Wednesday October 3, 2007 Volume 5, Issue 20
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1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE

2. HOW CAN BUYING GROCERIES HELP THE CAMPAIGN?

3. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OHIO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS . . . ON A BILLBOARD!

4. UPCOMING EVENTS: THREE EDUCATION PANELS AT FIRST COMMUNITY UCC

5. IT’S COUNT WEEK IN OHIO

6. OHIO RANKS IN TOP 10 OF NATION’S REPORT CARD

7. INTERACTIVE MAP COMPARING STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS

8. STATE FUNDING FOR CHARTERS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

9. TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM KNOWLEDGEWORKS

10. GRANTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

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1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Mark your calendar; our next meeting is on October 13 from 11-2 in Columbus, at the First
Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad Street in Columbus.  

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2. HOW CAN BUYING GROCERIES HELP THE CAMPAIGN?
We have an exciting new opportunity for the Ohio Fair Schools Campaign. We are now participating
in the fundraising program through Kroger, using gift cards. It’s simple. If you shop at Kroger, you
can get one of these gift cards, use it to purchase your groceries, and the Campaign will receive 5%
of what you spend. Cards cost $5, and come with $5 already loaded to spend at Kroger. You can
add money to the card, and use that to purchase your groceries. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it
can help support the work for high-quality public education opportunities for Ohio’s children. To find
out more, please call the office (740) 592-2866 or e-mail Debbie: Debbie@ohiofairschools.org

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3. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OHIO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS . . . ON A BILLBOARD!
The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign and ProgressOhio.org have launched the "We Support Public
Education" billboard contest. Students, parents, educators, administrators and community members
are encouraged to submit billboard slogans that celebrate the good things happening in our public
schools, schools that strive every day to educate all of our children.

The "We Support Public Education" billboard campaign is an effort to promote the positive aspects
of Ohio's public education system. We want everyone to know that despite the legislative and
educational challenges, Ohio students are learning. Please help us recognize our great public schools!

Please click here to submit your billboard slogan!
http://progressohio.org/page/petition/ofsbillboard

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4. UPCOMING EVENTS: THREE EDUCATION PANELS AT FIRST COMMUNITY UCC
First Community UCC Church is holding a series on education 3 Thursdays in October and November.
All events are open to everyone and will be from 7-9pm at Brownlee Hall, First Community Church,
1320 Cambridge Blvd in Columbus. For info call (614) 488-6180.

Programs include:
Oct. 4: Equal Access to Quality Education: Why Should the Faith Community Care?
Oct. 18: Charter Schools: More or Fewer?
Nov. 1:  Fair Funding: Amendment or Alternatives?

For directions and a list of speakers that will be at each of these events, visit:
http://ohiofairschools.org/PDF/3pBrochure.pdf

These timely discussions are co-sponsored by the Peace and Justice Action Community of
First Community Church, the United Church of Christ Church in the World Department, Ohio
Council of Churches, Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council, and We Believe Ohio,
an interfaith alliance of leaders who represent a diversity of faith perspectives on public issues.

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5. IT’S COUNT WEEK
Students that attend Ohio schools are being counted this week. The attendance numbers, also known
as Average Daily Membership, or ADM, will determine funding amounts for this year. Ohio uses
two ADM counts each year to calculate state funding for local schools, multiplied by $5,565 per
student. According to Paolo DeMaria, Associate Superintendent for School Finance, "It will take
several months to complete tabulation of the October first to fifth count, then we'll change the
payments (to schools) to actual enrollment instead of estimates and make adjustments."

To read a related article, visit:
9/30 Lancaster Eagle Gazette
School attendance this week means money for districts
http://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/B7/20070930/NEWS01/709300306/1002

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6. OHIO RANKS IN TOP 10 ON NATIONAL REPORT CARD
The  National Center for Education Statistics has released the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP). The NAEP scores “offer the only common yardstick to measure academic
progress among states”, according to The Plain Dealer. A press release issued by the Ohio
Department of Education says “Ohio students again performed better than the national average
on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in both fourth-and eighth-grade
reading and mathematics this year. Ohio's overall scores increased in each of the four assessments.
Black and Hispanic students achieved the largest gains, thus narrowing the gaps with white students."
This is great news for Ohio children, showing real progress in core academic areas.

For more information about NAEP results, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/commissioner/remarks2007/9_25_2007.asp
For more information about NAEP results for Ohio, visit: https://webapp1.ode.state.oh.us/cncs/

To read a related article, visit:
9/26 The Plain Dealer
Ohio students get solid marks in 'nation's report card' http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1190796207224000.xml&coll=2

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7. INTERACTIVE MAP COMPARING STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS
According to a Gannett News Service (GNS) analysis of test scores, many states have standards
much lower than the NAEP standards. Although each state uses its own assessment to track
reading and math scores, the NAEP uses a national test to assess American students in those
subjects, which produce very different scores than the state tests. For instance, in Ohio, 79%
of students scored proficient on the state 8th grade math test in 2005. Only 33% scored
proficient on the NAEP test. GNS has published a comparison map of state and national test
scores in reading in math. To view it, visit:
http://coshoctontribune.gns.gannettonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/GNSVIDEO50/70606002/-1/NCLB

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8. STATE FUNDING FOR CHARTERS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
An article in the most recent Ohio School Boards Association Journal reported, "If you include
Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, more than $2.7 billion of Ohio taxpayers money will be spent on Ohio's
charter school system in the last decade." The article also said “$110 million in state aid was
redirected from excellent and effective traditional schools to charter schools." And that the
average per-pupil state funding paid to traditional schools is now less than half the amount
that is paid to charter schools. The following chart also appeared in the article:

Fiscal Year               Traditional Schools              Charter Schools 
2002….…………………...$3,016…………………......$5,881
2004 …………………...…$3,114…………………......$5,996
2004………………………$3,205…………………......$6,417
2005 …………………...…$3,268………………...…...$6,737
2006………………………$3,335……………………..$6,683
2007………………………$3,394……………………. $6,902

To read the article, visit: http://www.ohiofairschools.org/PDF/SeptOSBAJournal.pdf. This publication
is only available to subscribers, so we’d like to send a special thanks to Scott Ebright from the
Ohio School Boards Association for making this article available to us.

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9. TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM KNOWLEDGEWORKS
Two new publications from KnowledgeWorks Foundation capture dozens of stories that bring to
life the day-to-day struggles and triumphs inside two Ohio high school reform efforts. The books,
the third annual edition of the "Every Student Deserves a Legacy" series, show what it's like for
educators and students working to transform under performing large urban high schools into
small personalized schools or pioneer schools that blend high school and college learning.

Written by a team of freelance writers who spent hours in the classrooms and hallways throughout
the 2006-07 school year, these publications document why it's so hard to change schools and
how, even so, change is taking place. Visit KnowledgeWorks Foundation’s website to order or
download your free copies of these two new publications:

To a Higher Degree: Real-life stories of progress in four early college high schools
http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/legacy_2007_ec_form.asp

Most Likely to Succeed: Real-life stories of progress in five redesigned urban high schools
http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/legacy_2007_ss_form.asp

(Summary courtesy of KnowledgeWorks Foundation)

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10. GRANTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Character Education Partnership: National Schools of Character Awards Program
The National Schools of Character Awards Program, offered by the Character Education Partnership
(CEP), recognizes K-12 schools and districts throughout the US demonstrating outstanding character
education initiatives that yield positive results in student behavior, school climate, and academic
performance. Ten award recipients receive a $20,000 grant: $10,000 to enhance their character
education program and $10,000 to provide outreach to other educators.
The application deadline is December 3, 2007.
Visit http://www.character.org for more info.

Literacy Service Projects Funded
Youth Leaders for Literacy, an initiative of the National Education Association (NEA) and Youth
Service America, was developed to encourage and celebrate the literacy service of the nation's
young people and to provide resources to conduct reading-related activities that benefit others.
Grants are available for literacy service projects that begin on NEA's Read Across America Day
in March and culminate on YSA's National Youth Service Day in April. The NEA will award 20
grants of $500 each to youth, ages 21 or younger, for their literacy projects.
The application deadline is October 26, 2007.
Visit http://www.nea.org/readacross/volunteer/index.html for more info.

AEP Envisions Educational Excellence
American Electric Power (AEP) offers the Teacher Vision Grant program to pre-K through 12
educators in the company's service area and in communities with major AEP facilities.
The deadline to apply is Oct. 26, 2007.
Visit http://www.aep.com/citizenship/community/teacherGrants/ for more info.

NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program
The goal of the NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program, funded by the National Football
League and administered by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is to provide
neighborhood-based organizations and schools with financial and technical assistance to improve
the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields.
The application deadline is November 30, 2007.
Visit http://www.lisc.org/section/areas/sec3/youth/request/ for more info.

The NEA Foundation: Books Across America Library Books Awards
The NEA Foundation advances student achievement by investing in public education that will
prepare each of America’s children to learn and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Through
the Books Across America Library Books Awards program, the Foundation will make
approximately fifty $1,000 awards to public schools serving economically disadvantaged
students for the purchase of school library books.
The application deadline is November 12, 2007.
Visit http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/BAA_2007.htm for more info.