Charter School Performance in Ohio
Charter schools are quickly becoming a defining feature of Ohio’s public-education landscape, educating over 120,000 children statewide. The “theory of action” behind charters is fairly simple.
2014 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The 2014 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report is our opportunity to share the Fordham Foundation’s work as the sponsor of eleven schools serving 3,200 students, and our related policy work in Ohio and nationally. We are fortunate as an organization that our policy work benefits our sponsorship efforts; and, that our lessons from sponsorship inform our policy and advocacy strategies.
Why legislators should slow-walk demands to limit Ohio’s state tests
Chad L. AldisRushing to find a solution could swing the pendulum too far the other way
Next-generation teacher evaluations: Are they living up to expectations?
Chad L. AldisEarly results say no. Chad Aldis
Science and social studies: To test or not to test
Aaron ChurchillData and policy options for stakeholders in Ohio
Give PARCC a chance
Aaron ChurchillAssessment is the drab side of schooling; but high-quality assessments are crucial.
A portrait of Ohio at the cusp of a new era
Aaron ChurchillThe Buckeye State is at the cusp of an era of new emphasis in K-12 education - the college-and-career-ready era. We look at Ohio's report cards in this new light.
Getting classroom observations right
Jessica PoinerA new Education Next study has implications for Ohio's OTES teacher evaluation protocols.
Ohio’s school report cards in the press
Jeff MurrayMuch analysis of Ohio's school report cards has already taken place in the mainstream media.
Poised for Progress: Analysis of Ohio's School Report Cards 2013-14
Aaron ChurchillOn September 12th, Ohio released school report-card ratings for the 2013-14 school year. This report compiles and analyzes the statewide data, with special attention given to the quality of public schools in the Ohio Big Eight urban areas: Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown (both district and charter school sectors).
A first-look at student performance on Ohio state exams from 2013-14
Aaron ChurchillA quick first look at the trove of new performance data from around Ohio.
Effort to repeal Common Core leaves Ohio school board member “baffled”
Worthington school board member’s testimony in support of Common Core
The Condition of College & Career Readiness
Jessica PoinerWe take a look at a new report on college and career readiness as measured by ACT test scores.
Failing schools, or failing to consider multiple indicators?
Aaron ChurchillAchievement ratings alone don’t tell the whole story of a school.
For higher performance, use informal channels of teacher feedback
Aaron ChurchillOhio’s new teacher-evaluation system requires evaluators to conduct two, formal thirty-minute classroom observations. Yet these legally prescribed observations seem ripe for compliance and rote box-checking; in fact, they may not be quite the impetus for school-wide improvement that policymakers had hoped for.
Ohio’s high-flying public schools, in reading
Aaron ChurchillWe look for - and find - the public schools ranked in the top 10 percent on Ohio’s value-added measure for reading in each of the past four years.
Spending More of the School Day in Math Class: Evidence From a Regression Discontinuity in Middle School
Laura RobisonWe take a look at the evidence for and against "double dosing" in middle school math.
Ohio's New Learning Standards: Helping, not hampering
This piece was originally published the United States Chamber of Commerce’s website on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Six days later, two legislators proposed a new legislative assault on Ohio’s New Learning Standards, which include the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts.
Is alternative accountability real accountability?
Aaron ChurchillDo Ohio's multiple accountability "systems" erode the very foundation of accountability?
Standardized Tests: Correlation to Future Successes? (Part I of II)
Laura RobisonFirst of a two-part analysis looking at early indicators to future success.
Pluck and Tenacity: How five private schools in Ohio have adapted to vouchers
Ellen BelcherRoughly 30,000 kids in Ohio take advantage of a publicly funded voucher (or “scholarship”).
Remodeled Report Cards, Remaining Challenges
Fordham's 2012-13 sponsorship annual report addresses our schools’ perspective regarding persistent challenges and how the schools address those challenges.
Half empty or half full: Superintendents' views on Ohio's education reforms
Steve Farkas, Ann DuffettThis report is based on the responses to an online survey conducted in Spring 2013 with 344 school district superintendents in Ohio. The survey covered seven education policies, specifically: Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, open enrollment, A-to-F ratings for schools and districts, individualized learning (blended learning and credit flexibility), and school choice (charter schools and vouchers). It also included several questions on general attitudes towards school reform in Ohio and two trend items. Download today to discover the key findings!
Limitless: Education, The Reynoldsburg Way
Terry Ryan, Ellen BelcherThe Reynoldsburg City School District, just east of Columbus, is far down the “portfolio management” path – further than probably any suburban school district of its size. This feature article discusses portfolio management and takes readers behind the scenes in Reynoldsburg.
Needles in a Haystack
Peter MeyerProfiles of six public high schools that serve poor and minority students to high levels of excellence.
2011-12 Ohio Report Card Analysis
Aaron ChurchillOur annual analysis of school performance in our home state's major urban areas, plus a projection of proficiency rates when the PARCC exams arrive in 2014-15.
Moving Up: Fordham's 2011-12 Sponsorship Accountability Report
"Moving Up" is The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation's charter school sponsorship accountability report for 2011-12. Through it, we hope to help readers understand the complexities of charter schools and better appreciate the hard work of the teachers, school leaders, and board members who serve not only the schools we sponsor but also the schools around the state and nation that are working to make a difference in the lives of children. This year's report features an in-depth look at the struggles of two Fordham-sponsored schools in Dayton; it is researched and written by former Dayton Daily News reporter and editor Ellen Belcher.
Student Nomads: Mobility in Ohio's Schools
Our data show that students frequently change schools. Should public policies try to slow student mobility? Encourage it? Or make policies better attuned to it?
Applying Systems Thinking to Improve Special Education in Ohio
Nathan LevensonThis paper uses systems thinking to provide common sense ideas for saving money while improving special education services to the more than 275,000 Ohio students with special needs.