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Task Force Receives Update on Education Reform

1/19/2004

The Governors Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success Committee members received an update recently on the status of key recommendations made by the Student and Teaching Success Commissions.

The Governor's Commission for Student Success issued its recommendations in December 2000. Most of the commission's recommendations were included in 124-SB1-Gardner, which was signed by Gov. Bob Taft on June 12, 2001. The commission made a total of 31 recommendations that called for clear, rigorous academic content standards, new achievement and diagnostic tests to measure attainment of those standards, and much more. The following is a brief summary of the most significant recommendations and their status:

• Recommendation 1:Ohio create clear, rigorous academic content standards.
  Status:Standards have been adopted by the State Board of Education in all content areas.
• Recommendation 2: Ohio create teaching guidelines (model curricula) for academic content standards.
  Status: All model curricula for core academic areas will be completed by June 2004;
  Status: English and math are done, science and social studies will be done by June 2004.
• Recommendation 3: New set of achievement, diagnostic and end-of-course exams to replace proficiency tests.
  Status: A schedule is in place to replace current proficiency tests with achievement and diagnostic tests over the next four years. Nothing is in place for end-of-course examinations. HB3-Schlichter brought Ohio into compliance with federal law.
• Recommendation 4: Intensive instruction and intervention for students at risk of not mastering academic content standards and specifically for students who do not pass the third grade reading test.
  Status: While significant state and federal funds are available to assist districts with intervention effort s, it is unknown whether these resources are sufficient to support the required intervention.
• Recommendation 5: Intensive intervention for students in grades K-2 who are struggling to read.
  Status: Same as above.
• Recommendation 6: Hold schools, not just districts, accountable for results.
  Status: New, more rigorous accountability system is in place. System is a result of state and federal law.
• Recommendation 7: State provide monetary and other rewards to schools and districts that are making significant annual progress.
  Status: ODE recognizes "Schools of Promise," but there are currently no monetary rewards for districts.
• Recommendation 8: State provide assistance to poor-performing schools or those making insufficient progress.
  Status: ODE currently providing some assistance. ODE r eceives $10.5 million each year in state funds and about $7 million in federal funds to provide this assistance. It is an open question as to whether ODE has sufficient resources to provide needed assistance.
• Recommendation 9: ODE take lead in realigning and strengthening Ohio's regional service delivery system.
  Status: ODE currently doing this.

Education Comes Up $107 Million Short for FY04

5/12/2004

Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Tom Johnson revealed Wednesday that there is a $107 million shortfall in the state's education funding for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. His pronouncement came during his testimony before the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee on the tobacco settlement budget, HB434. According to Superintendent of Education Susan Tave Zelman, the shortfall resulted from a combination of factors: an increase in the total ADM, a higher proportion of special education students and the carryover of FY03 obligations into FY04. J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Department of Education (ODE), said that they have been working with the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) to resolve the problem. "It will be covered through a combination of legislative and Controlling Board actions. "We will request Controlling Board approval to move money from line items where it is not needed to the foundation line items to cover $28 million of the shortfall, and the balance will be covered through increased General Revenue Fund appropriations by the Legislature in the tobacco bill -- HB434." Specifically, Benton said the ADM increased by "more than 9,000 students from FY03 to FY04. The total number of special education students increased by more than 7,000 students from FY03 to FY04." In addition, "there was a carryover of $13.5 million in FY03 obligation into the current fiscal year. Because of the tight budget in FY03, OBM did not approve ODE's request to encumber funds to pay FY03 obligations that are normally paid in FY04 from a prior year encumbrance."

Public Hearings on School Funding

5/12/2004

The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, an education advocacy group based in Athens, is organizing a series of public meetings around the state with members of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Funding Student Success. An April 21 meeting in Cincinnati had 150 people in attendance. Task Force members Russ Harris, Walt Davis, Tom Mooney and Paul Marshall attended as did State School Board members Sam Schloemer, Cy Richardson and Jim Turner, and aides to Reps. Catherine Barrett and Steve Driehaus. More than 40 citizens testified. At a meeting in Athens, 80 people attended and more than 30 testified including students. Russ Harris, Jim Mahoney, Paul Marshall and Rep. Jimmy Stewart also attended with Stewart participating in an hour-long dialogue with area special education teachers. The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign believes that the hearings are providing an important opportunity for citizens to speak about the severe funding cuts many districts are facing. "When school districts have to continue to go back to the public to literally beg for financing, it takes their focus off their main objective, which is education. It's a crime. Their job is teaching, not fundraising -- that's the state's job," said Lisa Nack, a parent and consultant to her local school district. Additional hearings are scheduled as follows: Belmont Monday, May 10 6 p.m. Union Local HS 66779 Belmont Morristown Rd. Toledo Thurs., May 13 6 p.m. Crystal Ellis Conference Ctr. Columbus Wed., May 19 6 p.m. Trinity Episcopal 125 E. Broad St. Dayton Thurs., May 20 6 p.m. United Way, 184 Salem Ave

Online Tool to Access School Performance Information

6/1/2004

The Ohio Department of Education Tuesday announced the availability of a new online tool that gives parents, educators and community leaders access to easy-to-understand information about their schools' performance.

Every Ohio public school's performance, demographic data and analyses are now featured on a new website, www.SchoolResults.org. These data are available to the public through a national public-private collaborative, the School Information Partnership (SIP), sponsored by The Broad Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. The data comply with a requirement under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act that information be publicly reported.

This website is another tool that provides information on adequate yearly progress, along with Ohio's interactive Local Report Card (www.ode.state.oh.us), which provides information on three additional measures of the progress and improvement in Ohio schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Eli Broad, business and philanthropic leader, launched the SIP national website in late January 2004. "Parents, educators and taxpayers will benefit," Paige said. "The website helps policy-makers understand and monitor the progress of the state's education systems. It enables educators to identify schools with high achievement and focus on the reasons for such achievement. It also helps them focus resources so that schools that need help get it. Parents can use the tools on the website to compare their children's school to neighboring schools or others across the state. Taxpayers can see what their hard-earned money purchases. This is democracy in action, working best with the free-flow of public data."

Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation, said, "SchoolResults.org is an exciting development in the quest to improve public education. Now anyone can review reading and math performance for every student group at every grade level in every school in every district. This is an unparalleled effort to make student performance results available and actionable across America."

The website helps state and local policymakers, educators, parents and the media find useful information about schools and districts, such as:

• Performance and demographic makeup of a school or district;
• Areas that need improvement and the tools to identify higher performing schools from which to learn effective practices;
• Tools to help users compare the performance of schools and districts in the state;
• Comparative benchmarks to help monitor progress and inform policy decisions.

The website also provides a unique suite of analytical tools from Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services and the National Center for Education Accountability's Just for the Kids School Improvement Model to help parents, educators and policymakers use the NCLB data to make informed decisions about student learning. Information on all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia is expected to be available later this year.

Public Agenda: Unruly Behavior Seriously Threatening Student Achievement

6/1/2004

A growing "culture of challenge and second guessing," including the fear of lawsuits, is undermining classroom order, hindering learning and driving teachers out of the classroom, according to a new national study of teachers and parents.

Discipline and behavior problems in America's public schools are serious, pervasive and are compromising student learning. They are also driving a substantial number of teachers out of the profession. The study found that while only a handful of trouble makers cause most disciplinary problems, "the tyranny of the few" leads to a distracting and disrespectful atmosphere. Teachers in particular complain about the growing willingness of some students and parents to challenge teacher judgment and threaten legal action.

According to a new report by the nonpartisan, nonprofit opinion research organization Public Agenda, teachers too often must operate "in a culture of challenge and second guessing" that is affecting their ability to teach and maintain order.

Among the report's other findings:

• Nearly eight in 10 teachers (78 percent) said students are quick to remind them that they have rights or that their parents can sue.
• Nearly half of teachers surveyed (49 percent) reported they have been accused of unfairly disciplining a student.
• More than half of teachers (55 percent) said that districts backing down from assertive parents causes discipline problems in the nation's schools.

The study, "Teaching Interrupted: Do Discipline Policies in Today's Public Schools Foster the Common Good?," was prepared for Common Good, a bipartisan legal reform coalition.

Get the full report at: http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/teaching_interrupted.pdf

New OGT Cut Scores May Encourage Students to Stay in School

6/11/2004

State Board of Education President Jennifer Sheets said the board lowered standards for passing the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGTs) Monday because "we should not be adopting cut scores that encourage students to drop out because they believe they cannot pass."

The board, in a meeting at Heuston Woods, lowered cut scores on the reading andmath portions of the OGTs to 42 percent and 41 percent, respectively. A trial run of the tests in 2003, using the original cut scores, produced embarrassing results -- only 66 percent of students passed the reading test and a mere 24 percent passed math. (See The Hannah Report, 06/07/04.)

A trial run this spring using the cut scores adopted Monday allowed 78 percent of students to pass the reading test and 68 percent to pass the math test.

The OGTs reflect an increase in expectations over the Ninth-Grade Proficiency Tests. The new test, which the class of 2007 and all classes thereafter, will be required to pass to graduate, measures academic content that must be learned by the end of 10th grade. Tests in the areas of writing, science and social studies are still being developed. The Ninth-Grade Proficiency Test measured material mastered by the end of eighth grade.

Susan Tave Zelman, superintendent of public instruction, said, "Ohio high school students are being tested at more rigorous levels than ever before so our students will have the knowledge and skills needed for postsecondary education and the workforce. We are raising the bar."

Sheets said, "The OGTs are fair tests that assess where teaching and learning are at this time in Ohio's schools." Zelman said she is confident that as districts align their curricula, provide continued professional development for teachers, and give students the necessary time and opportunity to learn, the academic performance of all Ohio students will improve. The department will continue to analyze student performance data over time.

Mitchell Chester, assistant superintendent of policy and accountability at the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) cautioned that a comparison of the OGTs to classroom tests is not appropriate. "Classroom tests are designed to measure how well students learn material they have recently been taught. The OGTs measure the accumulation of knowledge over the years and are aligned to the state's academic content standards."

Chester said, "Cut scores are not like grades. Grades measure how well students did on a classroom test, while these cut scores place student performance into one of five categories required by law: limited, basic, proficient, accelerated and advanced."

Committees of Ohio teachers, parents, business and community representatives recommended the cut scores based on field test results from the OGT trial administration last year.

They reviewed test questions that were ranked in order of difficulty and identified the cut points for each performance level. The easiest questions were those that the most students got right. The most difficult were those the fewest students answered correctly. Therefore, each item on the OGTs is weighted differently, depending upon the complexity of academic skill required to answer it.

Libraries And Schools To Receive CDs From Lawsuit Settlement

6/24/2004

Attorney General Jim Petro Tuesday announced the distribution of more than 222,000 compact discs to Ohio public schools, state universities and libraries as the result of a lawsuit settlement with recording companies. "I am pleased that our schools and libraries will benefit from this settlement," Petro said. "Moreover, music lovers will now be able to purchase CDs at competitive prices."

The CDs will be sent out in early July. More than 165,000 CDs will be distributed to Ohio's public libraries. Public school districts will get more than 53,000 CDs and state universities will receive 3,690. The number of CDs school districts and universities will receive will depend on enrollment, and the number libraries receive will be determined by circulation. Approximately 5.6 million CDs will be distributed throughout the nation.

A lawsuit was filed by Ohio and 42 other states alleging that recording companies attempted to fix CD prices in order to stop competition from discount stores. The settlement generated $67.3 million in cash and $75.7 million worth of CDs for our nation's schools and libraries.

Consumers who purchased CDs between 1995 and 2000 were given the opportunity to apply for cash reimbursements online. At least 3.5 million people applied, and in April 2004, each consumer who filed a valid claim was sent check for $13.86.

The claim administrator, Rust Consulting in Faribault, Minn. will determine the final amount and content of each shipment to schools, universities and libraries.

Dr. Zelman's Report to the State Board of Ed. - Part 1

2/17/2005

By: Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction

Subject: Teacher Quality in Ohio

The topic of our policy discussion this month is the Board Approved Priority to increase the quality of teachers in our state.

Research has shown that the quality of the classroom teacher is a critical factor in student achievement. Currently, there are 117,000 classroom teachers in Ohio and this State Board has shown its commitment to ensuring that all of our teachers are caring and competent in teaching the academic content standards. The Board's priority item on teacher quality has been incorporated into our department logic model and drives the work of the Center for the Teaching Profession.

When we look to the logic model that outlines our work, the end result that we strive for is higher achievement for all students. To realize this vision, we have identified the critical success indicator that "students receive high quality instruction aligned with academic content standards." Consistent with this theme, at the board retreat in June 2004, the board adopted the following State Board Approved Priority to guide the work of ODE:

• Increase teacher quality by recruiting quality candidates through alternative routes,
• piloting alternative teacher compensation models,
• addressing teacher quality in hard-to-staff schools,
• and establishing the Educator Standards Board to develop standards for what teachers should know and be able to do.

At this month's Board meeting, Marilyn Troyer, Associate Superintendent of the ODE Center for the Teaching Profession, will present to you data on Ohio's teaching force and our efforts to ensure a high quality, diverse, professional teaching workforce in our state. Our major efforts are in the areas of teacher recruitment, teacher retention, and in ensuring that our teachers are highly qualified, which we pursue through an aligned system of teacher education and professional development aligned to our standards.

Analysis of the Key Issues: Teacher Recruitment

Ohio continues to have teacher shortages in some subject areas and in some types of school districts. ODE has implemented multiple strategies to address teacher recruitment issues, at both the policy and program levels. In alignment with your priority for recruiting quality candidates into these subject areas and districts through alternative routes, ODE has focused on easing the path for college-educated professionals to gain teacher certification.

In fact, while Ohio had only 6 alternatively-licensed teachers in the year 2000, we currently have 747 such licensed individuals statewide. The Alternative Educator License was created in January 2000 in response to current and expected teacher shortages in grades seven through 12 and in special education in grades Kindergarten through 12. The Alternative Educator license is a non-traditional route for qualified baccalaureate degree-holders to transition to careers as classroom teachers.

Candidates must meet the academic major or work experience requirement, the professional educator coursework requirement (six semester hours, or the equivalent, that includes three semester hours in the developmental characteristics of the adolescent through young adult learner and three semester hours in teaching methods) and pass the required subject area Praxis II assessment to qualify. The Alternative Educator License is designated for grades seven through 12 in a specific subject area.

Holders of the Alternative Educator License would be eligible to teach the subject area identified on the license in grades seven through 12. The Intervention Specialist (Special Education) Alternative Educator License is valid for teaching grades Kindergarten through 12. Alternatively licensed teachers are currently teaching in all types of districts across the state.

ODE is also implementing a federally-funded program to create "Charter Colleges of Education." These charter colleges will allow Ohio to explore and pilot alternative paths to meet the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act and offer a broader range of options for traditional and non-traditional mid-career professionals to enter the teaching profession. The goal is to provide incentives to various entities to develop innovative teacher education programs through deregulation and alternative delivery models.

Currently, there are three charter colleges, currently enrolling a total of 94 students: Wright State University, offering online courses to build on alternative licensure; Mahoning County ESC, partnering with Youngstown State University, focusing on teachers of students with severe disabilities; and College of Mount St. Joseph, preparing teachers for Cincinnati Public Schools, focusing on the unique needs of urban students and schools.

Teacher Retention

A number of external factors affect teacher retention, from the general state of the economy to the policies implemented by the State Teachers Retirement System. The Department cannot control those external factors but must monitor them and assess their impact on teacher retention. A number of strategies focusing on teacher retention have been launched by the Department. ODE is exploring the reasons that teachers give for leaving the profession, including lack of support, lack of leadership, lack of resources, and unsafe school environment.

To address teacher retention issues, ODE has piloted models of alternative compensation. The ODE budget contains funding that provides interested schools with the resources to study and implement knowledge-based and performance-based compensation systems.

The program builds on the alignment of five key principles: multiple career paths for teachers; design of a market-driven compensation system tied to job performance; performance-based accountability; ongoing, applied professional development, and expanding the pool of highly qualified teachers. The State Board's budget request includes requests for $500,000 in both years of the 2006-2007 biennium to expand this program.

Dr. Zelman's Report to the State Board of Ed. - Part 2

2/17/2005

Teacher Qualifications

With the implementation of NCLB and IDEIA, teacher quality has become even more visible as a priority area for policy makers and school leaders. Experienced, prepared teachers help close achievement gaps. Ohio has a very capable, high quality teaching force and is recognized by other states for its strong teacher preparation policies. At the same time, we have work to do to meet the Highly Qualified Teacher requirements of NCLB, especially for special education teachers and some middle grades teachers. The Department has developed a number of options for such teachers so that they can meet the requirements by the deadline of summer 2006. To be considered highly qualified, teachers must have a Bachelor's degree, and full state certification or licensure, and demonstrate content knowledge.

According to NCLB, special education teachers must demonstrate content knowledge in each subject they teach. This may be especially difficult for those in self-contained secondary school classes who teach five or more subjects. Special education teachers in elementary schools must meet requirements similar to elementary school teachers.

ODE has in place many strategies to help these teachers meet the NCLB requirements, including a partnership with Lesley University to help those special education teachers with temporary licenses to become fully licensed; the charter colleges of education; priority seating to these teachers in ODE professional development programs, such as the State Institutes for Reading Instruction, the Ohio Mathematics Academy Program, the Ohio Science Institute and professional development opportunities through Special Education Regional Resource Centers that are specifically for special education teachers; and online courses provided through a partnership between ODE and Ohio SchoolNet.

Additionally, districts can reorganize instructional delivery and implement team teaching techniques at the school level to limit the number of different core courses taught by individual special education teachers.

Statewide, 93.1 percent of our core academic courses are taught by highly qualified teachers. The percentages of courses taught by highly qualified teachers is lower in our urban districts. Additionally, we see that in those districts in "academic emergency" status, less than 50 percent of core courses are taught by teachers who meet the NCLB definition of "highly qualified." In addition to focusing on the federal requirements, Ohio is working to develop an aligned system of teacher education. The work of the newly-appointed Educator Standards Board is underway. The charge of the Educator Standards Board is to bring standards-based reform to the educator level by defining standards for teachers and principals at all stages of their careers. There will be a direct link between the academic content standards for students and the standards for teachers and principals.

To ensure this, a significant part of the teacher and principal preparation will be the understanding of Ohio's K-12 academic content standards. The educator standards also will take into account cultural competency, closing achievement gaps, as well as the education of gifted students. The State Board may either adopt the Educator Board recommendations or request that the Educator Standards Board reconsider them. The law requires that the final approval of the standards must remain with the State Board of Education. Once these standards are established, they will become the driver for teacher education programs and ongoing professional development.

Dr. Zelman's Report to the State Board of Ed. - Part 3

2/17/2005

The Educator Standards Board also is charged with developing professional development standards for teachers and principals. Ohio requires that all beginning teachers successfully complete the Entry Year program and pass the performance-based assessment to qualify for a professional license. The Entry Year program provides direct assistance to Ohio's beginning teachers via mentors, who offer the support necessary to help entry year teachers meet "real-world," classroom and building challenges. While pilot Entry Year programs have operated with state support since 1994, mandated statewide implementation of the program as an integral component of teacher licensure began in the fall of 2002. In 2004, 3,605 teachers completed the Entry Year program.

Ohio also supports teachers' efforts to achieve National Board Certification. The National Board Certification program is a powerful professional development experience that allows teachers to gain new insights into their practice. To be eligible for National Board Certification, teachers must have a baccalaureate degree, a minimum of three years of teaching experience at the early childhood elementary or secondary levels, and a valid teaching certificate/license for each of the minimum three years experience.

ODE's budget provides financial support to defray National Board Certification costs, including providing funding to support Ohio candidates applying for National Board Certification, recognizing National Board Certified teachers with an annual stipend, establishing and funding regional support sites to provide mentoring for Ohio candidates, and sponsoring Ohio candidates to retake entries.

Ohio currently ranks fifth in the nation with 2,345 National Board Certified teachers. In the FY04-05 Priorities within the P-16 Educate Ohio Framework this fiscal year, each of our policy discussions has been focused on reviewing the relevant data and information about one of the State Board Priorities, adopted at the annual planning retreat in June. In September, we reviewed the data related to the State and Local Report Cards and set targets for key measures of student achievement.

In October, we drilled further into our student performance data to examine the achievement gaps that exist between groups of students. In November, we discussed resource allocation and resource management, and we have been providing monthly updates on the progress and recommendations of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success.

In December, we discussed the report on the Condition of Education in Ohio, which provides a wealth of baseline information on our education system and provides additional background as we continue our policy discussions each month.

Last month, we discussed the implementation plan for the recommendations of the State Board's Task Force on Quality High Schools. As you recall, you conceptually encompassed your priorities within a pre-kindergarten through college framework, thus, directing ODE to approach our work with a broader view of the entire scope of the educational system.

Dr. Zelman's Report to the State Board of Ed. - Part 4

2/17/2005

Teacher Quality is an essential component of the P-16 education system. Our higher education system must provide future teachers with the skills necessary to teach students in a standards-based, aligned academic system. We must ensure that students receive quality instruction at each point in their educational careers - beginning with quality teachers at the pre-kindergarten level and continuing through elementary, middle, and high school.

When issuing its final report last April, the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy called attention to the need for improved alignment of the entire P-16 education system. Alignment is essential if we are to achieve higher achievement for all students, resulting in better higher education and workforce opportunities. As a result of the CHEE recommendations, the General Assembly and Governor Taft are working together to create the Partnership for Continued Learning. The Partnership would be chaired by the Governor, with the following members: the Superintendent of Public Instruction; the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents; the director of the Department of Development; three representatives of the private sector, appointed by the governor; two representatives of organizations that have formed regional partnerships to foster collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education; one member of the student access and success coordinating council of Ohio; one member of the State Board of Education; one member of the Ohio Board of Regents; one member of the state Workforce Policy Board; and the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the education committees of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The vision for the partnership is for Ohio to have a continuous, lifelong learning system that will prepare all Ohioans for success in the 21^st Century global economy. This system will facilitate and sustain a world-class workforce, responsive to business and industry through an integrated system of education from pre-school through postsecondary and workforce education which is readily accessible to and used by Ohioans at all levels. It is recognized that teacher quality is essential for an aligned system of preschool through college education. The legislation currently under consideration by the General Assembly calls for the Partnership to include in its recommendation suggestions for aligning teacher preparation programs with the instructional needs and expectations of school districts. I will keep you informed of the course of this proposed legislation.

Next Steps: As we continue our policy discussions for the remaining fiscal year, we will examine the remaining Priorities:

• Early Childhood Education serves as the foundation for a child's success in school and in life. Research has continually illustrated the impact of quality pre-kindergarten programs on student performance. Thus far, Ohio has focused improvement efforts on achieving K-12 student success, teacher success, and higher education and the economy. We are currently focusing on closing achievement gaps and redesigning high schools. However, we have not had the same focus on early education programs. Therefore, I fully support the creation of a State Board Task Force for Early Childhood Education to develop recommendations in 2005 for the redesign of early education and care.
• - Assessment Development and the implementation of new assessments aligned to academic content standards is an ongoing priority. Student assessments provide valuable information and feedback to school administrators and teachers to continually improve instruction and services to ensure student achievement. The implementation of an aligned assessment system will allow educators to more effectively determine where students may need additional instruction to become prepared for higher education and the workforce. The system of aligned assessments will also allow for value-added calculations to track improvements in student achievement.
• - In an aligned framework, we must continually assess the allocation of all education resources, including examining ways of Restructuring Learning Time, promoting evidence-based "prevention" and intervention practices within and outside of the traditional school day and school year.
• I believe that these policy discussions have been very productive in focusing the work of ODE to align with the Board Approved Priorities. We have engaged in dynamic discussions of the most important issues facing the education system in Ohio and we have gained a more in-depth understanding of both the progress made and the work still ahead to ensure higher achievement for all students.

High School Graduation Rate Hard to Calculate

2/19/2005

High School Graduation Rate Hard to Calculate

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A new national study of state high school graduation rates found that Ohio's rate in 2002 was 78 percent -- five points lower than the 83 percent the Ohio Department of Education reported for that year.

But, the Manhattan Institute indicated that Ohio's graduation inflation rate was modest compared to that of some other states that inflated their graduation rates by as much as 15 points. "Some states' official graduation rates are so improbably high that they would be laughable if the issue were not so serious."

Texas is a case in point. That state has reported a graduation rate of 95 percent, but the way it counts graduates undermines the accuracy of that statistic. Texas counts as high school graduates, not only students who dropped out and later received GEDs (General Education Certificates), as Ohio and many other states do not, but dropouts who simply say they will get a GED someday.

As Susan Tave Zelman, superintendent of public instruction, acknowledged in testimony before the House Finance Committee Tuesday, getting an accurate count of high school graduates is controversial and inexact.

Researchers from the Manhattan Institute averaged the number of eighth-, ninth- and 10-graders in a three-year period and adjusted the number for state population trends during the same period. Then they divided the number of diplomas issued four years later by that enrollment figure.

The national study also calculated the percentage of students who both graduate from high school and are "college-ready." Students were determined to be ready for college if they: had acquired a regular high school diploma; were basically literate; and had taken a high school curriculum that included four years of English, three years of math, and two years of natural science, social science and foreign language.

This measure showed some movement over the course of the period studied in the report, but remained disappointing. In 1991, the first year studied, only about 5 percent of high school graduates nationally had the academic skills to be considered for college admission, but in 2002, 34 percent were college-ready. That percentage is very close to the percentage of high school graduates who actually matriculated in colleges and universities in 2002.

Key findings of the study include:

• *The national high school graduation rate for all public school students remained flat over the last decade, going from 72 percent in 1991 to 71 percent in 2002. Ohio ranked 10th among all states with a rate of 78 percent.
• * Nationally, the percentage of all students who left high school with the skills and qualifications necessary to attend college increased from 25 percent in 1991 to 34 percent in 2002. The finding of flat high school graduation rates and increasing college readiness rates is likely the result of the increased standards and accountability programs over the last decade, which have required students to take more challenging courses required for admission to college without pushing those students to drop out of high school.
• * The state with the highest graduation rate in the nation in 2002 was New Jersey (89 percent), followed by Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota (each 85 percent). The state with the lowest graduation rate in the nation was South Carolina (53 percent) followed by Georgia (56 percent), Tennessee (57 percent) and Alabama (58 percent).
• * There is a wide disparity in the graduation rates of white and minority students. In the class of 2002, 56 percent of African-American students and 52 percent of Hispanic students earned a regular high school diploma. In Ohio, which ranked 22nd in the nation on this measure, only 55 percent of African- American students earned a regular diploma, compared to 83 percent of white students.
• * There is very little difference between the number of students who graduate from high school ready for college and the number of students who enroll in college for the first time. Manhattan Institute researchers concluded that this indicates that there is not a large pool of students who are ready for college but do not enroll because they lack funds or other non-academic factors.
• The report concluded that, "Far fewer students graduate from high school than is normally reported by official statistics. Even fewer students leave high school with the minimum skills and qualifications necessary to be considered for admission to a four-year college."

School Related Legislative Action - Feb. 17, 2005

2/19/2005

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

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HOUSE WAYS & MEANS

Thurs. Feb. 17, 10 a.m., Rm. 121 (McKinley Rm.)

HB40 TEACHERS (SCHAFFER T) Tax credit for teachers--instructional materials.

First hearing.

The bill permits teachers, including "home school" teachers, to claim a personal income tax credit for amounts they spend for classroom instructional materials. The maximum credit amount allowed is $100 per year. The sponsor said this would be in addition to the federal income tax deduction of up to $250 that is included in the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

"This is a small way of 'repaying' teachers for their commitment to their students and their schools," Rep. Schaffer said.

To qualify for the credit, a teacher must be licensed to teach a grade between kindergarten and grade 12 or must be a "home school" teacher qualified to provide home instruction under Ohio law, and must use the instructional materials for classroom instruction.

The materials are disqualified if they are given to or used only by individual students, unless the student is a home-schooled student and is the only one in the classroom.

BILLs INTRODUCED 02/17/05

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SB67 DYSLEXIA (HAGAN, R) To require public and chartered nonpublic schools to test students for dyslexia and related disorders and to provide' intervention services to students identified as having dyslexia or a related disorder.

SB71 SCHOOL CALAMITY DAYS (WILSON, C) To permit certain school districts and nonpublic schools located in areas flooded during the 2004-2005 school year to count time that schools are in session beyond the required minimum number of hours in order to make up calamity days missed in excess of the number of days permitted by law and the number of days specified in their contingency plans, and to declare an emergency.