It’s time for Ohio to dump Reading Recovery
Aaron ChurchillLed by Governor DeWine, Ohio lawmakers made early literacy a big priority in the recently signed state budget bill. The legislation requires schools to use high-quality instructional materials aligned to the
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 7.21.23
Jeff MurrayPraise for school choice expansion in Ohio
Even school choice opponents should support open enrollment
Jessica PoinerNow that the latest state budget is officially in the books, it’s safe to say that school choice stole the show.
Ohio lawmakers gut the third grade reading guarantee. What now?
Aaron ChurchillEnacted in 2012 under the leadership of Governor John Kasich, Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee included a retention requirement aimed at ending “social promotion,” the
Technology integration in chemistry education: What teachers say
Jeff MurrayThe value of incorporating technology into secondary education courses is a matter of debate, but if there’s anywhere that it might be beneficial, it is most likely within STEM-related subjects—meaning that high schoolers might better see themselves pursuing science in the future if they a
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 6.30.23
Jeff MurrayBudget conference committee continues
Lorain schools don’t deserve special treatment in the budget bill
Jessica PoinerIt’s been a very busy budget season in Ohio.
One size does not fit all: Alternative education campuses in the charter sector
Jeff MurrayOne purpose of charter schools is to serve as laboratories of innovation for public education—a deliberate effort to do things differently than the long-entrenched traditional district model.
Ohio’s budget bill seeks to hold teacher preparation programs accountable for the science of reading
Jessica PoinerFor better or worse, Ohio does most of its education policymaking during the biennial budget process. This year is no different.
Don’t weaken accountability for Ohio’s charter sponsors and online schools
Aaron ChurchillAs this year’s budget process races to the finish line, state lawmakers are the midst of making decisions about what stays and what goes. The current, Senate-passed version of the budget bill has dozens of provisions that would move K–12 education in the right direction.
Lawmakers can still go further in Ohio’s historic effort to narrow charter funding gaps
Aaron ChurchillDespite serving tens of thousands of students each year—most of whom are low-income—Ohio has a regrettable track record of underfunding its public charter schools.
Lots of new schools. How much innovation?
Jeff MurraySince the 1980s, education reform efforts have sought to shake up the stodgy, traditional landscape of public schooling in the United States. One way to do that is to start schools from scratch that can introduce innovative new education models and push traditional systems to improve.
CREDO got it wrong: Ohio’s charter sector is strong and getting better
Stéphane LavertuNOTE: 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 needs a knowledge movement to take the science of reading to the next level
Aaron ChurchillLed by Governor DeWine, the science of reading is taking off in Ohio—and not a moment too soon.
Impacts of charter authorizer and operator type on student achievement
Jeff MurrayOne of the more variable aspects of charter school operation around the country is the system by which schools are authorized and managed.
It’s time for Ohio to adopt the science of reading
Thomas J. Lasley, Jennifer BlatzNOTE: This piece was originally published by RealClear Education.
More evidence—this time from Ohio—that third grade retention works
Aaron ChurchillFollowing Florida’s lead, about twenty states, including Ohio, have enacted laws that require schools to retain third gra
Fordham Institute media statement on new study demonstrating academic benefits of third grade retention
Ohio Education GadflyToday, Ohio Excels and the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC) released a study on the academic impact of retaining students under Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee and providing them with extra support.
Ohio’s urban students lost a full grade level of learning. Here’s what their schools need to do right now.
Aaron ChurchillBy now, it’s no secret that the pandemic and schools’ pivot to remote learning was a disaster for most students.
Ohio’s high-dosage tutoring efforts are a well-kept secret. That’s not a compliment.
Jessica PoinerA few weeks ago, researchers from the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project published an Education Recovery Scorecard that offered an in-depth and
Despite the best of intentions, education policy still comes up short
Tom GunlockNOTE: This piece was originally published in the Dayton Daily News.
Charter sponsors need to be accountable for the performance of their schools
Aaron ChurchillWith the budget bill speeding to the finish line, the Statehouse rumor mill is cranking into high gear. Among the rumblings is an effort by a few charter advocates to weaken the state’s sponsor evaluation system.