• OTES

FROM: Ann Brennan

FYI: Important update on State Board of Education action on new graduation requirements, related assessments and OTES changes, all as a result of recent legislative enactments. Also note that HB 597 has another House Rules Committee hearing scheduled on Wed., 9/24.

1) Ohio News

•130th Ohio General Assembly: The Ohio House and Senate are not holding sessions this week.

The Rules and Reference Committee, chaired by Representative Huffman, will meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 10:00 AM in room 313 of the Statehouse to consider HB597 (Thompson/Huffman) Repeal/Replace Common Core State Standards.

•Supreme Court to Hear Charter School Lawsuit: Plaintiffs and defendants will present oral arguments before the Ohio Supreme Court on September 23, 2014 in a lawsuit, Hope Academy Broadway Campus, et al. v. White Hat Management, LLC, et al. The plaintiffs, Hope Broadway Campus and nine other charter schools that were formerly managed by White Hat Management, David Brennan, founder, allege that public funds paid to a private entity to operate a charter school are subject to public accountability. The schools canceled their contract with White Hat Management, and are now suing to recoup their assets, including the books, furniture, technology, etc, purchased with public funds to operate the school. The lawsuit is being appealed from the 10th District Court of Appeals, which ruled on November 13, 2013 that the charter school assets are not public, once the public funds are paid to a private management company.

See https://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/10/2013/2013-ohio-5036.pdf

•Address Poverty to Improve Student Achievement: An editorial in the Akron Beacon Journal points-out the relationship between the percent of students from families with low incomes in a school or district and the low performance of the school/district on the state report cards, released on September 12, 2014.

According to the editorial, Howard Fleeter, from the Education Tax Policy Institute, evaluated the recent state report cards and found that as the level of families with low incomes increases in a school/district, the performance index score decreases. School districts with a poverty level at 14.2 percent, for example, had a performance index above 105, while school districts with a poverty rate of 64 percent had a performance index score below 92.3.

The editorial observes, “The results hardly could be more stark, or point more clearly to the challenge: Address the effects of poverty, and the likelihood increases of elevating troubled districts and bringing an overall advance for the state. Researchers highlight the “toxic stress” of poverty, the absence of what many households take for granted, starting with the presence of nurturing parents, reading and talking with their children. The missing elements include, among other things, healthy food, high expectations and a stable routine.”

The editorial goes on to say that aside from a small increase in early childhood education programs in the last state budget, little has been done in Ohio to address the effects of poverty on student achievement. Instead, policy makers have blamed teachers and promoted charter schools, which have a dismal performance “in the main”.

The editorial concludes, “Rather, the long string of Fs for poverty-ridden districts should trigger a sense of urgency, action driven by the understanding that if Ohio gets serious about easing this problem, it will be much stronger.”

See “Toxic stress of poverty on schools”, Editorial, Akron Beacon Journal, September 17, 2014 at http://www.ohio.com/editorial/toxic-stress-of-poverty-on-schools-1.523253

•Arne Duncan to Speak in Ohio: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is scheduled to present the keynote address at the Rural Education National Forum on October 27, 2014 in Columbus Ohio. The two day conference at the Polaris Hilton is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education and Battelle for Kids. The forum will provide unique opportunities to examine rural education opportunities and collaborations to improve student achievement.

The agenda also includes Gayle Manchin, president of the West Virginia State Board of Education and past president of the National Association of State Boards of Education and James Mahoney, executive director of Battelle for Kids.

See https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/School-Improvement/Race-to-the-Top/Events/Rural-Education-National-Forum#.VB5GrUsfPBE

2) National News

•National Poverty Rate Declines: The U.S. Census Bureau released on September 16, 2014 a report that examines the national poverty rate, median income, and other economic factors for 2013 based on the results of the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau last spring.

According to the report, the overall poverty rate in the U.S. declined for the first time since 2006, from 15.0 percent in 2012 to 14.5 percent in 2013. The poverty rate for children also declined for the first time since 2000 from 21.8 percent in 2012 to 19.9 percent in 2013.

Unfortunately 45.3 million people are still living at or below the poverty level, which is defined as $23,834 for a family of four.

The report also notes that the median income in 2013 was $51,939, which is about $200 more than the median income in 2012. Overall household income is 8 percent lower than in 2007, the year before the nation entered the recession. Household income reached a peak in 1999 at $56,895.

Ohio’s poverty rate is reported at 16 percent in 2013, a small decline from 16.3 percent in 2012.

See “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013”, by Carmen DeNavas-Walt and Bernadette D. Proctor, U.S. Census Bureau, September 16, 2014 at
http://www.census.gov/library/publications/2014/demo/p60-249.html

•Update on Congressional Actions: Last week lawmakers in Congress made history by approving the following bi-partisan legislation:

-Continuing Resolution H.J. 124: The U.S. House and Senate approved last week a continuing resolution to keep the government running until December 11, 2014. Over the past few years Congress has been using continuing resolutions to fund government agencies and departments, because lawmakers have been unable to approve appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. Unlike last year, however, H.R. 124 received bi-partisan support, and was approved before lawmakers left the capital to continue their campaigns for the November 4, 2014 election. The resolution even includes an amendment requested by President Obama to authorize training and equipment for rebels in Syria to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIS. President Obama signed the measure on September 19, 2014.

The House and Senate appropriations committees are still working on appropriations bills, which are expected to be rolled into an “omnibus” spending bill, which will be considered by lawmakers when they return to the Capital November 12, 2014.

See House Committee on Appropriations at http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392934.

-Strengthening Education through Research Act: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), chaired by Senator Tom Harkin, approved the Strengthening Education through Research Act (H.R. 4366) on September 17, 2014. The legislation reauthorizes the Institute for Education Science, and includes changes to streamline the research organization, promote accountability, and protect student privacy.

According to Inside Higher Ed some research organizations say the bill weakens the National Center for Education Statistics, because its commissioner would be appointed by the head of the Institute of Education Sciences, rather than by the President, with the confirmation of the Senate.

The legislation now goes to the full Senate for consideration. The House approved reauthorization in May 8, 2014.

See “Bill Targets U.S. Education Research” by Michael Stratford, Inside Higher Ed, September 18, 2014 at
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/09/18/bill-would-revamp-oversight-federal-education-research

-Child Care and Development Block Grant Program: The U.S. House approved the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (S. 1086) on September 15, 2014. The program provides funds to states to help low-income families pay for child care while parents work, attend school, or attend job training. The act was amended to increase safety requirements for providers, and promotes better training for child care workers. The Senate approved the bill in March 2014, but because it was amended by the House, the Senate will need to review it again, which might slow down the final passage of the bill. According to Education Week, Senator Pat Toomey has put a hold on S. 1086 until he gets a vote on his bill, the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act.

See “Child Care and Development Block Grant Hits Roadblock” by Lauren Camera, Education Week, September 17, 2014 at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2014/09/child_care_and_development_blo.html.

3) State Board of Education: The State Board of Education, Debe Terhar president, met on September 15 and 16, 2014 in Columbus, and made decisions that affect graduation requirements, state assessments, Ohio’s Teacher Evaluation System, and more. The following is a summary of some of the issues that the Board addressed at their September 2014 meeting:

•Ohio Teacher Evaluation System Revised: The State Board of Education adopted the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) framework in November 2011 pursuant to section 3319.112 of the Revised Code and following the recommendations of the Educators’ Standards Board. Substitute House Bill 362 (Scherer/Derickson), which was signed into law on June 12, 2014, made changes to OTES for the 2014-2015 school year and future years, and required the State Board to revise the OTES framework.

Overall HB362 decreases the frequency of evaluations for high-performing teachers; exempts teachers who were on leave for a specified percentage of the school year or submitted a notice of retirement by a specified date from an evaluation; and permits districts and schools to use an alternative framework to evaluate teachers.

At its September meeting the State Board adopted a resolution to revise the OTES framework to align with HB362. For the 2014-15 school year boards of education can adopt the current teacher evaluation structure (based on teacher performance rating and student growth rating), each at 50 percent, or use an alternative teacher evaluation framework. The alternative framework weights the teacher performance and student growth components equally at 42.5 percent. The remaining 15 percent of the evaluation is based on one of four components: student surveys, teacher self-evaluations, peer review evaluations, or student portfolios.

For the 2015-16 school year and thereafter, the teacher evaluation will include the teacher performance measure and student academic growth, each accounting for an equal percentage ranging from 42.5 percent to 50 percent, with evidence from one of the components (student surveys, teacher self-evaluations, peer review evaluations, or student portfolios) to account for up to 15 percent of the rating.

See http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Educator-Evaluation-System/Ohio-s-Teacher-Evaluation-System

•New Graduation Requirements: The State Board of Education approved resolutions #11, 35, 36, 37, and 38 on September 16, 2014 further defining new requirements for Ohio students, who enter high school for the first time on or after July 1, 2014, to earn a high school diploma.

The State Board had adopted new diploma recommendations in November 2013, but the General Assembly had its own ideas, and made several changes in graduation requirements through HB487 (Brenner), which was signed into law on June 16, 2014.

As a result, the State Board of Education’s Graduation Committee, chaired by C. Todd Jones, met several times over the summer to finalize the details for the new College and Work Ready Assessment System and three ways to earn a diploma, which are prescribed in HB487.

The College and Work Ready Assessment System replaces the Ohio Graduation Tests and includes a nationally standardized assessment that measures college and career readiness and a series of end of course exams. Students can earn a diploma by being remediation free, accumulating graduation points, or earning industry-recognized credentials and a workforce ready score on a job skills assessment.

-Remediation Free: A national standardized college and career readiness assessment, such as ACT or SAT, will be administered in 11th grade to all students. Students can earn a diploma by meeting a “remediation free” score based on standards developed by the presidents of Ohio’s public institutions of higher education for nationally standardized assessments in English, mathematics, and reading. The student’s highest verifiable score on any assessment will be accepted. The college and career readiness assessment is free to students, and will be administered for the first time in the fall of 2016. The ODE has issued an RFP to select this assessment.

-Accumulating Graduation Points: In addition to the course requirements for graduation included in current law and unchanged, students must earn a minimum and a total number of graduation points on seven end of course exams. The exams are Algebra I and Geometry, or Integrated Math I & II; English language arts I & II; physical science; American history; and American government.

There are five levels of scores for the end of course exams, and students can earn a certain number of graduation points associated with each level: Advanced Level = 5 points; Accelerated Level = 4 points; Proficient Level = 3 points; Basic Level = 2 points; Limited Level = 1 point.

To receive a diploma students need a total number of 18 graduation points and 4 minimum graduation points in English, 4 minimum graduation points in math, and 6 minimum graduation points among science, history, and government.

Students can receive 3 graduation points for high school credits earned prior to July 1, 2014. Students who earn credit for a first semester block scheduled course in American history, American government, or physical science before January 31, 2015, will also automatically earn three graduation points.

Students may substitute AP, IB, and dual enrollment exams for end of course exams in physical science, American history, and American government. The State Board has determined the AP substitute exams, but is still identifying the International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment substitute exams. For the physical science exam students can substitute AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based or AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based. For the American History exam students can substitute AP United States History. For the American Government exam students can substitute AP United States Government and Policy. The purpose of the substitute exams is to avoid double-testing students who are enrolled in courses that lead to college credits as well.

The State Board also has to designate equivalent scores on these substitute exams, but data for these exams will not be available until late 2015 or 2016. The scores on these exams will be partially integrated in the state’s accountability system for schools.

-Industry Recognized Credential and Workforce Score: Students can earn a diploma by earning a workforce readiness score on a jobs skills assessment, and an industry-recognized credential in an “in-demand” job or occupation in the 11th and 12th grades. The ODE is preparing an RFP to select the job skills assessment, and must select the exam by December 2014. The test is free of charge to the student, and schools will be reimbursed for its cost. Districts will have local control over when to administer the job skills assessment, based on where the students are in their curriculum.

Students with disabilities may participate in state assessments with or without accommodations. Students with significant disabilities can opt for an alternate assessment. Decisions still need to be made about the kinds of accommodations that will be allowed for the end of course exams; college admissions assessments; new industry credential and workforce score; and the role of the IEP team.

Students in Dropout Recovery Programs may use any of the three pathways to graduate, but are not required to take end of course exams. These students are enrolled in competency-based education programs that already focus on workforce readiness, including industry-recognized credentials.

Students in chartered nonpublic schools and entering ninth grade for the first time in the 2014-2015 school year must meet the new graduation requirements, but a gradation requirements committee was also created to make recommendations to the General Assembly by January 15, 2015 regarding the graduation requirements for these students. If the General Assembly does not act by October 1, 2015, any student attending a chartered nonpublic school may be exempt from the end of course exam requirements, if their school reports the performance of all students on the State Board approved college admissions assessment.

See http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/What-s-Happening-with-Ohio-s-Graduation-Requiremen/Graduation-Requirements-2018-Beyond

See http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/What-s-Happening-with-Ohio-s-Graduation-Requiremen/Graduation-Requirements-2018-Beyond/GradReq_2018.pdf.aspx

The State Board adopted the following resolutions related to the graduation requirements at their September meeting:

•#11 Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rule 3301-16-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code Entitled College and Work Ready Assessment Transition:
–Establishes the college and work ready assessment system to replace the Ohio Graduation Tests for students who enter the ninth grade for the first time after July 1, 2014. The OGT will be available for students who were enrolled in the ninth grade before 2014 to retake until September 1, 2022.
-Allows students who earned high school credit in a course that has a corresponding end of course exam before July 1, 2014 to receive 3 graduation points.
-Exempts Foreign Exchange Students from the requirement that students achieve a certain performance level on the American History and American Government end-of-course exams.
-Makes available the OGT for students who have not graduated and adults pursuing an Adult Diploma until September 1, 2022. After September 1, 2022, students must meet the requirements of the college and work ready assessment system to receive a diploma.
-Requires that students enrolled in Dropout Prevention and Recovery Programs and who entered the ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2014 meet the requirements of the college and career ready assessment system, but exempts them from taking any end of course exams required under division (B) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code. Students in these programs can choose to earn a diploma through any of the diploma pathways, but since dropout prevention programs are competency based, the students are expected to use the industry-recognized credential and workforce ready score on a job skills assessment to earn a diploma.

•#35 Resolution to Establish the Method of Calculating the Cumulative Performance Score Based on the End of Course Exams and to Establish A Minimum Score Based on the End of Course Exams and to Establish a Minimum Score Needed to Earn a High School Diploma:
-Establishes the graduation point system, in which students earn from 1-5 points depending on their score on the end of course exams.
-Establishes five ranges of scores, that students can achieve, on the end of course exams, and the number of points associated with each level: Advanced Level = 5 points; Accelerated Level = 4 points; Proficient Level = 3 points; Basic Level = 2 points; Limited Level = 1 point.
-Requires that most students earn a cumulative performance score of 18 on all of the end of course exams, and a minimum score for each content areas: 4 points for English language arts; 4 points for math, and six points among physical science, American history, and American government.
-Establishes diploma requirements for students who transfer into a school or district. Pro-rates the minimum number of graduation points that transfer students need on remaining exams; requires transfer students with no scores or only one exam remaining to take the ACT/SAT upon enrollment; requires a transfer student who does not score remediation-free, to take the English II and Integrated Math II exams, and score a minimum total of 5 points across both exams.
-Establishes that students may retake exams if they have scored below proficient, but they must also complete remediation. Students scoring proficient or above may only retake exams after they have participated in remediation, or if the student has not met the overall graduation point total.
-States that the highest verifiable score that a student earns on any exam will be recognized, including the highest score on end of course exams, a nationally standardized assessment that measures college and career readiness, and a nationally recognized job skills assessment.

•#36 Resolution to Designate Selected Science and Social Studies Advanced Placement Exams as Substitutes for the State’s Physical Science, American History, and American Government End of Course Exams
-Allows Advanced Placement exams “Physics 1 & II – Algebra Based”, “American History”, and “United States Government and Policy” to be used as a substitute for “end of course exams”. The ODE continues to review the International Baccalaureate program and dual enrollment program, and their corresponding exams, to determine if they can also be used as a substitute for state end of course exams.

•#37 Resolution to Adopt a Framework for Determining Industry Credentials that Qualify Students for High School Graduation and Count in the Prepared for Success Component of Ohio School and District Report Cards:
-Requires the Ohio Department of Education to publish and update an approved list of industry-recognized credentials annually.
-Requires that credentials that qualify a student for high school graduation shall align to “in-demand jobs report” published by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Office of Workforce Transformation and posted on the OhioMeansJobs website, but also establishes a process for the Ohio Department of Education to consider other industry-recognized credentials for “in demand jobs” from local communities.
-States that a student who enters the eleventh grade for the first time and chooses to pursue an industry recognized credential, shall always qualify for graduation, even if the industry-recognized credential is subsequently removed from the “in-demand jobs report list”. Students will still need to take end of course exams where applicable.
-States that the industry-recognized credentials that qualify a student for a high school diploma shall also be reported in the Prepared for Success component on Ohio School and District Report Cards.

•#38 Resolution to Reaffirm the Value of the Honors Diploma and to Charge the Department of Education to Submit Recommendations to the State Board
-Requires the Ohio Department of Education to evaluate the academic performance of students during the 2014-15 school year and provide recommendations to the State Board for a system of honors diplomas aligned to the new graduation requirements.

•Operating Standards Committee: The Operating Standards Committee, chaired by Ron Rudduck, met on September 15, 2014. The committee has been revising Rules 3301-35-01 through 15, which are known as Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools and Districts. These standards apply to traditional public schools, chartered nonpublic schools, and nonchartered non-tax supported schools. Charter schools in Ohio are not required to comply with Operating Standards, but follow laws prescribed in Section 3314 of the Ohio Revised Code.

Over the last few months the committee has revised Rules 3301-35-04,-05, and -06, and has agreed to combine rules 3301-35-07 and -11, which are related to data use and collection; agreed to remove rule 3301-35-10 Site Based Management Councils, which will become a stand alone rule; repeal Rule 3301-35-13 Special Purpose Schools; and amended 3301-35-14 Procedures for Beginning a New School, Changing Location, or Ownership.

At this meeting the committee reviewed proposed changes for Rules 3301-35-08 Non Chartered, Non Tax Supported Schools; 3301-35-02 Governance, Leadership, Organization, Administration, and Supervision, which has been combined with 3301-35-03 Strategic Planning and parts of 3301-35-06 Educational Programs and Support, and Rule 3301-35-12 Chartered Public Schools.

Keith Hamblen, who represents non-chartered, non-tax supported schools, asked the committee to maintain the current language for Rule 3301-35-08, and not require the proposed new rule to include a reference to 3313.536 ORC School Safety Plans. Since this provision is already in law, Mr. Hamblen thought that the provision was redundant. He noted that this would be the first major change in the -08 rule in 30 years.

The committee agreed, and voted to keep the current language of Rule 3301-35-08, and not include references to 3313.536 ORC School Safety Plans in the rule. Changes have been made to the -08 Rule, however. Added to the rule is language that reflects a change in law, 3313.48 ORC, regarding the length of the school year and day, which is now expressed in hours. The draft rule states that -08 schools shall be open for instruction for not less than 450 hours for students in kindergarten; 910 hours for students in grades 1-6; and 1001 hours for students in grades 7-12.

The committee then received a presentation about proposed changes for Rules 3301-35-02 Governance, Leadership, Organization, Administration, and Supervision, 3301-35-03 Strategic Planning, 3301-35-06 Educational Programs and Support, and Rule 3301-35-12 Chartered Public Schools.

There are no substantive changes for Rule 3301-35-12, but a new Rule 3301-35-02, now called Governance, Leadership, and Strategic Planning, includes parts of rules -02, -03, and parts of -06. The proposed rule removes language that describes the elements of a leadership system, including student centered learning environments and a commitment to effective teaching an learning; the responsibilities of the board of education, superintendent, treasurer, and administrators to stakeholders; and details about strategic planning. These “best practices” will, however, be included on the ODE website as additional information.

Rule 3301-35-02 also includes a part of Rule -06, regarding student health and safety policies. The proposed part (C) requires that boards of education adopt policies and procedures regarding student health and safety that comply with applicable local, Ohio, and federal laws for health, fire, and safety, and include vision and hearing screenings, referrals, follow-up and posting of emergency procedures and telephone numbers in classrooms.

The committee also agreed on a new time line for the State Board to follow to adopt the new Operating Standards. In October 2014 the proposed rules will be presented to the full Board; in November 2014 the Board will consider an “indent to adopt”; in December 2014 the rules will be sent to the Joint Committee for Agency Rule Review; the rules will return to the State Board in March/April 2015 for adoption. The rules will be implemented in the 2015-16 school year.

•Other Report Card Measures: The Accountability Committee, chaired by Tom Gunlock, reviewed report card measures that will provide additional information about schools and districts, but will not be included in the grades for schools or districts. These measures include financial data; additional information about teachers, staff, and student mobility; post-secondary outcomes; and school and district profile information, including information about courses available in the arts. These measures will be added to the report card some time this fall.

•High School Certificates of Accomplishment: The Achievement Committee, chaired by C. Todd Jones, received an update from Dr. Stephanie Siddens, Senior Executive Director Center for Curriculum and Assessment at the Ohio Department of Education, about a initiative to recognize high school students for college and career readiness; mastery of a skill; or accomplishments in an particular area of study. The initiative might include a certificate that would be awarded by the State Board of Education to students based on certain criteria, such as meeting certain academic requirements; collaborating with professionals in an area of study; developing a product; and making a formal presentation about their studies to professionals and scholars, who would evaluate the achievements of the student in that area of study.

So far seven areas of study have been identified for the initiative: STEM, the arts, social studies, dual languages, career technical education, public service, and the military.

The recognition in the arts would acknowledge, for example, the artistic accomplishments of students who demonstrate skills and dispositions to pursue a career in the visual, performing, and literary arts. Students would be required to complete at least one course and the assessment requirements in the arts area of their choice; engage with professional artists or scholars in developing a portfolio or e-portfolio; and present their work publicly.

•Board Business Meeting: The State Board took the following action at the Board’s business meeting on September 16, 2014:

-#10 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rule 3301-5-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled School Emergency Management Plan (VOLUME 2, PAGE 29 Board Book) The State Board first rejected emergency consideration of this resolution, but later voted to approve emergency consideration, and then approved the resolution.
-#11 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rule 3301-16-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled College and Work Ready Assessment Transition (VOLUME 2, PAGE 31 Board Book)
-#12 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rule 3301-25-10 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled One-Year Instructional Assistant Permit and to Adopt Rule 3301-25-11 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled Renewal of One-Year Instructional Assistant Permit (VOLUME 2, PAGE 32 Board Book)
-#13 This resolution was removed from the agenda and will be voted on at the October 2014 SBE Meeting. A Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-27-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled Qualifications to Direct, Supervise, or Coach a Pupil Activity Program (VOLUME 2, PAGE 38 Board Book)
-#14 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Adopt Rules 3301-45-01 to 3301-45-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code Regarding the Administration of Programs for Adults Seeking to Achieve a High School Diploma (VOLUME 2, PAGE 43 Board Book)
-#15 This resolution was removed from the agenda and will be voted on at the October 2014 SBE Meeting. A Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-51-20, of the Ohio Administrative Code entitled Admission, Transfer, Suspension, and Expulsion Standards for the Ohio Schools for the Blind and the Deaf (VOLUME 2, PAGE 45 Board Book).
-#16 Approved a Resolution of Refusal to Consider the Proposed Transfer of School District territory from the Springboro Community City School District, Warren County to the Lebanon City School District, Warren County, Pursuant to Section 3311.24 of the Ohio Revised Code (VOLUME 2, PAGE 53 Board Book)
-#32 Approved a Resolution to Appoint James Wagner to the Educator Standards Board
-#33 Approved a Resolution to Adopt the Revised Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) Framework to Align with Substitute House Bill 362
-#34 Approved a Resolution to Appoint Melissa Hendon Deters to the State Library Board
-#35 Approved a Resolution to Establish the Method of Calculating the Cumulative Performance Score Based on the End of Course Exams, and to Establish A Minimum Score Based on the End of Course Exams, and to Establish a Minimum Score Needed to Earn a High School Diploma
-#36 Approved a Resolution to Designate Selected Science and Social Studies Advanced Placement Exams as Substitutes for the State’s Physical Science, American History, and American Government End of Course Exams.
-#37 Approved a Resolution to Adopt a Framework for Determining Industry Credentials that Qualify Students for High School Graduation and Count in the Prepared for Success Component of Ohio School and District Report Cards
-#38 Approved a Resolution to Reaffirm the Value of the Honors Diploma and to Charge the Department of Education to Submit Recommendations to the State Board. This resolution directs the ODE staff to develop new rules regarding the honors diploma, because HB487 changed the state assessments, upon which the honors diploma was based.

•New Business: Stephanie Dodd asked that the State Board and the Ohio Department of Education develop a better process to communicate with stakeholders. In her experience there are many stakeholders who are not being contacted on particular issues. There should be a process for stakeholders to request that they be included in stakeholder discussions involving the Ohio Department of Education and its work.

4) Study Finds State Proficiency Standards Vary Greatly: American Institutes for Research (AIR) released on September 18, 2014 a new report about the differences among states in proficiency standards for reading, math, and science. Researcher Gary Phillips first examined the percent of proficient students reported by states in 2011 in Grade 4 math and reading and in Grade 8 math and science. He then compared state tests to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and benchmarked the difficulty of the state performance standards with standards used in two international assessments, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).

According to the study, “The overall finding in the study is that there is considerable variance in state performance standards, exposing a large gap in expectations between the states with the highest standards and the states with the lowest standards. Although this gap in expectations is large, many policy makers may not be aware of just how large it is. In general,
•The difference between the standards in the states with the highest standards and the states with the lowest standards is about 2 standard deviations. In many testing programs, a gap this large represents three to four grade levels.
•This “expectations gap” is so large that it is more than twice the size of the national black–white achievement gap. Closing the achievement gap is important, but so is closing the larger expectation gap. Reducing the expectation gap will require consistently high expectations from all states.”

The following are some of the other results of the study:

•”States reporting the highest percent of proficient students had the lowest performance standards. More than two-thirds of the difference in state success is related to how high or low the states set their performance standards.”

•”The difference between the states with the highest and lowest standards is about two standard deviations – a statistical term denoting the amount of variation from the average. In many testing programs, a gap this large represents three to four grade levels.”

•”The percentage of proficient students for most states declined when compared with international standards. In Grade 8 mathematics, for example, Alabama went from 77 percent proficient to 15 percent; Colorado from 80 percent to 35 percent; Oklahoma from 66 percent to 20 percent; and New Jersey from 71 percent to 50 percent.”

•”Using international standards, Massachusetts climbed to 57 percent proficient from 52 percent under its own standards.”

•”In Grade 8 mathematics, Massachusetts and Minnesota had the highest grades, with each receiving a B-. The lowest grades went to Alabama and Georgia, which received a D, while Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina and the District of Columbia received a D+.”

In Ohio 75 percent of students in 2011 in Grade 8 math are considered proficient based on Ohio’s standards, compared to 36 percent who would be proficient based on the TIMSS standards.

The study concludes that wide variations between state proficiency standards denies students the opportunity to learn college and career ready skills, and clearly indicates “...why we need more common assessments and the Common Core State Standards.” The current paradigm in which each state sets its own performance standards is “flawed, misleading, and lacking in transparency.”

See “International Benchmarking: State and National Education Performance Standards” by Gary W. Phillips, American Institutes for Research, September 18, 2014 at
http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/AIR_International%20Benchmarking-State%20and%20National%20Ed%20Performance%20Standards_Sept2014.pdf

5) Principals Trust Teacher Observations More than Value Added: Researchers at Vanderbilt University studied the perceptions that principals have about using teacher effectiveness data to guide decisions about professional development, and hiring, assigning, and firing teachers, and found that principals trust teacher observations the most. The study, which was funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was conducted during the 2012-13 school year at the following schools: Shelby County and Metropolitan Nashville School District, Tennessee; Baltimore City Schools; Hillsborough County Schools, Florida; Houston City Schools; Denver City Schools; and the Green Dot and Alliance College-Ready charter school networks in Los Angeles.

The study examined the perceptions of principals about the quality of data systems and access to the data; how principals use teacher effectiveness data for management decisions; and the types of support systems and training that is available to principals to promote data used in decision making. The following is a summary of the key findings of the study:

-Principals rely most heavily on teacher observation data to make talent management decisions. According to the study, principals “…generally believe rubric-based observations generate the most valid data, providing specific, transparent, actionable information that enables them to pinpoint teacher support. Many see observation data as providing a bigger picture of the teacher’s performance than value-added estimates. In turn, they use observation data to inform teacher feedback, individualized and large group professional development, and teacher remediation plans that also serve as the documentation for dismissal cases.”

-”Strong, ongoing calibration of observation scores seems to increase use of observation data. Systems in which principals can request calibration and co-observation in subjects where they lack expertise report greater use of observation data.”

-”Value-added measures are perceived as having many shortcomings. Principals are less likely to use value-added measures for talent management decisions, despite the availability of these data. They describe several challenges with the use of value-added measures: scores are not available in real time when decisions are made; scores do not exist for untested subjects; and students often are taught by multiple teachers, so it is difficult to attribute a value-added estimate to a particular teacher. Principals perceive that scores do not measure what teachers actually do to have an impact on students’ learning and that the measures are not fine-grained and actionable.”

-”Principals rarely use student, teacher, or parent perception surveys. Principals often disregard these data because they perceive them as less valid, specific, and transparent than other teacher effectiveness measures.”

-”Principals often express frustration at not having state student achievement test scores, teacher value-added estimates, and overall teacher evaluation composite scores in time to make decisions about hiring, teacher assignment, and dismissal.”

-”Principals rarely use past teacher evaluation measures. Principals can use past evaluation scores to trigger growth plans, target individualized professional development, or back up a case for dismissal; however, few principals make use of measures over multiple points in time.”

The study recommends that principals receive more training to use multiple forms of data in management decisions and teachers are provided more opportunities for peer calibration and co-observation.

See “Principals’ Use of Teacher Effectiveness Data for Talent Management Decisions” by Ellen B. Goldring, Christine M. Newmerski, Carisa Cannata, Timothy A. Drake, Jason A. Grissom, Mollie Rubin, and Patrick Schuermann, Peabody College and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, May 2014 at http://principaldatause.org/assets/files/reports/Summary-Report-201405.pdf

6) Bills Introduced

•HB620 (Huffman) State Retirement System-Surviving Spouse: Provides for payment to an ex-spouse of part of any survivor benefits or return of contributions payable to the surviving spouse of a state retirement system member who dies prior to retirement.

•SB362 (Kearney/Turner) Absent Voting Period Revision: Extends the period for in-person absent voting and specifies the days and hours for in-person absent voting.

FYI ARTS

1) Nominations Open for the 2015 Governor’s Awards for the Arts: The Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Citizens for the Arts announced last week that nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Governor’s Awards for the Arts. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to the arts in the following categories:

-Individual Artist
-Arts Administration
-Arts Education
-Arts Patron
-Business Support of the Arts
-Community Development and Participation

The Ohio Arts Council Board of Directors also selects, at their discretion, the Irma Lazarus Award for individuals or organizations that have helped shape public support for the arts and brought statewide, national, and international recognition to Ohio.

The nomination deadline for the six open categories is midnight, Monday, October 20, 2014, with letters of support due by midnight, Monday, October 27, 2014. Nominations are only accepted online, and may be submitted at www.oac.state.oh.us/Events/GovAwards/Nomination.asp.

A committee composed of members from the Ohio Arts Council Board of Directors and three individuals selected by Ohio Citizens for the Arts will select award recipients in each category. Recipients will be recognized on Arts Day, May 13, 2015, at the annual Governor’s Awards for the Arts luncheon, sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation. Recipients of the awards will receive an original work of art by an Ohio artist and be honored in a ceremony presided over by Governor Kasich and members of the Ohio General Assembly.

The luncheon ceremony culminates Arts Day, which is an annual event that provides arts advocates opportunities to network and contact policy makers in Columbus to urge support for the arts. Students from high schools across the state prepare for months to participate in legislative visits on Arts Day, and contact each state senator and representative with a message of thanks for their support for the arts and arts education.

More information about Arts Day is available from the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation at 614-221-4064.
For information about the Governor’s Awards for the Arts 2015 see http://www.oac.state.oh.us/News/NewsArticle.asp?intArticleId=753

2) NY State Board of Regents Asked to Support Study of Assessments in the Arts: The New York State Department of Education has requested that the New York Board of Regents create an Arts Advisory Panel to conduct a study to evaluate arts assessments that signify college and career readiness and Regents recognition in each of the arts disciplines in grades preK-12. The panel would be charged to evaluate art assessments based on the following: the assessment is recognized by employers in an arts industry sector and postsecondary institutions in New York for admissions and/or credit; the assessment covers a broad range of learning in an arts discipline, and is comparable to the rigor of the Regents exams; and the assessment meets technical requirements and is properly validated.

The purpose of the study is to identify assessment instruments that New York might use in determining student achievement in arts education. A similar study about visual arts assessments was prepared for the Colorado Department of Education in 2012. Student achievement on the assessments could signify “strong arts programs” in a school district. The assessments recommended by the Panel and subsequently by the Board of Regents, would be made available for teachers, administrators, parents, and boards of education.

3) National Student Poets Announced: The 2014 National Student Poets were recognized at a White House ceremony on September 18, 2014 by First Lady Michelle Obama. The honor of National Student Poet is awarded to five students in grades 9-11 each year. The program is sponsored by The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Students selected this year are Weston Clark, Indianapolis; Ashley Gong, Sandy Hook, Connecticut; Julia Falkner, Louisville, Colorado; Cameron Messinides, Greenville, South Carolina; and Madeleine LeCesne, New Orleans.

The National Student Poets serve as literacy ambassadors, each representing a different geographic region of the country for one year. The students are selected from a pool of National Medalists in Poetry through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Their work is submitted to a distinguished jury for the final selection of five National Student Poets.

See http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/national-student-poets-program/

###

Joan Platz
Director of Research

Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
77 South High Street Second Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-446-9669 - cell
joan.platz@gmail.com

 

 

130th Ohio General Assembly

The Ohio House and Senate will not meet in session this week. According to the House and Senate calendars for the second half of 2014, House sessions are scheduled for November 12, 19, and December 3, 10, and 17, 2014. Senate sessions are scheduled for November 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, and December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 16, 2014. The House has also scheduled committee hearings on November 25, 2014, while the Senate has scheduled committee hearings on September 23, 24, and 25, 2014. Some "if needed" sessions and committee meetings are also scheduled this fall. Of course sessions can be added and canceled. The House and Senate calendars are available at http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/today.cfm.

Committee Hearings this Week

In an unusual move the leadership of the Ohio House scheduled a series of August hearings on one bill, which was introduced on July 28, 2014, Sub. HB597 (Huffman/Thompson) Repeal/Replace Common Core State Standards. Hearings started on August 18, 2014. HB597 would replace the new Common Core State Standards and make other changes in law regarding the implementation of academic content standards, testing, and graduation requirements. Normally an education-related bill would have been assigned to the House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Stebelton, but this bill was assigned to the Rules and Reference Committee, chaired by one of the bill's sponsors, where it is expected to receive a favorable vote, due, in part, to last minute changes in the committee's membership. More details about HB597 are included later in this email.

The House Rules and Reference Committee, chaired by Representative Huffman, will meet on Thursday, September 4, 2014 at 10:00 AM in hearing room 313. The committee will continue to receive testimony on Sub. HB597, and amendments are expected.

State Board at Full Strength

Governor Kasich appointed A. J. Wagner to the State Board of Education on August 4, 2014, filling all vacant positions, and bringing the board to full membership of 19 (11 elected members and 8 appointed members) for the first time in several years. Mr. Wagner replaces Jeff Mims, who resigned in December 2014, after he was elected to the Dayton City Commission. Mr. Wagner will represent the 3rd State Board District, but must run for re-election in November 2014 to retain the seat. Mr. Wagner is a former judge for the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas and was a county auditor. See http://education.ohio.gov/State-Board/State-Board-Members.

State Board Candidates Announced

The deadline to file to run for a seat on the State Board of Education in November 2014 was August 6, 2014. Membership on the State Board includes 11 elected members, who represent districts that are composed of three Ohio Senate Districts, and 8 members who are appointed by the governor, with the confirmation of the Ohio Senate. Both the elected and appointed members serve four-year terms, and are limited to two terms. The terms are staggered, so about half of the members must run for re-election or be re-appointed every two years.
The following candidates will compete for seats representing State Board Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 this November 2014:
• District 2: Kathleen McGervey (incumbent); Kim Redfern; and Raymond Young
• District 3: A.J. Wagner (incumbent); Mary M. Pritchard; Charlotte D. McGuire; and Sarah L. Roberts
• District 4: Pat Bruns; Zac Haines; and Joe Moorman. Debe Terhar, who is currently president of the State Board, recently announced that she will not seek re-election.
• District 5: Brad Lamb (incumbent); Michael J. Grusenmeyer; Rosyln Painer-Goffi; and Chris M. Sawicki.
• District 7: Sarah Fowler (incumbent); Michael Charney; Sarah Freeman; and David A. Spencer.
• District 8: Ida Ross-Freeman; Representative Bob Hagan, and Kathleen Purdy. Debbie Cain currently serves in this position, but is term-limited.
• District 10: Ron Rudduck (incumbent); Michael Kinnamon; Ross Hardin
The following elected members will continue to serve their terms, which end on December 31, 2016:
• District 1: Ann E. Jacobs
• District 6: Michael L. Collins
• District 9: Stephanie Dodd
• District 11: Mary Rose Oakar
The terms of the following appointed members end on December 31, 2014. These members can be re-appointed by the governor.
• Tess Elshoff
• Cathye Flory
• Joseph L. Farmer
• Thomas Gunlock
The terms of the following appointed members end on December 31, 2016:
• C. Todd Jones
• Mark A. Smith
• Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings
• Melanie P. Bolender
See http://education.ohio.gov/State-Board/State-Board-Members.

Action on Voter ID Bill

The Ohio Christian Alliance announced on August 29, 2014 that Representatives Matt Lynch, John Becker, and John Adams will hold a news conference on September 2, 2014 at 10:30 AM on the South Law of the Ohio Statehouse to announce bringing HB269 (Becker), Voter Identification Law Change, to a vote in the Ohio House through a discharge petition. HB269 would require all voters to have photo identification in order to cast a ballot. The bill was introduced in September 2013, and assigned to the House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee, chaired by Representative Dovilla, but has not received a hearing. Proponents of the bill would need 50 signatures in the Ohio House to bring forth the discharge petition.
See http://www.ohioca.org/enews.php?Discharge-Petition-on-H.B.-269-Voter-Photo-ID-Requirement-410

 

HB 597 (Thompson and Huffman) repeals the Ohio Learning Standards:

As of this writing (August 22, 2014) the House Rules Committee is in the middle of two weeks of hearings on HB 597, introduced by Representative Thompson (R-Marietta) and Representative Huffman (R-Lima). The descriptive title of the bill indicates that it repeals the Common Core State Standards (Ohio’s Learning Standards) and related assessments. It should be noted that education bills almost always are considered in the House and Senate Education Committees, the House Rules Committee rarely, if ever considers bills. Additionally, in what has been reported as a “political” move to gain support for the bill, some members of the Rules committee were replaced by those who favor HB 597.

Proponent testimony has dominated the first week of hearings, with over 50 people testifying, including many home school advocates supporting the bill. Committee testimony can be downloaded from the House Rules Committee website: (http://www.ohiohouse.gov/committee/rules-and-reference). All testimony, including opponent is scheduled for the week of August 25, with hearings on August 26 and 27, and possibly August 28. OSBA, BASA and OASBO held a press conference on August 18, in support of the Ohio Learning Standards. The OEA and OFT are also on record in support of the standards. Additionally the Governor has stated his support of the current Ohio standards, as have the Chairs of both the House and Senate Education Committees. In spite of this widespread support for Ohio’s current standards, it appears that the House Rules Committee intends to vote HB 597 out of committee as early as next week. The Speaker of the House has indicated that a full House vote will not be scheduled until after the November election.

HB 597 would repeal and prohibit the implementation of Ohio’s current standards “the common core” along with any assessments related to the common core including the PARCC exams, which were scheduled to be implemented in the current school year. Over the course of four years, Ohio students would work under three sets of standards: For 2014-2015, there are no standards indicated so presumably the current Ohio Learning Standards are still in place. Instead of PARCC, the current OAAs and OGT would be administered. For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, Ohio would implement the pre-2010 Massachusetts math and English/Language arts (ELA) standards with tweaks to include Ohio-specific content. The state board of education would have 90 days after the bill’s passage to rewrite and implement these standards. And then in 2017-2018, a new set of Ohio standards would be implemented after review and approval from a steering committee appointed by the governor, the speaker of the house and the senate president. Other major provisions:

* Limits state standards to math, language arts, social studies, and science. Only biology, chemistry, and physics standards can be developed and according to the bill’s sponsor (via the Dispatch) does not prohibit the teaching of intelligent design. Standards for fine arts, financial literacy, technology, foreign language, and entrepreneurship would not be required of districts.

* Prohibits the state from withholding state funds to districts that choose not to implement the standards or the assessments. Democrats on the committee were concerned that low-performing community schools would simply opt out of the assessments to skirt accountability. What this does to the state accountability system is a big question.

* Requires that a high standard of rigor be implemented in the standards, but does not specify that a high standard cut score be used in any assessments be used to measure the standards.

* Specifies that the ELA standards would be based on literary works, 80% of which would be required to be pre-1970 works from British and American authors. (One of the bill’s sponsors has stated this was a drafting error.)

* Removes the ability of the state board to set standards for “other such factors the Board finds necessary.”

* Requires any college readiness be normed-referenced and eliminates high school end-of-course exams for unspecified number of high school assessments. This is a significant change to the newly-passed legislation on graduation paths.

To review the analysis of HB 597 use the following link: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/analyses130/h0597-l2660x1-130.pdf

To review the bill go to:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=130_HB_597

State Board of Education’s Graduation Requirements Committee Action

The State Board of Education’s Graduation Requirements Committee met on August 22 to discuss minimum passage requirements for the end of course exams, which replace the Ohio Graduation Tests for this year’s incoming freshmen class. Based on a five point scale (with 5 equivalent to advanced and 1 equal to limited on each test), the total cumulative required score would be 18 for the seven tests. However, the committee will also recommend to the entire board that a minimum combined score of 4 points would be required for the two English language arts tests and for the two mathematics exams. In addition, a combined score of 6 would be necessary for the physical science and two social studies tests.

Check out the ODE website for more information: New High School Graduation Requirements:
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Ohio-s-New-Learning-Standards/Graduation-Requirements

Sub. HB 264, Care for Students with Diabetes

Schools must implement HB 264 this school year, regarding the care of diabetic students. Although ODE is currently working on a 504 plan information sheet, as well as adopting guidelines for the training of school employees in diabetes care.

The bills summary is as follows (from LSC analysis):
Requires that a school governing authority, including a board of education, ensure that each student with diabetes receives appropriate and needed diabetes care in accordance with an order signed by the student's treating physician.

Specifies that certain diabetes care tasks be provided in schools, including blood glucose monitoring and the administration of insulin and other medications.

Requires that a school governing authority notify the student's parent, guardian, or other person having care or charge of the student that the student may be entitled to a 504 plan under federal law.

Requires that the Ohio Department of Education develop a 504 plan information sheet as well as adopt nationally recognized guidelines for the training of school employees in diabetes care.

Permits a school governing authority to provide diabetes care training to school employees.

Permits a school governing authority to train certain school employees and bus drivers in the recognition and treatment of diabetes-related emergencies.

Requires that a student with diabetes be permitted to attend the school that the student would otherwise attend if the student did not have diabetes.

Allows a student with diabetes to manage the student's own care if the student's treating physician determines that the student is capable of doing so.

Specifies that a school employee is not subject to disciplinary action under school or district policies for providing care or performing duties under the bill.

Grants qualified immunity from civil liability to school employees, boards of education, and other school governing authorities for activities authorized by the bill.

Requires that a school governing authority report annually to the Ohio Department of Education the number of students with diabetes enrolled in the district and the number of errors associated with the administration of diabetes medication.

Requires that the Department annually issue and make available on its website a report summarizing the information received.

OSPA Advocacy: What to look for in future months

After the election there will likely be a House vote on HB 597, as proponents try and build momentum. Although it is a big question mark if there are enough House votes to pass the bill, and even less support for the bill in the Senate, it still must be taken seriously.

The State Board of Education committees currently working on revising the general Operating Standards, as well as the implementation of HB 487 graduation requirements and provisions will continue their work, with some completion deadlines being the end of the calendar year.

In early 2015 the Governor will introduce his 2-year state budget, and of course that means that OSPA will need to work hard to maintain the school psychology intern program funding. OSPA will recommend that the intern funding be included in the State Board of Education’s education budget proposal. The State Board will be developing this in the next few months.

As there never seems to be much down time in education policy matters OSPA members are encouraged to keep apprised of legislative developments through our listserv and the advocacy section of our website. The OSPA Legislative Chair and Executive Director are working on improvements to the advocacy section, we invite you to stay tuned in.

Written by: Ann Brennan, Executive Director on August 22, 2014

Ohio Alliance for Arts Education

Arts on Line Education Update
Joan Platz
June 22, 2014

1) Ohio News

•130th Ohio General Assembly: The Ohio House and Senate are on recess.

The Legislative Schedule for the second half of 2014 has been posted. The House and Senate have scheduled “if needed” sessions in September; the Senate has scheduled an “if needed” session in October; both the House and Senate have scheduled sessions and committee hearings in November after November 11, 2014 (Veterans Day); and both the House and Senate have scheduled sessions in December.

•Governor Signs Bills: Governor Kasich signed into law on June 16, 2014 two mid-biennium review bills (MBR), HB483 (Amstutz) MBR Operations and HB487 (Brenner) MBR Education, and HB393 (Baker/Landis), which requires public high schools to publish a career decision guide annually.

Because HB483 is an appropriations measure, the governor could apply a “line-item” veto. He vetoed three provisions, including one education provision. The governor vetoed Section 3318.36, which would have allowed school districts impacted by the tangible personal property tax phase-out to negotiate new school construction agreements with the Ohio School Facilities Commission. In the veto statement Governor Kasich explained that he vetoed the provision, because it would increase state costs.

•August Special Election: Ballot issues for the August Special Election have been posted on the Secretary of State’s web site at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/Research/electResultsMain/2014Results.aspx

There are a total of 16 issues, including seven school issues. The following counties have issues on the August ballot: Brown, Champaign, Clark, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Hocking, Licking, Lucas, Pickaway, Portage, Stark, Summit and Warren.

•ODE Releases Test Results: The Ohio Department of Education released last week the latest results of student testing on state assessments, including the Ohio Achievement Assessment and the Ohio Graduation Tests.

Ohio Achievement Assessment - Third Grade Reading: Eighty-eight percent of students statewide earned a passing grade on the third-grade reading exam administered in the spring 2014. Last fall about 36 percent of students failed to pass the reading test. Twelve percent of students could be retained in third grade next school year, if they do not pass the reading test or an alternative exam this summer, or are not granted an exemption. Students needed to achieve a cut score of 392 to pass the exam this year, but the State Board is considering raising the cut-score, because 400 is the score for proficient. The State Board of Education's Achievement Committee voted on June 9, 2014 to increase the cut-score to 394 for next year. The State Board will consider the proposed cut-score increase at their July 2014 meeting.

See http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Ohio-Achievement-Assessments/Ohio-Achievement-Assessment-Results

Ohio Graduation Tests: Seventy-one percent of Ohio 10th grade students in traditional public schools and charter schools passed all five sections of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) administered in the spring 2014. The passage rates for each exam breaks down in the following ways:
-89.4 percent of students passed the reading test
-77.4 percent passed the science test
-88 percent passed the writing test
-82.9 percent passed the social studies test
-82.3 percent passed the math test

Also taking the OGT were 12,111 nonpublic students. The passage rates for nonpublic school students for each exam breaks-down in the following ways:
-97.5 percent passed the reading test
-91.0 percent passed the science test
-97.1 percent passed the writing test
-93.9 percent passed the social studies test
-92.3 percent passed the math test

The results are still preliminary and need to be verified by the schools.

See
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Testing-Results/Ohio-Graduation-Tests-OGT-Assessment-Results/Highlights-of-March-2014-OGT-2.pdf.aspx

•Second Round Straight A Fund Grants Announced: The Straight A Fund Governing Board, chaired by Alex Fischer, announced on June 20, 2014 the recipients of the second-round of Straight A Fund grants for FY2015. The Governing Board selected 34 projects to fund and three additional projects to fund on a conditional basis, from about 339 applications submitted in April 2014.

The Straight A Fund program was created in HB59 (Amstutz) Biennial Budget to support education projects that either raise student achievement; reduce spending; or target a greater share of resources to the classroom. The projects also must prove that they are self-sustaining.

The fund included around $250 million for two rounds of project grants. The first round of grants, totaling $88.6 million, was awarded in December 2013. In this second round about $150 million will be awarded.

The Straight A grants are subject to approval by the Controlling Board, which is scheduled to meet on Monday, July 28, 2014.

See http://education.ohio.gov/Media/Media-Releases/Ohio-Straight-A-Fund-Governing-Board-Recommends-Ap#.U6SrLzlqJhM

2) National News

•DC Holding Off on Using VAM for Teacher Evaluations: According to Education Week, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced on June 19, 2014 that value added scores based on student test results will not be used in teacher evaluations for the coming school year. Chancellor Henderson said that it was not fair to use student scores on new tests and new standards until a baseline is established and complications are resolved. Value-added measures (VAM) currently account for 35 percent of a teacher’s evaluation for teachers who teach in tested grades and subjects in the Washington DC school district. In place of VAM teacher evaluations will be based on observations and other measures.

See “DC to suspend test scores in teacher evaluations” by Ben Nuckols and Kimberly Hefling, Education Week Teacher, June 20, 2014 at
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/06/19/dc-to-suspend-test-scores-in-1.html

•Teacher Evaluation Agreement Worked-Out in New York: The New York Post is reporting that Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature have agreed on a new teacher evaluation plan for the coming school year. The plan delays using student test score results for teachers rated “ineffective” or “developing” for two years, 2014 and 2015. Instead, these teachers will be evaluated using other methods. Teachers rated “effective” or “highly effective” will still receive ratings based on student scores.

See “Albany OKs Common Core reprieve for low-rated teachers” by Pat Bailey, Aaron Short, and Carl Campanile, New York Post, June 19, 2014.

•Louisiana in a Conundrum over Common Core and Assessments: Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post reported on June 18, 2014 that opposing sides of the Common Core Standards and PARCC assessments were issuing directives regarding the future policy direction of the state. Earlier in the week Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal had issued an executive order for the state to withdraw from participating in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) assessments. According to the article, Governor Jindal questioned Louisiana’s involvement in PARCC, which he believes is in violation of the state’s lowest bid procurement process. Louisiana State Board of Education chairman Chas Roemer and Superintendent of Education John White later responded saying that the governor had no legal authority to withdraw Louisiana from PARCC or change state standards. Yet the governor later suspended the state’s contract with PARCC and the procurement of the PARCC assessments. Stay tuned!

See “Jindal says he’s withdrawing Louisiana from Common Core standards” by Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post, June 18, 2014 at http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jindal-w

3) Poll Finds that Few Know About CCSS: NBC News and the Wall Street Journal released on June 18, 2014 the results of a poll conducted by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies. The poll of 1000 adults conducted between June 11-15, 2014 covers a variety of topics about the economy, the popularity of the president, presidential candidates, and some questions about education. The pollsters found, for example, that 47 percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed have not heard of the common core state standards; 22 percent said that they had heard a lot about the standards; and 30 percent said that they had heard “some” about the standards.

When the common core standards are described in a positive way, 27 percent of respondents reported that they strongly support the standards; 32 percent said that they somewhat support the standards; 11 percent said that they somewhat oppose the standards; 20 percent said that they strongly oppose the standards; and 10 percent said that they are not sure.

Regarding the quality of schools, 5 percent of those surveyed responded that public schools are working well; 31 percent said that some changes are needed, but basically schools should be kept the same; 35 percent said that major changes are needed; 26 percent said that a complete overhaul is needed; and 3 percent said that they are not sure.

The poll also found the following:

•Role of Government: 46 percent reported that the “government” should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people, while 50 percent said that the “government” is doing to many things better left to business and individuals.

•November Election: 32 percent surveyed said that their representative to Congress deserves to be re-elected; 57 percent said that someone else should have a chance; and 11 percent said that they were not sure.

•Children in the Household: Only 28 percent of respondents reported that they have children living in their household.

See MSN/Wall Street Journal June 2014 Poll at
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/A_Politics/14463%20JUNE%20NBC-WSJ%20Poll%20%286-18%20Release%29.pdf

4) Summit Recommends Policies to Address Poverty: The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institute held a two-day summit on June 19-20, 2014 entitled Addressing America’s Poverty Crisis. The Hamilton Project was founded at Brookings in 2006 to recommend “innovative policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans.” The project is guided by an Advisory Council of academics, business leaders, and policy makers.

According to the information about the summit, “...roughly one-in-seven adults and one-in-five children live in poverty.” The impact of poverty imposes a number of challenges on people, including inconsistent nutrition, inadequate skills, poor health, and limited wages and job opportunities.

The summit was used to introduce the following 14 new policy proposals to combat poverty:
-Expand preschool access for disadvantaged children
-Address the parenting divide to promote early childhood development for disadvantaged children
-Reduce unintended pregnancies for low-income women
-Design effective mentoring programs for disadvantaged youth
-Expand summer employment opportunities for low-income youth
-Address the academic barriers to higher education
-Expand apprenticeship opportunities for disadvantaged students
-Provide disadvantaged workers with skills to succeed in the labor market
-Support low-income workers through refundable child-care credits
-Build on the success of the earned income tax credit
-Encourage work sharing to reduce unemployment
-Design thoughtful minimum wage policies at the state and local levels
-Develop smarter, better, and faster predictive analytics and rapid-cycle evaluation to improve programs and outcomes.

See http://www.hamiltonproject.org/events/addressing_americas_poverty_crisis/

5) The Impact of Toxic Stress and Poverty on Children: The United Way of Central Ohio released on June 18, 2014 a report entitled 2014 Franklin County Children’s Report: How Toxic Stress Threatens Success.

The report describes how poverty increases the level of trauma, insecurity, anxiety, and stress on children, and negatively affects their development. The report also includes some strategies that foster resiliency in children, and identifies the steps that are needed to foster in Franklin County an environment where all children have opportunities to succeed.

According to the report, toxic stress in children is caused by a prolonged exposure to adversity so that children feel that they are in a state of constant danger. As a result the children have high levels of stress hormones in their bodies and are unable to focus on learning. Their normal development is disrupted, increasing the risk of cognitive impairment and poor health conditions throughout their lives.

About 25 percent of children in Franklin County (70,700 children) are considered to be living in poverty, and many of these children experience the following conditions that could result in toxic stress:
-Unstable homes, families, and schools: Research shows that students who change schools often perform worse academically than their peers. In 2012-13 seventeen percent of students in Franklin County (32,987 students) attended one school for less than a full academic year.
-Food Insecurity: Researchers have found that hunger adversely affects the physical and cognitive development of children between ages 0-3, and going hungry actually makes children sick. About 21 percent of children in Franklin County experience food insecurity and about 45 percent receive SNAP assistance.
-Juvenile Detention: Research has found that the experience of incarceration impacts the mental, physical, and emotional health of adolescents. In Franklin County 2,640 youth were admitted to the juvenile detention system in 2013.

The report notes, “Unfortunately, our policy and program responses often fail to align with what neuroscience tells us can improve life outcomes—health, economic and educational. We invest too little in children during their early years when their cognitive and non-cognitive abilities are the most malleable. Gaps in non-cognitive abilities between advantaged and disadvantaged children appear early in the lives of children, and are heavily influenced by the environments in which they grow up and the relationships they enjoy from birth—those things that neuroscience tells us are important for healthy child development, in fact, “schooling after the second grade plays only a minor role in alleviating these gaps, schooling quality and school resources have relatively small effects on ability deficits and only marginally account for any divergence by age in test scores across children from different socioeconomic groups.”

To help children develop secure attachments and feel safe, parents and caregivers must be able to manage stress and provide children with nurturing attention. Positive support systems can help parents develop resiliency, competence, and lower anxiety in families. The negative impact of toxic stress can be reversed through the following early and ongoing interventions with children and with parents:

•Early intervention for pregnant women: According to the report, “We need to do everything we can to support mothers of young children, from making sure their basic emotional and physical needs are met to just hanging out with them and being available when they need us most.”

•Stability: Creating caring environments that promote empathy and resiliency will help children build trust. Researchers have found that countries that exhibit more interpersonal trust and equity enjoy greater economic prosperity.

According to the report, “...schools that report greater student connectedness have lower rates of drug use, violence, heavy drinking, smoking and suicide attempts—so the benefits don’t just go to the children who would otherwise be victimized, but to the whole community.”

The report recommends that schools become hubs for wrap-around services for families to increase food security, housing stability, and access to mental and physical health care, etc.

•Nurturing relationships among children and youth: According to the report, “...mentoring relationships have been shown to have numerous positive outcomes, including: improvements in self-esteem; better relationships with parents and peers; greater school connectedness; improved academic performance; and reductions in substance use, violence and other risk behaviors.”

•Trauma-informed interventions: Children who experience trauma often show behavior problems in school. Using strict punishments, however, only re-traumatize the children. Suspending children from school is also not helpful, because the school might be the only safe and stable place that the child knows. Interventions must support conditions that reduce trauma and build resiliency.

•Coordinate poverty programs: Asset-mapping should be used to identify existing community programs that support parents and families in poverty, and identify gaps so that resources can be targeted. The report also emphasizes that organizations that work with families should develop mutual goals and coordinate resources to achieve the goals.

See “2014 Franklin County Children’s Report: How Toxic Stress Threatens Success”, prepared by the Kirwan Institute, Community Research Partners, and Champion of Children, an initiative of United Way of Central Ohio, June 18, 2014 at
http://liveunitedcentralohio.org/download/initiatives/champion_of_children/2014_FCC_Report_140620.pdf

6) State Board of Education Update: The State Board of Education, Debe Terhar president, met on June 9 and 10, 2014 in Columbus. The following is a summary of committee and board actions:

•Achievement Committee
The Achievement Committee, chaired by C. Todd Jones, met on June 9, 2014. The committee approved an increase in the passing cut-score for the Ohio Achievement Assessment for Grade 3 Reading. If approved by the State Board of Education in July 2014, the cut-score will increase from 392 to 394 on a scale in which 400 is proficient. Cut-scores have been set to determine whether students are reading at a “limited”, “basic”, “proficient”, “accelerated” or “advanced” level. The new cut-score, 394, is considered to be “high basic” and will be used as the passing score in reading for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

The State Board will need to review the cut-scores for all exams in the future, as schools in Ohio transition to new assessments that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and are administered by PARCC, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

•Accountability Committee
The Accountability Committee, chaired by Tom Gunlock, met on June 9, 2014. The committee approved the component scores on the state report card for the gifted indicator for future school years. The gifted indicator includes three components: progress (value added), the performance index score, and input points. School districts must meet all of the component scores to meet the gifted indicator.

For 2013-14 and 2014-15 the component scores are Progress, C and above; Performance Index, 115 and above; Input Points, 40 and above.

For 2014-15 the component scores are Progress, C or above; Performance Index, 115 and above; and Input Points, 40 and above.

For 2015-16 the component scores are Progress, C or above; Performance Index, 116 and above; and Input Points, 60 and above.

For 2016-17 the component scores are Progress, C or above; Performance Index, 117 and above; Input Points, 80 and above.

•Operating Standards Committee
The Operating Standards Committee, chaired by Ron Rudduck, met on June 9, 2014. The committee continued the discussion about the revision of Operating Standards, Ohio Administrative Code Rules 3301-35-01 through 15. The committee received more information about blended learning, and decided that a separate rule should be created for blended learning. Currently it is referenced in Rule 3301-35-06 of the Operating Standards. Next month the committee will discuss Rules 3301-35-07,09, and 11.

State Board Business Meeting June 10, 2014

Public Participation

-Dr. Jennifer Miller, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Middle Childhood Education at Hiram College, and Dr. Paula M. White, Professor of Education and Director of Middle Childhood Education at Ohio Wesleyan University, addressed the State Board about the low rates of passage for teacher candidates on the middle-level content licensing exams. The exams, developed by Pearson, were administered in 2013 for the first time.

Both presenters are officers in an organization called the Ohio Middle Level Professors Association, which serves as a forum for educators who prepare middle-level teachers in Ohio. The Ohio Middle Level Professors Association recently evaluated the new Pearson licensing exams for middle level teachers and identified the following issues:
-The exams are not aligned to the state approved K-12 curriculum
-Institutions of higher education were not given sufficient time to realign their curriculum to prepare teachers
-The cost of the required tests and license fees for middle-level teacher candidates is over $800, and higher than other teacher licensing exams and fees.

The presenters said that the Ohio Middle Level Professors Association endorses the resolution before the State Board to adjust the passing score on the qualifying exam, but also noted that the issue goes beyond reducing the cut score. The presenters support the creation of the proposed middle-grade assessment panel to further investigate the issues that they have raised about the exam.

–Dan Dodd, representing the Ohio Association for Independent Schools, addressed the State Board regarding the graduation requirements for students in nonpublic schools. He asked the State Board to abide by a provision included in recently approved HB487 (Brenner) the Mid Biennium Review-Education, regarding the formation of a committee to review the graduation requirements for students in nonpublic schools. The committee is required to submit their recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly by January 15, 2015. He specifically asked that the State Board not make any “rash decisions” or go forward with “proposals in the next few months that would undermine what it is that the committee is trying to address.”

The State Board also recognized Lori Lofton, for eight years of service to the State Board. She has resigned from her position as Director of the Office of Educator Quality at the Ohio Department of Education, and accepted a position in the Westerville City School District.

The State Board took the following action on June 10, 2014:

-#6 Approved a Resolution of Intent to Amend Rules 3301-24-03 and 3301-24-18 of the Ohio Administrative Code Entitled Teacher Education Programs and Resident Educator License.
-#14 Approved a Resolution to Rescind Rules 3301-21-05 to -07 of the Ohio Administrative Code Regarding Colleges and Universities Preparing Teachers.
-#15 Approved a Resolution to Amend Rules 3301-24-07 of the Ohio Administrative Code Entitled Provisional License Renewal.
-#16 Approved a Resolution to Amend Rules 3301-37-01 to 3301-37-12 of the Ohio Administrative Code Regarding Child Day Care Programs.
-#17 Approved a Resolution to adopt Rule 3301-102-011 of the Ohio Administrative Code Entitled Dropout Prevention and Recovery Schools’ Assessment of Growth in Student Achievement and to Adopt Rule 3301-102-12 of the Administrative Code Entitled Standards for Awarding an Overall Report Card Designation to Dropout Prevention and Recovery Community Schools.
-#18 Approved a Resolution to Adopt New Ohio Assessments for Educators Licensing Exams and Associated Qualifying Scores for Agriculture Science and Health Licensing Areas.
-#19 Approved a Resolutions to Adopt Adjusted Qualifying Scores for Five Ohio Assessments for Educators Licensing Exams.
-#20 Approved a Resolution to Adopt Model Curricula in Fine Arts and World Languages.

FYI ARTS

1) Arts Assessment Project Funded by the Straight A Fund: Congratulations to a consortium, led by Hamilton Local Schools, for receiving a $1.42 million grant from the Straight A Fund to develop 44 assessments in the arts. The grant was awarded last week to the consortium, which also includes the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, West Muskingum Local Schools, Cincinnati Public Schools, The Ohio State University, the Dublin Arts Council, and Battelle for Kids.

2) Arts Education Gets Big Boost in New York City: Geoff Decker reports for Chalkbeat New York that a coalition of arts organizations in New York City, led by the Center for Arts Education, wrote a letter on June 17, 2014 to New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina with recommendations for expanding access for students to the arts. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has proposed an additional $23 million in the city’s budget to expand arts education opportunities for students in New York City schools. The money is to be used to meet minimum state requirements for arts education, but the arts organizations outlined in the letter other ways the money could be used to support the arts. These include using a percent of the funds to subsidize the salaries of arts teachers as an incentive for principals to hire more arts teachers; expanding partnerships between the schools and community arts organizations; expanding professional development for arts teachers; and including the arts in the district’s accountability framework.

According to the article, the school system lost more than 200 certified arts teachers over the past four years. Funding for the arts is now around $300 million, but one in five city schools is not providing state mandated instruction in the arts, according to a report prepared by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

See “Advocates ask city to help principals pay salaries for new art teachers” by Geoff Decker, Chalkbeat New York, June 18, 2014 at
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2014/06/18/advocates-ask-city-to-help-principals-pay-salaries-for-new-art-teachers/
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Joan Platz
Director of Research

Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
77 South High Street Second Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-446-9669 - cell
joan.platz@gmail.com