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.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 5.19.23
Jeff MurrayOne more story from National Charter Schools Week
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 5.12.23
Jeff MurrayAnother Charter Schools Week is in the books
A meta-analysis of technology integration research in K-12 education
Jeff MurraySchools around the country have been expeditious in responding publicly to the rapid onset of ChatGPT and other interactive platforms that utilize sophisticated artificial intelligence, and those in the know say this technology could change teaching and learning forever.
The continuing evaluation of a community college student support program in Ohio
Jeff MurrayThe Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a comprehensive suite of supports meant to help community college students persist in school and complete a degree in three years or less.
Teacher preparation in Ohio and the science of reading
The science of reading movement is sweeping across the nation, and state and local policymakers are taking steps to ensure that students are learning to read via proven methods.
Reinventing Ohio’s Charter School Sector, 2015–2023: Ohio’s successful charter turnaround—and what’s needed next
Aaron ChurchillFor more than two decades, the charter school movement has aimed to provide parents with more public-school options, empower educators to launch innovative schools, and boost student achievement. This report looks at the progress Ohio is making toward achieving these ambitious goals. It includes an overview of the landmark reforms that state lawmakers enacted in 2015 to strengthen accountability for charter school performance, as well as the improvements the sector has made since then. The report also discusses the large funding disparities that public charter schools in Ohio still face, and how legislators can work to bridge those gaps.
The Ohio House’s education budget gives something for everyone
Aaron ChurchillEarlier this week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed its version of the state budget bill for FYs 2024 and 2025. The House legislation follows up on Governor DeWine’s budget introduced in February. Included in this massive legislation are hundreds of provisions affecting K–12 education. How did the lower chamber do?
Ohio has a golden opportunity to expand Medicaid-funded health services in schools
Jeff MurrayThe state budget bill that was passed by the House this week contains a provision that, if enacted, would be a boon to some of Ohio’s most vulnerable children and a vital support to the schools that serve them.
Backing down from the Third Grade Reading Guarantee is on brand for Ohio policymakers
Jessica PoinerOhio’s recent focus on early literacy is largely thanks to Governor DeWine’s budget recommendations, which contain a bold plan to boost reading achievement in Ohio.
Handwriting or computers: Which is the superior way for children to learn to write?
Jeff MurrayA common concern in evaluating computer-based testing is the perceived differences between students writing by hand and those writing by typing.
The social and emotional damage of socially promoting struggling readers
Jessica PoinerOver the last few weeks, debates about early literacy have dominated headlines in Ohio.
Fordham Institute testimony on Substitute House Bill 33—4/19/23
Aaron ChurchillNOTE: Today, members of the Ohio House Finance Committee received testimony on the education provisions of Substitute House Bill 33, establishing the operating budget for the sta
Fordham Institute media statement on House’s removal of Ohio’s third-grade reading requirement
Ohio Education GadflyThe Ohio House of Representatives recently unveiled its version of the state budget bill (Substitute House Bill 33). Among its proposals is the elimination of state retention requirements when third graders struggle with significant reading deficiencies.
Will Ohio’s Covid Generation Get Back on Track? An analysis of 2021–22 state test results—and how to accelerate learning
Aaron ChurchillIn fall 2022, the Ohio Department of Education released state assessment results from the 2021-22 school year. The data continue to reveal the massive learnings losses that occurred during the pandemic, along with the uneven recovery in its wake. This report offers a close look at Ohio's achievement data from the 2018-19 to 2021-22 school years, and concludes with four recommendations that can help accelerate student learning across the Buckeye State.
Will “temporary” guarantees persist under Ohio’s new school funding formula?
Aaron ChurchillA basic principle of school funding is that dollars ought to follow students to the schools they actually attend. Funds shouldn’t be directed to the schools that children attended last year or the year before. That’s because the schools serving students today bear the responsibility—and costs—of educating them today.
Kids can learn from robots—with a lot of help from humans
Jeff MurrayCould robots be part of the answer to alleviating teacher shortages (and other staffing issues) in the future?
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 4.7.23
Jeff MurrayKudos to charters and their staffers across Ohio
A reminder that third grade reading retention is right
Jessica PoinerIn 2012, Ohio lawmakers enacted the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, a significant early literacy reform package. Under the initiative, schools must administer diagnostic reading assessments to students in grades K–3.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 3.31.23
Jeff MurrayGood news of the week—brick-and-mortar edition