- A recent Fordham blog post about relying on growth measures rather than proficiency rates to evaluate schools drew the attention of a writer at the University Herald News, who reviewed the post and threw in a few tidbits from our recent Ohio report card analysis too. Thanks! (University Herald News, 10/19/16)
- Fallout from Ohio’s first-ever charter sponsor evaluations continues. To wit: Patrick O’Donnell took a look at how the Ohio Department of Education’s rating as “ineffective” might impact the department’s sponsorship work going forward. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/18/16) In the Queen City, Hannah Sparling investigated the “poor” sponsor rating received by the Cincinnati City School district. Existing schools sponsored by the district will need to find new sponsors and the planned new Phalen Academy school may not happen at all. Pending appeal, of course. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/18/16)
- Here’s a nice piece looking at the various ESSA-related public input events now winding up in Ohio after several months of effort. The work of crafting a new accountability plan for the state from the tons of feedback now begins. (WVIZ-FM, Cleveland, 10/18/16)
- Lorain City Schools officials are to meet with the State Superintendent this week regarding the district’s required conversion into the new CEO-style Academic Distress Commission model. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 10/17/16)
- The state board of education met earlier this week. Among the items on the agenda: an increase in the cut score to achieve proficiency on the third grade reading test. This was narrowly approved. (Gongwer Ohio, 10/18/16) Also approved were the creation of three new “honors diplomas” and some tweaks to the three existing honors diplomas. (Gongwer Ohio, 10/18/16)
- It appears that Austintown schools are what we call a “net financial loser” from opening their borders to students from surrounding districts. In sheer numbers of kids, they are winners—nearly 700 open-enrolled students attended Austintown in 2015-16. However, the costs associated with accommodating so many kids ended up being more than the funding brought in. Not by much, but enough to get the attention of Austintown officials. It seems, for now, that those officials are not in a hurry to kick OE kids out, even though a performance audit from the state (!) suggested the proper number of OE students should be more like 125. (Youngstown Vindicator, 10/19/16)
