To:     LWVO
From:   Joan Platz
        Education Update for April 10, 2006


1)  126th General Assembly:
The Ohio House and Senate are not scheduled to meet in sessions this week.  The Higher Education Funding Study Council, chaired by Representative Shawn Webster, will meet on Thursday, April 13, 2006 at 9:00 AM in the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High St., 12th Floor Conference Room.

2)  Ohio Core Introduced:
Two bills that include Governor Taft's "Ohio Core" proposal for increasing high school graduation requirements, and make other changes in law to ensure that all students have a solid education when they graduate from high school were introduced in the Ohio House and Senate this past week. Governor Taft outlined the "Ohio Core" proposal in the State of the State Address in January 2006.   Some of the changes for the high school curriculum have also been discussed by the State Board of Education's Quality High Schools Subcommittee, and the Partnership for Continued Learning.

The two bills, SB 311 (Gardner) and HB 565 (Setzer), include changes in high school graduation requirements, admission standards for Ohio's colleges and universities, and funding for universities.  The following are some of the highlights of this legislation:

*Requires the Partnership for Continued Learning by October 2, 2006 to recommend to the State Board of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents an assessment to measure student mastery of the academic content and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics to successfully complete introductory level course work at colleges and universities to avoid remedial courses.  Requires the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents to jointly adopt such an assessment.  The Board of Regents will designate a score on the assessment that will indicate that a student has mastered the academic content, and is ready for college.

*Requires school districts, joint vocational school districts when applicable, community schools, and nonpublic schools to administer the college ready assessment beginning in 2009-2010 school year. Students who are educated at home may take the assessment at their home school district.

*Requires the Partnership for Continued Learning to recommend expanded opportunities for students to earn credit toward a college degree while enrolled in high school, and options to improve the post-secondary enrollment options program and other dual enrollment programs.

*Requires the Partnership for Continued Learning to establish a waiver procedure whereby colleges/universities may waive the general requirements of the Ohio Core for certain students.

*Requires the State Board of Education to select one or more measures of high school graduates' preparation for higher education and the workforce, and include such measure(s) on the local report card issued for 2012-2013.

*Requires all high school students, including community school students, to complete the Ohio Core as a prerequisite for admission to state four-year colleges/universities.  Requires students beginning September 15, 2010 to earn the following 20 credits to receive a diploma:
English language arts - four units
Health - one-half unit
Mathematics - four units, including one unit of algebra II or the
equivalent of algebra II
Physical education - one half unit
Science - three units, including physical science - one unit; biology
- one unit; chemistry, physics, or advanced biology - one unit
Social studies - three units, including one-half unit of American
history and one-half unit of government
Foreign Languages - two units, and
Electives - three units.   Each student's electives shall include a
unit, or two half-units chosen from either or both the areas of
business/technology and fine arts.

*Requires all students to successfully complete the Ohio Core, unless a parent and the student choose otherwise, and sign a written acknowledgment that they are informed of the consequences.

*Requires school districts, nonpublic schools, and community school to provide at least one dual enrollment options program for students to earn credit toward a college degree.  Requires the Board of Regents to publish a report describing the dual enrollment programs available.

*Requires report cards for community schools to include a measure of high school graduates' preparation for higher education and the workforce on their local report cards; requires community schools to administer the college ready assessments in reading, writing, and mathematics; requires community schools to comply with the provision in the bill for dual enrollment options; and requires beginning in September 15, 2010 that students in community schools earn a diploma by meeting the Ohio Core curriculum.

*Requires the State Board of Education in collaboration with the Board of Regents to issue an annual report on the quality of institutions approved for the preparation of teachers.  The report will include best practices in the preparation of teachers; a plan for implementing best practices; the number or graduates of approved teacher preparation institutions who graduated with a subject area specialty and teach in grades seven through twelve, disaggregated by subject area.

*Requires the Board of Regents to adopt passing scores on advanced placement exams for students to earn college credit, and requires each state institution of higher education to grant credit to students when the scores are met.

*Requires, beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, each state university to admit as an undergraduate, students who have successfully completed the Ohio Core curriculum for high school. Central State, Shawnee State, and Youngstown State universities are exempted from this part of the law.  Grants exceptions from the Ohio Core admission standards for students with ten semester hours of college credit; students who meet the graduation requirements through their IEP; students educated at home and demonstrate mastery on the
college ready assessment; and students enrolled in post-secondary enrollment options programs or other dual enrollment programs.

*Phases out funding for remedial education classes at some four-year universities.

Hearings on these bills may begin as soon as lawmakers return to Columbus after the May 2, 2006 primary election.

3)  Federal Update: 
The U.S. House of Representatives was unable to compete work on its FY07 budget resolution before it recessed for a two week break.  The House version of the budget bill, H.Con. Res. 376, is closer to President Bush's FY07 budget proposal than the Senate version, S.Res. 83, which was approved in March 2006. Amendments have been proposed to increase spending for education and health programs.  Work is expected to continue on the budget after spring recess.  Hearings on the FY07 appropriations measures have also begun in the U.S House and Senate appropriations committees.

4) Results of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment- Literacy: 
The State Board of Education will hear a report on April 10, 2006 on the results of the first year assessment of Kindergarten readiness in literacy (KRA-L).  The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment - Literacy is a statewide assessment of children entering Kindergarten, and is required by law.  (ORC 3301.0715) The purpose of the assessment is to identify Kindergarten students who may need additional testing; design instruction and select appropriate strategies to meet student needs; and provide the school and district with information about
professional development and resource needs.

The KRA-L is an assessment of literacy skills essential for reading. Approximately 124,710 Kindergarten students located within 712 school districts and community schools were assessed in March 2005 through October 2005 using the KRA-L.  The statewide average score for students was 19.6 out of 29 points.   Major urban high poverty districts had an average score of 16.6; low poverty districts had an average score of 22.5; and community schools had an average score of 19.2.  The following are some of the other data obtained from the assessment:

*Average Scores by Race/Ethnicity:
Asian - 19.1; Black - 17.0; Hispanic - 13.4; Native American - 17.2; Multicultural - 18.8; and White - 20.4.
*Average Scores by Gender:
Female - 20.3; Male 18.9
*Average Scores of Students with Limited English Proficiency
LEP - 12.5; Non LEP 19.8

The ODE is providing professional development and technical assistance to help districts and schools interpret the information provided through the KRA-L and plan instruction for all students. The ODE will launch this spring the Pre-K-Kindergarten student intervention funding initiative for districts targeted for assistance.  Funds will be available for selected districts to provide summer literacy programs for preschool children identified as needing intervention services and/or before school and after school intervention programs for children, Kindergarten through grade 12. The results of this assessment will be considered by the State Board of Education's School Readiness Solutions Group, which is expected to release its recommendations for an early education and care system for children in June 2006.

For more information about this report, please contact the ODE Center for Students, Families, and Communities.

5)  State Board of Education to Meet:  
The State Board of Education, Sue Westendorf president, will meet April 10 - 11, 2006 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH.

On Monday, April 10, 2006 the Executive Committee, chaired by Sue Westendorf, will meet at 8:30 AM to review updates from the Policies and Procedures Subcommittee and discuss agenda items.

The Achievement Committee, chaired by Jim Craig and Mike Cochran, and the Capacity Committee, chaired by Carl Wick and Jennifer Sheets, will meet at 9:00 AM.

The Achievement Committee will discuss the following:  the model policy on grade acceleration and the policy on excuses from school attendance; performance level cut scores for achievement tests in mathematics grades 4-6 and reading grades 6-7; and the implications of Resolution #31, which the Board adopted on February 14, 2006. That resolution eliminated the lesson "Critical Analysis of Evolution," from the Instructional Management System, and language in the benchmarks and indicators of the academic content standards in science that referred to the critical analysis of evolution.

The Capacity Committee will discuss the community school sponsor evaluation framework and legislative recommendations regarding community schools.

The full Board will hear a presentation on the results of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment at 10:30 AM presented by Sandy Miller, Director, School Readiness and Early  earning, Center for Students, Families, and Communities.

At 11:00 AM the full Board will hear a presentation on the process for adopting standards and performance level cut scores by Stan Heffner, Associate Superintendent, Center for Curriculum and Assessment, Judy Feil, Director, Office of Assessment, Center for Curriculum and Assessment, and Mitch Chester, Associate Superintendent, Office of Policy and Accountability.

Following lunch at 1:00 PM the Board will hear updates about the Third Frontier Network, the Data Driven Decisions for Academic Achievement Initiative -- D3A2, and the ODE web site.

The Board will also discuss state and federal legislative topics, review the rules that the Board will consider for adoption, hear reports from committees, review written reports, hear an update regarding the School Readiness Solutions Group, chaired by Steve Millett and Eric Okerson, and receive the quarterly budget report. The Board will conduct a Chapter 119 hearing at 4:00 PM on the following rules:

*Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) - Rules 3301-12-01 through 3301-12-06, Spending Orders of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
*OAC Rule 3301-83-01, Calculation of Pupil Transportation Operation Payments.
*OAC Rule 3301-85-01, Distribution of Payment for the Purchase of School Buses.
*OAC Rules 3301-102-02 through 3301-102-05, Sponsorship of Community Schools.
*OAC Rules 3301-104-01 through 3301-104-03, Internet or Computer-based Expenditures.
*OAC Rules 3301-102-08, Expected Gains in Student Achievement and Graduation Rate for Community Schools.

Following the hearing the Board will adjourn for the evening.  A Budget Education Session will be held at the Embassy Suites Ballroom A on Monday evening from 6-8:00 PM.

The State Board will also meet on Tuesday, April 11, 2006.  The State Board of Education's Quality High Schools Subcommittee, chaired by Carl Wick and Deborah Owens Fink, will meet at 8:30 AM in the Conference Center at the Ohio School for the Deaf to discuss incentives for high performing students, and strategies to address drop out prevention and middle to high school transition.

The full Board will be called to order at 10:30 AM and the Board will immediately convene into executive session.  After reconvening its public meeting, the Board will hear a report from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Susan Tave Zelman; public participation on agenda Items; and consider action on eleven personnel items, and the following resolutions:

*Adopt the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rules 3301-24-14, supplemental teaching license.
*Approve a resolution of intent to rescind OAC Rules 3301-51-13 and adopt Rules 3301-69-02, Excuses from School Attendance.
*Approve the modified plan of the Stark County Area Vocational Planning Districts, and approve the modified plan of the Canton Local Compact Career-Technical Planning District, regarding Perry Local School District.
*Approve a model student grade acceleration policy for advanced students.
*Approve a resolution of intent to adopt standard scores indicative of advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic and limited skill levels on the achievement tests in Grade 4 Mathematics, Grade 5 Mathematics, Grade 6 Reading and Mathematics, and Grade 7 Reading.
*Approve a motion to recommend changes to the Board's Policy Manual.

The Board will then consider old business, new business, miscellaneous business, and hear public participation on non-agenda items.  The Board will then adjourn.

For more information about the meetings of the State Board of Education, please visit www.ode.state.oh.us and follow the links to the State Board of Education.

6)  Bills Introduced:

HB562 (Hughes) Extends indefinitely the full reimbursement to school districts for the phase-out of taxes on business tangible personal property.

HB565 (Setzer) Establishes the Ohio Core curriculum, restructures admission requirements for state universities, and implements other initiatives to enhance secondary and post-secondary education in Ohio.

SB311 (Gardner) Establishes the Ohio Core curriculum, restructures admission requirements for state universities, and implements other initiatives to enhance secondary and post-secondary education in Ohio.