To:

To: LWVO
From: Joan Platz
Education Update for September 18, 2006

1) 126th General Assembly:
The Ohio House met in session and held committee meetings last week. The House concurred on Senate amendments to two bills, HB336 (Core) Municipal Courts, and HB375 (Flowers) State Board of Emergency Medical Services.

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Representative Kilbane, accepted a substitute bill for HB626 (Calvert), and later voted the bill favorably out of committee. HB 626, as introduced, included a provision to reduce the income tax rate on capital gains. The substitute bill accelerates the 21 percent tax cut included in the budget bill, HB 66. The tax cut was being phased in by TY 2008. The acceleration completes the phase-in by TY 2008. The House is not expected to hold session until mid November, when action on this bill is expected.

2) State Board of Education Meeting:
The State Board of Education, Sue Westendorf president, met on September 11 & 12, 2006 at the Ohio

School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH. Two Board subcommittees, the Quality High Schools and the Territory Transfer subcommittees, met on September 10, 2006 at the Embassy Suites in Columbus.

On Monday, September 11, 2006 the Executive Committee, chaired by Sue Westendorf, welcomed Thomas Gunlock (Centerville, OH), a newly appointed member of the State Board of Education. Governor Taft recently appointed Mr. Gunlock to the State Board to replace Mr. John Griffin who passed away in March 2006. The committee also discussed a recommendation regarding student membership on the State Board; discussed the production of the annual report; and heard subcommittee updates. It was reported that the Quality High Schools Subcommittee, which met on Sunday evening, discussed the components of a proposed fund for Middle and High School Improvement, and requested further information from the ODE staff. An additional meeting of the subcommittee may be scheduled before the next State Board of Education meeting in October.

President Westendorf also announced the formation of the School Readiness Solutions Group Implementation Committee, which will include members of the State Board of Education, stakeholders, and

representatives of the Ohio General Assembly, and will be co-chaired by Eric Okerson and Carl Kohrt. The committee will develop strategies to implement the recommendations of the School Readiness Solutions Group by a target date of 2015.

The Achievement Committee, chaired by Jim Craig (co-chair Mike Cochran was absent), first amended the minutes for the July 10, 2006 meeting of the Achievement Committee, regarding an addition to Benchmark H of the K-12 Science Content Standards proposed by Board member Colleen Grady. Another version of Mrs. Grady's proposed amendment was included in the minutes rather than the amendment circulated at the meeting. The minutes were corrected to reflect the correct draft amendment.

The committee then reviewed and approved the 2008-2009 Legislative Recommendations with some revisions; approved standard scores for achievement tests in science and social studies in grades 5 and 8, and writing in grade 7; approved a resolution of intent revising the composition of the Tri-Rivers Joint Vocational School District's Board of Education; approved a resolution of intent regarding eligibility for the Academic Competitiveness Grant; and heard an update from the Quality High Schools Subcommittee. The committee did not discuss 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, chaired by Carl Wick and Jennifer Sheets, discussed the rescission of Rule 3301-02-04 - Notice of Personal Information Systems; reviewed Rule 3301-24-02 - Performance-based Licensure and Rule 3301-24-03 - Teacher Education Programs, and approved with some revisions the 2008-2009 Legislative Recommendations.

The full Board convened in the Conference Center and heard reports from Board committees, updates on state and federal legislation, and discussed the 2008-2009 Legislative Recommendations for the 127th Ohio General Assembly.

PLEASE NOTE: The 2008-2009 Legislative Recommendations are available

on the ODE web site at: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1068&Content=14896

A lengthy discussion regarding the FY 2008-2009 budget recommendations followed lunch. This discussion was led by Dr. Susan Tavakolian, Executive Director of Budget and Planning, and Kelly Weir, Associate Director, and included an overview of the budget topics regarding Educator Quality and Capacity, Early Childhood Education, Middle and High School Reform, and state administration and infrastructure support. Funding levels for early childhood education and middle and high school reform may be amended in the next version of the budget, which will be discussed at the October board meeting.

The State Board also met on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 to hear Board member reports, discuss Ohio's Accountability System and the 2005-2006 Local Report Cards, and conduct the business meeting.

On September 12, 2006 the State Board heard an update on student academic progress and Ohio's education accountability system presented by Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman

and Mitch Chester, Senior Associate Superintendent for Policy and Accountability.

According to the presentation, the goal of Ohio's education system is higher achievement for all students. The ODE works with the State Board of Education to develop the policies, strategies, and resource management to achieve that goal. The data generated by the assessment of student progress point to the successes and challenges, and should lead to more effective strategies to help students achieve.

Ohio's accountability system for districts and schools includes multiple measures: the 25 state report card indicators; the Performance Index; Performance Index Improvement; and Adequate Yearly Progress. The complete phase-in of the new assessments will happen this spring when the number of indicators reach 30. The Local Report Cards released in August 2006, are the first report cards for districts and schools based solely on the results of the new achievement tests. No proficiency tests were included, and in some cases there are now two years of data of student progress on the new assessments. This means that the state has turned the corner, and now has an accountability system based on standards and grade level targets to measure student progress. The following are some of the observations regarding the results of the 2006 Local Report Cards:

Overall Results:

·              80 percent of districts (491 out of 610) are rated as excellent or effective.
·              62 percent of schools were rated as excellent or effective.
·              No districts are in academic emergency this year.   Of the eight urban districts, three are in academic watch and 5 are in continuous improvement.
·              Charter schools are improving also. There was a lower number of charter schools in the academic emergency and watch categories, and a lower          number that were not rated.
·              There are 69 districts in Improvement Status; 669 schools are in Improvement Status. 108 are in corrective action and 56 are in restructuring.

Results of the Multiple Measures:

*Report Card Indicators (25 in 2005-2006 and 30 in 2006-2007)
Achievement Tests: Based on the results of achievement tests in which 75 percent of students must be proficient.

-After two years of data there is positive news about the strong improvement in math.

-Reading scores are higher, but there is stagnation. Some suggest revamping the reading program to stress cognitive development.

-Ohio's students rank in the middle compared to other states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). However, comparing the achievement of Ohio's students to students in other states is not enough in this global economy. Ohio must benchmark student achievement to the achievement of students in other countries. Ohio must accelerate student learning, because the world is changing faster than we are improving.

Graduation Rate: There are approximately 135,000 students per grade level in Ohio's public schools. Approximately 18,744 students, or 14 percent, did not graduate in 2005. Ohio uses a rolling graduation rate now, but in four years will move to a longitudinal rate. Graduation rate lags a year.

Attendance Rate: There was a .2 percent drop in 2005-2006. (2004-2005 attendance was 94.3 percent, and in 2005-2006 attendance was 94.1 percent.)

Additional Indicators. The State Board approved additional indicators to measure school and district progress, but these indicators do not factor into the ratings. These indicators consider the percent of students completing a college preparatory curriculum, which includes four years of math, English, science, social studies, and three years of a foreign language, the arts, or technology; ACT/SAT means by district and/or school (lagged one year); percent of students participating in PSEO, AP, or IB courses; percent of students completing a Tech Prep program or passing a business/industry certification assessment.

*Performance Index Score: This measure includes the achievement of every tested student
-The average Performance Index Score for all students has increased by more than 19 points since 1999; from 73.7 to 92.9, and there has been an increase in all subgroups of students; types of districts; types of schools. 97 percent of districts improved their score, and 82 percent of schools improved their scores.

*Change in Performance Index Score: This measure considers the change in improvement in performance index score. Districts and schools can move from academic emergency to academic watch, or from academic watch to continuous improvement by meeting the following criteria: two years of improvement, at least a ten point gain, and at least three points in the most recent year. This calculation is a temporary measure until the value added calculation is implemented. The value added calculation will be more accurate because it will be based on individual student gain. The State Board of Education will begin consideration of the value-added implementation in October 2006.
-92 districts or 15 percent and 1631 schools or 43 percent of schools had a 10 point gain the perform index score.

*Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): This is the federal requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act that districts and school must meet to avoid being placed in school improvement status and face the consequences of school improvement status. Achievement targets are set for all students and groups in reading and mathematics, and a 95 percent participation rate is required. Non-test indicators include high school graduation rate and K-8 attendance rate.

-Fewer districts are meeting AYP this year, which may be explained by the number of grade levels now included in the state assessments. 193 out of 610 districts met AYP this year compared to 338 districts in the 2004-2005 school year. 2294 out of 3786 schools met AYP this year, compared to 2906 schools in the 2004-2005 school year.

-Now Ohio has a more comprehensive picture of student progress, especially the progress of students based on poverty and race/ethnicity, and those who are in special education programs or limited English speakers. The system is now more sensitive to the gaps in achievement among these groups.

-Four districts did not get ratings; 244 of 417 districts missed AYP based on the achievement scores for 1 subgroup of students; 97 districts missed meeting AYP based on two subgroups; 70 districts missed meeting AYP based on three or more subgroups.

-Ohio has incorporated subgroup performance into its accountability system, and some are challenging that decision. There are 43 districts that would have been excellent or effective if not for the progress of subgroups. It was purposeful and by design that the subgroups were included in AYP.

Please Note: Information about student performance in 2006 is included in the 2005-2006 Annual Report on Educational Progress in Ohio, and is available on the ODE web site at:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=115&Content=15350

The Board's business meeting was held on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 in the afternoon. The Board appointed Mitchell Chester to Senior Associate Superintendent for Policy and Accountability; Marilyn Troyer to Senior Associate Superintendent for Educational Programs; and Louis L. Staffilino to Associate Superintendent for the Teaching Profession. The Board also took action on 28 personnel items, 3 territory transfers, and the following resolutions:

#11. Approved a resolution of intent to rescind Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 3301-24-02 - Performance-based licensure.

#12. Approved a resolution of intent to amend Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 3301-24-03 - Teacher Education Programs.

#14. Approved a resolution of intent to adopt eligibility requirements for awarding Academic Competitiveness Grants in academic year 2007-2008.

#15. Approved a resolution of intent to approve the Tri-Rivers Joint Vocational School District plan to reassign the seat of the Delaware-Union Educational Service Center member to a North Central Ohio Educational Service Center member.

#16. Approved a resolution of intent to adopt standard scores indicative of advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, and limited skill levels on the achievement tests in grades 5-8 in science and social studies, and grade 7 in writing.

#17. Approved a motion to approve the amended Legislative Policy Recommendations for the 2008-2009 Biennium, which will be presented to the Office of Budget and Management, The Governor, and Members of the Ohio General Assembly.

#39. Approved a resolution to amend Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rules 3301-11-01 -through 3301-11-03 - Establishment of the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Program.

#40. Approved a resolution to rescind Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 3301-51-13 and adopt Rule 3301-69-02 - Excuses from School Attendance.

#41. Approved a resolution to confirm the Trimble Local School District Board of Education's determination that it is impractical to transport students to Nelsonville Christian Academy pursuant to Section 3327.01 of the ORC.

The following proposed legislative recommendation was also assigned to the Capacity Committee for consideration: Eliminate the deadline of January 1, 1997 for city/county Educational Service Center (ESC) contracts to be in effect and thereby allow funding for such agreements that have been put in place since that date. Determine the per-pupil funding for ESCs as a percentage of Basic Aid per pupil.

The next regular meeting of the State Board of Education is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, October 9-10, 2006, at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio.

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

3) Upcoming Events
*The Ohio Partnership for Continued Learning will meet from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High St., 31st Floor, Room South B & C. in Columbus. Governor Taft recently named Dr. Julie Schaid as executive director of the Partnership. The agenda for the meeting includes reports on the recommendations from the School Readiness Solutions Group, Ohio Workforce Training & Education, American Diploma Project Update, Education Matters Preview, The Ohio Core: Update & Discussion, Earning College Credit in High School, Workgroup Recommendations Discussion, KnowledgeWorks Regional P-16 Councils, and Next Steps, led by Governor Bob Taft. The next meeting of the Partnership is Wednesday, November 15, 2006 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM in Columbus.

*September 20, 2006 - J. Kenneth Blackwell and Ted Strickland, candidates for Ohio governor, will meet for a debate at noon in Cleveland hosted by WEWS-TV and the Call and Post. The topic will be education.

4) Restructuring Schools
What Works?: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement at Learning Point Associates introduced last week a comprehensive guide for school leaders called "School Restructuring Under No Child Left Behind: What Works When? A Guide for Education Leaders." This guide provides educators research about promising school reform options for schools facing restructuring under the No Child Left Behind Act. The topics include turnarounds, charter schools, contracting with other education entities, and state takeover.

According to the guide:

*"Turnarounds are one of the best options for achieving dramatically better results with minimal impact on teachers who could be solid performers under the right principal's leadership. But this approach requires first and foremost a school leader with the right capabilities to make it happen." p. 40.

*"Because research and experience indicate that district-managed restarts or reconstitutions have a poor track record and are more likely to be successful following a turnaround model, this option is not discussed in detail here." p. 41.

*"As with all restructuring efforts, chartering and contracting arenot always successful." p.41

Templates and checklists are included to guide decision making and help develop implementation strategies. This is a free guide and available at http://www.learningpt.org.

5) IDES of ODE for September:
The Offices of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Judy Feil and Debbie Roshto at the Ohio Department of Education, released this past week the September "Ides of ODE", which provides information about resources, initiatives, events, and opportunities for educators in Ohio. To access the Ides of ODE please visit the ODE website at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/gd/templates/pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=9&Content=17022

The following are selected topics from this issue:

*Program Model Initiative: Several schools in Ohio have agreed to participate in the implementation of the Program Models Initiative developed by the ODE in the areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. These models provide educators alternative ways to deliver instruction through courses that are aligned to the content standards and sequenced within the school curriculum. Planning for implementation of the models will take place in the 2006-2007 school year, and implementation will take place starting in school year 2007-2008. Project Coordination Teams composed of a content specialist from higher education and an experienced high school educator will assist these schools. The following schools are participating in this project:

English Language Arts: Cleveland Early College H.S.; Dayton Stivers H.S.; and Lakewood H.S.

Mathematics: Aurora H.S; Dayton Meadowdale H.S.; Hudson H.S.; Lima Multiple Intelligences H.S.; and South Central H.S.

Science: Buckeye Valley H.S.; Hubbard H.S.; Miller H.S.; and Whitehall Yearling H.S.

Social Studies: Canton McKinley H.S.; Elida H.S.; Lima Multiple Intelligences H.S.; Lima High Performance H.S.; and Lima Performing Arts H.S.; Toledo Scott H.S.; Toledo Woodward H.S.; and Triad H.S.

Funding support for the Program Models Initiative comes from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Collaborating with the Ohio Department of Education in this effort is the KnowledgeWorks Foundation.

*INFOhio Tool Kit: The 2006-2007 INFOhio tool kit is available for educators and parents to use to access the thousands of electronic resources available at INFOhio. The tool kit is available at http://www.infohio.org/Toolkit2006.html

6) Bills Introduced:

SB 372 (Schuring): Tax Laws/Conservancy Districts - Authorizes political subdivision to extent to certain property owners enhanced homestead exemptions on property tax referrals; permits permanently and totally disabled property owners to file late homestead applications for the five years preceding the date of the original application; requires the Tax Commissioner to furnish taxpayers with annual tax statements regarding their residences; requires that two public hearings be conducted before the imposition of a conservancy district assessment to a referendum; increases the amount of time an individual may spend in Ohio before being presumed to be a resident for income tax purposes; and creates a committee to study Ohio's local property tax laws.

HCR 51 (Skindell) NCLB - Urges the President and Congress to amend the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to ensure more flexibility and to fully fund the appropriations authorized in the act.

7) Creativity is the Focus of Address: The public is invited to attend the opening of the Promoting Creativity Conference sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Department of Education on Friday, September 29, 2006, at the Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, 77 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio. The evening will begin with a reception and artist's talk at 6 PM at the Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery. At 7:00 PM Sir Ken Robinson will give the keynote address, "Leading a Culture of Innovation", in the Center's Capitol Theatre. The reception and presentation are open to the public. This conference is presented in partnership with the Ohio Arts Foundation, Inc.

Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies. He has worked with national governments in Europe and Asia, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and major not-for-profit corporations. His dynamic presentation, combined with his thought-provoking and humorous delivery, will surely make this one of the most-talked about events of the year.

For information about the conference please contact Jodie Engle at the Ohio Arts Council, 727 East Main Street, Columbus OH 43205-1796; phone 614/466-2613; or e-mail jodie.engle@oac.state.oh.us.