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To: LWVO
From: Joan Platz
Education Update for March 12, 2007

1)  127th Ohio General Assembly: 
The Ohio House and Senate will meet in session this week.  The House and Senate will meet in joint session on March 14, 2007 at noon to hear Governor Strickland deliver the "State of the State" address, which will outline the administration's policy and program priorities for FY08-09.  Governor Strickland will introduce his administration's biennial budget proposal on March 15, 2007.

2)  This Week at the Statehouse

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2007
*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Representative Dolan (614-644-5088), will meet at 10:30 PM in room 313.  The committee will continue hearings on HB 67 (Patton), the transportation budget for FY08-09.  A vote is possible.

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007
*The House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Setzer, will meet at 2:00 PM in room 116.  The committee will hear testimony on HB 27 (Wolpert) - academic performance ratings; HB66 (Collier) - minimum school year based on hours; HB2 (Webster) -- allows the governor to appoint the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents and makes other changes regarding the Ohio Board of Regents; and HB85 (Webster) -- expands the authority of the Ohio Board of Regents.

*The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Padgett (614-466-8076), will meet at 4:00 PM in the North hearing room and hear testimony on SB2 (Cates) - appointment of the Chancellor of the Board of Regents; SB57 (Coughlin) - Special Education Scholarship Program; and SB89 (Gardner) - School opening day after Labor Day.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007
Governor Strickland delivers the "State of the State" address at noon in the House Chambers.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2007
*The House Local and Municipal Government and Urban Revitalization Committee, chaired by Representative Wolpert (614-466-9690), will meet at 8:30 AM in room 018 to hear testimony on HB60 (Evans), which authorizes boards of county commissioners to exempt from taxation the homesteads of qualifying members of the National Guard and reserve components of the Armed Forces who have been deployed outside the state.

*House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Blessing (614-466-9091), will meet at 9:30 AM in room 114 and hear testimony on HB5 (Gibbs), which implements recommendations made by the Eminent Domain Task Force.

*The House State Government and Elections Committee, chaired by Representative Daniels (614-466-3506), will meet at 11:00 AM in room 122 to hear testimony on SB26 (Kearney) - February as "Black History Month."

3)  110th Congress: 
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Representative George Miller, and its subcommittees have been holding hearings on the reauthorization of the Head Start Act, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and Higher Education Act.

On March 13, 2007 a joint meeting of the House Education and Labor Committee and the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will be held on the reauthorization of NCLB Act -- "Improving NCLB to Close the Achievement Gap."

On March 14, 2007 the House Education and Labor Committee will markup HR 1429, "Improving Head Start Act of 2007."  The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved on February 14, 2007 S. 556, which reauthorizes the Head Start Act.  The Senate version would increase the eligibility for low income families; expand services; and require states to create local partnerships to support children and their families.

Last week on March 8, 2007 a subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee heard testimony on the state of higher education and how students access and finance a college education.  The hearing was the first in a series that will be held on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  According to the opening remarks made by the subcommittee chair, Representative Hinojosa, a new study released by Jobs for the Future, "Hitting Home:  Quality, Cost, and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today", reports that the U.S. needs to produce an additional 15.6 million college graduates to remain competitive in the global market.  Poor preparation in high school and the cost of higher education continue to be barriers that prevent more students from seeking and completing college degrees.

Chairman Miller also issued on March 7, 2007 a press release announcing hearings in April 2007 on the investigation of the federal Reading First program.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold on March 14, 2007 a hearing on the proposed FY08 budget for the No Child Left Behind Act. The committee will hear from U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, and several other witnesses.  For more information please visit http://appropriations.senate.gov/

For information about the work of the U.S. House committees please visit http://edlabor.house.gov/committee/hearings.shtml

4)  House Education Committee Report: 
The Ohio House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Arlene Setzer and with Representative Ken Carano serving as Ranking Member, met on March 6, 2007.  This was the first time the committee had met this session, and Representative Setzer asked members to introduce themselves and why they were interested in being on the education committee.  When it came to Representative Thom Collier's turn to introduce himself, he replied that he was here so much last session that he requested a more comfortable chair.

The committee includes twenty three members, and with the increase in the number of Democrats elected to the 127th Ohio House, the Republicans have a one member majority:  12 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

A majority of the members of committee are new to the Education Committee.  Returning lawmakers include Representative Setzer as chair, Representative Carano as Ranking Member, and Representatives Evans, Garrison, Peterson, Reinhard, Schlichter, Wagner, Webster, and B. Williams.

Members of the Education Committee who are also newly elected to the General Assembly include Representatives Adams, Brady, Celeste, Dyer, Heard, Luckie, Lundy, Okey, Stebelton, and Sykes.

Re-elected lawmakers who are new to the Education Committee include Representative Widowfield, who is Vice Chair, and Representatives Collier and Patton.

Representative Shawn Webster addressed the committee as sponsor of two bills on the same topic:  HB 2 and HB 85.

HB2 enacts section 3333.031 of the Revised Code to transfer appointment of the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents to the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; makes the Board of Regents an advisory board to the Chancellor; and transfers the Board's duties and powers to the Chancellor.

HB85 expands the authority of the Ohio Board of Regents to regulate the programs and tuition of state institutions of higher education; requires the Governor's approval of the Board of Regent's selection for Chancellor; restructures the terms of members of the Board of Regents; and establishes the Ohio Higher Education Purchasing Commission.

Representative Webster told the committee that the state of Ohio needs a higher education system that meets the needs of its citizens and the state rather than meeting the needs of the institutions, and that is why he has introduced two bills that address the issue of governance and the Ohio Board of Regents in two different ways.

HB2 reduces the authority of the current Board of Regents by giving the governor authority to appoint a chancellor, who will have more powers over decision making for higher education.

HB85 is more prescriptive.  The Board of Regents would still appoint the chancellor, but the governor would be able to approve the appointment, and the chancellor would serve on the governor's cabinet.  The Board of Regents would be required to create a master plan that would address collaboration, duplication of programs, degree attainment, etc. and create a more standardized community college system.

The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB66 presented by Representative Collier.  HB66 establishes a minimum school year for school districts and chartered nonpublic schools based on hours rather than days of instruction.

Currently in statute and administrative code school districts are required to provide 182 days of instruction, which becomes 173 days after deducting allowed exceptions; five days per week; five hours for grades 1-6 and 5.5 hours for grades 7-12.  Five hours are required in law for grades 7-12, but the State Board of Education has set 5.5 hours in rule for grades 7-12 for school districts.

The bill eliminates the number of days, and establishes instead required number of hours of instruction with certain parameters.  The bill would require schools (school districts and chartered nonpublic schools) to provide 455 hours of instruction for half-day kindergarten; 910 hours for full day kindergarten and grades 1-6; and 1001 hours of instruction for students in grades 7-12.

School districts and chartered nonpublic schools would be able to develop their own attendance schedule within certain parameters outlined in the bill.  Current law regarding calamity days (five days schools can close due to public calamity) is eliminated in this bill.

Community schools are not affected by this bill.  Currently community schools are required to provide a minimum of 920 hours of instruction for all grade levels.

This recommendation was approved by the General Assembly last December (it was included in SB 311), but former Governor Taft later vetoed this provision.

5) State Board of Education to Meet: 
The State Board of Education, Jennifer Sheets president, will meet on February 12-13, 2007 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH. The Quality Middle and High Schools Subcommittee, chaired by Carl Wick, and the School Funding Subcommittee, chaired by Virgil Brown, met on March 11, 2007 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Columbus, OH.

The Executive Committee, chaired by Jennifer Sheets, will meet on March 12, 2007 at 8:30 AM. The committee will review the agenda and receive updates from the School Funding Subcommittee; the Achieve Report Public Engagement Subcommittee; and the Quality Middle and High Schools Subcommittee, and discuss recommendations regarding school bus driver records.

The Capacity Committee, Sue Westendorf and Carl Wick co-chairs, and the Achievement Committee, Michael Cochran and Steve Millett, co-chairs, will meet at 9:30 AM.

The Capacity Committee will discuss legislative recommendations concerning school bus drivers and Educational Service Centers, and the following rules:Rule 3301-21-01 colleges and universities preparing teachers; Rule 3301-24-01 licensing and education programs; Rule 3301-27-02 pupil activity programs; and Rules 3301-83-06, 3301-83-07 and 3301-83-20 concerning school bus drivers. The Achievement Committee will discuss financial literacy initiatives; preview the Perkins Transition Plan; and consider a resolution of intent to adopt standard scores for alternate assessments in science and social studies in grades 5 and 8, and grade 7 in writing.

During lunch the Achieve Report Public engagement subcommittee, chaired by Steve Millett will meet.  Members of the committee include Deborah Cain, Lou Ann Harrold, Eric Okerson, Sue Westendorf, and Ann Womer Benjamin.

At 12:30 PM the board will hear an update on School Readiness and Early Learning from Eric Okerson and Carl Kohrt, CEO from Battelle. The Board will also review the Perkins Transitions Plan; hear a presentation on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics initiatives (STEM); and hear updates on state and federal legislative activities.

At 3:15 PM Board members will present committee and individual reports, and the Board will discuss written reports and the consent agenda for the business meeting.

At 4:00 PM a 119 hearing will be held to consider rescinding Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3301-54-01 - determining the amount of payment for contracted special education units, and to amend Rule 3301-51-11 - funding for preschool special education.

The Board will then adjourn.  The Appointments Team will meet at 5:30 PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbus to discuss appointments to the Foreign Language Advisory Council and Educator Standards Board, and the Territory Transfer Subcommittee will meet at 7:00 PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel to hear a presentation from citizens regarding a proposal to deconsolidate the Switzerland of Ohio Local School district.

On March 13, 2007 the State Board of Education will meet and begin its business meeting at 9:00 AM and immediately convene into executive session.  The Board will reconvene at 10:45 AM to hear the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, public participation on agenda items, and take action on nine personnel items, four territory transfers, and the following resolutions:

#5 Intent to adopt standard scores indicative of advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, and limited skill levels on the fifth grade science and social studies achievement alternative assessment for students with disabilities; advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, and limited skill levels on the seventh grade writing achievement alternative assessment for students with disabilities; advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, and limited skill levels on the eighth grade science and social studies achievement alternative assessment for students with disabilities.
#6 Adopt report only indicators for the local report card for 2006-07 and beyond
#7 Adopt the document entitled "Poverty Based Assistance:  Findings and Recommendations"
#8 Adopt appointments to the Educator Standards Board
#9 Adopt a resolution to establish a Foreign Language Advisory Council to propose a statewide foreign language implementation plan
#19 Rescind OAC Rule 3301-24-02, Performance -based Licensure.
#20  Amend OAC Rule 3301-24-03, Teacher Education Programs

The Board will then adjourn.  For more information about the State Board of Education, please visit http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?page=2&TopicRelationID=574

6)  Bills Introduced the Week of March 5, 2007:
HB93 (Koziura) Requires a separate bill for education agency appropriations.
HB94 (Koziura) Requires universities to guarantee undergraduate student can complete study in specified time.
HB97 (Fessler) Modifies the laws governing child care providers.
SB98 (Schuler) Creates the Autism Diagnosis Education Pilot Program.

7)  Grant Opportunities:
*The National Education Association's Foundation Student Achievement Grants provide funds to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s).  The grant proposal should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter, and should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. The maximum award is $5,000.  K-12 public school teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff at public colleges and universities are eligible to apply.  The deadline is June 1, 2007.  For information please visit http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/StudentAchievement_Guidelines.htm

*The Charles Lafitte Foundation Grants Program awards funds to help groups and individuals foster lasting improvement on the human condition by providing support to education, children's advocacy, medical research, and the arts. The maximum amount of the awards varies. 501c-3 institutions are eligible to apply.  For more information please visit http://www.charleslafitte.org/education.htm