Mr. Strickland's Challenge

Quentin Suffren / November 29, 2006

No one can fault governor-elect Ted Strickland's ambitions. After handily winning the governor's seat, Mr. Strickland has promised to reform the state's flawed education funding system--going so far as to stake the success of his administration on it (see here).

Over the coming months, Mr. Strickland will hear from a chorus of advisors, supporters, and stakeholders--from school boards and superintendents to teacher unions--all proposing solutions for fixing Ohio's school funding problems. There may be calls to increase the state's per-pupil contribution; to mount a popular referendum to alter House Bill 920, which prohibits district revenues via voted levies from increasing with inflation; or even to fund the system altogether differently (perhaps through a statewide sales tax).

These suggestions--and sundry others--deserve vigorous debate. Funding schools in Ohio is currently an exercise in diminishing returns, particularly at the local level. Phantom revenue (which mitigates the impact of voted levies over time--see here), and elimination of the Tangible Property Tax (whereby districts earned revenues from taxing local business inventories) have, in part, contributed to perennial district pleas for money in the form of levies and now local income taxes.

It's a safe bet that much of the advice Mr. Strickland receives can be distilled to a familiar refrain: more money. Yet any reform efforts will need to consider how money is spent as well as how much. Three issues, among others, beg for a more comprehensive and creative approach to education

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Mr. Strickland's Challenge

Columbus Selected for New KIPP Public School Expansion Site in 2008

November 29, 2006

Due to broad-based community interest and support, Columbus has been selected by KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) as a new national expansion site in 2008. KIPP officials and leaders in the Columbus community will partner to explore the essential next steps to bring KIPP to Columbus--recruiting qualified school leaders and building a local board of directors.

"We selected Columbus because the community seriously embraces educational reform," explains KIPP CEO Richard Barth. "An enlightened school district leadership, a business community and education research organization deeply committed to improving public education, and a nationally recognized education think-tank, the Fordham Foundation, are all committed to closing the achievement gap in public education in Columbus."

KIPP is a network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.  KIPP trains educators to open and operate locally-run public schools through a year-long training fellowship--the KIPP School Leadership Program. Originally just two KIPP Academies in Houston, Texas, and the South Bronx, KIPP has grown to a network of 52 locally-run public schools in 16 states serving over 12,000 students. More than 80 percent of KIPP students nationally are low-income and more than 95 percent are African American or Hispanic.

A community coalition of The Columbus Partnership, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, KidsOhio.org and the Columbus Public Schools demonstrated that Columbus is fertile ground for KIPP's growth in 2008. Business leaders have committed more than $500,000 to support KIPP's start-up over the next three years, and

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Columbus Selected for New KIPP Public School Expansion Site in 2008

Science Blues

Quentin Suffren / November 29, 2006

The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will do little to calm growing fears about students' lack of science content knowledge. NAEP's most recent study (see here) reveals that urban districts--Cleveland Public Schools first among them--are struggling mightily to educate their students in the sciences.

The study examined ten urban districts' scores on the 2005 fourth- and eighth-grade NAEP science tests. Overall, seven out of ten district scores were no different than the average for the nation's large central city schools. Yet when compared to public schools nationwide, nine of the urban districts had lower than average scores (Austin Independent Schools was the sole district in the study to meet national averages).

Among the ten urban districts, Cleveland Public Schools ranked at the bottom in terms of achievement. Just 6 percent of its fourth-graders, and 5 percent of its eighth-graders, scored at the level of "Proficient" or above in 2005. Nationwide, only 27 percent of fourth- and eighth-graders in public schools scored "Proficient" or above. Fully two-thirds (34 percent) of fourth-graders and just under half (43 percent) of eighth-graders scored at the "Below Basic" level.

Consider what this means in terms of science skills and content knowledge. Fourth-graders scoring at the "Basic" level or below, while able to read basic graphs and understand some concepts related to classification and simple scientific relationships, still may know little about the Earth's features, properties, or structure. And while eighth-graders

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Science Blues

Ohio's Electorate Has Spoken: So Now What?

Quentin Suffren , Kristina Phillips-Schwartz / November 29, 2006

The cheers (and some jeers) have faded and the votes from November's elections have finally been tallied (in most places). Yet still uncertain are what the election results mean for Ohio's education program. While Gadfly makes no claims of prescience, several results may bear a weighty impact on education in the Buckeye State.

1. Hello, Governor Strickland

The newly elected governor has promised to put school funding front and center on the policy agenda as a part of his "Turnaround Ohio" plan (see here and here). He has identified this as the single biggest issue facing the state and agrees unequivocally that the current system is unconstitutional. Mr. Strickland's work is cut out for him (see above). And though the 65 percent solution is happily off the table, it remains to be seen whether many of his biggest supporters, teacher unions among them, will be game for substantial reform--beyond simply increased funding.

2. School Board Shuffle

If Governor Strickland wants to make funding changes--or any other changes for that matter--he will have strong allies in the new state board. Two of the four newly elected board members are well-known Democrats, Tom Sawyer and John Bender, and both have signaled their dissatisfaction with the current system (see here).

Charter school supporters should certainly be wary of any new board initiatives. Despite a clear affirmation of the program's constitutionality from the state's high court, Ohio's charters face new threats from hostile

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Ohio's Electorate Has Spoken: So Now What?

Discover Fordham Charter School Sponsorship

November 29, 2006

For information on Fordham's unique role as a charter school sponsor in Ohio, there's no better source than The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation Sponsorship Accountability Report 2005-06. The report offers a comprehensive account of Fordham's sponsorship policies and practices--as well as individual profiles of all Fordham-sponsored schools. Included in the profiles are descriptions of each school's educational program, school philosophy, and overall academic performance based on state achievement data.  Download the report here.  

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Discover Fordham Charter School Sponsorship

KIPP School Leadership Opportunities

November 29, 2006

Do you do whatever it takes for children to learn? Do you want to have a lasting impact?Do you want the power to make it happen?

KIPP offers outstanding educators like you the training and support to establish a KIPP school. KIPP schools are high-performing college-preparatory public schools that ensure impressive academic gains in historically underserved communities. KIPP students around the country are developing the knowledge, skills, character, and habits necessary for success in high school, college, and the competitive world beyond. The KIPP School Leadership Program is the first step towards starting a KIPP school.

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KIPP School Leadership Opportunities