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Subject: Education
Update
To: LWVO
From: Joan Platz
Education Update for October 9, 2006
1) Federal Appropriations on Hold:
Members of the U.S. House and Senate approved a continuing resolution
attached to HR 5631, the 2007 Defense Appropriations Act, on September
29, 2006. The continuing resolution provides funding for federal
education programs such as Title 1, IDEIA, Carl D. Perkins Vocational
and Technical Education Act, etc. through November 17, 2006. Funding
for these programs technically ended on September 30, 2006, the
end of the fiscal year. Lawmakers are expected to return to Washington,
D.C. after the November election and complete work on the FY 07
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriation bill
and nine other appropriations bills. For information about the appropriations
bills, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app07.html.
2) State Board of Education to Meet:
The State Board of Education, Sue Westendorf president, will meet
on October 8-10, 2006 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse
Road, Columbus, OH.
On Monday, October 9, 2006 the Executive Committee, chaired by Sue
Westendorf, will meet at 8:00 AM to review the agenda and committee
reports.
The Achievement Committee, chaired by Jim Craig and Mike Cochran,
and the Capacity Committee, chaired by Carl Wick and Jennifer Sheets,
will meet at 8:30 AM. The Achievement Committee will discuss the
2007-2008 local report card indicators; value added rules; a proposal
to the USDOE to add value-added to Ohio AYP; Rules 3301-89-01 and
3301-89-02, territory transfers; a resolution to amend Rule 3301-41-01,
high school equivalence diploma; a legislative recommendation on
the length of school day and year; and a report from the Quality
High Schools Subcommittee
The Capacity Committee will review Rules 3301-83-01, 3301-83-06,
3301-83-13, and 3301-83-19, pupil transportation; discuss a specialist
endorsement for teachers of science; and review another legislative
recommendation.
The full Board will convene in the Conference Center at 9:45 AM
to hear a presentation regarding standard setting for achievement
tests in science and social studies in grades 5 & 8, and writing
in grade 7; hear reports from Board committees; and updates on state
and federal legislation.
At 11:00 AM Stan Heffner, Associate Superintendent, Center for Curriculum
and Assessment, will present information on the Program Models developed
by the ODE in the areas of language arts, mathematics, social studies,
and science.
The School Funding Subcommittee will continue to discuss funding
principles and directions during lunch from 12:00 -1:00 PM.
Following lunch at 1:00 PM there will be a presentation on Career
Latice from Lou Staffiliano, Association Superintendent, Center
for the Teaching Profession. At 1:30
Todd Hanes, Executive Director, Office of Community Schools, will
present information about the Community Schools Sponsor Evaluation.
A discussion of the FY 2008-2009 budget is scheduled for 2:00 PM,
followed by a review of written reports and items for the business
meeting.
The State Board will continue its October meeting on Tuesday, October
10, 2006 at 8:30 AM. There will be a report from the Ohio Accountability
Task Force, and a review of a proposal to the USDOE to add value
added to Ohio's AYP System. The Board will also discuss how to identify
and remedy low academic achievement.
The Board's business meeting will be called to order at 11:00 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;
hear public participation on agenda Items; and consider action on
13 personnel items and the following resolutions:
#4. Approve
a resolution of intent to rescind Ohio Administrative Code (OAC)
Rule 3301-02-04 - Notice of personal information systems.
#5. Approve a resolution for 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.
#6. Approve a resolution 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.
#7. Approve a resolution to adopt eligibility requirements for
awarding Academic Competitiveness Grants in academic year 2007-2008.
#8. Approve a motion regarding credentializing of speech-language
pathology assistants.
#19. Approve a resolution supporting the State Board of Education's
2008-2009 biennial budget request to the governor and members
of the general assembly.
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.
3) Court Rules on Access to Records:
The Ohio Supreme Court issued a four to three decision on October
4, 2006 in the case State ex rel. Oriana House, Inc. v. Montgomery.
The Court found that private entities are not subject to the Public
Records Act (R.C. 149.43) unless there is clear and convincing evidence
that the private entity is functioning as a public office. The Court
further identified conditions to determine whether or not a private
entity is functioning as a public office, such as whether the entity
performs a governmental function and the extent of government regulation
of the entity; the level of government funding; and why the entity
was formed. The case involves a state-funded community-based corrections
program in Summit County operated by Oriana House, a non profit
corporation, and whether or not the state should have access to
its corporate records to perform an audit. The Ohio Supreme Court
ruling reverses a decision of the 10th District Court of Appeals,
which had granted the state auditor access to certain corporation
documents.
4) Education Conference in Ohio:
National Board Certified Teachers and representatives from all education
organizations in Ohio will meet on November 16, 2006 for the first
Education Policy Summit on critical issues facing public education
in Ohio. According to a press release issued by the Ohio Education
Association, summit participants will develop recommendations to
support a quality education system, which will be forwarded to state
legislators, school boards, and school administrators. Participating
in the summit will be representatives from the Ohio Education Association,
the National Education Association, the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the Center for Teaching Quality based
in North Carolina, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Buckeye
Association of School Administrators, the Ohio Association of Elementary
School Administrators, the Ohio Association of Secondary School
Administrators, the Ohio Coalition of Board Certified Teachers,
the Ohio Educator Standards Board, the Ohio Department of Education,
and the Ohio Board of Regents. Information about the summit is available
at www.ohea.org.
5) Think Tank Reviews Several Studies:
The Think Tank Review Project (http://www.thinktankreview.org)
provides reviews of selected research publications on education
topics. The project is a collaborative effort of the Education Policy
Research Unit (EPRU) at Arizona State University and the Education
and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) at the University of Colorado.
Think Tank recently reviewed the following national reports on education
topics. The reviews and reports are available at http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRU/epru_2006_thinktankreview.htm
*October 5, 2006. Review of the Friedman Foundation and the Buckeye
Institute's report, "Segregation Levels in Cleveland Public Schools
and the Cleveland Voucher Program".
*September 11, 2006. Review of the Fordham Institute's "The State
of State Standards 2006" by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Michael J.
Petrilli.
*August 2, 2006. Review of the Harvard University's Program for
Education Policy and Governance report, "On the Public-Private School
Achievement Debate" by Paul E. Peterson and Elena Llaudet.
*August 1, 2006. Review of The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy
Solution's "The Financial Impact of Ohio's Charter" Schools by Matthew
Carr.
6) California Lawmakers Allocate Funding for Arts Education:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California signed into law last
week some remaining budget bills and finalized a $105 million spending
plan to support K-12 standards-based arts education programs in
California's schools, charter schools, and county offices of education.
The California spending plan for arts education is considered to
be the largest single investment in arts education in the nation.
The new state funds for arts education will be distributed per pupil,
and can be used to hire staff, provide professional development,
purchase supplies, equipment, instruments, etc. Another $500 million
will be distributed on a one-time basis for the purchase of arts,
music, and or physical education professional development, supplies,
and equipment. A coalition of several arts, education, parent, and
civic organizations have worked to secure this funding, which districts
can use based on their individual needs. Arts education programs
in California schools have been affected over the years by Proposition
13, an anti tax measure approved by voters in California in 1978.
Prop 13 made it difficult for school districts to raise local funds
to support arts education. This has led to a great inequity in student
access to the arts throughout California, which has been documented
in a study released by the California Alliance for Arts Education
called "Quality, Equity, and Access". The new state funds for arts
education will provide a needed investment to revive arts education
programs throughout the state for all students. For more information
about California's support for arts education, please visit the
California Alliance for Arts Education at http://www.artsed411.org/
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