Ohio Alliance for Arts Education

Arts On Line Education Update

October 1, 2012

Joan Platz

 

October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM), the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation!! 

 

Arts/humanities advocates are finding exciting and creative ways to recognize the contributions that artists, writers, poets, and cultural organizations make in communities and schools during October. 

 

To locate or publicize an NAHM event, please visit the Americans for the Arts website at 

http://www.americansforthearts.org/get_involved/advocacy/nahm/default.asp

 

1) Governor Signs Pension Bills:  Governor Kasich signed into law on September 26, 2012 five pension bills passed by the Ohio and Senate on September 12, 2012: SB340 (Niehaus/Kearney) Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund; SB341 (Niehaus/Kearney) School Employees Retirement System; SB342 (Niehaus/Kearney) State Teachers Retirement System; SB343 (Niehaus/Kearney) Ohio Public Employees Retirement System; and SB345 Highway Patrol Retirement System. Except for a provision that gives “discretionary board authority” to change pension requirements and benefits, the laws take effect on January 7, 2013.

 

2) Education Issues on the November 2012 Ballot in Other States: The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) tracks on its website education issues on the November 2012 ballot by state and topic . This year voters in 10 states will approve or disapprove referendums and initiatives on a variety of education related issues, such as increasing taxes to support schools, charter schools, teacher evaluation, tenure, merit pay, and more. Six of the issues to be decided propose raising taxes and other revenue to support K-12 education!!

 

It is important to know about the education issues voters are considering in other states, because similar issues often appear on subsequent Ohio ballots. The following is a summary of education issues on the November 2012 ballot in nine states as reported on the NCSL website:

 

•Arizona:  Proposition 204 asks voters to approve or not approve The Quality Education and Jobs Act, which renews a one-cent sales tax (created as a temporary tax by Prop. 100 in 2010), and provides dedicated funding for students of all ages, and prevents legislators from cutting K-12 funding. 

 

•California:  

-Proposition 30 is an initiative that would increase the personal income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years; increase the sales and use tax by ¼ cent for four years; and would allocate temporary tax revenues 89 percent to K-12 schools and 11 percent to community colleges.

 

-Proposition 38 is an initiative that would increase personal income tax rates for annual earnings over $7,316 using a sliding scale, and would end after twelve years. During the first four years, 60 percent of revenues would be allocated to K-12 schools, 30 percent to the state debt, and 10 percent to early childhood programs. Thereafter, 85 percent of revenues would be allocated to K-12 schools, and 15 percent to early childhood programs. The initiative would provide K-12 funds on a school-specific, per-pupil basis, subject to local control, audits, and public input, and would prohibit the state from directing or using new funds.

 

•Georgia:  Amendment 1 authorizes the General Assembly to provide by law for the creation of public state charter schools, which would operate under the terms of charters between the State Board of Education and charter petitioners, while preserving the authority of local boards of education to establish local charter schools.  The amendment would also prohibit the incurrence of bonded indebtedness or the levy of school taxes for the support of special schools without approval of the local board of education and the voters in the affected school system; would authorize the expenditure of state funds for special schools; and would prohibit the deduction of certain state funds from local school districts as a direct result or consequence of the enrollment of students in the state charter schools. The Georgia General Assembly already approved this law, and now is seeking approval from voters to implement it. (2012 HB 797, Act No. 766.)

 

•Idaho: 

-Proposition 1 asks voters to approve or reject legislation limiting negotiated agreements between teachers and local school boards and ending the practice of renewable contracts.

 

-Proposition 2 asks voters to approve or reject legislation providing teacher performance pay based on state-mandates test scores, student performance, hard to fill positions, and leadership.

 

-Proposition 3 asks voters to approve or reject legislation amending school district funding, and requiring provisions for computing devices and online courses for high school graduation.

 

•Missouri:  Proposition B is an initiative to amend Missouri law to create the Health and Education Trust Fund with the proceeds of a tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.  The fund would be used to reduce and prevent tobacco use and support elementary, secondary, college, and university public schools.

 

•New Mexico:  Question B is a referendum on a law that authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds to make capital expenditures for academics, public schools, tribal and public library resources acquisitions and construction, and provides for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on, and expenses incurred, in connection with the issuance of the bonds.

 

•Oregon:  Measure 85 is a constitutional amendment to allocate corporate income/excise tax “kicker” refunds to additionally fund K-12 public education.

 

•South Dakota:  

-Initiated Measure 15 would increase state general sales and use taxes (from 4 percent to 5 percent) for additional K-12 public education and medicaid funding. The additional funding cannot replace or reduce state funding levels set for fiscal year 2012 relating to existing Medicaid and K-12 public education programs, including state aid to education.

 

-Referred Law 16 is a referendum to support an education reform act that establishes a teacher scholarship program; creates a program for math and science teacher bonuses; creates a program for teacher merit bonuses; mandates a uniform teacher and principal evaluation system; and eliminates state requirements for teacher tenure.

 

•Washington:  Initiative 1240 would allow a newly-created state commission or approved local school boards to authorize certain nonreligious, nonprofit organizations to operate public charter schools, limited to forty schools over five years. Public charter schools would receive standard per-student public school funding and be open to all students without tuition. Public charter schools would be subject to teacher certification requirements, government oversight, and performance reporting requirements, but would be exempt from certain state laws and school district policies.

 

For more information about these initiatives please visit http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/ballot-measures-database.aspx

 

3) Results of the SAT Exam Released:  The College Board released on September 24, 2012 The SAT Report on College & Career Readiness.  According to the report, 1.66 million students in private and public schools took the exam last year, which is the highest number of participating students in the history of the exam.  Forty-three percent of the students posted a score of at least 1550 out of 2400, which the College Board defines as college and career-ready, and means that a student has a 65 percent chance of maintaining at least a B-minus as a university freshman.

 

According to the report the mean SAT scores dropped on the reading and writing sections of the exam this year. The mean scores are 496 in reading (a one-point drop from 2011); 488 in writing (a one point drop from 2011); and 514 in math, unchanged since 2007. 

 

The report also noted that more minority students and students with English as their second language are taking the exam.  Forty-five percent of senior students who took the exam in 2012 are members of a minority group, compared to 38 percent in 2008. Twenty-eight percent of students reported that English is not their first language, compared to 24 percent in 2008. 

 

The College Board provides supplemental information about the seniors taking the SAT in a report entitled Total Group Profile Report.  This report includes information about the college and career plans of students, demographic information, and the average SAT scores for students according to the courses that they take in high school.

 

According to the Total Group Profile Report, the average number of years that students reported studying courses in the arts in high school is 2.2.  The mean SAT scores for students taking four years of the arts in high school are 528 in reading; 534 in math; and 520 in writing.  By comparison, the mean SAT scores of students who reported taking four years of math are 506 in reading; 516 in math; and 496 in writing.  This information is available in the Total Group Report at 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/TotalGroup-2012.pdf.

   

Nine-teen percent of Ohio students in public and private schools took the SAT exam in 2012. The mean scores for Ohio students are 543 in reading; 552 in math; and 525 in writing, which are all increases over 2011 scores. The average number of years that Ohio students reported taking the arts is 2.5.  The mean SAT scores for students taking four years of the arts in Ohio schools are 563 in reading; 564 in math; and 545 in writing.

This information is available in the Total Group Report for Ohio, available at 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/OH_12_03_03_01.pdf

 

To read the full report please visit

http://press.collegeboard.org/releases/2012/sat-report-only-43-percent-2012-college-bound-seniors-college-ready

 

•How are SAT and ACT Scores Used?  An article in Education Week on September 25, 2012 entitled “Weighing SAT and ACT Scores in College Admissions” by Caralee Adams describes the results of a survey of 350 college-admissions officers by Kaplan Test Prep.  The survey found that 18 percent of college admissions officers recommend that students submit both an ACT and SAT score to prospective colleges.  The number of students taking either exam has increased. In 2012 ACT Inc. reported that 1,666,017 took its exam, about the same as the number of students taking the SAT exam (1.66 million). About 85 percent of colleges and universities required applicants to submit an ACT or SAT score, but approximately 850 four-year colleges and universities reported that the scores are optional, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. The article is available at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/college_bound/2012/09/survey_finds_combo_of_sat_and_act_scores_interest_1_in_5_admissions_officers.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2 

 

4) State High School Exit Exams Will Become Tougher:  The Center on Education Policy (CEP) released on September 19, 2012 a report entitled, State High School Exit Exams:  A Policy in Transition by Shelby McIntosh.  This is the 11th annual CEP report on high school exit exams, and it shows that states are increasing their expectations for students by “embracing higher standards on their exit exams.” The report includes information about current exit exam policies in 45 states; the future of these policies as states implement the Common Core State Standards and common assessments; and lessons learned from implementing the new exams.

 

According to the report 25 states require high school students to pass an exam to graduate.  Twenty-two of these states have adopted the Common Core State Standards.  Sixteen states expect to replace their current high school exams with common core assessments, and some will also use the results of the exams to make decisions about graduation. Twelve states are also using the results of the exit exams to determine if students are “college and career ready.” 

 

End-of-course exams are also becoming more popular. Nine states currently require students to pass end-of-course exams to graduate; three additional states are phasing in requirements for end-of-course exit exams; and six more states currently require or will soon require students to take, but not necessarily pass, end-of-course exams to graduate.

 

The author of the report suggests that several key questions about exit exams remain unresolved:

 

-Do exit exams raise student achievement?  “Very little (if any) evidence exists to suggest they have. For example, Grodsky et. al (2009) found no relationship between the adoption of an exit exam (or a change from a less rigorous to more rigorous test) and increased student achievement when they analyzed student achievement in states with exit exams using individual-level long term trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data from 1971 to 2004.”

 

-What are the effects of exit exams on the student achievement of low-performing vs. high-performing students? Researchers conclude from studies that “....the adoption of high school exit exams is not associated with any achievement gains or losses, and that “the evidence indicates that low-achieving students—those often targeted by these policies—do not experience gains under the more rigorous exams” (p. 487-488).”

 

-Why are exit exams seldom used as a criteria for selecting students/employees by institutions of higher education or employers? 

 

-What will be the impact of exit exams on racial/ethnic minority students, poor students, students with disabilities, and English language learners? “States have not, by and large, supported major research on important effects of these exams, such as their impact on curriculum and achievement, prevalence of students relying on alternate paths, or the relationship between these exams and students choosing to drop out of school. Without funding for research built into states’ plans for these exams, they cannot adequately ensure the success of these policies or understand the impacts on their students.”

 

The report is available at http://www.cep-dc.org/.

 

5) Brief Finds Data on Pre-K Programs Lacking:  The New American Foundation’s Early Education Initiative released on September 19, 2012 an issue brief entitled, Counting Kids and Tracking Funds in Pre-K and Kindergarten:  Falling Short at the Local Level by Lisa Guernsey and Alex Holt.  The brief describes the problems that researchers have finding data at the local level about pre-K programs, and notes that this has also been a major challenge of the New America Foundation’s Federal Education Budget Project, which collects and displays information on federal education funding.

 

According to the report, there is a lack of basic information about publicly funded early childhood education programs which seriously affects the ability of local governments, school leaders, policy-makers, and stakeholders to analyze pre-K and Kindergarten programs to make sure that they are meeting the needs of the children; are accountable to the public; are accessible to all children; and are equitable. The authors add, that “...poor data can lead to poor policies.”

 

The challenges in collecting data about pre-K and Kindergarten programs include the diversity of funding sources, including local, state, federal, and private funding and tuition payments; the differences in governance structures, enrollment requirements, hours/days of operation, and in the ages of enrolled children; and, for Kindergarten, the types of funding (including tuition payments), the length of the school day and school week, and enrollment criteria.

 

The brief recommends that a task-force of experts in early learning data be convened to identify how states can create a more logical, systematized approach to collecting data on early education programs.

 

The authors conclude, “Getting the data right is a critical step toward providing better learning experiences for all young children, laying the groundwork for alignment across the pre-K-3rd grade years, and building a strong foundation for their success in school.”

 

Information about this report is available at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/09/school_districts_and_communities_across.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

 

FYI ARTS

 

1) Webinar on a New Funding Opportunity:  The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will co-host a webinar on Thursday, October 4, 2012, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM EST about a new funding opportunity available to explore the effects of culture on health-related beliefs and practices.

 

The new funding opportunity will support research projects that bring together teams of social and behavioral researchers and arts and cultural experts to gain new insights into the relationships between culture and health. This effort is supported by the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet), a trans-NIH initiative that funds activities to build the collective body of knowledge about the nature of behavior and social systems. This is the first-time the NIH has embedded the arts into an OppNet Request for Applications on the social sciences. 

 

According to a press release, the NEA Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development has brought together federal agencies – including the NIH – to promote more and better research on how the arts help people reach their full potential at all stages of life. The NEA and the Interagency Task Force periodically host public webinars to share research, practices, and/or funding opportunities for research in the arts and human development. Task Force members include representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and other agencies and departments.  More information about the Task Force can be found at http://www.nea.gov/research/convenings.html 

  

For information about the webinar please visit

http://www.nea.gov/news/news12/NEA-NIH-webinar.html

 

An archive of the webinar will be available on Monday, October 8, 2012 at http://www.arts.gov/research/convenings/

 

2) Registration Open for AFA Local Arts Classroom:  Americans for the Arts announced on September 24, 2012 that registration is open for the 2013 Local Arts Classroom, a virtual leadership development series that provides an opportunity for arts leaders with less than 10 years of experience to master foundational concepts and build skills in local arts development. The program will run from January through May 2013, 

 

Participants in the 2013 Local Arts Classroom will be selected via a competitive application and panel process.  A maximum of 40 individuals will be accepted into the program. Selected participants will attend seven 90-minute webinars and seven 60-minute post-webinar discussion calls, each offering opportunities to connect with field leaders.  Participants will also have opportunities to regularly connect with peers around the country, and have access to a Classroom participant only web portal that will include resources to further study in each subject. 

 

The topics that will be covered in the series include,

-Cultural and Community Planning:  Building a Common Agenda for Development

-Space for Art:  Creating Spaces for Arts Production, Presentation, and Community Engagement

-Advocacy:  Making the Case for Arts and Culture

-Stewardship and Resource Development:  Raising Funds, Friends, and Allies

-Activating Community Leadership:  Board and Staff Development

-New in 2013 – Career Development:  Navigating Opportunities in the Local Arts Field

 

For more information please visit

http://www.artsusa.org/networks/emerging_leaders/classroom/003.asp

 

3) Creative Conversations:  Americans for the Arts is partnering again this year with arts and community leaders to host Creative Conversations. Last year, more than 1,800 individuals participated in 52 locally hosted Creative Conversations held throughout the country, and created a grassroots movement to elevate the profile of arts in America during National Arts & Humanities Month every October.

To locate a Creative Conversation in your area, please visit 

http://www.artsusa.org/networks/emerging_leaders/events/creative_conversations/default.asp

 

4) News from VSA:  VSA Ohio’s annual calls for art are now open! Entries for the 2013 touring visual arts exhibition, Accessible Expressions Ohio, and the Young Soloists Awards for musicians are available.  The deadline for both entries is Friday, December 7, 2012 by 5:00 PM.

 

Accessible Expressions Ohio is an adjudicated, statewide exhibition and tour of visual art. The tour is exhibited at an opening ceremony where a second adjudication is conducted to determine awards and cash prizes. The selected works then tour the state for a year travelling to different venues throughout Ohio.

For information and an entry form please visit

http://www.vsao.org/node/111

 

VSA’s Young Soloists Awards program recognizes the talent of young musicians. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges and will be showcased as performers at the Day of Arts for All celebration at the Westerville Community Center on Saturday, March 2, 2013. 

For more information and an entry form please visit 

http://www.vsao.org/node/113

 

For additional information please contact Morgan at mgreen@vsao.org or by phone at 614.241.5325.

 

5) Poetry Out Loud: The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) – in partnership with Thurber House, the Ohioana Library, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation – is offering the national recitation contest Poetry Out Loud in 2012-2013. Poetry Out Loud helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Free teacher toolkits, artist workshops, and coaching are available through the Ohio Arts Council. Classroom activities begin in the fall and conclude with school competitions. Winners advance to the Ohio finals in Columbus on March 16, 2013. Cash prizes will be awarded and Ohio’s state champion will win an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals on April 28-30, 2013. For more information please visit

http://www.oac.state.oh.us/events/PoetryOutLoud/

 

6)  Chicago Teachers’ Contract Includes the Arts:  An analysis of the new teachers’ contract for the Chicago Public School District shows that there will be an expansion of the curriculum and the addition of over 600 positions mostly in the arts, music, and PE. The contract also includes the following: requires that teachers be provided a locked cabinet; requires that teachers have access to a printer and other office supplies; requires that students receive textbooks on the first day of school; and allocates additional funding to reduce class size. The document is available at 

http://www.ctunet.com/for-members/strike-central/text/Board-Proposals-Summary-Comparison.pdf

Ohio Alliance for Arts Education

September 17, 2012

Joan Platz

 

Arts on Line Education Update

 

Summit on Preserving Our Public Schools

The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, Bill Phillis, Executive Director, is hosting a “Summit on Preserving Public Schools” on October 16, 2012 at the Bridgewater Banquet & Conference Center, 10561 Sawmill Parkway, Powell, OH 43065 from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM.

 

The featured speaker is Diane Ravitch, who is a historian of education at New York University and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C.

 

Dr. Ravitch is well-known as an outspoken proponent of public education and critic of corporate education reform and the movement to privatize education.  She has written several books and articles about America’s education system, including The Death and Life of the Great American School System and shares the “Bridging Differences” blog with Deborah Meier for Education Week.

 

The program includes a Keynote Address; Group Discussion; and Next Steps facilitated by Dennis Willard, Precision Media.

 

The Luncheon Speakers include

-Todd Alan Price, Professor, National Lewis University, who will speak about “How the Milwaukee Board of Education was Preserved -- Lessons for Ohio” and 

-Samuel Kern Alexander, Distinguished Professor, University of Illinois, who will speak about the “Consequences of Privatization of Public Education” 

 

The cost of the summit, which includes lunch, is $20.00.

 

To register please visit http://goo.gl/nlrHO.  The deadline to register is October 5, 2012.

For more information please contact the E & A Coalition at 614-228-6540 and email at ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net.

 

1)129th Ohio General Assembly:  The Ohio House and Senate are not scheduled to meet this week.

 

•General Assembly Approves Changes in Ohio’s Pension Systems:  On September 12, 2012 the Ohio House and Senate approved five pension reform bills: SB340 (Niehaus/Kearney) Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund; SB341 (Niehaus/Kearney) School Employees Retirement System; SB342 (Niehaus/Kearney) State Teachers Retirement System; SB343 (Niehaus/Kearney) Ohio Public Employees Retirement System; and SB345 (Niehaus/Kearney) Highway Patrol Retirement System. The changes in pension laws will ensure that the state retirement systems are solvent in the future by changing the requirements for receiving a pension, increasing contribution rates, increasing the age for retirement, changing cost-of-living increases, etc.  

 

A new provision included in four of the bills, with the exception of SB343, allows the boards of directors of the pension systems to make benefit changes without legislative approval. This change was added to the bills to provide the systems with more flexibility to respond to future funding issues.  Governor Kasich is expected to sign the bills into law.

 

In other action, the Ohio Senate rejected House changes to HB375 (Butler), sale of real estate by school districts to private, nonprofit institutions of higher education.  House and Senate differences in the bill are expected to be worked out in a conference committee.

 

•Task Force Formed to Develop Higher Ed Budget:  Governor Kasich has asked the presidents of Ohio’s colleges and universities to form a task force to develop a FY14-15 budget for higher education.  The task force will be led by Ohio State University president E. Gordon Gee. Governor Kasich directed the task force to set increasing the graduation rate as its overall priority.  The task force will also consider the impact of remediation on the budget, sharing services and facilities, utilizing “core assets” to optimize revenue, and enterprise universities. 

 

•SBE Member Resigns:  Dennis Shelton submitted his resignation from the State Board of Education on September 14, 2012.  Mr. Shelton is an appointed member whose term ends in December 2014. The position will be filled with an appointment made by Governor Kasich. 

 

2) National News:

 

•Funding for U.S. Government Extended:  The U.S. House approved on September 13, 2012 a continuing resolution to keep the government operating until March 27, 2013 (H. J. Resolution 117).  The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution this week. Neither the House or the Senate are expected to complete work on all appropriations measures before the end of the current fiscal year on October 1, 2012, thus requiring this continuing resolution, which will fund the government mostly at FY12 levels. In January 2013, however, automatic budget cuts are set to take effect (sequestration) unless Congress and the President take other actions.  Income tax cuts implemented first by President Bush and continued by President Obama are also set to expire in January 2013, unless further action is taken. For more information please visit http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=308400.

 

3) 2012 Election Update:

 

•Ballot Rewrite:  Pursuant to orders issued by the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Ballot Board, chaired by Secretary of State Jon Husted, met and revised the language for State Issue 2, a proposed constitutional amendment to change the system for drawing congressional and state legislative districts in Ohio on the November 6, 2012 ballot.

 

The Ohio Supreme Court issued a 6 to 1 decision on September 12, 2012 directing the Ohio Ballot Board to reconvene and rewrite the language for State Issue 2 in response to a suit filed by Voters First, the organization supporting the constitutional amendment.  The lawsuit alleged that the ballot language approved by the Ohio Ballot Board did not fairly and accurately describe the amendment. According to the Court, the ballot language contained material omissions and factual inaccuracies.

 

News services are reporting, however, that Voters First is still not satisfied with the fairness of the language.  For more information please visit http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/09/ohio_ballot_board_approves_new.html.

 

•Update on Provisional Ballots: Secretary of State Husted issued a directive to boards of elections on September 11, 2012 to comply with an order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Alegnon Marbly (Service Employees International Union (SEIU) v. Husted) on August 27, 2012 and count provisional ballots miscast due to poll worker error. Secretary Husted is also appealing the order to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

•Judge Denies Stay:  U.S. District Court Judge Peter Economus rejected on September 12, 2012 Secretary of State Jon Husted’s request to stay an order restoring early, in-person voting before the November 6, 2012 election. Judge Economus of the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division ordered on August 31, 2012 Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to restore in-person early voting on the weekend and Monday before the November 6, 2012 election. (Obama for America v. Husted). An appeal of the order was also filed by Attorney General Mike DeWine with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on September 4, 2012. For information about this ruling, please visit http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/.

 

4) State Board of Education (SBE) Meeting 

The State Board of Education, Debe Terhar president, met on September 10-11, 2012 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, OH. The major issues addressed by the State Board at this meeting included the search for a new superintendent to replace Stan Heffner; adoption of the FY14-15 Legislative and Budget Recommendations of the State Board; release of the Local Report Cards; determining a cut score for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee; developing rules to waive Operating Standards; and revising Operating Standards. 

 

Update on the Superintendent’s Search

The State Board of Education’s Executive Committee, chaired by Debe Terhar, agreed to serve as a search committee to hire a superintendent of public instruction to replace Stan Heffner, who retired in August 2012. The Executive Committee will interview on October 7, 2012 at 2:00 PM up to five firms to conduct the search. The selection of a search firm must then be approved by the full Board. The State Board has agreed that Deputy Superintendent Michael Sawyers will serve as Acting Superintendent until a new Superintendent is selected.

 

FY14-15 Legislative and Budget Recommendations

The State Board of Education approved its FY14-15 Legislative and Budget Recommendations entitled “Start Ready, Graduate Ready” on September 11, 2012 after a two-day discussion about whether or not to include additional funding for the third grade reading guarantee, early childhood education, information technology infrastructure, and the Ohio Young Farmers. A decision about possible increases in these areas was postponed until the SBE meeting in October 2012. The final budget proposal, including line items and legislative recommendations, will not be available until September 24, 2012, because State Board members can submit changes through the end of next week.

 

The State Board is required by Section 3301.07 of the Ohio Revised Code to prepare “a report on the status, needs, and major problems of the public schools of the state, with recommendations for necessary legislative action.” The time line requires the State Board and other state government departments and agencies to submit legislative and budget recommendations to the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) by October 1, 2012. The OBM then develops a FY14-15 state biennial budget proposal, which Governor Kasich will submit to the General Assembly in February 2013 for consideration.

 

In June 2012 the State Board received the ODE prepared budget document “Start Ready, Graduate Ready”, and reviewed the document in June, July, August, and September 2012.  “Start Ready, Graduate Ready” includes a placeholder amount of $6.860 billion each fiscal year for the Foundation Program until Governor Kasich completes work on a new school funding formula, and addresses other policy goals to continue the reforms underway in the Race to the Top grant and HB153. Funding requests for the General Revenue Fund and the Lottery Profits Education Fund total $14.5 billion for FY14-15. (A breakdown of the $14.5 billion will be provided after the final budget is available.)

 

In July 2012 the Ohio Department of Education was directed by the OBM to submit two additional budget scenarios:  a 90 percent budget based on FY13 appropriations and a 100 percent budget based on FY13 appropriations. These scenarios will also be included in the final budget document.

 

Additional information about the FY14-15 proposed budget for early childhood education and the Third Grade Reading Guarantee is included below:

 

-Increases for Early Childhood Education:  The ODE recommended an increase in early childhood education from $23.27 million in FY13 to $32.91 million in FY14; and $54.59 million in FY15.  Additional funds would be used to increase the per pupil amount to $5000 in FY14 and FY15 and increase the number of children served to over 10,000 in FY15. The number of students currently served is 5,700 children.

 

-Third Grade Reading Guarantee:  The legislature appropriated $13 million in competitive grants to school districts from the Lottery Reserve Fund to support the Third Grade Guarantee Program enacted in SB316 (Lehner) Mid-Biennium Review. Following the discussion with the ODE staff, Kelly Weir, ODE Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services and Budgetary Planning, presented to the State Board new recommendations for funding the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, totaling $38 million in FY14 and $66.9 million in FY15. The additional funding would be provided in the following areas to support the program:

-Reading Coaches - $15 million for 150 literacy coaches through the School Improvement System

-Professional Development - $10 million to revitalize efforts to build teacher capacity.  Within the $10 million, $1 million would be used to create a literacy office with 10 staff at the ODE.

-Reading Grants - $13 million would be continued as grants, but funded out of the General Revenue Fund.

-Teacher Credentials - $18.9 million would be provided to support $1,500 in stipends for teachers to upgrade credentials.

 

The State Board eventually agreed to reconsider this proposal in October 2012 in order to provide the ODE the opportunity to discuss these ideas with stakeholders and fine-tune the recommendations. 

 

Update on the Report Card Release 

The State Board voted on September 12, 2012 to release a spreadsheet with preliminary data results for the 2011-2012 Local Report Cards by September 30, 2012. The spreadsheet will include:

-LEA Name, IRN #, and county of residence

-Performance for all grades and subjects on the Ohio Achievement Assessments and Ohio Graduation Tests

-Adequate Yearly Progress status

-Value-added growth status

 

The spreadsheet data will not include attendance rates, the Performance Index, the number of indicators met, or an overall rating such as “Excellent” or “Effective.” 

 

The State Board decided to hold the release of the Local Report Card in August 2012 until an investigation about data tampering is completed by State Auditor Dave Yost.  The investigation is expected to be completed by January 2013. At that time the State Board will decide whether or not to release a Local Report Card in the traditional format, or release additional information in another spreadsheet.

 

SBE Sets Third Grade Reading Guarantee Cut Scores  

The State Board of Education approved a resolution on September 12, 2012 setting a 390 cut score in 2012-13 and 392 in 2013-14 for the third-grade Ohio Achievement Assessment in English language arts.  The cut scores will be used to determine if students in the third grade have achieved the appropriate level in reading in order to be promoted to forth grade reading in accordance with the Third Grade Guarantee (Sec. 3313.608 ORC). 

 

Ohio lawmakers approved the Third Grade Reading Guarantee in SB316 (Lehner) Mid-Biennium Review Education in June 2012. This law emphasizes reading instruction and early-targeted intervention and support in the early grades for students who are not reading on grade level; requires school districts and community schools to diagnose reading deficiencies in students at grades kindergarten through three; requires school districts and community schools to create individualized Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans; and requires schools to provide intense remediation to students. The law specifies that “intensive, explicit, and systematic instruction” shall be included in the plan (Sec. 3313.608(F) ORC.)

 

The 390 cut score falls within the basic reading range, while a score of 400 is considered the minimum proficient level. According to Sasheen Phillips, ODE’s Senior Executive Director of the Center for Curriculum and Assessment, an estimated 8,900 students could be retained in reading under the 390 cut score, and 5,700 at the lowest basic score of 385, based on 2010-11 data. The cut scores were set for two years, because starting in 2014-15 schools will be using new assessments developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) in reading and math aligned to the new Common Core Standards, and the cut scores for limited, basic, proficient, accelerated, and advanced levels will change.

 

According to Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Sawyers, most school districts and charter schools (72 percent), have less than 10 students who could be retained based on the score of 390 using 2010-11 data. Most of the students who could be retained attend eleven districts and charter schools in mostly urban areas, such as Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.  

 

Students who are identified as reading below grade level are required to receive reading intervention services from a teacher who has a reading endorsement. But, according to the ODE, only 4,325 teachers actually have an endorsement in reading in Ohio.

 

Waivers from Operating Standards 

The State Board of Education’s Capacity Committee, Tom Gunlock chair, received information about a new rule being developed by the ODE to waive Operating Standards for public schools upon the request of a board of education.  HB153 (Amstutz), the FY12-13 budget bill, requires that “...the State Board adopt standards for the approval or disapproval of waivers from Operating Standards” (Sec. 3301.07(O) ORC). Each waiver granted shall specify the period of time that the waiver is in effect, which shall not exceed five years, and a district board of education may apply to renew a waiver. 

 

There are currently provisions in statute that permit boards of education to seek and be granted waivers from statute, but this rule will be limited to provisions in Operating Standards that are not in statute already.  To begin a discussion about developing this rule, a document that identified the following provisions in Operating Standards that are not also in statute was shared with the Capacity Committee. 

-The requirement that a school district include the study of foreign languages, technology, family and consumer science, and business education.  These content areas are in statute as electives, however.

-Credit flexibility

-The requirement that the ratio of teachers to students district wide be at least one full time equivalent (FTE) classroom teacher to 25 students; the ratio of teachers to students in grades K-4 on a district-wide basis be at least one FTE per 25 students.

-The requirement that five FTE educational service personnel shall be employed for each 1000 students.

-The requirement that every school shall be provided the services of a principal, and every school with fifteen or more full-time equivalent classroom teachers shall be assigned the services of a full-time principal.  No principal shall be assigned to more than two schools.

-The requirement that the schedule of a FTE classroom teacher with a teacher day of six hours or longer include 200 minutes per week for designing their work, evaluating student progress, conferencing, and team building.

-The requirement that the school day for students in grades 7-12 be at least five and one-half hours per day. (Statute requires that the day be at least five hours long.)

-The requirement that in addition to its regular budget process, the school district work with stakeholders at least once every three years to evaluate the district’s allocation of educational resources.

 

A separate list of possible requirements that could be waived for chartered nonpublic schools was also shared with the Capacity Committee.

 

Updating Operating Standards  

The State Board identified reviewing Operating Standards, Administrative Code 3301-35-01 through 07 and 11, as one of its priorities for action during their July 2012 Retreat. The purpose of the review would be to “... assess and propose revisions to the operating standards to determine what updates, if any, should occur to support Ohio’s reform strategy including, but not limited to, providing flexibility to free dollars and seat-time, etc.”  (September 2012 Board Book 5 p. 12)  

 

A joint subcommittee of the Achievement and Capacity Committee was appointed by State Board President Terhar to conduct this work.  The subcommittee includes Mike Collins, Dannie Greene, Angela Thi Bennett, Tom Gunlock, and C. Todd Jones. The ODE will make a presentation to the full Board about Operating Standards in October 2012.  The process will include public hearings at the scheduled State Board meetings (during public participation) and stakeholder participation. 

 

Another subcommittee, which will report to the Achievement Committee, was appointed to address another State Board of Education priority, early childhood education.  Other priorities identified at the July SBE Retreat were assigned to the Capacity Committee (school culture), and the Urban Committee (the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and urban education). 

 

State Board of Education Business Meeting on Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The State Board of Education, Debe Terhar president, convened its business meeting on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, and approved minutes for the July 2012 Retreat and August 20, 2012 Special Meeting. 

 

During public participation the State Board received a question from Charlotte Andrist, Central Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.  She requested clarification about the student retention requirement of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, being discussed by the State Board.  She was concerned that the requirement that students receive intense, systematic, and explicit instruction in reading is not included in the Ohio Department of Education’s guidance document about the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Acting Superintendent Sawyers responded by saying staff would check to ensure that the guidance document reflects the language of the law, and that it was the intent of the ODE to build the capacity of teachers so that they could provide effective interventions.

 

Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Sawyers then presented to the Board his report, which noted the following: 

 

•ODE Vacancies:  Several vacancies in the ODE are expected to be filled over the next month, including a Senior Executive Director position (replacing Adrian Allison), an Associate Superintendent position (replacing Bill Zelei), and possibly the resurrection of the position of chief of staff. 

 

•OBR to Move to ODE:  The Ohio Board of Regents will relocate to the ODE building at 25 South High Street by December 31, 2012. Work to renovate the ODE building will take place starting in September.

 

•eTPES Launched:  The electronic Teacher and Principal Evaluation Systems (eTPES) was rolled-out on September 4, 2012 by the ODE. This system allows an evaluator to collect and store evidence and documented observations to determine educator performance based upon defined rubrics, and report educator ratings to ODE. eTPES is based on feedback from the 122 pilot school districts who implemented the system last year. Acting Superintendent Sawyers recognized Lori Lofton, ODE Senior Executive Director, Center for the Teaching Profession; Jim Herrholz, Association Superintendent, Division of Learning; Julia Simmerer, Director Ohio Department of Education, Office of Educator Effectiveness, and Kathy Harper, ODE Office of Equity and Talent, for their contributions to develop and launch eTPES.

 

•New Assessment System:  According to law, the ODE, the State Board of Education, and the Ohio Board of Regents are required to develop a new assessment that includes a college and work ready assessment, end of course exams, and secure vendors to provide the assessments.  The new assessment system will replace the Ohio Graduation Tests and will become a prerequisite for students to pass in order to receive a diploma. 

 

The new system will be implemented in 2014-15 and include a national standardized assessment that measures college and career readiness selected jointly by the State Board, the Superintendent, and Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.  This exam will be administered to students as a planning tool in the 10th grade no later than the fall of the 2014-15 school year. But, in order to accomplish this goal, the exam needs to be available for pilot testing in the fall of next year. Some examples of possible national assessments that are already available include the PSAT (College Board), the PLAN (ACT), the Composite exam (Cisco), etc.

 

The law also requires the selection of end of course exams by the Superintendent, State Board, and Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents to replace the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).  These exams are not high stakes exams like the OGT, but the student’s score on the exam will be a percentage of the student’s final grade in the course. 

 

Three of the end of course exams for English language arts will be selected by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC); three of the end of course exams in math, which could be Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 11, or integrated math 1,2,3, will also be selected by PARCC.  The remaining exams in American History, American Government, biology, and physical science will be selected by the Superintendent, State Board, and Chancellor.

 

PARCC is also considering how to incorporate exams required by the International Bachelor and the Advanced Placement programs, so that students participating in these programs do not have to take more assessments.

 

To facilitate the selection of the new assessments the State Board of Education was presented for approval a memorandum of agreement between the ODE, the State Board of Education, and Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.  The agreement allows the President of the State Board of Education to act on behalf of the State Board regarding the selection of the new assessments. 

 

Both Rob Hovis and Jeff Hardin expressed concern about the selection of a national exam to assess college and career readiness, and wanted assurances that the special knowledge and skills that students in career tech programs learn are also acknowledged.  Acting Superintendent Sawyers responded by saying that representatives from career tech programs will be part of the deliberations about the selection of the national exam. 

 

The State Board then took action on 16 school personnel items and the following resolutions:

 

#7 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-24-01 of the Administrative Code entitled Glossary/Definitions.

 

#8 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-24-05 of the Administrative Code entitled Licensure.

 

#9 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Birth to Kindergarten Entry Early Learning and Development Standards and their Successors.

 

#10 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt a Revised Model Anti-Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Policy.

 

#11 Approved a Resolution to Confirm and Approve the Recommendation of the Hearing Officer and to Approve the Transfer of School District Territory from the Bethel Local School District, Miami County, to the Miami East Local School District, Miami County, pursuant to Section 3311.24 of the Ohio Revised Code.

 

#12 Approved a Resolution by Substitution to Reject the Hearing Officer’s Report and Approve the Transfer of School District Territory from the Little Miami Local School District, Warren County, to the Kings Local School District, Warren County, pursuant to Section 3311.24 of the Ohio Revised Code. (The original resolution denied the transfer of territory.)

 

#23 Approved a Resolution to Amend Rule 3301-51-08 of the Administrative Code entitled Parentally Placed Nonpublic School Children.

 

#24 Approved the Willard City School District Board of Education’s Determination of Impractical Transportation of Certain Students Attending St. Paul Elementary and St. Paul High School in Norwalk, OH.

 

#25 Approved a Resolution to Adopt the State Board of Education’s 2014-2015 Budget Request to the Governor and Members of the General Assembly. The document includes budget scenarios A, B, and C. Budgets A & B are OBM scenarios that include a budget that is 90 percent of FY13 levels and a budget that is 100 percent of FY13 levels.  Document C is the budget document presented to the State Board in June 2012 and includes the funding priorities of the State Board, and place-holders for Foundation Funding levels.

 

The Resolution was amended to indicate that the State Board will consider at the October 2012 meeting additional funding for the policy areas of early childhood education, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Information Technology Infrastructure, and Ohio Young Farmers, and will make additional recommendations to the Office of Budget and Management at that time. 

 

Board member Deb Cain voted against the budget resolution, stating that it does not fulfill the State Board’s responsibility to address school district needs, and does not reflect the severe financial situations that school districts are facing, including the loss of teachers; cuts in AP and arts/music programs; and the number of school districts that are facing ballot issues this year.

 

#26 Approved a Motion to Select Michael Collins as a voting delegate to the NASBE Convention. 

 

#27 Approved a Resolution to appoint Wayne L. Wlodarski to the Educator Standards Board.

 

#28 Approved a Resolution to Adopt the Revised Physical Education and Wellness Report Card Measure. 

 

#29 Approved a Resolution to Adopt Cut Scores for the Third Grade Ohio Achievement Assessment in Reading for the Purposes of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. 

 

#30 Approved a Resolution to Accept the Recommendation of the Hearing Officer and to Revoke the Registration of Rays of Hope as an Autism Scholarship Provider, Pursuant to Section 3310.41 of the Revised Code and Rule 3301-103-06(E) of the Ohio Administrative Code. 

 

#31 Approved a Motion to reconsider #17 and #20, personnel matters.  The reconsideration was necessary, because State Board member C. Todd Jones, in his position as a State Board member on the advisory board to review consent agreements, had inadvertently voted on cases that had appeared before him, when he should have abstained.  Both resolutions were approved again.

 

#32 Approved a Motion to release the Local Report Cards as a spreadsheet by September 30, 2012. Rob Hovis moved an amendment to require the State Board to issue the regular Local Report Card, but the amendment failed. 

 

#33 Approved a Motion to appoint Krista Taracuk to the Library Board for a full term.

 

#34 Approved a Memorandum of Agreement between the ODE, the State Board of Education, and the Chancellor of the Board of Regents, that would allow President Terhar to act on behalf of the State Board of Education in a process to select assessments and end of course exams.  The document was amended to indicate that the memorandum would terminate if a joint agreement on the assessments and exams cannot be reached. 

 

#35 Approved a Resolution that directs a committee of the State Board to be created to identify successful educational practices related to financial literacy; determine if the State Board should recommend to the legislature that all students complete a discrete course in financial literacy to graduate; and report its findings and recommendations to the State Board by December 31, 2013. 

 

#36 Presented a Commendation to William Zelei, thanking him for his leadership and work with the Ohio Department of Education. 

 

5) Using NAEP to Predict College and Career Readiness:  An article in Education Week on September 11, 2012 entitled “Can NAEP Predict College Readiness” by Sarah D. Sparks, describes the difficulty that educators, researchers, and policy makers have had in using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to predict post-high school student achievement in college or careers. 

 

The release of a study that was commissioned by the National Assessment Governing Board to determine the effectiveness of NAEP to predict student preparedness for college, career, and military was delayed last month so that additional data could be collected and analyzed from 2013 NAEP data.  

 

Other researchers have found that the 12th grade NAEP scores in reading and math cover content similar to the SAT.  When the NAEP score of proficient is compared to the SAT scores, a proficient score on the NAEP math exam corresponds with an 80 percent chance of earning 500 out of 800 possible points on the math portion of the SAT.  A proficient score in reading was associated with a 50-50 chance of scoring 500 on the SAT verbal. 500 is the score that the SAT has established as equivalent to earning at least a B- in freshman level college courses. Researchers have also found that the 12th grade NAEP scores correspond less with the ACT scores than with SAT scores. 

 

According to the article, one of the problems in using NAEP is the lack of a definitive cut score that means that students are college and career ready. According to Cornelia S. Orr, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, “The goal for the governing board was to find the point at which students would be prepared academically. As of yet, we haven’t gotten there.”

 

Using NAEP scores to determine preparation for careers that don’t require four years of college is less likely. College and career ready might not mean the same thing according to Louis M. Fabrizio, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board and director of data, research and policy at the North Carolina Department of Education. A study comparing NAEP scores with career-related WorkKeys tests, for example,  found little overlap of content. More research will be conducted next year to compare the skills and knowledge covered in job-training programs in five career areas with the math and reading content in the 12th grade NAEP tests.

 

The article is available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/09/12/03nagb.h32.html.

 

6)  Bills Introduced:

 

•SB372 (Brown) Summer Meal Programs:  Requires school districts to allow alternative summer meal sponsors to use school facilities to provide food service for summer intervention services regardless of financial reasons if at least half of the students are eligible for free lunches.

 

•HB590 (Boose) Tax Expenditure Review Committee:  Creates a Tax Expenditure Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing existing and proposed tax expenditures. 

 

•HCR53 (Goyal) Election Contributions: Memorializes the Congress of the United States to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution to overturn the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 50 (2010), and to specify that Congress and the States have the power to regulate contributions and expenditures made for the purpose of influencing elections.

 

FYI ARTS

 

1) Nominations Being Accepted for KCAAEN and NSBA Award:  The nomination form for the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) and National School Boards Association Award (NSBA) is available at 

https://mail.artsusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kennedy-center.org/SchoolBoardAward

 

Since 1989, the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and the National School Boards Association have recognized a board of education that has demonstrated support for and commitment to high-quality arts education, and includes all four major artistic disciplines - visual art, music, theater and dance - in their arts education program. 

 

Final selection of a board of education is made by a national panel of educators and arts professionals, including representatives of the KCAAEN and NSBA. The winning school board receives a plaque presented at the NSBA Annual Conference, along with a cash award of $10,000 to use for their arts education program.

 

One nomination is invited to apply from each U.S. state. The deadline to submit a proposal is December 3, 2012. For more information please contact the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education at http://www.oaae.net/.

 

A list of past winners can be found online at 

https://mail.artsusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/kcaaen/recognition/nsba_winners.html.

 

2)  The EdTA Conference Video Stream:  The Educational Theatre Association will video stream two keynote presentations from the EdTA Conference in San Diego. The two events take place on Saturday, September 22 at 8:45 AM and 11:15 AM Pacific Time.  The 8:45 AM web stream will present the results of the Survey of Theatre Education in United States High Schools. The 11:15 AM presentation will discuss the revision of the national arts standards, which EdTA is helping to rewrite, along with many other organizations that belong to the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. The video stream is available at http://new.livestream.com/edta.

 

3) Live Webinar about Using the Arts to Transform Struggling Schools:  The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Federal Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development will host a live webinar on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST.  The Webinar will focus on the question, “Can the arts play a role in transforming struggling schools and improving student outcomes?” 

 

The webinar will feature presentations by the U.S. Department of Education and The Center for Arts Education in New York City. Representatives from The Center for Arts Education will discuss findings from the U.S. Department of Education Arts in Education Model Development & Dissemination Programs implemented in New York City and Chicago K-8 schools. CAE will also share findings of a study on the impact of arts education on student engagement and graduation in New York City public high schools.  Guest speakers include

-Sunil Iyengar, Director of Research & Analysis, NEA, will moderate the webinar

-Jerry Kyle, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Innovation and Improvement, US Department of Education

-Lori Sherman, Director of Development, The Center for Arts Education

-Jerry James, Director of Teaching and Learning, The Center for Arts Education

-Doug Israel, Director of Research and Policy, The Center for Arts Education

-Ramon Gonzalez, Principal, MS223, The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology

 

This is the latest public webinar hosted by the NEA Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development, an alliance of 14 federal agencies and departments that encourage more and better research on how the arts help people reach their full potential at all stages of life. More information on the Task Force can be found at 

https://mail.artsusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nea.gov/research/convenings.html.

 

This webinar is free and open to the public.  No registration is required. To join the webinar, go to 

https://mail.artsusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://artsgov.adobeconnect.com/artsdev4/ 

 

Check the “Enter as Guest” radio button. Type in your name and click hit “Enter Room” to join. Participants can also listen using your computer’s speakers or dial-in to 1-877-685-5350 and use participant code: 942738. Attendees will be muted but able to type in questions and comments through a text Q&A box.

 

An archive of the webinar will be available on September 24th at https://mail.artsusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.arts.gov/research/convenings/

 

4) Reading is Fundamental Adds the Arts:  Reading is Fundamental (RIF) released a press release on September 12, 2012 stating that is has launched a multi-year early childhood literacy campaign to integrate the arts with STEM learning. The new RIF program includes a collection of 40 multicultural children’s books and related activities with themes that integrate the arts and STEM subjects. 

 

According to Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF, 

“This initiative is about inspiring the innovators of tomorrow early with engaging books and resources that connect the dots between science, technology and the arts from broad-ranging cultural perspectives. From DaVinci to Madame C.J. Walker to Steve Jobs, our greatest innovators are those who are as creative as they are precise, as imaginative as they are methodical. STEAM-based learning aims to nurture every facet of innovation.” 

 

This year’s collection will be accompanied by a set of free downloadable activities for parents and educators to engage children in literacy development, based on the Common Core Standards adopted by 45 states in the nation. Each book in the collection was carefully reviewed and selected by RIF’s Literacy Services team with guidelines provided by RIF’s Literature Advisory Board and Multicultural Advisory Committee, national panels of educators and experts in books for children.

 

Reading Is Fundamental is a national non-profit organization which delivers free books to kids and families in under-served communities. 

 

For more information please visit http://www.rif.org/us/about/press-room.htm

 

5) Target: Field Trip Grants: Target Field Trip Grants are available to fund scholastic outings in situations where monies are otherwise lacking. The maximum award is $700. Teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff in K-12 public, are eligible to participate.  The deadline to submit a proposal is September 30, 2012.  For more information please visit 

http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031880

Arts On Line Education Update September 4, 2012

OAAE and CPE Host an Information Exchange about School Funding

The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the Coalition for Public Education are hosting a public Information Exchange about Ohio's system for funding schools on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 12:30 - 2:00 PM at the St. Stephen's Community House, 1500 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43219. The purpose of the non-partisan Information Exchange is to increase financial and public support for traditional public schools by creating a network of well-informed citizens who are willing to contact legislators and policy-makers, and advocate for public schools and a fair and adequate school funding system in the next state budget. To accomplish this goal, the Information Exchange will,

• Inform the public about the current financial status of school districts; efforts to revise the state's school funding system; and efforts to privatize education through vouchers, tuition tax credits, and formulas in which public funds "follow the child".
• Provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions of school funding experts
• Provide an opportunity for small group discussion about the issues to enable the public to express their ideas about a fair state funding system for public schools. (These sessions will be taped in some cases, so that there is a record of the comments for use during next year's budget debate.)
• Facilitate small group discussions so that participants can come to consensus on a message about how schools should be funded.
• Provide opportunities for the public to take action. 

Representatives from the Coalition for Public Education, including the Ohio School Boards Association, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, will facilitate the meeting.

Arts education advocates are encouraged to attend and participate in the Information Exchange and,

• Describe the impact of school district budget cuts on the students in schools/districts.
• What arts courses, programs, and grade levels have been cut in your school/district? 
• How have these cuts affected sequential learning in the arts and student decisions about continuing education and careers in the arts? 

Advocate for the following:

• Ohio's school funding system should provide sufficient financial support to ensure that all students have sequential, standards-based learning opportunities in the arts (defined as dance, drama theatre, music, visual art, and media arts) in grades K-12, so that by the end of 12th grade all students have
  • experienced the fine arts: dance, drama/theater, music, and visual art 
  • studied at least one art form in depth 
  • graduated with at least one high school credit in the arts, and
  • are prepared with the knowledge and skills to pursue a career in the arts or higher education in the arts, if that is their choice.

(These expectations are listed on p.2 of the Academic Content Standards for the Fine Arts, adopted by the State Board of Education in December 2003.)

The public is invited to attend this meeting, but space is limited. Please RSVP to jhallett@oaae.net or call 614.224.1060 to reserve your seat.

The Coalition for Public Education (CPE) was formed in 2001 to challenge the constitutionality of the state's charter school statutes. (Ohio Congress of Parents Teachers, et. al. v State Board of Education, et. al.,) Since that time the CPE has promoted public education and public schools by recognizing innovative student programs in traditional public school districts during the OSBA Capital Conference, Student Achievement Fair; testifying before the State Board of Education and the Ohio General Assembly in support of legislation and rules to increase accountability for charter schools; and providing an analysis of charter school report card data each year.

Members of the CPE include the Ohio Congress of Parents and Teachers, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, and several local teachers' unions.

House and Senate Preparing for Passage of Pension Reform Bills

The House Health and Aging Subcommittee on Retirement and Pensions has agreed to substitute bills on reforming Ohio’s public employee pension systems. The subcommittee intends to approve the substitute bills on September 10; with full committee approval expected later that day, and a House and Senate vote scheduled for September 11 or 12.

 

Since the Ohio Retirement Study Council heard a presentation from outside consultants on July 11, the House Health and Aging Subcommittee on Retirement and Pensions has been conducting weekly hearings on pension reform legislation passed by the Senate. The consultants — Pension Trustee Advisers (PTA) and KMS Actuaries — were hired to review the pension reform plans proposed by Ohio’s five public pension systems.

The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) met weekly at the Statehouse through the month of August and into September.

The STRS plan, which is incorporated in SB 342, has passed the Senate, and is one of the bills being considered in the House Health and Aging Subcommittee on Retirement and Pensions. Key elements of SB 342 include:

 

Contributions

 Beginning July 1, 2013, increases the employee contribution rate, which is paid by STRS members, by increments to 14% (from 10%) of compensation.

For compensation earned on or after July 1, 2017, permits the STRS Board to reduce the employee contribution rate to less than 14% if the Board's actuary determines that a reduction in the rate does not materially impair the fiscal integrity of the retirement system.

 

Retirement eligibility and formulas

Eligibility

 Beginning August 1, 2015, changes eligibility requirements for unreduced retirement benefits for STRS members but retains the current provision under which a member may retire with an unreduced benefit at age 65 with a minimum of five years of service credit, except that under the bill the credit must be "qualifying" service credit.

 Beginning August 1, 2015, changes eligibility requirements for retirement benefits for STRS members who elect to retire early and receive a reduced benefit but retains the current provision under which a member may retire with a reduced benefit at age 60 with a minimum of five years of service credit, except that under the bill the credit must be "qualifying" service credit.

 Permits the STRS Board to adjust retirement eligibility requirements if the Board's actuary determines that an adjustment does not materially impair the fiscal integrity of the retirement system or is necessary to preserve the fiscal integrity of the system.

 For retirement effective on or after August 1, 2015, reduces the rate used to calculate benefits to 2.2% of final average salary (FAS) for each year of service credit beyond 30 years, rather than 2.5% plus an amount increasing by .1% of FAS for each year beyond 30.

 For benefits beginning on or after August 1, 2015, changes to five (from three) the number of years used to determine final average salary (FAS), which is used to calculate a retirement allowance or disability benefit.

 Permits an STRS member who under current law on July 1, 2015 would be eligible to retire, to retire on or after August 1, 2015 and receive the greater of the benefit determined under the current benefit formula or the new benefit formula established by the bill.

Effective July 1, 2013, eliminates the commuted service calculation, which is an alternative to the final average salary method of calculating a retirement allowance.  Effective July 1, 2013, eliminates the $86 minimum benefit calculation in the final average salary formula.

Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)

 Effective August 1, 2013, reduces the COLA to an annual 2% (from 3%), except that no COLA's will be granted from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, to persons retiring prior to July 1, 2013, or until July 1, 2015, to persons retiring on or after July 1, 2013.

Authorizes the STRS Board to adjust the COLA if the Board's actuary determines, in its annual actuarial valuation or in other evaluations, that an adjustment does not materially impair the fiscal integrity of the retirement system or is necessary to preserve the fiscal integrity of the system.

For those receiving an allowance or benefit beginning on or after August 1, 2013, increases to five years (from one year) the time that must pass before the first COLA is granted unless the allowance or benefit was immediately preceded by a disability benefit that was terminated because the recipient reached retirement age.

Provides that the retirement allowance of an STRS member whose disability benefit terminates and is immediately replaced by a retirement allowance will be increased by any COLAs granted while the member was receiving the disability benefit and specifies that the increase is based on the plan of payment selected by the member.

States the General Assembly's intent in enacting modifications to COLAs.

Health care

 Creates a health care fund, to which amounts allocated by the STRS Board for health care and any earnings are to be credited.

 Provides that, if STRS discontinues health care coverage, any remaining surplus funds are to be distributed to employers who have contributed to the health care

fund.

Permits, rather than requires, the STRS Board to reimburse Medicare Part B premiums to benefit recipients and provides that reimbursement may be made only to recipients who are "enrolled in" (rather than "eligible for") Medicare Part B.

 

 Limits the monthly Medicare Part B premium reimbursement to an amount determined by the STRS Board that is not to exceed 90% of the basic premium, except that the reimbursement cannot exceed the amount actually paid for coverage.

 

 Provides that STRS is permitted, rather than required, to offer long-term care coverage.

 

 

Amendments expected in the substitute bill 

• Requirement of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) to :

1)Study and make recommendations on the authority the bill gives the State Teaches Retirement System (STRS) to:

-Reduce the employee contribution rate to less than 14% for compensation earned after July 1, 2017;

-Adjust retirement eligibility requirements;

-Adjust the cost-of-living adjustment.

2) Within 90 days after the bill’s effective date, prepare and submit to the Senate President and House Speaker a report of its findings and recommendations.

• Changes the effective date of the bill to January 7, 2013.

• Delays for an additional 180 days provisions authorizing the STRS Board to:

1. 1)Reduces the employee contribution rate to less than 14% for compensation earned on or after July 1, 2017;
2. 2)Adjust retirement eligibility requirements;
3. 3)Adjust the cost-of-living adjustment.
   
   

• Delays until July 31, 2014, the repeal of a provision providing for the establishment of retirement incentive plans.

• Delays the effective date of the following provision until July 1, 2014: Provides that an STRS member may retire from one or more positions covered by STRS or other state retirement systems and continue contributing to STRS or other state retirement systems only if the member continuously held the positions for which the member continues to contribute for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to retirement

To view the bill analysis of  Sub. SB 382 go to: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/bills

 

School-funding hearings

The House Extended Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education hosted several hearings on school funding in July. The committee is using a website that includes the schedule for hearings, testimony presented and other useful information. To view the website, go to studentlearningfirst.ohiohouse.gov.

Note: The information contained in this update was submitted on September 7, 2012.