons it works the way it should, providing solid, reliable information. We've taken a look at all the models out there, and have worked hard to share what we've learned with you so it's understandable, usable and part of the school improvement process."
Value-added tends to be complex, but for the right reasons it works the way it should, providing solid, reliable information. We've taken a look at all the models out there, and have worked hard to share what we've learned with you so it's understandable, usable and part of the school improvement process."
In this issue of Educational Researcher, read Methodological Concerns About the Education Value-Added Assessment System (PDF) by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley.
Dr. William Sanders said, "Most of the questions raised by Amrein-Beardsley are not new. Some of the assertions question statistical concepts, others are psychometric questions, some are policy concerns; but most are directed toward the assertion that the whole approach which we deploy has not been adequately peer reviewed." Dr. Sanders said one of the investigators who had read the Amrein-Beardsley paper recently commented, 'It is as if this paper had been written seven or eight years ago.' ” Presently, there is sufficient evidence obtained by several investigators to inform policy makers as to how appropriately constructed value-added measures can be an important tool in educational outcome assessment, Sanders said.
Mahoney said, "Bill Sanders' model continues to be at the center of any discussion and remains solid despite the scrutiny. It has been 7 years since a group of superintendents agreed to use Bill's model and it continues to be a good decision for all of us."
April 7, 2008- HB 521 Consolidating Services, Including Small School Districts
State Representatives Larry Flowers (R-Canal Winchester) and Larry Wolpert (R-Hilliard) are jointly sponsoring legislation that would create a commission to recommend ways for all local taxing entities to slim down and consolidate. The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that the two lawmakers say "the situation has grown to ridiculous proportions, forcing Ohioans to shoulder unfair tax burdens to support an inefficient and duplicative system of local services."
According to the Dispatch, small Ohio school districts may also be targeted for consolidation. About 150 of the state's 614 non-vocational districts has fewer than 1,000 students, and about 370 districts have fewer than 2,000 students. Representative Flower said, "I strongly believe there are too many school districts, fire departments and street departments." Ohio has 1,308 townships, 939 cities and villages, 663 school districts, 88 counties and about 900 other taxing districts that include such entities as libraries and port authorities, the Dispatch article said.
The lawmakers cited an Indiana proposal to cut townships and merge school districts.
The bill has been assigned to Wolpert's Local Government Committee, and he plans to start hearings this week.
Read HB 521. Click: As Introduced
April 4, 2008- Bills Introduced In The Ohio House Of Representatives
The following bills were introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives this week.
HB 517 SCHOOL FUNDING - To establish a committee to study the actual per pupil cost of educating students in public schools and make recommendations regarding the funding of public schools. Read the HB 517. Click: As Introduced
HB 519 SCHOOL VOLUNTEERING - To require parents of students enrolled in school districts to perform volunteer service for the district, to grant state employees paid leave to participate in a child's educational activities, to allow a nonrefundable credit against the corporate franchise or commercial activity tax for employer-paid leave enabling employees to participate in school-related activities, and to require school districts to establish mentoring programs for students. Read HB 519. Click: As Introduced
HB 520 CALAMITY DAYS - To waive the requirement for certain school districts to make up days schools are closed due to flooding and to declare an emergency. Read HB 520. Click: As Introduced
April 3, 2008- Ohio Schools Depend More On Local Property Taxes
In the 2005-06 school year, more than half (50.4 percent) of all education revenue in Ohio came from local sources, chiefly property taxes, according to a U.S. Census report released this week. This is the third time in four years the local burden has increased in Ohio, while the state's share has shrunk four consecutive years, to 42.3 percent, the Cincinnati Enquirer said. Nationally, local revenues make up 44.4 percent of school budgets. States contribute an average of 46.6 percent. The federal government pays for about 9 percent.
To view the U.S. Census report, click: Public Education Finances Report
April 2, 2008- New Formula To Establish Uniform Graduation Rates
"I will take administrative steps to ensure that all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time," Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings yesterday at an event organized by the America’s Promise Alliance. "In addition, we will make this data public so that people nationwide can compare how students of every race, background, and income level are performing." But the secretary did not explain the details of her proposal, which the U.S. Department of Education expects to put forth formally later this month.
Spellings comments followed a report, issued by America's Promise Alliance, that found about half of the students served by public school systems in the nation's largest cities receive diplomas. Students in suburban and rural public high schools were more likely to graduate than their counterparts in urban public high schools, the researchers said.
The report said nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually. In Detroit's public schools, only 24.9 percent of the students graduated from high school, followed by 30.5 percent in Indianapolis Public Schools, 34.1 percent in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, 34.6 percent in Baltimore City Public Schools and Columbus City Schools rounded-out the bottom five with 40.9 percent, according to the report.
• Read the America's Promise Alliance report. Click: Cities in Crisis
April 1, 2008- 10-Year Plan To Lower College Tuition Rates
The cost to attend an Ohio university would be among the lowest in the nation in 10 years under goals outlined Monday to reverse the state's trend of high tuition and lower-than-average college attendance, according to a plan unveiled yesterday. A media report said attending Ohio State University as an in-state student currently costs about $8,700 for tuition and general fees, while attending the University of Georgia, for example, costs about $2,800. To reach the national average on per student expenditure, Ohio would have to spend about $420 million more based on current year figures. Among other initiatives, the 10-year plan seeks to the do the following:
Read the full plan (140 pages). Click: Strategic Plan for Higher Education 2008-2017
March 31, 2008- No Excuses, Governor Repeats Pledge To Fix School Funding
Joe Hallett, senior editor for the Columbus Dispatch, reported Sunday that Governor Strickland said there are no preconditions to his school-funding pledge and that his request for a director of education and criticism of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan T. Zelman were "totally irrelevant" to his commitment to keep the school-funding promise. "I have not sought to create nor will I seek to create an excuse for myself," Strickland said. "I don't know how to say it any more clearly. This is something I intend to address. … I'm not going to say that because I don't have the superintendent or the ability to appoint a director of education, I'm off the hook." "I will say to you that I think it will make my task easier, and I don't think there is any question about that, because the Department of Education is a central entity to much that I think must and should be done to have a system of public education that is constitutional and meets the needs of our people."
Hallet said, "Strickland has promised a school-funding solution in 2009, a year before his expected re-election campaign, and if the legislature doesn't approve it he will take it to the voters. There will be no scapegoats, no excuses.
March 28, 2008- OFT Challenges Charter School Management Company
The Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) is asking the IRS to examine whether White Hat Management should be considered a nonprofit. OFT claims schools operated by the state’s largest charter-school company are illegally claiming tax-free status. OFT says:
- White Hat, which operates out of Akron, negotiates contracts on behalf of schools using similar contracts. The IRS says management companies such as White Hat should let local school boards negotiate such contracts and management agreements.
- White Hat provides schools with all infrastructure, from teachers to curriculum to buildings, so many schools pass on 95 percent of their state funding to the company.
- School boards aren’t truly independent. OFT says that as many as 19 Hope Academy and Life Skills boards have several of the same board members.
Source: Columbus Dispatch
March 28, 2008- Article Chronicles Education Record Of Former Governor
The following words are from an article written by Akron Beacon Journal staff writer Dennis Willard chronicling former Ohio Governor and current U.S. Senator George Voinovich's record on public education.
[''How can America survive when half the kids in the urban districts are dropping out of school?'' Voinovich asked. He is still asking that question 29 years after running for Cleveland mayor promising to address the city's woeful public school system, and 18 years after his successful campaign for this state's top office with the declaration that he would be the ''education governor.'' Voinovich pledged to make Ohio the envy of other states when it came to education.
So let's accept your challenge to get serious Sen. Voinovich by taking a serious look at your contributions to the primary, secondary and higher education systems that haunt this state today.]
Read the full article (3 pages). Click: Dennis Willard: It's time to educate Voinovich
March 27, 2008- Governor Considering Education/Funding Reform Ideas
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, several education and school funding reform ideas being consider by Governor Strickland are beginning to surface. However, a spokesman for the governor said ideas suggested so far are not endorsed by the governor, but everything is being considered at this stage. The Plain Dealer said a formal plan is scheduled to be unveiled next March. The governor's staff met on Wednesday with business leaders and will meet Friday with representatives of public school districts. The spokesman said charter and private school representatives and local government leaders will be part of future meetings.
The Plain Dealer listed, with some commentary, some of the ideas outlined at recent "shareholder" meetings that are being considered. They include:
- Impose a 22-mill base for school taxes statewide. This would have property owners throughout the state paying the same base amount, as opposed to the wide range of amounts set by voters in each school district.
- Make median income the factor in determining how much local school taxes must be paid, or use a combination of median income and property valuation to determine the local share. This would seem to impact cities like Cleveland, where the average income of residents is low but the number of businesses makes the school district seem wealthier than if funding were based on residents' income.
- Get rid of the Ohio Graduation Test and instead make graduation based on a combination of ACT test scores, high school grades, a senior project and a community service project. This would give students more chances to graduate from high school, unlike the current system which prohibits a student from graduating if he or she hasn't passed all parts of the graduation test.
- Create a statewide teacher-pay scale that would recognize entry-level, midcareer and senior-level teachers.
- Make teaching a year-round job by requiring summer classes, tutoring and professional development.
As previously announced, the governor wants to appoint a director of education with the state board of education and state superintendent of public instruction relegated to an advisory role.
March 26, 2008- Studies: Small Class Sizes Help Regardless Of Instructional Quality
According to a multi-national study from the American Educational Research Association, smaller class sizes helps students, and in many cases improvements come in spite of what teachers do. Rather than instructional methods, the study found that small classes "work for children....because of what students feel they can do: Get more face time with their teacher and work in small groups with classmates."
USA Today said that, while "two of the four studies were inconclusive, some of the results point to promising trends." For example, researchers "found that in smaller classes in both elementary and high schools, students stayed more focused and misbehaved less." In addition, the students "had more direct interaction with teachers and worked more in small groups rather than by themselves." One researcher also pointed out that the potential benefits of class-size reduction "may be greater than we observe, if only a few teachers change their teaching to accommodate the smaller group."
To read more about what the research says about class size, click: NEA: Class Size - What the Research Says
Read the USA Today article. Click: USA Today
Sources: USA Today, School Business Daily and American Educational Research Association
March 25, 2008- Teacher Licensure Renewal Fees
The following bill was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives on March 18, 2008.
HB 507- TEACHER LICENSES - Would allow teachers to pay license renewal fees in annual installments, and would allow a refundable credit against the income tax for educator licensing fees and educator-paid criminal records check fees.
Read HB 507. Click: As Introduced
March 24, 2008- More Evidence Of Increasing Poverty In Ohio
Nearly one in 10 Ohioans now receives food stamps, the highest number in the state's history. Caseloads have almost doubled just since 2001, with 1.1 million residents now collecting benefits, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Low wages, unemployment and the rising cost of groceries, gasoline and other necessities are to blame for financial hardships facing many Ohio families. Caseloads have been rising steadily in the past seven years, a spokesman for the agency which oversees the food-stamp program said. "Look at unemployment during this time," he said. Ohio's jobless rate is 5.3 percent, up from 4.4 percent in 2001.
Source: Columbus Dispatch, March 21, 2008
March 20, 2008- Governor Picks State Board Members In Most States
A recent Education Week article said, "Revamping state boards is part of an overall movement among many states to consolidate education power, usually with the governor. States that aren’t proposing to abolish their boards outright, or strip them of authority, have been making more gradual changes that dilute their power."
According to the National Association of State School Boards of Education, all but two states have boards of education that implement K-12 school policy, and in most states, the governors pick the members. Ten states have an elected state board of education. State board members are appointed by the Legislature in two states. In three states, including Ohio, there is a mix of appointed and elected board members. The governor selects state board members in 33 states, with the exception of Mississippi where the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House picks the board members. Policymakers in at least four states, Vermont, Ohio, Idaho and Florida are considering revamping their boards this year, the Education Week article said.
March 19, 2008- Ohio's Ranking For Preschool Quality
Just as for K-12 public education in Ohio, where a child lives and what his or her parents earn are often the main factors determining the quality of that youngster's preschool program. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) released its 2007 report, State of Preschool 2007: State Preschool Yearbook, today. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that NIEER director Steve Barnett, a Princeton University professor who authored the study, said. "Ohio has been an early childhood disaster. Children of low and middle income parents are the biggest losers in this disparity. But it has a lot of potential."
The study assesses how states stack up in the percentage of children served, how much is spent per child and how well they meet the Institute's quality standards checklist. Of the 38 states that provide money for preschool, Ohio ranks 35th in access for 4-year-olds, 18th for 3-year-olds and 32nd in per-child spending. Ohio spent $2,515 per child, while the national average preschool expenditure $3,642 per child. In addition, Ohio meets only four NIEER quality standards out of 10.
View the 2007 Report
Download Full Report (8.4MB pdf)
Interact with the 2007 Report
State Data
Sources: National Institute for Early Education Research and Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cuyahoga Heights per pupil expenditure increased by more dollars ($7,176) over the last ten years than Ross Southeastern's and Columbiana Exempted Village's total per pupil expenditure in 2007. Orange City per pupil expenditure increased over the same period by more dollars ($7,405) than ten Ohio Appalachian school districts total expenditures per pupil in 2007.
| 1998 | 2007 | |
| Cuyahoga Heights Local | $11,585 | $18,761 |
| Orange City | $10,842 | $18,247 |
| 1998 | 2007 | |
| Ross Southeastern Local | $4,694 | $7,129 |
| Columbiana Exempted Village | $5,811 | $7,168 |
| Bethel-Tate Local | $4,723 | $7,237 |
| Union-Scioto Local | $5377 | $7,285 |
| Western Brown Local | $6,905 | $7,316 |
| St. Clairsville-Richland City | $5,261 | $7,324 |
| East Palestine City | $4,959 | $7,365 |
| West Muskingum Local | $4,955 | $7,370 |
| Strasburg-Franklin Local | $4964 | $7,387 |
| Zane Trace Local | $4,539 | $7,390 |
A report released last week by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel recommends that schools present elementary and middle school math in a better-defined manner, in contrast to the jumble of strategies now used in states and school districts, an Education Week article said. “The delivery system in mathematics education, the system that translates mathematical knowledge into value and ability for the next generation, is broken and must be fixed,” the report says. “This is not a conclusion about any single element of the system. It is about how the many parts do not now work together to achieve a result worthy of this country’s values and ambitions.”
Read the National Mathematics Advisory Report. Click: the report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
The debate over who should lead public education in Ohio is building. To read an article appearing in today's Cincinnati Enquirer, click: Strickland rips schools chief
March 13, 2008- Weighted Student Funding That Follows The Child
A new report, Fund The Child: Bringing Equity, Autonomy, and Portability to Ohio School Finance, recommending Ohio embrace Weighted Student Funding (WSF), was released yesterday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The report was written by expert analysts at the University of Dayton's School of Education and Allied Professions and at Public Impact, a North Carolina-based education policy consulting firm, according to the news release.
The report says Weighted Student Funding addresses these problems:
- Dollars follow students to the public schools that they actually attend. A high-poverty student, for example, would be funded in whatever school he or she enrolls in--and that money also would move with the student to a different school;
-
Spending is calibrated to each student's needs. It costs more to educate disadvantaged, disabled, and non-English speaking youngsters. WSF allots resources accordingly; and
- Principals gain the flexibility to spend their schools' budgets in ways that maximize results for their pupils. Funds arrive at schools as real dollars, not staff positions or categorical programs.
What is done at the building level really has not been part of what the state looks at, but "the concepts of the policy make a lot of sense," said Paolo DeMaria, the Ohio Department of Education's associate superintendent for school options and finance, according to the Toledo Blade.
Click here to download the report, Fund The Child: Bringing Equity, Autonomy, and Portability to Ohio School Finance.
March 12, 2008- "...Plight Of Many Appalachian Schools"
The following article by Guido H. Stempel III appeared in yesterday's Athens Messenger.
Report offers insights into plight of many Appalachian schools
GUIDO H. STEMPEL III
The annual report of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools provides some interesting insights into what is happening in public education in Ohio.
The coalition includes 127 school districts in the 29 Appalachian Ohio counties. These are rural counties with only a handful of cities of more than 20,000 population. The region extends from Columbiana County just south of Youngstown diagonally to Clermont County, just east of Cincinnati.
One thing the report shows is that the Appalachian districts are not funded as well as the rest of the state districts. The average per-pupil funding is $8,229 for the Appalachian districts and $8,675 for all districts in the state. Yet surprisingly, the student-teacher ratio is lower in the Appalachian districts than in the state as a whole.
Another difference is in teacher salaries, with the average being $43,524 for Appalachian districts and $48,050 for the state as a whole.
Even given these figures, it is something of a shock that only six of the 127 Appalachian districts have excellent ratings on the state proficiency tests. In the other 482 districts in the state, 136 have excellent ratings.
On the other hand, it is encouraging that 82 of the Appalachian districts (65 percent) are rated efficient, and only one is on academic watch.
The report does give you a chance to figure out what factors are related to performance on the state proficiency tests. It turns out that expenditures per pupil and student-teacher ratio are not related to performance on the tests.
The two things that are related the most are attendance and average teacher salary. The point is made most clearly in the figures for the six schools with excellent ratings. The average attendance for the six is 95.8 percent, compared to 94.7 percent for other Appalachian schools. It figures that the more you are in school, the more you learn.
Average salary of teachers at those six schools is $47,795 or more than $4,000 than teachers' salaries at the other Appalachian schools.
Overall, while the figures show disparity between Appalachian schools and the rest of the state, they also show progress of schools in this region in proficiency test scores.
Guido H. Stempel III is a distinguished professor emeritus in E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
GUIDO H. STEMPEL III
The annual report of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools provides some interesting insights into what is happening in public education in Ohio.
The coalition includes 127 school districts in the 29 Appalachian Ohio counties. These are rural counties with only a handful of cities of more than 20,000 population. The region extends from Columbiana County just south of Youngstown diagonally to Clermont County, just east of Cincinnati.
One thing the report shows is that the Appalachian districts are not funded as well as the rest of the state districts. The average per-pupil funding is $8,229 for the Appalachian districts and $8,675 for all districts in the state. Yet surprisingly, the student-teacher ratio is lower in the Appalachian districts than in the state as a whole.
Another difference is in teacher salaries, with the average being $43,524 for Appalachian districts and $48,050 for the state as a whole.
Even given these figures, it is something of a shock that only six of the 127 Appalachian districts have excellent ratings on the state proficiency tests. In the other 482 districts in the state, 136 have excellent ratings.
On the other hand, it is encouraging that 82 of the Appalachian districts (65 percent) are rated efficient, and only one is on academic watch.
The report does give you a chance to figure out what factors are related to performance on the state proficiency tests. It turns out that expenditures per pupil and student-teacher ratio are not related to performance on the tests.
The two things that are related the most are attendance and average teacher salary. The point is made most clearly in the figures for the six schools with excellent ratings. The average attendance for the six is 95.8 percent, compared to 94.7 percent for other Appalachian schools. It figures that the more you are in school, the more you learn.
Average salary of teachers at those six schools is $47,795 or more than $4,000 than teachers' salaries at the other Appalachian schools.
Overall, while the figures show disparity between Appalachian schools and the rest of the state, they also show progress of schools in this region in proficiency test scores.
Guido H. Stempel III is a distinguished professor emeritus in E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
March 11, 2008- California Court Rules Against Home Schoolers
A February 28, 2008 California appeals court ruling upheld provisions in the state's education code that says parents must enroll their children in a public or private school. If they're being home schooled, they must be taught by a credentialed teacher or face possible fines or criminal charges. The ruling applies only to California. The California Governor says that if the state supreme court doesn't reverse the appeals court's decision, he'll support home-schooling legislation ensuring parents' rights. California has 166,000 home schoolers. A 2003 study by the U.S. Education Department estimated that about 1.1 million U.S. students attend school at home, but the current number is likely much higher.
Source: USA Today
March 10, 2008- CORAS Meeting Well-Attended
Nearly 60 superintendents and other educators attended the CORAS membership meeting at the Zanesville Ramada Inn on March 4, 2008. Seventy-five people had registered for the program, but weather conditions prevented several from attending.
Nancy Whetstone, Executive Director, Ohio Business Week Foundation, discussed the benefits for students attending this summers "Business Week" program at Youngstown State University, June 8-14. For more information, click: www.ohiobusinessweek.org. Dennis Leone, a member of the STRS Board of Directors provided an update on activities at the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System. Tony Bagshaw, Senior Director for Knowledge Management, Battelle for Kids, provided teacher data collected through the TCAP (Teachers Connecting Achievement & Progress) program. Paolo DeMaria, Associate State Superintendent for the Center of School Finance, discussed school funding issues, including the state board of education school funding reform proposals. The state board's proposals are still a "work in progress." Debbie Phillips, candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives, 92nd District, talked about her vision of education reform and school funding in Ohio.
The next CORAS membership meeting is set for Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at the Ohio University Inn, Athens. The program is the annual Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence event. Dr. Kern Alexander, Professor of Excellence, University of Illinois, and plaintiff consultant in the DeRolph litigation, is the Hick's honoree this year. Michael Shoemaker, Executive Director, Ohio School Facilities Commission, is guest speaker. Registration materials will be available the first of April. The Hick's program is sponsored jointly by the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools, Ohio University College of Education and the Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence Endowment.
March 7, 2008- Teacher Salary Disparity Growing
Teacher salary disparity is growing in the U.S., according to a report released today by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington D.C. The study suggests teachers are not paid enough when compared with other professionals with similar education and experience. Teachers in U.S. public schools are paid about 15 percent less a week than people like accountants, registered nurses and computer programmers, according to the study titled "The Teaching Penalty: Teacher Pay Losing Ground." The growing salary disparity is "the elephant in the room" as discussion heats up over the wisdom of performance bonuses and other ways to recruit and retain the best teachers, according to the institute's president.
The researchers also addressed the argument that teachers' generous health insurance and pensions make up for their lower pay. When that compensation is added in, teachers still make 12 percent less, the study found. The gap between teachers and their counterparts is worse for more experienced teachers than those just starting out, the report says. And it has widened over time, particularly in the late 1990s, when the other workers got big raises and teachers didn't, the institutes president said.
"Ohio teachers came out relatively well, earning more than the U.S. average," the Cleveland Plain Dealer said. "There's still a paycheck gap, but Ohio teachers are closer to comparable pay than in 38 other states." In 2006, Ohio teachers averaged $1,015 for each week they worked, compared with $1,225 a week for the other jobs. The Plain Dealer failed to mention that, according ODE data, average teachers salaries in some rural Appalachian Ohio school districts were as low as $32,056 per year in 2006, $16,000 below the state average.
Read "The Teaching Penalty: Teacher Pay Losing Ground." . Click: Read full text of this book 
Public school teacher and college graduate weekly wages, by state. Click: The Teaching Penalty, state-by-state 
Sources: Economic Policy Institute and Cleveland Plain Dealer
March 6, 2008- March 2008 School District Levy Results
The following table breaks the levy passage/failure data down into operating vs. capital and new vs. renewal.
| OPERATING: | Type | #Passed | Passed % | # Failed | Failed % |
| Property Tax | New | 10 | 23.3% | 33 | 76.7% |
| Property Tax | Renewal | 37 | 82.2% | 8 | 17.8% |
| Income Tax | New | 3 | 25.0% | 9 | 75.0% |
| Income Tax | Renewal | 1 | 33.3% | 2 | 66.7% |
| Operating Total | 51 | 49.5% | 52 | 50.5% |
CAPITAL:
Type |
#Passed | Passed % | # Failed | Failed % |
| New | 17 | 32.1% | 36 | 67.9% |
| Renewal | 8 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
| Capital Total | 25 | 41% | 36 | 59% |
Misc.
| #Passed | Passed % | #Failed | Failed % |
| 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
| #Passed | Passed % | # Failed | Failed % | |
| Grand Total | 77 | 46.7% | 88 | 53.3% |
Note: This table includes "replacement" levies in "new" since they represent generating new money.
The table also considers any combined levies that include bonds or capital (with the exception of an operating levy combined with a PI levy) as being in the "capital" group.
Source: Ohio Department of Education
* Property taxes have risen faster than Ohioans' personal income in eight out of the past 10 years, according to a recent report by the Ohio Public Expenditure Council. ....Ohio Public Expenditure Council
* According to statistics recently released by the National Education Association, men comprised just 24.4 percent of the total number of teachers in 2006. The number of male public school teachers in the U.S. has hit a record 40-year low. ....National Education Association
* The percentage of dropouts among 16 to 24 year-olds has shown some decreases over the past 20 years. Between 1985 and 2005, the dropout rate in the nation declined from 12.6% to 9.4% ....National Center for Education Statistics
* Students who take advanced mathematics courses in high school are far more likely to earn a bachelor's degree in college. Students from low-income families who acquire strong math skills by the eighth grade are 10 times more likely to finish college than their peers. U.S. 15-year-olds ranked 24th out of 29 developed nations in math literacy and problem-solving skills. Less than half of America's high school graduates are prepared for college-level math. ....National Mathematics Advisory Panel
* An analysis released last week of a study conducted last summer found that more than six in 10 of U.S. school districts had increased reading and math instruction between the 2001-02 and 2006-07 school years, and that more than four in 10 did so while significantly reducing time spent on other subjects. ....Center for Education Policy
March 4, 2008- Performance Pay Initiatives
Several new studies that scrutinize performance-pay initiatives nationwide have found mixed results on how they affect student achievement, according to a recent article in Education Week. That conclusion reinforces views that more work is needed on such plans, despite a recent surge in their popularity, before they can replace the traditional single salary schedule, the article said.
At a National Center on Performance Incentives Conference, held at Vanderbilt University on February 28-29, 2008, some researchers concluded that positive effects of performance-based pay were small or none, while others found varying levels of increases in student achievement.
Do you want more information on performance pay initiatives? Click: the National Center on Performance Incentives
March 3, 2008- Outrage Over ODE Licensure Fee Increase
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) said the 233% increase in teacher licensure fees, combined with increases for background checks and other rising costs, mean educators are shouldering an unfair burden. Calling the increase "sudden and dramatically high," OEA is asking the state board to roll back the fees and find another source of money. A typical five-year teaching license will cost $200 instead of $60. Similar increases will affect school administrators, teachers' aides and other educators, according to media reports.
Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) President Sue Taylor said teachers are furious about the size of the jump. It hits the lowest-paid teachers in the southeast region of the state particularly hard, she said. That's quite a wallop all at once," said Debbie Tully, director of professional issues for the OFT. According to FY 2006 ODE data, average teachers salaries in some rural Appalachian Ohio school districts were as low as $32,056 per year, $16,000 below the state average.
Under a law passed by the legislature last year, just about everyone who works in a school, public or private, must have a criminal-history check by the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. Keeping track of the additional reports and investigating when necessary will mean more work for the office that oversees licensing and professional conduct, according to an ODE spokeswoman. By law, the licensing office has to be self-supporting, she said.
February 29, 2008- Senior To Sophomores
Public high schools and colleges wanting to participate in an expanded post-secondary enrollment program as soon as this fall can do so if they qualify for a new grant program announced on yesterday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the new program, known as Seniors to Sophomores, won't be restricted to top students. The program rules were designed to make it easy for as many students as possible to get in, according to a spokesman for the Ohio Board of Regents. "Just pass the Ohio Graduation Test, get an ACT or SAT score acceptable to the college and post a "C" average in Algebra II and three years of English," the Plain Dealer article said
The Governor said all Ohio high school seniors will be able to avail themselves of the Seniors to Sophomores plan within 10 years, according to the article. But for now, $4 million is being offered statewide for what will be a limited number of programs. Grants of up to $100,000 will be available to schools who participate in the pilot project.
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: • Seniors to Sophomores offers free college credit
February 28, 2008- West Virginia Senate Passes Time Limits On School Bus
According
to the Associated Press (AP), the West Virginia Senate voted 95-to-3 to approve
a bill to establish school bus guidelines for younger students. The bill would
require "half-hour bus routes one way for children in kindergarten through
fifth grade," and "45-minute trips for intermediate and junior high
schools, and an hour for high schools." The state's approval would be
needed by counties establishing "routes that would last at least 15 minutes
longer." However, "it would bar waivers for routes exceeding the
standard by 30 or more minutes." According to the AP, the "bill would
only apply to future routes prompted by new or consolidated schools or
closings."
February 27, 2008- Where The Candidates Stand On Education
The following article, Where The Candidates Stand On Education, appeared in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Testing
Clinton: Favors giving states the option of using class projects and presentations as alternatives to standardized testing. Wants to leave time for art, music and other programs.
Obama: Worries that too much standardized testing drains creativity from the classroom. Favors providing states with funds for a broader range of assessments.
McCain: Believes accountability is the key to improvement, and says testing is a logical accountability tool.
School choice
Clinton: Favors choice within the public school system, but opposes vouchers that allow parents to use public money for private school education.
Obama: Calls charter schools important innovators that can provide healthy competition with public school systems. Opposes using tax dollars for vouchers.
McCain: Pledges to fight for all children to have access to good schools, whether they are charter schools, private schools or home schools. Supports vouchers as a way of doing that.
No Child Left Behind
Clinton: Believes it's too rigid and unworkable and believes schools weren't given enough money to make the law work.
Obama: Says the law "left the money behind" and believes the design of the law is flawed because it doesn't assure every child a good teacher. Favors alternative teacher preparation programs as well as more mentoring, training and apprentice programs.
McCain: Acknowledges the need to improve the law, but says it shouldn't be scrapped. Wants to tie more funding to expanded school choice for parents.
Merit pay
Clinton: Favors schoolwide performance-based pay but not merit pay for individual teachers.
Obama: Favors it for individual teachers, as long as it's not based only on test scores
McCain: Supports merit pay for individual teachers.
Universal preschool
Clinton: Says quality preschool should be free for all children and is a key to ending the achievement gap between black and white students.
Obama: Favors voluntary free preschool for all children, and shares Clinton's belief that it is crucial to closing the achievement gap.
McCain: Agrees too many children aren't prepared for school and that early childhood development yields a good return on the education dollar. Wants to reform Head Start into a program that better serves the nation's neediest children.
Read a related article. Click: • Ohio educators feel left behind by presidential hopefuls
February 26, 2008- Ohio's Education Progress 2008
The following data appears in the U.S. Department of Education publication, Mapping Ohio's Educational Progress 2008.
* 32.5 % of Ohio's 1.8 million students are low-income students.
* 14.5% of Ohio's 1.8 million students are students with disabilities.
* 62.1% of Ohio's 4,012 schools are making Adequate Yearly Progress. The national average is 70%.
* 708 of Ohio's 4,012 schools are in need of improvement.
* 89.5% of Ohio's high-poverty elementary classrooms are taught by a Highly Qualified teacher, while 99.2% of Ohio's low-poverty elementary classrooms are taught by a Highly Qualified teacher.
* 87.2% of Ohio's high-poverty high school classes are taught by a Highly Qualified teacher, while 98.8% of Ohio's low-poverty high school classrooms are taught by a Highly Qualified teacher.
See more information about educational progress in Ohio -- student achievement in reading and math, high school graduation rates, parents taking advantage of tutoring and choice options, state participation in flexibility options, and more. Click: PDF (424K)
To view information for other states, click: http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml Then click on "America's Educational Progress."
February 25, 2008- Education Free Of Politics Is An Illusion!
On Sunday, an article in the Columbus Dispatch said the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and others wanted to free education from politics when they successfully pushed for a constitutional amendment in 1953 to create the State Board of Education and give it the authority to hire the state superintendent of schools. According to the Dispatch article, an OEA spokesperson said the teachers union thought that taking politics out of the state’s public education system would clear the way for improving education policy.
It's been fifty-five years since the constitutional amendment was passed. Whether the results were good or bad, some people claim there was very little substantial change in education policy until the 1990's when the courts became involved and the politicians were much more assertive. So the question remains: Has Ohio been able to "free education from politics" by creating a State Board of Education and giving it the authority to hire the state superintendent of schools? Part of the answer may be found in a review of the attempts to achieve a remedy in the DeRolph litigation, or perhaps, as a colleague once said, "education free of politics is an illusion akin to 'local control' of local schools."
February 22, 2008- Study: Class Size Does Not Affect Achievement Gap
While reducing the number of students in a class can lead to higher test scores overall, it might not reduce the achievement gaps that exist between students in a given classroom, a new study said. A research study on class-size reduction in Tennessee found that “manipulating class size” doesn’t appear to narrow those gaps. In fact, the range from the lowest achievers to the highest achievers was greater in the smaller classes of 13 to 17 children than it was in larger classes of 22 to 26 students. The researcher came to that conclusion after looking at the performance of all students in the study, as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test.
“In the study, I found that high achievers benefit more from being in small classes than low achievers,” the researcher said. “This indicates that the achievement gap is larger in small classes than in regular-size classes.” The researcher suggests in the article, which is being published in the March issue of Elementary School Journal, that the higher achievers, perhaps, are better at taking “advantage of the opportunities or teacher practices that take place in small classes.”
Read the Education Week article. Click: Study: Class Size Does Not Affect Achievement Gap
Sources: Education Week, Spyros Konstantopoulos, an assistant professor of education and social policy at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill., conducted the research.
February 22, 2008- New Hampshire Senate Approves School Funding Constitutional Amendment
The Associated Press reported today that on Thursday the New Hampshire Senate voted 19 to 5 to approve a measure that would "change the constitution so the neediest towns could be singled out for aid." New Hampshire Governor John Lynch said the proposed amendment "will allow the state to stop sending a base per-pupil amount of aid to every town." Proponents "argue wealthier towns don't need the state's help like poor towns do." Instead, supporters say, "the state should send all or most aid to the poorest towns, which means towns in the middle and upper end of the property wealth spectrum would get little or no money."
According to media reports, some Republican members "believe the amendment doesn't go far enough to push the courts out of the school funding debate." While some House Democrats "believe the state has the responsibility to pay for the full cost of an adequate education in all communities."
Sources: School Business Daily and Associated Press
February 21, 2008- Education Proposals In State Of The State Addresses
Michigan Governor Granholm set a goal of doubling the state's college graduates. She proposed legislation to address the continuum of needs in the pre-K-20 system, including expanding early childhood education and full-day kindergarten.
Wisconsin Governor Doyle focused on teacher pay. He also proposed a plan to require high school students to take a third year of math and science before they could graduate from high school.
Ohio Governor Strickland proposed "Seniors to Sophomores" for high school seniors to complete their senior year of high school as a freshman on a college campus. He also proposed a Director of Education, appointed by the Governor, with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education serving in an advisory role.
Oklahoma Governor Henry proposed graduation coaches to decrease dropout rates by linking mentors to at-risk students to keep them focused on academics.
Utah Governor Huntsman proposed year-round contracts for math and science teachers to provide opportunities for students to remediate or accelerate their studies during the summer months. He also focused on the importance of teachers and proposed giving principals the ability to reward good teachers and to fire bad ones.
Source: Straight A's, Alliance for Excellent Education
February 20, 2008- Changes In Everything From Curriculum to School Funding
The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman said "in the fall, the state Board of Education would recommend changes in everything from curriculum to school funding to help Ohio rise to the top." According to the Dispatch article, Superintendent Zelman said the state board's plan is still being drafted but ideas include changing the curriculum to deal with new technology, lengthening the school day and year, and measuring students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The board also is examining better ways to recruit and pay teachers, school-funding reform and the use of social workers to help students move toward graduation. "We need to have the political will to bring (pre-kindergarten to 12th grade) to the next level," she said. "We can no longer be the good-enough state."
According to the report, Superintendent Zelman's staff said the plan being worked out has nothing to do with Governor Strickland's attempt to pick a director to oversee the Department of Education instead of leaving that authority with the Board of Education.
Read the attached article: "State School Board To Suggest Raft Of Changes"
February 19, 2008- School Uniforms Show Only Slight Increase
According to the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics, about 14 percent of the nations school principals reported that their school required students to wear uniforms. In 1999–2000, the percentage of principals who reported that their school required students to wear uniforms was 12 percent. Also, about 55 percent of school principals reported that their school had a strict dress code, an increase from 47 percent in 1999-2000.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008)
February 18, 2008- Ohio Lags In Advanced Placement
About 18 percent of Ohio students who graduated from a public high school in 2007 took at least one Advanced Placement test, compared with almost 25 percent nationally, according to a College Board report released last week. About 11 percent of those Ohio students graduating in 2007 earned a 3 (the equivalent of a C) or higher on their test, the level at which some colleges offer college credit. The national average was 15.2 percent. The tests are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, the highest score.
Read the Ohio AP report. Click: Ohio
Read the full AP report. Click: The 4th Annual Advanced Placement Report to the Nation (.pdf/1.4MB)
Read AP report for other states. Click: “AP Report to the Nation,”
Source: College Board
February 15, 2008- Court Ruling: NCLB Trumps IDEA
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, in Chicago, ruled unanimously this week that even if the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law was at odds with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the special education law “must give way” because NCLB is the newer statute.
The suit said that the IDEA’s requirement that each special education student have an individualized education program (IEP) is contrary to the requirement under the No Child Left Behind law that special education students count as a distinct subgroup whose test results help determine whether a school makes adequate yearly progress (AYP), the key NCLB measure for holding schools accountable. The plaintiff districts missed making AYP in the year before the suit was filed solely because their subgroups of students with disabilities missed their AYP targets.
The attorney for the plaintiffs said that many school districts are running into conflicts between requirements of the NCLB law and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. “There are many school districts that are missing AYP only because of special-needs children, and only because they are being required by the regulators to measure special-needs students’ progress by standardized tests, in a manner that is inconsistent with their individualized education programs," the attorney said.
Source: Education Week
February 14, 2008- March 4th School Tax Issues
The Ohio Secretary of State website contains a list of school districts with tax issues on the March 4, 2008 primary ballot. According to the website, there are 191 school tax issues to be decided. They include 34 bond issues,137 property tax issues and 20 income tax issues. The 191 school tax issues is slightly more than last year, but similar to the number of issues on the primary election ballot the previous two years. The May 2007 primary ballot had 164 school tax issues, with 89 passing; 187 issues were on the ballot in May 2006 with 110 passing; and 198 tax issues were decided by voters in May 2005 with 106 passing.
To view school tax issues on the March 4, 2008 ballot, by county and by school district, click on links below.
- 37 Bond Issues (34 are school issues)
- 376 Tax Issues (137 are school issues)
- 61 Miscellaneous questions (includes 20 school district income tax issues)
Sources: Ohio Secretary of State and Ohio Department of Education
February 13, 2008- ODE Announces Budget Cuts
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has announced it will reduce state aid for new school buses, professional development for teachers and educational service centers to meet the governor's directive to cut more than $100 million from its budget, according to the Columbus Dispatch. ODE's plan, sent Monday afternoon to Ohio school superintendents, includes $43 million in program and staffing cuts over the next 16 months. The rest of the reduction will be achieved by saving money that was budgeted but no longer is needed, an ODE spokesperson said.The cuts include, state aid to Ohio's 59 education service centers by $10 million; $6 million in state aid to districts for new school bus purchases; professional development funding by $4.2 million; and technical education for post-secondary adults by $3.8 million. In addition, funding for developing and administering student assessments will be cut by $6 million and ODE will eliminate up to 26 of its 667 full-time positions. In addition to the $43 million in program and staff reductions, ODE no longer needs another $52 million that had been in its budget. That includes unused special education funds, money set aside to reimburse districts for property valuation errors, and funds not spent from the last two-year budget, the Dispatch said.
February 12, 2008- Over 110 Attend Recent CORAS Meeting
Over 110 CORAS superintendents, Colleges of Education Deans from Ohio's colleges and universities and other educators met in Logan on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 to discuss improving teacher preparation and professional development for Ohio's rural Appalachian schools. The discussions focused on Teacher Preparation; Supporting New Teachers; Providing Relevant Professional Development; Developing Building Leadership; Producing Teachers With Rural Expertise; and Targeting Key Teacher Shortage Areas.
The program facilitator was Dr. Lawrence Johnson, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Cincinnati. Also participating were Dr. Richard Murray, CORAS President and superintendent of the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center, Dr. Jon Tafel, Ohio Board of Regents and Dr. Marilyn Troyer, Ohio Department of Education. The meeting was arranged under the leadership of John Stanford from the Governor’s Office and the joint efforts of the Ohio Board of Regents, Ohio Department of Education, College of Education Deans from Ohio’s Colleges and Universities and the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools.
A full report of the meeting and the "next steps" are being prepared by the College Deans, headed by Dr. Johnson, and will be distributed to members of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools.
The next CORAS meeting is set for Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at the Ramada Inn, Zanesville. You may register online, by mail or by contacting Lori at (740) 593 4414.
Click below to view pictures from the meeting.
February 11, 2008- Education Budget Cuts
According to several media reports, when asked by the Governor to propose budget cuts to deal with the projected state budget shortfall, the Ohio Department of Education suggested reducing the per-student funding.
"Without exception, I got cooperation from my cabinet members and they made tough decisions … what I got from the Department of Education was hugely, wholly, totally inadequate," Governor Strickland said. "And when we did insist on specifics as to how cuts would be made, suggestions were made that we reduce the funding formula that was going to our schools, our per-student funding, with no willingness to address the 700-and-some staff persons that exist at the department." ..Columbus Dispatch, February 9, 2008
February 8, 2008- Property-Tax Relief Initiatives
According to a fiscal analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, there has been significant activity in property tax relief during the last three years in several states. However, an Education Week report said, "This may be a particularly difficult year for legislatures to make big tax changes that could affect their budgets." "At least 15 states are running deficits or shortfalls this year, the housing market is in a slump, and the national economy is unsettled." Education Week added, "On the flip side, there’s the political dynamic that could facilitate property-tax reductions: Three-quarters of state legislative seats and 11 governors’ offices are up for grabs."
Some recent property-tax initiatives include:
SOUTH CAROLINA In 2006, South Carolina pushed through a 1-cent sales-tax increase in exchange for moving more school funding away from property-tax proceeds.
FLORIDA
On January 29, 2008, voters approved a constitutional amendment that
gives them a larger property-tax break and lets them carry over existing tax
breaks when they buy new homes.
INDIANA
The Governor is pushing a plan that would
remove all of schools’ general operating costs from property-tax rolls in
exchange for a 1-cent increase in the sales-tax rate.
NEW YORK
The Governor has called for a cap on school property taxes and created a
commission to work out the details.
GEORGIA
The House Speaker wants to remove property taxes as a source of school
funding and replace the money with a 4 percent sales tax on services and retail
purchases.
OHIO Beginning in 2007, senior citizens receive a $25,000 valuation exemption in property taxes on their homestead.
Also in OHIO, the Supreme Court has consistently held that Ohio’s school finance system is in violation of the Constitution, due to its over-reliance on local property taxes, among other deficiencies. However, the Ohio Supreme Court terminated jurisdiction over the school finance litigation, noting the system was still unconstitutional and it was the legislature’s duty to remedy the flawed educational system.
February 7, 2008- The Governor's K-12 Education Proposals
The following is what the Governor said about K-12 education in his State of the State address.
SENIORS TO SOPHOMORES Building on the existing Post Secondary Enrollment Options plan, the Governor announced that he has directed the Chancellor to give every twelfth grader who meets the academic requirements a choice of spending their senior year in their home high school, or spending it on a University System of Ohio campus. Tuition for the year will be free. Students may enroll in this plan for the upcoming school year. Participating seniors will graduate from high school ready to start their sophomore year in college. Students will receive their high school diploma and one full year of college credits at the same time. The credits will transfer in full to public institutions, as well as many private colleges.
CORE PRINCIPLES The Governor announced his vision for Ohio schools: We must create learning environments that foster and nurture creativity, innovation, and global competency. He said six core principles will guide his efforts to achieve that vision.
- First, we cannot address our education challenges without strengthening our commitment to public education;
- Second,
a modern education must be directly linked to economic
prosperity;
- Third, we need to identify the great strengths of our schools;
- Fourth, our best teachers can show us what works best in the classroom;
- Fifth, we must strive to develop a specific, personalized program that identifies how each individual student learns and use the teaching methods appropriate to that student's needs and abilities; and
- Sixth, testing and assessment will continue to answer accountability questions. But their most important role will be to guide personalized and individualized education through a comprehensive and ongoing understanding of a student's capabilities and weaknesses and growth in the educational process.
DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION The Governor announced he is calling for the creation of a new position: the director of the Department of Education. This office would be appointed by the governor, subject to approval by the Ohio Senate. The director would have oversight over all Department of Education efforts. The existing structure, including the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Schools, would remain in place in advisory and additional roles as determined by the director. The Governor said, "The most important duty of the state should not be overseen by an unwieldy department with splintered accountability. This change in organizational structure will ensure, like higher education, that there is a direct line of responsibility and accountability in K through 12 education. It will ensure that our elected and appointed leaders are working together to strengthen education in Ohio."
GOVERNOR'S PLAN FOR OHIO SCHOOLS COMING IN 2009 The Governor said, "Education is the central issue I face as governor. I am determined to bring real change and real results. But I am also determined to find the best answers. We are creating a blueprint for the future of our schools and our state. And we will take the time to get it right. The director and I will take all the best ideas and evidence available from those that care about education in Ohio, and I will put my plan for Ohio’s schools before the people of Ohio next year."
CORAS Superintendents: Please let CORAS know what you think about the Governor's proposals. Send to: rfishe5@columbus.rr.com
February 6, 2008- The Governor And The State Board Of Education
The Associated Press (AP) reported today that Governor Strickland's State of the State speech "may include a proposal to add members to the State Board of Education and perhaps bring it under his office's control, with the goal of better managing the state's vast public education system." Ohio's mix of governor-appointed and elected board members with a schools chief appointed by the board is a rare model nationally, AP said.
Considerations by previous Governor's to take full control of the State Board of Education were not successful, the AP report said. "The trend is that governors always like to consolidate their power and they tend to want to have more say in the decision-making process," an official at the National Association of State Boards of Education said. "Legislators often balk at this, and superintendents across the state generally oppose it." Last year, however, Governor Strickland brought the state's chancellor of higher education into his cabinet with the support of the Legislature.
Governor Strickland's State of the State address will be delivered at noon today.
February 5, 2008- U.S. Department Of Education To Appeal NCLB Ruling
An Associated Press report said the U.S. Department of Education will ask a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling in a lawsuit related to No Child Left Behind Act funding. School districts in three states including Michigan and the nation's largest teachers' union have sued the federal government, arguing that schools should not have to comply with requirements of the education law that aren't funded by the federal government. On January 7, 2008, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati sided with the plaintiffs by a 2-1 decision. The appeals court majority said No Child Left Behind fails to provide clear notice as to who bears the additional costs of compliance. The court majority said statutes enacted under the spending clause of the U.S. Constitution must provide clear notice to the states of their liabilities if they accept federal funding under those statutes.
February 4, 2008- Bits & Briefs
- Nationally, 20 percent of the new school superintendents are first-timers. The number is expected to grow as more superintendents retire and experienced leaders choose to remain in their districts, according to Paul Houston, executive director at the American Association of School Administrators.
- Nationwide, more than 2 million new teachers will be needed in the next 11 years because of attrition and increasing student enrollment, according to a study published by the National Center for Education Statistics.
- According to a survey conducted by the National Science Teachers Association, more than 60 percent of high schools and nearly half of middle schools nationwide report great difficulty finding qualified science teachers.
- According to the U.S. Department of Education, 36 percent of grades 7 through 12 math teachers and 27 percent of science teachers in the nation's public schools did not major or minor in their subject area.
- Just three years ago, only eight of Ohio's 4,000 public schools offered Chinese. Now 48 do, according to state education officials. Less than 1 percent of American high school students study Chinese, according to the U.S. State Department.
February 1, 2008- Education Budget Reductions
The following are "budget recalibration highlights" for the Department of Education from the Governor's office.
FY 2008 – 2009
Budget
Recalibration Highlights
Department
of Education
Budget
Reduction Target:
FY
2008: $51,833,533
FY
2009: $49,682,040
- The Administration has requested that the Department of Education implement a budget reduction strategy that exempts services critical to direct pupil education.
- The Department of Education expects to achieve these targets through lapses, cancellation of prior-year encumbrances, and reductions in targeted line items.
- In order to maintain the commitment to primary and secondary education in HB 119, numerous line items, including foundation funding, auxiliary services and STEM, will be exempted from the reductions.
- Because of the downturn in the economy and projected state revenues, the agency may be taking cost reduction measures, and may be expected to reorganize, restructure or consolidate operations in order to realize cost savings and operate successfully within reduced appropriation levels. The potential impact of these actions may be a reduction of positions through attrition, vacancies that will remain unfilled, early retirement incentive plans, abolishment's and other reductions.
January 31, 2008- SERS & STEMS
SCHOOL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that Governor Strickland is expected to sign legislation next week that would raise the retirement age for Ohio bus drivers, custodians, attendance clerks and other school aides and would cut benefits for people who retire early. Currently, employees can retire with five years' tenure at age 60, or with 30 years on the job at any age. The new law would allow employees to retire with 10 years' tenure at 62, or 25 years' tenure at 60, or 30 years' tenure at 55. The bill also reduces pension benefits to employees who retire before the normal age of 65. The changes would apply only to new employees.
The bill dealing with nonteaching employees drew no organized opposition. Groups representing current and retired school employees supported it, noting that it would affect only new hires, according to the Dispatch. To read the bill, Click: SB 148
OHIO STEM LEARNING NETWORK Battelle and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have contributed $13 million to support an effort to raise the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills of Ohio students. The money will be used to create the Ohio STEM Learning Network, which will help the state launch five math and science focused schools in different regions of the state. These schools will be open to all students, especially low-income and minority youths. The state has set aside an additional $12.5 million to help start the schools, and organizers hope more will follow. The network also will work with the schools to support science and technology programs in other Ohio schools.
January 30, 2008- Teacher Licensure Structure Survey Results
State education policy leaders are considering TWO NEW GRADE-BAND STRUCTURES for its teacher licensing system. Below are the key elements of each option. Recently member superintendents responded to a CORAS survey asking which of the two options they preferred. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of Option #2 by 69.2 percent to 30.8 percent.
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is also conducting a survey on the ODE web site to find out what stakeholders think about the grade-band options for teacher licensure. CORAS superintendents are encouraged to make their voices heard by completing the ODE survey. See link below.
| Click here to participate in Ohio's teacher licensure survey. |
OPTION #1
EARLY LEARNING LICENSE (Birth through Grade 2 OR Birth through Grade 3)
Preparation for this license would incorporate pedagogy, child development, speech and language development, fine and gross motor skill development, cognitive development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and learning to read.
EARLY CHILDHOOD LICENSE (Pre-K through Grade 3)
Since legislation will be required to establish the new early learning license, it is anticipated that it will be two or three years before the new license can be offered. Therefore, this license would continue to be used until the new early learning license is in place.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 1 through Grade 6)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, learning to read in early grades, and reading to learn in upper grades. A kindergarten endorsement could be added to this license.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 5 through Grade 9)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and reading to learn. It would include TWO SUBJECT AREAS equivalent to TWO MAJORS or 60 SEMESTER HOURS that could be completed in FOUR YEARS.
ADOLESCENCE TO YOUNG ADULT LICENSE (Grade 9 through Grade 12)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, adolescent to young adult development, and rich academic content in a minimum of ONE SUBJECT AREA. A Grade 7-8 endorsement could be added to this license.
OPTION #2
EARLY LEARNING LICENSE (Birth through Grade 2)
Preparation for this license would incorporate pedagogy, child development, speech and language development, fine and gross motor skill development, cognitive development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and learning to read.
EARLY CHILDHOOD LICENSE (Pre-K through Grade 3)
Since legislation will be required to establish the new early learning license, it is anticipated that it will be two or three years before the new license can be offered. Therefore, this license would continue to be used until the new early learning license is in place.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 1 through Grade 6)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, learning to read in the early grades, and reading to learn in the upper grades. A kindergarten endorsement would NOT be necessary. Instead, it would be included in the Birth through Grade 2 license.
SECONDARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 6 through Grade 12)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, adolescent to young adult development, social/emotional/behavioral development and rich academic content in a minimum of ONE ACADEMIC AREA. With this license, a Grade 7-9 endorsement would NOT be necessary.
EARLY LEARNING LICENSE (Birth through Grade 2 OR Birth through Grade 3)
Preparation for this license would incorporate pedagogy, child development, speech and language development, fine and gross motor skill development, cognitive development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and learning to read.
EARLY CHILDHOOD LICENSE (Pre-K through Grade 3)
Since legislation will be required to establish the new early learning license, it is anticipated that it will be two or three years before the new license can be offered. Therefore, this license would continue to be used until the new early learning license is in place.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 1 through Grade 6)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, learning to read in early grades, and reading to learn in upper grades. A kindergarten endorsement could be added to this license.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 5 through Grade 9)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and reading to learn. It would include TWO SUBJECT AREAS equivalent to TWO MAJORS or 60 SEMESTER HOURS that could be completed in FOUR YEARS.
ADOLESCENCE TO YOUNG ADULT LICENSE (Grade 9 through Grade 12)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, adolescent to young adult development, and rich academic content in a minimum of ONE SUBJECT AREA. A Grade 7-8 endorsement could be added to this license.
OPTION #2
EARLY LEARNING LICENSE (Birth through Grade 2)
Preparation for this license would incorporate pedagogy, child development, speech and language development, fine and gross motor skill development, cognitive development, social/emotional/behavioral development, and learning to read.
EARLY CHILDHOOD LICENSE (Pre-K through Grade 3)
Since legislation will be required to establish the new early learning license, it is anticipated that it will be two or three years before the new license can be offered. Therefore, this license would continue to be used until the new early learning license is in place.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 1 through Grade 6)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, child to adolescent development, social/emotional/behavioral development, learning to read in the early grades, and reading to learn in the upper grades. A kindergarten endorsement would NOT be necessary. Instead, it would be included in the Birth through Grade 2 license.
SECONDARY EDUCATION LICENSE (Grade 6 through Grade 12)
Preparation for this license would incorporate curriculum, pedagogy, adolescent to young adult development, social/emotional/behavioral development and rich academic content in a minimum of ONE ACADEMIC AREA. With this license, a Grade 7-9 endorsement would NOT be necessary.
January 29, 2008- More Public Funds For Private Schools
White House counselor Ed Gillespie, describing Bush's plans for a new school initiative, said Monday afternoon that Bush "has some concerns about the declining number of faith-based and parochial schools in inner cities around the country and low-income neighborhoods." Because of this, Gillespie said, Bush is ready to "urge Congress to enact a program he calls 'Pell Grants for Kids.' "The money would "provide alternatives for children now trapped in struggling public schools," Gillespie told reporters.
.....Education Week, January 29, 2008
January 28, 2008- HB 423 - National Board Certification Bonuses...and More
Ohio currently pays all public-school teachers who have earned national board certification a $2,500-a-year bonus. However, State Representative Arlene Setzer, Chair of the House Education Committee, wants these bonuses to go only to educators who agree to work in low-performing schools or teach high-school science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
Setzer’s House Bill 423 would allow teachers who now hold board certification to continue to receive an annual stipend from the state until the 10-year credential expires. However, teachers who earn their board certification after July 2008 wouldn’t qualify for the bonus unless they teach certain subjects or work in qualifying schools
An analysis by the Columbus Dispatch found that national board certified teachers in Ohio tend to work in higherperforming, wealthier school districts. Among the findings:
• Less than 6 percent of the state’s national board certified teachers worked in districts where student academic performance was failing
• Nearly two-thirds taught in districts rated "excellent" or "effective" on recent state report cards.
• The richest 10 percent of districts had four times as many national board certified teachers as the poorest 10 percent.
Setzer’s proposal also would permit school districts, educational service centers, and county MR/DD boards to pay wage rate differentials above their regular salary schedules for certain teachers; and to specify that teacher wage rate differentials, the length of the school year, and the length of the school day are not subjects for collective bargaining.
Read H.B. 423. Click: As Introduced
Sources: Columbus Dispatch and 127th Ohio General Assembly website
January 25, 2008- High School Dropouts and Ohio's Economy
To demonstrate the impact that high school dropouts have on a particular state, the Alliance For Excellent Education has created economic impact fact sheets for every state and the District of Columbia. Ohio's economic fact sheet follows:
- If the nearly 41,000 high school dropouts from the Class of 2007 had earned their diplomas instead of dropping out, Ohio’s economy would have seen an additional $10.5 billion in wages over these students’ lifetimes. More information and a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdf.
- If all of the students in Ohio who are estimated to drop out of school this year earn diplomas instead, the state could save more than $502 million over the course of those young people’s lifetimes. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/HandW.pdf.
- If Ohio’s high schools and colleges were to raise the graduation rates of Hispanic, African-American, and Native-American students to the levels of white students by 2020, the potential increase in personal income in the state would add more than $2.6 billion to Ohio’s economy. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/demography.pdf.
- Ohio spends over $132 million each year to provide community college remediation education for recent high school graduates who did not acquire the basic skills necessary to succeed in college or at work. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/remediation.pdf.
- Were Ohio to increase the graduation rate and college matriculation of its male students by only 5 percent, the state could see combined savings and revenue of almost $233 million each year. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/SavingFutures.pdf.
- More than 16,608 teachers in Ohio will not be returning to the schools where they taught last year. What’s more, replacing these individuals could cost the state up to $206 million. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/TeacherAttrition.pdf.
To read more. Click: www.all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/schools/state_information/ohio
Source: Alliance For Excellent Education
January 24, 2008- A Bleak Future For School Funding???
What gets cut? "Specific decisions haven't been made, and it's more difficult to cut spending for state prisons and some agencies than others. Strickland wants to protect funding for education and other administrative priorities." ....Columbus Dispatch, January 24, 2008
January 23, 2008- Ohio And Quality Counts 2008
The recently released Quality Counts 2008 graded public education in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in a variety of categories, including school finance. According to Quality Counts 2008, Ohio ranked 17th in the nation in per pupil expenditure, however 44.1 percent of Ohio students are attending school in districts with spending at or below the average U.S. per pupil expenditure ($8,973).
How did Ohio's rank on other selected indicators?
- Wealth Neutrality Score (Relationship between district funding and local property wealth) Ohio ranked 29th in the nation.
- McLoone Index (Actual spending as percent of amount needed to bring all students to median level) Ohio ranked 35th in the nation.
- Coefficient of Variation (Amount of disparity in spending across districts within a state) Ohio ranked 30th in the nation.
QUALITY COUNTS 2008: TOP TEN
PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE (PPE) STATES
(2005 data)
PPE Per Cent of Students in Districts
State | Rank | Per Pupil Expenditure | with PPE Above U.S. Average |
| New Jersey | 1st | $12,252 | 99.5% |
| New York | 2nd | 12,218 | 100.0% |
| Vermont | 3rd | 12,105 | 92.0% |
| Wyoming | 4th | 11,126 | 100.0% |
| Delaware | 5th | 10,661 | 93.7% |
| Connecticut | 6th | 10,652 | 99.8% |
| Rhode Island | 7th | 10,581 | 84.8% |
| Maine | 8th | 10,539 | 87.5% |
| Wisconsin | 9th | 10,199 | 96.8% |
| West Virginia | 10th | 10,073 | 100.0% |
| District of Columbia | 12,429 | 100.0% | |
| Ohio | 17th | $9,441 | 55.9% |
Read full report. Click: Read the full report
January 22, 2008- Poverty In Southeast Ohio
A recent article in the New York Times said, "In southeast Ohio, thousands of people who long had tough but sustainable lives are being wrenched into the working poor." The report went on to say, "Slammed by the continued decline in the automobile and steel businesses, Ohio never recovered from the recession of 2001-2, and blue-collar families who had made it partway up the economic ladder find themselves slipping back, with chaotic effects on families and dreams."
Throughout the Ohio, the percentage of families living below the poverty line, just over $20,000 for a family of four last year, rose slightly from 14 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2007, according to a study by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. But equally striking is the rise in younger working families struggling above that line, the study said. According to the study, the numbers are more dismal in the southeastern Appalachian part of Ohio, where 32 percent of families lived below the poverty line in 2007 and 56 percent lived with incomes less than $40,000 for a family of four. “These younger workers should be the backbone of the economy,” the director for the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati said. "But in parts of Ohio half or more are barely making ends meet.”
Read the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati report. Click: Ohioans’ Experiences with Poverty; A demographic profile of poverty in Ohio
Source: New York Times and Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
January 18, 2008- Funding Gap Still Exists In Ohio Appalachian Counties
A study released this week by the Education Trust says Ohio is improving school funding equity by decreasing the gaps between their high and low poverty school districts. The Education Trust news release said " Ohio took important steps toward greater funding equity, and not only closed their low-income funding gaps, they reversed them and began providing more funding to their highest-poverty districts." According to the report, in 1999, Ohio’s high-poverty public school districts received $77 less per pupil than the state’s wealthiest school districts. But by 2005, the state’s taxpayers were spending $833 more per pupil at high-poverty districts than at wealthy districts, the study shows.
According to Expenditure Flow Model (EFM) data from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the funding gap between the average per pupil expenditure for the state and Ohio's 29-county Appalachian region was not "closed" or "reversed" between the years 2000 and 2006. Not only did the funding gap not close, it actually increased between FY 2005 and FY 2006. (See table below.)
EFM - Expenditure Flow Model
Average Per Pupil Expenditure for State of Ohio and the 29 Ohio Appalachian Counties
| Fiscal Year | State of Ohio | 29 Ohio Appalachian Counties | Per Pupil Funding Gap |
| 2000 | $6,619 | $6,129 | $490 |
| 2001 | 7,220 | 6,600 | 620 |
| 2002 | 7,547 | 6,980 | 567 |
| 2003 | 7,822 | 7,329 | 493 |
| 2004 | 8,112 | 7,654 | 458 |
| 2005 | 8,364 | 7,938 | 426 |
| 2006 | 8,675 | 8,229 | 446 |
* Ohio Department of Education has used the EFM - Expenditure Flow Model since FY 2000 to
determine per pupil expenditures.
In addition, FY 2006 ODE data show school district per pupil expenditures in Ohio's 29-county Appalachian region as low as $6,653, more than $2,000 below the state average.
January 17, 2008- Poverty In The Appalachian Region
A spokesperson with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which serves 410 counties in Ohio and 12 other states, said poverty remains a significant problem in the Appalachian region. The ARC determines which counties fall in the economic distress range, those counties that are the worst 10 percent of the nation according to unemployment, poverty and per capita indicators.
The ARC spokesperson said, four of Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties, Meigs, Morgan, Pike and Vinton are among the 78 counties in the 13-state region considered economically distressed. According to an Associated Press report, other Appalachian counties, such as Pike, Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia and Vinton, all had poverty rates of at least 20 percent in 2005. There are additional Ohio Appalachian counties with double-digit poverty rates, the report said.
How might this effect Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties? "Rural Appalachian Ohio always is more depressed, and more quick to go into recession, and slower to come out of it," Ohio University anthropology and sociology professor Ann Tickamyer said.
Source: Associated Press, January 11, 2008
January 16, 2008- Working Conditions More Important Than Salary?
Researchers say working conditions may be more important than salary to many teachers. "Recent studies are beginning to suggest that working conditions are a key to attracting and retaining teachers, perhaps even more than financial incentives," according to a recent Education Week article. "A Harvard University survey of 50 Massachusetts teachers who entered the classroom in 1999... found that teachers who left the job after a year or two most often cited factors that all arguably fall under the umbrella of working conditions," the article said. Student discipline issues, heavy courseloads, disputes with administrators and lack of resources were all common reasons cited by teachers leaving the pro fe ssion.
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Sources: School Business Daily, Education Week and Wake Education Partnership
January 15, 2008- Where's Education?
According to an Associated Press-Ipsos Poll conducted January 7-9, the economy and Iraq are the top two issues facing Americans during the 2008 presidential campaign. Other important issues mentioned included health care, social security, morality, immigration and terrorism. During past presidential campaigns, education was among the leading issues being debated. It appears that education, the key for addressing all of the above, is not receiving much attention in this campaign.
Last week the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati revived the 2005 legal challenge to the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. The plaintiffs' argument was that since the federal government had failed to pay all the expenses associated with NCLB, states did not have to comply with the law. The plaintiffs based this claim on a provision in the NCLB law itself. That provision is known as the Unfunded Mandates Provision, which says "nothing in this act shall be construed to mandate a state or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this act.''
However, according to the Palm Beach Post, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and U.S. Department of Education lawyers claim that what the law really means is, "that no federal official could require the states to pay for anything not authorized by the act." Go figure.
Source: Palm Beach Post, Editorial: "The Real No Child Left Behind Scam," January 10, 2008
January 11, 2008- Nationwide, Teachers Paid 88% of Comparable Professions
Nationwide, teachers are paid only 88 cents for every $1 earned in 16 comparable professions, according to Education Week's "Quality Counts 2008." But in Ohio, New York and California, teacher pay is equal to the comparison salaries, the report said. In seven states, it's higher, with Rhode Island teachers at the top, making almost $1.12 for every $1 earned in comparable jobs. Other states at the top include Montana, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Arkansas, in that order.
A 2004-05 survey from the American Federation of Teachers said Ohio was 13th in the nation for average salary and 30th for beginning salary, according the President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Ohio public school teachers made an average of $53,536 last school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
Sources: "Quality Counts 2008," EPE Research Center, U.S. Census Bureau Community Survey and Cleveland Plain Dealer
January 10, 2008- Ohio's Education System Rate Seventh In Nation
Education Week's "Quality Counts 2008" rated Ohio's education system as the seventh-best in the nation. The chart below shows how Ohio fared.
| Ohio | National Average | Rank Among States | |
| Overall | B- | C | 7 |
| Chance for Success | B- | C+ | 25 |
| K-12 Achievement | C- | D+ | 14 |
| Standards, Assessment & Accountability | A | B | 7 |
| Transition & Alignment | C+ | C | 12 |
| Teaching Profession | C+ | C | 14 |
| School Finance | B- | C+ | 13 |
New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia, in that order, were rated above Ohio.
To read the report go to: www.edweek.com
ODE: CHARTER SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY IMPROVES Legislative changes over the past few years have improved the accountability of charter school sponsors, as enrollment in the privately operated public schools continues to rise, according to a new Department of Education report. ...Gongwer New Service
MORE WOMEN SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS Nationally, women make up 20 percent of school superintendents, up from about 7 percent in 1992, a survey from the American Association of School Administrators said. ...AASA Daily News
OHIO SCHOOLS RECEIVE B- Ohio schools will earn a B-minus on a national report card being released today by Education Week. Education Week has been issuing the annual report for 12 years. Ohio's overall grade of a B-minus has improved from a C- in 1997. ...Columbus Dispatch
WYOMING SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM CONSTITUTIONAL The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Wyoming's system for funding schools is not per fe ct but is constitutional. The Court also ended years of court oversight. The suit, brought by the Wyoming School Boards Association and a group of school districts, had alleged that the state's school funding formula did not meet constitutional requirements. The court disagreed, but its ruling states that "some deficiencies exist in the state's education structure and warns that new issues will arise." Since the filing of the lawsuit, Wyoming has raised average teacher pay to 13th in the nation while making huge investments in school construction. ...School Business Daily
January 8, 2008 Court Revives Lawsuit Against No Child Left Behind Law
Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati revived a legal challenge to the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, saying that school districts have been justified in complaining that the law required them to pay for testing and other programs without providing sufficient federal money. The 2 to 1 ruling gave new life to a 2005 lawsuit and appeared to be a setback to the Bush administration, the New York Times said.
School districts in Michigan, Texas and Vermont joined with the National Education Association, in their 2005 lawsuit. They claimed the law violated the United States Constitution by requiring states and school districts to spend local money to administer standardized tests and to meet other federal requirements. The suit was built in part around a paragraph in the law that says no state or district can be forced to spend its money on expenses the federal government has not covered. A federal judge in Michigan dismissed the suit.
In sending the case back to the lower court, the Court of Appeals ruling said, “Because we conclude that NCLB fails to provide clear notice as to who bears the additional costs of compliance, we reverse the judgment of the district court.” It also noted that because the states had been required to spend state and local money to meet requirements of the federal law, their “injury has already occurred and is ongoing.”
Source: New York Times
January 8, 2008- President Urges Reauthorization of NCLB Law
At the same time a United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruling revived a lawsuit challenging the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law as an unfunded mandate, President Bush on Monday urged the Democratic-led Congress to revive a stalled effort to reauthorize the NCLB law before he leaves office. However, he pledged to veto any bill that "weakens the accountability" measures. Speaking on the sixth anniversary of the day he signed the bill into law, the President "urged Congress to revise the law to increase flexibility for state and local agencies without loosening the annual testing and enforcement provisions that give it teeth," the Washington Post said. There was no mention of additional federal funding. If the law is not reauthorized, it will remain in effect as is.
Source: Washington Post
January 7, 2008- Middle Schools
A debate over how to structure schools for seventh and eighth grade students is increasing throughout the nation. In Ohio, there are assorted kinds of schools that include seventh and eighth graders. The most common types are:
K-8...................200
5-8...................111
6-8...................313
7-8...................158
7-12.................104
According to the Columbus Dispatch, students in K-8 buildings did much worse on Ohio’s seventh and eighth grade tests last school year than their peers in the other four kinds of schools, whose results typically were within a few percentage points.
Sources: Columbus Dispatch and Ohio Department of Education
January 4, 2008- Consolidation Or Collaboration
In Ohio, two school districts in Northeast Ohio will begin sharing a superintendent, as a cost-cutting measure for the districts to save money. The Orrville Superintendent will take on the additional role as Rittman schools superintendent. The districts in Wayne County already share a treasurer. Both school districts will retain their own budget and local board of education
In Maine, according to a recent article in Maine's Morning Sentinel, a proposal by three members of the state Legislature's Education Committee offers an alternative to a statewide mandate for small school districts to consolidate into larger districts. The plan would allow school districts to choose one of two different ways to regionalize school services, either consolidation or collaboration. Districts could still choose to merge into larger school systems as current Maine law requires. Or, the school districts could instead choose to remain independent while sharing services regionally to cut costs. Such "collaboration" would allow communities to retain decision making power through local school boards, the Sentinel article said.
Sources: School Business Daily, Maine Morning Sentinel and Akron Beacon Journal
January 3, 2008- Gloomy Revenue Projections Nationwide
The 2008 state legislative season begins this month under a fiscal cloud in a number of states, according to School Business Daily/Education Week. State education initiatives may end up being balanced against gloomy revenue projections, the publications said.
“It looks like we have one more decent year before things fall apart,” the education program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures said about the fiscal 2009 economic outlook. Education Week said 15 states reported deficits or revenue shortfalls last year. And the Associated Press said several other states, including Ohio, say they are likely to see holes open in their budgets this year, or in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009.
According to the reports, the revenue slowdown comes as some states prepare to deal with potentially costly issues as education equity and adequacy and the condition of school facilities. In addition, some believe the presidential race and state elections are likely to impact legislative action this year, since lawmakers may take a wait-and-see position on education issues pending the outcome of the elections.
Read The Fiscal Survey of States. Click: National Governors Association
Sources: Education Week, School Business Daily and the Associated Press
January 2, 2008- No Commitment To Fix School Funding In 2008
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Governor Strickland said last week that secondary and higher education remain a top priority, but he did not commit to offering a school-funding solution in 2008. However, the Governor did not back away from addressing the school funding issue during his first term in office. The Governor said, "I'm not running away from this issue at all, and I'm going to be fully willing, when I come to the end of my term, if I were to seek a second term, for the people to make a judgment about me regarding that issue." During the 2006 campaign, then candidate-Strickland staked the success of his governorship on solving Ohio's unconstitutional school-funding system.
Source: Columbus Dispatch, December 30, 2007
December 21, 2007- Bits & Briefs
CHARTER SCHOOLS TOUT NEW 'VALUE-ADDED' GRADING SYSTEM Charter school advocates said Thursday the Department of Education's new "value-added" grading system, which attempts to measure student progress year-to-year, more accurately reflects the privately run, publicly funded schools' success. ...Gongwer News Service
PRINCIPAL KEY TO LEADING SCHOOL TO SUCCESS A new study by Advocates for Children and Youth (ACY), a Baltimore-based nonprofit child advocacy group, ties school performance to the experience of principals and calls for bonuses and other incentives to attract and retain the school administrators. "We believe the principal is key to leading a school to success. ... It's a matter of paying now or paying later. The cost is so much smaller if we pay now," the ACY education director said. Read the ACY studies, click: Baltimore City; Baltimore County; Prince George’s County.
U.S. NUMBER ONE IN GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS A report in the publication Straight A's from the Alliance For Excellent Education, said, "Rebounding from a sixth place finish last year, the United States knocked Switzerland off of the top spot in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). Of the twelve 'pillars' that the report tracks, the United States ranks first in labor market efficiency, market size, and innovation but is thirty-fourth out of 131 countries in health and primary education." View the index. Click: Global Competitiveness Index
HIGH COST OF HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS According to the Alliance For Excellent Education, only about 70 percent of all high school students nationwide graduate on time, and graduation rates for poor and minority students are even lower. The Alliance said the failure to graduate every child prepared for the twenty-first century has serious consequences for individual students and their parents, but it also has major repercussions for American society at every level. Read the report. Click: The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools.
December 20, 2007- Ohio, U.S. Lag In High-Speed Internet
U.S. citizens enjoy a fraction of high-speed Internet access available in other countries, according to Speed Matters: A Report on Internet Speed in all 50 States, a report released by the Communications Workers of America. The average U.S. download speed is 1.97 megabits per second. Compare that to the 61 megabits per second, or 30 times faster speed, enjoyed by the Japanese. The U.S. also trails South Korea, Sweden, Finland, and Canada. According to the report, an entire movie can be downloaded in two minutes in some countries, but the same task can take two hours or more in the United States. The chart below shows Ohio internet speed lags even further behind, according to the report.
Country
Median Download Speed
(Megabits per second)
Japan..............................61.00
South Korea.......................45.60
Finland.............................21.70
Sweden............................18.20
Canada..............................7.60
United States......................1.97
Ohio.................................1.36
The United States is 16th behind other industrialized nations in high speed internet access.
Read the report. Click: Speed Matters: A Report on Internet Speeds in All 50 States
December 19, 2007- Ohio Facing Budget Shortfall?
The Associated Press reported yesterday that thirteen states could face shortfalls for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2008, including large states like California and New York. Ten states are projecting deficits next year and three are predicting shortfalls in revenue that could lead to budget deficits. They are Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. Another 11 states say their budgets are likely to see holes open in their budgets next year, or in the financial year beginning July 1, 2009, including Alabama, Ohio and Texas.
On what may be a related issue, the Gannett News Service reported that Governor Strickland said one of his "top goals" for 2008 was working on fixing the state's school-funding system. The following is the Governor's response to the question, When will you propose a solution to school funding, and what form it may take?
"If I answered that question directly, then I would be giving you my school reform and funding proposal. And that's not yet ripe, so to speak. ... I've said that there is a lot of money in our schools, but I'm not sure that it's being used in the most efficient, cost-effective manner. ... I would like to see it resolved legislatively. If it cannot be resolved legislatively, then I certainly will keep on the table the possibility of taking a ballot initiative to the people of Ohio in the form of a constitutional amendment."
December 18, 2007- Study: Middle School Math Teachers Ill-Prepared
A new study says U.S. middle school math teachers are ill-prepared. The findings of the Michigan State University study, Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21), were released last week. The study found that middle school teachers in the United States are not as well prepared to teach mathematics compared to teachers in five other countries, something that could negatively affect the U.S. as it continues to compete on an international scale.
MT21 studied how well a sample of universities and teacher-training institutions prepare middle school math teachers in the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Bulgaria and Mexico. Specifically, 2,627 future teachers were surveyed about their preparation, knowledge and beliefs in this area. Compared to the other countries, the U.S. future teachers ranked from the middle to the bottom on MT21 measures of math knowledge.
“What’s most disturbing is that one of the areas in which U.S. future teachers tend to do the worst is algebra, and algebra is the heart of middle school math,” the researcher said. “When future teachers in the study were asked about opportunities to learn about the practical aspects of teaching mathematics, again we ranked mediocre at best.”
Read the report. Click: MT21 Report
December 17, 2007- Status Quo Is An Unacceptable Goal
The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday that Governor Strickland said, “The status quo does not result in things staying the way they are. The status quo results in things getting increasingly worse in comparison to the rest of the world.” He said that rule applies to initiatives he has in the works, including a plan for addressing the state’s unconstitutional school funding system. “This [fixing school funding] is my responsibility as governor. I’ve got a four-year term. I want to get it done,” the Governor said. “My self judgment and probably the judgment of the people of Ohio will be made based on whether I am able to do this. So I want to do it in a way that actually leads to positive results.”
AP said the Governor envisions a single statewide educational system that extends from preschool through adulthood where credits and courses are more uniform to eliminate confusion and disparities. He said has not yet figured out how he would pay for such a system in a state whose formula for paying for public education has been deemed inequitable because it relies too heavily on property taxes. But he said, through input from many interested groups, he is coming closer to a proposal. “I don’t want to just have another failed attempt,” Strickland said. “There have been sincere efforts in the past which I think have fallen short because they have not been adequately embraced by the parties involved.”
The AP article appeared in the Toledo Blade, December 16, 2007
December 14, 2007- Value-Added Results
| The Cincinnati Enquirer reported today that students in nearly half of Ohio's public elementary and middle schools made more than a year's worth of progress in 2006-07, according to new data released yesterday by the Ohio Department of Education. Value-added is an attempt to measure individual students' progress over time rather than comparing overall performance. Schools are rated by color code. A school is rated "green" if its students showed more than one year of progress, "yellow" if students show one year of progress, and "red" if students show less than one year of progress. To determine a school's spot in the color scheme, the state compared its fourth through eighth graders' scores on the 2006 Ohio Achievement Test in math and reading to the same students' 2007 scores after they advanced to the next grade. Throughout Ohio, 1,358 schools are "green," 718 are in "yellow" and 694 are in "red," according to the Enquirer report. In the future, if a school stays in "green" for two consecutive years, it could boost its annual report card rating by one category. The value-added measurement would pull down a school's rating if it stays red for three consecutive years. View the value-added data on ODE web site. Click: Click here to access Power User value-added reports. Value-added data can be found in the “Ratings” folder. Sources: Cincinnati Enquirer and Ohio Department of Education |
December 13, 2007- Report Finds New Teachers More Academically Qualified
New teachers are more academically qualified today than just a decade ago, according to a new report released yesterday by Educational Testing Service (ETS) Policy Information Center. The study examines the relationship between improvements in the academic quality of America’s teachers and the policy focus on improving teacher quality in recent years. The report attributes the academic improvement to policy changes that focused on issues of teacher quality.
The study found that college grades of prospective teachers has improved. About 40 percent of the prospective teachers taking the licensing tests from 2002 to 2005 had a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on the traditional 4-point scale during college, up from 26 percent in the 1990s, according to the report. The percentage of candidates earning lower than a 3.0 G.P.A. decreased to 20 percent from 32 percent. “By this measure, we are witnessing a dramatic improvement in the quality of the teacher pool,” the report said.
The New York Times said, "The finding that the academic qualifications of teachers had risen significantly was encouraging news for federal and state education policy makers after a period of hand-wringing over teacher quality in the nation’s 90,000 public schools. The most successful educational systems in the world, like those in Singapore and Finland, recruit teachers from among the top third of their college graduates. By contrast, some studies over the years have found that the United States recruits from the bottom third."
Education researchers debate, however, whether teachers with higher academic qualifications are more effective, as measured by higher student achievement, the New York Times said.
December 12, 2007- CORAS Membership Approaching Record Numbers
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) membership renewals are running ahead of past years with 131 active members as of early December 2007. Thirteen of the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties have already achieved 100% membership in the Coalition. They are Athens, Pike, Gallia, Hocking, Vinton, Perry, Meigs, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Muskingum, Jackson and Harrison. Eight counties, Brown, Coshocton, Guernsey, Holmes, Ross, Belmont, Jefferson and Washington, are just one school district short of having 100% membership. Scioto and Lawrence counties lack only two districts of having full membership.
CORAS membership includes 98 local, city and exempted village school districts, 11 educational service centers, 11 joint vocational school districts, 8 institutions of higher learning and three other education agencies. This marks the 8th consecutive year that CORAS has attained 125 members or more, and four consecutive years of topping 130 members.
To view a list of CORAS members, Click: Counties and Members
December 11, 2007- Code Of Conduct For Educators
The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday that the Educator Standards Board failed to notify the public or media that it was meeting to write Ohio's code of conduct for educators. The Dispatch said this is a violation of state law. The Ohio Department of Education press secretary said an oversight is to blame for the private meetings where the code was written, but from now on the public is invited to weigh in. The entire standards board will vote on the code in January and the State Board of Education is expected to review it in February, the Dispatch said.
To read the draft of the proposed code of conduct for educators, click: code of conduct draft
December 10, 2007- Amendment Proposal "Draws Praise, Measured Support"
According to an Associated Press (AP) report yesterday, State Senator Kirk Schuring's proposed constitutional amendment that would dedicate at least 59.6 percent of income tax receipts and 71.2 percent of sales tax collections to fund Ohio schools is drawing praise from statewide education groups, and measured support from Democratic Governor Ted Strickland and Republican State Senator Joy Padgett, who heads the Senate's education committee.
The Associated Press printed the following comments. "It's a very positive thing because it tries to put children at the front of the line for state tax dollars," said Fred Pausch, a lobbyist for the Ohio School Boards Association. The Ohio Association of School Business Officials also approves. "In any school solution that we would advocate for, there's got to be a revenue source and a methodology to determine what it would cost to educate a child," said David Varda, executive director of the association. "Sen. Schuring's proposal is attractive to us in that it answers the revenue question." Strickland's spokesman said the governor found Schuring's proposal "admirable." Padgett called Schuring's plan "a novel approach."
AP reported that Senator Schuring said unlike the current system, the money earmarked for education under the amendment could not be diverted to other interests. The amount of money generated by the formula this year would equal what the state currently spends on education, Schuring said. However, as state revenue increases, the sales and income tax collections would automatically increase as well, yielding more money for Ohio schools. In the past 20 years, tax collections have grown 200 percent, he said.
AP said some education advocates question how the money would be divided between grades K-12 and higher education, and what would happen if lawmakers cut taxes. AP said Schuring wants to create a commission made up of education and business representatives that would recommend how the money is distributed to Ohio’s 613 school districts.
Read the AP article. Click: Proposed school funding plan to draw from state taxes
December 7, 2007- Teacher Experience Matters Most
A new report by researchers at the Washington State Institute for Public Policy says teacher experience, and not advanced degrees, has a greater effect on how well students succeed.
The REPORT TO THE JOINT TASK FORCE ON BASIC EDUCATION FINANCE: School Employee Compensation and Student Outcomes, issued December 1st said, "In the first few years on the job, a teacher gains considerably in her or his ability to improve the academic performance of students." The researchers found a dramatic improvement in student achievement between one and five years of teacher experience and a more gradual boost in the years following. Student achievement was mostly tracked through scores on standardized reading or math tests. An analysis of studies concerning teachers getting graduate degrees found the degrees seemed to have little or no impact on student outcomes.
The report makes a preliminary recommendation that any changes in the way teachers are paid should emphasize financial rewards for experience rather than higher pay for teachers with graduate degrees.
Read the report. Click: 
Full Report
December 6, 2007- Governor, Voters Reject Vouchers
The Akron Beacon Journal reported Monday that Governor Strickland said, ''I remain adamantly opposed to vouchers. I support a moratorium on any new charters schools until we get accountability and transparency standards in place.'' ''I'll never submit a budget that has voucher money in it,'' Strickland said. ''I think vouchers are inherently undemocratic. This is my deeply felt personal opinion. When public dollars are being allocated, there needs to be public oversight. The taxpaying public has no ability to influence decisions that are made by these institutions that accept vouchers.''
On a related note, The Leaders Edge, published by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), said after a hard-fought battle, the proposed school voucher in Utah was defeated at the polls on November 6th. Voters rejected the program, which had been passed by the legislature and sent to the election ballot by the courts, by a margin of 62% to 37%. "It thus joins the long and distinguished line of voucher programs that have been continuously rejected at the polls, almost all of which by more than a two-thirds majority," AASA said. The list of voucher issues rejected by the voters include:
- 1970 Nebraska Tuition Reimbursement, Rejected 57 percent - 43 percent
- 1972 Maryland Voucher Program, Rejected 55 percent - 45 percent
- 1978 Michigan Voucher Program, Rejected 74 percent - 26 percent
- 1981 Washington, D.C., Tuition Tax Credit, Rejected 89 percent - 11 percent
- 1990 Oregon Tuition Tax Credit, Rejected 67 percent - 33 percent
- 1992 Colorado Voucher Program, Rejected 67 percent - 33 percent
- 1993 California Voucher Program, Rejected 70 percent - 30 percent
- 2000 California Voucher Program, Rejected 71 percent - 29 percent
- 2000 Michigan Voucher Program, Rejected 69 percent - 31 percent
- 2007 Utah Voucher Program, Rejected 62 percent - 37 percent
December 5, 2007- Around The Statehouse
What's happening at the Statehouse in Columbus?
BAN ON STRIKES School employees would be banned from going on strike under legislation proposed by State Senator John Carey . Instead, teachers and other district employees would be required to settle disputes through binding arbitration, much like police and fire personnel. "We've had five or six strikes in Ohio this year, and they can do a lot of damage to the community," Carey said. Senator Carey will formally roll out his proposal today at a news conference. ....Columbus Dispatch
BAN ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Two Ohio lawmakers Tuesday proposed banning corporal punishment in schools, a practice already rare in the state. Under the measure introduced yesterday by State Representatives Jon Peterson and Brian Williams, all school officials would be prohibited from using corporal punishment. Since 1993, the state has banned the practice unless a local school board specifically acts to allow it. Seventeen school systems in 16 counties still use corporal punishment, according to the Center for Effective Discipline, an advocacy group pushing the proposal. ....Cincinnati Enquirer
BAN ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Two Ohio lawmakers Tuesday proposed banning corporal punishment in schools, a practice already rare in the state. Under the measure introduced yesterday by State Representatives Jon Peterson and Brian Williams, all school officials would be prohibited from using corporal punishment. Since 1993, the state has banned the practice unless a local school board specifically acts to allow it. Seventeen school systems in 16 counties still use corporal punishment, according to the Center for Effective Discipline, an advocacy group pushing the proposal. ....Cincinnati Enquirer
SCHOOL FUNDING RESPONSE BY 2010 Speaking five years after the Ohio Supreme Court last found the state's school funding system unconstitutional, Governor Ted Strickland said he intends to propose a response before his current term ends at the close of 2010. ....Gongwer News Service
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING PROPOSAL People like the effort, but they have questions that remain unanswered by the constitutional amendment introduced by State Senator Kirk Schuring yesterday to change how education is funded in Ohio. Chief among those questions is how will the proposal reduce property taxes for each school district. Schuring doesn’t know, only that he expects state revenues sent to schools to grow if his plan is approved first by the General Assembly and then voters, if it gets that far. ....Canton Repository
Read article by GateHouse Columbus Bureau Chief.
December 4, 2007- Another School Funding Amendment To Be Introduced Today
The Canton Repository reported this morning that another constitutional amendment that would change how schools in Ohio are funded will be introduced today. Its sponsor wants it on the November 2008 ballot. State Senator Kirk Schuring will introduce a long-promised plan to change how primary, secondary and higher education are funded in Ohio. Each chamber of the Legislature must pass the measure with a three-fifths majority to get it onto the ballot.
Schuring expects the proposal to relieve pressure on property taxes by increasing the state’s share of money. Schuring said a similar plan was passed in Michigan in the 1990s that dropped the local share of school funding from 60 percent to 20 percent, while the state contribution increased by a like amount. He expects that to happen in Ohio, according to the Repository.
The Repository said, based on current funding of $12.24 billion, Schuring’s proposal would fund schools using 59.6 percent of income tax receipts; 71.2 percent of sales and use tax receipts; 70 percent of the Commercial Activity Tax; 25.4 percent of the Kilowatt-hour Tax; and 100 percent of Lottery profits.
Senator Shuring said, “This is a complicated jigsaw puzzle. By introducing this now, it starts the process of the leadership in the Legislature and the Governor to work together to get something done.”
Schuring expects the proposal to relieve pressure on property taxes by increasing the state’s share of money. Schuring said a similar plan was passed in Michigan in the 1990s that dropped the local share of school funding from 60 percent to 20 percent, while the state contribution increased by a like amount. He expects that to happen in Ohio, according to the Repository.
The Repository said, based on current funding of $12.24 billion, Schuring’s proposal would fund schools using 59.6 percent of income tax receipts; 71.2 percent of sales and use tax receipts; 70 percent of the Commercial Activity Tax; 25.4 percent of the Kilowatt-hour Tax; and 100 percent of Lottery profits.
Senator Shuring said, “This is a complicated jigsaw puzzle. By introducing this now, it starts the process of the leadership in the Legislature and the Governor to work together to get something done.”
Read the Canton Repository article. Click: School-funding revamp
December 3, 2007- Governor Renews Commitment To Fix School Funding
According to the Columbus Dispatch, yesterday Governor Strickland renewed his commitment to fix school funding in Ohio. Speaking at the Trinity Baptist Church in Columbus, the Governor acknowledged the school-funding problem isn't fixed, but pointed out, "I've been in office 11 months and the problem has festered for nearly 11 years." Last year, Strickland told the group he would consider himself a "failed governor" if he didn't resolve the school-funding mess. "I own this issue," he said again yesterday. "I am not going to run away from it or walk away from it. I am not crawling away from it either. I think about it every day. It is my strong commitment to get this done."
Today, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that Governor Strickland said the issue [school funding] is active, not dormant in his administration, and rarely a day passes that he doesn't think or talk about school funding and reform with his staff. He said he would like the problem to be solved through a joint effort with the legislature, but he will support a ballot initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution if nothing materializes in the Ohio General Assembly. ''I owned this issue as a candidate. I have continued to own it as the governor. I am not interested in a failed attempt to solve the problem of school funding and school reform,'' the Governor said.
November 30, 2007- Education Bits & Briefs
Forty years ago, the United States ranked No. 1 in the percentage of people with a high school diploma; now the U.S. ranks 19th. Currently, Ohio ranks 38th out of the 50 states in the number of high school graduates academically ready for college. ...Akron Beacon Journal
For the 2006-07 school year, 120 Ohio school districts reduced the amount spent per student over the previous year while 494 averaged more spent per student. ...Toledo Blade
Students who live below the poverty line need 1.2 times more funding than other students do. ...National Center for Education Statistics
The Center for Special Education Finance estimates that disabled students need 1.9 times more money than other students do. ...Center for Special Education Finance
Nationally, $9,969 is the projected average expenditure per pupil for fall enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools in 2007-08. ...National Center for Education Statistics
November 29, 2007- Study: More Money Needed To Meet State And Federal Mandates
Education spending must increase by nearly 27 percent in Pennsylvania in order to reach its goal of bringing all students to proficiency in mathematics and reading by 2014 as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, according to a financial analysis ordered by state lawmakers. Pennsylvania spent an average of $9,512 per child in 2005-06, the study found, but should have spent $12,057 per child in order to meet its academic goals.
The study noted that Pennsylvania’s poorest districts had to raise taxes more than its wealthiest because they lack the tax base to support local schools. The state attempts to ease those disparities by sending more money to needier districts, but since state funds account for only about one-third of total school spending, the state cannot close those gaps. The study also found that 95 percent of Pennsylvania school districts are spending less than the recommended levels.
Similar, if not worse, conditions exist in Ohio. Ohio's average expenditure per pupil was $8,675 (EFM-Expenditure Flow Model) in 2005-06. However, some Ohio rural Appalachian school districts per pupil expenditure was as low as $6,653 that same year. Ohio school districts must also meet state and federal mandates.
Read the Pennsylvania study. Click: key
findings of a “costing-out” study
The Indianapolis Star reported yesterday that the Indiana State Teachers Union is calling for the legislature to reject proposals for the state to cover all of school general operating costs rather than property taxpayers, saying doing so "threatens the stability of public school funding." Both the state's governor and a bipartisan legislative commission have proposed the shifting of school general funds to state taxpayers and off property taxpayers, as one element of broader property tax reform packages." Union officials said the governor's proposal "could be a problem, because in tight times in the past lawmakers have let schools generate funds from property taxes to make up for shortfalls in state revenue." Instead, the union suggested that "the state could achieve the property tax cuts sought by picking up half of school transportation and capital projects funding," which the union claims "are growing faster, and therefore causing property taxes to grow faster, than school general funds."
According to the Associated Press, property taxes in Indiana make up about 15 percent of the school general fund, which pays for things like instructional programs and teacher salaries in Indiana, while the state already pays for the other 85 percent.
Read newspaper articles. Click : Indianapolis Star Click: AP Click: Louisville Courier-Journal
Source: School Business Daily
November 27, 2007- College Board Targets Low-Income Students
The College Board is seeking to mobilize its more than 5,200 members in a national campaign to better help students from low-income families prepare for, get into, and succeed in college. Among the ideas put forward for action are setting student-aid policies that narrow the gap in enrollment between students from low-income and affluent backgrounds, waiving college-application fees for low-income students, and mounting college-awareness programs.
An October 2007 College Board report finds that nearly half of all college-qualified graduates from low- and moderate-income families do not enroll in four-year colleges because of financial barriers. It also points to other barriers, such as poor preparation, low expectations for students, and a lack of reliable information about college possibilities and the value of attending college.
"Put simply, our country cannot prosper without fully developing all of its human resources," the College Board president writes in the introduction. "It would be both morally wrong and competitively foolish to foreclose young people’s options for higher education, based even in part on income. And yet, that is where we find ourselves today."
Read the College Board press release. Click: “CollegeKeys Compact” For full report. Click: Final Report (.pdf/748K)
On a related note, a recent proposal from the Ohio Board of Regents for public four-year universities would reward schools with more first-generation students. The board said increasing degrees among those with no college graduates in their family "represents the greatest possible return on the state's investment."
Sources: Education Week and Cincinnati Enquirer
November 26, 2007- Needy Children Fare Poorly In Ohio
A new study to be released this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which advocates for needy children and families, says Ohio ranked 42nd of the 50 states for low-income children who fare the worst in health care, education, social and emotional well-being and family structure. According to the study, 38 percent of Ohio's children are from low-income households. "Many states that looked as if they're doing quite well when all children were assessed don't look so good when you assess only low-income children," the author of the study said.
The report is the first to look at the well-being of low-income children by state and is based on newly available federal data. Children in low-income families was defined as those below 200% of the poverty level, about $41,000 last year for a family of four.
The full report should be available on the Annie E. Casey Foundation web site later this week at www.aecf.org
November 21, 2007- The Per Pupil Expenditure Gap
A recent Toledo Blade article reported the per pupil expenditures for Ohio's top spending school districts. Below are the total expenditures per student during the 2005-06 school year, based on districts’ ‘Average Daily Membership,’ for the top five Ohio school districts.
School District 2005-06
Cuyahoga
Heights
$17,811
Beachwood
$17,368
Orange
$17,518
Cleveland Hts-Univ Hts $15,488
Shaker
Heights
$15,103
In addition, the Blade article listed the expenditure for Cuyahoga Heights, Beachwood and Orange at well over $18,000 per pupil for the 2006-07 school year
The average expenditure per pupil (EFM-expenditure flow model) for school districts in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties was $8,229 for the 2005-06 school year. One Ohio Appalachian district spent as low as $6,653 per pupil, with several other school districts near that same figure.
Data Source: Ohio Department of Education and Toledo Blade
November 21, 2007- Where's the Money?
Would-be Ohio charter-school operators received a total of $2.55 million in state and federal "planning grants" to start 33 schools that never opened, state records show. The Ohio Department of Education is trying to recoup $1.56 million from 19 schools that either misspent startup grants or could not document how the money was spent.
Read the Canton Repository editorial. Click: Charter schools waste state money
November 20, 2007- Another Local Chamber Of Commerce Enters School Funding Fray
An article in the Saturday Canton Repository said, "The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that school funding needed to change. Ten years later, a funding fix remains elusive, and school districts are slashing budgets, cutting programs and continually going back to property owners for more tax revenue." In addition, the article said, five out of seven Stark County school issues failed November 6th. As a result, the chairman of the Canton Chamber of Commerce board said the community can’t afford to wait on the state legislative process.
Therefore, the Canton Chamber of Chamber has established a task force, including members from the educational community and local business leaders, in an attempt to develop community-based solutions to school funding. The group expects to meet monthly for at least six to eight months, and anticipates releasing next year a report to the community that includes recommendations for action. Some of those recommendations, according to the Repository, could include what expenses school districts can share and what alternative funding sources are available. The task force will center its work around two questions: (1) How can we raise more money and how can those dollars be used? and (2) How can we save more money?
Earlier this month the northeast regional Chamber of Commerce held a second meeting on a proposal to consolidate local public school administrations in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The chamber claims the consolidation will save money.
Read the Canton Repository article. Click: • Task force to tackle school funding
November 19, 2007- Governor's Promises, School Funding, Education Reform, Proposed Solutions
On Sunday, several Ohio newspapers choose to write about the Governor's 'education' promises, school funding, education reform and proposed solutions. The Akron Beacon Journal went so far as to offer "some examples of major changes that could help produce that efficient system." The ABJ examples included:
- Combining funding and governance of pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education with that of higher education.
- Providing more time for students who need it, and faster progression through the system for capable students, enabling them to gain college credits before graduation and realize tuition savings.
- Giving staff and parents authority over individual school budgets, along with training so that they could exercise the authority wisely.
- Improved early screening, followed by more-accountable prevention and intervention programs for all kids.
- Benchmarking Ohio's standards and tests to those of the National Association for Educational Progress, and eliminating low cut-off scores to increase passage rates.
- Expediting data-driven systems now available that can assess students' strengths and weaknesses, show teachers what each student needs to perform at grade level and guide better decision-making in our schools.
- Using technology to more widely promote on-line instruction, interactive television and presentations on DVDs by superstar teachers, computerized record-keeping, online teacher training and professional development and administering and scoring proficiency tests.
- Statewide collective bargaining and benefits, and a teacher career ladder that includes an internship required for licensure.
- Statewide implementation of the new Educational Region Service System to provide services more efficiently.
- Per-pupil funding based on student needs and following the student.
- Adopting a year-round quarterly calendar to gain instructional time now spent on review each fall, and tutoring students needing more time during quarterly breaks.
- Increasing apprenticeships and other school-to-work programs to better prepare students who want education alternatives.
- Of course, little of the above will be possible without remedying conditions that limit productivity — the high incidence of behavior problems, computer downtime, teaching to proficiency tests and interference with instructional time.
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: The all-inclusive task of education reform
Read additional related articles from Sunday newspapers. Click on the links below.
Editorial: Strickland's deeds on school finance fall well short of his words
(Cleveland Plain Dealer 11/18/2007)
EDITORIAL: A priority no more (Lima News 11/18/2007)
Proposals being pushed for Ohio's 2008 ballot could emerge as a key subplot if the state reprises its role as kingmaker (Toledo Blade 11/18/2007)
Per-student
spending rises in most of Ohio
(Toledo Blade 11/18/2007)
Schools that never were got millions (Columbus Dispatch 11/18/2007)
November 16, 2007- School Funding Problems: Ohio Not Alone
School
funding problems are prevalent across the country. Read some of the
headlines and/or related articles.
·
Despite
court ruling,
·
New Jersey
education commissioner expects new school funding formula "within a
week." Related
article. Click:
Star-Ledger
·
Maryland
legislature approves change to funding formula. Related
article. Click:
Gazette
·
Wisconsin
legislature may call for new funding formula. Related
article. Click:
WISC-TV
·
Report:
·
Pennsylvania
costing-out study may guide new funding formula. Related
article. Click: York
Dispatch
·
Report:
·
Arizona
schools object to construction funding system. Related
article. Click:
Daily
Star
· Task
force recommends new school funding formula to
On a related note, Pennsylvania state legislators
directed the state's Board of Education to commission the independent cost study
of the state's education system. The study, completed by Augenblick, Palaich and
Associates Inc., based in Denver, was released Wednesday. The study
asserts that school districts would have to spend on average $12,057 per student
every year for that student to meet the state's standards. The study put forth a
"base" amount for students who need no special services -- $8,003 per
year -- but added money to account for students with special needs.
Source:
School Business Daily
November 15, 2007- Statewide Healthcare Plan
A bill making its way through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would "create a 12-member Public School Employees' Benefit Board, with four members from the state government, four representing teacher unions and four representing employers," responsible for deciding whether a single, statewide insurance system is fe asible." If so, districts would be required to join as current teacher contracts expire." Supporters say the system would remove a contentious issue from contract negotiations between school districts and unions throughout the state, and would probably reduce the cost of health insurance for most school employees.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that one of the ideas the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration & Innovation Study Commission, made up of civic leaders and the heads of the region's five public universities, plan to present to Governor Strickland is to combine employees' health care plans.
Sources: School Business Daily and Cleveland Plain Dealer
November 14, 2007- Another Math/Science Study
The new study, published today (Nov. 14) by the American Institutes for Research, compares the performance of 8th graders in individual American states not against each other, but against students in top-performing foreign nations. Students in most U.S. states are performing as well as or better than most students in foreign countries in math and science, but the highest achieving states are still significantly below the highest achieving countries, according to the report. The study compared U.S. students' scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test often called the "nation's report card," with how foreign students performed on the International Mathematics and Science Study. Twelve states and eight countries were ahead of Ohio in science, 17 states and nine countries in math.
On a related note, the Columbus Dispatch reported today that just less than 17 percent of degrees awarded by U.S. universities are in science, technology, engineering and math, compared with 52 percent in China, 64 percent in Japan and 41 percent in South Korea. What the Dispatch failed to say was how many degrees the percentage represents.
Read the news release and/or report: 8th Graders in Most U.S. States Performing Better in Math and Science than Students in Most Foreign Countries
Sources: American Institutes for Research and Columbus Dispatch
November 14, 2007- More Schools In Poor Communities Failing Under NCLB
The Gannett News Service reported today that about one fifth of schools in the nation's poorest communities were flagged as poor performers last year, and more are expected to make the list as a 2014 performance deadline approaches under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. There are more than 51,000 high-poverty, or Title 1, schools in the country. According to the Education Department statistics, about 10,700 of those schools, or 21 percent, failed to meet the NCLB standard last year. That's up about 8 percent from the year before. The number of high-poverty schools identified as "needing improvement" last year rose in 26 states and the District of Columbia, according to federal education statistics.
School officials believe without greater flexibility to measure student growth, thousands more schools will be labeled as failing even if 99 percent of the kids at each school score well on standardized tests. As most know, a school can miss making "adequate yearly progress" if: (1) Its students, as a whole, fall short of targets on state math and reading tests; (2) Individual subsets of students fall short (Subsets consist of students who, for example, are low-income, don't speak English as a first language, have disabilities or belong to a distinct racial or ethnic group); or (3) More than 5 percent of students eligible to take the tests fail to do so.
Source: Gannett News Service
November 13, 2007- "The Turnaround Challenge"
An Education Week article said thousands of low-performing schools are likely to face the severe consequences under the federal No Child Left Behind Act in the next few years.
The report, The Turnaround Challenge, by Mass Insight Education and Research Institute, a Boston-based research and advocacy group, will be released this week. The authors of the report maintain that the traditional approach to helping the nations most troubled schools is too fragmented and “timid” to be effective or sustainable. This report is intended to serve as a flexible framework for how states and school districts can reverse the downward slide of their worst schools within a couple of years.
Mass Insight envisions a broad-based and highly cooperative system of rapid school improvement. States and school districts would form small, specialized units to supervise and coordinate the work of locally based “lead” turnaround specialists, who would partner with a range of providers to supply an integrated array of services to schools. States would provide incentives to be part of the turnaround work, seek out and develop a corps of skilled turnaround experts, and make sure money was allotted to make the work possible. The specialized units would need enough freedom and authority to respond swiftly to schools’ needs.
Read the Executive Summary of the report. Click: The Turnaround Challenge -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for an eight-page summary that provides an overview of the main points and recommendations in the report.
The Turnaround Challenge is part of a larger, multi-phase initiative of the Mass Insight Education & Research Institute, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative is aimed at helping states, districts, schools, and partners to successfully address the issue of chronically under-performing schools – and to use failing school turnaround as the entry point for fundamental change more broadly in public education.
November 12, 2007- Ohio Charter Schools In National News
The New York Times reported Friday that Ohio charter schools has a far higher failure rate than most states. The report said fifty-seven percent of Ohio's charter schools, most of which are in cities, are in academic watch or emergency, compared with 43 percent of traditional public schools in Ohio’s big cities........and the state’s school report card gave more than half of Ohio’s 328 charter schools a D or an F in 2006-07.
Behind the Ohio charter school failures, the New York Times said, are systemic weaknesses that include loopholes in oversight, a law allowing 70 government and private agencies to authorize new charters, and financial incentives that encourage sponsors to let schools stay open. In addition, the Times said federal money helped fuel the growth, with up to $450,000 available to every new school in its first three years and Ohio sweetened that incentive with $50,000 more.
Some Ohio charters were formed, not to innovate in the classroom, but to take advantage of the start-up money, experts said, which is in addition to state financing allocated by enrollment numbers. Also setting Ohio apart has been the large number of charter schools managed by commercial companies. "The state’s largest commercial operator, David Brennan, an Akron industrialist, is a major donor to Republican candidates," the article said. "Most of his 30 or so charter schools are on academic emergency or watch."
Read the New York Times article. Click: Ohio Goes After Charter Schools That Are Failing
November 9, 2007- Most Voters Say "No" To "New Money" For Schools
While 54% of Ohio's 200 school tax issues passed in the November 6, 2007 election, the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties fared less well. The Ohio Appalachian counties had 24 issues on the ballot with only 9, or 37.5%, passing. The 24 school tax issues in the 29-county region included 17 requests for "new money" with only 3, or 17.65%, passing. The approval rate statewide for "new money" school tax issues was about 30%.
November 8, 2007- November 6th School Election Results
There were 200 school issues on the November 6, 2007 ballot. Twenty-three districts had 2 issues on the ballot and one district had three issues on the ballot. The Ohio Department of Education reported that 107 issues passed and 93 failed for a 53.5% passing rate.
View the election results. Click on the following.
| Results by county | Close issues summary |
| Results summary | Income tax results |
| Historical summary | JVS issues |
| Detailed historical summary |
Source: Ohio Department of Education
November 7, 2007- Men In Classroom At All-Time Low
According to the National Education Association (NEA), the number of male teachers is at an all-time low and sinking. Currently, only about 9 percent of elementary school teachers are male. What's keeping men away? The Canton Repository said educators suggest that pay is a factor because men tend to gravitate to jobs where they can make more money. The NEA said it’s probably not a coincidence that states with the highest teacher salaries tend to have the highest percentage of male teachers.
Sources: Canton Repository and Education.com
November 6, 2007- CORAS Members Discuss School-Funding and Education Reform
Nearly 90 school superintendents and other educators attended the recent Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) meeting in Logan. John Stanford, Governor Strickland's Executive Assistant for Education Policy and George Wood, Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy, were featured speakers. Richard Murray, CORAS President, facilitated the meeting and lead a discussion on issues impacting rural Ohio Appalachian school districts.
Dr. Stanford's presentation focused on efforts by the Governor and his staff to initiate education and school funding reform in Ohio. Critical to achieving success, Dr. Stanford said, is involving and hearing the views of all stakeholders. This process has been underway since March. Dr. Wood followed by discussing the necessity for school leaders to provide the Governor, his staff and legislators with information and data relating to the various issues. He also urged those in attendance to support the Governor's efforts to improve education in Ohio. Dr. Murray then organized small group discussions to identify and prioritize those education issues that need to be addressed in the reform package. The information gathered from these discussions will be forwarded to the Governor's office.
The next CORAS meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2008. The program and location will be announced once planning is complete. Be sure to mark this date on your calendar.
November 5, 2007- Proposal to Consolidate Local Public School Administrations
There has been little support for consolidating local public school administrations in northeast Ohio since the proposal was unveiled by the Regional Chamber of Commerce last spring, according to the Youngstown Vindicator. But the issue will be put to some 30 local educators again on Wednesday as the Chamber of Commerce continues to pursue its proposal. The chamber has invited the superintendents of three Educational Service Centers (Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana) to bring 10 people from their counties to Wednesday's meeting. The chamber will bring 10 of its members as well, mostly company chief executive and chief financial officers.
The chamber believes schools can run more efficiently with less money spent on administration by consolidating each county under a central administrative office. The move would put all districts in the three county region under a single superintendent. The three educational service centers and career centers would be included in the plan. School officials have generally been less than enthusiastic about the chamber's proposal and were critical of the chamber's going public with its plan before discussing it with those involved in running the local schools.
Read the Youngstown Vindicator article. Click: Educators to mull 1 center per county Consolidation is...
Source: Youngstown Vindicator, November 4, 2007
November 2, 2007- International Report: Teachers Matter Most
A new international report says high-quality teaching for every child is at the heart of school improvement. School system success, the report says, hinges on getting the right people to become teachers, helping them learn to teach, and crafting a system that ensures every child will get access to the teaching needed to keep from falling behind. At least that's the conclusion drawn when examining the practices of the 10 top performers and another seven rapidly improving systems on the 2003 administration of the international tests known as PISA (Program for International Student Assessment). The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development commissioned the September report.
Read the report. Click: a
report
Sources: Education Week, November 7, 2007 and "How the World's Best Performing School Systems Come Out On Top", September 2007
November 1, 2007- School Funding Top Priority
On
Tuesday, at a meeting in Urbana, Governor Strickland said again that school
funding is a top priority of his administration. The Governor said the
current system of school funding "does not pass constitutional
muster." "We haven't solved the school funding problem yet,
but I'm committed to doing that," he said. "I want to win the
issue and not just the argument," he added. "There's been a lot of
arguing about educational funding for a long time. I'm trying to find a way that
will cause people to come together and agree on solutions. It's a tough thing to
accomplish but it's the only way it can ultimately be solved."
Source: The Urbana Daily Citizen
October 31, 2007- Report: Ohio Neglecting Rural Schools
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported yesterday that a new study, Why Rural Matters 2007, suggests that Ohio policy makers need to pay more attention to students who attend schools in rural communities. The report, conducted by The Rural and Community Trust, said Ohio has the fifth largest rural student population in the nation at nearly 440,000. Schools serving these students are characterized by moderately high levels of poverty. Ohio’s rankings in terms of policy context are among the nation’s worst, with the second lowest level of rural per pupil instructional spending nationally, the report said.
Read an overview of the report and state-by-state results. Click: Why Rural Matters 2007
October 30, 2007- The Science Education Myth
A recent article in Business Week said, "Forget the conventional wisdom. U.S. schools are turning out more capable science and engineering grads than the job market can support."
The column went on to point out that political leaders, tech executives, and academics often claim that the U.S. is falling behind in math and science education. They cite poor test results, declining international rankings, and decreasing enrollment in the hard sciences. They urge us to improve our education system and to graduate more engineers and scientists to keep pace with countries such as India and China.
Yet, the Business Week article said, a new report by the Urban Institute tells a different story. The report disproves many confident pronouncements about the alleged weaknesses and failures of the U.S. education system. The authors of the report show that math, science, and reading test scores at the primary and secondary level have increased over the past two decades, and U.S. students are now close to the top of international rankings.
Yet, the Business Week article said, a new report by the Urban Institute tells a different story. The report disproves many confident pronouncements about the alleged weaknesses and failures of the U.S. education system. The authors of the report show that math, science, and reading test scores at the primary and secondary level have increased over the past two decades, and U.S. students are now close to the top of international rankings.
Read the Business Week article. Click: The Science Education Myth
Read the entire Urban Institute report, Into the Eye of the Storm: Assessing the Evidence on Science and Engineering Education, Quality, and Workforce Demand. Click: entire paper
Sources: Business Week, October 26, 2007, and Urban Institute
October 29, 2007- School Tax Issues On Nov. 6th Ballot
The Ohio Secretary of State website has a list of school districts with tax issues on the November 6, 2007 ballot. According to the website, there are 228 school issues to be decided. They include 38 bond issues, 154 property tax issues and 36 income tax issues.
Including the 228 issues on the November ballot, a total of 443 local school tax issues will have been on Ohio ballots in 2007. In February 2007, 30 school tax issues were decided, with 30% passing. May 2007 saw 164 school tax issues on the ballot with 54.3% passing. In August 2007, voters approved only 14.3% of the 21 local tax issues for schools.
The 228 school tax issues are the most on a November ballot since 2004. There were 206 school issues in November 2006, with 53.4% passing.
To view a list of school districts voting on tax issues in November 2007, click: Local Issues Summary November 6, 2007
Sources: Ohio Secretary of State and Ohio Department of Education
October 25, 2007- House Hearings On Teacher Conduct
According to the Columbus Dispatch, State Board of Education member Virgil Brown told the House Education Committee Tuesday that the state should:
- Automatically strip the licenses of educators convicted of serious crimes -- including murder, rape and kidnapping.
- Force school districts to immediately remove teachers from the classroom if they have been arrested. In some school districts, educators have been allowed to keep teaching while police investigations and court cases played out.
- Give the Education Department access to two specialized law-enforcement databases. One would notify the department when a licensed educator is arrested. The other would give a comprehensive arrest record and criminal history for any Ohio offenses.
- Require federal background checks for anyone applying to be an educator. Now, all would-be teachers must submit to a state check. Those who have lived in Ohio for at least five years can skip the federal one.
- Punish superintendents, prosecuting attorneys, law-enforcement agencies and Children Services if they fail to report allegations of teacher misconduct to the state.
- Mandate an official code of ethical conduct for educators that would define what kind of conduct is "unbecoming the profession."
The Dispatch said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan T. Zelman vowed to give the public greater access to teachers' disciplinary records. Zelman told the committee that, as promised, an online database will launch November 1st that will give the public information about educators who have been disciplined by the state. She also said the department will start posting a calendar of disciplinary hearings online. The database will list the reasons educators had their licenses revoked or suspended. But for now, at least, details about reprimands won't be listed. Parents and school leaders still would have to call the state to learn why those educators were disciplined.
October 24, 2007- School Funding: What Are States Doing?
From the Canton Repository article, "Wrestling With School Funding", October 20, 2007.
OHIO
The state’s system for funding public education was ruled unconstitutional four times. The order to fix the system has been largely ignored by state leaders who have, instead, put more state money into education through a program to build new schools. The state is still heavily reliant on property owners to fund schools.
When Ohio's method of funding schools was declared unconstitutional - not once but four times - political leaders ignored the Ohio Supreme Court. Instead, they built or remodeled hundreds of schools, even as the system remained as reliant, if not more so, on local property taxes, the very issue the court said was the problem.
MICHIGAN
The state’s education leaders and politicians couldn’t agree if money alone, or a change in the structure of public education, was needed to fix the school funding system.
MICHIGAN
The state’s education leaders and politicians couldn’t agree if money alone, or a change in the structure of public education, was needed to fix the school funding system.
In a 2004 report, Michigan's Superintendent of Public Instruction Thomas D. Watkins Jr. said not everyone can agree whether money alone or a change in the fundamental structure of public education is needed. In the wake of a deficit of $200 million in the Detroit Public Schools, Watkins said the city's plight was not unique in Michigan. The state system required "drastically modified business processes," redirection of finite resources, consolidations, joint operating agreements and mergers to right itself.
WEST VIRGINIA
The state was named among the top in the nation last year for its equal funding of public education.
WEST VIRGINIA
The state was named among the top in the nation last year for its equal funding of public education.
The magazine Education Week ranked West Virginia's school system in 2006 at the top for computer access, data use and technology capacity. A national report card that same year said West Virginia was second in the nation for its cumulative average in standards and accountability, teacher quality, school climate, equity and spending.
KENTUCKY
Complied with a court order to lower reliance on property taxes to support schools by removing the state’s education department and rebuilding it for a more efficient operation. The state’s legislature and governor were given one year to devise a new system for funding schools and did so without question.
In 1988 a Kentucky circuit court judge ruled that the state's entire education system, including its funding mechanism, was unconstitutional. The judge said throwing more money at the system wasn't the solution, though more money was needed. The Kentucky Supreme Court not only upheld the decision but also ordered the abolishment of the entire Department of Education so it could be rebuilt from the ground up. The court gave the Legislature and governor, both of whom never questioned the order, a year to devise a new system. They did. And in the process, they cut the jobs of some long-term bureaucrats, made the department more efficient and found a way to lower reliance on property taxes to fund education.
PENNSYLVANIA
Taxpayer Relief Act was passed last year allowing some property tax revenue for schools to be replaced by $1 billion generated annually from the gaming industry. But even that won’t be enough. Property owners pay about $6 billion a year to fund schools.
In June 2006, the Taxpayer Relief Act became law in Pennsylvania. Legislators and the governor wanted to ease the financial burden of homeownership by providing school districts the means to lower property taxes. The source of the revenue to replace those taxes? The gaming industry, which was expected to generate an annual $1 billion for local property tax relief. There have been mixed results. The state spent about $90 million for property tax relief for about 300,000 low-income elderly, but the $1 billion hasn't been generated yet. And even when the funds come, probably next year, it would be insufficient relief for Pennsylvania property owners who pay more than $6 billion in residential property taxes each year.
October 23, 2007- Students From Poor Families Struggle To Meet College Costs
Tuition and fees at public and private universities have risen this year at more than double the rate of inflation, with prices increasing faster at public institutions, according to the College Board report, Trends in College Pricing. These increases in the cost of higher education continue to drive up the amount that students and families borrow, with the fastest growth in private loans, the report found. “The average price of college is continuing to rise more rapidly than the consumer price index, more rapidly than prices in the economy,” the co-author of the report and senior policy analyst for the College Board, told reporters at a news conference yesterday.
According to the College Board report, Trends in College Pricing, the average cost for room, board and tuition at four-year public institutions in the U.S. now totals $13,589; at private colleges, $32,307. Outlook, Ohio University News & Information, reported the costs for room, board and tuition at Ohio University in 2007-08 is $17,333, well above the national average for a public institution. Room and board at Ohio University is $8,426, a six-percent increase over 2006-07, and tuition is $8,907, according to Outlook. Other public colleges and universities in Ohio have similar costs.
Read the College Board report. Click: Report: Trends in College Pricing (pdf)
Sources: New York Times, College Board, and Outlook
October 22, 2007- More Rural Children Growing Up Poor
Earlier this month CORAS reported that a Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire study found that one in five rural Ohio children now lives in poverty. The study said the rural child poverty rate in Ohio has risen 7 percentage points since 2000, more than in any other state. Nationwide, 22 percent of children in rural communities lived in poverty last year, up from 19 percent in 2000.
Today, the Columbus Dispatch reported that one of the clearest indicators of child poverty is enrollment in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. In rural Ohio communities, more than a third of students qualify. Statewide, 36 percent of students are in the lunch program, up 8 percentage points since 2000. That means their families earn less than 185 percent of the poverty level, or $31,765 a year for a family of three.
Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. Census Bureau
October 19, 2007- Schools of Promise
In Ohio's 29-county Appalachian region, 80 schools were selected as Schools of Promise by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). In the eight largest urban school districts, 25 schools received this distinction. Top Appalachian counties included Jefferson (10) and Tuscarawas (8).
For a complete list of this year’s Schools of Promise, click here.
October 18, 2007- State Senator Says State Left With Weak Support At The Local Level
A 10-month investigation conducted recently by the Columbus Dispatch found that:
- Since 2000, more than 1,700 educators have been disciplined, but two-thirds were returned to the classroom or issued licenses.
- Districts often fail to report to the state and other school districts allegations of educator misconduct.
- The state has withheld information about hundreds of disciplined educators from superintendents and parents.
- The state has no fail-safe system to catch teachers charged with crimes. The Dispatch found 35 educators and coaches who have not been investigated by the Education Department. Many of them had been convicted of crimes including sexually abusing children; some have been in prison for years.
The Dispatch reported that State Senator Joy Padgett "put the onus on school districts." According to the Columbus Dispatch, Senator Padgett, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, said lawmakers have given districts tools to weed out bad teachers. "It's the responsibility of the school district to stop the behavior. The state is left with weak support at the local level. If we have to do more, we will."
Read the Dispatch article. Click: Strickland seeks reform
October 17, 2007- CORAS/Hicks Program Set For April 29
The annual Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence Program is set for Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at the Ohio University Inn, Athens. MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW! This years Hicks honoree is Dr. Kern Alexander, Professor of Excellence, Educational Organization & Leadership, at the University of Illinois. Dr. Alexander, as you may recall, was commissioned by the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools in 1990 to conduct a school funding equity study for Ohio and was the expert witness for the Plaintiffs in the DeRolph v. State of Ohio school funding litigation later in the 1990's. He is one of the leading school finance experts in the country.
The Hicks Executive-in-Residence program is sponsored by the Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence Endowment Fund, the Ohio University College of Education and the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools. Be sure to place the April 29, 2008 date on your calendar.
October 16, 2007- Teacher Licensure And Special Ed Voucher Bills Introduced
HB 347 EDUCATOR LICENSING To replace the Praxis III assessment as a condition for a professional educator license with assessment systems developed by school districts, community schools, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools.
Read bill analyses. Click: Bill Analysis - HB 347 - As Introduced [.html format] [.pdf format]
HB 348 SPECIAL EDUCATION VOUCHERS To create the Special Education Scholarship Pilot Program to provide scholarships for disabled children in grades K through 12 to attend alternative public or private special education programs in fiscal years 2009 through 2014. The bill also requires the Ohio Department of Education to develop a document that compares rights under state and federal special education law and rights under the Special Education Scholarship Pilot Program, and requires school districts to distribute that document to parents of all special education students.
Read bill analyses. Click: Bill Analysis - HB 348 - As Introduced [.html format] [.pdf format]
Both bills were introduced in the Ohio House last week and assigned to the House Education Committee.
October 15, 2007- Academic Progress In Appalachian Counties And Cities
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported last week that Ohio's eight largest urban districts have posted gains in student performance at a pace greater than the state average. The Plain Dealer said in the 1999-2000 school year, all eight big city school districts were in academic emergency. Today, all are in either continuous improvement or academic watch.
Over the last four years the Ohio Appalachian school districts rated excellent and effective increased by over 350 per cent. In 2002-03 only 25 of the 126 school districts in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties received the rating excellent or effective. This increased to 89 of the 127 school districts in 2006-07......and, with the exception of one district, all other Ohio Appalachian school districts are rated continuous improvement .
October 11, 2007- Lotteries Across The Nation Fall Short Of Promises To Schools
An examination of lottery documents, as well as interviews with lottery administrators and analysts, finds that lotteries accounted for less than 1 percent to 5 percent of the total revenue for K-12 education last year in the states that use this money for schools. In some states, including Ohio, lottery dollars have merely replaced money for education. The New York Times, conducting the examination, said lottery proceeds for schools have been popular among lawmakers who, since states began legalizing lotteries more than 40 years ago, have sold gambling as a savior for cash-starved public schools and other government programs.
There are 42 states that have lotteries, while 23 earmark all or some of the money for education. State lotteries raised more than $56 billion and returned $17 billion to the state governments last year, the Times said. Most of the money raised by lotteries is used simply to sustain the games themselves, including marketing, prizes and vendor commissions. And, the article said, as lotteries compete for a small number of core players and try to persuade occasional customers to play more, nearly every state has increased, or is considering increasing, the size of its prizes, further shrinking the percentage of each dollar going to education and other programs. In addition, last year $460 million was spent on advertising, making them one of the nation’s largest marketers.....and the 197,000 retailers that sell lottery products earned $3.3 billion in commissions in 2006, according to the newspaper.
Source: New York Times, October 7, 2007
October 10, 2007- Are Private High Schools Better Than Public High Schools?
A new report finds that, once family background characteristics are taken into account, low-income students attending public urban high schools generally perform as well academically as students attending private high schools. The report, issued today (10-10-07) by the Center on Education Policy, also found that the students at public high schools are as likely to attend college as those attending private high schools.
According to the report, students attending private high schools, most types of parochial high schools, and public high schools of choice performed no better on achievement tests in math, reading, science and history than students attending traditional public high schools. In addition, students attending any type of private high school were no more likely to attend college than those attending traditional public high schools.
The report also found that young adults who had attended any type of private high school were no more likely to enjoy job satisfaction or to be engaged in civic activities at age 26 than those who had attended traditional public high schools.
To read report, Click: http://www.cep-dc.org/ then click Public School Facts on left side of page.
Source: Center on Education Policy
October 9, 2007- "....underperforming charter schools rob students."
Dayton school board president Yvonne Isaacs says choice in education can be good, but underperforming charter schools rob students. Speaking to education reporters from across the country Saturday, Isaacs said about 30 percent of Dayton's schoolchildren attend charter schools. Over the nine years of charter schools in Dayton, the district has lost $283 million that was transferred to charter schools, which she said have overall scored lower than traditional public schools. "It would not have cost us nearly that much to educate 6,000 students, we believe," Isaacs said. Dayton is second behind only New Orleans for the size of its charter school movement.
Source: Dayton Daily News, October 7, 2007
October 8, 2007- "....more to do with Zaire than Zanesville."
On Sunday, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Scott Stephens said, "Experts say Ohio is one of the few states that do get it. State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman last year commissioned a study designed to create a path for us to be the first state in the nation to establish international academic benchmarks for its public school students. The idea: prepare youngsters for an economy that will have more to do with Zaire than Zanesville."
.....Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 7, 2007
While preparing youngsters for a global economy is worthy idea, let's not lose site of reality. A growing number of Ohio communities are struggling to provide adequate resources to educate their school children. Is Ohio really one of the few states that do get it? Perhaps there are other issues that should be addressed before Ohio goes global!
- There are school children in Ohio receiving a $6,653 education, while the state average (not the most expensive) per pupil expenditure is $8,675. (EFM Expenditure Flow Model) This $2000 shortfall translates into $40,000 less annually per classroom of 20 students or $2 million less annually for a school district with 1000 students than the state average.
- There are school districts in Ohio with local property valuation per ADM as low as $36,271, while the state average (not the highest) is $122,444. These numbers illustrate the lack of ability for some local communities to raise revenue to support education for their school children.
- There are school districts in Ohio with average annual teacher salaries as low as $32,271, while the state average (not the highest paid) teachers salary is $48,050. The $16,000 less annually translates into $480,000 in lost income for those teachers over a 30-year career.
- Ohio had the largest percentage increase, almost 7 percent, in rural child poverty between 2000 and 2006, according to the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.
The idea: provide all students in Ohio with sufficient resources and educational opportunities to compete in higher education and the state and national economy.
Data Source: Ohio Department of Education, FY 2006
October 5, 2007- Extended School Day/Year
A new organization called the National Center on Time & Learning was launched this week. Their goal: to promote an extended school day and school year as a means of ensuring that all children receive a rigorous and well-rounded education. The national center will provide research, advocacy, and technical assistance for efforts to increase academic and enrichment opportunities for students, which some believe will help improve student performance and close achievement gaps.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Education Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation are financing the national center. Its mission is modeled in part on a Massachusetts initiative that provides grants to some school districts that add at least 300 hours of academic and enrichment programming to the school year.
Read about the Massachusetts initiative. Click: Massachusetts leading national effort for longer school days - Boston.com
October 4, 2007- "The Proficiency Illusion"
A study by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation released today, called "The Proficiency Illusion," said the federal No Child Left Behind Act-mandated tests in math and reading create a misleading picture of success, especially in reading and especially in the early grades in the 26 states studied. Ohio's reading and math proficiency "cut scores" or "minimum passing marks" ranked among the lower half of those in the 26 states included in the study, the report said. The Fordham study said Ohio and other states set cut scores too low and too inconsistently to accurately measure student progress. Click below to read the full study and the report specific to Ohio.
WHAT IT TAKES TO PASS
A sample of Ohio's tests, the minimum scores needed to pass, the maximum scores possible and the percentage of points to be proficient.
| Test subject | Raw score to pass | Maximum score | Percent needed to pass | |
| Third grade | Reading | 31 | 49 | 63% |
| Fourth grade | Math | 31 | 52 | 60% |
| Fourth grade | Reading | 21 | 49 | 43% |
| Fourth grade | Math | 26 | 52 | 50% |
| Fourth grade | Writing | 19 | 39 | 49% |
| Fifth grade | Reading | 25 | 49 | 51% |
| Fifth grade | Math | 25 | 52 | 48% |
| Fifth grade | Science | 24 | 48 | 50% |
| Fifth grade | Social studies | 26 | 48 | 54% |
| Sixth grade | Reading | 18 | 49 | 37% |
| Sixth grade | Math | 20 | 50 | 40% |
| Seventh grade | Reading | 20 | 47 | 43% |
| Seventh grade | Math | 16 | 50 | 32% |
| Seventh grade | Writing | 21 | 41 | 51% |
| Eighth grade | Reading | 22 | 48 | 46% |
| Eighth grade | Math | 16 | 46 | 35% |
| Eighth grade | Science | 21 | 48 | 44% |
| Eighth grade | Social studies | 23 | 48 | 48% |
Source: Ohio Department of Education
Click here to read the full report.
Click Ohio to read findings specific to Ohio.
Sources: Toledo Blade, Cincinnati Enquirer and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
October 3, 2007- Governor's Education Policy Advisory To Speak At Oct. 30th CORAS Meeting
The next CORAS meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan. The program will focus on school funding, education reform and education policy in Ohio. Dr. John Stanford, Executive Assistant to Governor Strickland for Education Policy, will lead the discussion. In addition, Dr.George Wood, Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy and Chair of the Governor's ODE transition team, and CORAS President and Muskingum Valley ESC Superintendent Dr. Richard Murray will participate on the program.
On September 11, 2007 over 75 school superintendents and others attend the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) meeting, also held in Logan. The program featured school finance expert, BASA Senior Fellow and professor at Ashland University, Dick Maxwell. Maxwell presented a detailed analysis of school funding for fiscal years 2008-2009. In addition, he discussed the impact and implications of current funding policies on school districts throughout the state.
October 2, 2007- Linking Teacher Pay To Student Test Scores
Experimentation with tying teacher pay to what students learn may be gaining momentum, "as states and districts start to crack open the traditional salary schedule by providing teacher bonuses based at least in part on student test-score gains," Education Week reported recently.
According to the Education Week article, at least half a dozen states have statewide or pilot programs that provide financial incentives to teachers based on achievement growth at the classroom or school level. And hundreds of districts are experimenting with such programs, including Denver, Houston, and Nashville. The article said, "The U.S. Department of Education has spent nearly $100 million to promote the idea through the federal Teacher Incentive Fund, which supports the development and implementation of performance-based pay in high-need districts." Other than Denver, few districts have entirely eliminated pay increases based solely on years of experience and course credits, the report said.
October 1, 2007- State Per Pupil Funding To Traditional Schools Less Than Half Charter Schools
An article in the most recent Ohio School Boards Association Journal said, "If you include Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, more than $2.7 billion of Ohio taxpayers money will be spent on Ohio's charter school system in the last decade." The OSBA Journal went on the say that charter schools received $532 million in state funding in FY 2007. Of that amount, academically excellent charter schools received $37 million, while those charter schools under academic watch and emergency received $161 million. The Journal article said, "It was interesting to note that $110 million in state aid was redirected from excellent and effective traditional schools to charter schools." The article also pointed out that if you subtract charter school payments from the overall state aid equation, state funding to traditional public schools has grown at only 57% the rate of inflation over the past five years.
PER-PUPIL STATE FUNDING PAID TO TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS IS NOW
LESS THAN HALF THE AMOUNT THAT IS PAID TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.
Fiscal Years Traditional Schools Charter Schools
2002………….……....$3,016…………………...$5,881
2003………………………$3,114……………………..$5,996
2004………………………$3,205……………………..$6,417
2005………………………$3,268……………………..$6,737
2006………………………$3,335……………………..$6,683
2007………………………$3,394……………………. $6,902
Source: ODE SF3 State Funding Reports
OSBA Journal Note: Materials for this story are courtesy of CPE and the Ohio Education Association
CORAS Source: Ohio School Boards Association Journal, September 2007
September 28, 2007- The American Public Speaks!
"....the following findings from the 2007 PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitude Toward the Public Schools highlight potential improvements in our nation's education policy and identify the public's interests and concerns." ...from PDK website.
Public Opinion Shifts Against NCLB
~ Only 1 in 4 Americans believe that NCLB is helping their local schools; the rest believe the law is either making no difference or hurting schools.
~ For the first time since 2003, more Americans have an unfavorable view (40%) of NCLB than a favorable one (31%).
~ Similarly, for the first time, more Americans (49%) would blame the law if large numbers of schools fail to meet the requirements than would blame the schools (43%).
Testing
~ In just the last five years, the number of Americans who believe there is too much emphasis on testing in their local schools has jumped by 12%.
~ Eight in 10 Americans prefer that school effectiveness be measured by improvement in student achievement rather than the current method that calculates adequate yearly progress (AYP).
Narrowing the Curriculum
~ One of every two Americans believes that NCLB’s focus on reading and mathematics has reduced instructional time in other subjects.
~ Nine in 10 of those who feel that NCLB has resulted in a narrower curriculum are concerned about it.
Improve NCLB Treatment of Special Needs Students
~ Nearly 8 in 10 Americans feel that English-language learners should be required to pass an English proficiency test before their reading and math scores are used to measure school performance.
~ Seven in 10 Americans question holding special education students to the same standards as all other students.
Globalization
~ Nearly 6 in 10 Americans think that students need to spend more time learning about other nations and cultures.
~ Nearly 9 in 10 Americans believe that all children should become proficient in a second language in addition to English; 7 in 10 believe that foreign language instruction should begin in elementary school.
High Marks for Our Public Schools
~ Nearly 5 in 10 Americans grade the schools in their community with an A or B, and nearly 7 in 10 public school parents give the schools their children attend an A or B. Read the 39th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Click: PDF
Read "Policy Implications" of the 39th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll (PDF). Click: Policy Implications
Source: Phi Delta Kappa website, September 2007
September 27, 2007- More Students Taking Advanced Placement Exams
Between 1999 and 2005, the total number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams increased by 75 percent, from 686,000 to 1,197,000. In 2005, 60 percent of U.S. high schools offer students AP courses. Currently, 34 AP exams are available across 19 subject areas. According to the National Center For Education Statistics, students who complete AP courses may be better prepared for college than their peers, and could potentially complete their degrees in a shorter time period.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
September 26, 2007- Ohio In Top 10 Nationally On NAEP Reading, Math Tests
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that Ohio's public school students were near the top of the class in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math scores released yesterday. The Plain Dealer said Ohio ranked among the top 10 in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math scores and posted the fourth-highest mark in the nation in eighth-grade reading. The state also registered the sixth-highest scores in fourth-grade reading and math, according to the Plain Dealer.
The New York Times reported that nationally the average math score for fourth graders is at its highest level in 17 years, and the percentage of fourth graders scoring at or above proficiency rose to 39 percent this year, up eight points since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law took effect. The latest results also show that eighth-grade students’ math performance has improved, although not as quickly as among younger students.
Supporters of the NCLB law said continued gains show that the law is working. But critics argue that reading and math gains between 2000 and 2003 were actually greater than between 2003 and 2007. The NCLB law took effect in 2002.
To view the results of the 2007 NAEP tests, Click: The Nation's Report Card - National Assessment of Educational Progress ...
September 25, 2007- NCLB 2013-14 Goal For Reading, Math Under Debate
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has a goal that all students will be proficient in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year. According to an Education Week report Monday, this goal now appears to be open for negotiation as U.S. House and Senate leaders consider plans to reauthorize the law. Education Week said, "Although congressional leaders haven’t proposed plans to relax the 2013-14 goal, they have backed down from earlier public statements supporting it. Their recent statements suggest that they are willing to reconsider the timeline."
The Education Trust, a Washington research and advocacy group that is one of the law’s strongest supporters, has suggested that the deadline could be extended in states that adopted standards ensuring that students were ready to enter college or the workplace. So far, 26 states are working to align their standards with the college and workforce-readiness expectations being developed under the American Diploma Project (ADP), Education Week said. The ADP is an initiative launched by Achieve Inc., in partnership with The Education Trust and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
The NCLB law’s staunchest defenders, including Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, do not want to relax the 2013-14 proficiency goal because they believe any such change would remove an incentive for schools to improve their students’ performance.
September 24, 2007- Are States Setting Standards Too Low?
The No Child Left Behind law allows each state to chart its own course in meeting math and reading test objectives. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as "the Nation's Report Card," uses a national test to assess American students in those subjects.
In Ohio, 79% of students scored proficient on the state 8th grade math test in 2005. Only 33% scored proficient on the NAEP test. In 4th grade reading, 77% of Ohio students scored proficient on the state test, while only 34% scored proficient on the NAEP test. According to a Gannett News Service analysis of test scores, many states have standards much lower than the NAEP standards.
Click on the following link to see the percentages of fourth and eighth graders achieving "proficient" scores on state and national tests. Interactive map: Compare national, state scores , then left click and roll over the map to view the percentages in each state.
Source: Gannett News Service
September 21, 2007- Bill Introduced To Increase STRS Contributions
House Bill (HB) 315, sponsored by State Representative Scott Oelslager, was introduced in the 127th General Assembly Tuesday. HB 315 is a proposal by the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS). The bill is supported by professional and retiree organizations representing Ohio's public K-12 and higher education teachers. OSBA and OASBO oppose the bill.
HB 315 seeks to increase both the employee and employer shares to STRS by 2.5% of certificated staff payroll for an overall increase totaling 5%. The idea is to create an ongoing, dedicated revenue stream for the STRS Ohio Health Care Preservation Fund. These increases would be phased in over a five-year period, in 0.5% increments. Currently, employers contribute 14% and employees contribute 10% of payroll to pay for retirement benefits.
Read HB 315. Click: As Introduced
September 20, 2007- Debate Over Merit Pay For Teachers
The chairman of the U.S. House education committee criticized the National Education Association (NEA) President for rejecting a merit-pay for teachers proposal, according to report last week by the Associated Press (AP). AP said merit pay for teachers is included in a draft proposal for the No Child Left Behind reauthorization legislation circulating on Capitol Hill in Washington. The proposal would give bonuses, worth up to $10,000 in most cases, to "outstanding" teachers. The proposal doesn't spell out who would be eligible for the extra money but says raising student test scores must be a factor, AP said.
The NEA President said that level of detail should be bargained locally, not spelled out by Congress. "The NEA has long opposed linking individual student scores to teachers' pay, though many local teachers unions across the country are agreeing to such proposals," the AP article said. "Most notable is a popular plan in Denver."
On Monday of this week the Dayton Daily News reported that Governor Strickland said he supported merit pay for teachers.
September 19, 2007- School Districts Cannot Charge For All-Day Kindergarten
Public school districts cannot require parents to pay for all-day kindergarten, according to an opinion issued by the Ohio Attorney General. The Cleveland Plain Dealer said the opinion most likely means districts that charge for the full-day kindergarten will have to stop the practice, and they may have to reimburse families who have already paid for this school year.
The attorney general's opinion was based on the law that requires districts to provide free education to all children. The state mandates only half a day of kindergarten and pays toward that cost, as well as helping fund a full-day program in high-poverty districts. The law does not spell out any exceptions regarding full-day kindergarten programs, the Plain Dealer said.
The Ohio Department of Education requested the opinion after parents questioned tuition fees.
Read the Plain Dealer article. Click: Ohio public school districts can't charge for all-day kindergarten, attorney general says
September 18, 2007- Governor Talks About School Funding And Reform
Governor Strickland told the Dayton Daily News (DDN) editor that he won't be rushed to overhaul of primary and secondary education. This issue is the "most important" one facing him, and it is "more important to do it well than quickly," he said. "I don't want to have a failure." The Governor said he will address school funding and reform at the same time and that he's "not convinced that we need a lot more money." How resources are used is the bigger question, he said.
Asked what he expects to disagree with teachers' unions about, he said he favors a longer school year and a longer school day and that he supports merit pay. He said that he rejects the belief of some that teachers' unions are at the heart of public education's problems. "If that's where the discussion starts and ends, we are at an impasse," he said, referring specifically to some business leaders whose input he said he wants.
He said he also would like schools to have a structure that gives more authority and autonomy to principals.
In addition, the DDN editor said the Governor was offended that some on the state school board recently got exercised because certain wealthy school districts are being rated poorly by the state for not achieving "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The Governor recalled that he was in Congress when the No Child Left Behind legislation passed and that he voted for it. He said he had reservations at the time and testified that, as a psychologist, he objected to making standardized tests the be-all-and-end-all. Now that wealthy districts are being rapped for not making sufficient progress with difficult-to-educate students, he said people suddenly see the unfairness. "If they (the tests) are unfair, they've been unfair all along," he said. "Suddenly there's a recognition that these tests don't measure what we think they measure."
Source: Dayton Daily News, September 17, 2007
September 17, 2007- Study: America Failing High Achieving Students From Lower-Income Families
The study, "achievementrap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families," was released last week by Civic Enterprises LLC, a Washington-based research and public-policy group, and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The report says, "The educational accountability movement’s keen focus on bringing all students to academic proficiency risks leaving behind a group of particularly promising students: higher-achieving children from lower-income families." The authors urge researchers and policymakers to better understand the dynamics that allow this group of students to fall behind, and to focus concerted attention on ways to help them.
The study analyzes national data to track the school performance of about 3.4 million K-12 children who come from households with incomes below the national median but score in the top quartile on nationally normed tests. The study found that higher-achieving children from lower-income families are hobbled from the start. The study said:
- They start school with weaker academic skills and are less likely to flourish over the years in school than their peers from better-off families.
- They enter school with a disadvantage that shows up in their national test scores. More than 70 percent of 1st graders who score in the top quartile are from higher-income families, and fewer than three in 10 are from lower-income families.
- In the ensuing years, the higher-achieving lower-income children are more likely to lose ground. For instance, 44 percent fall out of the top quartile in reading between the 1st and 5th grades, compared with 31 percent of high achievers whose family income is above the national median, which was $48,200 in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- They are also more likely to drop out of high school or not graduate on time than those from economically better-off families. The difference persists through college and graduate school, with lower-income students less likely to attend the most selective colleges or to graduate
“By reversing the downward trajectory of their educational achievement, we will not only improve their lives but strengthen our nation by unleashing the potential of literally millions of young people who could be making great contributions to our communities and country,” the report says.
Read the study. Click: study
September 14, 2007- "Asterisk" For Districts Not Achieving AYP?
The Columbus Dispatch Ohio said today, "The Department of Education should be rendering separate verdicts on how a school district performs overall and how successfully it helps the weakest students become stronger. Both measures are important, and neither should overshadow the other." Currently, school districts not showing adequate yearly progress for more than two consecutive years cannot be rated higher than "continuous improvement," regardless of how high it ranks otherwise.
House Bill 27, proposed in February 2007 by State Representative Larry Wolpert, would treat the issues separately. The bill says districts that
fail to yield adequate yearly progress for special groups but otherwise earn "effective" or "excellent" ratings would be given those ratings, but with the label conditional. This asterisk of sorts would give the public an accurate picture of a district that is generally excellent or effective but needs to work harder with its most-challenged students, the Dispatch said.
H.B. 27 remains in the House Education Committee.
To read an analysis of H.B. 27, Click: Bill Analysis - HB 27 - As Introduced [.html format] [.pdf format]
September 13, 20-07- Charter School Woes
- Out of the 330 charter schools listed in the Ohio Department of Education's 2006-07 Local Report Cards released in August, 85 were in academic emergency, 54 in academic watch, 80 in continuous improvement, 16 effective, and eight excellent.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: Efficiency of charter schools to be rated
- Attorney General Marc Dann filed separate lawsuits Wednesday seeking to close two charter schools, saying both had failed to meet academic standards over the past six years. New Choices Community School, a middle school, has received more than $6.6 million in public funds, and Colin Powell Leadership Academy, which teaches preschool through eighth grade, has received more than $10.5 million, the lawsuits said. New Choices Community School met only 1 of 29 academic performance standards in its six-year existence, according to court document.
Read the Canton Repository article. Click: Attorney general seeks to close 2 charter schools in Dayton
- Three Columbus charter schools run by Mosaica Education Inc. got more heavily into debt during the 2006 fiscal year, according to state audits released yesterday. The schools, Columbus Arts and Humanities Academy; Columbus Humanities, Arts and Technology Academy; and Columbus Preparatory Academy, had combined operating losses of almost $2.6 million. The schools served 1,200 students. Mosaica runs 90 charter-school programs in eight states; Washington, D.C.; and the Middle East, according to the company's Web site.
September 12, 2007- Big City Schools Getting Smaller
Student enrollment in Ohio's big city school districts is considerably smaller today than 30-years ago. School leaders blamed charter schools, vouchers, low birth rates, and suburban migration for the declines, according to the Toledo Blade.
Charter schools and vouchers have increased the rate of enrollment decline in large city public schools in recent years. There are 317 charter schools in Ohio this year, with many located in large cities. In addition, 7,673 vouchers were awarded for this school year, the Blade said. However, not all awarded scholarships will be accepted and used by the parents. Most vouchers will be used by large city students.
The Ohio Department of Education estimates that Ohio will spend more than $538.4 million on charter schools this year, up from about $533.5 million last school year. Vouchers cost the state about $10.35 million.
Source: Toledo Blade
September 11, 2007- "Education At Its Worse"
It's worth a few minutes of your time to read the following article, appearing in the Cleveland Scene News, about a charter school.
Note: There are three pages, or you can click "Show All" at the bottom of the first page.
September 10, 2007- Opposes Proposal To Ease NCLB Penalties
"Should suburban schools that barely miss federal learning targets be allowed to escape penalties, while inner-city schools that never even hit the dart board are required to give free tutoring and let students transfer to better schools?" According to the Washington Post this question is at the heart of an argument in Washington over how to improve the federal No Child Left Behind Act. A draft proposal circulated last week in the U.S. House of Representative would take many schools off the hook if they raise achievement for most students but miss the mark for a few.
The Post said Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is against that approach. "To move from reasonable accommodations to big loopholes would be a huge mistake," she said. However, in a speech to the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, Spellings said she is willing to consider proposals to allow states to use more than just annual tests in reading and math to rate schools and to treat differently schools that fall only slightly short of targets. But she said she is not willing to bend if the changes mean struggling students won't get the extra help they need.
September 7, 2007- 10 Years After DeRolph: "...one of the great embarrassments of our age.
If a reason is needed to continue the struggle to achieve equity (and adequacy) in educational opportunity for schoolchildren of Ohio, read the following column in yesterday's Akron Beacon Journal.
Dyer: School life different as night & day
By Bob Dyer
Beacon Journal columnist
Published on Thursday, Sep 06, 2007
Highland High School is about six miles from the Akron city limits. Springfield High School is about two. In remedial math, they'd tell you that's a difference of four miles. Actually, it's a lot more. The distance between Highland High and Springfield High is life-altering. Northwest of Akron, in the heart of Medina County's Granger Township, Highland boasts a gorgeous, $37 million school that opened in 2003. It looks more like a small private college. A winding driveway leads through beautifully landscaped grounds to a sprawling building that is open and airy, with skylights and huge windows. Each day, shiny buses deliver the students to classrooms that offer every modern convenience.
Now venture southeast of Akron, just past Wayside Furniture on Canton Road. Part of Springfield's high school was built in 1931. That would be the part with classrooms that feature brown plastic wastebaskets lined up on window sills, ready to catch the water that flows in every time it rains. Sometimes, the wastebaskets aren't enough. Last week, several computer keyboards got soaked. There's a big, ugly, plastic awning above the sidewalk leading to the ''new'' part of the school that directs rainwater away from the foundation. Walk the dank lower hallway and you can smell the mold. A student with asthma was such a wreck after his first day that he now gets home instruction. Although Springfield has multiple students in wheelchairs, one building isn't handicap-accessible and the other is only if the elevator is working, which it isn't. In mid-tour, the principal cautions a visitor to be careful lest he trip down a stairwell in a main hallway where a big chunk of tread is missing. The door to the old gym sticks so badly that the visitor needs to help the principal yank it open. That gym isn't used much anymore because large clumps of material occasionally fall from the ceiling. The buses? Well, there aren't many. About 1,000 Springfield kids have been without rides for a year.
Principal Cynthia Frola tries to walk an impossible tightrope between not damaging school morale and communicating just how bad things can get when a district defeats five levies in two years in a state where the educational funding system has repeatedly been ruled unconstitutional but nobody seems to do anything about it. She says she fears test scores may soon plummet because of mandated cuts in the number of classes and because ''we've lost the cream of the crop'' to private schools. ''We still have very capable students here,'' she says. ''I don't want to say anything negative, because I love these kids to death. But it's tough.''
The situation isn't much better at the elementary schools. To the east, at Roosevelt, the bright red bricks of 1931 have turned dark red and are now accented by hundreds of feet of gray caulk snaking its way across the front, attempting to seal the cracks of 76 years' worth of freezing, thawing and settling. On the third floor of the old section, water drips in above the windows whenever it rains.
Average age of Springfield's school buildings: 67 years. Now, you don't need to study in a Taj Mahal to get a good education. But you ought to be able to keep the rain out and the ceilings intact and the mold at bay. How can we consistently turn our backs on kids whose only sin was being born to parents who live in places like Springfield Township rather than places like Granger Township?
It is one of the great embarrassments of our age.
September 6, 2007- Poverty Biggest Factor In Poor Student Achievement
However, Gerald W. Bracey, an independent researcher working out of Arizona State University, refuted Wilkins' claim. Bracey produced statistics showing that schools with less than 10 percent of their students in poverty, outscored students in all the industrialized nations in reading and science and were third in math. In schools with 25 percent of their students in poverty the U.S. led the other nations in reading and science. So Neal, in his Tulsa World editorial said, it appears that "our most affluent kids" are not getting "their lunches eaten" but instead are eating a few foreign lunches.
The editorial went on to say, "When most poverty is factored out of U.S. public school performance, U.S. schools rank No. 1 in the world. Since the U.S. has the highest childhood poverty among the competing nations, what does that say about the schools? About the nation? It says that poverty is the biggest problem of the schools and that poverty, not schools, is the biggest problem in the U.S."
According to the book, “Child Well- Being, Child Poverty and Child Policy in Modern Nations,” the U.S. has 12 million children living in poverty. That’s one in five children living in poverty in the richest nation in the world. Worse, the editorial said, the U.S. has the highest rate of childhood poverty of all industrialized nations.
Read the editorial. Click: Blaming schools
September 5, 2007- Should School Year Start Later?
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, State Senator Randy Gardner wants Ohio to join 11 other states that have enacted laws limiting how early schools can begin holding classes. In March 2007, Senator Gardner introduced a bill that would prohibit school districts from holding classes until after Labor Day.
The Plain Dealer said officials from Cedar Point and Geauga Lake amusement parks have written a position paper enumerating how a later start to the school year would boost the state's tourism business. The 15-page paper cited Michigan's new law pushing back start times has already had an effect at Cedar Point. Last year, according to the paper, attendance from Michigan residents jumped 33 percent at Cedar Point in the two weeks before Labor Day. The Plain Dealer said teacher unions and other educator groups believe the decision on when to open schools should be left to individual school districts.
Market Data Retrieval data show schools across the country have been starting earlier over the past 16 years. In 1990, Fifty-six (56) percent of schools opened before September 1st. In 2006, Seventy-five (75) percent were open before the first day of September.
Sources: Cleveland Plain Dealer and Market Data Retrieval
September 4, 2007- Report: U.S. Workers Are More Productive
This past Labor Day weekend the Columbus Dispatch reported the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) for 2006, meaning the value of all the goods and services produced in the nation, was $13.2 trillion, tops in the world. Japan, a distant second, had a GDP of $4.4 trillion, and Germany, No. 3, had a GDP of $2.9 trillion.
The United Nations also released a report yesterday. The report said the United States "leads the world in labor productivity." American workers stay longer in the office, at the factory or on the farm than their counterparts in Europe and most other rich nations, and they produce more per person over the year. They also get more done per hour than everyone but the Norwegians, according to the report. The U.S. beats all 27 nations in the European Union (EU), Japan and Switzerland in the amount of wealth created per hour of work - a second key measure of productivity. Norway, which is not an EU member, generates the most output per working hour, $37.99. The U.S. is second at $35.63, about a half dollar ahead of third-place France.
It would appear that the American public school system, under continuously criticism from many corporate leaders, should receive some recognition for educating this highly productive work force.
August 31, 2007- "Strickland Vows Education Overhaul"
The Akron Beacon Journal reported today that Governor Ted Strickland's message to students, faculty members and staffers, politicians and community members at Kent State University yesterday was "Ohio should no longer be a status-quo state on education." The Governor said, "There is a connection between economic growth, job growth and a highly educated, highly skilled work force. Education at every level must be available to all Ohioans. . . . We want quality of education as well as affordability.''
The Governor said his commitment to invest and reinvest in education spans from the early childhood level to higher education. And, he said his legacy as governor will be determined by his commitment to tackling the issue of funding public education. ''I'm owning this problem, " Governor Strickland said. ''We need to do two things: Reform our schools and provide adequate, equitable funding.''
August 30, 2007- Ohio Leads Nation In Percentage Increase In Rural Child Poverty
The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire analyzed new poverty data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, and found that In 37 states, a higher percentage of rural children live in poverty today than in 2000.
Five states (Ohio, Indiana, Maine, Tennessee, and South Carolina) experienced increases of 5 percentage points or more in rural child poverty rate between 2000 and 2006. Ohio had the largest percentage increase in rural child poverty between 2000 and 2006 at +6.8 percentage points, followed by Indiana (+6.4 percentage points), and Maine (+5.5 percentage points).
“Research has shown that good policy and programs can alleviate that poverty........ programs that provide early childhood education, making work pay for parents, decent schools, and access to health care. We shouldn’t be going backwards on addressing child poverty in the 21st century,” the director of the Carsey Institute said.
Read the Press Report. Click: http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/082807childpoverty.htm
Read the Report. Click: http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/FS_ruralchildpoverty_07.htm.
August 29, 2007- Proposal Would Revise How AYP Is Calculated
The leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Education Committee yesterday released a draft of a plan for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act, outlining proposals that would revise how adequate yearly progress (AYP) is calculated and overhaul the interventions for schools failing to meet achievement goals.
An 11-page summary of the draft bill details many of the ideas that may be included in the reauthorization proposal, such as using so-called growth models to calculate AYP, adding measures other than statewide tests to allow schools to reach their progress goals, and differentiating interventions based on schools’ achievement levels.
In outlining the use of growth models, the document says that states would need to measure schools’ and districts’ progress toward the goal of universal proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year. The draft adds a clause that could extend the deadline, saying that students in all the demographic, racial, and ethnic subgroups that the current law tracks would need to at least be “on a trajectory” toward proficiency for a school or district to be determined to be making AYP.
Although reading and mathematics scores on statewide tests would remain the key indicator for AYP purposes, under the draft plan states could choose to allow their schools and districts to earn credit for improvement on other measures. States could, for example, choose to consider a school’s or district’s results on science and social studies tests; passing rates on high school end-of-course exams; and graduation and college-enrollment rates, according to the document.
The draft also proposes a 15-state pilot project that would allow districts to create their own assessments that are “rigorously aligned with state standards to augment the AYP determination.” If the pilot project proved successful, the U.S. Department of Education would have the authority to allow other states to adopt locally developed tests for AYP purposes.
Read the proposal summary. Click: An
11-page summary of the draft bill
August 28, 2007- NCLB: Help Or Hindrance
The 38th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the "Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," released yesterday, found that 68 percent of American adults who say they are familiar with the No Child Left Behind Act believe it has had no effect or is actually hurting public schools.
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Despite the negative public perception of No Child Left Behind, the poll showed an overall positive view of the nation’s public schools. When asked how educators should attempt to improve education, 71 percent of respondents preferred improvements in the existing public school system, rather than establishing an alternative system.
In addition, the poll asked people whether they favored or opposed allowing parents to choose to have their children attend private schools at public expense. Of those surveyed, 36 percent favored the idea while 60 percent opposed it.
To read the poll report, click: 38th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll
SOURCE: Phi Delta Kappa International and Education Week
August 27, 2007- Turnover Creating Teacher Shortage
The New York Times reported today that thousands of the nation's classrooms are opening this year with substitute teachers. Why? The retirement of baby boomer teachers, coupled with the departure of younger teachers, and the challenge of putting a qualified teacher in every classroom has created a shortage of teachers across the nation. The New York Times said:
- In North Carolina, turnover has become so severe in some high-poverty schools that principals were hiring new teachers for nearly every class, every term. They are offering one of the nation’s largest recruitment bonuses, $10,000 to instructors who sign up to teach Algebra I.
- New York, which has the nation’s largest school system, recruited about 5,000 new teachers by mid-August, attracting those certified in math, science and special education with a housing incentive that can include $5,000 for a down payment.
- Los Angeles has offered teachers signing with low-performing schools a $5,000 bonus.
- In Kansas, schools are working to fill “the largest number of vacancies” the state had ever faced.
- California is projecting that it will need 100,000 new teachers over the next decade from the retirement of the baby boomers alone.
- Texas is offering recruitment bonuses and housing allowances.
- An Indiana school attracts teachers with a $2,500 bonus.
- A hard-to-staff school in Philadelphia offers $10,000 bonus for teaching Algebra I.
In June, the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future estimated that teacher turnover was costing the nation’s school districts $7 billion annually for recruiting, hiring and training. The commission has calculated that nearly a third of all new teachers leave the profession after just three years, and that after five years almost half are gone, a higher turnover rate than in the past. According to the most recent U.S. Department of Education statistics available, about 269,000 of the nation’s 3.2 million public school teachers, or 8.4 percent, quit the field in the 2003-4 school year. Thirty percent of them retired, and 56 percent said they left to pursue another career or because they were dissatisfied.
August 24, 2007- FYI: A Capsule View Of Ohio School District Data
Click the link below and follow instructions to view data for Ohio school districts and the 2006-07 Local District Report Card.
Click: • 2006-07 Ohio School Report Cards
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
August 23, 2007- Lawsuit, Report Challenge NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher Rules
A federal lawsuit in California and a new report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) challenge No Child Left Behind (NCLB) rules on teacher credentials, saying they fail to ensure that students have a highly qualified teacher. The lawsuit says the U.S. Department of Education has watered down the standard by allowing thousands of teachers-in-training to be declared highly qualified before they even finish training. The CEP report says the law has had little effect on either student achievement or the qualifications of the teacher workforce. See chart and report below.
Percentage of states and districts reporting the extent to
which the requirements for highly qualified teachers under
No Child Left Behind have improved student achievement.
| STATES | DISTRICTS | |
| Great Extent | 6% | 4% |
| Somewhat | 10% | 28% |
| Minimally | 46% | 17% |
| Not at all | 10% | 49% |
| Don't know | 28% | 3% |
Note: Percentage may not total 100% because of rounding.
Source: Center on Education Policy, printed in USA Today
Read the CEP report "Implementing the No Child Left Behind Teacher Requirements." Click: Full Report
August 22, 2007- Average And Beginning Teacher Salaries
According to a 2007 survey by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Ohio ranked 13th in the nation in average teacher salary and 19th in beginning teacher salary during the 2004-05 school year. Data in the report show Ohio was nearly $2,000 above the national average in both categories. The survey was published in March 2007. To read the AFT report, click: Download the full survey (pdf)
As a side note, data provided to the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) listed Ohio's average teacher salary at $48,050 for the 2005-06 school year. The ODE data also listed the average teacher salary in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties at $43,524 for that same school year.
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AFT SURVEY OF 2004-05 TEACHER SALARIES 
August 21, 2007- Shortage Of Substitute Teachers
Every school day, about 5 million school children in 274,000 classrooms have substitute teachers, according to the director of the Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University. In addition, the Associated Press reported a bill that died in a U.S. House of Representatives education subcommittee in 2003 said seventy-three percent of U.S. districts had an "immediate, urgent need" for substitute teachers that was "likely to grow to a crisis level within the next 10 years." The bill would have established a federal grant program to help alleviate the substitute shortage.
August 16, 2007- Class of 2007 ACT Scores Show Slight Improvement
Nationally, high-school graduates received an average score of 21.2 on the ACT exam this year, up from 21.1 last year. In Ohio, the average ACT score also rose by one-tenth of a point, to 21.6, according to the ACT National Score Report.
According to the annual report, advanced-placement (AP) courses are offered in about 61 percent of Ohio schools. The report said 38.4 percent of the schools have at least 10 or more students enrolled in AP courses, while 22.5 percent of high schools have between one and nine students in the advanced classes
August 15, 2007- 2006-07 Local District Report Card Data
| All Ohio Districts | Appalachian Districts | Non-Appalachian Districts | |
| (610 Districts) | (127 Districts) | (483 Districts) | |
| Excellent | 22.8% (139) | 4.7% (6) | 27.5% (133) |
| Effective | 56.9% (347) | 65.4% (83) | 54.7% (264) |
| Continuous Improvement | 18.5% (113) | 29.1% (37) | 15.7% (76) |
| Academic Watch | 1.8% (11) | 0.8% (1) | 2.1% (10) |
| Academic Emergency | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) |
Rating factors in 2006-07 included 30-Performance Indicators, Performance Index, Performance Index Improvement and Adequate Yearly Progress. In addition, school districts that miss AYP for three consecutive years in more than one student group in the most recent year can be rated no higher than Continuous Improvement.
Click Below to View Ratings for All Ohio Schools and School DistrictsYou will be able to find the designation for each school and district that will receive a Local Report Card in Ohio using this application. In addition to seeing the designation, selecting the option to see details will allow you to view the percentage of proficient students on the statewide indicators, graduation and attendance rates, the AYP determination, and the performance index scores.
Click to search by district. Search By District
Click to search by school. Search By Building
August 15, 2007- More Charter School Woes
According to the Toledo Blade, out of the 330 charter schools listed in the Ohio Department of Education's 2006-07 Local Report cards yesterday, 85 are in academic emergency, 54 in academic watch, 80 in continuous improvement, 16 effective, and eight excellent. Eighty-seven charter schools did not get a rating.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: Charters fare poorly in state report cards
The Columbus Dispatch reported today that charter schools operated by Akron industrialist David L. Brennan paid board members multiple times for attending the same meeting -- as much as $2,125 per session, a state audit discovered. A review by The Dispatch showed Brennan's White Hat Management made $15.4 million in profit and fees from 34 charter schools last year.
Read the Columbus Dispatch article. Click: Audit raps charter schools
August 14, 2007- Report: One In Four Students Fail To Earn Diploma
Despite the national focus on reforming America’s high schools, most states are setting woefully low goals for improving graduation rates and are not setting goals for ensuring that more low-income, minority, disabled and English language learner students graduate, according to a report released earlier this month by The Education Trust. The
report said one in four, or nearly one million students, who start ninth grade will not earn a diploma four years later, and the picture is even worse for low-income and minority students.
Read the10-page report (with data for Ohio). Click: Graduation Matters: Improving Accountability for High School Graduation
August 13, 2007- Taking The Shortcut To Certification/Licensure
The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that, with the approval by state legislators, South Carolina became the seventh state to adopt a streamlined fast-track certification program for prospective public school teachers. The program, Passport to Teaching, targets career changers and can certify school teachers in all 50 states, according to the AP. Although requirements vary among states, teacher candidates using the program in South Carolina can be certified to teach after passing two tests and being mentored for 10 months.
AP said in the South Carolina program people with a four-year degree who pass an FBI background check and pay $650 are assigned a veteran teacher who helps them prepare for two exams on teaching knowledge and subject area knowledge. This usually takes about 10 months. Once a person receives an initial license they can start teaching and have three years to take the Praxis test. Costs can reach more than $1,000, for study materials, added certification and fees for retaking tests.
About 4,500 people already are in the program in Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Utah, according to the President of the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, which runs the program.
August 10, 2007- Proposal Would Add Four Counties To Ohio Appalachian Region
U.S. HOUSE PROPOSES TO ADD FOUR COUNTIES TO OHIO APPALACHIAN REGION. On July 16th the U.S. House of Representatives proposed adding four counties, Ashtabula, Mahoning, Trumbull and Fayette, to Ohio's existing 29-county Appalachian region. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the bill that gives money and authority to the Appalachian Regional Commission. However, the U.S. Senate did not approve the additional counties. A House-Senate joint-committee is now attempting to negotiate a compromise.
AUGUST 7, 2007 ELECTION RESULTS. Only 14.29% of Ohio's school issues on the August 7, 2007 ballot passed. Of the 21 school issues on the ballot, 3 issues passed and 18 failed.
View the election results. Click: Results by county
August 9, 2007- What High School Seniors Know About Economics
Results of the first nationwide economics test for high school seniors, which was administered last year, were released yesterday. The nation’s high school seniors performed significantly better on the economics test than they did on other recent national exams in history and science, the New York Times said today.
The U.S. Department of Education translates student scores on the test into three achievement levels: advanced, proficient and basic. On the economics test, 3 percent of 12th graders performed at the advanced level, 42 percent performed at or above the proficient level, and 79 percent performed at or above the basic level. An economics course is required for graduation in only 17 states. Ohio is not one of those states.
What students know about Economics |
| Market Economy |
| 72% described a benefit and a risk of leaving a full-time job to further one’s education |
| 52% identified how commercial banks use money deposited into customers’ checking accounts |
| 46% interpreted a supply and demand graph to determine the effect of establishing a price control |
| 36% used marginal analysis to determine how a business could maximize its profits |
| National Economy |
| 60% identified factors that lead to an increase in the national debt |
| 36% identified the federal government’s primary source of revenue |
| 33% explained the effect of an increase in real interest rates on consumers’ borrowing |
| 11% analyzed how a change in the unemployment rate affects income, spending, and production |
| International Economy |
| 63% determined the impact of a decrease in oil production on oil-importing countries |
| 51% determined a result of removing trade barriers between two countries |
| 40% determined why industries can successfully lobby for tariff protection |
| 32% identified how investment in education can impact economic growth |
Click here to read report. 
Download
the complete report in a PDF file for viewing and printing. (949K PDF)
August 7, 2007- Charter Schools "Unauditable"
The state auditor has declared 29 Ohio charter schools "unauditable," meaning that their financial records are not adequate to complete an audit. Charter schools that can't show how their tax dollars are spent will stop receiving tax dollars, according to an story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "A change in state law that just took effect could shut down the publicly funded, privately operated schools when they can't balance their books. Schools declared 'unauditable' by the state auditor will have 90 days to get their financial houses in order, or close their doors," the Plain Dealer said.
August 6, 2007- Study: Lawsuits Get Schools Built and Renovated
A new, first-of-its-kind study by the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit, non-partisan, fiscal policy research and public education organization, reveals that lawsuits targeting "inequitable" or "inadequate" school funding have failed to produce long-term increases in school spending. Eighteen states had sufficient data to analyze the long-term fiscal impact of court mandates on recurring spending (operating money) compared to a baseline measured by spending trends before the court mandate. The data show these eighteen states averaged $284 less per pupil on recurring spending in 2004 dollars than would have been expected based on growth trends before the court mandates. However, 14 states, including Ohio, showed an increase in recurring spending. In addition, the study confirms that school-funding lawsuits, such as Ohio's DeRolph case, have helped get schools built and renovated.
Ohio ranked fourth among the states, behind Vermont, North Dakota and Massachusetts, with increased spending per pupil for operations. Capital spending among the five states with sufficient data showed an average increase of $164 per student over pre-ruling projections. Ohio ranked first in the nation in increased capital spending.
According to the report, nine of the 27 state court rulings since 1977 that have found education spending unconstitutionally inequitable or inadequate, lawmakers have raised taxes. The rest, like Ohio, shifted existing resources.
Sources: Tax Foundation
Read the report: Click: Background Paper No. 55
August 2, 2007- College Educated Lags In Appalachian Ohio
According to the Associated Press (AP), the rate of college attendance for high school graduates in Appalachian Ohio has been estimated at 30 percent, less than half the national average. In addition, AP said the percentage of Appalachian Ohio adults with four-year college degrees is about 12 percent, also half the national average.
Source: Associated Press, July 28, 2007
August 1, 2007- Countywide Consolidation Proposed
The Regional Chamber in northeastern Ohio is proposing countywide school consolidation in three counties. Representatives from the Chamber held meetings last week with school leaders from Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The proposal was met by a cool reaction from local superintendents and mixed reactions from local school board members, according to a newspaper report. The Chamber is proposing the formation of centralized school administrations in each of the three counties. The consolidation is projected to save an estimated $22 million a year.
Read the Warren Tribune-Chronicle article. Click: Local school chiefs talk consolidation
July 31, 2007- "Fix School Funding? The Time Is Now"
The following is a quote from the editorial, "Fix school funding? The time is now," printed in the Sunday, July 29, 2007 Akron Beacon Journal.
"Of late, the governor has raised the stakes, if inadvertently. He wants to pursue ‘‘reform‘‘ of public education. He explores requiring uniforms and longer school days. He also asks whether the state knows enough about the way public money is spent on schools. It doesn't. Strickland shouldn't fool himself into thinking that ‘‘reform‘‘ provides cover for delay. Tackle both, and you are doubly ambitious.
Read the editorial. Click: Fix school funding? The time is now
July 30, 2007- SF 3 Aid Amounts For Fy08 and FY09
The Ohio Department of Education has calculated projected funding for FY08 and FY09, based upon the most recent state budget (HB 119), for all Ohio school districts. To view a comparison of SF 3 aid amounts for FY08 and FY09 for Ohio school districts, listed alphabetically by county, click on the link below.
Click here for projected funding spreadsheet (Excel) (Last Modified July 26, 2007)
Source: Ohio Department of Education
July 26, 2007- "What Gets Tested Gets Taught"
A new study, released Wednesday by the Center on Education Policy CEP), confirmed that students are spending more time on math and reading while having less time for science, social studies, art, music and physical education, subjects that aren't tested under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.
The report says that of the districts reporting, elementary schools are spending on average 37 minutes more per day on reading, math or both since the NCLB law was passed. While 44 percent of the districts surveyed reported cutting time from one or more non-tested subjects in elementary school. On average, the cuts amounted to 30 minutes a day.
About 25 percent of middle schools reported increasing time spent on reading or English. One in five said they increased time spent on math. The report found at the high school level, students have been taking more math and science coursework, which may be driven by state graduation requirements.
The President of Washington-based CEP said, "Clearly what this is showing is, what schools are held accountable for is what they put the emphasis on."
To read the report, click: Center on Education Policy Then click No Child Left Behind on left side of screen.
July 25, 2007- Jobless rate Up In Ohio
With the new school year about to begin it may be worth noting that Ohio had the second highest unemployment rate in the nation in June 2007, according to a report issued last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Michigan recorded the highest unemployment rate at 7.2 percent, followed by Ohio at 6.1 percent and Mississippi at 6.0 percent. Nine states reported statistically significant over-the-year jobless rate increases. The largest of these occurred in Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio, each with a 0.7 percent point increase. The overall rate of unemployment in the United States was 4.5 percent.
Five Ohio Appalachian counties lead the state in unemployment, according to the latest Civilian Labor Force Estimates released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services yesterday. Pike County, at 10 percent, has the highest unemployment rate in Ohio. Meigs County is second in unemployment with 9.8 percent, with Monroe at 9.6 percent, Morgan at 9.4 percent and Muskingum at 8.4 percent rounding out the top five Ohio counties.
July 24, 2007- Governors Seek New Education Authority
A recent Education Week article said many of the nation’s governors are seeking more authority over colleges and universities, as well as K-12 public schools, in what appears to be a an effort to create a seamless system from pre-school through college. Here are some examples cited in the article.
- In Utah, Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., in May made the rare move of giving district superintendents seats, and voting rights, on the governing boards of their local colleges.
- In Ohio, Governor Ted Strickland persuaded legislators to give the governor the authority to appoint the chancellor for the Ohio board of regents, which oversees the higher education system. Before the change, the regents made the pick.
- In Washington State, Governor Christine Gregoire created P-16 or P-20 councils. Such panels are designed to better align public education from prekindergarten through college or graduate school.
- In Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick appointed a special advisor on education, set up task forces to study the state’s K-12 and higher education systems, and is backing a plan to add more members to the state board of education, which would give him more control over precollegiate education.
- In New York, Governor Eliot Spitzer issued an executive order in May creating a new higher education commission charged with improving the quality of the state’s colleges and universities.
- In New Mexico, Governor Bill Richardson persuaded the legislature in 2005 to abolish the state’s higher education commission in favor of a Cabinet-level department and secretary of higher education under the governor’s control.
- In Tennessee, Governor Phil Bredesen said that next year’s legislative focus will be on higher education.
- In Indiana and South Carolina, legislatures and governors have pushed to turn their elected state school superintendencies into positions appointed by the governor, but have been unsuccessful so far.
Read the Education Week article. Click: Governors Seek New Education Authority (
July 23, 2007- "School Funding Could Give Strickland's Popularity A Real Test"
In case you missed it, click below to read Joe Hallett's column "School funding could give Strickland's popularity a real test" appearing in Sunday's Columbus Dispatch.
To read Hallett's column, click: Joe Hallett: School funding could give Strickland's popularity a real test
July 20, 2007- Voucher Students In Ohio Double
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that it appears at least twice as many students as last year will start getting tax-funded vouchers for private-school tuition this fall. Almost 8,000 students statewide have applied for the state money. The Plain Dealer said based on last year's rates, at least 6,000 new students can be expected to be approved this year for renewable vouchers. About 2,900 students received vouchers last school year.
The Toledo Blade reported in June that several private elementary schools in the Toledo area "doubled their tuition over last year, putting the 'cost of education' just under the maximum amount that the state will pay in taxpayer money for students coming from failing public schools." The state pays up to $4,250 for elementary school and $5,000 for high school under Ohio's voucher program.
July 19, 2007- "Left Behind By Design"
A new study released this month suggests that the federal No Child Left Behind Act may indeed be leaving behind the least able students and those who are gifted. The study, conducted at the University of Chicago, provides some support to the common perception that schools are focusing on students in the middle in order to boost scores on the state exams used to determine whether schools are meeting their proficiency targets.
The study begins with the following quote from a anonymous middle school staff member. "We were told to cross off the kids who would never pass. We were told to cross off the kids who, if we handed them the test tomorrow, they would pass. And then the kids who were left over, those were the kids we were supposed to focus on."
“The whole point is that the details of how you calculate 'adequate yearly progress' matter for how teachers will allocate their effort across students,” a University of Chicago researcher said. “Anytime you keep score by looking at the number of kids who pass some proficiency standard, that will shape whom teachers teach.”
To read the study, Click:
“Left
Behind by Design: Proficiency Counts and Test-Based Accountability,”
July 18, 2007- Summer Learning Gap
A study at Johns Hopkins University concludes that much of the reading achievement gap between students of low and high socioeconomic standing in Baltimore public schools can be traced to what they learned, or failed to learn, over their childhood summers. The study, which appeared in the April issue of the American Sociological Review, makes use of data from reading tests that were administered to the same students twice yearly. Researchers were able to isolate reading comprehension gains made during the school year with those made, or lost, during the summer. The study offers the following observations:
- Attempting to close the gap after it has opened wide is a rear guard action. Most of the gap increase happens early in elementary school, which is where corrective interventions would be most effective, or even before.
- Once in school, disadvantaged children need year-round, supplemental programming to counter the continuing press of family and community conditions that hold them back.
- The school-year pattern of achievement gain parity (or near parity) across social lines flies in the face of widely held assumptions about the learning abilities of poor and minority youth. It also flies in the face of widely held assumptions about the failures of the public schools and school systems burdened by high poverty enrollments.
- A seasonal perspective on learning also has implications for school accountability. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standard of “adequate yearly progress” is intended to monitor school effectiveness based on annual achievement testing in grades 3 through 8. Schools that chronically fall short need help; however, the punitive cast of NCLB may be misplaced.
For more information, read the study, Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap, Click for the PDF.
July 17, 2007- Senator Targets March Primary For School-Funding Proposal
The Canton Repository said today that State Senator Kirk Schuring plans to submit his Education Funding Reform proposal to the voters on the March 4, 2008 primary ballot. He will not be required to collect voter signatures, however he needs to secure the necessary votes in the Ohio Senate and House to get his initiative on the ballot. To make the March ballot, Schuring's proposal must be approved by 20 senators and 60 representatives (three-fifths of each chamber) by December 5, 2007, the Canton newspaper said.
The Repository reported that Schuring said he "waited to draft his school proposal until the Legislature passed and the governor signed the state's two-year budget, because his proposal will be based on the education funding in it; is convinced that, despite increases in state support, a new funding formula that reduces the reliance on property taxes is needed; and thinks he has a solution, dealing with primary, secondary and higher education, that will have the support of school and business organizations as well as lawmakers and the governor." Schuring said people can "count on" his proposal's being introduced "as soon as possible," according to the Repository.
Read the Canton Repository article. Click: Schuring eyes school plan for ballot in March 2008
July 16, 2007- Governor: "...now has time to focus on...school-funding..."
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Governor Strickland said with the $52.3 billion two-year budget completed, he "now has time to focus on education reform, including finding a way to resolve the unconstitutional school-funding problems that continue to plague the state." The Governor, the Beacon Journal said Saturday, "is 'cautiously optimistic' that he can build a consensus on key education reform and funding issues."
On Sunday the Beacon Journal reported that Governor Strickland had a meeting last week with representatives from 18 education organizations in his effort to begin building a consensus on reforming schools in Ohio and resolving the problems in the long-standing unconstitutional funding system. The Akron newspaper correctly noted that "education leaders in Ohio are rightly skeptical about gubernatorial pledges"......pointing out that "George Voinovich vowed to be the 'education governor' in 1990, a moniker that in retrospect would be laughable if it were not so sad."
However, the Beacon Journal article said education leaders emerged from the meeting in good spirits. The article went to say, "Strickland, many said, once again appears to be sincere in his intentions to reform education and fix school funding. He said he would take the lead on bringing groups together and finding ways to fix the problem. The educators heard other ideas that appealed to them. The governor said he would not convene a blue ribbon commission or appoint a special task force to study the issues. Taft and Voinovich did both without due resolution."
Read the Saturday, July 14th Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Strickland says task is to build a consensus
Read the Sunday, July 15th Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Strickland's education step a rarity
July 13, 2007- September 11, 2007 CORAS Program
MARK TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 ON YOUR CALENDAR. Dick Maxwell, school finance expert and BASA Senior Fellow, will be featured on the first CORAS program of the new school year. His presentation will focus on FY 08-09 school-funding. The meeting will be held at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Registration materials will be mailed to CORAS members in August. You don't want to miss this one, so get it on your calendar today.
July 12, 2007- Report On Teacher Quality
Ohio missed 11 of 27 teacher quality goals and fully met only four, according to a report released in late June by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The three-year study sought to evaluate state policies on preparation, certification, licensure, compensation and effectiveness of teachers. To do that, the group examined laws and regulations in every state. Ohio fared best in the teacher licensure category, but has the most work to do in preparing special education teachers, the report concluded.
HOW NCTQ GRADED OHIO
Meeting NCLB Teacher Quality Objective.....................................D
Teacher Licensure.................................................................................C
Teacher Evaluation and Compensation..............................................D
State Approval of Teacher Preparation Programs........................D
Alternative Routes to Certification.................................................D
Preparation of Special Education Teachers....................................F
Read the National Report and/or the Ohio Report. Click: Download National Report | Ohio Report
Sources: National Council on Teacher Quality and Cincinnati Post
July 11, 2007- No Additional States Approved For Growth Model Project
The U.S. Department of Education said last week that it will permit two more states, Arizona and Alaska, to use growth models to measure student progress for this past school year. Six other states, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, and Tennessee, have already been fully approved to participate in the department’s growth model pilot project. Ohio has received conditional approval for "growth model" or "value-added" project, according to Education Week. No additional states will be considered for approval to participate in the pilot project, according to an U.S. Department of Education official.
Growth models allow states to receive credit under No Child Left Behind Act for improving individual students’ academic performance over time. By contrast, states adhering to the standard accountability requirements under the federal law compare test scores of groups of students against those of students in the same grade during the previous year, to gauge whether they are making progress toward bringing all students to proficiency by the 2013-14 school year.
Source: Education Week
July 9, 2007- Report: How Special Education Students Fared Under NCLB
According a report by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), the percent of students receiving special education services in Ohio increased 23.6% between 1990 and 2004. During that same period the number of special education students increased 38.5% in the nation. Over a quarter of a million Ohio students currently receive special education services. The National Center for Learning Disabilities is urging Congress to consider a number of recommendations in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law. The Recommendations are presented in the report, Rewards & Roadblocks: How Special Education Students Are Faring Under No Child Left Behind.
Read the NCLD report. Click: a comprehensive report on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its impact on students who receive special education in our nation's schools
July 3, 2007- Increase In Lottery Profits
Recent newspaper headlines said, "Ohio Lottery Reports Increase In Sales, Funds To Schools." Hopefully, at some point, Ohioans will began to realize that an increase in lottery profits doesn't provide additional dollars to local school districts. An increase in lottery profits only replaces already allocated funds. In addition, many people are not aware that, according to an Ohio Department of Education official, lottery profits account for less than 6 percent of local, state and federal funds spent on public education in Ohio. All news media should include this information when reporting that an increase in lottery profits benefit schools!
July 2, 2007- Speech-Language Pathology Student Permit
Senate Bill 143, to establish a limited student permit category for speech language pathology interns, and to declare an emergency, was signed by the Governor on June 30, 2007. The law becomes effective immediately.
SENATE BILL 143 SUMMARY
The bill requires the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to issue a two-year, renewable speech-language pathology student permit. This permit authorizes graduate students in speech-language pathology programs to practice speech-language pathology on a limited basis. To receive the permit, an applicant must meet the following conditions:
(1) Be enrolled in a graduate program at an Ohio institution of higher education that is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology;
(2) Have completed at least one year of postgraduate training in speech-language pathology, or equivalent coursework as determined by the Board, and any student clinical experience required by Board rules;
(3) Have submitted a plan approved by the applicant's graduate program that satisfies Board rules for the plans; and
(4) Payment of the permit fee.
A permit holder may practice speech-language pathology only under the supervision of a fully licensed speech-language pathologist acting under the approval and direction of the permit holder's graduate program. The Board must adopt rules governing the manner of this supervision. The Board also must adopt rules establishing limits on permit holders, including limits on caseloads and scope of practice. In limiting a permit holder's scope of practice, the Board must consider the coursework and clinical experience completed by the person and the graduate program's recommendation. Finally, the permit holder must display the permit in a conspicuous place wherever the person practices speech-language pathology.
June 29, 2007- WTVN-TV: Governor Likely To Veto Special Education Voucher
WTVN-TV, Columbus, reported yesterday that Governor Strickland said he's "pleased with the near unanimous passage of the budget, but he says he will likely veto the special education voucher. The program is designed to apply to three percent of about 250 thousand children in Ohio who qualify for special education assistance."
The Governor said, according to WTVN-TV, "It's a program that would allow money and resources to be taken out of the public school and be used in a private school. I tried to reach a compromise on that issue. I came up with a counter-proposal that would have provided assistance for these children while at the same time keeping the program a part of the public school system." The budget takes effect July 1st.
June 28, 2007- FY 08-09 State Budget
The $52+ billion FY 08-09 state budget was sent to the Governor following a unanimous Senate vote and only one opposition vote in the House Wednesday. Here are some education-related highlights of the plan:
Property tax cut:
A property-tax cut for 775,000 homeowners age 65 or over and the disabled, exempting the first $25,000 of their homes' value.
Tobacco money plan:
Will raise about $5 billion by selling off bonds against future income from the 1998 nationwide tobacco settlement.
The money will pay for the property tax cut and school building construction.
Higher education:
$100 million in college scholarships for Ohio students worth $1,500 to $4,600 a year in the science, technology, engineering, medical and math fields. Private schools will be allowed into the program only if they collaborate with public institutions.
A two-year tuition freeze at all public four- year colleges.
Will increase state aid to public colleges 5.6 percent the first year, and 9.8 percent above that number the second year.
$10 million in scholarships for community college students.
$50 million a year to attract top scientific research teams to Ohio colleges.
K-12 education:
A 3 percent-a-year jump in state aid along with a 7 percent increase for poorer districts. Assistance to districts with a high concentration of poor students will increase 22 percent. More than 200 school districts are flat-funded and no significant changes were made to the current funding formula.
$20 million for special science-based primary schools.
Funded five new STEM schools for grades 6-12 and provided millions to help existing schools improve their math and science programs.
Health care:
Will expand Medicaid coverage to children whose parents make 200 to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
Parents at 300 to 500 percent of the federal poverty level with children who can't get coverage because of pre-existing conditions will be able to buy into the state's Medicaid program.
Foster children will have health insurance up to age 21 instead of 18.
Early childhood care:
A $22.5 million expansion for public preschools.
An 11.5 percent increase in child-care provider rates.
A $22.5 million expansion of the "Help Me Grow" program for children from newborns up to age 3.
Vouchers and charter schools:
A school voucher program across the state will continue.
A new voucher pilot program for 8,000 special education students worth up to $20,000 a year.
Charter schools may expand in certain cases.
Sources: Cleveland Plain Dealer and Columbus Dispatch
June 26, 2007- Some Private Schools Doubled Tuition
The Toledo Blade said today that several private elementary schools in the Toledo area "doubled their tuition over last year, putting the "cost of education" just under the maximum amount that the state will pay in taxpayer money for students coming from failing public schools." According to the Blade, one private elementary schools tuition was $1,800 in 2006-07 and the cost will officially increase to $4,019 for 2007-08....and three other private schools will also collect $4,019 from taxpayers through Ohio's voucher program, while parents without vouchers will pay a greatly reduced cost. The state pays up to $4,250 for elementary school and $5,000 for high school under Ohio's voucher program.
There were 2,829 vouchers awarded statewide for 2006-07 out of 14,000 available, according to the Blade. The Ohio Department of Education said it received nearly 8,000 voucher applications by the April 20 deadline for the 2007-08 school year.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: Tuition hike at parochial schools makes TPS leaders wary
June 25, 2007- CORAS Summer Meeting
The annual CORAS summer meeting and golf outing was held at EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn on Tuesday, June 12, 2007. Fifty-four members and guests attended the program. The following retiring CORAS member superintendents were recognized for their service: Steve Pompey, Crooksville Exempted Village, Joe Pielech, Buckeye Local, Darren Jenkins, South Central Educational Service Center, Dennis Thompson, Scioto Valley Local, and Robert Heinlein, Fort Frye Local. Retiring members of the CORAS Board of Directors, Bob Caldwell, Wolf Creek, Joe Pielech, Buckeye Local and Glenn Doston, Ohio University received plaques for their service.
Kyle Kanuckel, River View Local, Randall Cadle, Indian Valley Local, John Frye, Milford Exempted Village, Sharon Smith, West Muskingum Local and Joe Wengerd, East Holmes Local, received recognition certificates for their school district achieving an "Excellent" on the 2005-06 Local District Report Cards. Charles Bizzari, CORAS President and superintendent of the Belmont-Harrison JVS, was presented the "President's Award" plaque by incoming CORAS President Richard Murray. Murray praised Bizzari for his outstanding leadership during the 2006-07 school year.
Following the program, members enjoyed a golf outing on the EagleSticks golf course. Dale Dickson, Superintendent of the Perry-Hocking ESC, has organized this event for several years. The team of Phil Satterfield, Dwight Garrett, Jerry Mowrey, and Neil Uhrig recorded the low score.
The next CORAS meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan. Dick Maxwell, school finance expert and BASA Senior Fellow, will provide an FY 08-09 school finance update.
June 22, 2007- The Cost Of Teacher Turnover
Teacher turnover is “spiraling out of control,” according to a report released yesterday by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF). The report estimated teacher turnover to have cost the nation $7.3 billion in the 2003-04 school year alone. The report said that despite the staggering expense, virtually no school district now has systems in place to track or control such turnover.
The last attempt to put a price tag on teacher attrition was a 2005 report from the Alliance for Excellent Education, which came up with a $4.9 billion cost. A spokesperson for the NCTAF said that since the time period covered in the alliance’s survey, the teacher-turnover rate has grown from 16 percent to 17 percent. This increase is significant given the size of the 3.4 million teacher workforce. For this report, NCTAF defined turnover as teachers who leave a district.
Read the NCTAF report, summary and press release.
June 21, 2007- Special Education Voucher Program
Students in special education programs would be eligible for as much as $20,000 to find schools that fit their needs under a pilot voucher program proposed yesterday by House Republicans. The House added the plan to the state's two-year, $52.3 billion budget and begins meetings with the Senate today to resolve differences in their spending plans. The proposal would provide tax dollars to send students in failing public schools to private and religious schools. The pilot program would cap participation at 3 percent of those in special education programs, or about 8,000 students. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Governor has indicated he may line-item veto the proposal if it is included in the budget bill.
June 20, 2007- Public Opinion Surveys On No Child Left Behind
Three major surveys conducted over the past year have examined public attitudes toward the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Here are the results.
Educational Testing Service
“The No Child Left Behind Act provides federal funds for school districts with
poor children in order to close achievement gaps. It also requires states to set
standards for education and to test students each year to determine whether the
standards are being met by all students. In addition, No Child Left Behind
provides funding to help teachers become highly qualified. It also provides
additional funding and prescribes consequences to schools that fail to achieve
academic targets set by their state. Based on this statement and anything else
you may have heard, would you say that you have a favorable or an unfavorable
opinion of the No Child Left Behind Act?”
Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Organization
“From what you know or have heard or read about the No Child Left Behind
Act, do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or
very unfavorable opinion of the act—or don’t you know enough about it to
say?”
Scripps Survey Research Center
“Based on everything you’ve heard, do you want Congress to renew the No
Child Left Behind law, do you want Congress to make changes in the law, or do
you want Congress to cancel the law?”
Source: Re-printed from edweek.org
Read the June 19, 2007 Education Week article. Click: To Know NCLB Is to Like It, ETS Poll Finds
June 19, 2007- Study Tracks Impact of NCLB
A new study tracking the classroom impact of the No Child Left Behind Act in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania suggests that teachers are adjusting their teaching practices in response to the law, but not always in ways that educators and policymakers might want. According to the three-year study, being conducted by the RAND Corporation, the majority of elementary and middle school science and math teachers in all three states say they are making positive changes in the classroom by focusing on their states’ academic standards or searching for better teaching methods.
At the same time, both teachers and administrators identified a variety of factors that they believed adversely affected their efforts to meet NCLB goals.
- Most administrators thought that inadequate funding was hampering their school-improvement efforts, and many said that they did not have adequate numbers of highly qualified teachers in mathematics or science.
- Administrators and teachers alike saw insufficient instructional time and insufficient planning time as barriers.
- Teachers reported that students’ lack of basic skills, inadequate support from parents, and student absenteeism and tardiness hampered their efforts.
One of the underlying principles of NCLB is that educators are expected to promote high levels of achievement despite these conditions, but the findings suggest that large numbers of educators consider this expectation unrealistic, according to the report.
Read the report (275 pages) and/or
summary. Click: 
Full Document
Summary
Only
June 18, 2007- New School Buildings and Academic Progress
Local District Report Cards have improved for most school districts benefiting from the $2.7 billion Ohio spent in school building construction projects since the Supreme Court found the funding system unconstitutional in 1997, according to an analysis by The Associated Press (AP). The percentage of school-construction districts with an academic rating of effective grew from 13 percent to 58 percent, the analysis showed. The number of districts with an excellent rating increased from 4 percent to 15 percent. The AP analysis looked at 104 districts whose projects were funded from 1997 through 2001 and completed by 2006. The analysis compared report cards from 2000-2001, the first year the state provided five ratings, and last year. However, all districts in Ohio made academic progress during the same time period. Therefore, the report noted, it is difficult to accurately measure the effect of new buildings on academic improvement.
Read the AP article. Click: Academic progress of rebuilt schools difficult to track
Sources: The Associated Press, Ohio Department of Education and the Canton Repository
June 15, 2007- Budget Bill Passes Senate
The Senate unanimously approved the new two-year, $52.3 billion budget Wednesday. According to the Dayton Daily News, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted said House members have not ruled out concurring with the Senate version of the budget. If the House does not concur, a House-Senate conference committee must agree on a compromise version. Education-related highlights of the Senate-passed budget bill include:
Grades K-12 education
• Increases the base per-student funding 3 percent per year.
• Provides no state funding increase for more than 200 school districts.
• Increases parity aid -- money designed to reduce disparities among poor and wealthy districts -- 8 percent. Limits funding to the poorest 60 percent of schools, instead of the current 80 percent.
• Guarantees no district gets less overall state funding than it did this year.
Higher Education
• Freezes tuition at all public universities for two years.
• Creates a $100 million scholarship program for students pursing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
• Devotes $50 million to assist universities in attracting top scientists.
• Earmarks $10 million for the creation of the James A. Rhodes Scholarship program, providing money for students attending two-year colleges.
Taxes
• Includes the new commercial-activities tax on business and the phased-in 21 percent income-tax cut.
• Exempts the first $25,000 of a home's market value from property taxes if the homeowner is at least 65 or disabled.
Sources: Legislative Service Commission; Senate documents, Columbus Dispatch and Dayton Daily News
June 13, 2007- Ohio Senate To Vote On Budget Bill
The Columbus Dispatch reported today that the Ohio Senate Finance Committee has passed its version of the two-year state operating budget by a 13-0 vote. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote. The Dispatch said the Governor's budget office is expected to announce soon that initial revenue estimates were more than $200 million too high, which will put the Senate's budget instantly out of balance. The Associated Press listed the following as "education related" highlights of the Senate bill.
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Provides almost $16.5 billion for primary and secondary education
Restores $27.4 million for school districts to develop improvement plans required under by federal law
Provides $750,000 beginning in July 2009 to train Advanced Placement teachers; provides $10 million each year to after-school and summer youth programs
HIGHER EDUCATION
Freezes tuition at public colleges and universities; increases state aid to institutions by $253.8 million
Creates a $10 million scholarship fund for students at two-year and technical schools
Establishes a partnership to attract top educators and increase student participation in science, technology, engineering and math
TAXES
Supports governor's plan to provide property relief to disabled Ohioans and those over 65 through the sale of Ohio's tobacco settlement proceeds; eliminates tax exemption on cigarettes and tobacco brought from out of state for personal consumption, raising $36 million
Commits to Ohio schools 70 percent of revenues after 2018 from the Commercial Activity Tax on businesses
June 12, 2007- Transition From High School To College
The percentage of high school graduates who enrolled in college in the fall immediately after high school increased between 1972 and 1997 from 49 to 67 percent. Then, the enrollment rate declined to 62 percent by 2001, before rising to 69 percent in 2005.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
June 11, 2007- Poll Shows Support For Constitutional Amendment
Nearly two-thirds of Ohioans support the proposed ballot issue to fix Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system, according to a survey by the Baldwin-Wallace College's Public Interest Research Center. The survey found that 48 percent of Ohio adults supported the measure, and 16 percent strongly supported it. Less than one in five respondents said they opposed the idea. About the same number had no opinion. The random statewide telephone survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
In addition, the poll showed widespread support for increased money for poor schools and universal preschool. Support for charter schools and school vouchers was also strong. Those surveyed were split on the idea of consolidating school districts to save money, with 43 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed.
Read the article is Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer. Click School financing plan has support
Sources: Associated Press and Cleveland Plain Dealer
June 8, 2007- Report Says STRS Obsolete, Needs An Overhaul
A report, "Golden Peaks and Perilous Cliffs: Rethinking Ohio's Teacher Pension System," released yesterday by the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, says Ohio's State Teachers Retirement System is obsolete and in need of an overhaul, it is too expensive to be sustainable, it is out of step with Ohio’s current teacher needs, labor markets and career patterns and the system is not likely to fix itself.
The report went on to list four major shortcomings. According to the report, the system encourages early retirement, it hinders teacher mobility, it lacks transparency and it is rife with ad hoc fixes.
See a supplementary PowerPoint presentation. Click here.
June 7, 2007- Growth In State GRF Aid To Education
In the last decade, state increases in school funding were larger in the first five years and much smaller during the last five. Following is a chart provided by the Education Tax Policy Institute (ETPI) that shows the State GRF education spending increases from year to year.
Growth in State GRF Aid to Education
FY 1998......... 9.8% (NOTE: In March 1997 the Ohio Supreme Court declared Ohio's school funding system unconstitutional [DeRolph].)
FY 1999.........10.0%
FY 2000......... 7.0%
FY 2001......... 8.8%
FY 2002......... 9.8%
FY 2003......... 3.1% (NOTE: In December 2002 the Ohio Supreme Court relinquished jurisdiction over the DeRolph case.)
FY 2004......... 3.4%
FY 2005......... 2.7%
FY 2006......... 1.3%
FY 2007......... 2.8%
Source: House Bill 119 Testimony, Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, on May 29, 2007 by the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Ohio Education Association, the Ohio School Boards Association and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators
June 6, 2007- Report Says Students Doing Better
A new report by the Center on Education Policy says students are doing better on state reading and math tests since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was enacted five years ago. Using testing data from all 50 states, the study addressed two key questions in the debate surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act: Has student achievement increased and have achievement gaps narrowed since NCLB was enacted in 2002?
The study found that students made the most progress on elementary school math tests. In 37 of the 41 states the data showed moderate to large gains on the percentage of students reaching the proficient mark on math tests. None of the states showed comparable declines. According to the report, Ohio students did better in math between 2004 and 2006, but no consistent pattern of progress was found in reading. The study also found achievement gaps have narrowed since the NCLB law was passed.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said the study shows NCLB is working, but the report itself doesn't assign credit to the law for the improvements made. It states that other state and local initiatives have taken place during the same period that might deserve some of the credit. The president of the non-profit Center on Education Policy says it's "very difficult if not impossible" to determine the extent to which these trends and test results have occurred because of the NCLB law.
Read the report, "Answering the Question That Matters Most: Has Student Achievement Increased Since No Child Left Behind?" Click: View Materials
June 5, 2007- Disagreement Over College Readiness
According to the American College Testing Program, two-thirds of college professors say students are "poorly" or "very poorly" prepared for college-level work, whereas roughly three-fourths of high school teachers think students are well-prepared. A Columbus Dispatch Op-ed column by Pat Smith, who was executive assistant for educational policy in Ohio's Office of Budget and Management, said, "The disconnect is substantial in all subjects: Seventy-six percent of high-school English teachers think their students are well-prepared for college work, whereas only 33 percent of professors think so. In reading, the gap is 72 percent to 36 percent; in math, 79 percent vs. 42 percent; and in science, 67 percent vs. 32 percent. In other words, students appear to be no better prepared than those in previous years, despite all the attempts to improve their performance."
The Op-ed article went on to say Ohio ranks 38th out of the 50 states in the number of high-school graduates academically ready for college.
For ACT Reports: www.act.org/path/policy/index.html.
June 4, 2007- "Everybody In The Pool"
Not really a new or novel idea, but it may be for the Columbus Dispatch. A Dispatch editorial on Sunday suggests a school funding option to explore is pooling the state's commercial and industrial taxes. The editorial said, "There is inherent inequity in the fact that Franklin County in 2005 had $7.5 billion in commercial and industrial tax base, generating $506 million in tax revenue, while Meigs County had $41.8 million worth of property, generating $1.9 million in revenue." Does anyone disagree?
While the Dispatch is wrong in its assessment of the proposed constitutional amendment, the ideal of pooling the state's commercial and industrial taxes could help reduce the school funding inequities created by the over reliance on local property taxes. The Dispatch went so far as to offer a way to make pooling "politically palatable." "One possibility, in practice in Minnesota, is to pool only the growth, beyond a set baseline year, in commercial and industrial property taxes. That allows significant sharing without requiring any school district to give up revenue it is accustomed to receiving," the editorial said.
The Columbus Dispatch has been overly critical of most proposals for reducing school funding inequities, and equally reluctant to offer solutions. Therefore, it's somewhat refreshing to see a glimmer of support for an idea that could help property-poor school districts across the state.
June 1, 2007- Post-Secondary Enrollment Option Program
Last year, about 11,000 Ohio students were enrolled in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program at a cost of more than $17 million. Students have been known to earn as much as two years' worth of college credit by participating in the PSEO program.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
May 31, 2007- Ohio's Per Pupil Expenditure Gap
The United States spent an average of $8,701 per pupil to educate its children in 2005, according to the Census Bureau. New York was the biggest spender on education, at $14,119 per student, with New Jersey second at $13,800, the Census Bureau said.
According to the Ohio Department of Education's Expenditure Flow Model (EFM), Ohio's per pupil expenditure was $8,364 in FY 2005, over $300 less than the U.S. average. During this same fiscal year, the average expenditure per pupil in Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties was $7,938, over $425 below the state average and over $750 less than the national average. Compared to the U.S. average, this amounts to about $15,000 for every classroom of 20 students.
In addition, the gap between the state average and Ohio Appalachian districts per pupil expenditure increased in FY 2006.
Sources: CNN.com and Ohio Department of Education
May 30, 2007- Maryland Model, Ohio's "Getting It Right" Amendment Similar
"Under Maryland's groundbreaking school-funding system, students.......are assured the resources they need to be successful in the classroom. It's an approach remarkably similar to one being pitched to Ohio voters via a constitutional amendment that probably will be on the November ballot. Maryland's plan, approved by the legislature in 2002, called for $1.3 billion a year in additional school spending through 2008. It pumped more money into the poorest schools and established a minimum dollar figure needed to assure every child a quality education." ....Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 28, 2007
Read the article. Click: Ohio school reformers say Maryland is a model
May 29, 2007- The Education Of A Governor
"Listen carefully to Ted Strickland, and you detect the evolution of his thinking about education. He is less the House member who joined colleagues in a friend of the court brief, decrying the unconstitutionality of the way Ohio pays for public schools. He is more the governor who the past five months has delved deeper into the problem and confronted its maddening breadth and complexity." ... Michael Douglas, Akron Beacon Journal editorial page editor, May 27, 2007
Read the article. Click: The education of a governor
May 25, 2007- Ohio Appalachian School Districts Shortchanged?
Significant differences emerge when State and Appalachian school district data is compared. For example, school districts in the Appalachian counties average nearly $450 less in per pupil expenditures; nearly $32,000 less in the average property valuation per pupil; and teachers average salary is over $4,500 less than the state average. In addition, the gap widened in FY 2006 for average per pupil expenditures and average teacher salaries. The 29 county Appalachian region includes 127 of Ohio's 612 school districts.
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools "FY 2006 Vital Statistics Report" will be mailed to member school districts in June. The report, as in the past, provides comparison data for school districts in the 29 Appalachian counties and the state as a whole.
Data source: Ohio Department of Education
May 24, 2007- School-Funding Bill Introduced In Ohio House
State Representative William Batchelder introduced HB 226 in the Ohio House. The bill would earmark 88 percent of the personal income tax for primary and secondary education expenditures, in addition to all lottery profits, and would create a new method for distributing state aid among school districts.
Read the bill. Click: HB 226 As Introduced
May 23, 2007- Nearly 7% of Ohio Seniors Fail To Qualify For Graduation
Statewide, there are approximately 130,000 Ohio high school seniors. 12,387 took the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) in March 2007. Of those who took the test in March, 8,956 seniors (more than 72%) failed one or more sections they took (4,251 failed just one section). To date, almost 7 percent of the 130,000 Ohio seniors have not passed all sections of the OGT.
Sources: Ohio Department of Education, Columbus Dispatch and Toledo Blade
May 22, 2007- NAEP History And Civics Progress Report
"The results from the 2006 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in U.S. History and Civics are certainly mixed. While we’re seeing that the reform efforts targeted toward the early grades are paying off, these reports are yet another indication that our nation’s secondary schools are producing students who are neither college- nor career-ready." ...The Education Trust news release, May 16, 2007
Want to read the report? Click below:
Fourth-grade average scores for U.S. History were higher in 2006 than in 2001 and 1994 with 70% of students performing at or above the Basic level. (more info)
May 21, 2007- Some Editorial Comments
"[Governor] Strickland is well aware a constitutional amendment such as the Campaign for Ohio's Future proposes could reduce the state's financial flexibility. That possibility should spur the governor to step ahead of the game and put forward a comprehensive plan to stabilize funding for Ohio's school districts." ...Akron Beacon Journal editorial, May 18, 2007
Read the editorial. Click: Trapped in Springfield
"Consider this idea that floated up from House Republicans, for example. It would put an extra $6 million in the budget as incentive to school districts that earn an 'Excellent' rating on the state's academic report card..... The problem here is that the wealthy districts don't have any trouble achieving excellence.... On the other side, the not-so-rich districts that need all the incentives they can get to achieve excellence, ....are forced to slash the very staff and programs that will move them to excellence." ...Laura Ofobike, Beacon Journal chief editorial writer, May 15, 2007
Read the editorial, Click: A House formula for mediocre schools
May 18, 2007- Study: Quality Instruction Necessary In Core Curriculum
Only a quarter of high school students who take a full set of college-preparatory courses, four years of English and three each of mathematics, science and social studies, are well prepared for college, according to a study of last year’s high school graduates released Wednesday by ACT, the Iowa testing organization. The study analyzed about 1.2 million students who took the ACT, along with the SAT, and graduated from high school last June. The study predicted whether students had a good chance of scoring a C or better in introductory college courses based on their test scores and the success rates of past test takers. Only 26 percent were ready for college-level work in all four core areas. Another 19 percent were not adequately prepared in any of them. ACT said 54 percent of last year’s graduates who took the ACT exam said they had taken at least the core curriculum. Those who did not fared even less well; only 14 percent were judged ready for college work in all four areas, while 36 percent were not prepared in any.
“Course titles don’t matter nearly as much as what is taught and how it is taught,” said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve. “There is tremendous variation in what is taught in a course called Biology or Algebra 2.” Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, said she finds many schools not offering challenging work.
To read the study, click: Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum (pdf) Executive Summary of Report (pdf)
Sources: New York Times and ACT
May 17, 2007- Pennsylvania Rejects Reducing Property Taxes For Income Taxes
Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly rejected a plan to reduce property taxes in return for higher local income taxes as a way of financing school districts. The proposal appeared on ballots in all but 3 of the state’s 501 school districts on Tuesday. Under the state’s Taxpayer Relief Act, school boards have the right, with voter approval, to impose or increase taxes on earned income or personal income to pay for an equal reduction in property taxes. But only 4 of the 419 districts reporting by mid-afternoon yesterday approved the plan, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State website.
The Governor promoted the plan, saying homeowners could increase the size of property tax cuts they will receive when an anticipated $1 billion in revenue from 14 new casinos that are being built around the state is used for financing schools. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association had opposed the tax shift, claiming the state needed to place less emphasis on local financing of schools.
Source: New York Times
Read the article. Click: Pennsylvania Voters Reject Tax Plan to Finance Schools
May 16, 2007- The Physical Education Debate
Legislators are currently debating standards for physical education. The Associated Press (AP) reported that Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted supported eliminating money in the Governor's budget proposal that would have paid for the creation and enforcement of state physical education standards. Husted wants Ohio schools to focus on academics. However, according to the AP report, the Speaker is willing to compromise on a new state standard, but insists that student athletes should be exempt from taking physical education. The Ohio School Boards Association has also opposed expanding physical education, arguing that schools don't have the class time or the money for one more unfunded state mandate, AP said.
Supporters argue that physical education standards aimed at teaching children lifetime fitness skills have become a moral issue when 17 percent of students are overweight and 31 percent are at risk of becoming so. Setting statewide standards allows children attending public schools to develop lifetime exercise skills, said State Senator Teresa Fedor, who has sponsored bills for the past six years calling for daily physical education classes in schools.
The following bills would set physical education standards in Ohio schools. Click to read. SB 118 As Introduced SB 131 As Introduced
Read the Associated Press article. Click: Lawmakers debating physical education
May 15, 2007- New Poll Yields Difference Results Than Last Year
A poll conducted in late April-early May 2007 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati shows Governor Strickland with a 68 percent approval rating, the highest initial rating of any new Ohio governor in the poll's 26-year history. In addition, 59 percent of the people polled approved of the job the Republican-controlled Legislature is doing. Education was not among the top three issues facing the state, however improving quality and financing K-12 public education in Ohio was mentioned by over 50% of those polled. The people surveyed listed improving the state's economy as the number one issue facing Ohioans, with jobs being second and reducing the cost of health care third.
In May 2006 Governor Taft’s approval rating of 26 percent was the lowest gubernatorial approval rating ever recorded by the Ohio Poll. A September 2006 poll showed education as the top issue facing Ohio, followed by the economy (including minimum wage) and taxes. The 2006 polls were also conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati.
| Click to view April-May 2007 poll results |  |
May 14, 2007- State Senator Proposes School-Funding Fix
The Canton Repository said Sunday, "With new school tax levies failing across the state Tuesday, attention is turning to November 6, when two competing state constitutional amendments hope to make it to the ballot. Both promise to reduce the reliance on local property taxes and decrease the need for local tax levies."
In addition to “Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future,” backed by 12 state education organizations, this latest school-funding constitutional amendment proposal called “Education Funding Reform,” was developed by Republican State Senator Kirk Schuring. According to the Repository, Schuring developed his proposal by putting together a coalition of businesses, unions and education groups. Last Thursday's Repository said Senator Schuring met with Governor Strickland's chief of staff the previous week to go over a constitutional amendment he intends to propose. Drafting the proposal's language is now underway.
The following summary of Schuring's proposal was printed in Sunday's Canton Repository.
“EDUCATION FUNDING REFORM”
OVERALL
• Amends the Ohio Constitution to establish a fundamental right of education.
• Establishes a constitutional standing for higher education.
ORGANIZATION
• Ohio Knowledge and Economic Empowerment Commission, a partnership of business and education communities, with seven to 19 members appointed by the governor and the majority and minority parties of the Legislature. There must be equal representation between business and education and a simple majority of members is required to approve a recommendation.
OPERATION
• Initial funding would be $11 billion, the current budget for education in Ohio.
• Creates the Education Trust Fund and earmarks revenue streams to fund it from state income and sales taxes.
• Requires a specific percentage of revenue for education be put into the Ohio Education Stabilization Fund each year for unforeseen shortfalls and emergencies.
• Requires the stabilization fund to maintain a balance equal to 5 percent of the total education budget each year.
• Requires a three-fifth vote of the commission to use stabilization money for an emergency.
• Assures funding for education will increase every year at an acceptable level.
OTHER MEASURES
• Has quasi-legislative and executive powers. The General Assembly can reject a commission’s recommendation with a two-thirds majority, but cannot amend or substitute a recommendation.
• Makes recommendation for investment of the trust fund and accountability mechanisms to ensure maximum return.
• Recommends ways to streamline operations to increase efficiencies.
• Establishes a long-term education-economic development plan with objectives and timelines.
• Devises a plan to invest money to create a system that stimulates innovation for new economic opportunities.
• Encourages a partnership among primary, secondary and higher education.
• Encourages higher education to develop a system of educational and research opportunities.
• Establishes a standard of excellence for education and a distribution formula to equitably and adequately provide resources to meet those standards.
• Acknowledges the role of independent colleges and universities as well as publicly-funded colleges and universities.
• Uses the Ohio Board of Education, Board of Regents and state departments and agencies for resources and support.
• Holds public hearings.
OVERALL
• Amends the Ohio Constitution to establish a fundamental right of education.
• Establishes a constitutional standing for higher education.
ORGANIZATION
• Ohio Knowledge and Economic Empowerment Commission, a partnership of business and education communities, with seven to 19 members appointed by the governor and the majority and minority parties of the Legislature. There must be equal representation between business and education and a simple majority of members is required to approve a recommendation.
OPERATION
• Initial funding would be $11 billion, the current budget for education in Ohio.
• Creates the Education Trust Fund and earmarks revenue streams to fund it from state income and sales taxes.
• Requires a specific percentage of revenue for education be put into the Ohio Education Stabilization Fund each year for unforeseen shortfalls and emergencies.
• Requires the stabilization fund to maintain a balance equal to 5 percent of the total education budget each year.
• Requires a three-fifth vote of the commission to use stabilization money for an emergency.
• Assures funding for education will increase every year at an acceptable level.
OTHER MEASURES
• Has quasi-legislative and executive powers. The General Assembly can reject a commission’s recommendation with a two-thirds majority, but cannot amend or substitute a recommendation.
• Makes recommendation for investment of the trust fund and accountability mechanisms to ensure maximum return.
• Recommends ways to streamline operations to increase efficiencies.
• Establishes a long-term education-economic development plan with objectives and timelines.
• Devises a plan to invest money to create a system that stimulates innovation for new economic opportunities.
• Encourages a partnership among primary, secondary and higher education.
• Encourages higher education to develop a system of educational and research opportunities.
• Establishes a standard of excellence for education and a distribution formula to equitably and adequately provide resources to meet those standards.
• Acknowledges the role of independent colleges and universities as well as publicly-funded colleges and universities.
• Uses the Ohio Board of Education, Board of Regents and state departments and agencies for resources and support.
• Holds public hearings.
May 11, 2007- Graduate Rates: "...the statistics paint a dire portrait."
On Wednesday of this week, national education leaders unveiled an online database that promises to provide the first accurate appraisal of how many students graduate from high school on time in each school system. The Washington Post said, "the statistics paint a dire portrait." Only 70% of students nationwide earned diplomas in four years as of 2003, the latest data available nationally. This is a much lower rate than that reported by the vast majority of school systems. According to a new data-base, Ohio's graduation rate falls between 70 and 80 percent.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings "scolded state and local education officials for masking the problem by publishing inflated graduation rates based on bad math," the Post said. Spellings also announced that graduation rates will be incorporated into the federal No Child Left Behind law by 2012 as a measure of adequate yearly progress for every high school.
The new national database signals a change in how graduates are counted. The site tabulates graduation data for school systems based on simple attrition, tracking the dwindling size of a high school class from the fall of freshman year to graduation day. The Web-based application allows users to easily map out graduation rates by zooming in on any of the nation’s individual school districts. Users may download a special report for the district, with detailed information on graduation rates that includes an analysis of where students are lost from the high school pipeline. The reports also compare district results with state and national figures. To view online data for your school district, click and follow directions: to map graduation rates.
Sources: Washington Post and Education Week
May 10, 2007- 74% Seeking New Operating Funds Fail
According to the Ohio Department of Education, there were 164 school issues on the May 8th ballot. 144 school districts had 1 issue on the ballot; 10 school districts had 2 issues on the ballot. The election resulted in 89 issues passing and 75 issues failing (a 54.27% passing rate). However, the Canton Repository reported that statewide, 40 of the 54 levies (74%) seeking new operating funds failed.
To view the election results by county, click: Results by county
May 9, 2007- Today's Headlines From Ohio's Major Newspapers
To read article, click on headline.
School levies face overwhelmingly defeats......Canton Repository
School issues: 3 pass, 2 fail......Cincinnati Enquirer
Voters reject almost every school issue at the polls ......Toledo Blade
Voters divided on area school issues......Dayton Daily News
Voters approve 4 school levies......Columbus Dispatch
Other 4 districts must decide whether, when to try again
Voters defeat many new taxes ......Cleveland Plain Dealer
Voters decide school issues......Akron Beacon Journal
May 8, 2007- Unlicensed Teachers
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) says it will work more closely with the state's charter schools to curb the unlawful hiring of unlicensed teachers. The Dispatch said officials at ODE learned recently from WBNS-TV (Channel 10) that several Columbus-area charter schools were employing teachers who lacked proper credentials. The Dispatch reported last week that just eight of the 36 teachers at one Columbus area private school were licensed.
Read the Dispatch article. Click: Teacher licenses under review
May 7, 2007- Additional Money For "Excellent" Schools
The Associated Press reported over the weekend that majority Republicans in the Ohio House want to give additional dollars to the 192 school districts earning "Excellent" on local district report cards. The extra funding averages $30,000 for each district or about $10 per student.
"Basing funding on academic success will send money to some wealthy districts that would get no funding increase under the House-passed budget, which uses the poverty-focused school-funding plan crafted by Governor Strickland," the Associated Press said.
Senator Randy Gardner, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said he is considering incentives for school districts that implement the tougher Ohio Core curriculum standards before the 2014 deadline. "I do believe that some schools are excellent because of the demographics -- the income levels, the education levels of parents, -- and not necessarily because they have done a great deal to increase student achievement," Gardner said. "There are other schools that might be 'effective' or 'continuous improvement' that may have done a phenomenal job of reaching students."
May 4, 2007- CORAS/Hicks Executive-in-Residence Program
Over 50 superintendents and other educators attended the April 24, 2007 Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence program at the Ohio University Inn, Athens. The program included a presentation on the Congressional Academy For Students of American History and Civics Education, by Jody Blankenship, Ohio Historical Society; an update on petition signature gathering for then Getting It Right! For Ohio's Future campaign by William L. Phillis; an overview of the Strickland Transition Team report on the agency review of the Ohio Department of Education, presented by George Wood, agency review chair and director of the Forum on Education and Democracy; and an depth look at demographics and education in Appalachia Ohio was the theme for the keynote presentation by the 2007 Hicks honoree, Dr. Brenda Haas, Director of the Ohio Appalachia Center for Higher Education.
In addition, 2007 CORAS Leadership and Service recognition certificates were presented to Dr. Dennis Leone, member of the STRS Board of Directors, Dr. George Wood, Director, The Forum for Education and Democracy and Principal of Federal Hocking High School, Dr. Renee Middleton, Dean, College of Education, Ohio University and Dick Fisher, Executive Director, Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools.
The CORAS summer meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at the Eagle Sticks Golf Club and Inn, Zanesville. Registration for the summer meeting will be mailed next week.
May 3, 2007- Pay-To-Play Growing Rapidly
The Canton Repository reported last week that a 2005 study for the Ohio High School Athletic Association showed that more than one-quarter of the 428 Ohio public schools responding to a survey were charging students fees to participate in extracurricular activities. According to the study, that number could rise to nearly one-half by 2009. "School officials blame failed levies and a failed state school funding system for the growth of pay-to-play," the Repository said.
May 2, 2007- Highlights Of Budget Passed By Ohio House
Here are the education related highlights of the $52.1 billion budget proposal approved unanimously by the Ohio House yesterday.
K-12 Education
K-12 Education
Rejects proposed moratorium on new charter schools and prohibition on for-profit companies running charter schools.
Rejects proposal to eliminate school voucher program in all cities but Cleveland.
School funding.
- K-12 education: Increases of 3 percent in each year.
- Early education: $75.6 million for preschools.
- Earmarks $10 million each year to create academies focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
- Creates a new health care pool for public school employees.
Higher Education
Calls for spending about $33 million more than Governor proposed for direct support to college students
Creates $100 million Choose Ohio First college scholarship program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics students who attend Ohio colleges and universities.
Permits students in families with incomes of $95,000 (now $45,000) to receive Ohio School Choice grants for attending private colleges and universities.
Increases instructional aid to higher education 2 percent in 2008 and 10 percent in 2009.
Caps tuition growth at 3 percent in 2008 and freezes tuitions statewide in 2009.
Tax relief
Keeps Governor's plan to take one-time lump sum payment of $5 billion from Ohio's share of national tobacco settlement to provider property tax relief to all Ohioans 65 and older and the permanently disabled. Tax break: A property tax rollback for 775,000 elderly and disabled homeowners that would cover the first $25,000 of a home's value.
What happens now?
- Senate Finance Committee expected to vote by June 13; followed by full Senate vote.
- Formation of House-Senate Conference Committee to craft compromise budget.
- House and Senate vote on conference committee budget and send to Governor.
- Governor must sign budget before July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
Source: Various media reports
May 1, 2007- School Tax Issues On May 8th Ballot
According to the Ohio Secretary of State web site there are 182 school tax issues, including 26 school bond issues, 126 school operating tax levies and 30 school income tax issues on the May 8, 2007 ballot. Click below to view the list of all issues on the ballot, including school bond, operating levies, and income tax, broken down by type and school district:
- 32 Bond Issues (26 are also school issues)
- 293 Tax Issues (126 are school issues)
- 25 Local Option questions
- 69 Miscellaneous questions (please see breakdown below)
- 49 tax changes (30 are school issues. Tax changes & school issues can be the same issue)
- charter amendments
- miscellaneous issue
- 12 zoning changes
April 30, 2007- Governor Says Ballot Initiative May Be Only Fix Available
The Cleveland Plain Dealer said Governor Strickland told education leaders in Aurora Friday that while he remains cool to a proposed constitutional amendment on school funding, he's less and less hopeful about getting a legislative fix.
According to the Plain Dealer, the Governor said, "The current ballot initiative, I'll share with you candidly, I have some concerns about. That doesn't mean you should interpret that I'm opposed to it. It may be the only initiative available to the people of Ohio. I would hope to deal with it legislatively. That approach does not look particularly hopeful."
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: Governor pessimistic on school-funding fix
April 27, 2007- House Budget Plan
The Ohio House of Representatives budget plan includes the following:
- Overturn an outright ban on new charter schools proposed by the Governor.
- Restore the school voucher program outside Cleveland, which the Governor dropped.
- Offer a $100 million college scholarship program that would be need-based and emphasize science, technology, engineering and math.
- Offer $33 million more in state aid for higher education than the Governor did.
- Eliminate the Governor's proposed Medicaid expansion that offers health insurance to working parents up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level instead of the current 90 percent.
- Eliminate the Governor's proposed expansion of health insurance for uninsured children whose parents make more than $61,950 a year for a family of four.
- Fully restore a discount that vendors receive for sending in their sales tax payments in a timely fashion.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
April 26, 2007- Public Education The "It" Topic In 2008 Presidential Race
In November 2006, U.S. News &World Report said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli Broad Foundation have teamed to make public education the "it" topic in the 2008 race. More recent media reports say the two Foundations will spend up to $60 million on a campaign to ensure strong billing for education, and to help shape debate on the issue. They will not endorse candidates, but will instead focus on three main areas: (1) a call for stronger, more consistent curriculum standards nationwide; (3) lengthening the school day and year; and (3) improving teacher quality through merit pay and other measures. TV, radio and other media ads are already underway.
April 25, 2007- At The Statehouse
According to today's Columbus Dispatch, the governor's plan to provide health insurance for some of Ohio's neediest families likely will be dropped by House Republicans to pay part of their proposed increase in state aid to higher education.
Read the Dispatch article. Click: State GOP might dump plan to insure poor
Bills introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday, April 24th.
HB 175 CALAMITY DAYS (Fessler) - To permanently permit school districts to make up excess calamity days by adding hours to remaining days in the school year and to declare an emergency.
HB 180 SPEECH PATHOLOGY (Setzer) - To establish a limited student permit category for speech language pathology interns, and to declare an emergency.
HB 181 MISSING CHILDREN (Setzer) - To require public and nonpublic schools to mark the records of students identified as missing children and to notify law enforcement of requests for those records.
HB 183 HEALTH CARE ASSAULT (Setzer) - To increase the penalty for assault to a felony of the fourth degree when the victim is a listed healthcare worker and to make assault against any school employee a felony of the fifth degree.
SB 151 TEXTBOOK PRICES (Roberts) - With respect to textbook pricing at state institutions of higher education.
To read more about these bills, click Ohio General Assembly and follow instructions.April 23, 2007- Facilities Aid Out Of Reach For Some Schools
The Akron Beacon Journal reported over the weekend that thousands of children in Ohio continue to attend school in aging and dilapidated facilities. An ABJ analysis found 27 school districts where projects have been shelved or placed on hold because the Ohio School Facilities Commission cannot provide state aid until local voters approve a percentage of the full cost.
"The total price tag for the projects is not known because the prospect of local support is so bleak that in more than half the districts the facilities commission has not even asked the schools for a master plan for repairs and new construction. Another nine districts are at the midway point of the period to secure local support and have two more chances, in May and August, to persuade voters to approve levies; otherwise, an additional $274 million in projects will be shelved," the Beacon Journal said.
The commission's policy, the Beacon Journal article said, has been intact for more than a decade despite four rulings from the Ohio Supreme Court that the state, and not local property owners, is responsible for ensuring each child receives a thorough and efficient education in a safe and secure facility.
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Ohio's aid for repair of schools out of reach
April 20, 2007- It's Long Past Time for Change....
"Last week's hearings on Gov. Strickland's education budget were filled with plenty of emotion as proponents of Ohio's Charter School and Voucher laws filled the room. This week will bring more of the same. But facts, not emotion, should determine the direction education funding takes in Ohio." .... George H. Wood, Director, The Forum for Education and Democracy and Principal, Federal Hocking High Schools
Read Dr. Wood's article in The Athens News, "Readers Forum: It's long past time for change in state of Ohio's education budget."
April 19, 2007- More On The Achieve Inc. Report
According to the 96-page Achieve Inc. report released in mid-February, if Ohio wants to join the world’s educational elite, state policymakers will need to enact changes that touch nearly every corner of its K-12 system. The education policy audit of Ohio examines the qualities of the highest-performing public school systems in the world and makes seven recommendations on how the state can better compete in the international marketplace.
• Align academic-content standards with real-world expectations and improve testing, including implementing end-of-course exams in core subjects, and comparing Ohio’s standards against those of countries with which the state competes.
• Empower principals to serve as instructional leaders, with performance incentives tied to student achievement.
• Improve teacher quality with clear teaching expectations, increased training, rewards for meeting benchmarks, and penalties for failure to do so. A performance-based pay system is encouraged.
• Set high expectations for students and provide support and rewards. Launch a marketing campaign to raise the aspirations of students and communities, and provide positive incentives such as college scholarships for low-income students who take challenging courses.
• Fund schools in a fair way. Ohio’s school funding system, already ruled unconstitutional by the state supreme court, needs to rely less on local property taxes and be more transparent so the flow of money can be tracked from the state to districts, to schools, and to classrooms.
• Improve intervention in low-performing schools. Steps could include expanding the student-achievement measures that are used to identify struggling schools.
• Streamline the patchwork of traditional, charter, and private schools that receive voucher students. All schools that receive public money should be subject to the same accountability system.
April 18, 2007- At The Statehouse
The following bills were introduced and /or referred in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday.
HB 152 RETIREMENT PLANS (Widener) - To require school boards to establish alternative retirement plans for teachers and school employees.
HB 155 STEM SCHOOLS (Setzer) - To direct the General Assembly's deliberations to establish a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics School System.
SB 143 SPEECH PATHOLOGY (Padgett) - To establish a limited student permit category for speech language pathology interns, and to declare an emergency.
To read more about these bills, click on the following link and follow instructions. Ohio General Assembly
Additional Notes:
The Gongwer News Service said the Senate Education Committee fast-tracks the Calamity Day Bill after a single hearing. The legislation will allow extended academic days as a means of making up lost school instructional days lost due to weather or other "calamity" closures.
Click: Budget numbers can say anything to read an article by State Senator John Carey published in today's Hillsboro Times Gazette
April 17, 2007- Congress To Begin Textbook Investigation Hearings
A USA Today report said an investigation surrounding a federal multibillion-dollar reading program has its first congressional hearing this week, "but it remains to be seen whether the scrutiny will shed any new light on a complex, contradictory tale of textbooks, tests and allegations of federal arm-twisting." Reading First began in 2002, giving schools $1 billion a year to improve reading skills in the elementary grades. Early evaluations suggests the program may be working. But, USA Today said, "investigators say a handful of advisers have railroaded schools into buying textbooks and other materials that they and associates developed."
Read USA Today article: Click: Multibillion dollar textbook scandal reaches Congress
April 16, 2007- Not Much Return On Math, Reading Software Investment
A major federal study of reading and mathematics software has found no difference in academic achievement between students who used the technology in their classrooms and youngsters who used other methods. Several officials, including Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, have commented recently that the public has not seen much of a return on the federal government’s investments of millions of dollars in grants to states and school districts for educational technology.
Read the report by the Mathematica Policy Research Inc., an independent research organization based in Princeton, New Jersey. Click: report to Congress
April 13, 2007- No Support For Proposed Calamity Days Bill?
| According an article in the Wapakoneta Daily News, several school superintendents in western Ohio say "a proposed Senate bill allowing schools to eliminate the need for make-up days for the calamity days exceeding the state maximum does not take into account the overall value of education." “We need more time with kids in school, not less,” one superintendent said. "I value the time we have with kids period,” another superintendent said. “When you talk about reducing the number of hours by reducing the number of days they are there, you’re talking about losing effectiveness.” "The number of hours students attend school should remain the same. If they are allowed five calamity days by law, then that’s where the limit should stay. Anything over that, they need to reschedule," he said Senate Bill 130, sponsored by State Senator Joy Padgett, would permit school districts to count time that schools are in session beyond the required minimum number of hours each day, in order to make up days of school canceled beyond the five days permitted each year by law. The bill would apply to hours of school attended beyond what was required starting with school days after March 1. Those hours would be added together to account for any days missed that need to be made up. The bill is currently in the Senate Education Committee. Read the Wapakoneta Daily News article. Click: Cutting calamity days |
April 12, 2007- OBM Revises School-Funding Projections For FY08-09
New estimates on how much state aid school districts would receive under Governor Strickland's proposed two-year budget were released yesterday. Budget analysts revised the figures after realizing mistakes had been made in the calculations influencing 425 of Ohio's 614 school districts. The new estimates show 302 districts getting more aid next school year, nine fewer than initially thought. The second year of the biennium, 368 districts would receive more state aid instead of 371. According to the Columbus Dispatch, state aid would increase 2.4 percent next year and 3.9 percent the following year, under the Governor's budget plan.
Click below for revised school district projections.
April 12, 2007- Usefulness of Education Research
USA Today said yesterday the U.S. Education Department made news last July when it released a study that compared the test scores of children in public and private schools. The research found that public school students often do better and sometimes a lot better than private-schoolers. But four days later, the U.S. Education Secretary unveiled a $100 million proposal to use taxpayer-funded vouchers to send public school students to private schools. The Secretary called the study irrelevant, saying it was small and flawed. Public school advocates say the administration in Washington chose to ignore a study that didn't support its agenda.
Five years-ago, the article said, the No Child Left Behind law told educators to rely on "scientifically based" methods, but in the end the science produced is often inconclusive, politically charged or less than useful for classroom teachers. And when it is useful, it often is misused or ignored altogether. But critics claim education researchers often studies topics that do little to help schools solve practical problems such as how to train teachers, how to raise skills, how to lower dropout rates and whether smaller classes really make a difference, USA Today said.
Read the USA Today article. Click: Usefulness of education research questioned
April 11, 2007- Governors, NASBE Recmmend Changes For NCLB
The National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National Association of State Boards of Education are recommending that Congress implement a number of changes in the No Child Left Behind Act, which is due for renewal this year. They include:
State accountability systems:
Permit states to use “growth models” to complement existing measurements.
Rewards and consequences:
(a)
Allow states to differentiate consequences and penalties for schools that do not
make adequate yearly progress under the NCLB law.
(b) Let states offer supplemental educational
services before public school choice.
Special populations:
(a)
Allow states to determine student progress using alternate or modified
assessments, based on a student’s individualized education program, for a
limited number of students with disabilities.
(b) Provide English-language learners with adequate
time to overcome language barriers and use alternate or modified assessments to
ensure that data accurately reflect their performance.
International benchmarking:
Offer grants to states to support analyses of state content standards against the skills being measured on international tests.April 10, 2007- ODE Contracts To Testing Companies Continue To Grow
The cost of outside contracts to administer the state testing system continues to grow. According to the Ohio Department of Education, in FY08 Ohio will spend nearly $89 million on contracts to testing companies for K-8 and OGT testing. On the other hand, Nebraska, which relies on teacher developed and administered tests for that state's accountability system will spend $9,000 dollars on outside contracts. This means that Ohio spends 50 cents per student on contracts for tests; Nebraska spends only 3 cents per child. Moving to a system like Nebraska's Ohio would save 47 cents per child or more than $85 million dollars per year (enough to employ and additional 1,700 plus teachers annually).
Source: Dr. George Wood, Director, The Forum for Education and Democracy
April 9, 2007- State (OBM) School-Funding Estimates Being Revised
The Office of Budget and Management has pulled the district-by-district school funding breakdown under the Governor's budget proposal from its Web site after discovering mistakes that will affect an unknown number of district estimates. "As soon as we work through all the numbers and verify them for accuracy and veracity, we will re-release the school funding breakdown," said Keith Dailey, spokesman for Governor Strickland.
Read the Columbus Dispatch article. Click: State revising school-funding disbursement plan
April 5, 2007- New Regulations For Assessing Students With Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education released final regulations to guide the creation of tests for students in special education who are capable of learning grade-level content, but not as quickly as their peers. The new regulations were unveiled at a news conference yesterday.
An Education Week article said the only options currently available for special education students are to take the general assessments that are given to all students, which may be too difficult, or tests intended for students with significant cognitive impairments, which are too easy. The new tests will allow a more accurate assessment of what these students know and how best to teach them, according to Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond J. Simon.
The tests may also allow some schools to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act when they had not before. Up to 2 percent of students’ proficient and advanced scores on these particular tests, which the department calls “alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards,” may be counted when measuring AYP, according to Education Week. Two percent of all students is equivalent to about 20 percent of students with disabilities, the article said.
Read the new regulations. Click: New Regulations for Assessing Students with Disabilities or go the U.S. Department of Education website.
April 4, 2007- Study: "Highly Qualified" Has Little To Do With Quality
A recent Education Week article said, that according to a federally sponsored study, the quality of instruction in elementary classrooms has little to do with whether teachers have the credentials that meet their states’ definitions of “highly qualified” under the No Child Left Behind Act. The study is the latest contribution from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( NICHD) long-running "Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development."
Read the Education Week article. Click: Study Casts Doubt on Value of ‘Highly Qualified’ Status
April 3, 2007- The Teacher Gap
"In five years, there's going to be a teacher shortage. Two groups will collide: The wave of retiring baby-boom teachers will crash into the wave of teachers who exit the profession after five years or less, leaving a lot of empty desks at the front of the class.........and every state faces this crisis." ..... President of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future.
Read the Boston Globe article: Click: The teacher gap: prepare now
April 2, 2007- Governor Signs New School Bus Regulations Bill
The Governor has signed the bill containing new regulations for school bus drivers, but used the line-item veto on a provision that would have allowed charter schools to create their own transportation districts. State money for busing would have followed charter school students from their traditional public school districts, just as the educational money does. The new regulations prohibits someone convicted of drunken driving and other major traffic violations from driving a school bus for seven years and requires initial background checks on school bus drivers going back seven years, following by annual background checks.
March 30, 2007- Ohio Ranks 39th In Four-Year College Degrees
According to the Associated Press (AP), Governor Strickland said, "Of every 100 students who enter ninth grade in Ohio, 32 don't graduate from high school, 28 graduate but don't enroll in college, 13 start college but don't return for their sophomore year and 9 leave college between their sophomore year and their final semester." "Only 18 of those original 100 ninth graders put on a cap and gown and receive a bachelor's degree within six years of graduating," the Governor said.AP said eight in 10 Ohio teenagers say they expect to get a four-year college degree, however only 22.9 percent of the state's population has one, ranking the state 39th in the country. College tuition in Ohio has risen 9 percent a year on average since 1996, the AP article added.
March 29, 2007- Education-Related Bills, Plus "Angry Exchange"
The following bills were introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday.
HB 126 COMPETITIVE BIDDING (Dyer) - To require the Department of Administrative Services to maintain a web site database including apparent low bidders who failed to be awarded a contract because they were found not to be "responsible," and to require public entities to conduct investigations when apparent low bidders are suspected of failing or fail to meet the "responsible" prong of the "responsive and responsible" competitive bidding threshold.
HB 128 AUTISM (Bacon) - To create the Autism Diagnosis Education Pilot Program and to provide funding for the Pilot Program by making an appropriation for the biennium beginning on July 1, 2007.
SB 130 CALAMITY DAYS (Padgett) - To permit school districts and nonpublic schools to count time that schools are in session beyond the required minimum number of hours in order to make up "calamity days" missed during the 2006-2007 school year in excess of the number of days permitted by law, and to declare an emergency.
SB 131 PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Fedor) - To require the State Board of Education to adopt instructional standards in physical education, nutrition and dental care; to specify physical education requirements for grades kindergarten through eight; to require physical education teachers to be licensed in their subject area and to make other changes relative to physical education.
For more information on these bills, click: Ohio General Assembly and follow instructions.
Read Cleveland Plain Dealer account of "angry exchanges" at Statehouse over school-funding. Click below:
March 28, 2007- Budget Proposal Prohibits Laying Off Teachers For Financial Reasons
The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday that a policy change in Governor Strickland's budget proposal prohibits school districts from laying off teachers for financial reasons. The last budget passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Taft said districts could cut teachers or nonteaching personnel for financial reasons regardless of union contracts signed after September 2005.
Another policy change included in the Governor's budget bill would eliminate a second count of Ohio students each school year, a measure that was also added in the last budget.
March 27, 2007- Disruptive Behavior Linked To Day Care
A report released yesterday from the largest and longest-running study of American child care has found that keeping a preschooler in a day care center for a year or more increased the likelihood that the child would become disruptive in class, and that the effect persisted through the sixth grade. The study is part of the federally financed Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a $200 million project financed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The effect was slight, and well within the normal range for healthy children, the researchers found. And as expected, parents’ guidance and their genes had by far the strongest influence on how children behaved. But the finding held up regardless of the child’s sex or family income, and regardless of the quality of the day care center. With more than two million American preschoolers attending day care, the increased disruptiveness very likely contributes to the load on teachers who must manage large classrooms, the authors argue.
On the positive side, the researchers also found that time spent in high-quality day care centers was correlated with higher vocabulary scores through elementary school.
Click the following for related information. N.I.C.D. Study of Early Child Care
Source: New York Times
March 26, 2007- Another Charter School Lawsuit Filed
The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on behalf of parents of Dayton Public School students and the Dayton Education Association President, charges that the Ohio Education Department and the state board of education have not properly monitored the performance of charter schools nor required charter schools to comply with terms of their contracts or state law.
The Plaintiffs are asking the court to find that the state has enacted a funding plan for charter schools that "unconstitutionally diverts public money from traditional public school districts, including the Dayton City School district" in a way that denies the "thorough and efficient public education" required by the Ohio Constitution. The lawsuit also alleges that, since 2000, Dayton has lost $189 million in state funding because of local charter schools.
In a 4-3 decision in October, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the state's charter-school law. The Ohio Federation of Teachers filed that suit, arguing that charter schools violated the state's constitutional requirement of a "thorough and efficient system of common schools" because they were not held to the same standards as traditional public schools.
March 23, 2007- Education-Related Bills
The following education-related bills were introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate this week.
HB 114 PREVAILING WAGE (Wachtmann) - To require the Ohio School Facilities Commission to reduce the state funds for a school district's classroom facilities project by twenty per cent if the district requires contractors to pay the prevailing rate of wages.
HB 116 HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (Blessing) - To require public employers to make health savings accounts available to public employees.
HB 117 SCHOOL TAXES (Raussen) - To authorize school districts to enter into agreements with the Department of Taxation or other entities for the collection and administration of school district income taxes.
SB 118 PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Gardner) - To require daily physical education instruction in grades kindergarten to six, to require completion of one unit of physical education in grades seven to twelve, to require physical education teachers to be licensed in their subject area, and to make other changes relative to physical education.
SCR 3 EDUCATION FUNDING (Miller, D.) - To urge the President and the Congress of the United States to amend the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to ensure more flexibility and to fully fund the appropriations authorized in the Act.
To read more about each bill, click on the following link and follow instructions. Ohio General Assembly
March 22, 2007- America's Perfect Storm
Our nation is in the midst of a perfect storm, according to Education Testing Service (ETS) researchers, and the forecast is grim unless we invest in policies that will change our perilous course.
A report from ETS's Policy Information Center, America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future, looks at the convergence of three powerful socioeconomic forces that are changing our nation's future:
- substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math)
- seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps)
- sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills)
ETS said, "There is little chance that economic opportunities will improve among key segments of our population if we follow our current path. To date, educational reform has not been sufficient to solve the problem. National test results show no evidence of improvement over the last 20 years. Scores are flat and achievement gaps persist. Hope for a better life, with decent jobs and livable wages, will vanish unless we act now."
We must raise our learning levels, increase our reading and math skills and narrow the existing achievement gaps, or these forces will turn the American Dream into an American Tragedy, putting our nation at risk, ETS said.
For more information click:
Source: ETS.org
March 21, 2007- Proposal To Override Collective Bargaining Contracts
According to Education Week, (EW) the Bush administration wants school district officials to have the freedom to override collective bargaining contracts while staffing their most troubled schools, but EW says the controversial proposal could face an uphill battle against a Democratic-led Congress and the teachers’ unions. U.S. Department of Education officials say the proposal, part of the administration’s blueprint for the renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act, would apply only to schools that are undergoing restructuring and is a direct response to concerns they have heard from urban superintendents.
Education Week said there were attempts to undercut collective bargaining when the No Child Left Behind law was first approved by Congress in 200, but failed to gain support. Some education analysts point to what they contend is a change in the atmosphere this year because of a growing chorus against teachers’ seniority rights, from voices both within and outside public education, EW said.
Collective bargaining agreements currently have protection under the NCLB law, which says that districts cannot pursue options to restructure schools that conflict with existing contracts.
Read the EW article. Click: Administration Wants Districts Free to Transfer Teachers
March 20, 2007- Governor's Comments Align With "Getting It Right For Ohio's Future"
During his State of the State address Wednesday, Governor Strickland outlined his vision for addressing school funding, which align with Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future provisions in the following ways:
ACCOUNTABILITY
Governor Strickland:
“…we must create a better system for knowing what we’re getting for our money.”
Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future:
“…the Education Accountability Commission… shall monitor and annually report to the Governor, the General Assembly, the State Board of Education and the public regarding… the components of a high quality education… are being delivered in a cost efficient and effective manner…”
QUALITY EDUCATION
Governor Strickland:
“…too many teachers can still say, without fear of contradiction, that their districts lack the resources necessary to provide their students with the quality education they deserve as citizens of Ohio.”
Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future:
“Each public school pupil has the fundamental right to the opportunity for a high quality public education.”
STUDENT NEED
Governor Strickland:
“…we
(will) focus our aid formulas to put the emphasis on meeting students’
needs.”
Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future:
Establishes a school funding system based on student need, consisting of “all of the necessary resources to provide a high quality public education for all public school pupils at every level and for every type of pupil…”
TARGETED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
Governor Strickland:
“For those over 65, and the disabled, regardless of income, (expanding the Homestead Property Tax Exemption) will mean no property tax… on the first $25,000 of value in their homes.”
Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future:
Exempts senior homeowners and disabled homeowners from property tax on the first $40,000 of the market values of their homes.
For more information about Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future, visit www.rightforohio.org.
March
19, 2007- Supreme Court Justice: "Strickland's Plan...A good Start..."
| Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer, a Republican who sided with the majority in ruling Ohio's school-funding system unconstitutional, said Governor Strickland's plan was a good start to help "attack the problem in school funding." "Part of the problem in disparities from school district to school district is the reliance on the property tax," Pfeifer said. Schools in wealthy areas unfairly end up with more money than those in poorer areas when schools must rely on property taxes, the justices said. ...Associated Press
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March 16, 2007- Governors Budget: FY08-FY09 School Funding Projections
According
to the Columbus Dispatch, Governor Strickland's budget would increase
the state's share of funding for schools from about 45 percent this
year to 48 percent by 2009. On average, per-pupil funding would
increase by 3 percent a year, from the current $5,403 to $5,565 in
2007-08 and $5,732 in 2008-09. Parity aid would increase by about 8
percent. Parity aid is now spread over 80 percent of districts. The
budget would limit it to the poorest 60 percent, as the governor
targets aid to lower-income districts.
Statewide, 311 of the 613 districts would get increases next year and
371 districts would receive more funding in 2009, the Dispatch said.
According to projections by the Office of Budget and Management, 302 of
the 613 school districts in Ohio will receive no increase in state
dollars in the 2007-08 school year and 242 school districts will see no
increase in state funding in 2008-09. The Toledo Blade said more than
one in three, or 229, school districts in Ohio will not receive any
additional funding from the state over the next two years.
To view FY 08 and FY 09 school-funding projections under the Governor's budget, click below.
FY2007-2008 Executive Budget Proposal: School District-by-School District Projections for the Foundation Program
March 15, 2007- Early Childhood Education: Ohio Ranks 33rd of 38
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that Ohio is losing ground in providing quality preschool education programs to its youngest and most needy students. Of the 38 states with preschool programs, Ohio ranks 33rd in providing access to 4-year-olds, according to the national "State of Preschool" report released Wednesday by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Ohio's per-child spending on preschool fell from $6,724 the previous year to $2,345 in 2005-2006, dropping the state's ranking in funding from fifth nationally to 32nd. The gloomy analysis of Ohio's program comes when state-funded preschool programs constitute the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. education system, the Plain Dealer said.
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article, Click Preschools in Ohio rank 33rd of 38
The Governor said the following about early childhood education in his State of State address yesterday.
Let’s talk about one of the best investments we can make – early childhood education.
Let’s talk about one of the best investments we can make – early childhood education.
If your interest is the economy, if your interest is our social health, if your interest is our physical health, if your interest is education – at any level, for any age – then you must care about early childhood education. Those early years affect everything. Research shows a better start for our children ultimately means that there will be less crime and more college, less teen pregnancy and more home ownership, less welfare and more health. A modest investment during a brief period of childhood leads to a lifetime of positive outcomes.
And as we seek improvements in higher education, and early childhood education, we will not abandon our constitutional responsibility for primary and secondary education. To be sure, the legislature, previous administrations, local school boards, educators and our students have achieved significant progress in our schools. SAT scores and ACT scores top the national averages. Proficiency tests reveal that our students exceed the national average in reading, in math, and in science. Our high school graduation rate is up 8 percent over the last 8 years.
Text: Read the full speech by Gov. Strickland
But while every child deserves a fair start on their way to school, too many of our children begin the race not only well behind the starting line, but facing in the wrong direction. We cannot afford to abandon those children who face a poverty of resources and a poverty of experiences. We must recognize the facts: we have a readiness gap that leads to an achievement gap that results in an outcome gap. So let’s fix it by increasing access to early childhood education.
Today we have a hodgepodge of confusing rules which makes it difficult for parents to take advantage of existing programs. For example, a child may be eligible for our Early Learning Initiative, but ineligible for subsidized child care. We need one easily understood standard. In my budget, if a child’s family is under 200 percent of the poverty level, that child will be eligible for any early care and learning program we have.
We also need to expand our public pre-school offerings. My budget provides a $10 million expansion of public pre-school, expanding the number of 3 and 4 year olds taught by 66 percent. This is the first expansion of the program since 1989.
As we expand access, we must increase the quality of a child’s educational experience as well. My budget increases child care provider rates which will help attract and retain experienced and well-trained staff. And we will make funds available for professional development and training, the hiring of specialists in early childhood development, and interventions to promote school readiness.
And we will expand efforts to provide information and support to Moms and Dads. Our Help Me Grow program serves families with children from newborn to 3 years old. As early as just a few weeks into their lives we offer an in-home visit from a nurse to help new parents in the crucial first days of a newborn’s life. The program provides vital information and resources on health, safety, and development. In my budget, we will expand the program to reach thousands of additional children.
Text: Read the full speech by Gov. Strickland
March 14, 2007- What Did The Governor Say Today About K-12 Public Education?
The following is quoted from the Governor's State of State address delivered earlier today at the Statehouse.
And as we seek improvements in higher education, and early childhood education, we will not abandon our constitutional responsibility for primary and secondary education. To be sure, the legislature, previous administrations, local school boards, educators and our students have achieved significant progress in our schools. SAT scores and ACT scores top the national averages. Proficiency tests reveal that our students exceed the national average in reading, in math, and in science. Our high school graduation rate is up 8 percent over the last 8 years.
President Harris, Speaker Husted, Leader Fedor, and Leader Beatty, you and your colleagues are to be thanked for the role you’ve played in improving Ohio’s schools. But there’s much work left to be done. Too many Moms and Dads, and too many of our teachers can still say, without fear of contradiction, that their districts lack the resources necessary to provide their students with the quality education they deserve as citizens of Ohio. We can do better. And under my budget plan we will.
My proposals do not solve all the problems of our schools, but they represent a major advance toward providing adequate and equitable funding for our primary and secondary schools. To begin, we must create a better system for knowing what we’re getting for our money. My budget addresses that need with a pilot project in which participating school districts will adopt a standard fiscal reporting system. In the second year, the Board of Education will be required to implement this transparent accounting system in every district in the state. This will finally let us see exactly where our money goes and what it accomplishes. And just as we must closely and realistically track local spending, we must accurately acknowledge the full contribution the state makes to local schools. Currently we don’t include the full range of tax relief – which is real cash for local schools – when we calculate the state’s share of education spending. My budget will change that as well.
A true accounting of education spending reveals that less than half of local school funding currently comes from state resources. Under my plan, our investment in schools will bring the state’s support for local school districts to nearly 54 percent in 2009. This likely reflects the largest percentage contribution of state resources to local school districts in the modern history of Ohio. How do we do this?
- First, we increase the amount of foundation funding per student by 3 percent in each of the next two years.
- Second, we focus our aid formulas to put the emphasis on meeting students’ needs. In the process, many districts will receive additional funds, and no school district, not one, loses any state funding from what they have today.
- Third, over two years, we will increase parity aid by more than 7 percent. And to ensure that that aid has the greatest effect, we will target the money to the 60 percent of districts most in need rather than spread it out among the 80 percent of districts as is now the practice.
- Fourth, we will increase poverty based assistance by 22 percent over the biennium – adding both flexibility for schools in how they use the funds and the expectation that they demonstrate results.
- And, finally, my budget will authorize securitizing Ohio’s tobacco settlement funds for approximately 5 billion dollars.
Armed with those resources, we will help firm the financial foundation of our school systems for at least a generation. With 2.2 billion of that money, we will meet all current commitments of the school facilities commission. Within five years, every dollar will be in the hands of local school districts as they create facilities of the future. The remaining resources – just over 2.8 billion dollars – will allow us to forego issuing bonds that are currently scheduled for the next three years. As a result of not incurring this debt, avoiding principal and interest payments, 250 million dollars in general revenue funds will be made available each year for the next 20 years. We will dedicate that yearly savings to the largest targeted property tax cut in the history of Ohio by expanding the Homestead Property Tax Exemption. For those over 65, and the disabled, regardless of income, this will mean no property tax, not one penny, on the first $25,000 of value in their homes. That’s a tax cut, a property tax cut for one in every four Ohio homeowners.
How does this help our schools? Well, the state will replace the tax revenues lost due to the expansion of the Homestead tax cut. In other words, schools will have local property tax dollars replaced with state dollars. Paying for our local schools is a responsibility that has been largely borne by local property tax payers. Many have argued, and the DeRolph decision agreed, an education system primarily dependent on the wealth of the local community is inherently unfair. Because where you grow up in Ohio should not determine where you end up in life. With this plan we ease the burden on some of our most vulnerable property taxpayers and we strengthen the financial base of our schools.
Let me underscore, by 2009 the state will provide almost 54 percent of the funding for our local schools. That would be the highest level of state funding for local schools in the post-DeRolph era. With additional funding, with additional parity aid and poverty based assistance, and with the Homestead property tax cut, we are making the biggest single advance toward an equitable education system in our state’s history.
A generation of Ohio students will benefit. And so too will parents. And taxpayers. But this is possible only by making the tough decisions I spoke of earlier. Even as we stabilize the funding foundation of our schools, we must reinvent the mission and performance of our education system. Today, the goal is not to outshine Pennsylvania, or Indiana, or Kentucky. We must set high standards to prepare our young people to compete with the world, to win in the Global economy. We must build educational systems that are fluid enough for creativity and innovations, and agile enough to adapt to the demands of our changing state and world.
We will weigh seriously the recommendations of experts – including a recent report from Achieve that was commissioned by the state Board of Education and financed by the Gates Foundation. Their recommendations include:
- Placing more responsibility with, and expectations on, our school principals in their role as instructional leaders.
- Giving teachers more opportunity to learn and collaborate with their colleagues on effective teaching methods.
- Using achievement and proficiency tests as a means of helping students move to higher levels of learning, and not just as a means of sorting and labeling students and school districts.
- And they pointed out the unfairness of demanding more and more of our public schools while demanding less of charter schools supported with public tax dollars.
I believe the standards gap between our traditional public schools and other schools receiving public money is so glaring that we must act immediately. My budget imposes a moratorium on new charter schools and prohibits for-profit management companies from running charter schools. My budget eliminates the voucher program except for the means-tested voucher initiative in Cleveland. I am also requiring that we closely monitor all charter schools to determine if they meet educational and fiscal standards of accountability.
As we take on questions of reform, as we take on questions of funding, the goal must be absolutely clear. We will have public schools that serve our children’s needs. All of our children. I ask you to work with me today, tomorrow, and every day. So that together we can build an education system that every Ohioan is proud of. As my Lt. Governor, and my great economic development director, Lee Fisher often says, “our success will depend on our willingness to make strategic investments in the unbreakable link between educational achievement and economic prosperity.”
I am well aware, the process does not end with these proposals, it begins. President Kennedy often told of the general who asked a gardener to plant a sapling for him. The gardener objected that the kind of tree the general chose would grow slowly, and would not reach maturity for 100 years. So the general replied, “Well, in that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon.”Text: Read the full speech by Gov. Strickland
March 14, 2007- State Board Approves School Bus Driver Standards
The state school board on Tuesday unanimously approved tougher standards for school bus drivers. The changes were outlined in an email message to CORAS members yesterday.
The following education-related bill was introduced in the Ohio Senate this week.
SB 110 STUDENT HEALTH TEST (Boccieri) - To require public and chartered nonpublic schools to test students for dyslexia and related disorders and to provide intervention services to students identified as having dyslexia or a related disorder.
To read more about the bill, click: Ohio General Assembly and follow instructions.
March 13, 2007- Tougher Standards For School Bus Drivers Proposed
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Associate Director of Pupil Transportation laid out a proposal to make sweeping changes to state pupil transportation rules and laws to a State Board of Education committee yesterday.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the proposal includes:
- Take a tougher stance against drivers with prior driving-under-the-influence convictions. Currently, a driver can't have a DUI conviction in the past two years. The proposal keeps those with a conviction in the past six years from behind the wheel.
- Make sure school districts and private busing companies have access to lifetime driving histories through the ODE, instead of the limited three-year view they now have.
- Require drivers and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to report criminal convictions as soon as they happened to employers. That way drivers won't be able to hide convictions between scheduled background checks, which take place every six years.
- Put ODE in charge of monitoring compliance with state rules and law. To date, the department monitored largely financial and safety issues. It was also recommended that the department begin collecting data on all bus drivers, including those who drive for private companies. Currently, the state Highway Patrol collects such data.
- Allow fewer moving violations and fewer serious traffic offenses in the two years before drivers are hired.
- Check driving records more often. The state requires annual checks now but would begin checking twice a year.
ODE also recommended other bus-related rule changes yesterday. They include prohibiting diesel buses from idling for more than five minutes, banning the use of cell phones by drivers except in emergency situations and requiring at least four hours of training for drivers each year.
Read the ODE action plan. Click: Document: Proposed standards
March 12, 2007- For Your Information
* Statewide, 108 of 719, or about 15 percent, of school superintendents are women. ....Ohio School Boards Association.
* Ohio lost 16,600 jobs from January 2006 to January 2007. Only Michigan performed worse. The year before, just six states trailed Ohio. ....Columbus Dispatch.
* "We can’t tell Kentucky jokes anymore because in some very basic, fundamental ways, Kentucky has moved well ahead of Ohio educationally," Governor Strickland said. ....Columbus Dispatch
* A 2005-06 national study found the average annual contract salary for superintendents at districts with more than 25,000 students was $189,281. The average superintendent at a school system with 10,000 to 24,999 students made $154,714 per year during that time period. ....Educational Research Service and Toledo Blade
* Leading Ohio scientists expressed their opposition Friday to the idea of creating separate schools that specialize in science and math. ...Gongwer News Service
March 9, 2007- "windfall for public schools"
A headline in the yesterday's Cincinnati Enquirer read, OHIO'S SCHOOLS WIN MILLIONS, TOO. The article went on to say,"Ohio schools will get nearly $22 million, thanks to Mega Millions players' dreams of getting rich. After prizes and costs, that's how much money is left for public education in Ohio from the record $390 million drawing Tuesday, officials said. Ohio Lottery spokeswoman Mardele Cohen said she was exhausted from the sales frenzy and media attention, but thrilled by the windfall for public schools."
This "windfall for public schools" amounts to slightly over $12 per student, not to mention that lottery funds are included in the school-funding formula rather than being additional dollars. Need we comment further?
March 8, 2007- Teachers Average 15.5 Hours Per Day To Meet NCLB Demands
Hawaii public school teachers are putting in an average of 15.5 hours of work per day, much of it on tasks demanded by federal mandates. The results of the first-of-its-kind study was reported recently by the Honolulu Advertiser. More than half of that time is unpaid, according to the study by a joint committee made up of teacher union and state Department of Education members. Almost two years were spent investigating the effect of increased demands by the Hawaii Department of Education and the federal No Child Left Behind Act on the time teachers spend doing their job, including hours before and after school and into the evening. The report to the State Board of Education said if teachers were paid for all their extra hours, they'd be earning an extra $63,000 a year, based on the average salary paid the state's public school teachers. Starting pay in Hawaii for a teacher right out of college is around $40,000 annually, according to the report.
Source: The Honolulu Advertiser, March 2, 2007
March 7, 2007- Nathan DeRolph Isn't Satisfied With What's Been Done
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Nathan DeRolph, the DeRolph lawsuit's lead plaintiff, isn't satisfied with what's been done to address school-funding in Ohio......and he and his wife are considering sending their daughter to private school in the fall.
The Beacon Journal article said, with the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court's first school funding decision a few weeks away, Nathan DeRolph isn't sure what will happen. There is renewed interest in the issue, with newly elected Governor Ted Strickland pledging to tackle the problem and an effort under way to put a school-funding constitutional amendment on the November ballot. "We've seen politicians come and go,'' DeRolph said. "We've heard promises...." His father, Dale, is heartened by the rejuvenated attention, the Beacon Journal said. "We've got everybody back working in the (right) direction,'' Dale DeRolph said.
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Schools still show gap between rich and poor
March 6, 2007- Study: Spend More On Schools
A study by a team of researchers at the University of Washington, funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, suggests that Ohio should spend between 16 percent and 31 percent more on public education for such changes as longer school years, lower pupil-teacher ratios and significant improvements in early education, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. A working draft of the study, called Education Policy and Finance Project for Ohio: Investments to Improve Student Performance, was used by the Ohio Department of Education last week to brief Governor Ted Strickland's administration, legislative leaders and a policy committee within the agency, the Beacon Journal said.
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: STUDY: SPEND MORE ON SCHOOLS
March 5, 2007- State "Aggressively" Shifting Funding To Local Property Taxes
A recent Akron Beacon Journal analysis of school-district data shows that since the Ohio Supreme Court relinquished control of the DeRolph school-funding case in December 2002, the State of Ohio has reversed its progress in complying with the court's order regarding the over-reliance on local property taxes to support public schools.
According to the Beacon Journal, in the three years of state budgets since the Court gave up control, 533 of 609 school districts in the newspaper's analysis saw a decline in the state's share of their revenue. The Beacon Journal said, "The state's contribution fell so dramatically that by the 2005-06 school year, Columbus was providing only 41.8 percent of revenue to Ohio school districts, lower than the 42.6 percent it contributed in school year 1991-92, when the court case began." "As the shift occurred," the Beacon Journal said, "school districts across the state struggled with reluctant voters to make up the difference. The number of levies on ballots soared to the highest level in 14 years as [Governor] Taft and the legislature aggressively shifted funding."
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Districts' school funding burden growing
March 2, 2007- Education-Related Bills
The following education-related bills were introduced in the Ohio House and Senate this week.
HB 82 SCHOOL BUSES (Chandler) - To require all school buses purchased, leased, or rented after January 1, 2010, to transport students to and from school to be equipped with a seat belt assembly for all passengers.
SB 89 SCHOOL CALENDAR (Gardner) - To prohibit public schools from opening for instruction prior to Labor Day except in specified circumstances.
HB 85 BOARD OF REGENTS (Webster) - To expand the authority of the Ohio Board of Regents to regulate the programs and tuition of state institutions of higher education, to require the Governor's approval of the Board of Regent's selection for Chancellor, to restructure the terms of members of the Board of Regents, and to establish the Ohio Higher Education Purchasing Commission.
To read more about each bill, click: Ohio General Assembly and follow instructions.
March 1, 2007- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Grades States on Education
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released a new and highly critical education report card for the states. The chamber offers a business perspective on the effectiveness of state education systems with a prescription for more innovative, efficient, and better-performing schools, an Education Week article said yesterday.
Titled “Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness,” the 84-page assessment gives letter grades to each state based on indicators related to student achievement, teacher quality, and school management. A “return on investment” grade rates states on student performance per dollars spent, controlled for poverty. The following is the chamber's assessment of education in Ohio.
U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EDUCATION REPORT CARD FOR OHIO
Academic Achievement...................................................B
Academic Achievement of Low-income and Minority Students.........C
Return on Investment....................................................C
Truth in Advertising About Student Proficiency.......................C
Rigor of Standards.......................................................D
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness...............................C
21st Century Teaching Force............................................B
Flexibility in Management and Policy.....................................C
Data Quality...............................................................B
Source: "Leaders and Laggards," U.S. Chamber of Commerce and edweek.org
To read an overview, methodology, major findings, conclusions and report cards for other states, click: "Leaders and Laggards"
February 28, 2007- Who Makes It Through College?
"For young people today good jobs increasingly require at least some postsecondary training with the greatest advantage going to those with a Bachelors degree or better. In the last decade, college-going rates skyrocketed." Below are several indicators of postsecondary trends in Ohio compared to the performance of the top states on each indicator. The data is from the Education Trust report, 2006 Education Watch State Summaries.
Participation and Persistence in Postsecondary Education
H.S. freshmen enrolling in any U.S. college w/in 4 years, 2002..........Ohio....41% *Top States....53%
1st year community college students returning their 2nd year, 2004.....Ohio....51% *Top States....62%
Freshmen at 4 year colleges returning their sophomore year, 2004......Ohio....73% *Top States....82%
First-time full-time freshmen completing a BA within 6 years, 2005.....Ohio....56% *Top States....67%
* Top States = Median of Top 5 Performing States
Source: 2006 Education Watch State Summaries, The Education Trust
To access more report findings, click below.
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February 27, 2007- State Senator To Introduce Constitutional Amendment
State Senator Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) said last week he expects to introduce a joint resolution in the Ohio Senate calling for a constitutional amendment on the November 6, 2007 ballot. To be placed on the ballot, the resolution would require approval by both the Senate and the Ohio House.
The Canton Repository said Schuring's proposal, which he expects to introduce within the next two-months, would:
---- Create a separate education budget - starting at $11 billion - for primary, secondary and higher education.
---- Finance the budget through an Ohio Education Trust Fund made up of a percentage of Ohio's income, sales and some excise taxes. The fund would be created by a constitutional amendment so its money could not be frozen or changed by the Legislature.
---- Allow the fund to grow as Ohio's revenue collection grows.
---- Allow the state to contribute more to local school districts, decreasing the dependence on local property taxes.
---- Establish a "rainy-day" fund for schools.
---- Create an Ohio Knowledge and Economic Empowerment Commission, which would be a partnership between the business and education communities and make recommendations for the use of the funds.
Read the Canton Repository articles. Click below.
February 26, 2007- 16 Million Americans Living In Extreme, Severe Poverty
A McClatchy Newspaper analysis of 2005 census figures found that nearly 16 million Americans are living in deep or severe poverty, a number that grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005. The report said the percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high; millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line; and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have nots" continue to widen. Among the states with the most people in poverty, Ohio ranked sixth with 657,415. California was first with 1.9 million people. Other states listed in the top ten were Texas ( 1.6 million), New York (1.2 million), Florida (943,670) and Illinois (681,786). Ohio is followed by Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina.
According to the McClatchy analysis, the plight of the severely poor comes amid economic expansion. Worker productivity has increased dramatically since the recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged. Meanwhile, the share of the national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries. The McClatchy report said this helps explain why the median household income of working-age families, adjusted for inflation, has fallen for five straight years. These and other factors have helped push 43 percent of the nation's 37 million poor people into deep poverty, the highest rate since at least 1975.
In addition, the Associated Press reported today that Census Bureau statistics show about 44 million people, nearly one in six in the country, relied on government services for the poor in 2003. That compares with about 39 million in 1996.
Read the McClatchy Special Report. Click: Poverty in U.S. grows For additional information and data, click below.
February 23, 2007- NAEP: H.S. Seniors Reading Scores Lowest Since 1992
According to studies released yesterday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), high school seniors posted the lowest reading scores since 1992 and less than one-quarter of the nation's seniors showed that they were proficient in math. At the same time, however, grade-point averages have risen nationwide, according to a separate survey by the NAEP.
Students proficient in reading dropped to 35 percent from 40 percent in 1992 and remained essentially flat since students previously took the exam in 2002. In math, only 23 percent of all 12th graders were proficient, but the exam has been revamped, so the results could not be compared with those from earlier years. About 39 percent of 12th graders lacked even basic high school math skills, according to the reports.
The reports said the disparity between rising grade-point averages and tougher coursework on the one hand and stagnant reading scores on the other may be due to “grade inflation, changes in grading standards” or the possibility that student grades were being increasingly affected by things like classroom participation or extra assignments.
The study included 21,000 high school seniors from 900 schools. Researchers also examined the transcripts of 26,000 graduates.
Read the reports. Click: The Nation's Report Card: Reading and Math The Nation's Report Card: Transcript study
February 22, 2007- Science and Mathematics Recommendations
The Science and Mathematics Education Policy Advisory Council (SAMEPAC), charged with developing policy recommendations for the Governor, the Chancellor of the Board of Regents, and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction respecting improvements in the P-16+ education system for mathematics and science education, released its report recently. The report contains five strategies with 13 recommendations. Read the report "Science and Mathematics: A formula for 21st Century Success." Click below:
February 21, 2007- In The Ohio House of Representatives
The following "education related" bills were introduced and referred in the Ohio House of Representatives, February 20, 2007.
HB 1 EDUCATION FUNDING (Setzer) - To reserve this bill number for the Governor's school funding reform plan. Referred To Finance & Appropriations.
HB 8 RETIREMENT BENEFITS (Hagan, R.) - To provide that a member of a state retirement system, on conviction of a felony committed in the course of official duties, will forfeit the portion of any state retirement benefit that is based on employer contributions. Referred To State Government & Elections.
HB 14 SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS (Hughes) - To extend indefinitely the full reimbursement to school districts for the phase-out of taxes on business tangible personal property. Referred To Finance & Appropriations.
HB 27 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (Wolpert) - To revise the law regarding school district and school building academic performance ratings. Referred To Education.
HB 29 FUEL TAX EXEMPTION (Harwood) - To exempt from the motor fuel tax any sales of motor fuel sold to school districts or educational service centers for school district or service center operations. Referred To Finance & Appropriations
HB 42 SCHOOL FUNDING (Stewart, J.) - To establish a bipartisan committee to recommend to the General Assembly a system that provides state funds to pay one hundred per cent of the actual cost of providing a thorough and efficient education to each public school student and to require the Department of Education to report certain school funding information to the parents and taxpayers of each school district. Referred To Finance & Appropriations.
HB 43 ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN (Garrison) - To provide formula funding for all-day kindergarten for all school districts and community schools that offer it. Referred To Finance & Appropriations.
HB 44 PARITY AID PAYMENTS (Garrison) - To change the formula for calculating state parity aid payments to primary and secondary schools. Referred To Finance & Appropriations.
For additional information on each bill, click: 127th Ohio General Assembly Search and follow instructions.
February 20, 2007- In Today's News...
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STATE NEEDS TO SCRUTINIZE TAX BREAKS "The state needs to scrutinize the billions of dollars in tax breaks it allows and scrap those that aren’t needed or can no longer be justified, a study concluded last week. Ohio provides tax credits and other deductions to encourage economic development or for other reasons. Those exemptions were estimated to reach $6.27 billion in fiscal year 2006 and $7.12 billion this fiscal year, although the value of many has changed since tax reform took effect in 2005." ...Columbus Dispatch, February 20, 2007
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OHIO SPENDS TOO MUCH ON ADMINISTRATION "Strickland was asked at a conference of newspaper editors whether he favored consolidating the state’s 614 school districts. He didn’t say there are too many districts but said he thinks Ohio spends too much on administration compared with other states. 'Quite frankly, looking at that data … Ohio seems to be somewhat top-heavy when it comes to administrative levels,' he said. 'I think it’s important that we allow schools to maintain their personal identities; it’s a part of our Ohio heritage. But I do believe that there are ways we can consolidate administrative functions (and) purchasing power, that will significantly cut costs' " ...Columbus Dispatch, February 20, 2007
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OEA TO VOTE ON ONETIME INCREASE "Roughly 1,300 delegates to the Ohio Education Association’s convention April 20 in Columbus will vote on a onetime $25 increase in membership dues to help pay for the campaign to pass a schoolfunding constitutional amendment proposed for the November statewide ballot. 'The other organizations are all working internally in an attempt to secure funding,' [Gary} Allen [OEA President} said, calling $2.5 million 'a fair share' for the OEA." ...Columbus Dispatch, February 20, 2007
February 19, 2007- "Creating a World-Class Education System in Ohio"
A newly released report, "Creating a World-Class Education System in Ohio," calls for sweeping changes in Ohio's K-12 education system. The report, prepared by the education policy group Achieve Inc., and financed by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at a cost of $500,000, contains seven recommendations. An excerpt from one of the recommendations says, "Financial support for principals, teachers, and students is the bedrock of high support for an education system, but it is well established that Ohio’s school funding system is broken..........Ohio should also simplify and redesign its funding formula to account for the true costs of efficiently educating each student to the level of the new standards. Ohio should then reform its tax system to deliver the funding for the redesigned formula to each school on a predictable and stable basis. The two most important things this tax reform must accomplish are: (1) to increase stability by reducing the number of local levies that districts must ask for each year and (2) to reduce inequalities in district revenue. "
The authors say Ohio can’t pick and choose its reforms—that all seven areas must be improved if Ohio wants to compete globally.
Read the report. Click: "Creating a World-Class Education System in Ohio"
February 13, 2007- BMV Registrar: Older Driver Information Available to School Districts
The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has records of every offense committed by licensed drivers, including DUIs more than 25 years old, yet provides only a three-year abstract to school districts conducting background checks on bus driver applicants. However, the Associated Press reported that Frank Caltrider, a registrar with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, said more complete driving histories are available to school districts if they ask. State law refers to districts reviewing three-year "abstracts," so perhaps school officials think that is all that can be obtained, Caltrider said. "If we had been aware the older information was needed, we would have provided it," he said.
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will now work with the Department of Education to open up complete driving records to school districts checking on bus drivers.
Read the Associated Press/Cincinnati Post article. Click: Checking bus drivers' pasts difficult
February 12, 2007- Linking Reforming the System With Funding the System
The Toledo Blade reported Sunday that Governor Strickland has settled on strategies to improve health care, education, and higher education in Ohio. "The same strategy, in fact, for all three: more state control." According to the Blade, the Governor says the move will boost quality and cut costs for the state's $10 billion annual investment in schools, colleges, and hospitals.
The Governor wants to "package new statewide school achievement standards with an effort to shift classroom funding from local taxing districts to the state budget," the Blade said. "But he said his plan will ultimately pair changes in funding, which currently relies heavily on local property taxes, with new "reasonable" and "achievable" standards for schools." "We want to link reforming the system with funding the system," the Governor said. "People will be more willing to fund the system if they're more confident about what they're buying."
The Associated Press said today the Governor stuck to earlier statements that he would "begin a statewide conversation" on the issue sometime after his budget proposal is presented, engaging teachers, parents, businesses and others.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: Strickland favors more state control
Read the Associated Press/Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: PERSPECTIVE: Leaders at odds over timing of school funding fix
SEPARATING BOYS AND GIRLS. More public school systems are looking at separating boys and girls for certain classes or by schools. Supporters say splitting students by sex minimizes distractions, helps them learn better and allows boys and girls to explore subjects they may not otherwise take. Nationwide, at least 253 public schools offer single-sex classes and 51 schools are entirely single sex, according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. In 1995, just three public schools offered single-sex classes. Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle and Washington, D.C. currently have separate schools for boys and girls. Plans to open separate schools for boys and girls have been announced in Miami, Atlanta and Cleveland. ...CNN.com and Teacher Magazine
FUNDING INCREASE FOR LOW-INCOME COLLEGE STUDENTS. The President's 2008 budget will include a proposal to increase Pell grants for low-income college students. According to the report, the budget will contain a proposed increase of $550, to a maximum award of $4,600. The U.S. House passed a $260 increase last week. Senate Democrats have introduced a proposal, that calls for an immediate increase to $5,100. Pell grants have not been increased in the past five years. A College Board report said maximum Pell grants, twenty years ago, covered about 60 percent of the average cost of attending a public four-year university. In 2005-2006, the maximum grant covered just one-third of that cost. Education advocates cautioned that Pell grant increases could come at the expense of other financial aid programs. ...Associated Press
CHANGES FOR BOARD OF REGENTS PROPOSED. The Ohio Board of Regents has endorsed letting the governor select its chancellor and requested expanded powers to coordinate higher education statewide, including the authority to set the range for college tuition increases. The proposal would make the chancellor a cabinet-level position, but the regents would decide the chancellor's salary and duties. According to the Governor's spokesperson, the regents' proposal failed to satisfy the governor's standards, because the chancellor would continue to serve at the direction of the board. The Ohio House Speaker and Governor's proposal would have the chancellor report directly to the governor. The board's resources would be under the authority of the chancellor. The board would not be abolished, but could serve as an advisory board. ...Toledo Blade
February 8, 2007- February 2007 School District Levy Results
Only 9 of 30 (30%) school district levies on the February 2007 ballot passed.
Only 1 of 7 (14%) school district levies in the 29 Appalachian counties passed.
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Summary Table for February 2007 School District Levy Results
The following table breaks the levy passage/failure data down into operating vs. capital and
new vs. renewal.
| Type | # Passed | Passed % | # Failed | Failed % |
| Operating: | ||||
| Property Tax - New | 2 | 16.7% | 10 | 83.3% |
| Property Tax - Renewal | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 100.0% |
| Income Tax - New | 1 | 50.0% | 1 | 50.0% |
| Income Tax - Renewal | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a |
| Operating Total | 3 | 17.6% | 14 | 82.4% |
| Capital: | ||||
| New | 5 | 41.7% | 7 | 58.3% |
| Renewal | 1 | 100.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Capital Total | 6 | 46.2% | 7 | 53.8% |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a |
| Grand Total | 9 | 30.0% | 21 | 70.0% |
Note: This table includes "replacement" levies in "new" since they represent generating new
money.
The table also considers any combined levies that include bonds or capital (with the
exception of an operating levy combined with a PI levy) as being in the "capital" group.
To view results by county, click: Results by county
Source: Ohio Department of Education
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February 7, 2007- Politics: Speaker Expects School-Funding Fix In Governor's Budget
The Toledo Blade reported today "that House Speaker Jon Husted said he expects Governor Strickland to propose a school-funding fix in his proposed budget due March 15 even though the new governor has shown little sign of being ready by then." According to the Blade, the House Speaker told reporters that the Governor and Republican legislative leaders appear to be largely on the same page on many issues facing Ohio. The only real unknown is the governor's school-funding plan, Husted said.
The Blade article said the Governor has said he plans to bring together education and other stakeholders to negotiate reforms to answer repeated Ohio Supreme Court rulings that the state's school-funding system is unconstitutional. "But," the Blade said, "the Governor has yet to launch that process, let alone have a proposed fix ready for his first budget."
Read the article in today's Toledo Blade. Click: Speaker expects school-funding fix in Strickland budget
February 6, 2007- Study Warns Of Growing Inequality In Income, Skills
A new report says the next generation of Americans will have lower literacy and math skills, on average, and experience greater income inequality than the current working-age population. Education Week said, "The study, “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future,” by the Educational Testing Service, draws on demographic projections, shifts in the labor market, and data on current gaps in educational attainment and skills to paint a sobering picture of America’s future."
According to the report, if trends continue, the average literacy levels of the working-age population in the United States will decrease by about 5 percent by 2030. In a labor market that increasingly rewards education and skills, the report said, that could mean tens of millions of Americans who are unable to qualify for higher-paying jobs.
Read the report. Click: 
Full Report Executive Summary
February 5, 2007- Ballot Board To Discuss Proposed Amendment
On Wednesday, February 7th, the state ballot board will meet to discuss a proposed constitutional amendment that would change how Ohio pays for primary and secondary education. Today's Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the ballot board, headed by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, must decide whether the proposed language should be contained in one amendment. Once the proposal's "singularity" is approved by the ballot board, petitions will be made available and signature gathering to place the issue on the November ballot will begin. Last week the Attorney General's office gave approval that the proposed amendment was properly drafted.
February 2, 2007- March 13th CORAS Meeting
MARK TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007 ON YOUR CALENDAR. The next CORAS meeting is set for this date at the Holiday Inn in Zanesville.
The program feature is "Ohio's Reality in a Flat World" presented by Dr. Don Washburn. In addition, Dr. Dan Kalish will discuss the availability of Martha Holden Jennings Grants to rural Appalachian school districts....and how to apply for the grants. Want to know what's happening at STRS and what to expect in the future? Dr. Dennis Leone, STRS board member will bring members up-to-date.
Registration and continental breakfast begins at 9:00 AM. The program will conclude with lunch at 12:30 PM. Watch for registration announcements coming the middle of this month. In the meantime, mark your calendar.
February 1, 2007- Poll: Voters Favor Constitutional Amendment to Change School-Funding
The Associated Press reported today that a poll of Ohio voters, conducted by telephone January 23 to January 28 by the independent Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Connecticut, found that 65 percent of voters said they could support a proposed constitutional amendment to change the way Ohio pays for public schools and were evenly split on raising taxes to pay the bill. When voters were asked if they favored giving more money to public schools in struggling communities, 70 percent said yes. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
January 31, 2007- Panel Urges Pooling of School Districts Health Care Plans
The Toledo Blade reported today that a state panel believes "Ohio school districts can achieve 'substantial' savings by pooling employee health benefits under statewide or regional umbrellas, but it recommended that lawmakers back off their intent of making participation mandatory." The Blade said the School Employees Health Care Board was originally created to come up with a single health-care plan to replace individually negotiated plans for 198,000 employees at 613 school districts. According to the newspaper report, a draft of the final report said health-care costs for all school employees in Ohio totaled $1.8 billion last year, with bills expected to rise about 10 percent this year. The board is now expected to develop statewide or regional insurance plans. The report will be submitted to the Ohio General Assembly and Governor Strickland, a spokesperson said.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: Panel urges pooling of health plans
January 30, 2007- High Cost of High School Dropouts
According to numbers compiled by Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE), about 1.2 million students each year don't graduate from high school with their peers, and those from low-income families are six times as likely to fall into that category. If the 2006 dropouts had graduated, America would benefit from an additional $309 billion in income and purchasing power over their lifetimes, according to AEE.
Read Issue and Policy Briefs. Click: The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools
January 29, 2007- The Forum for Education and Democracy
The Forum for Education and Democracy is a think tank based in Athens, Ohio. Its purpose is to promote a public education system worthy of a democracy, one characterized by strong public schools, equity of educational resources, and supported by an involved citizenry. Dr. George H. Wood is director of the Forum. Dr. Wood, who headed the agency review team of the Ohio Department of Education for Governor Strickland's transition, is also Principal of Federal Hocking High School in Athens County. He has published numerous papers and articles on the role of public schooling in democracies. The author of Schools That Work and the editor of Many Children Left Behind, his most recent book is the second edition of A Time To Learn: How to Create High Schools That Serve All Students.
Read about the Forum for Education and Democracy. Click: The Forum for Education and Democracy
January 26, 2007- Diverting Tax Dollars From Public Schools to Schools Not Held to Same
In his State of the Union address President Bush proposed taxpayer-financed vouchers to allow children in struggling schools to transfer to private schools. And, according to the New York Times, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said this week that allowing local officials to close failing schools and replace them with charter schools would give children new options.
Secretary Spellings said the administration will fight tenaciously for a few key changes to its NCLB law, including helping children in chronically failed public schools to attend private schools instead. Spellings said, "We must be much more aggressive and much more vigorous about those restructuring notions, including offering real school choice to the kids on those campuses. We've given them a chance, we've given them resources, and it's time for us to say '[The law] is a real promise and other options have to be brought to bear.' "
The American Association of School Administrators released a statement saying, "The President's ideas for privatizing education under the cloak of parental choice has actually weakened the very skills and children his program purports to help by siphoning off higher achieving children and resources to private and more privileged schools. His proposal to create two new voucher programs will not ensure increased student achievement; it will simply divert federal tax dollars from public schools to private schools that are not held to the same standards the President espouses."
To read the New York Times article. Click: Bush Proposes Broadening the No Child Left Behind Act
January 25, 2005- Who Likes School?
Study uses Census data to look at children who are most interested in their schoolwork.
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Read the New York Times article. Click: Love of Learning: Which Children Have It Most
January 24, 2007- NCLB Changes Needed
A Baltimore Times editorial said Monday, "The 5-year-old federal No Child Left Behind law is up for reauthorization this year, and Mr. Bush and Congress should not let it go forward without significant changes. ..." The editorial went on to point out where changes are needed.
Accountability: Instead of setting a benchmark to measure one year's class against the next year's class, more states should be allowed to track individual student progress. Improvement measures for students with disabilities and limited English should be further refined. And low-income districts should be given more help in getting qualified teachers.
Improvements: Schools also need more technical assistance and other resources to implement changes, from hiring new principals to restructuring grades and courses.
Resources: States and some advocates have rightly complained that the administration and Republican-led Congresses have shortchanged NCLB funding -- more than $40 billion, by one estimate -- setting up unfunded mandates.
The editorial concluded, "Without meaningful action in at least these areas, the law's promise will never be fulfilled."
January 22, 2007- Merit Pay and Student Test Scores
According to a national study by the University of Florida, high school seniors in schools with merit-pay programs for teachers score slightly higher on standardized tests than their counterparts at schools with no special salary incentives. David N. Figlio and Lawrence W. Kenny, both economists at the University of Florida, said their study may be the first in the country to find a link between financial incentives for individual teachers and better student achievement. The study is scheduled to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Public Economics.
Douglas N. Harris, a professor of education policy studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said a broader question looms. “Accountability systems and incentives will almost certainly make test scores go up,” he said. “What we don’t know in the long run is whether students are learning more.”
January 19, 2007- Missouri School-Funding Lawsuit
The Show-Me Institute, a conservative think tank, recently intervened on the side of the state defendants in Committee for Educational Equality v. State, Missouri’s school funding lawsuit. In addition to arguing that education funding is a political question and does not belong in the court system, these defendant-intervenors have been instrumental in procuring expert witnesses to provide testimony that there is no relationship between school funding and student achievement.
To read article, click: Read Full Story
January 18, 2007- Reminiscent of DeRolph
The reaction to yesterday's unveiling of a proposed constitutional amendment to provide Ohio's school children with quality educational opportunities is reminiscent to the filing of the DeRolph lawsuit and subsequent court rulings. But the naysayers and doomsday advocates who came out of the woodwork did not deter that effort. And the Courts have held steadfast over the years that DeRolph was right, the current system doesn't work.
Since past Governors' and Legislators' failed to respond adequately to the DeRolph decisions, the people of Ohio may now have an opportunity to weigh in on the issue. Perhaps the result will be different this time. We now have a Governor who says he wants to solve the problem. And with a constitutional amendment securing hundreds of thousands of signatures on petitions across this state, it just might create a different kind of discussion in the halls of the General Assembly. The charge to everyone now is: Secure those signatures!
The following are BASA roll-out meetings scheduled in the Ohio Appalachian region.
- February 5, 4 p.m. Hopewell Sercc, 5350 W. New Market Road, Hillsboro, Oh 45133
- February 6, 4 p.m. Logan-Hocking Middle School, 50 North St., Logan, OH 43138
- February 6, 4 p.m. Athens High School Auditorium, 1 High School Road, The Plains, OH 45780
- February 8, 4 p.m. Minford High School, 491 Bond Road, Minford, OH 45653
- February 7, 6 p.m. Muskingum Valley ESC, 205 N. 7th St., Zanesville, OH 43701-3791
- February 14, 4 p.m. Union Local High School, 201 W. Cross St., Morristown, OH 43759
- February 15, 4 p.m. Tuscarawas, Carroll, Harrison ESC, New Philadelphia ESC, 834 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia
January 17, 2007- Over 100 Attend CORAS Meeting
Over 100 school superintendents and others attended the CORAS meeting in Logan yesterday. Leaders from several state education organizations discussed a proposed constitutional amendment designed to provide quality educational opportunities for all school children in Ohio. The proposal will be unveiled to the public at a 10:00 O'clock news conference in Columbus this morning.
The next CORAS meeting is set for Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at the Holiday Inn, Zanesville. Mark this date on your calendar. The featured presentation will be, "Ohio's Reality In a Flat World." In addition, information will be provided on the availability of, and how to apply for, Martha Holden Jennings grants.
January 16, 2007- Communicate, Analyze and Think Critically
A report released January 10, 2007 by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, a Washington-based organization representing 1,100 colleges, said, "Whether students majored in art history or nursing, their degrees should signal that they have a firm grasp of critical thinking, teamwork, and written communication, as well as an understanding of civics, ethics, and different cultures,"
“It really matters very little if students can perform well on multiple-choice tests. We need more of them to be able to communicate, analyze, think critically,” a member of the groups council said.
Read the report. Click: "College Learning for the New Global Century"
January 12, 2007- Strickland Transition Team's Report On Education
The Associated Press (AP) reported today that the Strickland transition team's report on K-12 education found that Ohio's public schools have done a good job developing educational standards and creating a system for measuring their progress. However, the report said, "There has been little significant progress on issues related to school funding and Ohio Department of Education has not been seen as being a positive force in the resolution of these issues."
According to AP, the transition team's report on higher education suggested replacing the two boards [State Board of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents] with a Cabinet-level employee who would report directly to the governor. "This new Department of Education should have two major components: (1) preschool through high school, and (2) post-secondary education." The report on higher education said the benefits of having two separate boards supervising education from kindergarten through college seem to "be outweighed by the obvious disadvantages, namely a fragmented and disjointed education effort that is unable to garner the resources and political will necessary to address the very disturbing indicators of performance for the state's economic health."
A posting on the Governor Ted Strickland website says, "John D. Stanford, of Blacklick, Ohio, who most recently served as the special assistant to the Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools, will serve as the Governor's education policy executive assistant."
Sources: Associated Press and Governor Ted Strickland website
January 11, 2007- National Board Certified Teachers
This school year, 109 more Ohio teachers received certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, the profession's gold standard. That gives the state 2,629 such master teachers, the fifth-highest number in the nation, according to data released Tuesday. Nationally, there are 55,300 board-certified teachers this year, more than triple what there was five years ago. Ohio pays $2,000 of the $2,300 application fee and has given various stipends to teachers who achieve certification.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
January 10, 2007- Move Toward National Standards Gaining momentum
Congress is currently considering the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Increasing the rigor of state standards and tests by linking them to those set at the national level is high on the priority list. A bi-partisan bill was introduced in Congress on Monday that would provide incentives for states to adopt voluntary "American education content standards" in mathematics and science. The standards would be developed by the governing board for National Assessment of Educational Progress.
"Core American standards would set high goals for all students, allow for meaningful comparisons across states, and ensure that all of our students are prepared for higher education," the sponsor of the bill said. "Creating incentives for states to adopt such standards voluntarily is the way to go. There are no mandates here."
Read the Education Week article. Click: New Bills Eye National Standards
January 9, 2007- Faulty Work Plagues Some New Ohio Schools
On January 7, 2007, the Canton Repository published an article about faulty work by some contractors approved by the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC). The article said, ".....public records, including hundreds of letters to project managers, e-mails from superintendents and state evaluations, document problems with the tax-funded [OSFC] program throughout Ohio. Across the state, contractors with histories of problems continue to win bids to build schools."
Read the article. Click: Faulty work plagues some new Ohio schools
Ohio school facilities commission, At a Glance
-- The Ohio School Facilities Commission was created in May 1997 as the result of the passage of Senate Bill 102 (122nd General Assembly).
-- The commission has seven members. Three are voting members: Department of Administrative Services director, Office of Budget and Management director, and Ohio Department of Education superintendent. The four non-voting members are two members (one from each political party) of each chamber of the General Assembly.
-- Current commission members are Office of Budget and Management Director Tim Keen; Department of Administrative Services Director Carol Nolan Drake; state school Superintendent Susan Zelman; Sen. Larry Mumper, R-Marion; Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo; Rep. Clyde Evans, R-Rio Grande; Rep. Timothy Cassell, D-Madison.
-- The commission has 52 full and part-time employees.
-- The General Assembly has appropriated more than $5 billion to the commission since its inception.
-- An average of $2 million a day in state and local funds is spent on commission projects.
-- The commission manages the largest capital building program in Ohio — at least $12 billion in projects has been approved.
-- Nearly 500 school building projects have been overseen by the commission.
-- At the end of 2005, 411 buildings in 187 districts in 70 counties were opened.
Source: Ohio School Facilities Commission and Canton Repository
January 8, 2007- College-Preparatory Curriculum and College Remediation
The Ohio Board of Regents report, "Making the Transition from High School to College in Ohio 2005," (December 2005) said, "Forty-one percent of Ohio’s recent high school graduates enrolling at Ohio public colleges or universities in fall 2003 took at least one remedial course in English or math during their first year of college. The need for remediation is directly related to the rigor of the high school courses taken. In fall 2003, only 15 percent of students taking a complete core curriculum in high school required remediation, while 35 percent of students taking just a minimum core curriculum and 53 percent of students taking less than the minimum core required remediation."
The report said a minimum college-preparatory curriculum consists of four English courses and three courses each in math, science and social studies. A complete core curriculum consists of four courses in English, math and social studies and three science courses that include biology, chemistry and physics.
January 5, 2007- STRS Seeking Increase
A Cleveland Plain Dealer article in early-December reminded us that the State Teachers Retirement System is trying to get a bill introduced in the Ohio Legislature early this year that would increase contributions by 5 percent, half from working teachers and half from their employers. The proposed increase would be phased in over five years with a one-half-percent boost each year from both teachers and their employers. The Plain Dealer said, "The proposal has support from the Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Inter-University Council of Ohio and other groups representing teachers. The Ohio School Boards Association is opposing the plan."
Read the December 10, 2006 Plain Dealer article. Click: Ohio teachers' health-benefits fund drying up
January 4, 2007- Current Curriculum vs. Ohio Core/How Ohio Compares
CURRENT CURRICULUM VS. OHIO CORE
Governor Taft has signed Ohio Core into law. The law still requires 20 units, or credits, for a student to graduate. But it increases the number of years that a high school student must study math, including Algebra II, from three to four. Students would still have to complete three years of science, but the bill requires that these be lab-based classes, and it expands the menu of classes that would fulfill the requirement. The Class of 2014 will be the first class that must meet the new requirements.
| CURRENT CURRICULUM VS. CORE (20 units*) | |
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THE TOLEDO BLADE
HOW OHIO COMPARES
Education Week's Quality Counts 2007 annual study ranks all 50 states to determine which are doing the best job of providing their young people with the opportunity to succeed in their academic and professional lives. The study was released yesterday. Ohio is ranked 27th in the nation for its students' chances for success (below the national average) and 10th in the nation for K-12 achievement (well above the national average).
The Cleveland Plain Dealer said, "Ohio's children do well in school, but factors outside the classroom could be hurting their chances for productive careers."
January 3, 2007- STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) High Schools Top Priority
According to media reports today, a new system of high schools that would focus on science, technology, engineering and math appears to top the list of priorities in the Ohio House of Representatives. The Canton Repository said House Speaker Jon Husted, other Republican and Democratic legislative leaders and members of Governor-elect Ted Strickland's administration are scheduled to meet January 18th with representatives of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to talk about the schools. "We must emphasize science, technology, engineering and math skills because these are the skills most in demand in the economy and create the best job opportunities for those who possess them," Husted said. He said STEM academies would "generate momentum" for improving the state's economy and system of higher education.
A bill to create STEM high schools was introduced in the Ohio House in December 2006.
Read the Canton Repository article. Click: STEM schools are House priority
January 2, 2007- Report: Title I Money Not Reaching Students Who Need It Most
A report released in late December 2006 by the Education Trust said dollars intended to help poor and minority students are often diverted from the most needy students. According to the Education Trust news release, Maryland has fewer poor children than Arkansas but receives 51 percent more Title I aid per poor child, even though Arkansas dedicates more of its taxable resources to education than wealthier Maryland . Similarly, Massachusetts has fewer poor children and exerts less effort against its tax base to fund education than poorer Oklahoma , but receives more than twice as much Title I aid.
In short, the report said, Title I tends to reward wealthy states that can raise funds for education with relatively little effort while shortchanging poorer states, including those that make relatively greater effort to fund education. “Poor children are concentrated in relatively poorer states. Instead of providing relatively more help to these kids, Title I provides less,” said Goodwin Liu, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, who analyzed the distribution of Title I funds.
Click links below to access report findings.
Funding Gaps 2006 Technical Appendix
December 21, 2006- Guidelines For Closing Poor Performing Charter Schools
The state legislature has established guidelines for closing chronically poor-performing charter schools after the 2008-2009 school year. The guidelines will be applied as follows:
- Schools serving grades K-3 - Must close if in academic emergency for four consecutive years.
- Schools serving grades 4-8 - Must close if in academic emergency for three years without a year's worth of improvement in reading or math.
- Schools serving grades 9-12 - Must close if in academic emergency for three years while failing to meet a variety of other testing benchmarks. Dropout recovery schools, those serving students who have already left traditional high schools, are exempt.
SOURCES: Ohio General Assembly and Cleveland Plain Dealer
December 20, 2006- Ohio Core Passed, Vouchers Expanded
OHIO CORE. The Ohio Senate concurred with the House version of Ohio Core, sending the bill to Governor Taft for signature. House amendments added $16.9 million for Ohio Core-related teacher recruitment and retention in fiscal year 2007, and pushed back the first high school graduating class for which the new requirements apply from 2012 to 2014. The Senate vote was 21 to 12.
VOUCHERS. An expansion of the state-funded school voucher program also passed the House and Senate Tuesday. Currently, students attending public schools that have been in "academic emergency" or "academic watch" for three straight years are eligible to use a publicly funded voucher to attend a private school. The bill changes that to two of the last three years. The change means that students in 236 buildings, compared with 99 this year, will be eligible for private-school vouchers. The vouchers provide tuition up to $4,250 for students up to eighth grade and $5,900 for high school students. There are currently 14,000 voucher slots in Ohio, but only 3,141 are being used this year.
Sources: Gongwer News Service and Columbus Dispatch
December 19, 2006- Health Care Savings Account/Alternative Retirement Plan
| Two bills that could impact STRS and SERS have been introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives. Below are excerpts from the proposed legislation. Click Bill Analysis and As Introduced for more detailed information.
H.B. 272 was introduced May 19, 2005 and passed the House on December 6, 2006. H.B. 272 authorizes each state retirement system to establish a voluntary health care savings account program under which members, employers, and, in some cases, retirants may make deposits that are in addition to regular contributions and may be used for medical expenses. Read a summary of H.B. 272. Click: Bill Analysis - HB 272 - As Passed by House [.html format] [.pdf format]
House Bill 700 would require school boards to establish alternative retirement plans for teachers and school employees. It was introduced in the Ohio House on December 6, 2006. Excerpts from H.B.700 says: "Each person who on the effective date of this amendment is an eligible employee employed by a school board may, not later than one hundred twenty days after the employee's employer adopts an alternative retirement plan, make an election to participate in that plan if on the day immediately preceding the effective date of this amendment the employee had accrued less than five years of service credit in a state retirement system."
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December 18, 2006- CORAS Update
CORAS UPDATE
DECEMBER 2006
JANUARY 16, 2007 PLANNING COMMITTEE. Dale Edwards, Jefferson County JVS, Dale Dickson, Perry-Hocking ESC, Bob Caldwell, Wolf Creek Local, Lori Snyder-Lowe, Morgan Local, Larry Burgess, CORAS & OU, Dan Doyle, Noble Local, Jerry Narcisi, Shadyside (retired), Joe Pielech, Buckeye Local, Dick Murray, Muskingum Valley ESC, Phil Satterfield, Ross-Pike ESC and Dick Fisher, CORAS, met at the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center, Zanesville on December 12th to plan for the January 16, 2007 CORAS membership meeting. The meeting will focus on the proposed school-funding constitutional amendment. In addition, a "telephone tree" was developed to contact all school superintendents in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties, urging them to attend January 16th meeting at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan.
MEETING WITH STRICKLAND TRANSITION TEAM MEMBER. The Strickland Transition Team invited CORAS to participate in the transition process. Following the meeting in Zanesville on December 12th, Dale Dickson, Bob Caldwell, Lori Snyder-Lowe, Phil Satterfield, Jerry Narcisi, and Dick Fisher, in addition to Tom Gibbs, Warren Local, traveled to Columbus for a meeting with Dr. George Wood, a member of the transition team, to discuss the Ohio Department of Education and school-funding issues. Dr. Wood demonstrated a thorough understanding of the issues confronting public education in Ohio, took notes and listened intently during the discussion.
OHIO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION DEAN MEETS WITH CORAS MEMBER SUPERINTENDENTS. On December 14, 2006, Dick Murray, Muskingum Valley ESC, Carl Martin, Athens City, Dennis Meade, Minford Local, Phil Satterfield, Ross-Pike ESC, Bob Caldwell, Wolf Creek, Steve Pompey, Crooksville E.V., John Costanzo, Athens-Meigs ESC, Charla Evans, Gallia Local, Lori Snyder-Lowe, Morgan Local, and Dick Fisher, CORAS, met at the Ohio University Inn with Dr. Renee Middleton, Dean of the Ohio University College of Education, and staff members Dr. Bill Smith, Dr. Glenn Doston, Dr. Tom Davis, Dr. Floyd Doney, Scott Robison, Amy Robison and Candy Bradley. The very productive discussion focused on issues facing K-12 schools in the region and the College of Education. The discussions will be onging, with the next meeting set for March 1, 2007.
CORAS/ESC's MEET WITH APPALACHIAN FOUNDATION FOR OHIO. Dale Dickson, Perry-Hocking ESC, John Costanzo, Athens-Meigs ESC, Bob Dalton, Southern Ohio ESC, Bobbie Singleton, Tri-County ESC and Dick Fisher, CORAS met with Ann Day, Program Coordinator for the Appalachian Foundation for Ohio (FAO), on December 7, 2006 at the Perry-Hocking Educational Service Center in New Lexington. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a scholarship program and determine if ESC's wish to participate in the FAO grant-matching scholarship program. The intent of the grant-matching program, I'm a Child of Appalachia™ Scholarship Challenge, is to create permanent endowment principal that will continue to grow, attract new gifts and build the number and amount of scholarships available for high school graduates in each ESC service area. All ESC's in the 29 Appalachian counties are invited to participate. If you would like information about the FAO grant-matching scholarship, contact Ann Day at 740-453-9969 or 740-753-1111 or email at: aday@ffao.org
2007 CORAS PROGRAMS. The January 16, 2007 CORAS meeting will be held at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan. The program will focus on the proposed school-funding constitutional amendment. Registration materials will be available the last week of December. The topic for the March 13, 2007 meeting will be the "Flattening World." Details about this program, and the location, will be announced in February. The Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence program will be held on April 24, 2007. Dr. Brenda Haas, Executive Director, OACHE, was selected by the Hicks committee to receive the 2006 award. The program will be held at the Ohio University Inn, Athens. The annual summer meeting and golf outing will be at the EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn in Zanesville on June 12, 2007. The program will be announced later.
December 15, 2006- New Report: "Tough Choices or Tough Times"
A proposal for overhauling the U.S. education system, “Tough Choices or Tough Times,” was released yesterday in a new report by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, a prominent panel whose members include state and local superintendents, former governors and mayors, business executives, and former U.S. secretaries of education and labor.
Teachers employed by states rather than districts. Schools no longer run by districts but by independent contractors. Teenagers who take exams at age 16 that permit them to enroll immediately in community or technical colleges. High-quality, early-childhood education made available to all 4-year-olds and all low-income 3-year-olds. Those are just a few of the proposals in the report. Read more about the report by clicking below.
Read the executive summary of the report. Click: Executive Summary Tough Choices or Tough Times
More information is available from the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce.
Sources: New York Times and edweek.org
December 15, 2006- Ohio Core House Vote Postponed Until Next Week
The Ohio House of Representatives did not vote on the Ohio Core plan yesterday. Gongwer News Service said, Ohio Core "was abruptly pulled from a planned floor vote" and "House officials said it was a matter of educating members on various aspects of the legislation and that they expect the bill to be delivered to the governor next week. However, Governor Taft was working the phones in earnest Thursday to bolster support for the package."
December 14, 2006- House To Vote On Ohio Core Today
According to the Gongwer News Service, in order to get the Ohio Core bill out of committee, House Speaker Jon Husted replaced five House Education Committee members who were either a solid "no" on the bill or absent Wednesday with five loyalists. Gongwer said Republican Representatives Diana Fessler, Ron Hood, Mary Taylor, Derrick Seaver and Jeff Wagner were removed from the committee. They were replaced by GOP Representatives Jim Carmichael, Kevin DeWine, Larry Flowers, Tom Raga and Michelle Schneider. The result was a 12-8 committee report on mostly party lines, with Republican Representatives Clyde Evans and Scott Oelslager joining all Democrats in opposition. The Ohio Core bill is set for a floor vote today.
December 13, 2006- Stae Board: School Funding, Achieve Inc., Report
STATE BOARD WANTS SAY IN SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported this morning "the State Board of Education wants a voice in the growing chorus calling for a change in the way Ohio pays for public education." According to the Plain Dealer, a board committee Tuesday tweaked a plan that aims to be a road map to getting the beleaguered funding system changed. The draft document has been discussed and debated at a series of public hearings, and a final document will be given to the whole board next month.
"Our work is to provide a framework on which to analyze actual school funding proposals," said Jennifer Stewart, a member of the board committee. The report, according to the Plain Dealer, calls for school-based budgeting to ensure that money gets to the buildings that need it most; says the state should align financial decisions with "best practices"; calls for the state to more aggressively "weight" funding so the children who are hardest to educate get the most money; and underscored the need to establish what it costs to educate a child, and what that child will probably achieve as a result of the extra money.
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: State Education Board wants say in school-funding reform
ACHIEVE INC., REPORTS TO STATE BOARD. The Columbus Dispatch said today that Ohio public schools stack up fairly well with other states, but not so well with other nations? According to the Dispatch, a report by Achieve Inc., said, "Required coursework is less rigorous, the high-school graduation test is too easy and too few students are ready for college." "The system reflects the standards of the past, yet we’re sending students out into the future. We’ve lost track of cutting edge," an education consultant told the state board yesterday, The final report with recommendations is expected in January.
Read the Columbus Dispatch article. Click: Other nations surpass Ohio in quality of schools
December 12, 2006- Poll: Voters Say No To Higher Property Taxes To Pay For Ohio Core
A telephone poll conducted by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, December 4-10, 2006, found that voters are supportive of the "Ohio Core" curriculum plan, which is making its way through the Legislature this month. The plan is supported by 60 percent of those surveyed, compared with 26 percent who oppose it. However, sixty-five percent of respondents said they would not favor paying higher property taxes to pay for the plan. The survey of 1,027 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
To read full poll results, go to or click: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1322.xml?ReleaseID=997
December 11, 2006- Teachers Buy Classroom Materials
According to a study by Quality Education Data, The Scholastic Company, teachers in grades K-12 spend an average of $475 of their own money each year on classroom materials and supplies. Elementary-school teachers spend the most at $539. Middle-school teachers tend to spend the least, at $393. High school teachers spend an average of $427. The study found that 44% of respondents spend over $500 on their classrooms, with 20% spending over $1,000.
Type of funds, according to Quality Education Data, used to purchase materials.
Source: Quality Education Data, The Scholastic Company
December 8, 2006- Grant-Matching Program For College Scholarships
Several ESC superintendents met yesterday to hear about the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) grant-matching program to provide dollars for college scholarships for high school seniors in Ohio's Appalachian region. CORAS partnered with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to sponsor the meeting that was held at the Perry-Hocking Educational Service Center in New Lexington. The 17 ESC's that serve at least one Ohio Appalachian county were invited to the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to refine the scholarship program and determine if ESC's wish to participate in the FAO grant-matching scholarship program. The intent of the grant-matching program, I'm a Child of Appalachia™ Scholarship Challenge, is to create permanent endowment principal that will continue to grow, attract new gifts and build the number and amount of scholarships available for high school graduates in each ESC service area.
If you would like more information, contact Ann Day, Program Director, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, at: aday@ffao.org or by phone at 740-453-9969 or 740-753-111 or by mail at 534 Putnam Avenue, Zanesville 43701 or 36 Public Square/P.O. Box 456, Nelsonville 45764.
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| * Four years and billions of dollars after the Ohio Supreme Court last declared the state school funding system unconstitutional, outgoing Gov. Bob Taft said Wednesday it is a "very fair question to ask" if justices would rule that way today. ...Gongwer News Service * A bill to start the implementation of a major initiative for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education garnered both praise and concern Wednesday in the legislature, where Speaker Jon Husted said he hopes to engage Democrats in forging a bipartisan agreement. ...Gongwer News Service * The Ohio Core curriculum passed the Ohio Senate yesterday by a 20 to 11 vote. Ohio Core requires high school graduates to have a broader background in mathematics and science if they want to attend a public four-year college or university. ...Toledo Blade * The tourism industry in Ohio is starting to float the idea of a law that would forbid the start of public school until after Labor Day. Later vacation days would provide more opportunities for family outings at amusement parks. ...Canton Repository |
December 6, 2006- Today's Education News
STEM HIGH SCHOOLS. State Representative Chuck Calvert introduced legislation yesterday to create up to five of the Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) high schools on a trial basis. His committee is expected to send House Bill 695 to the full House on tomorrow. The program is patterned in part after similar systems operating in Texas and San Diego. The bill provides for state basic aid funding to follow those students who attend the schools.
Read newspaper article. Click: • STEM high schools’ approval working its way through House
TAFT APPOINTEES. Governor Taft said yesterday the four people he appoints to the state school board before he leaves office in January will support science lessons that focus on evolution and not intelligent design. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Taft said, “I want people who are really committed to teaching good science in school, and I think that intelligent design does not play a role in the science curriculum."
OHIO CORE. The Senate Education Committee voted along party lines Tuesday night to forward the Ohio Core curriculum proposal for consideration by the full Senate.
CHARTER SCHOOL LEGAL CHALLENGE DROPPED. The Coalition that challenged the constitutionality of Ohio's charter school system said yesterday it would drop remaining parts of a legal challenge in favor of working for legislative and regulatory changes. State Representative Scott Oelslager and State Senator Kirk Schuring said they will introduce substitute versions of their House Bill 213 and Senate Bill 129, respectively. Both bills were originally introduced in April 2005.
December 5, 2006- CORAS Membership
Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools membership for 2006-07 now stands at 130 school districts, institutions of higher learning and other education agencies.
December 4, 2006- Taft To Appoint State Board Members
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported today that Governor Taft plans to fill the four vacancies on the state Board of Education that expire on December 31, 2006. Taft spokesperson Mark Rickel said, "Governor Taft is governor until midnight on January 7 and he intends to fill every board vacancy up until that time," according to the Enquirer. "That means that incoming Governor Ted Strickland, who made education reform one of his major campaign themes, will face a state Board of Education that could make it harder to push his agenda," the Enquirer said.
Read the Cincinnati Enquirer article. Click: Board to have Taft appointees
December 1, 2006- Studies Say Local Districts Curb NCLB Reform
Remember 1993. DeRolph defendants blamed Ohio's egregious school funding system on "poor management at the local school district level." Local districts may be getting the blame again, according to a series of studies presented Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington D.C.
"The federal No Child Left Behind law has produced only limited educational improvement because local school officials have too much power to resist change," several studies concluded, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The 12 studies presented at American Enterprise Institute yesterday credit the five-year-old NCLB law with creating some school improvement, but doubted that it can solve some of the most intractable problems. A common theme in the studies was the ability of local schools to block the changes envisioned by the NCLB law.
The Boston Globe said the collection of studies, produced in preparation for the expected renewal of the NCLB law next year by Congress, warns lawmakers to lower their expectations for the federal government's ability to improve the nation's system of locally run school districts.
Read the Boston Globe article. Click:Study says localities curb ed reform
November 30, 2006- ...it creates a "real conundrum"...
After 16 years of litigation over how to pay for school facilities in Idaho, the only certainty in the case is uncertainty. The class action was originally brought in 1990 by a coalition of school districts known as Idaho Schools for Equal Educational Opportunity. Last December, the Idaho Supreme Court declared the state’s system for funding school facilities unconstitutional. It was the fifth time that the case had been brought before the five-member court. One observer said,"... it creates a “real conundrum” for the supreme court about whether it has the power to carry out its own judgment."
Source: Education Week
November 29, 2006- NCLB Ruling Appealed
The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday that school districts in three states and the National Education Association (NEA) asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to revive a lawsuit challenging the way the No Child Left Behind Act is funded. Last year, the NEA, its affiliates in 10 states, and school districts in Michigan, Vermont and Texas had sued to block the No Child Left Behind law. They argued that schools should not have to comply with requirements that aren't paid for by the federal government, and that the government is imposing unfunded mandates even though the act itself prohibits unfunded mandates. Chief U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman in Detroit dismissed the lawsuit in November 2005, saying the plaintiffs failed to support their claim.
The three-judge appeals court panel took the case under advisement and did not say when it will rule. The outcome would apply directly to the districts in the case, but could affect how the law is enforced in schools across the country, the AP article said.
Read the AP article. Click: Schools Appeal Ruling on No Child Suit
November 28, 2006- In The News
U.S. SUPREME COURT TURNS DOWN SCHOOL VOUCHER CASE. The Associated Press (AP) said, "The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday not to plunge into the issue of school choice, passing up a dispute over a Maine law that bars the use of public funds to send students to private religious schools. A conservative group, the Institute for Justice, had asked the justices to take the case. The group is representing eight Maine families who would receive public tuition funds except for the fact that their children attend religious schools."
School districts in 145 small towns in Maine that have no high schools currently offer tuition for 17,000 students to attend high schools of their choice, public or private, in-state or out-of-state. But religious schools are no longer on the list. In upholding the exclusion of religious schools from the system, the Maine court relied on a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding a Washington state college scholarship program prohibiting the use of scholarship funds for pursuit of a devotional theology degree, according to AP.
Read the Associated Press article. Click: High court takes pass on school choice case
BILL WOULD REIMBURSE DISTRICTS FOR BUSINESS TAX. H.B. 562, introduced in April 2006, had its first committee hearing November 14th in the Ohio General Assembly, indicating a fair chance of passage during a crowded lame-duck session of the legislature that ends December 31, 2006. H.B. 562 would reimburse school districts for business tax losses. The bill would extend the reimbursement for the life of existing levies. "The bill extends the full reimbursement of school district and joint vocational school district revenue losses indefinitely," state documents from the Legislative Service Commission. "Reimbursement will continue beyond (currently scheduled elimination in) fiscal year 2018 until a levy expires and the reimbursement amount will not be phased down after fiscal year 2011."
Read House Bill 562 analysis. Click: Bill Analysis - HB 562 - As Introduced [.html format] [.pdf format]
November 27, 2006- Agricultural Property Tax Under Growing Scrutiny
"A state program that reduces property taxes paid by farmers and rural landowners has come under growing scrutiny as Ohio's public schools seek fixes for their funding woes," the Dayton Daily News said yesterday. The state's Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program created an "agricultural use" value that generally taxes farmland at 75 percent to 90 percent below the "market" value at which other land in Ohio is taxed.
"We've had internal concerns for some time as we've watched CAUV values decline approximately 10 percent per year for the last several years," an executive administrator of the state Department of Taxation's property tax division said. "Our formula hasn't been updated as the agricultural economy itself has changed."
Larry Gearhardt, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation's director of local affairs and a member of the Department of Taxation's agricultural advisory committee, said agricultural land still pays more in taxes than it requires in services. "We're subsidizing the services rendered in residential areas." Still, he said, lawmakers "are desperate to fix the school funding. This fits into the picture." The Daily News said Gearhardt predicted CAUV values could as much as double in a couple of years, but said that would still be less than the value assigned to farms a decade or so ago.
Read the Dayton Daily News article. Click: State tries to reverse farmland tax decreases
November 22, 2006- 2007 Hicks Executive-in-Residence Award
The selection committee has chosen Dr. Brenda Haas, Executive Director, Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education, to receive the 2007 Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence Award.
The Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence program will be held April 23-24, 2007 on the Ohio University campus. Dr. Haas will meet with College of Education faculty and students on Monday, April 23rd. The Hicks award will be presented to Dr. Haas at a meeting of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools on Tuesday, April 24th at the Ohio University Inn. Following the award presentation, Dr. Haas will address school superintendents and other members and guests of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools. Recent recipients of the Hicks award, honored at a CORAS program, include Dr. David Monk (2006), Dean of the College of Education, Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Dennis Meade (2005), Superintendent, Minford Local School District, Dr. Julie Underwood (2004), currently Dean of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. James Mahoney (2001), Executive Director, Battelle for Kids.
The Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence program was established through The Ohio University Foundation in 1976 to honor Dr. Samuel I. Hicks, professor emeritus of educational administration at Ohio University. Dr. Hicks, who died in 1999, dedicated more than 75 years to teaching, research and educational administration. His extraordinary devotion, achievement and service to education are the spirit in which the Hicks Executive-in-Residence award is presented. The 2007 Hicks event is sponsored jointly by the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools, Ohio University College of Education and the Samuel I. Hicks Endowment Fund.
November 21, 2006- Ohio Core: Cost, Two-Tiered System Emerging Issues
An Akron Beacon Journal (ABJ) report Sunday said major differences are emerging in the state legislature over the cost of Ohio Core and whether the state is creating a two-tiered system that labels students as college material or blue-collar bound. Republicans, who control the House and Senate, want to pass the plan before Governor Taft leaves office in January. Governor-elect Strickland has requested that they not move on any major legislation until he takes office, according to the ABJ article.
Read the Akron Beacon Journal article. Click: Critics fear plan will cost schools
November 20, 2006- High School Grades Creep Up
According to a federal study, the average high school GPA increased from 2.68 to 2.94 between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, 22.9% of college freshmen reported their average grade in high school was an A or better, according to a national survey by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. Up from less than 7% in 1970.
An Associated Press (AP) article said more than 70 percent of schools and districts analyzed by SchoolMatch, based in Westerville, Ohio, had average GPA's significantly higher than they should have been based on their standardized test scores.
"Grade inflation is hard to measure, and experts caution that numbers are often misleading because standards and scales vary so widely. Different practices of 'weighting' GPAs for advanced work also play havoc. Still, the trend seems to be showing itself in a variety of ways," the AP article said.
· November 17, 2006- CORAS Membership Surpasses 125 for 7th Consecutive Year
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) membership renewals are running ahead of past years with 127 active members as of early November 2006. Fourteen of the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties have already achieved 100% membership in the Coalition. They are Athens, Pike, Gallia, Hocking, Vinton, Perry, Meigs, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Muskingum, Holmes, Jefferson and Harrison. Five counties, Coshocton, Guernsey, Ross, Belmont and Jackson, are just one school district short of having 100% membership. Scioto and Washington counties lack only two districts of having 100% membership.
CORAS membership includes 91 local, city and exempted village school districts, 12 educational service centers, 12 joint vocational school districts, 8 institutions of higher learning and four other education agencies. This marks the 7th consecutive year that CORAS has attained 125 members or more.
To view a list of CORAS members, Click: Counties and Members
· November 16, 2006- More About Renewed Effort To Pass Ohio Core
“Education was what I started with when I walked in the door. That’s what I’m still working on as I go out the door. This [Ohio Core] is the final piece of unfinished business that I can get done to really position Ohio and our students to succeed in this higher-skills world economy in which they live. We’re not requiring additional credits to graduate. We’re requiring more rigorous credits, so the challenge really is how do we make sure we have good teaching capacity, especially in math and science.”
....Governor Bob Taft, Toledo Blade, November 16, 2006
"Yesterday, a statewide coalition of prominent business, education and community leaders, Tapping Ohio’s Potential, urged its [Ohio Core] passage. Its members include 39 Ohio colleges and universities, the presidents or chairmen of many large Ohio businesses, big-city chambers of commerce and Ohio education groups."
....Columbus Dispatch, November 16, 2006
"The General Assembly apparently wants to enact Ohio Core before the departure of Governor Taft, who leaves office in January. The concept is good. The funding of it is not addressed. In 16 years of Republican rule in which two governors, George Voinovich and Bob Taft, have presided, that's been the pattern. Both wanted to be known as "the education governor." That title would carry a lot more merit if the funding of public education had been overhauled at some point during their tenure."
....Ravenna Record Courier © November 16, 2006
· November 15, 2006- Ohio Core On Fast Track?
The second draft of Ohio Core was released by the House Education Committee yesterday. Ohio
Core was first announced by Governor Taft in January 2006. Under the newest version of the
plan, high school students planning to attend Ohio public, four-year universities would have to pass
four years of math, including Algebra 2, and three years of a lab-based science along with the four
years of English already required. The graduating class of 2012 would be the first to be subject to
the new requirements.
The following are highlights of the current draft of Ohio Core printed in today's Columbus
· November 14, 2006- On Average, Colleges Accept 70% Of Applicants
According to David Hawkins, Director of Public Policy for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, over 60 percent of high school graduates go on to college. "Predicting who'll get into a few highly selective schools is getting more difficult," Hawkins said. "With acceptance rates under 13%, Harvard, Yale and Princeton are indeed extremely selective universities. But looking at just those schools gives a very skewed picture. On average, four-year colleges still accept 70% of applicants." The Ohio acceptance rate was even higher.
Using data that colleges reported to the U.S. Department of Education, Hawkins crunched application and acceptance numbers for 857 four-year, not-for-profit colleges that accepted more than 1,000 students in 2004. Only 2.6% of the 857 schools accepted fewer than 25% of their applicants, while 82.5% accepted more than 50 percent of applicants.
Listed below are Ohio colleges and universities on Hawkins list with the percent of applicants accepted in 2004.
Kenyon....................................38.4%
Ohio Wesleyan......................73.7%
Xavier University.................73.8%
Mt. Union................................75.4%
Ohio State..............................75.6%
Ohio Northern.......................77.6%
Muskingum..............................80.9%
Capital.....................................82.5%
Baldwin Wallace....................83.1%
Ohio Dominican......................85.3%
Cedarville................................85.4%
Ohio University......................86.3%
John Carroll............................88.6%
Bowling Green.........................90.2%
Kent State................................91.6%
Heidelberg...............................94.2%
Source: USA Today
· November 13, 2006- Improving Achievement: Longer School Day/Year?
A report by the Center for American Progress says communities and educators that want to improve student achievement should look closely at increasing the length of the school day and/or year. The Washington-based think tank examined high schools that use additional learning time as one way to raise student achievement. The report explores particular issues related to expanding time at the high school level, presents examples of how schools accomplish this, and analyzes the implications that would arise for school design, capacity, and financing if such approaches were applied on a more systemic scale. It does, however, caution educators to recognize that high school students also need time to pursue work or other interests outside school.
Read the Center for American Progress news release. Click: Expanding Learning Time
Read the report. Click: Center for American Progress report (PDF)
· November 10, 2006- Election Reshapes State School Board
Four new members were elected to the State Board of Education on Tuesday and the terms of four more appointed board members will expire December 31, enabling the new governor to either reappoint or replace them. The Cleveland Plain Dealer said today, "That means the 19-person board could have eight new members come January and be transformed into a bully pulpit for Strickland-backed policy." The Plain Dealer added, "That's significant because the governor-elect has pledged to work with legislative leaders to reform Ohio's school-funding system, which the Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly said is unconstitutional. If Strickland wants to push for a constitutional amendment to change school funding, he will have some valuable allies on the state school board."
The newly elected members include two well-known Democrats: Tom Sawyer, a former congressman, and John Bender, a former state representative. According to the Plain Dealer, before Tuesday's election Bender said, "There's going to be a constitutional amendment. I will support and campaign for it. Then, working at a policy level with a new Democratic governor, maybe we can shift away from our reliance on property taxes." The Plain Dealer also reported that Sawyer said, "People aren't voting against their schools. They're voting against the means of funding their schools."
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: • Election reshapes state school board
· November 9, 2006- Passed-Failed Rated For School District Levies
There were 206 issues on the November 7, 2006 ballot. 176 school districts had 1 issue on the ballot;10 school districts had 2 issues on the ballot; 1 school district had 10 issues on the ballot. The November election resulted in 110 issues passing and 96 issues failing (a 53.40% passage rate), according to the Ohio Department of Education. (Note: Eleven of the issues that passed included 10 issues in one district and one issue in another district that reduced millage by .01 mills each. In both districts, the reductions were placed on the ballot to protect district revenues. It was feared that tax opponents were planning to ask voters to repeal a much larger millage. Once a levy reduction is put before voters, no matter the amount, another request cannot be made for five years.)
View the November 7, 2006 results by county. Click: Results by county
Passed-Failed Rate for Ohio School District Tax Levies 2003-06
Year Levies Requested Passed Failed Percent Passed
2003 439 229 210 52.16%
2004 618 279 339 45.15%
2005 534 275 259 51.50%
2006 442 239 203 54.07%
2003-06 2033 1022 1011 50.27%
Sources: Ohio Department of Education, Ohio School Board's Association and the Columbus Dispatch
· November 8, 2006- New Data On School Bus Injuries
N New national data show school bus-related accidents send 17,000 U.S. school children to emergency rooms each year, more than twice the number in previous estimates that only included crashes. Nearly one-fourth of the accidents occur when children are boarding or leaving school buses, while crashes account for 42 percent, the new research shows. Slips and falls on buses, getting jostled when buses stop or turn suddenly, and injuries from roughhousing are among other ways kids get hurt on school buses, the data found. Injuries range from cuts and sprains to broken bones, but most are not life-threatening and don't require hospitalization. However, they represent only a small fraction of the 23.5 million children who travel on school buses nationwide each year, the researchers said. The researchers said the results provide a strong argument for requiring safety belts on school buses, something industry groups say is unnecessary and is more than many school districts can afford.
A study on school bus injuries by Children's Hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus appears in November's Pediatrics.
Source: CNN.com, November 6, 2006
· November 6, 2006- CORAS Program Features Value-Added
Nearly 60 superintendents and other educators attended the CORAS program, Value-Added: The Next Generation Tool for School Improvement. What have we learned? Where is it going? in Logan on October 31, 2006. Dr. James W. Mahoney, Executive Director, Battelle for Kids and featured speaker, provided an excellent presentation on the merits of value-added. In addition, those attending heard reports from Dr. Barbara Hansen (Muskingum College) regarding the Martin Essex School for the Gifted, Ann Day (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio) discussed "I'm a Child of Appalachia Scholarship Challenge" and Dennis Leone (State Teachers Retirement System Board of Directors) presented an update on STRS issues. Charles Bizzari, CORAS President, presided over the program/meeting. The next CORAS meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 30, 2007, with the program and location to be announced in December.
· November 3, 2006- Virtual Schools And Online Learning
As of this
September 2006, 38 states had either statewide virtual schools or significant
policies on online education, according to Education Week. Of those
38 states, at least five had either created virtual schools or passed laws on
online learning in the 2005-06 school year. State-led virtual schools has grown
quickly, according to the report, "Keeping
Pace," slated for release this week at the Virtual School
Symposium in
For more information, Click: http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/tech/Keeping_Pace2.pdf
Sources: Evergreen Consulting Associates,
· November 2, 2006- Twenty-Two of 23 OHSAA Referendum Issues Pass
Twenty-two of the 23 proposed Ohio High School Athletic Association Constitution and Bylaw revisions passed as voted upon by OHSAA member schools. A two-week period to vote on the proposals ended Monday.
Want to read the issues and voting results? Click to view the referendum voting results for October 2006.
· November 1, 2006- Superintendents Leaving Their Job
On average, roughly 2,000 to 2,200 of the country’s 13,500 school superintendents (about 15 percent) leave their jobs annually, according to data from the American Association of School Administrators.
· October 31, 2006- School Districts Turning To Earned Income Tax Levies
More
There are 36 income tax-related levies on the November 7, 2006 ballot. In May 2006, 35 income taxes levies were on the ballot and 17 were approved by voters, according to the Associated Press.
Sources: The Associated Press and Ohio Department of Education
· October 30, 2006- "Tools For Teachers"
The Ohio Department of Education announced recently that it has created the electronic mailing list, "Tools for Teachers," to provide information to teachers about professional development, lesson-planning help, state tests and academic-content standards. To join, e-mail toolsforteachers@ode.state.oh.us.
· October 27, 2006- ODE Says 206 School Issues On November 7th Ballot
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website has a list of school districts with issues on the November 7, 2006 ballot. According to the ODE, the list contains 206 issues in 176 school districts. The 206 issues compares with 222 tax issues in November 2005 and 286 in November 2004. From 2001 to 2005 an average of 55 percent of levies on the November ballot passed.
View the ODE information to find where, what kind of levy and for how much? Click: Preview by county
Source: Ohio Department of Education
· October 26, 2006- Private School Enrollment
Private school
enrollment grew more slowly in the
Source:
· October 25, 2006- Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Charter School Program
The Ohio Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of the state's charter school program. The Court ruled that opponents had not shown constitutional defects in the law that provides state financing for privately owned and operated charter schools. Justice Judith Lanzinger, who wrote the majority opinion, said that such policy decisions are within the purview of legislative responsibilities. "After full consideration, we cannot say that the concept of community schools itself violates the Ohio Constitution," she said.
The vote was 4-3. Joining Lanzinger in the majority were Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, Justices Evelyn Stratton and Maureen O'Connor. Justices Alice Resnick, Paul Pfeifer and Terrence O'Donnell dissented.
Read the majority opinion. Click: lead opinion
Source: Gongwer News Service
· October 24, 2006- State Education Leaders Recommend Changes For NCLB
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) wants the federal No Child Left Behind Act altered so that state officials would have more authority to oversee the law's testing and accountability measures. In a policy statement issue last week, the CCSSO said its members should be able to determine whether schools and districts are meeting their achievement goals by measuring individual students’ academic growth, and that they should be able to use results from a variety of tests to make those determinations. The states also will need extra federal money to help improve failing schools, the CCSSO said in a list of guidelines for improving the law. The changes would include:
• Letting states design assessments that are "more instructionally based … to inform best practices in teaching and learning."
• Allowing states to develop accountability systems that measure students’ academic growth, using data from more than just test scores to determine whether schools are meeting achievement goals.
• Establishing lesser consequences than in the law currently for schools that fail to reach achievement goals by small margins.
• Giving state education agencies a larger share of federal funds so they have the resources they need to turn around consistently failing schools.
SOURCES: Council of
Read the CCSSO policy statement. Click: "ESEA Reauthorization Policy Statement"
· October 23, 2006- Ohio To Receive $5.5 Million To Reward Teachers
The U.S.
Education Department plans to announce today the first of 16 grants worth $42
million to be used to reward teachers who raise student test scores. The
grants are also aimed at luring teachers into math, science and other core
fields. One of the first grants is $5.5 million to the Ohio Department of
Education, to be shared among schools in
For more information, read the Associated Press article: Teacher bonuses for test scores presented starting today
· October 20, 2006- High School Sports Injury Rates
A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy, based at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, found that high school football players had an overall injury rate of 4.36 athletes injured per 1000 participants, compared with 2.5 athletes injured per 100 for wrestling, slightly less than 2.5 for boys’ and girls’ soccer; 2.01 for girls’ basketball; and just under 2 for boys’ basketball. Volleyball, baseball and softball were all near 1.5 or less. Data was collected from 100 high schools across the country during the 2005-06 school year. The study included the injury rates at practices, in competition and overall for all sports. See table below.
According to the
report, high school sports participation has grown from an estimated 4 million
participants during the 1971--72 school year to an estimated 7.2 million in
2005-06.
Read the report. Click: "Sports-Related Injuries Among High School Athletes—United States, 2005–06 School Year"
· October 19, 2006- Value-Added: The Next Generation Tool For School Improvement
REGISTER NOW FOR VALUE-ADDED PROGRAM! (Program, Directions and Registration information below.)
VALUE-ADDED COMES TO
Value-added chronology
1980s:
1992:
2002:
Battelle for Kids begins a value-added pilot program in
2003:
2006:
2007: All
2008: Value-added data will appear on school and district report cards.
Reprinted from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Battelle for Kids: Bringing clarity to school improvement............. www.BattelleforKids.org
PROGRAM
INFORMATION: On
Tuesday, October 31, 2006 CORAS
will present the program,Value
Added: The Next Generation Tool for School Improvement......What have we
learned? Where is it going? with Dr.
James Mahoney, Executive Director, & Staff, Battelle for Kids. The program will be held at the Olde Dutch
Restaurant in
DIRECTIONS: The Olde Dutch Restaurant is located approximately one-half
mile North of State Route 33 on State Route 664 in
TO REGISTER: Contact Lori at (740) 593-4445 or email her at: stumpl@ohio.edu The registration fee, including lunch, is only $15.00.
· October 18, 2006- School Fundraisers
The Associated
Press (AP) reported recently that parents and their school-aged children
raised $1.7 billion last year by selling products through fundraisers. The
average school campaign earned $2,500, according to the Association of
Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers. An estimated 1,500 companies
nationwide sell candy bars, holiday items, magazines and other goods through
fundraisers that mostly target schools.
A spokesperson for the fundraisers association said the growth has created a backlash. Some parents object to their children being counted on as a sales force. Many parents have also grown tired of being flooded with glossy product catalogs, product samples and order forms brought home from school by their children. The result has been a drop in sales over the last year.
· October 17, 2006- Business Groups Lobby For NCLB Reauthorization
Education Week reported today that
three major business groups, all based in
SOURCE: Education Week
· October 16, 2006- Several Local District Report Cards "Inflated By Hidden Default"
"The success of nearly 40
An analysis by the Canton Repository found that 30 charter schools and five public schools in Ohio got the state’s third-highest designation, “continuous improvement,” not because of student achievement but because of the state’s measure, adapted from federal guidelines, of “adequate yearly progress” (AYP).
In theory, the Repository said, AYP is supposed to measure how schools are doing with each subgroup of students, such as minority, disabled and poor students, to ensure schools are reaching them all in core subjects such as math and reading. But if a school doesn’t have enough students for a subgroup (30 students, or 45 students with disabilities), the state says it automatically meets AYP, no matter what the groups that are measured show. And any school or district that meets AYP can go no lower than “continuous improvement,” according to the State Department of Education’s accountability system.
According to the Repository, the
sponsors of The Canton Academy, a charter school that helps students with
learning, behavioral and other disabilities, found it confusing that the school
met AYP when the state report cards were released in August. The
Read the Canton Repository
article. Click: Fault found in scoring of
· October 13, 2006- Survey: Teacher Satisfaction With Careers Improving
Teachers' satisfaction with their careers has increased significantly over the past two decades, according to the annual survey “MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Expectations and Experiences” of 2006, released yesterday by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and the Committee for Economic Development. Fifty-six percent of the 1,001 teachers polled earlier this year reported being “very satisfied” with their careers, in comparison with just 40 percent in 1984, the first year of the survey. Education Week said, "That outcome is somewhat surprising, given anecdotal and survey evidence in recent years suggesting that teachers have gotten discouraged with what they see as an increasing loss of autonomy over their classrooms and an abundance of mandated tests."
Over the past 20 years, views on how to recruit and retain qualified teachers have changed significantly, according to Education Week's analysis of the survey. In 1986, just 38 percent of principals said that providing teachers with good equipment and supplies helped attract and retain qualified instructors; today, 60 percent of principals agree with that statement. Similarly, more teachers today than in 1986 believe that providing better equipment and supplies (74 percent vs. 69 percent), more parent involvement (67 percent vs. 56 percent), and closer matches between student needs and teacher capabilities (63 percent vs. 55 percent) will help considerably in the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers.
The annual survey tracks the opinions of teachers, principals and education dean.
Read the full report. Click: "The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Expectations and Experiences" of 2006
Source: Education Week/edweek.org
· October 12, 2006- "Too many charter schools failing"
The Cincinnati
Enquirer reported today that, "according to three national charter
organizations asked to review the state's charter system, Ohio's low-performing
charter schools should be closed and the agencies that oversee them should be
held more accountable because too many of the schools are failing."
According to the report, 49 percent of
Since the 1998-99
school year, the number of charters in
· October 11, 2006- School Funding Shifts Toward Local Property Taxes
"Cutbacks in the state share of public school funding have forced Ohio school districts into an impossible choice: pass large school levies, cut back programs and staff, or both," according to the study "Ohio School Funding Fact Base," and the September 19, 2006 news release by the Ohio Education Association.
"The state
share of funding schools has declined from 47.4% to 41% in only five years, and
dramatic increases in education costs have forced the local share up from 53%
to 59% over that same period," said Gary L. Allen, president of the Ohio
Education Association. "Few school districts can manage that kind of
drastic shift without cutting teachers, eliminating valuable courses and
charging higher student fees."
| State vs. Local Per Pupil Funding for Ohio Public Schools |
|||||
| Fiscal Year | Cost Per Pupil | Local Funds | State Funds | State Share | Local Share |
| 2002 | $4,818 | $2,561 | $2,307 | 47.40% | 53.15% |
| 2003 | $4,949 | $2,653 | $2,332 | 46.80% | 53.61% |
| 2004 | $5,058 | $2,780 | $2,274 | 45.00% | 54.96% |
| 2005 | $5,169 | $2,910 | $2,252 | 43.60% | 56.30% |
| 2006 | $5,283 | $3,061 | $2,238 | 42.20% | 57.94% |
| 2007 | $5,403 | $3,190 | $2,228 | 41.10% | 59.04% |
| Source: Ohio Department of Education Reports. |
|||||
· Here are the key findings of the OEA study, "Ohio School Funding Fact Base," for five years, from fiscal 2002-2003 through 2006-2007.
- Meanwhile, average local taxes per pupil have increased from $2,561 to $3,190, up 24.6%, forcing the local share of school funding up from 53.2% to 59%
- Local annual spending increases for public schools have averaged 4.1% per year, nearly double state increases of 2.2%, another indication of the shift to local taxes.
- Between the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years, two-thirds of
- Between fiscal 2002 and 2007,
- Despite booming fuel costs,
- Between Fiscal 2003 and 2006, state aid to public schools grew by only 64% of the rate of inflation.
- Much of the loss in state funding can be attributed to the $2 billion redirected to charter schools between fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2007, $470 million this year alone. (See an earlier OEA study,
- Between fiscal 1999 and fiscal 2005, school districts reduced the number of art, business, career development, consumer science, foreign language, industrial arts, music and physical education teachers by 16%.
- Inequities between rich and poor school districts persist, with the lowest 10th percentile having enough property value to generate only one-third of the revenue from one mill of property taxes as districts at the 90th percentile.
The news release said, using Ohio
Department of Education data, OEA research found: "While under the
pressure of an order of the Supreme Court,
Source: OEA News Service, September 19, 2006
· October 10, 2006- "....a model for the rest of the country."
"I do think we spend too much on
property taxes, but it is up to each community to decide whether they want to
pass those levies or not. We are spending an extraordinary amount on education
in
· October 9, 2006- Report Says AYP "Fundamentally Flawed"
A
The report said, "AYP in its 2006 form as the prime indicator
of academic achievement is not supported by reliable evidence. Expecting all
children to reach mastery level on their state’s standardized tests by 2014,
the fundamental requirement of AYP, is unrealistic." "In addition," the
The report recommends that AYP sanctions be suspended until the premises underlying them can be either confirmed or refuted by solid, scientific research and unintended, negative consequences can be avoided."
Read the report. Click: "The Accuracy and Effectiveness of Adequate Yearly Progress, NCLB’s School Evaluation System"
· October 6, 2006- Federal Funding Cuts/AASA School Safety Document
A news
article provided by AASA Daily News said federal funding
for a grant program that helps
AASA has created a school safety document for school administrators. This document outlines key elements of school safety, organized under three categories:
- Awareness: Schools will remain aware of the threat of violence on campus and vigilant about protecting the safety of students.
- Balance: Schools will take a balanced approach to school safety, recognizing that a combination of strategies, rather than one or two extreme solutions, can be most effective in keeping students safe.
- Control: Schools will control access to the learning environment to protect all students.
To read the document, click: ABC's of School Safety
· October 5, 2006- ",,,,'it can't happen here,' mentality."
In reference to the recent school violence in rural communities in Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reported that Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm in Cleveland, said, "The public tends to view city schools as less secure and more dangerous, yet urban districts are consistently better prepared. Rural and private schools frequently have not gotten past the 'it can't happen here' mentality,"
To visit the National School Safety and Security Services website, click: www.schoolsecurity.org
· October 4, 2006- Building A New Ohio Economy
"Make no mistake: The old Ohio economy, the one in which we baby boomers came of age and prospered, isn’t coming back. And the key to building the new Ohio economy isn’t tax cuts, it is education." ......... Joe Hallett, Senior Editor, Columbus Dispatch
· October 3, 2006- Ohioans Favor More School Spending, Poll Says
The Cleveland Plain Dealer says a poll, commissioned by the nonprofit KnowledgeWorks Foundation, "found that Ohioans overwhelmingly favor more school spending." Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed said the state should increase spending for education, a higher portion than supported increased spending for such issues as jobs and economic development, courts and the prison system, or health care for the poor and elderly.
Other poll findings include:
- Fifty-nine (59) percent of Ohioans think funding for public schools should come primarily from the state, not local school districts.
- More than 63 percent said state funding for public kindergarten-grade 12 schools is not adequate and nearly 80 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a state legislator who voted to reduce state spending for those schools.
- Ohioans are not well informed about alternatives to public schools, such as charter schools. Almost 37 percent of those polled said they aren’t familiar with alternatives to public schools and a similar number reported they don’t know whether charter and community schools are working well. Even so, about half either strongly or somewhat favor having charter schools in Ohio.
- A majority of Ohioans do not agree with taxpayer-funded vouchers for private or religious schools. Nearly 49 percent said state funding should only be used for students who attend public schools, with 42 percent supporting vouchers for private schools and the remainder saying they are undecided or their position depends on other factors.
- Ohio adults question the use of standardized tests. Fifty-seven percent said the tests are not accurate indicators of a student’s progress and abilities, as opposed to 37 percent who said they are. Almost 55 percent said schools place too much emphasis on tests, while just 14 percent said schools should emphasize tests more.
- Support is strong for schools that focus on science, technology, engineering and math. Almost 70 percent of those surveyed said creating such schools should be a high priority. In addition, 89 percent wanted students to be taught critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Complete survey findings, including a searchable database, are available at www.kwfdn.org.
· October 2, 2006- Ohio Losing Most Educated Young Minds
The Toledo Blade said a 2002 report by the Ohio Board of Regents confirms that new PhDs have left Ohio in large numbers. The report shows the percentage of Ohio PhD graduates who left the state between 1992 and 2001 as follows:
Architecture.........................100%
Engineering.......................... 75%
Electrical Engineering....... 69%
Mechanical Engineering..... 81%
Biology.................................. 75%
Computer Science............... 69%
Mathematics......................... 61%
Physics................................... 79%
A University of Toledo study detected another trend, which the Ohio Board of Regents confirms. Those with master's degrees, doctorates, and professional degrees are 50 percent more likely to leave Ohio than those with bachelor's degrees. In fact, Ohio keeps more of its bachelor degree graduates than the average state, the study found.
Read the Toledo Blade article. Click: State doesn't keep the right graduates
contact us
For additional information contact:
Mike Shoemaker, Executive Director
Lori Spencer, Administrative Assistant
Email: stumpl@ohio.edu
Phone:(740) 593-4414
(740) 593-4445
Address:Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools
McCracken Hall, Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701