Wave away test scores at your own risk
Aaron ChurchillIn fashion these days are craft breweries, shabby-chic decor, and farm-to-fork restaurants. But what’ll get you a seat at the cool-kids table in the education world? At the top of the list is dismissing—or is it “dissing”?—standardized test scores. Just consider some of the latest reactions, fresh off the release of Ohio’s 2017–18 school report cards.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 9/28/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderNew charter school success story: Menlo Park Academy
Pathway to Success: Menlo Park Academy gives gifted children a unique space where they can thrive
In Ohio today, approximately 250,000 students—rich and poor alike—are formally identified as gifted. These “high flyers” have tremendous potential to become the entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers, as well as the civic and cultural leaders of the future.
Ohio needs to be careful with GPAs
Jessica PoinerAt this month’s meeting of the State Board of Education, members debated a draft proposal for a
Why early college high schools provide an important pathway
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.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 9/21/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderOhio school report cards released
Ohio’s new strategic plan lets everyone off the hook
Jessica PoinerSetting a high standard and then backing away from it the way Ohio policymakers have done repeatedly o
In the urban Big Eight, focus on the school not just the district
Aaron ChurchillLast Thursday, Ohio released annual school report cards that offer parents and communities an objective review of the academic performance of its roughly 600 districts and 3,500 public schools.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 9/14/18
Chad L. AldisWhat’s slowing down the growth of charter schools?
Fordham Institute media statement on Ohio’s school report cards
Ohio Education GadflyToday, the Ohio Department of Education released school report cards based on data from the 2017-18 school year. For two decades, Ohio’s report cards have offered an important annual check on the performance of school districts and public schools that serve 1.6 million K-12 students.
Charter school effects on district spending and achievement
Aaron ChurchillAmong the most frequently heard concerns around charter schools is that they drain money from traditional districts, potentially harming students who stay behind.
Social-emotional learning matters, but Ohio’s new strategic plan goes too far
Jessica PoinerIn the final days of August, the Ohio Department (ODE) of Education and the State Board of Education released their five-year strategic plan for education. It includes a state-level vision, a goal focused on high school graduates, four learning domains, ten priority strategies, and three core principles.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 9/7/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderColumbus Dispatch Editorial: Charter schools deserve fair rules for bus rides
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 8/31/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderNational and Ohio charter school management structures
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 8/24/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison Yoder2018 EdNext Poll shows increased support for charter schools
Ohio could learn from Kentucky’s newly proposed graduation requirements
Jessica PoinerBy Jessica Poiner
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 8/10/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderGovernor Kasich signs HB 87 and SB 216 into law
LeBron’s I Promise School isn’t a charter, but it puts kids first—and that’s all that matters
Jessica PoinerYou’ve probably heard by now that basketball superstar LeBron James opened a school for at-risk kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Called I Promise School (IPS), it’s a joint effort between the I Promise Network, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Akron Public Schools.
The potential impact of dropout recovery report card changes
Jessica PoinerI recently wrote about some big changes that are coming for Ohio’s dropout prevention and recovery schools (DPRS), thanks to recent adjustments made by the State Board of Education. This piece examines the potential impacts of those changes.
Ohio’s preliminary test results look pretty good
Jessica PoinerAt the most recent State Board of Education meeting, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) reported preliminary test results from the 2017–18 school year. The numbers still need to be verified by districts before they can be used to calculate report cards, which will include more detailed data and be disaggregated by subgroup.
Pathway to Success: Near West Intergenerational School emphasizes relationships and rigor to ignite lifelong learning
Lyman MillardNo two charter public schools are alike and the guiding purpose of the Pathway to Success series is to highlight the breadth of quality options available to parents and students across Ohio.
Ohio’s dual credit landscape: A primer
Jessica PoinerWith college tuition at an all-time high, Ohio families are increasingly interested in finding ways to save on costs. Dual credit is a promising solution because if offers students the chance to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. Ohio has a plethora of dual-credit options, but some are better known to families than others. Here is a quick overview of the offerings.
Innovation Ohio’s half truths about ECOT and school funding
Aaron ChurchillOver the past month, local newspapers across Ohio have blasted headlines such as “Local schools lost millions to ECOT” and “Study: Now-defunct ECOT siphoned $2.6 million from
Can school accountability policies improve working conditions?
Aaron ChurchillA-to-F school rating systems have come under fire in Ohio and remain a hotly debated topic elsewhere.
Big changes are coming for Ohio’s dropout prevention and recovery schools
Jessica PoinerState report cards are a hot topic in Ohio, but most of the attention has been focused on the system used for traditional district and charter schools. Many Ohioans are unaware that state law requires the State Board of Education to have a separate report card system for dropout prevention and recovery charter schools (DPRS).
When the standard isn’t the standard: Ohio’s early reading guarantee
Aaron ChurchillIn a pattern now becoming all too familiar, the State Board of Education recently got spooked by the prospect of tougher standards and delayed action on lifting grade-promotion standards under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for 2018–19.
Don’t punt overall school ratings, again
Aaron ChurchillIf kicking the accountability can down the road were an Olympic sport, Ohio policymakers would win the gold medal. The latest example comes from the State Board of Education, which recently recommended that the state legislature again push back the overall A–F rating to fall 2019.
Getting to square one: Longstanding troubles hinder the Youngstown turnaround effort
Jeff MurrayIn a recent analysis of the Academic Distress Commission (ADC) system currently in place in Youngstown City Schools, my colleague Jessica Poiner shows significant deviations from the six habits<
Testimony given before the House Education and Career Readiness Committee on House Bill 591—5/22/18
Chad L. AldisNOTE: The Education and Career Readiness Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives today heard testimony on HB 591, a proposal that would make changes to Ohio’s school report cards. Fordham’s Chad Aldis was a witness at this hearing and these are his written remarks.