Big changes are coming for Ohio’s dropout prevention and recovery charter schools
The State Board of Education recently adopted significant changes to the rules around Ohio's dropout prevention and recovery school report cards. Among other changes, graduation rate expectations have increased and it will now be more difficult for schools to earn dropout prevention and recovery school designations. Fordham’s Jessica Poiner breaks down some of the changes here.
Toledo charter school students attend behavioral health summer camp
This year, Caregiver Grove (a behavioral health service provider) started providing in-school counseling at several charter schools in Toledo, including Achieve, STAR Academy of Toledo, and REACH Academy. But their work didn’t stop when summer vacation began. Instead, they launched a summer version of the program and 20 students, ages 8 to 17, are currently enrolled. The program is set up like a summer camp (with sports, field trips, and art) that’s designed to help the students with anger management, depression and anxiety, social skills, and expressing emotions.
Innovation Ohio’s half truths about ECOT and school funding
Over the past month, several newspapers have published articles on ECOT and based their coverage on an analysis from Innovation Ohio (an anti-charter group in the state) that calculates the amount of state money that transferred from local districts to ECOT from 2012-2017. In a new piece from Fordham’s Aaron Churchill, he reviews the ways in which Innovation Ohio, and the media that amplified its analysis, erred and explains how the coverage has distorted how school funding works in the Buckeye State.
How Paymon Rouhanifard rescued one of America’s most troubled school districts
A new piece from Politico Magazine tells the fascinating story of Camden, New Jersey superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard and highlights the work he did to rescue one of America’s most troubled school districts. Much of the piece focuses on Camden’s adaptations of traditional charter schools (think KIPP and Mastery) to the specific context of New Jersey law, which aims to make charters similar to traditional district schools. Data suggest that the short-term gains are significant, but Rouhanifard cautions it is not a perfect system. It is, he says, “the most we can do in the least amount of time possible.”
Upcoming events
Registration is open for the Ohio Auditor of State's 2018 Community School Training (August 1) in Columbus, Ohio. Are you interested in rural education? Check out the National Forum to Advance Rural Education being held in Denver this year (October 11-13). As a reminder, you can still register for the 2018 Project-Based Learning Ohio Institute (July 24-27) in New Albany.
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