Join us for an important panel discussion: New research on interdistrict open enrollment
Ohio Education GadflyThe Thomas B. Fordham Institute is releasing a first-of-its-kind statewide analysis of interdistrict open enrollment. Using anonymous student-level data, Ohio State University professor Stéphane Lavertu and Deven Carlson of the University of Oklahoma examined the background characteristics of open enrollees along with their academic outcomes as gauged by state exams and graduation rates.
Charters and vouchers: Two peas in a pod
On this week's podcast, Mike Petrilli, Jason Crye, and Alyssa Schwenk discuss how to win charter supporters over to the cause of school vouchers. During the Research Minute, David Griffith examines how No Child Left Behind influenced student behavior.
High-quality high schools: The next frontier for Ohio’s charter sector
Jessica PoinerEach year, school choice advocates celebrate National Charter Schools Week. This year, they had an extra reason to break open the champagne: U.S.
What we know about school vouchers
On this week's podcast, special guest Matt Chingos, a senior fellow at the Urban In
Private school vouchers help level the playing field
Aaron ChurchillNOTE: This piece originally appeared in The Cincinnati Enquirer in a slightly different form.
Early ESSA plans don't do enough to signal that all students are important
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
LeBron James to start a new school in Akron, but it’s not a charter
Jamie Davies O'LearyWhen news broke the other day that LeBron James was starting a school in his home town of Akron, some commentators assumed it was going to be a charter.
Three Signs That a Proposed Charter School Is at Risk of Failing
Anna Nicotera, David A. StuitIt’s well established that some charter schools do far better than others at educating their students. This variability has profound implications for the children who attend those schools. Yet painful experience shows that rebooting or closing a low-performing school is a drawn-out and excruciating process.
DeVos's ESSA peer review guidance is a victory for high achievers
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
Will anyone even qualify for the much-debated federal charter school program grant?
Jamie Davies O'LearyLast week, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) announced that the long-awaited Charter School Program (CSP) grant funds will soon be available. The federal program will provide $32 million in FY 2018 for high-quality charter startups and replications.
States mostly squander ESSA's school improvement flexibility
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
Your chance to stand up for school choice
Ohio Education GadflyAre you a school choice supporter or just interested in learning more about this issue that is gaining national prominence? Ohio parents, students, schools, and advocates will be holding a rally on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 11 a.m. on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse. And you’re invited to attend.
Charters come to the Bluegrass State
On this week's podcast, Kentucky State Senator Mike Wilson joins Mike Petrilli and Alyssa Schwenk to discuss charter schools in the Bluegrass State, which recently passed its first charter law. During the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines efforts to improve content knowledge and comprehension for English language learners.
Leveraging ESSA to Support Quality-School Growth
Nelson Smith, Brandon L. WrightUnder the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal School Improvement Grants program is gone, but the goal of school improvement remains. States must now use seven percent of their Title I allocation for these efforts, but are no longer constrained by a prescribed menu of intervention options.
Cracking down on e-schools: What’s with the double standard?
Jamie Davies O'LearyE-schools, a.k.a. virtual charter schools, have been so thoroughly mired in controversy that they’ve become radioactive in most education discussions. Or in most discussions, period. The current dispute in Ohio is largely technical and centers on the extent to which e-schools provide learning opportunities to students rather than merely offering them.
Casting the net too wide: Ohio’s ESSA plans could place most districts in support status
Jamie Davies O'LearyOhio’s draft plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) came out earlier this month, and we at Fordham continue to
Ohio’s ESSA plan: The Prepared for Success component
Jessica PoinerIn early February, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released the first draft of its state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Trump and Congress will repeal Obama's ESSA rules: Why that matters and what should follow
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
Foreword: Pathway to Success – Citizens Leadership Academy
Jamie Davies O'LearyCitizens Leadership Academy (CLA) is preparing Cleveland middle schoolers for success in high school, college, and life—and not just academically. CLA, whose population is 79 percent economically disadvantaged and made up almost entirely of students of color, is second among all public schools in the city on student growth.
Fordham Institute media response to newly released Ohio charter facilities survey
Ohio Education GadflyA report released today outlines the facilities challenges facing Ohio’s public charter schools.
Turnarounds rarely work; close dysfunctional schools instead
Aaron Churchill“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” There's a lot of truth in that cliché, but it doesn't seem to apply to education. When it comes to chronically low-performing schools, in many cases, the better – and more courageous – course is to “quit” and close a school that is simply beyond repair.
Ohio’s ESSA plan: Identifying low-performing schools
Jessica PoinerOne of the hallmarks of school accountability is the identification of and intervention in persistently low-preforming schools.
Good charters are good choices: Farah’s story (Columbus Collegiate Academy)
Jamie Davies O'LearyParents make choices about their child’s schooling based on a variety of factors: location, safety, convenience, academics, extracurriculars, support services, and more. Many families choose their school by moving to the neighborhood of their preference, thus exercising “choice” when making homeownership decisions.
2017 National School Choice Poll
Jessica PoinerThe American Federation for Children (AFC) recently released its third annual poll on school choice. The national poll surveyed just over 1,000 likely November 2018 voters early this January via phone calls.
A new year brings a new chance for district-charter collaboration
Jessica PoinerPeter Cunningham recently called district-charter collaboration the “great unfilled promise” of school choice.
Fordham Institute statement on 2017 Quality Counts ratings
Ohio Education GadflyToday Education Week released its annual Quality Counts report card for states. Ohio earned a C with an overall score of 74.2, aligning the Buckeye State for the second year in a row with national U.S. average (also 74.2).
What is the purpose of teacher evaluation today? A conversation between Bellwether and Fordham
Teacher evaluation was one of President Obama’s signature policies, and a controversial element of education reform during his tenure.
Ohio’s new charter operator report cards have room to improve
Jamie Davies O'LearyOhio’s charter school reform discussions have mostly focused on sponsors—the entities responsible for providing charter school oversight. Overlooked are the important changes in Ohio’s charter reform law (House Bill 2) around operators.
Every student matters: Ohio should keep a focus on dropout recovery school accountability
Sarah SoudersOne in seven adults’ ages 18-24 in Ohio lacks a high school diploma and faces bleak prospects of prospering in our economy. Dropouts earn $10,000 less each year than the average high school graduate according to the U.S.