Tell us what you think
Ohio Education GadflyAs another year ends, we want you to tell us what you think were the most important Ohio education stories in 2016 and what you predict will be the top story next year.
Should we increase instruction time in low-achieving schools? Evidence from Southern Italy
Jeff MurrayItaly has an achievement gap—one that may sound familiar to Americans. PISA scores show a marked gap between Italian students and those of other OECD countries in both math and reading.
Gadfly Bites 11/21/16 - A new way to hire teachers
Jeff MurrayOur own Chad Aldis is among the list of Ohio officials and experts (by process of elimination, Chad must be one of the latter) deploring the uncertain future for education in Ohio in the wake of the presidential election.
Gadfly Bites 11/18/16 - Dayton Schools' budget woes perhaps not as woeful as supposed
Jeff MurrayLoyal Gadfly Bites subscribers (“Get a life!”) will recall that Dayton City Schools is facing a funding decrease due to declining enrollment. As a result, some staff reduction has already been undertaken and more has been mooted by the school board president.
Imitation as the best form of flattery and writing success?
Jonathan S. Budd, Victoria McDougaldBy Jonathan S. Budd and Victoria McDougald
Teaching students to write like the greats
Jonathan S. Budd, Victoria McDougaldBy Jonathan S. Budd and Victoria McDougald
All high school students count, not just low performers
Chester E. Finn, Jr.By Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Gadfly Bites 11/16/16 - Addressing the graduation-rate "apocalypse"
Jeff MurrayPatrick O’Donnell wrote up a summary of the statewide ESSA listening tour. His take: educators and parents who contributed to the discussions say there has been too much change in education recently. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 11/15/16)
Gadfly Bites 11/14/16 - Is a graduation-rate "apocalypse" about to happen in Ohio?
Jeff MurrayFordham Ohio’s study of the EdChoice Scholarship program was referenced in this national story about vouchers in VP-elect Pence’s home state of Indiana and how that experience wil
Gadfly Bites 11/9/16 - You pass a levy! They pass a levy! Everybody passes a levyyyyyyy!!
Jeff MurrayLoyal Gadfly Bites subscribers will be aware that your humble compiler knows little about politics and cares even less. So, without any ado, here are three election-related stories from around Ohio. Columbus City Schools’ levy passed.
School Surveillance: The Consequences for Equity and Privacy
Jeff Murray“If schools continue to embrace the potential benefits that accompany surveillance technology,” assert the authors of a new report issued by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), “state policymakers must b
Gadfly Bites 11/7/16 - Hopes for a "quick" teachers strike in Louisville dim
Jeff MurrayCan you stand one more piece about the success – or lack thereof – of the Cleveland Plan prior to the election? Me too! And here it is, on the topic of how progress toward graduation is tracked for every high school student in CMSD.
The Feds’ teacher preparation regulations and the return of wishful thinking
Jessica PoinerBack in 2011, the Obama administration released its plan for improving teacher education. It included a proposal to revise Title II regulations under the Higher Education Act to focus on outcomes-based measures for teacher preparation programs rather than simply reporting on program inputs.
Gadfly Bites 11/4/16 - So long Ohio graduation requirements, we hardly knew ye
Jeff MurrayJeremy Kelly at the DDN reports that Ohio’s state board of ed may change Ohio’s new graduation rules even before they’ve taken effect.
Gadfly Bites 11/2/16 - How the Cleveland Plan did - and did not - meet its benchmarks
Jeff MurrayFordham’s annual report card analysis is cited in this piece as the bestower of the “honor” that Leetonia Schools received this year as a “high-quality” school district. Thanks guys, but we’re not the source of the data.
Disadvantaged gifted students in Rhode Island are finally getting the chance to show it
Erika SanziIf there is one thing that has haunted me over the years as an educator (now former) and as a mother, it is the disparity in expectations for students that glaringly breaks down around race and class. And Rhode Island is no exception.
NAEP Science 2015: Deep problems lurk behind the mostly positive news
Brandon L. WrightLast week, the U.S. Department of Education released the results of its most recent national science test for fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders—the 2015 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).
Quelling writing problems with Quill
Editor’s note: This article is part of the series The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom, which provides in-depth reviews of promising digital tools for English language arts classrooms.
A grammar guru's best friend
Editor’s note: This article is part of the series The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom, which provides in-depth reviews of promising digital tools for English language arts classrooms.
Gadfly Bites 10/28/16 - Will the last one to leave Parma please turn out the lights?
Jeff MurrayOne member of the Youngstown school board held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss her reasons for walking out of a board meeting earlier in the week. Seems like those reasons might be personal based on what is reported here, but she seems to be using them as a more general talking point.
Gadfly Bites 10/26/16 - Viva Brilex!
Jeff MurrayEducation news is thin on the ground today, but we’ll try to get some edification out of what little there is. First up, a trio of school board stories.
Test-driving Lexia Core5
Editor’s note: This article is part of the series The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom, which provides in-depth reviews of promising digital tools for English language arts classrooms.
Can a computer program differentiate reading instruction?
Editor’s note: This article is part of the series The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom, which provides in-depth reviews of promising digital tools for English language arts classrooms.