Tuesday May 5, 2009
WHAT’S UP WITH SCHOOL FUNDING Volume 7, Issue 5
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1. EDUCATION VOTERS UPDATE
2. MAY 8th EDUCATION RALLY IN COLUMBUS
3. EDUCATION REFORM DEBATE MOVES TO SENATE
4. HOUSE TESTIMONY RECAP: OEBM
5. RURAL SCHOOLS ENDORSE EDUCATION REFORM PLAN
6. CHECKED-OUT: OHIOANS VIEW ON EDUCATION
7. ISSUES ON THE MAY 5 PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT
8. THE OHIO LOTTERY AND SCHOOL FUNDING
9. STUDENT ACHEIVEMENT AND THE NATION’S REPORT CARD
10. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
11. US SUPREME COURT: WHO SHOULD PAY FOR SPECIAL ED OPPORTUNITIES?
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1. EDUCATION VOTERS UPDATE
Education
Voters of Ohio is hosting a statewide listening tour. These events will
provide an opportunity for communities to discuss the future of public
education in Ohio. Events have already taken place in Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chillicothe and Troy.
The next event will be:
Monday, May 11from 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM in the Perrysburg H.S. Library, 13385 Roachton Road, Perrysburg, Ohio 43351
To read an article about the event in Chillicothe, visit:
4/29 Chillicothe Gazette
Advocacy group seeks local input on education proposal
The two-hour program will feature a short video on the changing
climate of the state’s public schools followed by an opportunity for
participants to engage in structured conversation on Governor
Strickland’s comprehensive, recently introduced plan for reform.
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2. MAY 8th EDUCATION RALLY IN COLUMBUS
Ohio’s Revival: Reforming Education for the 21st Century Economy
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be joining Governor Strickland and other Ohio leaders for a rally for education reform in Ohio.
When: May 8, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Where: The Ohio State University, West Lawn of the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
Please RSVP and sign up for updates at www.conversationoneducation.org
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3. EDUCATION REFORM DEBATE MOVES TO SENATE
On
Wednesday April 29, the Ohio House voted 53-45, along party lines,
approving a plan to provide a new school-funding system. The bill now
moves to the Ohio Senate.
The Dayton Daily News
said, "The centerpiece of the 4,086-page budget proposal is a move to
distribute school funding based on what a child needs, not on what
money the state has available. Over 10 years, the state would increase
annual spending on K-12 education by about $2.5 billion once all
aspects of the plan are phased in."
The speculation in the Ohio Senate appears to be a bit more grim. The Cincinnati Enquirer
reported," While Democrats in the House have been building support
among their own members in recent weeks, Senate Republicans have been
preparing, promising to make major changes - if they approve the plan
at all. The state budget battle now shifts to the 33-member,
Republican-controlled Senate, where deeper cuts to state programs and
more changes to a revamping of Ohio's school-funding plan are expected.
How will the changes to Gov. Strickland’s education
plan affect your district? School Funding Matters has provided
information about the House version of the school-funding plan,
including a chart showing how Ohio districts would fare under the
revised plan as compared to the original.
State budget highlights from the Columbus Dispatch.
To read related articles, visit:
4/29 Dayton Daily News
House Dems get budget passed
4/29 Columbus Dispatch
Senate may flunk school-funding plan
4/30 Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio House Democrats push through budget
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4. HOUSE TESTIMONY RECAP: OEBM FOR SCHOOL FUNDING
The
experts who created the evidence-based school funding model told the
Ohio House finance committee on April 23 that the state’s proposed
funding system would be effective in directing resources to the
education practices most likely to improve learning and has the
potential to increase performance for students in all Ohio public
schools.
Researchers Lawrence O.
Picus and Allan Odden testified that their review of the Ohio
Evidence-Based Model proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland found that Ohio’s
plan was a strong adaptation of the approach they developed to help
states allocate funding to practices that research has shown to be
effective.
The review of Ohio’s plan
by Odden and Picus, which was funded by KnowledgeWorks Foundation, the
Education Tax Policy Institute and the Cleveland Foundation, is
available here.
(Summary courtesy of School Funding Matters)
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5. RURAL SCHOOLS ENDORSE EDUCATION REFORM PLAN
On
April 28, 2009 the Coalition of Rural Appalachian Schools passed a
resolution endorsing the education reform efforts of Governor
Strickland’s education plan.
In the spring of 1990 the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian
Schools Board of Directors passed a resolution to pursue litigation
against the State of Ohio, claiming Ohio's school funding system was
unconstitutional. During the fall and winter of 1990 the Coalition of
Rural and Appalachian Schools organized a statewide organization to
carry the litigation forward. That organization became known as the
Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy for School Funding. In July
1994, four years after that initial resolution, Perry County Common
Please Court Judge Linton D. Lewis ruled Ohio's school funding system
unconstitutional. Three years later, in March 1997, the Ohio Supreme
Court upheld Judge Lewis' ruling and ordered the General Assembly to
fix Ohio's school funding system.
19 years after that original resolution, and 12 years after the
Ohio Supreme Court decision, the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian
Schools Board of Directors passed the following resolution, endorsing a
plan that could dramatically improve public education and school
funding in Ohio.
RESOLUTION
April 28, 2009
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian
Schools (CORAS) commends Governor Strickland and the Ohio House of
Representatives for leading an effort to achieve a “thorough and
efficient” school finance system in Ohio.
WHEREAS, CORAS believes the education
reform elements of Governor Strickland’s plan are sound, comprehensive,
systemic and, when fully implemented would provide Ohio school children with quality learning experiences, and
WHEREAS, given the current economic
conditions in Ohio, CORAS believes the Ohio House of Representatives
modifications to the Governor Strickland’s school funding reform plan
will maintain schools over the next two years, and when
fully funded, along with inflationary and necessary cost adjustments as
determined by the School Funding Research Advisory Council, will
provide adequate resources to implement the education reform elements,
and
WHEREAS, CORAS believes there is a
commitment by Governor Strickland and members of the current Ohio House
of Representatives to provide sufficient state funding to school
districts at the time the various elements of the plan are required to be implemented; and be it therefore
RESOLVED that the Coalition of Rural and
Appalachian Schools endorses the Ohio education and school funding
reform plan proposed by Governor Strickland, including the
modifications by the Ohio House of Representatives.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACTION: Passed by unanimous vote of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools Board of Directors this 28th day of April 2009.
Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org
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6. CHECKED-OUT: OHIOANS VIEW ON EDUCATION
Catalyst
Ohio and The Thomas B. Fordham Institute held a press conference on
Monday, May 4, 2009 to release the results of a new statewide survey
called "Checked-Out: Ohioans' View on Education 2009". The press
conference was held in the Ladies' Gallery at the Statehouse in
Columbus at 11:30 AM.
On Tuesday, May 5, 2009 Catalyst Ohio and the The Thomas B. Fordham
Foundation will present and discuss the findings of the survey at an
event which will be held at 8:00 AM at Cleveland State University,
Urban Affairs building, Dively room (1717 Euclid Avenue.
The survey was conducted by the FDR Group, which asked more than
1,000 Ohio residents what they think about school funding, school
choice, and education reform. The results will soon be available on the
Catalyst website at http://www.catalyst-cleveland.org
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7. ISSUES ON THE MAY 5 PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT
According
to the Ohio Secretary of State there will be 390 local Issues appearing
on the May 2009 Primary Election ballot: 171 are school issues; 14 bond
issues, 128 tax issues and 29 tax changes. Details on the issues.
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8. THE OHIO LOTTERY AND SCHOOL FUNDING
Do
you have questions about how money from the Ohio Lottery supports
schools? According to a recent article in the Newark Advocate, “The
never-ending barrage of upbeat lottery commercials touting your amazing
ability to turn a few dollars into millions while supporting Ohio's
schools continues to confuse residents with a devastating impact on
local school levies.”
To read the article, visit:
The Newark Advocate
Lottery's claims harm local school levies
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9. STUDENT ACHEIVEMENT AND THE NATION’S REPORT CARD
The
results of the 2008 long-term trend assessment in reading and
mathematics were released on April 28. The National Assessment of
Educational Progress offers a long-term view of U.S. student
achievement. The results show several bright spots: The average reading
scores for 9-year-old White, Black, and Hispanic students were higher
than their scores in all previous assessments. White students at age 9
scored 14 points higher in 2008 than in 1971, while Black students
scored 34 points higher, and the score for Hispanic students was 25
points higher than in 1975.
Learn more and view the 2008 results.
To read a related article, visit:
4/29 Washington Post
Nation's Report Card' Sees Gains in Elementary, Middle Schools
4/29 New York Times
No Child’ Law Is Not Closing a Racial Gap
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10. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
A
new report, “The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s
Schools, examines the dimensions and economic impact of the education
achievement gap. While much controversy exists on the causes of the
gap and on what the nation should do to address it, the full range of
the achievement gap’s character and consequences has been poorly
understood.”
”The report finds that the
underutilization of human potential as reflected in the achievement gap
is extremely costly. Existing gaps impose the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession—one substantially larger than the deep recession the country is currently experiencing.
For individuals, avoidable shortfalls in academic achievement impose
heavy and often tragic consequences via lower earnings, poor health,
and higher rates of incarceration.”
Learn more.
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11. US SUPREME COURT: WHO SHOULD PAY FOR SPECIAL ED OPPORTUNITIES?
According
to a recent article in the Washington Post ”The Supreme Court will
consider a question this week that has riled parents, cost local school
boards across the country hundreds of millions of dollars, and vexed
the justices themselves: When must public school officials pay for
private schooling for children with special needs?”
To read the article, visit:
4/26 Washington Post
Court Weighs Funding For Special Education
Tuesday,April 21, 2009
WHATS UP WITH SCHOOL FUNDING Volume 7, Issue 4
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1. EDUCATION VOTERS UPDATE
2. UPDATE: OHIO'S EDUCATION REFORM PLAN
3. UPCOMING PRESENTATION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS
4. REVIEW OF OHIO'S EVIDENCE BASED MODEL (OEBM)
5. FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY FOR OHIO SCHOOLS
6. THE FEDERAL ROLE IN EDUCATION POLICY
7. VOUCHERS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN ARIZONA
8. STUDY LINKS POVERTY & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
9. GRANTS AND RESOURCES
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1.EDUCATION VOTERS UPDATE
Education
Voters of Ohio is hosting a statewide listening tour. These events will
provide an opportunity for communities to discuss the future of public
education in Ohio.Upcoming dates include:
4/23 Cincinnati: 6-8pm at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati
4/28 Chillicothe: 6-8pm at Chillicothe High School/Middle School Complex
4/29 Troy: 6-8pm at Troy High School
The
two-hour program will feature a short video on the changing climate of
the states public schools followed by an opportunity for participants
to engage in structured conversation on Governor Strickland's
comprehensive, recently introduced plan for reform.
For more information, please email jrogers@edvoters.org or call 216.241.3100.
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2. UPDATE ON OHIOS EDUCATION REFORM PLAN
Last
week House Democrats announced a series of changes to Gov. Ted
Strickland's education reform plan. The governor's plan has been
criticized for allocating more state money to many of the state's
wealthiest districts, while some of its poorest get less.
The House proposal would stretch
the implementation of Strickland's plan from eight to 10 years and would
reduce the originally proposed increases in funding levels in many
affluent suburban districts and increases funding in poor, rural
districts. Some of the state's large urban districts including Cleveland
are looking at flat funding levels in the first year of the two-year
budget and a slight decrease in the second year. In most cases, the cut
reflects falling enrollment figures.
The changes will
be contained in a substitute bill expected to be introduced in the
House this week. For more analysis and reaction to the proposal, visit Catalyst Ohio. For a detailed explanation of the proposed changes, visit:
Read a district-by-district breakdown of the impact of these changes for the 2010-2011 budget.
To read related articles:
4/18 Columbus Dispatch
New plan will pass the test, Dems say
4/17 Akron Beacon Journal
School funding confronts reality
4/17 Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio House Democrats present school funding plan that shifts money to poorer districts
(Summary excerpted from Catalyst-Ohio)
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3. UPCOMING PRESENTATION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS Kids
Ohio is sponsoring a presentation by researcher Ron Zimmer on RAND's
new findings on the performance of charter schools in eight states,
including Ohio.(see below for info on the study) The program will be
Thursday April 23rd at The Columbus Foundation, 1234 E. Broad Street,from
8 to 9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast: 7:15 a.m., Extended discussion: 9:45-11:00 a.m. Space is limited so please confirm your attendance with Keisha Hunley-Jenkins at khunley@KidsOhio.org or at 614.228.6400 x 210.
"Charter
Schools in Eight States:The Effects of Achievement, Attainment,
Integration and Competition", examines charter schools in Chicago, San
Diego, Philadelphia, Denver, Milwaukee, and the states of Ohio, Texas,
and Florida.Using longitudinal, student-level data, the study finds few
differences between student achievement in charters and traditional
public schools. On the plus side, charter schools appear to increase
the likelihood that students will graduate and enter college based on
data from Chicago and Florida, and charter schools seem to attract
students with comparable achievement levels as those in traditional
public schools.On the negative side, the low achievement levels of
students attending online charter schools, especially in Ohio, raise
concerns.The study also notes that there is little evidence that the
competition for students between charter schools and traditional public
schools has had a positive effect.The study includes several
recommendations for policy makers.
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4. REVIEW OF OHIO'S EVIDENCE BASED MODEL (OEBM)
The
OEBM is the school funding model included in Sub. HB1 (Sykes), the
FY10-11 budget bill. Nationally known school funding experts, Lawrence
Picus and Allen Odden, released a document at the end of March called
"Review and Analysis of Ohio's Evidence-Based Model" (OEBM).
According
to the report, "This evidence-based approach to estimating the
resources needed for a high quality education program is a widely
accepted method of estimating school funding needs and for establishing
a description of the resources needed to help all children meet their
state's educational proficiency standards. Moreover, there is growing
evidence that implementation of all the educational strategies embedded
in and funded by the evidence based model can lead to dramatic
improvements in student learning in four to six years (Odden and
Archibald, 2009)."
This report was prepared for the
KnowledgeWorks Foundation, with support from Cleveland Foundation and
the Education Tax Policy Institute.
Excerpted from the LWVO Weekly Education Update for 4-13-09 from Joan Platz. Read Joan's full summary (see item #3).
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5. FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY FOR OHIO SCHOOLS
The
Ohio Department of Education has created a website called the "Stimulus
Update" to provide information about the disbursement of federal
education stimulus funds provided in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The web site will provide information about
how to apply for the competitive grants; federal and state guidelines
for using the funds; allocations for school districts and community
schools; and accountability requirements for school districts and
community schools. Learn more here.
Governor
Strickland has also given assurances that no Ohio school district will
be shortchanged of federal stimulus dollars after some Ohio lawmakers
and several districts had expressed concern that the governor's
proposed budget and statewide school spending plan appeared to take
away federal stimulus money from some of the poorest schools.
To read related articles:
4/16 WLWT.com
Watchdog Appointed To Monitor Spending Of Ohio Stimulus Money
4/1 Cleveland Plain Dealer
Schools start getting economic stimulus money
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6. THE FEDERAL ROLE IN EDUCATION POLICY
According
to a recent New York Times article, clues about possible changes to No
Child Left Behind emerge from the fine print of the economic stimulus
law that Mr. Obama signed in February, which channels billions of
dollars to public education.
The key education provisions in the
stimulus take the form of four assurances that governors must sign to
receive billions in emergency education aid. A separate provision gives
Education Secretary Arne Duncan control over $5 billion, which Mr.
Duncan calls a Race to the Top Fund, to reward states that make good on
their pledges. With these
assurances and the Race to the Top Fund, we are laying the foundation
for where we want to go with N.C.L.B. reauthorization, Mr. Duncan said
in an interview. This will help us to get states lining up behind this
agenda.
To read the article:
4/15 New York Times
Education Standards Likely to See Toughening
To read a related article:
4/2 New York Times
Education Secretary Says Aid Hinges on New Data
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7. VOUCHERS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN ARIZONA
The
Arizona Supreme Court ruled unanimously on March 25, 2009 that a 2006
Arizona law that gives taxpayer-funded vouchers for private- and
parochial-school tuition to students through two programs is
unconstitutional. This decision, in the case Cain v. Horne, overturns a
voucher program for foster children and one for students with special
needs.
According to the Arizona Constitution, Article 9
Section 10: "No tax shall be laid or appropriation of public money made
in aid of any church, or private or sectarian school, or any public
service corporation."
The decision is available here.
To read related articles:
3/31 AzBiz.com State high court shoots down school vouchers
3/31 Your West Valley.com Court kills state voucher program
(Summary courtesy of LWVO Education Update from Joan Platz, 3-30-09)
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8. STUDY LINKS POVERTY & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT A Policy Brief released on March 9, 2009 called "Poverty and Potential: Out of School Factors and School Success"warns
that out-of-school factors (OSFs) must be more rigorously addressed if
states are to be successful in closing achievement gaps between lower
and middle income students. This policy brief details six out-of-school
factors common among the poor that significantly affect the health and
learning opportunities of children, and accordingly limit what schools
can accomplish on their own. Also discussed are extended learning
opportunities, such as preschool, after school, and summer school
programs that can help to mitigate some of the harm caused by the first
six factors. Read the brief.
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9. GRANTS AND RESOURCES
Funding for Youth Literacy Programs
Dollar General is accepting applications for its Youth Literacy Grants
program. Eligible schools, public libraries, and nonprofit
organizations that are within 20 miles of a Dollar General store in the
company's 35-state service area are invited to apply for funding. Grants
of up to $3,000 will be provided to support the implementation or
expansion of youth literacy programs for students who are reading below
their grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Applications must
be received online by May 22, 2009. More info.
Funds for Scientific Education Programs for Youth
The
American Honda Foundation supports projects nationwide in the areas of
youth and scientific education, including the physical and life
sciences, mathematics, and the environmental sciences. The Foundation
focuses on programs with national scope that garner the broadest
interest and support and, therefore, the highest potential for success.
Requests are reviewed quarterly; the remaining deadlines for 2009 are
May 1, August 1, and November 1. Visit the Foundation's website to take
the required eligibility quiz and submit an online application.
Dominion Supports Educational Partnerships
The
Dominion Educational Partnership program is accepting applications for
the 2009-2010 school year. This program is designed to bolster
elementary and secondary math and science programs in Dominions service
area by focusing on the study of energy and the environment. Dominions
service area includes a number of communities in Ohio as well as other
states. Applications for up to $10,000 will be considered from public
and private elementary schools, public school divisions registered with
NCES, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
Applications must be received online by May 1, 2009. Additional
information, including detailed geographic eligibility.
Courtesy of Education Voters of Ohio