1)  127th Ohio General Assembly: The Ohio House and Senate will hold
sessions and hearings this week, and the House and Senate Education
committees will meet.

Last week Ohio lawmakers worked on legislation and initiatives
concerning a substitute energy bill (SB221); the Great Lakes Compact;
a proposed commission to reform local government and taxing districts
(HB521); Medicaid reform; payday lending reform; and who gets to use
money in the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Fund.  The General Assembly
appears to be getting even busier than usual in an election year, and
lawmakers still have a corrections bill and capital bill to consider.

2)  This Week at the Statehouse

*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by
Senator Carey, will meet on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:30 PM or
after session in the Senate Finance hearing room.  The Committee will
hear testimony on SB314 (Carey, Jr.), which allows the Treasurer of
State to administer a linked deposit program designed to encourage
personal savings and promote personal financial education.  The
Committee will also hear testimony on HB381 (Webster), which
Increases funds available for the Ohio Research Scholars Program, and
permits a nonpublic four-year Ohio university to submit a proposal
for the Ohio Research Scholars Program.

*The House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Setzer,
will meet on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM in hearing room 116.
The Committee will discuss English as a second language and hear
testimony on HB347 (Setzer), which replaces the Praxis III assessment
as a condition for a professional educator license (a substitute bill
is expected), and HB421 (Miller E.), which would eliminate nuisance
properties around schools.

*The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Padgett, will
meet on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM in the North Hearing Room.
The Committee will hear testimony on SB57 (Coughlin), which
establishes the Special Education Scholarship Program; SB264 (Carey),
which prohibits classroom teachers employed by boards of education
from striking and instead requires binding arbitration to settle
their unresolved collective bargaining disputes; and SB 270 (Cates),
regarding school employee misconduct.

**Please note:  A LWVO Action Alert is expected to be issued regarding SB57.

*The House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Representative Gibbs,
will meet on April 16, 2008 at 3:00 PM in hearing room 121.  The
Committee will hear testimony on HB507 (Sayre), which allows teachers
to pay license renewal fees in annual installments, and allows
refundable credit against income tax for educator licensing fees and
criminal records check fees; and HB519 (Williams S.), which requires
parents of students enrolled in school districts to perform volunteer
service for the district, and requires school districts to establish
mentoring programs for students.

*The House State Government and Elections Committee, chaired by
Representative Daniels, will meet on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 9:30
AM in hearing room 122.  The Committee will continue to hear
testimony on several bills, including HB26 (Wolpert), which permits
the creation of urban homestead zones and a voucher program in cities
to encourage the re-population of certain city cores.

3)  Community Meetings to Highlight Higher Education Plan:
Chancellor Eric Fingerhut announced on April 9, 2008 that he will
host Community Conversation Forums during April, May, and June to
discuss the strategic plan for higher education.  Forums will also be
held in the following locations:

-Columbus State Community College, on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at
4:00 PM at the Center for Workforce Development, 315 N. Cleveland
Avenue (4th floor conference center), Columbus, Ohio.   Those
interested in attending this forum at should contact Vickie Hunter at
vhunter@cscc.edu or by calling 614-287-2412.
-Shawnee State University on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 7:00 PM.
-Antioch University McGregor on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 4:00 PM.
-University of Cincinnati on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM.
-Stark State Community College on Friday, May 30, 2008 at 9:30 AM.
- University of Toledo TBD

The events are free and open to the public.  For more information
about the forums please visit http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/

Governor Ted Strickland and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut released on
March 31, 2008 the University System of Ohio's "Strategic Plan for
Higher Education" and the "Report on the Condition of Higher
Education:  Meeting the State's Future Needs".  The University System
of Ohio includes Ohio's 13 public university campuses, one medical
college, 24 regional branch campuses, 23 community colleges, and in
2009 adult literacy and adult workforce centers will be added.

The strategic plan identifies specific targets over ten years to
raise the level of educational attainment in Ohio and close the gap
between Ohio and competitor states and nations by graduating more
students, keeping more Ohio graduates in Ohio, and attracting more
degree holders from other states.  The strategic plan includes four
primary goals in the areas of access, quality, affordability and
efficiency, and economic leadership, and 20 separate measures under
the goals.  Data on tuition and fees, financial aid, retention and
graduation rates, and other measures will be collected and monitored
through a voluntary accountability system.  Both reports and the
summaries of these reports are available at
http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/

4)  State Board of Education Meets:  The State Board of Education
(SBE), Jennifer Sheets president, met on April 6-8, 2008 in Columbus,
Ohio.  The State Board of Education's Education in the New Global
Economy (EDGE) and School Funding subcommittees met on April 6, 2008
at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbus.

EDGE COMMITTEE
The State Board of Education's Subcommittee for Education in the New
Global Economy (EDGE), chaired by Colleen Grady and Steve Millett,
met twice and also presented an update of their work to the State
Board's Coordination Committee on April 8, 2008.  Please see
Coordination Committee below for the details of the presentation.

SCHOOL FUNDING SUBCOMMITTEE
The School Funding subcommittee, chaired by Virgil Brown, met to
discuss recommendations regarding supplemental funding based on
students needs and receive an update on the Base Cost work.

The Consortium of Education Organizations also requested time on the
agenda to address the School Funding Subcommittee about the
recommendations included in the draft document "Toward
Recommendations for School Funding Reform in Ohio, An Interim Report
of Ideas Developed by the School Funding Subcommittee of the Ohio
State Board of Education" (Draft 2/4/08).  David Varda, Executive
Director for the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, and
Kirk Hamilton, Deputy Executive Director of BASA, spoke for the
Consortium, and requested that the Subcommittee work together with
the Consortium to improve Ohio's school funding system.

They recommended that the Subcommittee first define the components of
a high quality education system rather than use data from selected
high performing, but low spending, gap aid districts to determine
base cost in the school funding formula.  The process that the
Subcommittee is following to develop a new school funding system is
similar to the process envisioned by the Consortium in the proposed
constitutional amendment, which assigns the State Board of Education
an important role in this work.  However, relying on gap aid
districts to determine base cost creates a problem, because these
districts are not representative of Ohio's school districts, and many
do not provide the breadth and depth of curricular opportunities that
students need to prepare themselves to be citizens in the 21st
Century.  The Consortium representatives also recommended that the
Subcommittee determine a state share and local share of the tax
burden, but not impose a cap on voted millage, which would limit the
ability of local school districts to tax themselves.

Members of the Subcommittee asked the Consortium representatives
several questions, including what type of districts should be used to
determine base cost if not gap aid districts, and what has the
Consortium learned in their work to establish a new school funding
system in Ohio.  The Consortium representatives recommended that the
Subcommittee ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the
discussions; define the purpose of education, the components, and use
an evidence based model to determine the cost; ensure that the local
share of taxes can grow; and ensure that there is an accountability
component so that dollars are spent wisely.

Following the presentation by the Consortium representatives, the
Subcommittee reviewed another important component of the school
funding formula, supplemental or categorical funding, presented by
Paolo DeMaria, Associate Superintendent of the Center for School
Finance.  Supplemental funding provides additional funds, beyond base
cost, to educate students identified with disabilities, economically
disadvantaged, gifted, or Limited English Proficient.  The
Subcommittee must make a series of decisions regarding supplemental
funds, such as how will students be identified; what services will be
provided; what will be the expected outcomes; what will be the
overall weight and the state/local split; how will base cost and
local discretionary funds be used; and what other ways should
supplemental funds be allocated, such as for grade levels (high
school or middle school or preschool)?

Barb Mattei Smith provided the Subcommittee with an update on an
analysis that the ODE was conducting on the Base Cost of the selected
gap aid districts.  Data on teacher salary levels and student/teacher
ratios of the selected gap aid districts are currently being
analyzed.  Members of the Subcommittee requested more information
about the educational opportunities that these selected districts
were providing students in the areas of regular classroom teachers,
the arts, physical education, literacy coaches, counselors,
librarians, nurses, social workers, AP programming, and aides.  The
preliminary results of this work will be reported at the May 2008
Subcommittee meeting.

MEETING ON APRIL 7, 2008

The State Board of Education held its meetings on April 7-8, 2008 at
the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH.  The
Quality Middle and High Schools Subcommittee, chaired by Carl Wick,
the Achievement Committee, Michael Cochran and Ann Womer Benjamin
co-chairs, and the Capacity Committee, Rob Hovis and Jane Sonenshein
co-chairs, met in the morning.

QUALITY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS SUBCOMMITTEE
Members of the Subcommittee heard an update on initiatives at the
middle grades to increase academic achievement led by David Burns,
ODE Executive Director of Secondary Education and Workforce
Development, and Philip Binkley, Ohio Schools to Watch.   Some of the
initiatives that are currently underway in Ohio include programs such
as Ohio Schools to Watch, Project Lead the Way, and Gateway to
Technology.  Phil Binkley described how Ohio Schools to Watch was
being used to promote best practices in Ohio's middle grades through
a self-study process that included 37 characteristics of a high
performing middle grades school.  Over the last four years sixteen
schools have been identified as Ohio Schools to Watch.  Schools must
be redesignated every three years.  These schools can provide
information to other schools about how to meet certain challenges.
Bobby Moore, the principal of Canaan Middle School in the Jonathan
Alder School District, also attended the meeting, and provided
information about how he created a professional learning community in
the school, which led to increased student achievement and
designation as an Ohio Schools to Watch.

The Subcommittee also reviewed draft budget and legislative
recommendations for FY10-11.  Some of the recommendations align with
those being considered by the Achievement and Capacity Committees.
The following is a summary of the draft recommendations:
-Continue to develop and expand the use of the Individual Academic
and Career Plans, as a component of a system of personalized learning
plans for all students
-Expand Ohio Schools to Watch and focus on middle grades; build
incentives and capacity
-Expand access to dual enrollment programs, especially for youth from
low income families, by linking Early College High Schools with
Ohio's 49 Career Technical Centers
-Expand Advanced Placement; include measures
-Support graduation coaches in selected middle and high school
buildings to ensure students have an advocate working to keep them on
track for graduation.
-Expand Tech Prep
-Expand High Schools that Work
-Advocate for a Creativity and Innovation Fund to provide incentives
for Middle and High Schools to target underserved students and
implement innovative strategies
-Create a network of "bridge schools" that encourage over-aged and
under-credited students to complete their diploma, engage in
postsecondary coursework, and acquire high-wage skills and positions
-Create the next generation of assessments that support 21st Century
skills, provide flexibility, and move the system toward personalized
learning
-Support mathematics and literacy coaches in the middle grades

ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEE
Career Development Programs:  The Achievement Committee discussed
Administrative Code Rule 3310-61-18, career development program for
at-risk students.  This rule is being amended to include program
performance indicators specific to career-based intervention so that
the ODE can collect and report data to identify best practices.

Financial Literacy:  The Committee heard an update on teacher
professional development and options available to support instruction
in financial literacy, which is required as part of the Ohio Core.
The Committee suggested that the ODE become a clearinghouse for
resources and best practices for teaching financial literacy.

Pre-School special Education Requirements:  The Committee discussed
refiling Rule 3301-51-11, special education services to children in
pre-school programs.  The rule provides internal consistency for the
identification of pre-school students with disabilities and the
services needed.  This rule will be voted on at the June retreat.

Extended Learning Time:  The Committee discussed how schools are
expanding services for students by extending the school day through
collaborations and partnerships with community resources, and noted
the research regarding the performance of these programs through a
paper entitled "Time for a New Day", an initiative in Massachusetts.
Representatives from the Akron Public Schools presented information
about an afterschool program called "Out of School Time" that
provides community services to support students through a variety of
programs, including tutoring, real world experiences, and programs
that encourage students to explore their interests.  The Committee
also reviewed information about the California Afterschool Network.

Legislative and Policy Recommendations:  The Committee also reviewed
twelve legislative considerations, and approved the final three,
which follow:
-Continue to promote alignment of regional school improvement
services with the state accountability system;
-Create a pilot project of innovation schools, allowing at least five
to be granted increased flexibility within their traditional school
districts.  This would permit these schools to try new strategies to
improve student achievement without the typical restrictions;
-Develop statewide guidelines for districts to implement internal
accountability systems, e.g. student climate surveys.

CAPACITY COMMITTEE
Payment of Debt Charges:  The Capacity Committee discussed Rule
3310-8-01, payment of debt charges under the state credit enhancement
program.  The ODE is asking that the rule be placed in "refiled
status" with JCARR, because questions have been raised regarding when
a district may require a solvency assistance plan under Chapter 3316.
The rule will be rewritten and brought back to the Board in May 2008.

Personalized Learning Plan:  Information was presented about
Personalized Learning Plans, which provide students, parents,
teachers, and building and district administrators with the tools
they need to address the individual needs of students.  A packet of
information was distributed to Committee members highlighting
examples of personalized learning plans, including those in other
states and Ohio, and research regarding personalized learning plans.
The Committee also discussed some policy considerations, such as,
what are the impediments for schools to overcome to implement
personalized learning plans for students; and who is responsible and
liable for implementing, updating, and monitoring the plans.
Committee members agreed to continue discussing this proposal.

Community School Fiscal Officer:  The ODE is currently researching
how many licensed treasurers are acting as fiscal officers for
community schools.  Community schools are not required to employ
licensed treasurers, but their fiscal officers must complete specific
course work and training.   This research is being conducted at the
request of the Capacity Committee, and is related to the number of
annual fiscal reports from community schools that cannot be audited.
The annual fiscal reports from 37 community schools have been
declared unauditable for a variety of reasons since 1999.  Last year
two school districts were declared unauditable.  So far the ODE has
found 60 community schools (out of  324) that may employ fiscal
officers who are not licensed school treasurers, but this information
must still be verified by the ODE.  The Committee is considering what
steps should be taken to improve the fiscal management practices of
community schools.

TITLE 1 SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED
The State Board recognized two Ohio schools as 2008 National Title I
Distinguished Schools:   Prospect Elementary School in the Girard
City School District and the Toledo School for the Arts.  These
schools were selected to receive this recognition in February 2008 by
the National Association of State Title I Directors.

POLICY DISCUSSION:  SCHOOL FUNDING AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Paolo DeMaria, Associate Superintendent for the Center for School
Options and Finance, presented an overview of the work of the Board's
School Funding Subcommittee to develop a comprehensive school funding
system that supports student achievement; defines needed financial
resources and funding-related policy changes; and promotes strategies
and tools to help schools and districts manage resources effectively
and efficiently.  According to Dr. Zelman's report to the Board, the
School Funding Subcommittee "...is committed to crafting a school
funding solution for Ohio that is student-centered, results-oriented,
and reality-based."

The Subcommittee is developing a comprehensive school funding reform
proposal that will address how much money is needed, for what, and by
whom; how do districts raise the local share of funding; how should
fiscal responsibility be divided between state government and local
districts/governments;  how will the state get the money to support
their share; how do we make sure the money is being used effectively;
and what incentives, rewards, and consequences should there be?

The presentation included an update on determining Base Cost;
supplemental funding based on student needs; equity funding;
guarantees and protection mechanisms; local revenue; division of
fiscal responsibility/state and local contributions; ensuring best
results; and rewards and consequences.  Several maps were included in
the presentation to show the diversity of Ohio's school districts in
expenditure per pupil; average pupil/teacher ratio; average teacher
salary; percent of students with disabilities; percent of
economically disadvantaged students; parity aid per pupil; state
funds as a percent of total school district revenue; and federal
revenue per pupil.  The following is a summary of some of the
comments and observations from Board members regarding this
presentation:

-What are the goals and purposes of education?  What are we trying to
do, and should there be a conversation about it?
-The purpose of education is to prepare students to be citizens, or
maybe that has changed.
-Do all districts need more money, or just some?  The expenditure per
pupil ranges from a low of $7,000 to a high of $17,000.
-Some school districts get no foundation aid, although they may still
get state funds for special education or transportation.  What about
base cost erosion which happens when the base cost is used to
supplement services for students with special needs.
-How can the equity gap be closed?  How much will it take?
-Are there too many levies?  Too many jurisdictions?  How can local
property taxes grow?
-What about consolidation of schools districts?  Would there be a
benefit, or would only certain regions benefit?
-What about statewide pooling of property taxes?
-Where do we stand with the court decision?  Have we done enough?
-The education and school funding system must be completely
redesigned, because it is based on a 150 year old factory model.
-The work of the School Funding Subcommittee must align with the work
of the other SBE Committees.
-Whatever the State Board develops, it must be convincing to the
members of the General Assembly.

To learn more about this work, please visit the School Funding
Subcommittee home page on the ODE website at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=574&Content=45386

This website includes reports from the Subcommittee, including
minutes from the meetings, other reports generated, a power point
presentation with audio, and a draft report dated February 4, 2008
called "Toward Recommendations for School Funding Reform in Ohio An
Interim Report of ideas developed by the School Funding Subcommittee
of the Ohio State Board of Education."

The Board also heard an update from Paolo DeMaria on the Education
Fiscal Data Project, which is supported through an earmark in the
FY08-09 budget.  The purpose of this project is to determine how
school districts spend money, and whether or not they are allocating
resources in ways that improve student achievement.  The goal of the
project is to align fiscal information with other educational data to
develop useful measures of effectiveness and efficiency that help
districts evaluate their practices and provide the best educational
services for students.  Phase 1 of the project reviewed how the ODE
collects and uses school district financial data.  According to the
review, school district financial data is used primarily for auditing
and reporting purposes, but the amount and quality of data being
collected by the state could support more rigorous fiscal analysis of
school spending.

The annual audits conducted by the Auditor of State are providing
important information to school districts about aligning school
budgets with education goals; strategically using the five year
forecasts; good purchasing practices; practices related to leave time
management, employee contributions, overtime management; strategic
planning for facilities; accurate enrollment projections; energy
management; standardized janitorial and custodial procedures;
transportation - routing, bus replacement, inventory management,
preventive maintenance; and technology - standardization, support,
replacement.

The ODE is piloting the District Resource Allocation Modeler (DREAM)
tool to develop dialogue about how to align resources with best
education practice.  This work could lead to a recognition program
for school district efficiency, an efficiency measure on the local
report card, and financial incentives for school districts
implementing efficient practices.

DIFFERENTIATED ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER NCLB
President Sheets requested that the Board consider for approval a
request from Stephen Barr, Associate Superintendent for School
Improvement, called "Differentiated Accountability Under No Child
Left Behind".  The ODE has developed a proposal, which will be
submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for approval, regarding
a recently announced pilot project that allows states to propose
their own methods for categorizing buildings and school districts in
"improvement status" and determine interventions.  This proposal will
not change the process used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress or
rate schools and districts, but will create three levels of risk (low
risk, medium risk, and high risk) for schools and school districts
designated in "improvement status" based on the percentage of
conditions not met, rather than the amount of time the district or
school is in school improvement status.  This item was added to the
Board Agenda and approved.

CHAPTER 119 HEARING
A Chapter 119 Hearing was held regarding the following rules.  No one
testified.
-Refile OAC Rules 3301-8-01 to 09, Payment of Debt Services
-Amend OAC Rules 3301-61-17 Telecommunicator Training
-Amend OAC Rule 3301-83-04,06,09, 10, and 16, Pupil Transportation

MEETING ON APRIL 8, 2008

COORDINATION COMMITTEE
The State Board of Education's Coordination Committee, chaired by
Carl Wick and Eric Okerson, was established to integrate the work of
all the committees and subcommittees of the State Board into a single
set of budget and legislative recommendations for the Board to
consider at the June Retreat.  The Coordination Committee has
compiled a draft document called "Policy, Budgetary, and Legislative
Considerations for the State Board of Education" (revised 3/13/08),
which includes twelve considerations by the Achievement Committee;
twenty-two considerations from the Capacity Committee; two
considerations from the EDGE Subcommittee; seven considerations from
the High Schools and Middle Schools Subcommittee; six considerations
from the School Funding Subcommittee; and seven considerations from
the School Readiness Committee.

The Coordination Committee also discussed the Top Ten list presented
by the EDGE Committee; reviewed a chart entitled "Governor's Reform
Process Crosswalk", which compares the education reform ideas
gathered by Governor Strickland to initiatives underway by the State
Board of Education and the recommendations from the Achieve Report;
reviewed the recently released the Higher Education Strategic Plan;
and discussed documents entitled "Transforming Education in Ohio."

PRESENTATION FROM THE EDGE SUBCOMMITTEE
Co-chairs Colleen Grady and Steve Millett provided an overview of the
work of the EDGE Subcommittee to the Board.  The purpose of the EDGE
Subcommittee is twofold:  Engage industry, businesses of all sizes,
entrepreneurs, non-profit organization, government, institutions of
post-secondary education, and the general public to identify the
knowledge and skills required by Ohio students to be better prepared
and more productive in the highly competitive environment of the new
global economy from the present to 2020; and provide the State Board
of Education with policy recommendations and an implementation plan
addressing standards, assessment, and student achievement designed to
improve the economic competitiveness of Ohio students.

The EDGE Subcommittee presented to the State Board a "Top Ten" list
of knowledge and skills that students will need to be competitive in
the 21st Century and recommendations for certain school reform
initiatives.  The following Top Ten list was developed through a
process that generated ideas from a literature review, statewide
online survey, 16 interviews with representatives of the business
community in Ohio, and input from the EDGE Subcommittee:
-Critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and applied knowledge for
practical results
-Mastery of rigorous academic content, especially in literacy,
mathematics, and information technologies
-Innovative and creative thinking, including entrepreneurial skills
-Communication skills, both oral and written
-Team learning and work, relationship building, and interpersonal social skills
-Alignment of education with the needs of economic development,
including better communications and cooperation between educators and
businesses
-Personal responsibility, including good work habits, work ethic,
knowing how to be flexible and continue learning, and financial
literacy
-Global awareness, languages, and understanding other cultures
(including history, economics and geography)
-Communications and better interfaces between K-12 public education
and post-secondary/higher education to make high school graduates
better prepared for the next stage of their education and lives
-Teacher education, preparation, and professional development to
support content mastery and skill development, including applied
learning (or problem-based learning) across disciplines in a global
context

Board members discussed the Top Ten list and the next steps needed to
develop budget and policy recommendations, and how to communicate the
results of the EDGE Subcommittee's findings to stakeholders and the
general public. The Top Ten list has implications for Ohio's
education system, including curriculum, instruction, assessments,
funding, and teacher preparation and professional development, and
affects not only K-12 education but also higher education and
economic development efforts in Ohio.  The following comments and
observations were made by Board members:
-How does the Top Ten list align with Ohio's academic content
standards? How do we do a better job of preparing students?  Are
schools already teaching these knowledge and skills? If not, why not?
-How do we engage with the public and communicate the bigger purpose
of K-12 education and its alignment with higher education and
workforce development?
-How do we build a consistent quality education system in Ohio?
-How will teachers find time to teach all that is expected,
especially if they are expected to teach skills?
-This information is not new or dramatic.  Some areas of the state
are not covered.  A strong leadership model will need to be developed
to implement change.
-It will be important to get the reaction of stakeholders to the
draft, and also assess what is already going on, and how this
interfaces with early learning, career tech, the work of the Foreign
Language Advisory Council, leadership initiatives, the work of the
Education Standards Board, and the work of the Committee for the Arts
and Innovative Thinking.
-What tools, training, and leadership development will be needed to
make this happen in our schools for all students?
-Definitions of all terms, such as creativity, innovation, and
problem solving skills, need to be developed.  How do futurists
define creativity and innovation?
-There is a lot to learn about creativity from the performing arts.
We should explore the body of research on creativity and how the
brain works.
-This work supports students being well educated in the liberal arts.
Other countries such as India understand that the curriculum must
blend technology with creativity.

Eric Okerson and Carl Wick, co-chairs of the Coordination Committee,
explained that the work of the EDGE Subcommittee is one component of
a master plan to transform Ohio's education system.  More discussion
and decisions about the Top Ten list will occur at the State Board of
Education's June 2008 Retreat.  The Achievement and Capacity
Committees and the Board's other subcommittees will review the Top
Ten list and determine where it aligns with their budget and policy
recommendations.  The EDGE Subcommittee will continue to work on
defining terms and implementation strategies, including a
communications plan.  It was also suggested that a blog be set up to
receive comments regarding the Top Ten.

BUSINESS MEETING
The State Board of Education convened its business meeting and
immediately convened into executive session.  Following lunch the
Board heard a report from the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, on several grants that the ODE had recently
received to develop new assessments to measure student achievement.
A $1.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be
used to develop new assessment tools and identify best international
practices for diagnosing and intervening in low performing schools.
$150,000 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation will support
the first year of the four-year assessment project.  The ODE will
review new forms of assessments, such as end-of-course exams, student
portfolios, and curriculum-embedded assessments to identify readiness
for college and employment.  The ODE has been working with Stanford
University to evaluate the state's current system of assessments, and
will use that information in this work.  The ODE is also asking local
foundations to support local pilot testing of the new generation of
assessments.

The Board removed two items from its agenda, and added a resolution
to support a Differentiated Pilot Project that will be submitted to
the U.S. Department of Education, and a resolution requesting the
Ohio Attorney General appeal the decision in the case Cincinnati City
Schools vs. State Board of Education regarding the enrollment of
community school students.  The Board then took action on eleven
personnel items and the resolutions included below.  There were no
participants for public participation on agenda items, but two
individuals testified on non-agenda items:  Leslie McBane testified
in opposition to recent budget cuts in Reading Recovery Programs, and
Bill Leibensperger from the OEA requested that the Board continue to
work together with the OEA and also support HB 507 (Sayre) Educator
License Fees Payments.  The Board then adjourned.  The next meeting
of the State Board of Education is May 12-13, 2008.

AGENDA ITEMS

-Approved a Resolution to Direct the ODE to place in refiled status
with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review Proposed Amended Rule
3301-8-01, Payment of Debt Charges under the State Credit Enhancement
Program.  A revised draft of the rule will be presented to the
Capacity Committee in May 2008.
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-23-41, 12-Hour
Temporary Teacher Permit
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rule 3301-24-15,
Provisional License for STEM
-Approved a Resolution of Intent Regarding Payment in lieu of
Transportation for the Northwest Local School District
-Approved a Resolution of Intent to Consider the Proposed Territory
Transfer for Clermont Northeast School District to Milford Exempted
Village
-Approved a Resolution to Adopt Rule 3301-17-01 through 09, Accurate
Reporting of Data
-Approved a Resolution to Adopt Rule 3301-51-05, Procedural Safeguards
-Pulled from the Agenda.  Approve a Resolution to Adopt New Rule
3301-51-11, Preschool Special Education Requirements
-Approved a Resolution to Amend Rule 3301-102-02 through 06 Regarding
Community School Sponsorship
-Approved a Resolution to Amend Rule 3301-104-02, Internet or
Computer Based Community School Definitions
-Approved a Resolution to support the ODE submitting to the U.S.
Department of Education a proposal called "Differentiated
Accountability Under NCLB."
-Approved a Resolution requesting the Ohio Attorney General to appeal
to the Ohio Supreme Court a decision by the Hamilton County Court of
Appeals issued on March 28, 2008 regarding state payments due the
Cincinnati City School District in 2006-2007.

5)  Center Focuses on Benefit-Cost for Education:  The Center for
Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, at Teachers College, Columbia
University was established by Hank M. Levin from Columbia University
and Clive R. Belfield, assistant professor of economics at Queens
College at the City University of New York.  The Center provides
information about the long and short term cost and benefits for
educational initiatives and programs.  For example, the Center has
issued reports on the cost and benefit of preschool programs;
dropout-prevention programs; high school graduation; LEEDS national
benefit, and education programs in Minnesota and California.  For
information and to view reports please visit http://www.cbcse.org/

6)  Defining and Promoting Creativity: The Conference Board and
Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the American Association
of School Administrators, released in March 2008 "Ready to Innovate:
Are Educators and Executives Aligned on the Creative Readiness of the
U.S. Workforce?" by James Lichtenberg, Christopher Woock, and Mary
Wright.

This report includes the results of a survey of public school
superintendents and American business executives regarding
employability skills.  The survey rated creativity as an increasingly
important skill for employees (99 percent by superintendents and 97
percent by employers), and the study of the arts, experience in
performing arts/entertainment, and self-employed work as the top ways
to demonstrate and develop creativity.

However, the survey also showed a disconnect between the importance
of creativity and how superintendents and employers support
activities that promote creativity.  For example, courses in the arts
in school are often not required for students, and training workshops
to nurture creativity in employees are often provided on a "as needed
basis".  According to the authors, "It is also time for greater
dialogue within and across all sectors to better understand and align
efforts to foster creativity in current and future U.S. employees."
The report is available at
http://www.conference-board.org/publications/describe.cfm?id=1452

7)  Bills introduced that are related to education:

HB530 (Hottinger) Authorizes the Treasurer of State to administer a
linked deposit program designed to encourage personal savings and
promote personal financial education.

SB314 (Carey) Authorizes the Treasurer of State to administer a
linked deposit program designed to encourage personal savings and
promote personal financial education.