OhDELA testing new approach to online learning
The Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy (OhDELA) is now working with ACCEL Schools. The charter school’s new operator, ACCEL CEO Ron Packard, recently announced his plans for improving OhDELA’s performance using a “new approach to online learning.” Some of the changes include requiring more in-person meetings between students and teachers, doing less advertising to ensure they’re recruiting students who are truly well-suited for online classes, and more.
It’s time to be pragmatic about online charter schools
Last month, the General Assembly passed two pieces of legislation (SB 216 and HB 87) that, among other things, seek to address some of the issues that have plagued online charter schools in Ohio. But an important measure (from HB 707—a bill that didn’t pass) that would have required ODE to adopt rules allowing online charter schools to disenroll students for not “actively participating in learning opportunities” didn’t pass. Fordham’s Chad Aldis believes Ohio needs to revisit this recommendation—he explains why here.
IDEA schools success story
This week, Idea Public Schools’ superintendent Joann Gama is celebrating: All 849 seniors from her charter schools graduated this fall—and 590 are the first in their families to enroll in college. In her piece from The 74, she explains that the students all come from backgrounds much like hers (achieving what students in her neighborhood tend not to achieve) and describes how such academic success can be replicated across the country.
Upcoming events
The Ohio Department of Education will be hosting a webinar next week on Ohio's 2018 School Report Cards (August 1). Registration is open for a few other events in Columbus in the next few months, including the Auditor of State’s 2018 Community School Training (August 1), the 2018 National Dropout Prevention Network Conference (October 28-31), and the Ohio School Improvement Institute (November 15-16).
