How families adapted to early Covid disruption and remote learning
Jeff MurrayIn the spring of 2020, a group of researchers from the University of California San Diego was engaged in a longitudinal study of changes in young children’s learning experiences during kindergarten and first grade at an anonymous, medium-sized, socioeconomically diverse school district in southern California.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 6.17.22
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayOne more graduation story
What to expect from Ohio’s federally-funded summer and afterschool programs
Jessica PoinerSince the start of the pandemic, Ohio schools have received more than $6 billion via three federal relief acts.
Fall 2021 tests show Ohio students are making up lost ground—but big gaps remain
Vladimir KoganNOTE: 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.
Don’t weaken Ohio’s charter sponsor evaluation system
Aaron ChurchillLast week, the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education committee passed a provision that would weaken the state’s charter sponsor evaluation system.
ODE should rework its exit criteria, again
Aaron ChurchillIn 2015, federal lawmakers passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, the main K–12 education law of the land. Under this statute, states must submit an “ESSA plan” that describes how they intend to implement the provisions. In 2018, the U.S.
Testimony presented before the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on HB 497—May 24, 2022
Chad L. AldisNOTE: On May 24, 2022, the Ohio House of Representatives’ Primary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony on a bill to eliminate a key aspect of state’s
Ohio takes a positive step toward statewide high-dosage tutoring
Jessica PoinerIn late March, the Ohio Department of Education announced a grant program aimed at developing and expanding tutoring for K–12 students in the wake of pandemic-caused learning losses.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 5.13.22
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayWe’re back from vacation, covering pieces from 4/30 – 5/13. Celebrating National Charter Schools Week in Ohio
Governors speak up: “Burdensome regulations” on charters must not go forward
Jessica PoinerA little over a month ago, the Biden administration proposed a new and unprecedented set of rules for the federal
One successful formula for teaching young children to read online
Jeff MurrayCan children learn to read via fully online instruction?
The ADC off-ramp is already letting districts shortchange students
Jessica PoinerLast year, lawmakers caved to political pressure and created an easy off-ramp for the three districts currently under Academic Distress Commissi
Assessing a standards-aligned physical science curriculum
Jeff MurrayWhile not as rapidly embraced as its math and ELA cousins, which have great merit, a new set of science standards has slowly gained traction in a majority of states.
The feds’ proposed changes to CSP will hurt Ohio charters
Jessica PoinerFor nearly three decades, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) has offered grants to support brand-new charter schools and, more recently, high-quality n
Ohio’s teacher pension mess
Aaron ChurchillDue to massive financial woes, Ohio suspended cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retired teachers in July 2017.
Benefits and balancing acts: The impact of faith on educational outcomes
Jeff MurrayA 2018 Pew Research Center study demonstrated the perhaps surprising fact that the United States remains a robustly religious country, indeed the most devout of all the wealthy Western democracies.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 4.8.22
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayOhio’s next state superintendent
Testimony given on Ohio Substitute Senate Bill 240—4/5/22
Chad L. AldisNOTE: Today, members of the Ohio Senate’s Primary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony on
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 4.1.22
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayMore fallout from CSP proposals
Ohio’s bad habit of sidestepping accountability
Jessica PoinerWhen the General Assembly adopted the Third Grade Reading Guarantee back in 2012, it was in response to research showing that reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a “make-
Intensive interventions and the third grade reading guarantee
Aaron ChurchillPassed in 2012, Ohio’s third grade reading guarantee aims to ensure that all children have the foundational literacy skills needed for success in middle school and beyond.
“I want more”: Parental choice empowers Hispanic parents in Texas
Jeff MurrayHispanic students make up the largest share of charter school students nationally, but research focusing specifically on Hispanic school choosers is lacking.