Three ways to improve Ohio’s ESSA plan
Aaron ChurchillIn early June, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released an updated draft of its ESSA plan for public comment. The department had initially intended to submit its plan earlier this spring, but after heavy pressure, state officials decided to delay submission until September.
Graduation option hurts students in long run
Jamie Davies O'LearyThis blog originally appeared as an editorial in today’s edition of the Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio shouldn’t worry about Delaware’s ESSA plan woes—yet
Jessica PoinerEarly last week, the Trump administration gave three states feedback on their submitted plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Beware of fake policy solutions
Jamie Davies O'LearyWhen I was growing up, “fake news” was the black-and-white photograph of the infamous bat child. Staring back at me in the supermarket check-out line, it was easy to spot—the line demarcating fiction from reality was as recognizable as the red and yellow tabloid headlines.
How should Ohio seek to improve its lowest achieving public schools?
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.
Go for growth: How Ohio lawmakers can fix the school grading system
Aaron ChurchillIn its version of the state budget bill, the Ohio House included language that would place more weight on student growth measures when calculating charter sponsor ratings.
Early ESSA plans don't do enough to signal that all students are important
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
State board's graduation fix falls woefully short
Chad L. Aldis, Aaron ChurchillNote: This blog originally appeared in a slightly different form as a guest commentary in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
DeVos's ESSA peer review guidance is a victory for high achievers
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
States mostly squander ESSA's school improvement flexibility
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
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.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Is a 10th grade education too high a bar for an Ohio diploma?
By Tom Gunlock
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
Some immodest advice to the Ohio graduation requirements work group
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.
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.
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.
Undue Process: Why Bad Teachers in Twenty-Five Diverse Districts Rarely Get Fired
Victoria McDougald, David GriffithCountless studies have demonstrated that teacher quality is the most important school-based determinant of student learning, and that removing ineffective teachers from the classroom could greatly benefit students.
A third way for Ohio teacher evaluations
Jessica PoinerThe Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has put the future of teacher evaluations firmly in the hands of states. Ohio is now in full control of deciding how to develop and best implement its nascent system.
High Stakes for High Schoolers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA (Part II)
Michael J. Petrilli, David Griffith, Brandon L. WrightEleven weeks ago, in High Stakes for High Achievers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA, the Fordham Institute reported that current K–8 accountability systems in most states give teachers scant reason to attend to the learning of high-achieving youngsters.
What charter school authorizers can teach states on ESSA: It's hard to find indicators of school quality that aren’t test scores
Kathryn MullenBy Kathryn Mullen Upton
Can evidence improve America's schools?
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli
Ohio's accountability system is the best in the country for high achievers. Here are 3 ways to keep that focus
Aaron ChurchillLast week, several of my Fordham colleagues published a fantastic fifty-state review of accountability systems and how they impact high achievers. Lamentably, they found that most states do almost nothing to hold schools accountable for the progress of their most able pupils.