1)  128th General Assembly:  The Ohio House and Senate will hold sessions and committee hearings this week.

*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Representative Sykes, began hearings on HB462 (Sykes) Re-appropriations, on March 9, 2010.  The bill re-authorizes $2.528 billion for continuing capital projects; authorizes $670.5 million in new appropriations for the Public Works Commission and the Ohio School Facilities Commission; and $4 million in "redirected"

appropriations. The total number of projects is 1200, and the total cost is $3.2 billion.  The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Carey, will start hearings on the bill on March 16, 2010, pending referral.  For more information about the bill please read the testimony of J. Pari Sabety, executive director of the Office of Management and Budget at http://obm.ohio.gov/.

*Governor Ted Strickland signed an executive order on March 8, 2010 creating the Ohio Council on Women and Girls.  The purpose of the Council is to advance the status of women and girls in the areas of economic development, education, and health care. The Council will meet quarterly and include representatives from state government agencies, and will make recommendations to the governor on legislation and other policies that affect women and girls.

*The Ohio House approved on March 10, 2010 by a vote of 91 to 6 HB394

(Garrison) General Assembly Travel Reimbursement.  This bill requires that a member of the General Assembly travel to or from the member's residence and to or from the seat of government to receive a travel reimbursement.

2) Race to the Top Update: The Ohio Department of Education learned on March 4, 2010 that Ohio was one of 16 finalists in phase 1 of the federal Race to the Top (RttT) grant program. Superintendent Deborah Delisle and Deputy Superintendent Marilyn Troyer will lead a team from Ohio to present and defend Ohio's application to a group of peer reviewers at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 16 at 8:30 AM.  The U.S. Department of Education will announce the RttT awards for phase 1 on April 1, 2010.

According to recent remarks made by President Obama only half of the first $2 billion in RttT funds will be distributed in phase 1, which means that only 3 - 4 states will be selected.  States will still have an opportunity to secure RttT grants in phase 2 by submitting their RttT proposal by June 1, 2010.

The ODE will soon launch a web page with information, news, and resources about Race to the Top.

For more information please visit

http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03042010.html

3) National Education News:

*Investing in Innovation Fund:  The U.S. Department of Education, Arne Duncan Secretary of Education, released on March 8, 2010 the final rules for the "Investing in Innovation" (i3) grant program, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The i3 program supports "...the development of path-breaking new ideas, the validation of approaches that have demonstrated promise, and the scale-up of the nation's most successful and proven education innovations."

The purpose of the $650 million program is to expand and support innovative education strategies at the school district level in the areas of early education, college access, students with disabilities and limited English proficiency, and rural schools. Applicants will be required to address one of four areas of school reform: effective teachers and principals; the use of data to accelerate student achievement; implementing standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and careers; and turning around persistently low-performing schools.

School districts and consortium of schools are eligible for awards of up to $50 million, but each award must be matched with funds from the private-sector. Applicants will be able to secure private matching funds after they have qualified for the award. The grants will be awarded in three tiers depending on the amount requested and the quality and rigor of the research supporting the initiative.

Applications are due in mid-May and grants will be awarded in September, 2010.

For more information please visit

http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03082010.html.

*ESEA Re-authorization: The U.S. Department of Education released on March 13, 2010 the Obama administration's "Blueprint" for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), entitled "A Blueprint for Reform:  The Re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act". According to the authors, the proposed changes for ESEA will redefine the federal role in education by increasing flexibility in return for improved outcomes; expanding programs, projects, and strategies that show results; and focusing on key priorities across programs.

The Blueprint is based on four areas of reform:  improving teacher and principal effectiveness; providing information to families to help them evaluate and improve their children's schools and to educators to help them improve student learning; implementing college-and career ready standards and developing improved assessments; and improving student learning and achievement in America's lowest-performing schools by providing intensive support and effective interventions.

The following are key priorities for the re-authorization and quotes from the "Blueprint" that support the priorities:

-College and Career-Ready Students: raising standards; better assessments; and a complete curriculum including history, technology, civics, languages, the arts, financial literacy, etc..

"We will call on states, districts and schools to aim for the ambitious goal of all students graduating or on track to graduate from high school ready for college and a career by 2020. Performance targets, based on whole-school and subgroup achievement and growth, and graduation rates, will guide improvement toward that ambitious goal, and those that are meeting all of their performance targets will be recognized and rewarded."

"We will support states, districts, school leaders, and teachers in implementing a more complete education through improved professional development and evidence-based instructional models and supports."

-Great Teachers and Leaders in Every School:  effective teachers and principals; our best teachers and leaders where they are needed; and strengthening teacher and leader preparation and recruitment.

"Statewide definitions of "effective teacher," "effective principal,"

"highly effective teacher," and "highly effective principal,"

developed in collaboration with teachers, principals, and other stakeholders, that are based in significant part on student growth and also include other measures, such as classroom observations of practice. As states transition to using these measures of effectiveness, we will maintain the provisions of current law relating to "Highly Qualified Teachers," but with additional flexibility."

-Equity and Opportunity for All Students: rigorous and fair accountability for all levels; meeting the needs of diverse learners; and greater equity.

"This means a new investment in improving teaching and learning in all content areas - from literacy to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to history, civics, foreign languages, the arts, financial literacy, environmental education, and other subjects - and in providing accelerated learning opportunities to more students to make postsecondary success more attainable."

-Raise the Bar and Reward Excellence:  fostering a race to the top; supporting effective public school choice; and promoting a culture of college readiness and success.

"Our proposal will provide competitive grants for states, school districts, nonprofit organizations, and partnerships to implement in school and out of school strategies that provide students and, where appropriate, teachers and family members, with additional time and supports to succeed."

-Promote Innovation and Continuous Improvement: fostering innovation and accelerating success; supporting, recognizing, and rewarding local innovations; and supporting student success.

"To ensure that funds are used to start or expand high-performing schools that improve outcomes for all subgroups of students, applicants will be evaluated based on their record of past success in funding, supporting, authorizing, managing, or operating (as

relevant) high-performing public charter schools or other high-performing public autonomous schools; their record of cutting off funding to or closing low-performing charter schools or other low-performing autonomous schools; and their commitment to improving the quality of their schools in the future."

The Blueprint is available at

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf

4)  This Week at the Statehouse

*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Representative Sykes, will meet on March 15, 2010 at 5:00 PM in hearing room 313. The committee will hear testimony on HB462 (Sykes) to make capital re-appropriations for the biennium ending June 30, 2012. The committee will also meet on March 16, 2010 at 4:00 PM.

*The House Elections and Ethics Committee, chaired by Representative Stewart, will meet on March 16, 2010 at 9:30 AM in hearing room 122.

The committee will hear testimony on HB377 (Garrison) Election/Initiative Petitions and HB336 (Garrison), Political Subdivision Office Holders.

*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Carey, will meet on March 16, 2010 at 2:30 PM or after session in the Senate Finance Hearing Room.  The committee will hear sponsor testimony, pending referral, of HB462 (Sykes) Capital Re-appropriations. The committee will also meet on March 17, 2010 at 9:00 AM.

*The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Cates, will meet on March 16, 2010 at 4:00 PM in the North Hearing Room. The committee will hear testimony on SB192 (Cates) School Transportation.  This bill would permit non-civil service school district boards to terminate positions of district transportation employees for reasons of economy and efficiency and to contract with independent agents to provide transportation services.

*The House State Government Committee, chaired by Representative Gerberry, will meet on March 10, 2010 at 1:45 PM in hearing room 017.

The committee will hear testimony on HB250 (Blessing) Video Lottery Terminals.  This bill would require the State Lottery Commission to establish licensing procedures for video lottery sales agents that are horse-racing permit holders, and authorize them to conduct lotteries that provide immediate prize determinations.

5)  Common Core Standards Released: The National Governor's Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers released on March 10, "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies & Science", and "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" in grades K-12.

Forty-eight states, including Ohio, agreed to participate in the Common Core Initiative to identify the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful.  The drafts are available for public comment on the Common Core website at http://www.corestandards.org through April 2, 2010, and will be finalized by late spring.

The Ohio Department of Education is hosting regional meetings March 22-26, 2010 for teams of educators to learn more about the Common Core.  Ohio and other states will be able to incorporate up to 15 percent of additional content to the Common Core, and these meetings will provide an opportunity for educators to discuss what should be included in Ohio specific content.

For information about the meetings please visit http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&T

opicRelationID=1368&ContentID=61688&Content=82687

6) Ohio Summit on 21st Century Skills: Ashland University and the Ohio Department of Education, along with the Mid-Ohio ESC, the School Study Council of Ohio, and the Upper Arlington School District, are sponsoring the Ohio Summit on the 21st Century Skills on May 4, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the Crown Plaza Hotel Columbus North, 6500 Doubletree Avenue in Columbus, OH.

The event supports Ohio's membership in the national Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Ken Kay president, and efforts to build a comprehensive learning community to support Ohio schools. Ohio joined the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in October 2009, and is working with other states to transform public education in order to improve graduation rates, improve college readiness, and build a globally competitive workforce.

Teams from schools districts, including student leaders, parents, educators, board members, community members, and lawmakers, are invited to participate in the summit. Experts in 21st Century planning have been invited to assist these school teams align their vision and goals to build a 21st Century learning environment.

The 21st Century Learning Environment includes redesigning curriculum and integrating technology into teaching; incorporating skills such as cooperative learning, creativity, problem solving, financial literacy; creating student-centered learning; collaborating with other educators; and responding to the community.

For more information about the summit please visit http://21stcenturyskillsohio.org.

7)  State Board of Education Meeting

MEETING ON MARCH 8, 2010

The State Board of Education met on March 8, 2010 at the Ohio School For the Deaf. The Executive Committee chaired by Debbie Cain, discussed the annual Board Retreat, which will be held on June 6-8, 2010, and how the Board's work aligns with the Ohio Core, HB1, Race to the Top, etc. The committee also approved its calendar for the remainder of the year.

ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEE

The Achievement Committee, chaired by Mike Collins, discussed the following items:

-Operating Standards:  The committee discussed and approved a resolution of intent to adopt "Operating Standards for School Districts and Schools -- Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade", Rules

3301-51-01 to 3301-51-06.

Chairman Mike Collins and Janet Schilk, Director of the Office of Educational Reform, reviewed the process that is being used to revise the Operating Standards in several phases. These standards provide a framework for schools and school districts to operate as efficient and effective educational systems.

The first phase of revisions for Operating Standards align the standards with some of the changes in law included in 126-SB 311 (Ohio Core) and 128-HB1 (Budget Bill and Education Reform Plan). The Board is scheduled to adopt the first phase of revisions in July 2010.

The second phase of revisions will include changes in Operating Standards as a result of the development of several new rules required by HB 1 that pertain to the evidence-based school funding model, reporting and spending rules, evaluation of schools, etc. The ODE will keep open the public comment website for Operating Standards as other revisions are proposed.

Most of the public comments made about the revisions standards through the online response survey and through phone calls to the ODE have been positive, but there have been questions about how schools and school districts will implement them. The ODE is therefore recommending the development of a series of guidance documents to assist in the implementation of the standards and to provide answers to common questions.

-Evidence of Rigorous Curriculum:  The committee approved a resolution of intent to repeal the requirement to include report-only measures of a rigorous curriculum on the local report card for 2009-10 and beyond.

Stan Heffner, Associate Superintendent, Center for Curriculum and Assessment, and Jeanine Molock, director of accountability, reviewed the proposed resolution. The ODE has included report-only "Measures of a Rigorous Curriculum" on the local report card since 2007. The information included measures for graduation rate, mean ACT score, mean SAT score, percent of graduates who graduate with an Honors Diploma, number of graduates participating in an AP test, etc. This information will still be available in the online interactive report card.

126-SB311 (the Ohio Core Legislation) required the ODE to select one or more methods of measuring high school graduates' preparedness for higher education and the workforce by July 2012. 128-HB1 "repealed"

that provision, but requires that the superintendent of public instruction develop a model curriculum for instruction in college and career-readiness and financial literacy in grades 7-12.

The ODE is currently working with the Board of Regents to develop a seamless K-12 education program in math and English language arts, which will ensure that students are ready for college work or careers upon graduation in those two content areas. The Common Core initiative, of which Ohio is a member, also includes college and career-readiness goals.

A concern was expressed that removing indicators for a rigorous curriculum would "dumb-down" the local report card, and result in inconsistent information being published from year to year on the local report card. An opinion was expressed that the local report card should be consistent from year to year so that parents and the public have the necessary information to make decisions about what is the best educational choice for their children.

Committee members also expressed a concern about the length of time that it will take to develop and report an indicator for college and career-readiness on the local report card.

Stan Heffner replied that some of the indicators for rigorous curriculum currently being reported do not include all students.  The ODE is working to develop college and career-ready indicators, and must also develop indicators for gifted education, lead teacher, etc.

as required through HB1.

A committee member also suggested that the ODE consider using the ASVAB (the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Exam) to assess college and career-readiness. But, it was noted that this exam focuses on aptitude, and Ohio's plan for career tech (Perkins) already includes assessments that are industry certified in all career-tech fields.

The results of these exams can also be reported to meet college and career-readiness.

As as result of the discussion and a concern expressed about a "gap"

in reporting measures for the rigorous curriculum on the local report card, the ODE will develop a plan for the committee that will include the steps required by HB1 to report college and career-readiness.

-Limited English Proficiency (LEP):  The committee approved a resolution of intent to amend OAC Rule 3301-13-11(A)(3) LEP Exit Criteria.

Sasheen Phillips, Associate Director of the Office for Curriculum and Instruction, and Dan Fleck, ODE consultant, presented the committee a proposal to amend an administrative rule regarding the exit criteria for students being served in limited English proficient programs (LEP).  The changes would reduce the testing burden on LEP students in grades 3 through 12 to qualify for exiting the program, and prohibit students in kindergarten through grade 2 from being allowed to exit the LEP program.  The changes are consistent with the research on how well former LEP students, who exit the program, do on state assessments, and will bring Ohio into compliance with the U.S.

Department of Education's regulations.

Committee members asked questions about how teachers and parents were involved in decisions about where to place LEP students; how LEP programs in other states operate; and if smaller rural schools were members of the ESL Advisory Council.

-Business Standards:  Stan Heffner and Rick Mangini, Associate Director for Career and Technical Education, presented information and a timeline for the State Board to adopt academic content standards for business education in grades 7-12 as required by HB1 - ORC 3301.0719.  Business education is defined as accounting, career development, economics and personal finance, entrepreneurship, information technology, management, and marketing. The standards development process will include a review of research and examples of business content standards, and include ideas and recommendations from stakeholders, including those from the business community and teachers.

In response to committee member questions Rick Mangini assured the committee that financial literacy and business ethics and business law would be included in the content standards, and the standards will align with college business curriculum.

It was also suggested that the business standards prepare students to participate in the global economy and include a knowledge of foreign languages and cultures of the world.

-Standards Revision:  Committee chair Mike Collins noted that he and representatives from the ODE had met with the Ohio Academy of Sciences, the Ohio Council for Social Studies, and other stakeholders to discuss their recommendations regarding the revision of the science and social studies academic content standards. On behalf of the Achievement Committee he requested the staff make the following revisions for science and social studies draft standards:

-Assure that the content standards and model curricula are integrated so that teachers focus on both the content and the application skills that comprise the learning progressions.

-Include an emphasis on inquiry-based instruction in the model curricula and review what use of "enduring understandings" or essential questions are as part of the model curriculum for grades K-8.

-Accentuate that the content statements combined with the elaborations for instruction and the learning expectations will provide the foundation for development of assessment blueprints and test items, and help define clearly for teachers what will be assessed.

-Build the "Eye of Integration" component immediately following adoption of the model curricula to demonstrate how the content relates to other disciplines and real world settings.

-Work toward a solution for ensuring the continued viability of modern world history in high school and resuming assessments in grades 5 & 8 (or alternative  grades) for social studies.

Stan Heffner informed the committee that the Common Core standards in math and English language arts (ELA), being developed by the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, would be released on March 10, 2010 and would be available for review on the Common Core website. Almost all of the states have been participating in this process and reviewing drafts of the Common Core since November 2009.

Sasheen Phillips and Brad Findell, ODE Mathematics Initiatives Administrator, reviewed the design of the Common Core and its components for English language arts and math.  The standards are organized by grade levels and internationally benchmarked.

The math standards in high school are organized by categories -- algebra, functions, geometry, etc, and two model pathways are provided for students to follow to complete the math sequence in three years with options for a forth year.

The ODE will host regional meetings about the Common Core starting March 22, 2010.  School districts will be asked to assemble teams of teachers to review and provide feedback regarding the Common Core during the regional meetings.

*Capacity Committee

-Service Provider Ratios:  The committee approved a resolution of intent to amend Rule 3301-51-09 to authorize the Office for Exceptional Children (OEC) to select districts to implement alternative plans, or different methods of calculating service provider ratios, and provide the parameters for the implementation of those alternative plans. The Case Load Ratio Steering Committee made this recommendation, because of the lack of sufficient information about how school districts are providing services and the efficacy of the current service provider ratios.

-Alternative Principal License:  The committee approved a resolution of intent to adopt Rule 3301-23-11 Alternative Principal Licensure.

The rule was promulgated under SB2 (2004) and is now undergoing a "five-year review". The amended rule includes technical and non-substantive updates and language to strengthen the mentoring component of the alternative principal pathway.

-Ohio Department of Education Anti-Harassment, Anti-Intimidation or Anti-Bullying Model Policy:  The committee received a presentation on revising the ODE's model policy to align it with Sub. HB 19 (Tina Croucher Act).  The policy needs to be amended to include dating violence, and require school districts to include dating violence in the health curriculum.

STANDARDS PRESENTATION

Stan Heffner, Associate Superintendent, ODE Center for Curriculum and Assessment, presented an overview of the process that has been used to revise Ohio's academic content standards in social studies, science, English language arts, and math.

According to his report, the Board is required by HB1, the FY10-11 Budget Bill, to revise academic content standards for English language arts, math, social studies, and science by June 30, 2010.

The standards are to emphasize "coherence, focus, and rigor for each of grades kindergarten through twelve". The new standards will be effective for the 2013-2014 school year, and model curricula will be developed and adopted by the State Board by March 2011. The model curricula should be aligned and integrated with the standards, ensure content and skills are taught, and contain learning expectations.

Revision of the social studies and science standards (Ohio specific) began in 2009. Drafts of these standards have been available for public comment on the ODE website since November 2009, and the ODE has received feedback from an estimated 2000 individuals and 160 groups on the drafts.

The academic content standards represent what all students should know and be able to do.  The standards are arranged by the following:

-strand, a discipline within the content area, such as "history" for social studies -theme, an overarching idea or focus at a grade level -topic, a main focus for the content within each strand and the foundation for content statements -content statement, essential knowledge to be learned at each grade level.

The model curricula for social studies and science will include content elaboration; expectations for learning; instructional strategies; connections; classroom portals to exemplify methods of teaching; differentiated classroom ideas; and resources.

The ODE is proposing high school social studies courses in American History (1877 to the modern age); American Government; Modern World History (1750 to the present); Economics and Financial Literacy; Contemporary World Issues; and World Geography.

The ODE is proposing high school science courses in Biology, Physical Science, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physical Geology.

COMMON CORE

In May 2009 Ohio signed a memorandum of understanding with the Common Core State Standards Initiative led by National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, to adopt state-developed common standards in English language arts (ELA) and math. Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, and two territories are members of the Common Core initiative.

The Common Core standards were released to the public on March 10, 2010. The Common Core strands for ELA include reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.  The standards for math include mathematical practice and blended mathematics, which includes concepts and skills.

BOARD RECOGNIZES MILKEN NATIONAL EDUCATOR AWARD RECIPIENT AND FINALISTS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING

The Board recognized Jennifer McCalla for being selected as a recipient of the 2009 Milken National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation. Ms. McCalla is a mathematics teacher in the Parma City School District and has taught for 11 years.  She is one of 50 educators selected nationally for the 2009 Milken Educator Award.

The Board also recognized the following five state finalists in Ohio for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.  The national finalist will be announced in April or May:

-Brett Becker, a Chemistry teacher at Madeira High School in the Madeira City School District; -Sandee Coats-Haan, a Chemistry and Physics teacher at Lakota East High School in the Lakota Local School District; -Rebecca Link, a mathematics and Algebra I teacher at Fort Recovery Middle School in the Fort Recovery Local School District; -Anthony Marinelli, a science teacher at Willoughby Middle School in the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District; and -Teresa Moon, an advanced mathematics, Geometry and Algebra I teacher at Crestwood High School in the Crestwood Local School District

BUDGET INFORMATION -- SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS

Following lunch the Board received a presentation on School Choice Options from Kelly Weir, ODE director of budget and planning and Kim Murnieks, director of the Center for School Options and Finance. The presentation included information about community schools; chartered non-public schools, non-chartered, non-tax supported schools; home education; Ohio's voucher programs; and Ohio's autism scholarship program.

-Community Schools:  There are 324 community schools in Ohio.

Community schools are created through a contractual agreement between an approved authorizer, called a sponsor, and a self-appointed governing authority. The majority of sponsors are school districts, but the majority of community schools are sponsored by "entities"

that meet certain criteria set in law. 93,000 students currently attend community schools.

Community schools receive per pupil state funding, state weighted funding for students with disabilities, and funding for career tech, poverty-based assistance, and parity aid.  Community schools are also eligible for federal entitlement grants and federal start-up funds and grants. The total payment for community schools in FY2010 is $627 million.

Following the presentation Board members asked what is the advantage of being a community school; how does the cap on the number of community schools a sponsor can operate affect sponsors, specifically the Lucas County ESC; how does the ODE and the State auditor's office monitor enrollment in community schools; and how is curriculum delivered to students attending e-schools?

-Chartered nonpublic schools:  There are 792 chartered nonpublic schools in Ohio serving 187,994 students.  Enrollment has been decreasing from a high of 242,000 in the 2000-2001 school year.

These schools must comply with certain provisions established in law and Operating Standards for Ohio's Schools.  They are also eligible for state funds, including auxiliary services ($589.63 per student); nonpublic administrative cost reimbursement; transportation; and may receive state funds for "voucher" students. Because of the economic crisis, funding for chartered nonpublic schools was cut by 13.7 percent in HB1, the FY10-11 budget.

-Other Options:  Non chartered, non-tax supported schools (also known as "08" schools because they are authorized by rule 3301-35-08) and home schools also meet state compulsory school attendance requirements. "08" schools must meet minimum state requirements, such as be in session for a minimum of 180 days.  Teachers are not required to have credentials for teaching, but must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized college or university. "08"

schools do not receive state funds, but students attending these schools are eligible for funds through the Post Secondary Options Program to earn college credit.  A maximum of $1.76 million per year in Auxiliary Services is set aside for the Post Secondary Options Program, which is available for students attending nonpublic schools and non-chartered non-tax supported schools.

-Home Education:  This education option is authorized by OAC 3301-34.

Parents or guardians opting to teach their children at home must have a minimum of a high school diploma or the equivalent, and must provide notice annually to their resident public school district that their home education program provides a minimum of 900 hours of home education. The parents or guardians delivering the home education must also submit an academic assessment report that demonstrates that the student(s) is performing at a level of reasonable proficiency.

-Cleveland Scholarship Program:  This program started in 1996-97 and provides scholarships to students who are residents of the Cleveland Municipal School District to attend approved nonpublic schools in the Cleveland area.  The scholarships are funded partially through a deduction from the Cleveland school district. The maximum award is $3,450 and is adjusted depending on family income.  The number of students participating in the program has declined over the past two years. Students accepting the scholarship are now required to take Ohio state assessments in grades 3-8.

-Ed Choice Scholarship:  This program started in the 2006-2007 school year, and provides students from any public school building rated in academic watch or academic emergency for two out of three years a scholarship to attend an approved nonpublic school.  The scholarship amount is $4,250 for students in K-8 and $5000 for high school students.  The amount is deducted from the resident school districts'

state aid.  The program is limited statewide to 14,000 students, and is approaching that limit.  When the limit is reached the scholarship will be awarded by lottery, and priority will be given to students who already have the scholarship.

CAREER TECH PRESENTATION

Kathy Shibley, director of the Office of Career-Technical Education (CTE), introduced Nancy Brown, director/president of the Ohio Association of City & Career Technical Schools, and Kim Wilson Davis, Highpoint Career Center, to present information to the Board about career-technical education.

According to their presentation, Career-Technical Education is "Ohio's public education connection to economic success."  CTE supports regional workforce development through the Ohio Skills Bank, prepares Ohioans in growth industries, prepares students for college, retools dislocated workers, and supports Ohio's companies by providing customized training solutions and talent development.

There are 127,085 students participating in CTE programs through Joint Vocational School Districts and comprehensive and compact school districts.  94.6 percent of CTE student graduate, and 53 percent enroll in higher education.

The CTE policy priorities include 1)  support a funding model that prepares students to meet the needs of Ohio's emerging workforce, 2) support an Ohio Board of Regents model that increases funding to Adult Career-Technical Education, and 3)  include CTE in Race to the Top and STEM initiatives.

Following the presentation Board members asked questions and discussed the following topics:

-Do all students need a college diploma? How does CTE help those students?  There was a discussion about the percentage of jobs (20 or 80 percent) that would require a college diploma in the future, and how Ohio needs to change the message to increase the number of students who graduate with college degrees, even those in CTE, in order to turn Ohio's economy around.

-Can CTE provide students with opportunities to take the GED and assist the ODE is addressing the cost of the GED for students?  -- Answer -- Yes. There are already CTE locations where the GED is administered.

-What are your recommendations for the school funding model? -- Answer -- There are differences in the CTE delivery systems that need to be addressed in the evidence-based model.  Several superintendents are currently working on a CTE funding proposal.

-How many students attending CTE programs have IEPs?  Answer -- 32 percent.

-Why wasn't CTE included in RttT?  Answer -- Race to the Top applies to local educational agencies (LEAs), and JVS did not qualify.

STATE BOARD MEETING MARCH 9, 2010

The full Board met on March 9, 2010 and received three presentations regarding pupil transportation, the Ohio Education Association, and the Ohio Federation of Teachers.

PUPIL TRANSPORTATION

Pete Japiski, Associate Director, Office of Pupil Transportation, presented information to the Board about Ohio's pupil transportation system.  Oversight of student transportation is divided between the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The mission of the ODE Pupil Transportation Office is to provide guidance, assistance, and training to all pupil transportation personnel. School districts are required to comply with minimum state laws regarding pupil transportation, but many school districts go beyond the minimum.  The economic crisis is now forcing many school districts to reduce transportation services for students.  In this school year 514 out of 603 school districts report that they are providing transportation to all students, but there are some cases in which students are walking to school.

Some of the issues that school districts are facing are the high cost of school buses and labor, litigation, and increased demand for technical support training for administrators.  The ODE is working with school districts to promote efficiency and encourage schools and communities to work together.

Board members asked questions about how bus drivers are trained to address student behavior; are school buses cost effective -- Answer, yes, because a school bus takes an average of 30 cars off the road; how can the law be changed to better oversee private contractors for bus services, etc.?

PRESENTATION FROM THE OHIO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

The Board received a presentation from the Ohio Education Association (OEA), Patricia Frost-Brooks president and Larry Wicks executive director. The OEA was founded in 1847 and currently has 130,000 members, including K-12 education faculty and support staff and higher education and support staff.

The OEA's mission is to lead the way for the continuous improvement of public education while advocating for members and the learners they serve.  The OEA's issues include addressing the budget shortfall looming in 2011; threats to K-12 and university resources; supporting the public pension systems; levy fatigue in Ohio communities; implementation of HB 1; re-authorizing the reforming ESEA; and Race to the Top.

Following the presentation, there was a discussion about several points included in the presentation.  Patricia Frost-Brooks and Larry Wicks explained that the OEA believed the following:

-supports multiple measures of student and school achievement in the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -supports a shift of funding for education from local school districts to the state, and doesn't believe that the conversion levy will be adopted by many school districts -advised OEA members who had collegial relationships with their school districts to participate in the Race to the Top application -provides technical assistance to OEA members who are participating in RttT -provides grants and other technical support for several school districts working to close the achievement gap -supports federal stimulus dollars which have been used to preserve

K-12 and higher education, and have provided "unprecedented support for public education and postponed economic devastation"

-is concerned about the federal proposal to provide more federal dollars through competitive grants, which might place small and rural school districts at a disadvantage.

PRESENTATION FROM THE OHIO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

The Board received a presentation from the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), Sue Taylor president and Deb Tully director of professional issues.  The OFT represents 20,000 teachers in primary, secondary, and higher education, and supports creating a coherent system for education that prepares students for success. To increase student achievement the OFT believes that teachers must have the tools to do their work, including a supportive learning environment; access to computers, textbooks, etc.; partnerships with communities and parents; and strategies to address poverty, hunger, safety, and those conditions that prevent students from coming to school ready to learn.

The presentation included recommendations to address the following

issues/concerns: the criteria of the Ohio Teacher Residency Program; minimum school year/extended year; charter school accountability; vouchers; Educator Standards Board; Race to the Top; early childhood; revised content standards and assessments; professional development; and GED funding.

Following the presentation Board members asked several questions and discussed the issues that the OFT raised. Sue Taylor and Deb Tully explained that the OFT believed the following:

-supports a strong teacher induction program in school districts to ensure that new teachers have mentors and supports to succeed -recommends that the resident license should be based on meeting standards and clear benchmarks rather than completing a certain number of years -believes that using student test scores as a criteria for renewing educator licenses is not practical for many reasons, including for content areas with no student assessment, and could lead to unintended consequences, such as a decrease in the number of teachers for certain content areas, such as special education -supports school districts that have applied for RttT -supports several teacher incentive programs -believes that teachers should be paid for the days and time that they work -believes that charter schools should be held to the same standards as public schools -is concerned about the plan to close schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District

ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE

John Bender and Mary Rose Oakar reported information about state and federal legislative activity considered by the Advocacy and Outreach Subcommittee.  Mary Rose Oakar reported that Congress is considering a jobs bill, health care, and the All Children Safe Act. Senator Tom Harkin, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, is expected to "mark-up" the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in May. The subcommitee discussed several bills before the General Assembly, and approved a motion to oppose HB 353 (Huffman) School Bus Ads.

21st CENTURY SKILLS SUBCOMMITTEE

Steve Millett, chair of The 21st Century Subcommittee, reported that the subcommittee considered and accepted five recommendations, which will be presented to the full Board in April.  The subcommittee is also working on an outreach program which will be discussed in May 2010.  The five recommendations are included here in draft form:

-Next generation of standards, curriculum and assessments Revise, align, and integrate Ohio's standards, curricula, instruction and assessments in a way that effectively embeds the teaching and learning of 21st Century knowledge, skills and behaviors (as identified by the EDGE Subcommittee) into the core curriculum, creating a world-class education system that is benchmarked to international standards.  Develop methods and metrics to evaluate Ohio's education system and measure its effectiveness in preparing students for success within the global economy.

-Strategic Focus on Student Learning and Achievement Develop an overarching public education vision and strategy that will link values with operations, and provide the infrastructure that will allow all students to develop their individual potential and achieve their lifetime learning goals at every level of Ohio's educational school system.

-Advancing educator capacity

Adopt and implement a clear vision and strategy at the state and district levels to expand teachers' capacity to assist students to simultaneously acquire core subject knowledge and develop 21st Century learning skills (e.g., think critically, solve problems of various levels of complexity, communicate effectively, work effectively with others, develop their information and technology literacy, etc.).

-Stakeholder engagement, cooperation and mutual support Ensure the long-term sustainability of Ohio's 21st century education vision and strategy through engagement with a variety of stakeholders.

-Integrate technology with learning environments Work collaboratively to develop enhanced learning environments that create a culture that values learning and supports innovation, creativity, and professional learning communities.

BUSINESS MEETING

The State Board of Education convened its business meeting after lunch.  Following the executive session the Board received the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, presented by Deputy Superintendent Marilyn Troyer; voted on the report and recommendations of the Superintendent (please see resolutions below); considered old business and new business; accepted public participation on non-agenda items; and adjourned.

Resolutions considered by the State Board of Education at their business meeting on March 9, 2010:

*Approved ten personnel resolutions, and the following:

#5 Approved a Resolution of Intent to remove the inclusion of report-only indicators (also called measures of a rigorous

curriculum) on the local report card.

#6 Approved a Resolution of Intent to amend Rule 3301-13-11 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled Establishing provisions for the exemption of first year Limited English proficient students and for the allowance of accommodations for Limited English Proficient Students.

#7 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Amend Rules 3301-19-01 to

3301-19-03 of the OAC regarding school district expenditure flow reports.

#8 Approved a Resolution of Intent to amend Rules 3301-35-01 through

3301-35-06 of the OAC regarding Operating Standards for Ohio Schools.

#9 Approved a Resolution of Indent to amend Rule 3301-51-09 of the OAC entitled delivery of services.

#10 Approved a Resolution of Intent to amend Rules 3301-102-01 to

3301-102-06 of the OAC regarding community school sponsorship.

#17 Approved a Resolution to Amend Rules 3301-83-01,08,14 and 3301-51-10 of the OAC regarding pupil transportation.

#18 Approved a Motion regarding 2010-2011 State Board meeting dates.

#19 Approved a Resolution appointing Cynthia Lombardo to the Educator Standards Board.

#20 Approved a Resolution to grant the Virtual School House's appeal of the Ohio Department of Education's fulltime equivalency review determination.  This resolution recommends that the ODE adjust the funding for the Virtual School House and reimburse some payments.

#21 Approved a Resolution commending Superintendent Delisle, Deputy Superintendent Troyer and the Department of Education staff for their efforts in pursuing Race to the Top funds for the benefit of Ohio's schoolchildren.

The next State Board meeting will be held April 12-13, 2010 at the Ohio School for the Deaf.

8)  Bills Introduced

HB462 (Sykes) Capital Appropriations:  Makes capital re-appropriations for the biennium ending June 30, 2012, and certain capital appropriations.

9)  Target Stores Grant Program to Support Arts and Literacy Programs for Children and Youth:  Target will provide support to K-12 schools and other nonprofit organizations that foster reading and provide art experiences through its 2010 Store Grant Program.

Target's Art and Culture in Schools Grant Program will fund in-school arts programs that enhance student's classroom curriculum by bringing to schools arts and cultural experiences, such as in-school performances, artist-in-residency programs, and workshops.

Schools, libraries, public agencies, and other 501(3)(c) organizations are eligible.  Grants up to $2000 are available.  Visit Target's website for more details at

http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031819