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Commentary

12.6.2021

School Finance

Build Back Better’s early childhood proposals will strain state budgets

Aaron Churchill

President Biden and the Democratic-controlled Congress are poised to continue the federal government’s spending spree, this time through a $2 trillion extravaganza named Build Back Better (BBB). Just before Thanksgiving, the House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of the measure, and the Senate is now mulling possible changes to the package.

Commentary

11.15.2021

Accountability & Testing

Ohio’s third grade retention policy is backed by good research

Aaron Churchill

Passed almost a decade ago, the aptly named Third Grade Reading Guarantee aims to ensure that every Ohio student reads proficiently by the end of third grade. That goal makes perfect sense. All children need foundational reading skills to succeed in middle and high school and beyond.

Commentary

11.15.2021

Accountability & Testing

Signs of hope for students in East Cleveland

Jessica Poiner

The recently passed state budget created an off-ramp for districts under the control of an

Commentary

10.29.2021

Accountability & Testing

Youngstown’s academic improvement plan doesn’t promise much improvement

Jessica Poiner

Since 2005, Ohio has intervened in chronically underperforming school districts by establishing new leadership in the form of an

Commentary

10.28.2021

Accountability & Testing

Six takeaways from Ohio’s latest school report cards

Aaron Churchill

In mid-October, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released report card data for the 2020–21 school year. Due to pandemic-era provisions passed earlier this year, no school ratings were available—only raw data. Ohio will return to standard protocol and issue ratings next fall, but even without them, there are important things to highlight.

Commentary

10.14.2021

Accountability & Testing

Fordham Institute media statement on the release of Ohio’s school report cards

Ohio Education Gadfly

Earlier today, the Ohio Department of Education released report cards for the 2020–21 school year. Due to emergency legislative measures enacted due to the pandemic, this year’s report cards do not include any school ratings (those are slated to return next fall).

Commentary

10.12.2021

Accountability & Testing

The Cleveland Plan gets a refresh

Jessica Poiner

In 2012, Governor Kasich signed legislation that allowed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide education t

Accountability is a Myth McShane guest blog image

Commentary

10.4.2021

Accountability & Testing

Public school accountability is a myth

Mike McShane

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. Traditional public schools are accountable, right? I mean, everyone says they are, so it must be true.

Commentary

10.1.2021

Accountability & Testing

Ohio should set a goal for academic recovery

Aaron Churchill

Over the past year, raucous debates have erupted over school reopenings, masking in classrooms, and critical race theory.

Commentary

9.16.2021

School Finance

Can Ohio solve the school transportation riddle?

Aaron Churchill

Every student ought to have safe, reliable transportation to a school that meets their needs. Recognizing this, Ohio law has long required districts to offer transportation to all resident students in grades K–8 who live more than two miles from their school—whether that’s a district, charter, private, or STEM school.

Commentary

9.7.2021

Accountability & Testing

Ohio’s 2021 spring tests show that achievement suffered during the pandemic and highlight the importance of in-person learning

Vladimir Kogan, Stéphane Lavertu

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.

Commentary

9.7.2021

School Finance

An overview of Ohio’s new school funding formula, and a look at whether it might stick

Aaron Churchill

At the end of June, Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 110, the biennial operating budget for FYs 2022–23. It included a new school funding framework that received bipartisan support and was backed by school district officials and teachers unions.

Commentary

8.20.2021

Accountability & Testing

What supports do high schoolers need to achieve their college enrollment goals?

Jeff Murray

Post-secondary preparation supports are numerous and common in high schools across the country.

Commentary

8.2.2021

Accountability & Testing

What explains the pre-pandemic improvement in Cleveland schools?

Jessica Poiner

During summer 2012, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 525, legislation that allowed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide school turnaround plan.

Key changes in state budget bill blog image

Commentary

7.6.2021

School Finance

Ohio’s budget bill makes major changes to K–12 education policy

Aaron Churchill

On July 1, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 110, the state’s operating budget for fiscal years 2022–23.

Commentary

7.1.2021

Accountability & Testing

A new day for Ohio’s school report cards

Aaron Churchill

After several years of debate, Ohio lawmakers recently passed a much-needed revamp of the state’s school report card.

Commentary

6.29.2021

School Finance

Fordham Institute statement on passage of biennium budget (House Bill 110)

Ohio Education Gadfly

Today, the Ohio Senate and House, each with broad bipartisan support, approved the report of the budget conference committee and sent HB 110 (the biennium state budget) to Governor DeWine for his approval.

Commentary

6.25.2021

Accountability & Testing

Fordham Institute media statement on passage of school report card reform

Ohio Education Gadfly

Today, the General Assembly passed House Bill 82, legislation that contains comprehensive reforms to the state’s school report card system. In recent years, education groups (including Fordham) have urged the legislature to make improvements to the report card that would make it fairer to schools and easier for Ohioans to understand.

Commentary

6.23.2021

Accountability & Testing

Testimony provided to the Ohio Senate Education Committee on HB 82—6/23/21

Chad L. Aldis

NOTE: On June 23, 2021, the Ohio Senate’s Primary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony on Substitute House Bill 82 which would, among other things, ma

Things to keep during conf comm blog image

Commentary

6.21.2021

School Finance

Six ideas that conferees should include in the final budget bill

Jessica Poiner

It’s been a busy budget season filled with heated debates over how to revise Ohio’s school-funding formula, testing and

Commentary

6.16.2021

School Finance

A primer on the Ohio Senate’s school funding plan

Aaron Churchill

Over the past few years, school-funding policy has been at the forefront of Ohio’s education debates.

Commentary

6.14.2021

School Finance

The Senate’s enrichment ESA proposal could help Ohio eliminate opportunity gaps

Jessica Poiner

Earlier this year, Governor DeWine requested that all public schools create and publish plans to address student learning loss caused by the pandemic.

Commentary

6.9.2021

School Finance

The Ohio Senate puts educational choice front and center

Aaron Churchill

Across the nation, state lawmakers have been heeding the call for parents to have more control over their children’s education.

Commentary

6.7.2021

Accountability & Testing

Why college entrance exams matter

Jessica Poiner

Since the spring of 2017, all Ohio eleventh graders have been required to take either the ACT or the SAT at the state’s expense.

Commentary

6.3.2021

Accountability & Testing

Yes, the House’s proposed school rating labels are “actively misleading”

Aaron Churchill

After months of debate, state lawmakers continue to mull significant changes to Ohio’s school report card system. Two vastly different proposals to overhaul the report card framework have emerged (House Bill 200 and Senate Bill 145).

Chad Aldis HB 110 Testimony for Senate Finance 6-3-21 image

Commentary

6.3.2021

School Finance

Testimony given before the Senate Finance Committee on HB 110—6/3/21

Chad L. Aldis

NOTE: On June 3, 2021, the Ohio Senate’s Finance Committee heard testimony on House Bill 110, the state budget bill.

Commentary

6.2.2021

School Finance

Media statement on the Ohio Senate’s K-12 education proposals

Ohio Education Gadfly

Today, the Ohio Senate released its version of the biennial state budget (House Bill 110). As a sizeable portion of overall state expenditures, K–12 education funding has rightly been subject to much debate since Governor DeWine and the Ohio House unveiled their budget proposals earlier this year.

Commentary

5.21.2021

Accountability & Testing

The third grade reading guarantee might be working after all

Aaron Churchill

First implemented in the 2013–14 school year, Ohio’s third grade reading guarantee has aimed to ensure that all children have the foundational reading skills needed to navigate more chall

ESSER II and III funding in Ohio blog image

Undefined

5.17.2021

School Finance

Will Ohio hold schools accountable for effectively spending federal relief aid?

Aaron Churchill

Just over a year ago, Congress passed the first

Chad Aldis HB 110 Testimony for Senate Finance 5-17-21 image

Undefined

5.17.2021

School Finance

Testimony provided before the Senate Finance Committee on HB 110—5/17/21

Chad L. Aldis

NOTE: Today, the Ohio Senate’s Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 110, the state’s biennial budget.