Student Achievement in Private Schools: Results from NAEP 2000-2005

U.S. Department of EducationDecember 2005

Ohio Science Standards Deemed High

A distinguished panel of scientists awarded Ohio's K-12 science standards a "B" in a new nationwide review of state academic standards for primary-secondary school science released today.

Frustrate Ohioans shoot down school levies

The previous Ohio Gadfly raised an alarm about citizens' dissatisfaction with their public schools. As Halfway Out the Door reported, 59 percent of those surveyed don't think they are getting their money's worth out of public schools.

Excellence in Ohio Charter Schools

How do we foster excellence in Ohio charter schools? That's the key question facing some 250 panelists and participants in the forthcoming "summit," Excellence in Ohio Charter Schools: What it will take and how to get there. The meeting is set for November 17 in Columbus and will be hosted by the governor, senate president, house speaker, and state superintendent.

POLITICOS BEWARE! Ohioans are 'Halfway Out The Door'

Nobody doubts that the "powers that be" in Columbus have been busily tinkering with the K-12 education system. Over the past half-decade legislative changes have come on six fronts:

Quotes here! Got your quotes here!

Jay Mathews's weekly online column "Class Struggle" looks inward this week in response to the release of a report from the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute that analyzes the content of education news stories in the state of Virginia.

The shape of things to come

Regarding Checker's predictions of trends/factors/events that will have a significant impact on the substance and delivery of educational offerings in the next five years (see "The shape of things to come"): I second his insights on the changing nature of teaching and learning.

Setting the record straight on Ohio charter schools

Charter schools in the Buckeye State face a well-financed and well-coordinated assault. These attacks are playing out in the General Assembly, in state and federal courts, and in the court of public opinion. Charter foes, led by the state's two teachers unions, are spending big bucks.

Ohio options - new and improved!

It's official! Late last week, Governor Bob Taft signed the Buckeye State's biennial budget into law, including a significant statewide voucher program known as the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program (see here for previous discussion of the program).

Compulsory African history?

Philadelphia's public school system, under the leadership of Paul Vallas, has been making so much progress on so many fronts that it's a special disappointment when they blunder. But blunder they are doing.

Education Next

Summer 2005

The Public Schools

Susan H. Fuhrman and Marvin Lazerson, editors, Oxford University PressApril 2005

Chartering is Succeeding, Even as Some Chartered Schools Fail

More Vouchers for Ohio?

Ohio's generally risk-averse Governor Bob Taft is expected to astound the Buckeye State today with a budget-message proposal to expand the Cleveland voucher program such that kids trapped in some 70 chronically low-performing public schools elsewhere in Ohio could exit with $3,500 state vouchers in hand, redeemable in participating private schools.

The state of the charter movement, 2005

The President reported last evening on the state of the union. Allow me to appraise the state of America's charter-school movement in early 2005.

Charter School Achievement: What We Know

A Tough Nut to Crack in Ohio: Charter Schooling in the Buckeye State

Alexander Russo, The Progressive Policy InstituteFebruary 2005

Unfinished Business: More Measured Approaches in Standards-Based Reform

One Step From the Finish Line and Choosing to Improve

Kevin Carey, The Education TrustJanuary 2005

Does the Charter Industry Have a Product Life Cycle?

How do Ohio's charter schools resemble modern Poland's economy? Travel with me across the Atlantic.

Ohio Charter Schools: Another View

In a new policy brief released by the Buckeye Institute, we analyzed the changes in student passing rates on Ohio Proficiency Tests (OPT) made by traditional and charter schools in the Big Eight urban districts between 2002 and 2004. Using a statistical analysis that controlled for the demographic characteristics of race and income, our study found that:

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: The Evolution Wars Come to Ohio

The debate over teaching evolution in schools, which has been going on in America at least since the famous Scopes "Monkey Trial" of 1925, burst onto the front pages of Ohio newspapers in early January. What's it all about? And where does Fordham stand? Read on.