Ohio Charter News Weekly – 5.28.21
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayThe past, present, and future of charter schools
Open Enrollment and Student Diversity in Ohio’s Schools
Deven CarlsonApproximately 85,000 Ohio students use interdistrict open enrollment to attend a neighboring school district.
2020 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The 2019–20 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report provides insight into our sponsorship work during the year and the performance of our sponsored schools.
The Impact of Ohio Charter Schools on Student Outcomes, 2016–19
Stéphane LavertuSince the first Ohio charter schools opened in 1998, they’ve regularly been subject to intense scrutiny
Resetting school accountability, from the bottom up
Aaron Churchill , Chad L. AldisAfter a one-year pause in Ohio's school accountability system, the road back to normalcy is uncertain. Fordham's new policy brief titled Resetting school accountability, from the bottom up offers a clear and concise plan to restart state assessments and school report cards.
Pathway to Success: Columbus Preparatory Academy raises the bar on rigor
Lyman MillardWith little fanfare, Columbus Preparatory Academy regularly appears near the top of the charts when it comes to state test scores. In 2018-19, for example, its performance index score ranked twelfth out of 3,225 Ohio public schools.
2019 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
In our 2019 annual report, we provide insight into our sponsorship work during the year and the performance of our sponsored schools. We are also pleased to highlight the good work of our colleagues on Fordham’s policy and research teams.
Pathway to Success: Arts & College Preparatory Academy creates safe spaces for students to grow
Lyman MillardParents, when surveyed, routinely tell us that safety is one of their top priorities when choosing a school. Although what exactly constitutes a “safe” school likely varies, for many it means a place where children feel welcomed and accepted.
Pathway to Success: Towpath Trail High School gives students the tools to build a better future
Lyman MillardAccording to a recent What Works Clearinghouse review, the most effective dropout-prevention strategy is to directly connect schoolwork to students’ career aspirations.
Fulfilling the Readiness Promise: Twenty-Five Education policy ideas for Ohio
Ohio Education GadflyCreating smart, coherent education policy is painstaking work; there are technical, budgetary, and political challenges at almost every turn. But it is some of the most important work that state leaders can undertake.
Charter School Performance in Ohio—2019
Today, approximately 340 public charter schools educate 105,000 Ohio students. Authored by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, this report contains a rigorous analysis of the state’s charter schools using data from 2013-14 through 2016-17.
Shortchanging Ohio’s charter students: An analysis of charter funding in fiscal years 2015–17
Aaron ChurchillAll students deserve equal access to an excellent K–12 education. The quality of their educational opportunities shouldn’t hinge on zip codes, family backgrounds, or the type of school they attend.
Ohio Charter News Weekly - 1.11.19
Chad L. Aldis, Madison YoderAutomatic charter closure questioned
Pathway to Success: Toledo School for the Arts builds promising futures through the arts
One of Ohio’s oldest public charter schools, Toledo School for the Arts (TSA) was forged from concerns about the state of arts education, especially performing arts and dance.
For Ohio districts with vacant buildings, sharing isn’t caring
Jessica PoinerEarlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece that charged school district officials in various cities with attempting to stall the growth of school choice b
2018 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The 2017-18 school year saw our sponsorship portfolio grow from 4,100 students in 2016-17 to 4,800 students across five Ohio cities: Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Portsmouth. We're also honored to have been recognized by the National Association for Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) as part of NACSA's Quality Practice Project.
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 Charter News Weekly - 8/24/18
Chad L. Aldis, Madison Yoder2018 EdNext Poll shows increased support for charter schools
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.
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
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).
Pathway to Success: Sciotoville Elementary Academy focuses on meeting the needs of its rural community
Ellen BelcherAs people in Sciotoville tell it, their children historically have gotten Portsmouth’s leftovers—from textbooks to sports uniforms and more. That belief, they say, was the impetus for creating Sciotoville’s two start-up charter public schools.
Back to the Basics: A plan to simplify and balance Ohio’s school report cards
Aaron ChurchillFor more than a decade, Ohio’s annual school report cards have offered the public information on school quality. The current iteration of report cards has notable strengths: School ratings are grounded in hard data, they use an intuitive A-F rating system, and several of the metrics encourage schools to pay attention to the achievement of all students.
2017 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation’s sponsorship annual report highlights our work with eleven schools that served 4,150 students in five Ohio cities during the 2016-17 school year.
How did Ohio’s urban charters stack up on report cards?
Aaron ChurchillLast week, the Ohio Department of Education released school grades for the 2016-17 school year. These report cards offer Buckeye families, community members, and taxpayers an important annual review of the performance of the state’s 3,000 plus schools and 600 districts.
Gadfly Bites 9/8/17 - Paging Dr. Hardy! Paging Dr. Hardy!
Jeff MurrayNot much to report on today, but let’s not let that get us down. First up, we’ve got a bit more insight into that “final offer” from the Columbus City Schools board to the teacher’s union.