1)  127th General Assembly:  March 4, 2008 is primary election day.
According to the Ohio Department of Education's website, there are
165 school funding issues on the March 4, 2008 ballot.  In May of
2007 there were 164 school issues on the ballot, and 54.3 percent
were approved.

The Ohio House and Senate will not hold sessions this week, but some
committees will be meeting.  Once the General Assembly reconvenes it
is expected to have a full schedule.  Lawmakers will continue to work
on energy legislation, and will consider legislation to reauthorize
capital improvement projects; the two year capital budget; a
corrections bill for HB 119 (Dolan) - the FY08-09 budget; and
possibly a resolution to place a $1.7 billion bond issue on the
November 2008 ballot to support Governor Strickland's "Building Ohio
Jobs" initiative.  The Ohio House and Senate are scheduled to meet on
March 11, 2008.

*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by
Representative Hottinger, is scheduled to meet on March 5, 2008 at
10:00 AM in room 313 to hear a presentation from the Director of the
Office of Budget and Management, J. Pari Sabety, on capital
reappropriations.  Testimony will also be taken.  A bill to
reauthorize capital appropriations is expected to be introduced this
week.  The committee will also meet on March 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM to
hear testimony on capital reappropriations.

*The House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee, chaired by
Representative Raussen, will meet on March 5, 2008 at 10:00 AM in
room 114 to continue to hear testimony on HB456 (Raussen), which
establishes Ohio CARE.

*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by
Senator Carey, will meet on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 1:30 PM in
the Senate Finance Hearing Room to hear testimony on SB273 (Niehaus),
which calculates an alternate equity list for fiscal year 2008 for
purposes of determining school districts' eligibility for assistance
under the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, and their local
shares in fiscal year 2009.

2)  Update on State Budget: Director of the Office of Budget and
Management, J. Pari Sabety, testified on February 26, 2008 before the
House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Representative
Hottinger, regarding the status of the $733 million in cuts to the
state's FY08-09 budget.  In her written testimony, Director Sabety
explained that the reductions can be made through administrative
cuts, transfers of funds, and legislative changes.  A downturn in the
economy accounts for 71 percent of the shortfall ($557.7 million) by
June 30, 2009.  An increase in Medicaid caseloads to 66,000 accounts
for 27 percent of the projected shortfall ($215 million) by June 30,
2009.  The Medicaid program costs $12 billion annually, and some of
the anticipated cost savings ($51 million in FY08 and $164 million in
FY09) are taking longer to implement.  Decreases in expected lapses
in tax relief of $15.4 million and an additional $1 million for
Controlling Board contingencies account for the total shortfall.  The
testimony is available at
http://www.obm.ohio.gov/budget/operating/executive/0809/bb0809_test022608.pdf


3)  25 States Facing Budget Shortfalls:  A report issued on February
25, 2008 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities called "21
States Face Total Budget Shortfall of at Least $36 billion in 2009"
by Elizabeth C. McNichol and Iris J. Lav authors, provides
information about status of state budgets as a result of the national
downturn in the economy.   Projected to have budget shortfalls in
2009 are Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin; states projecting shortfalls in
2010 are Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Vermont. Analysts in
Connecticut, Missouri, and Texas are projecting budget gaps in FY
2010 and beyond.

According to the report, "Many states have never fully recovered from
the fiscal crisis in the early part of the decade. This fact
heightens the potential impact on public services of the deficits
states are now projecting."

Some state leaders are calling for the federal government to provide
assistance, such as an increase in Medicaid funding or provide grants
to states.  In 2003, for example, the federal government appropriated
a $20 billion fiscal package to help states get through the recession.

To read the budget report please visit http://www.cbpp.org/1-15-08sfp.htm.

4)  Information Released About the Seniors to Sophomores Program:
Governor Strickland and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut released on
February 28, 2008 the details of a request for application process to
implement a new "dual enrollment program" called the Seniors to
Sophomores Early Adopters Program in the fall 2008.  The Board of
Regents, Ohio Department of Education, and Partnership for Continued
Learning will be working with teams composed of public high schools
and colleges to develop and pilot partnership programs this year
(Early Adopters), and will evaluate and expand them in 2009.
Approximately $4 million has been set aside to support this program.
Partnerships can receive up to $100,000 for planning, encouraging
high school students to participate, and implementing the program.

This new program was announced during Governor Strickland's State of
the State Address.  It will provide eligible high school students
with the opportunity to earn high school credits and college credits
during their senior year.  An eligible high school student is one who
has passed all parts of the OGT; completed Algebra II or the
equivalent with a grade of "C" or better; completed three years of
high school English with a grade of "C" or better, and scored college
ready on the college partner's placement assessment as currently
defined by the college.  Students will not have to pay tuition.

A conference call will be held on March 6, 2008 for interested
parties.  Applications will be accepted beginning March 6, 2008.

For more information please visit
http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/seniorstosophomores

5)  New Study on Milwaukee Voucher Program:  Patrick J. Wolf and
researchers at the University of Arkansas released a report on
February 25, 2008 called "The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation
of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program:  Summary of Baseline
Reports."  Researchers examined test score results of students in the
Milwaukee voucher program compared to similar students in the
Milwaukee Public Schools and found that students attending private
schools through the program were not doing any better or worse than
students in the Milwaukee Public Schools.  They also released
separate reports examining the fiscal impact of the program,
characteristics of the schools, and the results of parent and student
surveys.

The Milwaukee voucher program began in 1995 and provides up to $6,501
per student to eligible low income students to attend private
schools.  Currently more than 18,000 students are enrolled, and cost
$120 million.  This report is part of a comprehensive evaluation of
the program, and additional reports are expected in the future.

An article about the study and links to the study are available at
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=721737

6)  What is the Creative Challenge Index?  An article in the February
23, 2008 issue of the Boston Globe called "Creative Thinking in the
Classroom" by Dan Hunter and Representative Dan Bosley, describes
proposed legislation that would create a new measure of
accountability for schools in Massachusetts called the Creative
Challenge Index.  The legislation calls for a commission of
legislators, business, and community leaders to establish an index to
measure the number of creative opportunities schools provide
students.  For example, schools could meet this measure by providing
opportunities for students in the arts, music, drama, and dance, or
through science fair projects, debate club, filmmaking, or
engineering - architecture courses, etc.  The Creative Challenge
Index would provide schools with incentives to foster creative skills
through the arts and other innovative educational opportunities.

Many policy makers are now realizing the limitations of using
standardized testing alone to measure school and student performance.
According to the article, 81 percent of corporate leaders say that
creativity, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and
communication are critical skills students need for the 21st century
workforce.  Standardized tests provide one measure of achievement,
but the authors ask, "Is this all children need to learn? Are we
adequately preparing them for the future? We have moved into an
economy driven by ideas and innovation. Are we giving students the
opportunity to develop creativity - the ability to generate ideas and
then to critically evaluate potential?"

"Creativity is indispensable in today's world. Children need to
practice creative skills in schools to become the source of
innovation to drive the economy in the future. The Legislature should
pass the Creative Challenge Index."
Dan Hunter is executive director of the Massachusetts Advocates for
the Arts, Sciences & Humanities.  Representative Dan Bosley is
chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging
Technologies.
The article is available at
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2008/02/23/creative_thinking_in_the_classroom/