Ohio Education Gadfly
Volume 1, Number 13
June 7, 2006
Editorial
Initial Lessons from W.E.B. DuBois in Cincinnati
By
Terry Ryan
Guest Editorial
Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools Testifies on the Ohio Core
Reviews and Analysis
Promise and Perils of a Data-Driven Future
Announcements
Haycock's Hope
Announcements
Choosing a School: A New Guide
Initial Lessons from W.E.B. DuBois in Cincinnati
Terry Ryan / June 7, 2006
On May 27, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a front page story announcing that the board of the state’s top performing charter school—the W.E.B. DuBois Academy—had voted to close the school due to serious financial problems. As the school’s sponsor, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation was and remains deeply concerned about what that unexpected closure will mean for the 440 or so students who currently attend the school—nearly all of them low income, minority youngsters for whom this school represents a much-needed education alternative. We have been working with the school’s board of trustees and the Ohio Department of Education to find a solution less draconian than shuttering the school. A solution may or may not be found, but two early lessons can be learned from this developing story.
First, charter schools in Ohio are seriously under-funded, the more so when they try to do more than the norm for children who need more than the norm. For example, as the Fordham Institute reported in August 2005, during FY 2002-03, Dayton charter schools received 33.8 percent less funding than district schools: $7,614 vs. $11,498 per pupil, a gap of $3,884. Moreover, charter schools receive no money for facilities, so 10 to 15 percent of a school’s operational funding typically goes to paying the cost of a place in which to operate.
Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools Testifies on the Ohio Core
June 7, 2006
Editor’s note: Eight states have implemented statewide rigorous core curriculum for their students. Gov. Taft believes it’s time that Ohio does the same. The Ohio General Assembly is considering legislation that would do just that. Gene T. Harris, superintendent of Columbus Public Schools, recently testified before the Ohio Senate Education Committee on the subject. Her remarks are excerpted here.
As the superintendent of the second largest school district in Ohio, I worry about many things related to the schools and my community, but the one issue that keeps me up at night is whether our educational system is adequately preparing students for the information and technology age.
I recently toured the Honda automotive plant in Marysville. The factory floor was lined with computers and other technological innovations now doing work that was performed by assembly line workers just a few years ago. It was obvious from the tour that a person in the 21st century must have the skills and knowledge to work with information and technology to earn a living wage. To that end, I want to express support for S.B. 311, which would establish a more rigorous core curriculum for Ohio’s schools.
We have struggled in this country to ensure equality of access to our educational system. Historically, we denied equal access
Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools Testifies on the Ohio Core
Promise and Perils of a Data-Driven Future
June 7, 2006
Is data collection and technology really revolutionizing classroom instruction? It depends.
Consider the teacher who snaps open a laptop, and with a few clicks of the mouse has comprehensive achievement data on all her students, reaching back from the beginning of their school careers up to yesterday. The data includes not only results from standardized tests but also information about each student’s educational background, results of coursework, and grade point average.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the norm. Instead, most teachers find that the software programs given to them to analyze student data contain spotty content that’s hard to understand, let alone useful.
We know this thanks to Education Week’s annual report, “Technology Counts,” which is recently released for 2006. The report issues a technology report card to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Ohio received a solid grade for making technology accessible to teachers (“A”), but a poor grade for using it (“D-minus”). Overall, the state earned “B-minus,” slightly higher than the national average of “C-plus.” Michigan was the reverse, receiving a “D-plus” for access to technology, and an “A-minus” for use of technology, with an overall grade of “C.”
The report finds that it isn’t enough to build computer systems and then expect teachers and schools to use them effectively. “We will have missed the boat if
We know this thanks to Education Week’s annual report, “Technology Counts,” which is recently released for 2006. The report issues a technology report card to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Ohio received a solid grade for making technology accessible to teachers (“A”), but a poor grade for using it (“D-minus”). Overall, the state earned “B-minus,” slightly higher than the national average of “C-plus.” Michigan was the reverse, receiving a “D-plus” for access to technology, and an “A-minus” for use of technology, with an overall grade of “C.”
The report finds that it isn’t enough to build computer systems and then expect teachers and schools to use them effectively. “We will have missed the boat if
Promise and Perils of a Data-Driven Future
The State of State World History Standards
June 7, 2006
Harvey Pennick, the late, great Texas golf instructor, once wrote: “If you don’t have a good grip, you don’t want a good swing.” Ohio finds itself in a similar situation in its teaching of world history. The state’s world history standards, documents outlining what students ought to learn, doesn’t have a firm grip on the material, thereby hampering teachers and schools ability to follow through on effective instruction. That’s the finding from a new report authored by the eminent historian and foreign policy expert Walter Russell Mead, who gave Ohio an “F” on its world history standards. Mead found Ohio’s content standards “vague” and he noted they “do not specify content to be taught.” Ohio’s instructional methods for teaching history received even greater criticism.
Not that other states are fairing better, Two-thirds of them either failed or were awarded “Ds.” Just eight states—California, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina, and Virginia—earned an “A."
“At a time when the United States faces threats and competitors around the globe, and when our children’s future is more entangled than ever with world developments, our schools ought not treat world history so casually,” said Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Fordham Institute, which published the report. “It is as if Americans are wearing blinders—and happy about it.”
Surf here to view the report.
“At a time when the United States faces threats and competitors around the globe, and when our children’s future is more entangled than ever with world developments, our schools ought not treat world history so casually,” said Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Fordham Institute, which published the report. “It is as if Americans are wearing blinders—and happy about it.”
Surf here to view the report.
Haycock's Hope
June 7, 2006
On May 10 in Columbus, Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, spoke before a packed room of over 300 educators, legislators, philanthropists, business leaders and reporters with a message of hope for Ohio’s schools. If you were unable to elbow your way through the crowd to see her presentation, check it out here.
Haycock's Hope
Choosing a School: A New Guide
June 7, 2006
The education scene in Ohio is brimming with options. But how do parents know which school is best for their children? GreatSchools, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, has produced a valuable workbook to help parents in the Dayton area answer that question. “My School Chooser” profiles 62 district, private, and charter schools in the city, and walks parents step-by-step through test scores, and data on teachers, facilities, and safety, among others. The book was developed by GreatSchools, in partnership with the University of Dayton, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and other national foundations, and was distributed to 20,000 Dayton households on June 1 by The Dayton Daily News. To obtain a copy, contact Meera Chary at (415) 977-0700, ext. 113 or visit http://www.greatschools.net/.
Choosing a School: A New Guide
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