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To: LWVO From: Joan Platz Education Update for September 10, 2007 1) 127th General Assembly: *A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 in the Statehouse Rotunda for U.S. Representative Paul Gillmor (5th Congressional District), who passed away on September 5, 2007. Representative Gillmor had a long and distinguished career in government. He was elected to Congress in 1988 and also served in the Ohio Senate. Due to the service, the Ohio House has moved its scheduled session on Tuesday to 1:30 PM, and the Senate has canceled on Tuesday its scheduled session and some committee meetings, including the Senate Education Committee meeting. A new representative for the 5th Congressional District will be chosen through a special election, which will take place at the call of Governor Strickland. *The citizens group Citizens for Community Standards has filed petitions with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's office to place on the November 6, 2007 ballot a referendum on Sub. SB 16 - a law approved in June 2007 by the Ohio General Assembly and known as the Community Defense Act. This law tightens regulations on some sexually-oriented businesses in the state. According to the Secretary of State's web site, the signed petitions will be sent to local boards of elections to verify signatures. If petitioners have the necessary 241,366 valid signatures to qualify, the referendum will be on the November 6, 2007 ballot. 2) Update on Federal Issues: *Appropriations Bills: Last week members of Congress returned to Washington, D.C. to begin a hectic fall term. Scheduled for approval are 12 appropriations bills for FY08, which begins on October 1, 2007. So far the House has approved all twelve of the spending bills, but the Senate has only approved the Homeland Security Bill. The proposed appropriation bills include $23 billion more in discretionary spending than President Bush proposed in his budget recommendations introduced last February 2007. To avoid a veto President Bush has asked lawmakers to stay within a $933 billion cap on discretionary spending. If Congress does not approve the spending bills by the October 1, 2007 deadline, then lawmakers will need to approve extensions of the current appropriations. In past years when faced with a time crunch, Congress has approved all of the spending bills through one omnibus bill. To see a summary of appropriations bills already approved by the U.S. House please visit http://appropriations.house.gov/ Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education are included in S. 1710, which has not been approved by the Senate, and H.R. 3043, which was approved by the House on July 23, 2007, and has been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. For a summary of H.R. 3043 please visit http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/LHHSSummaryHP.pdf *Head Start Reauthorization: Different versions of the Head Start for School Readiness Act - H.R. 1429 have been approved by the U.S. House on May 2, 2007 and the U.S. Senate on June 19, 2007. The Senate has also appointed members of a conference committee for the bill. To see a detailed summary please visit http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1429.html#usercomments *Higher Education: The U.S. House and Senate agreed on September 7, 2007 to a conference report on H.R. 2669 - the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. This law increases college aid by $20 billion over the next five years, pays for itself by reducing federal subsidies paid to college loan lenders, and does the following: -Cuts interest rates in half on subsidized student loans over the next four years; guarantees that borrowers will not have to pay more than 15 percent of their discretionary income in loan repayments; and allows certain borrowers to have their loans forgiven after 25 years. -Increases the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by $490 next year and up to $5,400 by 2012. Expands eligibility to serve more students with financial need. -Provides tuition assistance to qualified undergraduate students who commit to teaching in public schools in high-poverty communities or high-need subject areas. -Provides public servants loan forgiveness after 10 years of public service and loan repayment for military service members, first responders, law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses, public defenders, prosecutors, early childhood educators, librarians, and others. -Invests $510 million over five years in colleges and universities that have historically served African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. -Establishes a partnership among federal, state, and local government entities and philanthropic organizations through matching challenge grants aimed at increasing the number of first generation and low-income college students. To see a factsheet on this bill please visit http://edlabor.house.gov/publications/20070905ConfReportOnePager.pdf *State Children's Health Insurance Program: The U.S. House and Senate have approved different versions of legislation to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. This program was created ten years ago, and covers the health care costs of approximately 6.6 million children from low income families. The program expires at the end of September. According to some reports recently introduced regulations will make it more difficult for states to expand their SCHIP to cover middle-income children, such as those with catastrophic illnesses. *NCLB Reauthorization: As reported last week, the House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Representative George Miller, released a discussion draft of Title 1 Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This major education act is up for reauthorization this year. During the week the committee released a draft of the remaining sections of the act. The committee is scheduled to meet on September 10, 2007 at 10:00 AM for a live broadcast and discussion of the draft. To see the recommendations for the remaining sections of the act please visit http://edlabor.house.gov *Federal Help for School Facilities: A coalition called Rebuilding America's Schools is supporting legislation that would provide federal assistance to rebuild or renovate public schools. The America's Better Classroom Act of 2007 - HR 2470 would subsidize $25.2 billion in zero-interest bonds for school renovations. A similar bill, S. 912, amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in qualified public school modernization bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility. Senators Tom Harkin, Edward Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and Barb Mikulski have also introduced a bill that would provide $1.6 billion in FY08 and future sums for grants that school districts could use to plan and renovate schools. The bill also requires the Government Accounting Office to determine the facilities needs of public schools in the U.S., which was last done in the mid 90s. 3) Ohio Attorney General Issues Opinions: The Office of Attorney General Marc Dann issued on September 5, 2007 two opinions concerning tuition payments charged by school districts. According to the opinions, school districts have no authority to charge tuition to parents whose children attend all-day kindergarten classes (Ohio Department of Education SYLLABUS: 2007-027), and no authority under current law to charge a parent for their child's attendance at a cooperative educational program outside the school district, including educational options or joint educational programs. (Ohio Department of Education SYLLABUS: 2007-028). To read more about these opinions please visit http://www.ag.state.oh.us/legal/opinions/index.asp. 4) State Board of Education to Meet: The State Board of Education, Jennifer Sheets president, will meet on September 9-11, 2007 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH. The State Board's School Funding Subcommittee, chaired by Virgil Brown met on August 16, 28, and September 9, 2007. The subcommittee is reviewing proposals to address several school funding issues, and anticipates developing options, which could become part of the State Board's 2010-2011 legislative and budget recommendations. The Board will begin its meeting at 8:30 AM on September 10, 2007 with a discussion of the work of the Board in 2007-2008 and the Board Approved Priorities, which were adopted at the July 10, 2007 meeting. The Capacity Committee, Rob Hovis and Jane Sonenshein co-chairs, and the Achievement Committee, Michael Cochran and Ann Womer Benjamin co-chairs, will meet at 9:00 AM. The Capacity Committee will discuss the Ohio Regional Delivery System Structure; review Rules 3301-2-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, and 09, 11, and 13 (Personal Information Systems); and Rule 3301-24-05 (Adult Permits). The Achievement Committee will discuss and approve the Resolution of Intent to adopt Rule 3301-07-01, (Ethical Use of Tests), Rules 3301-13-01 to 06, and 3301-13-08 to 3301-13-11 (State Testing), and Rule 3301-13-07 (Testing Fairness and Sensitivity); review Rule 3301-51 (Operating Standards for Children with Disabilities); discuss Physical Education Standards; discuss Rule 3301-4-01 regarding State Board Meeting Notices; and discuss eTech Curriculum for Distance Learning. The full Board will convene at 10:30 AM in the Conference Center to hear presentations from the Achievement Committee regarding the rules that will be voted upon by the Board during their business meeting, and the Capacity Committee will present information regarding the definition and criteria for a Master Teacher. At 11:30 AM the Board will hear an update on community school grants. The School Readiness Solutions Group Implementation Committee will meet during lunch from 12:15 to 1:30 PM. The Board will convene its business meeting at 1:30 PM and immediately go into executive session. The Board will recess its business meeting at 3:00 PM. At 3:15 PM legislative liaisons, John Bender and Carl Wick, will provide an update on State and Federal legislation, and the chairs of the Executive, Achievement, and Capacity Committees will provide an update of their work to the full Board. The Board will then review written reports and resolutions to be considered. At 4:15 PM the Board will recognize Ohio's finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in mathematics and Science Teaching. The Board will adjourn at 4:45 PM. The Subcommittee for Education in the new Global Economy, chaired by Colleen Grady and Steve Millett, will meet from 5:00 - 6:15 PM in the Delaware Room. On September 11, 2007 the State Board of Education's meeting will begin at 8:30 AM with a presentation about the results of the 2007 State and Local Report Card. The Board will accept reports from Board committees at 11:00 PM, and discuss the report regarding the deconsolidation of the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District into the Monroe Central, River Local, and Beallsvill Local School Districts. Following lunch at 1:45 PM, the Board will reconvene its business meeting. The Board will hear the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, public participation on agenda items, and take action on 32 personnel items and the resolutions included below. The Board will then accept public participation on non-agenda items and adjourn. The next State Board of Education meeting is October 8-9, 2007. State Board of Education Agenda for September 11, 2007. 9 - Resolution of Intent to rescind and adopt Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 3301-7-01, Standards for Ethical Use of Tests. 10 - Resolution of Intent to rescind and adopt OAC Rule 3301-13-07, Fairness Sensitivity Review Committees. 11 - Resolution of Intent to rescind and adopt OAC Rules 3301-13-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 08, 10, and 11, and to amend Rules 3301-13-04 and 09 - Assessments. 12 - Resolution of Intent to amend OAC Rules 3301-19-01 and 3301-91-04 - National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. 13 - Resolution of Intent to consider confirmation of the Norwood City School district's determination of impractical transportation of certain students attending St. Nicolas Academy, Cincinnati, a chartered nonpublic school, Hamilton County. 14 - Resolution to adopt a recommendation to the General Assembly for the establishment of a uniform minimum group size and the implementation of a growth model for the purposes of determining whether all local education agencies, public elementary schools and public secondary schools make adequate yearly progress. 15 - Resolution of appointment to the Educator Standards Board. 15A- Motion to select Rob Hovis as delegate and Jane Sonenshein as alternate delegate to represent the State Board of Education at the 2007 NASBE Annual Conference. 32 - Resolution to accept the recommendation of the hearing officer and approve transfer of school district territory from the Zanesville City School District, Muskingum County, pursuant to Section 3311.24 of the Ohio Revised Code. 33 - Resolution of to rescind OAC Rule 3301-21-01 - Definitions. 34 - Resolution to amend OAC Rule 3301-24-01 - Definitions. 35 - Resolution of to adopt new OAC Rule 3301-25-09 - Two year school speech-language pathology student permit. 36 - Resolution to rescind OAC Rule 3301-27-02 for athletic trainers. 37 - Resolution to amend OAC Rules 3301-40-03, 05, 06 and 07 Nonpublic Schools Administrative Cost Reimbursement. 38- Resolution to confirm the Galion City School District's determination that it is impractical to transport certain students attending Mansfield St. Peter's School, a chartered nonpublic school, pursuant to Section 3327.01 of the Ohio Revised Code. 39 - Resolution to accept the recommendation of the hearing officer to deny the request of the Marva Collins Preparatory School to be registered for the 2007-2008 school year as a participant in the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Program. 40 -Resolution to approve the determination of the Ohio Department of Education that the St. John Nottinham Lutheran School should not be registered for the 2007-2008 school year as a participant in the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Program. 41A Resolution to deny the request to create the River Local, Beallsville Local, and Monroe Central Local School Districts from the territory of the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District. 41B Resolution to propose the creation of the River Local, Beallsville Local, and Monroe Central Local School Districts from the territory of the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District. 42- Resolution approving the appointment of J.C. Benton as the Director of the Office of Board Relations. For more information about the State Board of Education meetings, please visit http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE ODEPrimary.aspx?page=2&TopicRelationID=574 5) 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/ Gallup Poll: The results of the 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools were released on August 28, 2007. The poll provides valuable information for policy makers by chronicling the growth and changes in K-12 schooling since the late 1960s. This year, as in the past, the poll includes questions on the several topics, and summarizes the responses in "findings" for each topic. The following are just some of the findings of the poll: *Improving Student Achievement, including questions on the No Child Left Behind Act "Finding: It seems fair to say that, as the public knowledge of NCLB grows, the public's view of NCLB is becoming less and less favorable." "Finding: It seems fair to say that the public believes that NCLB's emphasis on English and math is reducing the attention to other subjects and that this is a matter of concern." 52 percent of respondents believe that instruction time for other subjects has been reduced as a result of emphasis on math and reading through the NCLB Act. 93 percent of respondents who believe that the NCLB Act is reducing instruction time for science, health, social studies, and the arts, report being very or somewhat concerned about the influence of the law. *Public View of Standardized Testing "Finding: It seems fair to say the increase since 2002 in the percentage who say there is too much testing, particularly the 20 percent increase among parents, indicates that the public's view of standardized testing is becoming less favorable." 43 percent of respondents and 52 percent of parents believe there is too much testing, a 20 percentage point increase since 2002. *Changing the Public Schools "Finding: It seems fair to say that almost three-fourths of the public wants to see improvement come about through reforming the existing public schools and only about one-fourth wants to find an alternative." 60 percent of respondents oppose and 39 percent of respondents favor allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense. "Finding: It seems fair to say that if charter schools are considered as an alternative, they are the most popular of the alternatives currently being considered or implemented." 60 percent of respondents favor and 35 percent oppose charter schools. "Finding: It seems fair to say that opposition to earning some credits online may be softening, but opposition to earning most high school credits online is growing stronger." *Grading the Public Schools "Finding: It seems fair to say it would be a mistake to shape public policy decisions on data regarding the nation's schools. The schools in the community are the ones that the public knows about and cares about." 67 percent of parents give the school their oldest child attends an A or a B. *School Effectiveness "Finding: It seems fair to say that the importance of a good education has become self-evident and that K-12 schools have moved toward the top of the policy agenda, causing the public to take an increasing interest in its local schools." *Curriculum The public is equally split between "not enough" (48 percent) and "about the right amount" (48 percent) of emphasis on science and math. *Closing the Achievement Gap The majority of the public view providing low performing students with additional instructional time as a very effective way to close the achievement gap. Additional preschool and kindergarten are also supported. *International Education "Finding: It seems fair to say that the public understands the fact that we are living in an ever-smaller world, that language facility is important, and that children should learn a second language at an early age." 85 percent of respondents believe that all children in the U.S. should learn a second language in addition to English, and 70 percent want foreign language instruction to start in elementary school. *Teachers and School Personnel "Finding: It seems fair to say that the pubic believes that incentives involving additional pay will attract and retain highly qualified teachers." *Budget Problems "Finding: It seems fair to say that the public understands the fact that funding is closely tied to improving student achievement and is aware that lack of funding is currently a major concern." To view the responses to all questions please visit http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpollpdf.htm The results of the poll are also included in the September 2007 issue of Phi Delta Kappan magazine. 6) Upcoming Conferences *Arts Integration: Theory, Practice, and Lessons Learned The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) will hold a forum in Cleveland, OH on September 27 and 28, 2007 to explore important issues, themes, and trends affecting arts education. The forum will be held at the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on September 27, 2007, and from and 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM on September 28, 2007. For registration information please visit http://www.aep-arts.org/forums/registration.htm. *The Ohio 8 Coalition Second Summit on Urban Education in Ohio The Ohio 8 Coalition will sponsor the Second Summit on Urban Education in Ohio, October 11-12, 2007, at the Columbus Hyatt Regency Hotel & Convention Center. This year's Summit is entitled Investing in Our Children, and will focus on strategies that are proving effective at raising student achievement in Ohio's urban classrooms. Eight sessions will offer specific evidence-based educational strategies that are proving successful in student intervention, using data, instructional support teams, supplementary tutoring, applying value-added measures, creating learning communities, improving reading achievement and engaging parents and community members. This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Ruby Payne, author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Speakers from the HOPE Foundation, the Institute for the Future, the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, and the Urban Collaborative for Special Education will also present a series of problem-solving sessions. An additional session will involve middle school math experts and curriculum directors working with the Ohio Department of Education to design math professional development specifically geared to the needs of teachers in urban settings. For more information about registration and hotel accommodations, please visit http://www.ohio8.org or contact the Ohio 8 office at (216) 241-9400. *Partnering for Progress: Accountability Improves Results for All Children Conference The Fifth Annual Partnering for Progress: Accountability Improves Results for ALL Children Conference will be held October 16, 2007, from 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North (formerly Columbus Marriott North), 6500 Doubletree Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. The conference is sponsored by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). The conference is free. Participants include educators, parents, school administrators and others interested in educational accountability for ALL students. To register online visit http://www.ocecd.org. 7) Increasing Student Achievement through the Arts: *Art is Education Initiative: The Cleveland Integrated Arts Collaborative (CIAC) has established the Art is Education initiative in partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to foster the creativity and innovation of students, and prepare them for life in the 21st Century. The CIAC is a consortium of over 30 arts and cultural organizations, which was brought together by Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio (YANEO). Art is Education is a comprehensive initiative designed to improve skills in literacy and the arts. Last year the successful pilot program served 500 students. In the 2007-08 school year the program is expected to serve 3500 students in third grade, and eventually serve all students in CMSD. For more information please visit http://www.keepartsinschools.org/Programs/Cleveland/index.html *Opening Minds Through the Arts serves 17,000 students in 37 public schools in Tucson Unified School District, Arizona. The founder, former businessman H. Eugene Jones, started the program as a pilot in 1999 based on research that showed how the arts, when integrated throughout the curriculum, increase student achievement and builds skills such as critical thinking. According to one study, after three years in the program third-grade students scored significantly higher than their counterparts on standardized tests in mathematics, language, and reading. For more information please visit http://www.omaproject.org/ |
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Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, 94 Columbus Road Athens, Ohio 45701 Tel. (740)592-2866 Fax (740)593-5451 |
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