Will Ohio’s revamped post-secondary readiness measure have sufficient rigor?

How low-performing school identification changed from the NCLB to ESSA era

In 2001, Congress enacted No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the much-discussed statute that, among other things, required states to identify their lowest-performing schools and help them improve. In 2015, in an effort to address perceived problems with NCLB, lawmakers revised the law into its current form, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

With third-grade retention in shambles, it’s another year of social promotion in Ohio

Without a strong third grade retention policy, it’s a sure bet that Ohio students who cannot read proficiently are being promoted to fourth grade. We look at the data which starkly illustrate the problematic return of “social promotion.”

Keeping Ohio’s talented students in the Buckeye State should be a priority for policymakers

The Economist recently made the case that the United States economy is the envy of the world.

Pre-K programming and third grade achievement: Evidence from Wisconsin

The jury remains out regarding the true impact of pre-K enrollment on early elementary outcomes. Some research finds a positive impact, some a negative, and much of it shows the fading out of impacts by third grade or soon thereafter.

Kindergarten literacy data raise questions about diagnostic assessments

Author update (10/11/24): Since this piece was posted, sources have indicated Canton’s kindergarten data were misstated on its report card—a possibility acknowledged in this piece. The district's report card, as well as its elementary school report cards, now have “watermarks” flagging the data reporting error and indicating that the error may have impacted the ratings.

Has Ohio made progress narrowing achievement gaps, post-pandemic?

One of the most pressing challenges facing American education is closing achievement gaps.

Setting the baseline for Ohio’s early literacy reforms

New early literacy data from state report cards are part of the baseline from which we can measure the impact of Science of Reading reforms going forward. Here’s a look at ten Ohio districts whose results fill in important details for the future.

Taking stock of Ohio’s pandemic recovery: Glass half full or empty?

Ohio has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the post-pandemic academic recovery—but also much work left to do. That’s the message that comes out of my recent analysis of spring 2024 state assessment data released earlier this month.

Three report card features Ohioans might not know about

Ohioans now have access to a brand-new set of school report cards based on results from the 2023–24 school year. The data they contain provide policymakers, advocates, and families with an updated look on how students are progressing academically in the wake of the pandemic.

Fordham Institute statement on Ohio’s school report card release

Today, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released its annual school report card, which is based on data from the 2023–24 school year. Included are five-star ratings that provide parents and the public with a user-friendly overview of district and school performance.

What to make of Ohio school report cards’ “progress” rating

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will soon release Ohio’s school report cards for the 2023–24 school year.

Addressing pandemic learning loss (and then some) without breaking the bank

Ohio students have yet to fully recover from pandemic-era declines in achievement.

Should Ohio move to computer adaptive testing?

State tests are an important annual check-in for parents, teachers, communities, and policymakers, as they provide an objective assessment of student achievement based on grade-level standards.

To improve adult outcomes, do the math

What are the best ways to deploy finite resources for the betterment of young children? What inputs provide the most beneficial outcomes later in life? These are big, important questions whose answers matter to individuals, families, and society.

“Teaching to the test” done right? Evidence from Austria.

“Teaching to the test” is a common pejorative term that touches on a number of hot-button education policy issues—top-down mandates to schools, shrinking curriculum, hamstringing teacher autonomy and creativity, and dampening student interest in learning to name just a few.

American learning losses in the pandemic era: A global perspective

A new report from the Hoover Institution’s Education Success Init

Ohio parents will get better, faster information about their child’s academic achievement this year—if districts follow the law

Although it’s a brand-new year, many Ohio students are still caught in the education riptide of the pandemic era.

Ohio’s sluggish pandemic recovery in 2023 as seen through six charts

With the past year now in the books, it’s time to look back. During 2023, we at Fordham wrote extensively about the biggest and most important policy issues of the past year, most of which were debated as part of the state budget process.

Is Ohio meeting its math and reading goals?

One of the best kept secrets in education policy is that Ohio policymakers have set achievement goals for Buckeye State students.

A tale of two districts: Goal-setting exercises in Dayton and Columbus illustrate challenges to improving urban schools

In late November, two large urban Ohio school districts publicly engaged in academic goal-setting exercises. They ended very differently.

Social promotion returns to Ohio

“Social promotion,” the practice of pushing struggling students from one grade to the next regardless of their academic readiness, can have damaging long-term effects.

Here’s how ADC districts performed on state report cards

Academic Distress Commissions (ADCs) have a long and controversial history in Ohio.

Ohio’s urban district and charter school performance, 2022–23

For more than two decades, Ohio’s school report cards have shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s public schools. This year’s report card is no different.

2021 PIRLS test results starkly illustrate global learning loss

The first pandemic-influenced data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) test are in. Unsurprisingly, an initial analysis says the news is bad.

Fordham Institute statement on Ohio’s school report cards

This morning, the Ohio Department of Education released its annual school report cards based on results from the 2022-23 school year. This year’s iteration makes clear that the impacts of the pandemic on student learning are still being felt, especially for students from less advantaged backgrounds.

Despite steady gains, much work remains on Ohio’s academic recovery

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.

Are Ohio students making up sufficient ground, post-pandemic?

As has been widely reported, students in Ohio and across the nation suffered major setbacks during the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2022, Ohio students lost on average the equivalent of roughly one-half grade-level of learning.

Are students more likely to cheat on unproctored online exams?

When classes moved abruptly online at Iowa State University in March 2020 as part of Covid-mitigation actions statewide, psychology professor Jason Chan expected big changes in student behavior. Specifically, he worried about his students being easily able to cheat on unproctored online exams.

Student acceptance of computer-adaptive testing

Computer-adaptive testing (CAT) is on the rise in K–12 schools, from Seattle to Virginia