Update (3/30/20): On March 27, Governor Mike DeWine signed legislation waiving state assessment requirements for the 2019-20 school year.
It’s no secret that tough accountability measures are out-of-fashion in education circles these days.
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.
For the past several years, there has been a steady push by traditional education groups in Ohio to weaken state accountability and school report cards in particular.
Against the backdrop of Ohio’s Attainment Goal 2025, the state’s annual report on college remediation rates—the number of first year college students requiring remedial courses before beginning credit bearing work—has taken on a greater
In my annual review of Ohio report cards, I concentrate on the performance of public schools located in the state’s major cities, known as the “Big Eight.” The reason is twofold.
Since 2005, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has published annual analyses of Ohio’s state report cards.
Titles and descriptions matter in school rating systems. One remembers with chagrin Ohio’s former “Continuous Improvement” rating that schools could receive even though their performance fell relative to the prior year. Mercifully, the state retired that rating (along with other descriptive labels) and has since moved to a more intuitive A–F system.
NOTE: Today the Ohio Report Card Study Committee heard testimony from a number of stakeholder groups on various aspects of the state’s school and district report cards. Fordham vice president Chad Aldis was invited to provide testimony. This is the written version his remarks.
“Confront the brutal facts (yet never lose faith)” – Jim Collins, Good to Great Cheerleading on schools and students is widespread in K–12 education. Go to a school district website and you’re bound to see something heralding an afterschool program, celebrating an arts initiative, or profiling the most recent teacher of the year.
Last year, NBA superstar LeBron James opened I Promise School (IPS), a school for at-risk kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. In its first year (2018–19), IPS served 240 students in grades three and four.
Author’s correction and update: The original version of this post incorrectly stated that Columbus had increased the minimum test score needed to be classified as “on track” in third-grade reading and to not be placed on a reading improvement and monitoring plan (RIMP).
When Governor DeWine signed the state budget into law in mid-July, it marked the end of ye
Gallons of ink, some on this blog, have been spilled about what Ohio should do about academically troubled school districts.
The hottest topic of conversation in education circles these days is what the legislature plans to do with academic distress commissions (ADCs), the state’s method for intervening in persistently low-performing school district
Today, the Ohio Department of Education released annual report cards for Ohio’s 610 school districts and roughly 3,500 public schools. Based on data from the 2018-19 school year, report cards include a user-friendly, overall rating along with component ratings that provide additional context.
NOTE: Today the Ohio Senate’s Education Committee heard testimony on a substitute version of House Bill 154, addressing
When President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law back in December 2015, it marke
Across the nation, headlines have trumpeted soaring high-school graduation rates. Ohio is no exception. Lofty rates leave the impression that the vast majority of students are ready to take their next steps in life. But the truth is that too many students exit high school not fully prepared for college and career.
Since 2005, Ohio has intervened in persistently-low performing school districts by establishing new leadership via an
Public education is no stranger to controversy. Whether it’s standardized testing, academic standards, graduation requirements, charter schools or school funding, discussion and disputation are part of the deal.
School report cards, the primary mechanism through which Ohio maintains transparency and accountability for academic outcomes, have been a hotly debated topic. Critics argue that the ratings track too closely with pupil demographics, some decry the shift to the more transparent and easily understood A–F rating system, while still others are just unhappy with the results.
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.
NOTE: The Thomas B. Fordham Institute occasionally publishes guest commentaries. Their views do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham.
Proficient (adj.): “Well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge.” —Merriam Webster
For many Ohio students, taking college entrance exams is a key milestone on the path from high school to college. Yet countless thousands have foregone these exams, effectively slamming the door on their opportunity to attend four-year colleges and universities.
As budget season winds down, lawmakers face the tall task of reconciling some vastly different proposals from the governor’s office, the House, and the Senate on a variety of issues in the budget bill, House Bill 166.
Back in 2015, former Governor John Kasich encouraged the General Assembly to address the persistent failure of several school districts by strengthening academic distress commissions (ADCs), the state’s mechanism for intervening in chronically underperforming districts. Legislators obliged.
NOTE: Today the Ohio Senate’s Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 166, the state’s new biennial budget.
In an era of “fake news,” political division, and rampant civic illiteracy, one might think smart policymakers would want to ensure that young people exit high school with a solid grasp of American history and government—the foundations of responsible citizenship.
