It’s time to be pragmatic about online charter schools
Chad L. AldisOnline charter schools have been front-page material in every major Ohio newspaper for the past two years.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 7/20/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderA good news online charter school story
Reading and Writing Instruction in America's Schools
David GriffithSince 2010, when most states adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has been committed to monitoring their implementation.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 7/13/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderOhio charter school success story
Subscribe today and stay up to date on charter school news
Ohio Education GadflyDid you know that there’s a great new resource to help you keep up with charter school news in the Buckeye State and across the country? It’s called Ohio Charter News Weekly and you can have it delivered to your email Inbox every Friday.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 7/6/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderBig changes are coming for Ohio’s dropout prevention and recovery charter schools
An Evaluation of Tennessee’s Achievement School District and Local Innovation Zones
Jessica PoinerSince 2012, Tennessee has taken a unique approach to intervening in struggling schools. With the goal of turning around the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in the state (known as priority schools), officials introduced two separate models: the Achievement School District (ASD) and Innovation Zones (iZones).
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 6/29/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderLegislative update: SB 216 and HB 87
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 6/22/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderNew Ohio online school legislation
How Ohio can pave the way for a stronger, broader charter movement
Aaron ChurchillComparing Ohio K–12 education to other states helps us gauge the pace of progress, provides ideas on improvement, and gets us out of our local “bubble.” In a recent post, my colleague Chad Aldis examined Ohio and Florida’s NAEP results, finding the Buckeye State wanting in terms of gains over
A tale of two charter school sectors: Ohio versus Idaho
NOTE: The Thomas B. Fordham Institute occasionally publishes guest commentaries on its blogs. The views expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham.
National Charter Schools Week: DECA High proves the possible
Marwa BerriNOTE: In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Fordham Ohio staffers will be blogging about teachers, principals, and guidance counselors who made a positive difference in their schooling and in their lives. This is the fourth and final post, which does double duty of celebrating National Charter Schools Week as well.
It’s time for common sense on accountability for online schools
Chad L. AldisFor charter school supporters, it can be frustrating. There’s always something new in the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) saga.
Ohio to Florida: Better schools for thee but not for me?
Chad L. AldisIf you were on vacation earlier this month—lucky you—you may have missed the release of the 2017 NAEP results. On the whole, you didn’t miss much.
Charter School Deserts: High-Poverty Neighborhoods with Limited Educational Options
Andrew Saultz, Queenstar Mensa-Bonsu, Christopher Yaluma, James Hodges2016–17 was one of the slowest-growth years for charter schools in recent memory. Nobody knows exactly why, but one hypothesis is saturation: With charters having achieved market share of over 20 percent in more than three dozen cities, perhaps school supply is starting to meet parental demand, making new charters less necessary and harder to launch.
Charter schools 101: Why would we need charters in suburban, rural, or “good” districts?
By Susan Pendergrass
Behind the curtain of Ohio school choice
Jessica PoinerIn case you missed the headlines, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson recently resigned.
Seven takeaways from ECOT’s potential closure
Jamie Davies O'LearyAfter losing its sponsorship, ECOT, the largest e-school in Ohio, appears to be on the brink of closure.
When a district steps up, the state should step out of the way
Jeff MurrayAs reported by the Dispatch last week, Columbus City Schools has unveiled plans to expand selective admission among its magnet schools next year. This is a positive step in an often criticized district—an effort that should be applauded and helped to grow.
Fordham statement on state board of education’s recommended changes to Ohio graduation requirements
Ohio Education GadflyThe state board of education voted today to recommend that the General Assembly extend previously-relaxed graduation requirements for the class of 2018 to the classes of 2019 and 2020.
Ohio’s new readiness seal: Soft skills, but a hard reality
Jessica PoinerIn case you missed it during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Ohio recently announced how students can earn a new endorsement on their high school diplomas.
First-person perspective: Personalized learning is real—and it works
Jeff MurrayIn a recent blog post, University of Virginia cognitive scientist Dan Willingham posits three possible types of personalization in personalized learning—children learning at their own speed, pedagogical tailoring, and individualized content.
A deeper look at parent power
Jamie Davies O'LearyThe annual “parent power index” published by the Center for Education Reform raises worthy questions—how much power is afforded to parents, and what can they do to acquire more?
You’re invited to a discussion of school choice and collaborative solutions for education success
Ohio Education GadflyFor too long, the topic of school choice in Ohio has been divisive and polarizing. You are invited to attend a thoughtful and substantive discussion of school choice with experienced leaders from across the state. This effort to find common ground and collaborative solutions in support of students promises to be a great evening. We hope you can attend.
Ohio’s latest charter sponsor ratings are out: What do the numbers mean?
Jamie Davies O'LearyYesterday, the Ohio Department of Education released the second round of charter sponsor (a.k.a. authorizer) ratings.
What CER’s parent power report card gets wrong about Ohio
Jamie Davies O'LearySince 2012, the Center for Education Reform (CER) has released an annual “parent power index,”—a scorecard for states as well as an interactive tool for parents “to discover whether their state affords them power ov
Reputation or data: One parent's effort to identify "good" schools
Jeff MurrayFor the first time in their lives, my twin daughters are attending separate schools. It was a hard decision made after a lot of research and soul searching. My wife and I think both schools are good ones, but I’d be lying if I said I was 100 percent confident.
Ohio charter critics now stealing metaphors from horror genre
Jamie Davies O'LearyHas William Phillis, head of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and long-standing charter critic, been watching too many horror films this month?