1) 127th Ohio General Assembly: The Ohio House and Senate will hold
committee hearings and sessions this week.
*Last week (January 9, 2008) Senator Randy Gardner was sworn into
office to replace former Representative Bob Latta in the Ohio House
(6th Ohio House District), and John Otterman took the oath of office
to replace his father Representative Robert J. Otterman (45th Ohio
House District). Representatives Fred Strahorn and Mike Foley were
sworn into new leadership positions as House minority whip and
assistant minority whip, respectively.
*In the Ohio Senate Senator Tom Niehaus was selected as majority
floor leader, replacing Randy Gardner, and a Republican screening
committee announced that it had selected Representative Mark Wagoner
(46th House District) to replace Randy Gardner in the 2nd Senate
District. Of course this move now opens Representative Wagoner's
seat in the Ohio House. Senate Democrats also made leadership
changes: Senator Ray Miller replaced Senator Teresa Fodor as
minority leader of the Ohio Senate; Senator Shirley Smith was
selected as assistant minority leader; Senator Lance Mason was
selected as minority whip; and Senator Capri Cafaro was selected as
assistant minority whip.
*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by
Senator Carey, will hold hearings on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at
2:30 PM in the Finance Hearing Room. The committee will hear
testimony on SJR4 (Schuring) Lottery Profits, which requires all
lottery profits and a percentage of revenue from certain taxes to be
devoted to funding primary, secondary, and higher education.
*The House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Setzer,
will meet on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 3:00 PM in hearing room
116. The committee will hear testimony on the following bills:
-HB341 (Dodd) Nutritional/Agricultural Education - Establishes the
healthy farms and healthy school grant program for the purpose of
providing grants to schools to establish nutrition education and
agricultural education programs for kindergartners.
-HB406 (Peterson) Corporal Punishment - Prohibits corporal punishment
in all public schools.
-HB428 (Setzer) School Employee Misconduct - Addresses school
employee misconduct, reporting, and discipline.
-HB423 (Setzer) Teacher Compensation - Revise eligibility for state
stipends to National Board certified teachers; permits school
districts, educational service centers, and county MR/DD boards to
pay wage rate differentials above their regulate salary for certain
teachers.
-HB424 (Setzer) School Accountability and Options - Eliminates the
performance index score as a factor in school district and building
performance ratings, makes changes to the Post -Secondary Enrollment
Options Program, and makes changes in the requirement that schools
offer dual enrollment programs.
-HB347 (Setzer) Professional Educator License - Replaces Praxis III
assessment as a condition for a professional educator license.
*The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Padgett, will
meet on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM in the North Hearing
Room. The committee will hear testimony on SB264 (Carey) Teacher
Strikes, which prohibit classroom teachers employed by boards of
education from striking and requires binding arbitration to settle
their unresolved collective bargaining disputes and to make an
appropriation; SB270 (Cates) School Employee Misconduct, which
addresses school employee misconduct, reporting, and discipline; and
SB141 (Padgett) Community School Sponsors, which make changes in the
law regarding the approval of community school sponsors.
2) Update on NCLB: As supporters of the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) were getting ready to celebrate its 6th anniversary, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit Court (Cincinnati) reversed on
January 7, 2008 a previous decision by a federal judge in Michigan,
and revived a lawsuit filed on April 20, 2005 by school districts in
three states and the National Education Association. This lawsuit,
Pontiac vs. Spellings, challenges compliance with the unfunded
mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act. The school districts
filing the lawsuit are from Michigan, Texas, and Vermont. The
lawsuit states that school districts are required to spend their own
local money in order to comply with the provisions of the law, which
violates the "spending clause" of the U.S. Constitution. The 6th
Circuit Court agreed, because NCLB is not clear about who bears the
additional costs of compliance, and reinstated the lawsuit. For
more information about this ruling please visit
http://www.nea.org/lawsuit/index.html
On January 7, 2008 President Bush recognized the anniversary of NCLB,
and promised to revive its reauthorization this year. The President
also stated that he would support increased flexibility for states to
adjust their accountability systems, but would oppose any changes
that would weaken accountability. For more information please visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080107-2.html
3) State Board of Education Meeting: The State Board of Education
(SBE), Jennifer Sheets president, met on January 6-8, 2008 in
Columbus, Ohio.
QUALITY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SUBCOMMITTEE: The State Board of
Education's Quality Middle and High Schools Subcommittee, chaired by
Carl Wick, met on January 6, 2008. The subcommittee discussed
designing a system of assessment and accountability that combines
standardized assessment with teacher generated - curriculum embedded
assessment. This new system would combine a measure of student
achievement/school performance compared to a consistent set of
expectations, and also reflect a deeper understanding of student
learning, student progress, and the effectiveness of instruction
through performance based assessments. Performance-based assessment
(PBA) "... is a measure of assessment based on authentic tasks such
as activities, exercises, or problems that require students to show
what they can do." (ASCD definition) Examples include project based
learning, internships, portfolios, collection of evidence, research
projects, and presentations.
A combined standardized and teacher generated assessment system
(balanced assessment system) would do the following:
-provide teachers with an external benchmark to calibrate their own
judgment of student performance
-provide students and families with feedback on student performance
relative to curricular expectations and skill levels
-provide schools with data that could inform curricular decisions and
professional development
-provide data for the public and state to make judgments about the
performance of schools and districts
The Collegiate Learning Assessment, Envision, Cambridge Exams, end of
course exams, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate are
examples of assessment programs that incorporate some, but not all,
of the features of a balanced assessment system. A video about
Envision High Schools was shared with the subcommittee. These
charter schools in the San Francisco area provide students with a
rigorous and relevant curriculum; personalized small learning
environments; authentic accountability; adult world immersion (guest
artists and mentors); and integrate arts and digital technology
courses.
The subcommittee reviewed a timeline that includes four phases from
December 2007 to July 2010 to pilot performance based assessment
models. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is currently
investigating existing PBA programs and prototypes, and will share
that information with stakeholders to determine the most promising
model (Phase 1 - completed by March 2008). In Phase 2 (completed by
August 2008) two or three prototypes will be developed, and selected
school districts will begin implementation to determine their
feasibility for statewide use. The prototypes will be implemented in
Phase 3 from October 2008 to December 31, 2009, and the results
evaluated in Phase 4, which will be completed in July 2010. This
work will be supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.
SCHOOL FUNDING SUBCOMMITTEE: The School Funding subcommittee,
chaired by Virgil Brown also met on January 6, 2008. The
subcommittee discussed a draft document entitled "Toward
Recommendations for School Funding reform in Ohio, An Interim Report
of Ideas Developed by the School Funding Subcommittee", presented by
Paolo DeMaria, Associate Superintendent of the Center for School
Finance. Subcommittee members suggested additional ideas and ways to
clarify particular points in the draft. For example, some
subcommittee members wanted more emphasis on
transparency/accountability, and an emphasis on ways that districts
can collaborate regionally to reduce their costs for transportation,
insurance, food services, etc. The draft summarized, so far, the
discussions of the subcommittee regarding the following six
components of a school funding system:
-How much is needed, for what, and by whom? This component includes
five "ideas" that the subcommittee may recommend about base cost,
supplemental funding based on student needs, equity, guarantees, and
protection mechanisms. For example, a "best buy" or modified
successful schools analysis is being considered by the subcommittee
to determine the base cost. The subcommittee is also considering a
weighted formula to address the cost of educating students identified
as economically disadvantaged, gifted, Limited English Proficient,
and in Special Education. The criteria for identifying the
successful schools that will be part of this new analysis of base
cost is currently being developed.
-What tools should local districts have available to them to raise
the local share of funding, and what rules apply? Two different
ideas about local revenue are being considered, and include capping
local revenue growth and allowing inflationary growth, parity aid,
and a circuit-breaker feature.
-How should the fiscal responsibility be divided? The subcommittee
is looking at strategies, including some using the chargeoff, that
would ensure that the local share is computed fairly; phantom revenue
is addressed; and disincentives for districts to raise local revenue,
such as gap aid, are eliminated.
-What are the tools and rules to generate the state contribution?
This component is not fully developed, but some of the ideas that
have been discussed include increasing revenue through the income tax
or sales tax; promoting regional or county taxes, such as the Medina
County's sales tax for school construction; and reviewing legislative
proposals, such as SJR 4 (Schuring), a constitutional amendment to
require all lottery profits and a percentage of revenue from certain
taxes to be devoted to funding primary, secondary, and higher
education.
-How do we ensure that all money is being used to achieve the best
results? There are four ideas included under this component, such as
develop measures to evaluate efficient and effective use of
resources; provide technical assistance for resource management;
ensure stability and predictability of funds; and align resources to
improve student academic achievement and address the needs of
students.
-What incentives, rewards and consequences should there be? One idea
included under this component would link incremental increases in
educational investments to student achievement.
Next steps: Another draft will be prepared for the February 2008
subcommittee meeting. Once the subcommittee has reviewed this draft
it will be placed on the ODE website for public comment.
MONDAY SBE MEETING: The State Board of Education met on January 7-8,
2008 at the Ohio School for the Deaf.
COORDINATION COMMITTEE: The SBE's Coordination Committee, chaired by
Eric Okerson and Carl Wick, met on January 7, 2008. The purpose of
this committee is to coordinate the work of the SBE and develop by
October 2008 a comprehensive and coordinated set of legislative and
budget recommendations that support a world-class education system in
Ohio. A timeline and chart with potential legislative/budget
recommendations was presented. Committee members suggested
additional topics to add to the chart, and identified overlaps and
inconsistencies in how the topics were organized. Members also
suggested that the ODE identify what programs, projects, etc. could
be eliminated from the ODE budget. The following is a summary of
some of the legislative/budget recommendations and emerging concepts
included on the chart:
-The Achievement Committee will develop policies and legislative
recommendations that refine Ohio's academic content standards, and
benchmark them to international practices; develop performance based
assessments and end of course exams; develop policies to support a
personalized learning plan for all students; develop diagnostic
measures for districts and schools; require all nonpublic schools
that participate in voucher programs to participate in Ohio's
accountability system for schools; develop performance-related entry
requirements for community schools; disseminate sponsor performance
data for community schools; implement an urban initiative for
improving middle grade literacy; advocate for a longer school year
(twenty days more); and integrate social services into the schools.
-The Capacity Committee will develop policies and legislative
recommendations that support the teacher evaluation framework;
promote use of the Ohio Principal Evaluation System; expand the
career lattice model; redesign teacher Entry Year Program and align
it to Ohio's Standards for Teachers; require school climate to be
reported on the Local Report Card; promote collaboration among
health, human services, and local law enforcement agencies to link
students and families to community services; integrate ESCs and other
regional entities to form an aligned education system; improve
communications with stakeholders; examine teacher licensure and grade
bands; develop a prototype for evaluating superintendents; develop an
urban strategy; develop policy recommendations for dual enrollment
and post secondary options; and support community and parent
involvement.
-The Education in the New Global Economy Subcommittee will develop
policies and legislative recommendations that ensure that Ohio
students will graduate with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that
will make them successful in their future lives, and recommendations
that inform curriculum, assessment, and instruction to accomplish
that goal.
-The Quality Middle and High Schools Subcommittee will develop
policies and recommendations regarding assessments, quality teaching,
and a "bridge school" to support student success.
-The School Readiness Committee will develop policies and
recommendations regarding a new early childhood teacher license; the
early learning finance model pilot; funding for all day Kindergarten;
and an accountability system for early learning.
-The School Funding Subcommittee will develop polices and
recommendations regarding the work of the Fiscal Data Project and a
new system of funding for Ohio's schools.
Board members agreed to continue discussing these recommendations in
the committees. In February, March, and April these concepts will be
refined further so that by the end of May the State Board will have a
first draft of legislative and budget recommendations, which will be
the focus of the June 2008 retreat.
CAPACITY AND ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEES:
The Achievement Committee, Michael Cochran and Ann Womer Benjamin
co-chairs, discussed the proposed Perkins IV Plan. The federal Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006
requires states to focus on the academic achievement of career and
technical education students, strengthen connections between
secondary and postsecondary education, and improve state and local
accountability. A draft of the five-year (FY2009-FY2013) plan for
Ohio is available online at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1060&ContentID=21500&Content=42552.
The Capacity Committee, Rob Hovis and Jane Sonenshein co-chairs,
discussed the following topics:
-Safe Schools Summit: The findings of the School Safety Summit were
included in the SBE's meeting packet. Governor Strickland is
expected to hold another school safety summit. Mary Lou Rush, ODE
Executive Director, Center for Students, Families, and Communities,
presented information about the ways in which an indicator or measure
for school climate/environment could be developed and included in
Ohio's accountability system for schools and on the Local Report
Card. Currently several school districts are participating in a
pilot for assessing school climate, and the results have been
encouraging. An options paper for how a measure for school climate
could be included in Ohio's accountability system for schools will be
prepared and shared with the committee.
-Educator License Fees: The committee approved a resolution that
would increase educator license fees to $30. These fees support the
Offices of Educator License, Professional Conduct, and Educator
Preparation. The full Board will need to take action on this
resolution. A recommendation to increase the fees to $40 was also
discussed, but not recommended.
-Educator Code of Conduct draft: The committee reviewed the December
16, 2007 draft for "Principles for Professional Conduct for Ohio's
Educators", and was provided a document with public comments on the
draft proposal. This draft was developed by the Educator Standards
Board as required by HB 190 (Hite). A new draft will be posted at
the end of January 2008 on the ODE website, and will be considered by
the Board in February 2008.
-Licensure grade bands: An advisory group of stakeholders is meeting
with the ODE to examine teacher licensure grade bands and several
options for a new teacher grade band system for Birth (Age 0) through
grade 12. The current grade band system is almost a decade old and
some problems have been identified with it. For example, there are
too many teachers with the early childhood license, compared to the
number of jobs available, and administrators are finding it difficult
to match well-trained middle childhood teachers to building
assignments. A new licensure structure is needed to increase the
number of highly qualified teachers, employment opportunities, and
provide administrators with more hiring flexibility.
According to the November 20, 2007 grade band proposal, the following
changes for the grade bands are being considered:
Early Learning License - Birth through grade 2;
Early Childhood License - (available until the Early Learning
License is in place) - PreK-Grade 3; Elementary Education License -
Grade 1 through Grade 6;
Secondary Education License - Grade 6 through Grade 12.
A survey will be posted on the ODE web site in January for public
comment, and focus groups will be held in February to discuss the
grade band recommendations. The Educator Standards Board will review
the recommendations in March, and the SBE Capacity Committee will
review the recommendations in April. A resolution for an intent to
adopt new rules for grade bands will be considered by the State Board
of Education in May, and a resolution for adoption will be considered
by the full Board in September 2008.
-Dropout Prevention and Recovery: The SBE is directed by March 30,
2008 to develop legislative recommendations for performance standards
for community schools that operate dropout prevention and recovery
programs, and performance criteria for closing failing dropout
prevention and recovery schools. (126-HB 79) Todd Hanes, ODE
Executive Director for Community Schools, presented a proposal that
includes seven indicators of performance for dropout and recovery
schools in the following areas:
Academic achievement/growth - Student academic growth would be
measured through the results of ODE approved, nationally normed tests
administered in the fall and spring to students, and the SBE would
set the cut scores.
Sustained Student Enrollment - The SBE would set the expected
threshold for attendance.
School Completion - This component could be measured through student
graduation rate; GED completion; industry credential; apprenticeship;
or military enlistment. The SBE would set the cut scores. Data is
currently not available.
School Closure: Failure to meet any performance standards for two
consecutive years, or failing to meet two of three performance
standards in two of three consecutive years.
Data Collection: Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, dropout
prevention and recovery schools shall report data as determined by
the ODE in order to pilot the new accountability system. The SBE
will determine performance thresholds for each indicator. The
performance thresholds shall become effective as school closure
criteria at the end of 2011-2012 school year.
-Ohio Administrative Code Rules (OAC) 3301-83-04, 09, 10, and 16 -
Pupil Transportation: The Capacity Committee approved these rules,
which have been updated to comply with 127- HB 190 regarding federal
background checks; federal requirements for safety briefings; updates
for driver certification programs; and provisions that allow the use
of school buses for emergency purposes.
-OAC Rule 3301-8-01, Payment of Debt Service Charges: The Capacity
Committee approved amendments to this rule in accordance with the
five year review process.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: John Bender and Carl Wick presented reports on
state and federal legislative activities. Greg Dennis, ODE
Legislative Liaison, presented information on HB 347 (Setzer), which
eliminates the Praxis III assessment. An advisory committee has been
convened by the ODE Center for the Teaching Profession to review the
entry year for beginning teachers and assessments for licensure.
Meetings are also being held with Representative Setzer to develop
recommendations that could be included in a future substitute bill.
Several members expressed support for a uniform statewide
professional assessment for teacher licensure. An update of the
conversations and recommendations will be presented to the SBE in
February 2008, and at that time the SBE may be asked to take a
position on HB 347.
Charles See presented information about the penalties that the ODE
was required to develop though 127-HB 190. These penalties would be
dispensed to individuals for failure to report to the ODE information
about persons licensed by the SBE who have committed an act that is
unbecoming to the teaching profession or that may make the person a
threat to the safety of students. Seven recommendations developed by
the ODE were sent to the Ohio General Assembly on December 28, 2007.
Several SBE members expressed their concern regarding the recommended
penalties, which they thought in certain cases were ambiguous,
inconsistent, and outside the SBE's authority. These recommendations
are now being considered for legislative actions by the General
Assembly.
Jeannette Oxender, ODE Chief of Staff, and Pete Japikse, ODE
Associate Director of Pupil Transportation, briefed the Board about a
situation that has arisen that may force Ohio's schools and districts
to enforce the use of child safety restraints on school buses for
children under four years of age or 40 lbs. Compliance with the law
would cost school districts at a minimum $77 million statewide, and
research has shown that children are safe on a school bus without
using seat belts. The law must be changed to keep the status quo,
and the ODE is currently working with lawmakers to address this
issue. The Board was assured that the safety of the children will be
the top priority.
Matt DeTemple, ODE Chief Legal Counsel, updated the Board about the
concerns expressed at the December SBE meeting by occupational
therapists and physical therapists regarding the proposed Special
Education Rules. The filing of the proposed rules with the Joint
Committee on Agency Rule Review was postponed this month. The ODE is
meeting with stakeholders, and expects to address some of their
concerns, and refile the rules with JCARR in February. Stakeholder
concerns about student ratios will need to be addressed at a later
time. The new rules need to be in place by July 2008 to meet a
federal deadline.
At 4:00 PM the Board held a Chapter 119 hearing on rules for
Temporary Licenses, Performance-Based Licensure for Administrators,
and Open Enrollment. No one testified.
EDGE SUBCOMMITTEE: The State Board of Education's Subcommittee for
Education in the New Global Economy (EDGE), chaired by Colleen Grady
and Steve Millett, met following the 119 hearing, and discussed the
survey and interview process that will be used to gather information
about the knowledge, skills, and behaviors students need upon
graduation to be competitive in the global economy. The survey,
which is called "Education in the New Global Economy", was developed
to obtain information from the public and private business sectors in
Ohio regarding student preparation for work and continuing education
in Ohio. The subcommittee has developed a process and timeline for
gathering data, vetting the results with stakeholders, and developing
legislative and policy recommendations for the FY2010-11 budget. The
survey is located at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDefaultPage.aspx?page=1
MEETING ON JANUARY 8, 2008: Superintendent Zelman, Mitch Chester,
and Matt Cohen reviewed with the Board the results of incorporating
value added data into Ohio's accountability system for school
districts and schools this year, and discussed its effect on
curriculum, assessment, instruction, and policy. The value added
data provides a way for student growth to be measured each year, but
the presentation emphasized that attention must be paid to what value
added actually measures, so that informed decisions can be made from
the data. For example, the value added data is only reported for
students in grades 4-8 in two subjects, reading and mathematics.
Value Added data for students in high school and students in dropout
and recovery schools are not available. Also, students who take
alternative assessments are not included in the data, and the greater
the amount of data analyzed, the more precise the results. In other
words, the value added results for a school district are going to be
more accurate than the results for a single school.
In the future the SBE will need to address several policy questions
concerning value added, such as how does value-added change the way
we interpret test results in reading and math or at each grade level;
what kind of training is needed for teachers and administrators to
understand and use the value added results; how should value added
results be presented; how much access should there be to the
statistics used as a basis for calculating value added; what are the
implications for improving student achievement, etc.? Information
about the value added measure is available at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1&ContentID=41683&Content=41697
BUSINESS MEETING: The Board convened its business meeting and
immediately proceeded into executive session. After reconvening the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Susan Tave Zelman,
presented her monthly report, which focused on transforming Ohio's
education system and examining the purpose of public education in a
modern society. Dr. Zelman is currently meeting with a small group
of stakeholders that include representatives from the Governor's
office, First Lady Frances Strickland's office, the OEA, OFT, and the
Knowledge Works Foundation, to discuss Ohio's accountability system;
how to incorporate multiple ways to assess student achievement; and
how to build the leadership capacity of Ohio's teachers, principals,
and superintendents. Additional participants are expected to join
future dialogues.
Following the Superintendent's Report, the Board took action on seven
personnel items and the resolutions included below. There was no
public participation on agenda or non-agenda items. The next State
Board of Education meeting is February 11-12, 2008.
Agenda of the State Board of Education for January 8, 2008:
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to adopt new Ohio Administrative
Code (OAC) Rules 3301-17-01 through 3301-17-09 (Data Integrity)
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to amend OAC Rules 3301-102-02
through 06 (Community School Sponsorship)
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to amend OAC Rules 3301-104-02
(Internet or Computer-Based Community School Definitions)
-Approved a Resolution to amend OAC Rules 3301-02-01; 02; 03; 05; 09;
and 11 (Personal Information Systems), and adopt Rule 3301-02-13
(Contact if unauthorized access of personal information occurs)
-Approved a Resolution to amend OAC Rule 3301-04-01 (Notice of Meeting)
-Approved Resolution to amend OAC Rules 3301-24-05 (Licensure)
-Approved a Resolution to decline confirmation of the Brookfield
Local School District Board of Education's determination that it is
impractical to transport students to John F. Kennedy High School, a
chartered nonpublic school in Trumbull County, OH pursuant to Section
3327.01 of the Revised Code.
For more information about the State Board of Education's meetings,
please visit http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE
ODEPrimary.aspx?page=2&TopicRelationID=574
4) 2008 Quality Counts: The 12th edition of Education Week's annual
report on the quality of education in the nation called Quality
Counts 2008 (QC) was released on January 10, 2008. This year the
focus is on the teaching profession - "Tapping into Teaching:
Unlocking the Key to Student Success." Quality Counts rates the
nation and the states on the following education indicators: Chance
for Success; K-12 Achievement; Standards and Accountability;
Transitions and Alignment; the Teaching Profession; and School
Finance. States received this year overall grades. New York,
Massachusetts, and Maryland received a "B", which was the highest
score, and Ohio and nine other states received a "B-". Most states
received a "C", along with the nation as a whole. To view the full
report visit the Education Week Website.
Ohio is rated seven out of 51 states and the District of Columbia,
and received an overall score of 80.6. New York, the highest rated
state with a "B", earned a score of 84.9. Ohio achieved its highest
score, an "A", for Standards, Assessment and Accountability, and its
lowest score, a "C-", in K-12 Achievement. This indicator includes
data on 18 state-achievement measures and considers progress toward
closing achievement gaps among groups of students. Ohio received a
"B-" in Chance for Success; a "C-" in K-12 Achievement; an "A" for
Standards, Assessment, and Accountability; a "C+" for Transitions and
Alignment; a "C+" for the Teaching Profession; and a "B-" for School
Finance. To read an analysis of Ohio's progress in education reform
please visit the ODE website at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=10&ContentID=42583&Content=42583
5) ODE Summit in February 2008: Information about registration for
the 2008 Ohio Policy and Leadership Forum: Economic-Education Summit,
"Vision to Reality" is available on the ODE website at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDefaultPage.aspx?page=1
The Summit will be held in Columbus on February 19-20, 2008, and will
bring together educators and business/industry representatives to
discuss Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
education, economic clusters, entrepreneurship, the new
career-technical education plan, and more. Registration will be
limited to 500, and runs through January 31, 2008.
6) New Report on Choosing Schools: The Education Policy Research
Unit at Arizona State University and Education and the Public
Interest Center at Colorado University Boulder posted a new study on
January 7, 2008 called "Who Chooses Schools, and Why" by Natalie
Lacireno-Paquet (WestEd) and Charleen Brantley (University of
Massachusetts). This study examines the reasons that families
participate in school choice programs, such as charter schools,
voucher programs, home schooling, and private schools. The study
found that race and class have a strong influence on decisions to
attend choice schools, rather than academic quality. According to a
press release of the study, "Parents overwhelmingly say they are
looking for a better education but much, though not all, of the
research examined suggests that parents are paying more attention to
the social and racial demographics of potential choice schools than
they are to measures of academic quality". Parents who choose
private schools are predominately white and non-poor; parents
participating in voucher programs are means-tested, and so they are
poorer and minority; parents who choose charter schools vary widely
in race and income levels, depending on the school; parents who are
homeschooling are predominately white, but are more likely to be low
or moderate income. The report is available at http://epicpolicy.org/
7) Review of Voucher Reports: The Education Policy Research Unit
at Arizona State University and Education and the Public Interest
Center at Colorado University Boulder posted on January 9, 2008 a
review by Sherman Dorn of five reports that promote private school
voucher programs to increase student graduation rates and reform
education, written by Brian Gottlob and published by the Milton and
Rose D. Friedman Foundation (2006-2007). The reports focus on
Indiana, Missouri, Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina. In the
review of these reports, Sherman Dorn states that these reports
"...ignored the relevant research literature in asserting that
private-school voucher programs can reduce the social costs of
dropping out while increasing graduation rates." "Further, each
report does not provide sufficient information about how the author
estimated the statistical claims made for each state, and the author
fails to compare the alleged benefits of private-school vouchers with
plausible alternatives, such as increasing public-school choice
programs or improving graduation through other programs. State
policymakers interested in increasing graduation would be better
served by seeking our the available, well-researched scholarship on
the topic." This report is available at http://epicpolicy.org/
8) Bills Introduced:
*HB423 (Setzer) Teacher Compensation - Revises the eligibility for
state stipends to National Board certified teachers; permits school
districts, educational service centers, and county MR/DD boards to
pay wage rate differentials above their regular salary schedules for
certain teachers; and specifies that teacher wage rate differentials,
the length of the school year, and the length of the school day are
not subjects for collective bargaining.
*HB424 (Setzer) School Accountability and Options - Eliminates the
performance index score as a factor in school district and building
performance ratings, makes changes in the Post-Secondary Enrollment
Options Program, and makes changes in the requirement that schools
offer dual enrollment programs.
*HB426 (DeBose) School Bus Drivers - Requires a person employed as a
school bus driver of a school bus or motor van to maintain control of
the pupils on that school bus or motor van, and provides an exception
to political subdivision sovereign immunity if injury, death, or loss
to person or property results from the failure of the driver of a
school bus or motor van to maintain control of the pupils on that
school bus or van.
*HB428 (Setzer) School Employee Misconduct - Addresses reporting and
discipline for school employee misconduct.
*SB270 (Cates) School Employee Misconduct - Addresses reporting and
discipline for school employee misconduct.
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