Gadfly Bites 4/2/25—Rigorous implementation indeed

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1. “For the Science of Reading to truly succeed in Ohio, rigorous and steady implementation will be critical.” So says Fordham’s research guru Aaron Churchill in this coverage of a newly-released report looking at that very topic. Specifically, the report provides response data from a survey of over 400 K–3 reading teachers in the state asking questions about SoR implementation in their districts, schools, and classrooms. Things are generally very encouraging, but I have to say the fact that more than 60 percent of teachers reported using “older, non-approved materials” to supplement the state-required approved materials was something of a shock to me. The time to phase those out was 2024. Full report is here. (Cleveland.com, 3/31/25)
   
   

2. I am very late in covering this story—and big thanks to my colleague Jessica Poiner for drawing it to my attention. Tiny South Range Local School District (just south of Youngstown) says it is at capacity for students with IEPs in grades 7 and 8. Therefore, approximately a dozen students with that status who attend South Range via interdistrict open enrollment are being kicked out non-renewed for next year. (WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, 3/25/25) The reaction from parents was immediate and visceral, as you might imagine, and utterly predictable. The move appears to be fully legal per OE rules and rational up to a point (“The point of open enrollment was never to take so many students that you are hiring staff for the open enrolled,” says South Range superintendent Jarred Zapolnik by way of explanation. “It was always with the staff you have, obviously, fill the gaps with open enrollment students.”), but I don’t think those parents were assuaged at all to hear Zapolnik add that the decision was made “with the intent of supporting the district as a whole.” Kids are generally the focus of school parents; not systems. With that in mind, I also don’t think these parents were in the best mindset to hear from district officials that they could opt out of their child’s IEP if they wanted to stay…which is probably something of a gray area as compared to the original capacity decision. I’m tempted to say “story developing”, but I shudder to think where it might go. (WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, 3/26/25)