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761365389255The ESC BRIDGEBridging Resources, Information, and Data from Government and EducationFor the Week of July 15, 2013Featured NewsCleveland school district plans staff changes, training and new approaches for 13 'Investment Schools' The Cleveland Plain DealerThe Cleveland school district's improvement plan for 13 schools this upcoming school year will bring major changes for some and smaller, but substantial, ones for others. Teachers will receive special training at all 13 schools, some of which will get new principals and see significant?staff changes. And a few of the schools will have outside agencies come in to give the schools new styles and approaches.Kasich Signs Columbus Plan, Wants School Reform for Other Troubled Districts HannahGov. John Kasich took the next step towards reforms at the Columbus City Schools Monday when he signed HB167 (Heard-Grossman), the Columbus Education Plan, leaving it to local voters whether to trust city officials and education leaders to turn around the district. The plan joins the Cleveland Plan as major education reform efforts undertaken by the General Assembly since the governor took office. Kasich said if he has his way, others could follow. “I’ve been begging people in Youngstown. I’ve talked to [Rep.] Sean O’Brien and I’ve talked to one of the senators up there. I haven’t talked to [Sen.] Capri [Cafaro] yet. We really need this not just in the urban districts but across the state, where necessary,” Kasich told reporters after the signing at Indianola Alternative School in Columbus, adding that he stands “ready, willing and able” to join the Legislature in acting on behalf of districts that may need similar intervention.Ed Jerse, Cuyahoga County's regionalism czar and former state rep, in mix to replace Nina Turner The Plain DealerDemocrats are looking at a contested primary in Ohio's 25th State Senate district. Ed Jerse, Cuyahoga County's director of regional collaboration and a former state representative from Euclid, will seek the seat incumbent Nina Turner is leaving behind to run for statewide office. Jerse, who formally announced his candidacy Monday morning, joins Kenny Yuko, a fellow Democrat and former state representative, as two early candidates for the post.Gallup-EdWeek Poll: What Superintendents Really Think Education WeekWhile many of the nation's superintendents are optimistic about the potential of the common-core standards and new technology to improve what goes on in classrooms, a healthy percentage are also skeptical about such developments, according to results from the first Gallup-Education Week Superintendents Panel survey. The Washington-based Gallup organization teamed up with Education Week last year to develop what is envisioned as a four-times-a-year survey.National, Federal and US Department of EducationHead Start Announces Awardees in First-Ever Grant Competition Education WeekThe Office of Head Start has released its long-awaited final list of entities that have been awarded federal funds after the agency's first-ever grant competition among low-performing grantees. Many of the 153 grantees—which include large entities such as the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the New York City Administration for Children's Services—have been previous Head Start providers, either directly or through federal funds that were funneled through another agency. Senate Panel Approves Big Early-Childhood Education Boost Education WeekPresident Barack Obama's high-profile push to expand prekindergarten programs got a big assist from a Senate Appropriations panel today. The panel, which is controlled by Democrats, approved a $1.6 billion increase for Head Start—the main federal program financing early-childhood education—plus $750 million in new money to help states bolster the quality of their preschool programs.Senate Panel Nips at Key Obama Competitive Grant Programs Education WeekThe Obama administration's signature competitive grant programs—Race to the Top, Promise Neighborhoods, and the School Improvement Grants—survived, but took some serious abuse this week from some Democrats during the Senate Appropriations committee's consideration of a bill to finance the U.S. Department of Education in fiscal year 2014, which starts Oct. 1. The bill, which was approved by a Senate appropriations subcommittee earlier in the week, includes a huge boost for prekindergarten programs, another big Obama priority.House Lawmakers Set to Debate No Child Left Behind Act Rewrite Education WeekOn the eve of a possible vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on long-stalled legislation to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act, the bill's road to passage is still somewhat bumpy. House leaders have scheduled votes for Thursday on a host of amendments to the proposed Elementary and Secondary Education Act revision—26 of them altogether. But so far, a vote on final passage hasn't been scheduled, which gives leaders extra time to twist some arms, if they need to. The final vote could be Thursday, Friday, or later, if need be.Republicans Target House Democrats Ahead of ESEA Floor Vote Education WeekThe National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting 10 House Democrats in a media campaign in advance of this week's expected floor vote on a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act. Starting tomorrow, the NRCC is placing paid banner ads—some of which are pictured below—on education blogs in those congressional districts urging voters to tell representatives: "Put your kids first—not Washington bureaucrats."House Debates No Child Left Behind Rewrite, Makes Big Changes on Teacher Evaluation Education WeekConservative lawmakers won a big concession Thursday on the teacher-evaluation portion of a bill to renew the No Child Left Behind Act. Under the change, which was ultimately endorsed by the bill's sponsor, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the chairman of the House education committee, states and school districts would not be required to craft teacher-evaluation systems based on student outcomes.Advocates Oppose ESEA Teacher-Evaluation Amendments Education WeekAdvocates are lining up their positions on amendments related to teacher evaluation that are included in a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that will hit the House floor in short order. A letter sent this morning by a variety of teacher-quality stakeholders opposes two key amendments. First, it urges lawmakers to defeat an amendment (no. 67) to eliminate the bill's requirement that states and districts create teacher-evaluation systems as a condition of receiving teacher-quality funds. House Debates No Child Left Behind Rewrite, Makes Big Changes on Teacher Evaluation Education WeekConservative lawmakers won a big concession Thursday on the teacher-evaluation portion of a bill to renew the No Child Left Behind Act. Under the change, which was ultimately endorsed by the bill's sponsor, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the chairman of the House education committee, states and school districts would not be required to craft teacher-evaluation systems based on student outcomes. Instead, those evaluations—which are already causing headaches for states who have put them in place in exchange for the Obama administration's waivers from the NCLB law—would be totally voluntary. It is almost certain that Kline threw in the towel on teacher evaluations—a policy he was personally passionate about—in order to win final passage of the bill. A vote is expected tomorrow. House Passes Partisan NCLB Rewrite, But Rocky Road Still Ahead Education WeekAfter two days of partisan debate on an issue that used to bring Democrats and Republicans together in a kumbaya chorus, the House of Representatives passed a GOP-only reauthorization of the long-stalled No Child Left Behind Act. The bill, approved 221-207, with no Democratic support, would maintain the NCLB law's signature testing schedule and its practice of breaking out student-achievement data by particular groups of students (such as English-language learners and students in special education). Ohio Legislation Update (recent bill action in red)130th General AssemblyHouseHB 1 OHIO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LAW?(DERICKSON T, ROMANCHUK M)?To require a local workforce investment area to use OhioMeansJobs as the local workforce investment area's job placement system, to rename county one-stop systems, and to make other changes to Ohio's Workforce Development Law STATUS: Signed by GovernorHB 4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT GRANT PROGRAM (STAUTBERG P, BLESSING III L) To establish the Local Government Performance Measurement Grant Program STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House State & Local Government CommitteeHB 8 SCHOOL SAFETY LAWS (ROEGNER K, KUNZE S) To revise the school safety law STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 10 FISCAL TOWNSHIPS-MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS FISCAL OFFICERS (HAGAN C) To establish education programs and continuing education requirements for the fiscal officers of townships and municipal corporations, to establish procedures for removing those fiscal officers, county treasurers, and county auditors from office STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House State & Local Government CommitteeHB 14 SCHOOL RECORDS-ABUSED-NEGLECTED-DEPENDENT CHILD (PELANDA D) With respect to a school district's withholding or transfer to another district or school of the records of a child who is alleged or adjudicated an abused, neglected, or dependent child. STATUS: Signed by GovernorHB 16 HEAD INJURIES-YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS (O'BRIEN S, HOTTINGER J) To correct a cross reference with regard to concussions and head injuries in athletic activities organized by youth sports organizations and to declare an emergency. STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Medicaid, Health & Human Services CommitteeHB 17 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND (CERA J, GERBERRY R) To require that, for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Local Government Fund must receive the same proportion of state tax revenue that the Fund received in fiscal year 2005. STATUS: House Finance & Appropriations CommitteeHB 18 METAL DETECTORS-PUBLIC SCHOOLS (PATMON B) With respect to metal detectors in public schools STATUS: House Education CommitteeHB 30 EDUCATORS LETTERS OF ADMONISHMENT (JOHNSON T) Regarding letters of admonishment to licensed educators STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 32 MINIMUM SCHOOL YEAR (HAYES B, PATMON B) To establish a minimum school year for school districts, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools based on hours, rather than days, of instruction STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 50 CHILDREN'S' RIGHTS (HEARD T, MCGREGOR R) To protect the rights of children before and during custodial interrogations STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Judiciary CommitteeHB 58 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERSHIP (GERBERRY R) To change the voting membership of the State Board of Education STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 59 BIENNIAL BUDGET (AMSTUTZ R) To make operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2015; to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of state programs STATUS: Signed by GovernorHB 96 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LAW (STRAHORN F) To eliminate an exemption from the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Law for specified educational employees STATUS: Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 97 DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH (BRENNER A, LETSON T) To designate October as "Dyslexia Awareness Month” STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Education CommitteeHB 107 CAREER EXPLORATION INTERNSHIPS-TAX CREDIT (BAKER N) To authorize a tax credit for businesses that employ high school students in career exploration internships STATUS: Referred to House Ways & Means CommitteeHB 111 STATE UNIVERSITIES-STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS (DUFFEY M, STINZIANO M) To grant student members of the boards of trustees of state universities and the Northeast Ohio Medical University voting power and the authority to attend executive sessions STATUS: Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 113 HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION (ANTONIO N, HENNE M) To specify that school districts and chartered nonpublic schools may excuse from high school physical education students who participate in a school-sponsored athletic club STATUS: Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 115 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRIDGE FUND (SCHURING K) To create the Local Government Bridge Fund for the purpose of providing grants to local governments up to the reduced amount of funds the government received in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 from the Local Government Fund STATUS: Referred to House Finance & Appropriations CommitteeHB 127 CAREER-TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH (ADAMS R) To designate the month of March as "Career-Technical Education and Skilled Workforce Development Month” STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Workforce and Economic Development CommitteeHB 152 RIGHT TO WORK-PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (MAAG R) To remove any requirement under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Law that public employees join or pay dues to any employee organization. STATUS: Referred to House State & Local Government CommitteeHB 154 LOTTERY PROFITS-EDUCATION (GERBERRY R) To require that a portion of lottery profits be distributed annually on a per pupil basis to public and chartered nonpublic schoolsSTATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Finance & Appropriations CommitteeHB 158 NONREFUNDABLE TAX CREDITS-NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS (BRENNER A, PATMON B) To authorize nonrefundable tax credits for donations to nonprofit entities providing scholarships to low-income students enrolling in nonpublic schoolsSTATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 167 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS (HEARD T, GROSSMAN C) To authorize school districts with an average daily membership greater than 60,000 and located in a city with a population greater than 700,000 to levy property taxes, the revenue from which may be shared with partnering community schools STATUS: Signed by GovernorHB 168 CERTIFIED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS (HAGAN C) To create a subprogram of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program that permits students to participate in certified apprenticeship programs STATUS: IntroducedHB 171 RELEASED TIME COURSES-RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION (MCCLAIN J, PATMON B) To permit public school students to attend and receive credit for released time courses in religious instruction conducted off school property during regular school hours STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 175 OHIO STATE GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE DATABASE (DOVILLA M) To require the Treasurer of State to establish the Ohio State Government Expenditure Database STATUS: Introduced; Referred to State & Local Government CommitteeHB 178 SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS (PHILLIPS D) To amend with respect to school safety drillsSTATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 180 CARDIAC ARREST-YOUTH ACTIVITIES (PILLICH C) With regard to sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletic activities STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Health & Aging CommitteeHB 181 PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION-STUDENT (BRENNER A) To prohibit submission of a student's personal identifiable information to the federal government without direct authorization of the local school board STATUS: Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 193 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS (BRENNER A) To revise current high school diploma requirements including state-administered assessments STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 209 FINISH FUND (RAMOS D) To create the Finish Fund and the Finish Reserve Fund to provide grants to students who are nearing completion of their bachelor's degrees and display financial need or hardship and to make an appropriation STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Finance & Appropriations CommitteeHB 211 LOTTERY PROFITS EDUCATION FUND REPORT (WILLIAMS S) To require the Director of the State Lottery Commission to prepare a report related to the Lottery Profits Education Fund STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 215 SCHOOL SAFETY (DEVITIS A) To authorize a board of education or governing authority of a school to enter into an agreement with a volunteer who is a current or retired law enforcement officer to patrol school premises to prevent or respond to a mass casualty event STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 216 SCHOOL INDEBTEDNESS (PATTERSON J) To forgive a school district's indebtedness to the Solvency Assistance Fund upon its voluntary consolidation with another district if specified conditions are satisfied STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education CommitteeHB 228 SCHOOL FUNDING (BRENNER A) To reform the system of funding elementary and secondary education STATUS: IntroducedSenateSB 1 OHIOMEANSJOBS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REVOLVING LOAN FUND (BEAGLE B, BALDERSON T) To create the OhioMeansJobs Workforce Development Revolving Loan Fund, to create the OhioMeansJobs Workforce Development Revolving Loan Program, to allocate a portion of casino license fees to finance the loan program, and to make an appropriation. STATUS: Signed by GovernorSB 2 OHIO'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LAW (LEHNER P, BEAGLE B) To require a local workforce investment area to use OhioMeansJobs as the local workforce investment area's job placement system, to rename county one-stop systems, and to make other changes to Ohio's Workforce Development Law STATUS: (Passed by Senate) Referred to House Manufacturing and Workforce Development CommitteeSB 11 SUMMER MEAL PROGRAMS (BROWN E) To require school districts to allow alternative summer meal sponsors to use school facilities to provide food service for summer intervention services under certain conditions. STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Medicaid, Health & Human Services CommitteeSB 13 VETERANS-ACADEMIC CREDIT (GENTILE L) To enhance support and services for veterans at state institutions of higher education and to require each institution to develop a policy for awarding academic credit to veterans for training received while in the military STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Public Safety, Local Government & Veterans Affairs CommitteeSB 15 EDUCATION FUNDING (SAWYER T) To prescribe a system and timeline for the General Assembly to deliberate and determine the components and cost of a high quality public primary and secondary education STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Finance CommitteeSB 21 THIRD-GRADE READING GUARANTEE (LEHNER P) To revise the requirements for reading teachers under the Third-Grade Reading Guarantee STATUS: Signed by GovernorSB 26 HEAD INJURIES-YOUTH SPORTS (SCHAFFER T) To correct a cross reference with regard to concussions and head injuries in athletic activities organized by youth sports organizations and to declare an emergency STATUS: Signed by GovernorSB 31 INCOME TAX CREDIT-TEACHERS (SCHAFFER T) To allow a credit against the personal income tax for amounts spent by teachers for instructional materials STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Ways & Means CommitteeSB 35 SPECIAL ELECTIONS (JORDAN K) To eliminate the ability to conduct special elections in February and August STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate State Government Oversight & Reform CommitteeSB 42 PROPERTY TAXES-SCHOOL SECURITY (MANNING G, GARDNER R) To authorize school districts to levy a property tax exclusively for school safety and security purposes STATUS: Passed by Senate, Vote 31-2; Referred to House Way & Means CommitteeSB 59 EDUCATION ENERGY COUNCIL (BEAGLE B) To authorize an eligible regional council of governments to establish itself as an education energy council for the purpose of issuing debt to pay for school district energy purchases STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Public Utilities CommitteeSB 65 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LAW (TURNER N) To eliminate an exemption from the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Law for specific educational employees STATUS: Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor CommitteeSB 67 AUDIT PROCEDURE-POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS (PETERSON B) To create an agreed-upon procedure audit for certain eligible political subdivisions and to eliminate the Auditor of State's exemption from filing a rule summary and fiscal analysis with proposed rules. STATUS: (Passed by Senate) Referred to House State and Local Government Committee – Reported out as amended; Passed by House, Vote 61-34; Senate concurredSB 69 COURSE AND PROGRAM SHARING NETWORK (BEAGLE B) To establish the Course and Program Sharing Network and to make an appropriation STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Finance CommitteeSB 72 TRIO PROGRAMS (TAVARES C) To make an appropriation for the provision of state matching funds for federal TRIO programs at Ohio institutions of higher education for FY 2014 and FY 2015 STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Finance CommitteeSB 74 AGENCY STANDARDS-CHILDRENS FACILITIES (TAVARES C) To require that any privately run non-Ohio agency, home, school, camp, institution, or other entity or residential facility to which Ohio abused, neglected, dependent, unruly, or delinquent children are committed comply with the same standards that are applicable to in-state agencies STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Criminal Justice CommitteeSB 93 OPEN MEETINGS ACT (JONES S) To require that further information be stated in motions to hold executive sessions under the Open Meetings Act, to expand the fees and expenses that may be recovered for violations of the Act, and to make other changes to the Act STATUS: Referred to Senate State Government Oversight and Reform CommitteeSB 96 HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM (LAROSE F) To require one unit of world history in the high school social studies curriculum STATUS: Senate Education Committee – Substitute bill accepted & reported outSB 122 OFFICE OF REGIONAL SERVICES AND ACCOUNTABILITY (SAWYER T) To create the Office of Regional Services and Accountability in the Department of Education STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Education CommitteeSB 123 INTERDISTRICT OPEN ENROLLMENT (SAWYER T) To terminate interdistrict open enrollment on that date with the possibility of renewal following the General Assembly's examination of the study's findings STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Education CommitteeSB126 SCHOOL SAFETY FUNDS (SCHIAVONI J) To require the State Board of Education to establish criteria and procedures for the awarding of school safety funds to school districts and to make an appropriation STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Finance CommitteeSB127 PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION-HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN (JORDAN K) To create a property tax and a manufactured home tax reduction for parents of home schooled children equal to the taxes levied by the school district on the homestead of the parent STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Ways & Means CommitteeSB 142 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND DISTRIBUTION (SEITZ B) To establish a new default formula for determining the share allocated to each subdivision from the Local Government Fund distribution of each county in which the largest city or township has a population of more than 13,435 and to require minimum annual distributions STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance CommitteeOhio Politics/BudgetState budget: 3,747-page road map Columbus DispatchThe new two-year state budget spends $62 billion, but it also does so much more. The measure increases state general-revenue-fund spending by 14.6 percent over the previous two-year budget, including increases of 9.3 percent this year and 4.8 percent next year. Although it stretches only two years, three-year state projections show a quartet of tax cuts total about $5.3 billion, while a dozen tax increases add up to about$2.6 billion, for a net decrease of$2.7 billion.It's in the Budget: School Facilities Commission OKs Security Grant Guidelines HannahAnticipating significant interest from local districts, the Ohio School Facilities Commission voted Thursday to adopt procedures for the $12 million in school safety grants included in the new budget, even though the program won't take effect until the end of September. Under HB59 (Amstutz), schools can seek up to $2,000 per building to install emergency communications equipment to contact first responders, and up to $5,000 per building to improve security at entrances with secure doors, cameras and similar upgrades. For the emergency communications, schools can either buy a MARCS radio or another system compatible with the law enforcement agencies in their area. Eligible projects undertaken since Jan. 1 of this year also can seek reimbursement.Law gives Ohio schools calamity-day flexibility Columbus DispatchThe current Ohio school year is set for 182 days, which includes teacher training and parent-teacher conferences. Districts also are allotted five calamity days that schools can miss without having to make them up. Under the new law, districts are required to have at least 1,001 hours for grades seven through 12 and 910 hours for the lower grades, including all-day kindergarten. Half-day kindergarteners would have to be in school at least 455 hours each school year.State senator aims to give tax break to home-schoolers The Cleveland Plain DealerA state lawmaker wants to give a tax break to property owners who home-school their children. State Sen. Kris Jordan introduced a bill that would reduce property taxes for parents who home-school their children that is equal to the amount they pay for school levies in their local districts. Jordan said the legislation -- Senate Bill 127 -- will help those who “sacrifice so much” to home-school a child. One group argues that the measure could lead to more tax breaks at the expense of public education.Funding plan needs work, analyst says Columbus DispatchWhen Howard Fleeter hears Republican leaders talk about how their new budget increased school funding by the largest percentage in a decade, he cringes a bit. The veteran economist and analyst has worked for years on school-funding issues with public-school organizations, watching a variety of funding formulas come and go — often as political leaders tout them as the greatest thing to hit schools since the No. 2 pencil. Fleeter says the latest formula is a “significant step” forward, and one that can be a good starting point for future budgets. He credits GOP lawmakers for making great improvements to Gov. John Kasich’s initial proposal. “But don’t oversell it,” he said. “It’s way too early to hang a banner and say mission accomplished.”Ohio Department of Education/State Board of EducationWhite Hat Management's Ohio charter schools in the midst of upheaval The Cleveland Plain DealerDavid Brennan’s White Hat Management has been the most powerful and influential of Ohio’s charter school operators since state money started flowing to the privately run public schools 15 years ago. In the last school year alone, the 31 schools it operates in Ohio used more than $67 million from taxpayers to educate more than 9,000 children. Summer spotlight on reading at central Ohio schools Columbus DispatchSchools are rethinking summer school this year in response to the state’s new third-grade reading guarantee. Classes run farther into the summer in many schools and are more challenging. There’s a new focus on testing students more often to track their progress. In a revamped summer school in the Worthington district, for example, students will spend six weeks taking reading lessons in the classroom, plus three weeks of homework. A similar class in the Dublin district spans nearly the entire summer break, and the district started a six-day class to help parents teach their children. The Westerville school district is sending teachers to apartment buildings and homes to offer reading help.ODE Taking Comments on Performance Audit; Board Approves Teacher Reading Exam, 'Persistently Poor Performing Schools' Plan HannahComments on the auditor of state's performance audit of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) will be taken through Monday, July 15, Donna Jackson of the ODE internal audit section told the State Board of Education Tuesday. That report and the online comment form can be found at . Jackson told the board that those comments will then be compiled and made available online by Monday, July 22. She said the department has 90 days to respond to the recommendations, which were released July 1 and identified $5.7 million in potential savings in the departmentODE Releases First-of-its-Kind Career-Tech Report Card, Grade Simulations HannahThe Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Tuesday released simulated report card grades for Ohio’s new career-technical education accountability system. According to the department, the new rating system is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation to use A to F letter grades and to exceed the requirements of the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.“Career and technical education is an important educational option available to students in Ohio,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard A. Ross in a prepared statement. “Holding career and technical centers accountable and ensuring they are providing a quality education is vital to the success of those schools and the success of the students that graduate from those schools.”College and Career Readiness/PreparationStateline: Graduation Rates, Test Scores Drive Higher Education Funding reports that Ohio is not alone as other states also are looking to tie funding to performance in the higher education arena. Those states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Washington. In Ohio, the budget just passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor includes a new funding formula that rewards public colleges and universities for improving graduation rates.Case Western Reserve University's free online courses exceeded expectations The Cleveland Plain DealerTens of thousands of people from?around the world participated in Case Western Reserve University’s first free online classes, but the?two professors?involved also learned something from them. For?instance, they may offer more breaks?during classroom lectures, because they discovered through the online courses that a student's?attention span?is about 15 minutes. And they plan to add more visuals, including PowerPoint presentations, to their traditional classes.Blueprint for College Readiness Education Commission of the StatesThis past week, ECS and project partners -- the Charles A. Dana Center, Complete College America, and Education First -- convened teams from eight states to discuss the Blueprint for College Readiness and next steps for state action (one-page summary of Blueprint also available). Attendees heard presentations from project partners on the need to address college readiness, key considerations in statewide college- and career-readiness definitions, and three policy options states should consider for increasing the success of entering college students.Proposal would collect Ohio college tuition over 24 years Cincinnati EnquirerSkyrocketing college tuition and student debt has lawmakers floating some once-unthinkable ideas about how to make college more affordable. The latest: Send Ohioans to the state’s public four-year universities for free, then collect 3 percent of their income for 24 years. That’s the idea from state Reps. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown, and Mike Foley, D-Cleveland. They have yet to file a bill but announced the plan earlier this week.ACT Report Reveals Enrollment Trends for Test Takers Education WeekA new report from the Iowa City-based testing organization ACT gives a snapshot of what students are doing after they take the college entrance exam. In response to the key findings of the report, ACT offers a number of recommendations, including having college admissions personnel use the students' college preferences to develop marketing messages that reinforce enrollment preferences fitting the characteristics of the college.Tougher Requirements Ahead for Teacher Prep Education WeekA panel tapped by the national accreditation body for teacher preparation has finalized a set of standards that, for the first time, establishes minimum admissions criteria and requires programs to use much-debated "value added" measures, where available. The action promises to have major ramifications for how programs select, prepare, and gauge the success of new teachers. Already, programs planning to seek the seal of approval from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation say the standards are significantly more demanding than those used by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, one of two accreditors that preceded CAEP.Curriculum, Instruction and AssessmentSchool for Blind Expands Online Resources for Educators Education Week A storied institution for the blind is promoting and expanding its online resources for educators across the country who teach students who have visual impairments—a move that coincides with a U.S. Department of Education directive that Braille instruction should be the default literacy medium for blind students. The 184-year-old Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass., which educated both deaf-blind activist and author Helen Keller and her instructor Anne Sullivan, is looking to increase use of Perkins eLearning, a collection of nearly 100 webinars, tutorials, and seminars. Early LearningLawmaker Buy-In Hard to Come By for Federal Preschool Expansion Education WeekBobby Cagle, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, said in a web-based press conference today that the price tag of the Obama administration's $75 billion proposal to expand the federal investment in state preschool programs will make it difficult for some lawmakers to back it. "We are supportive of the thinking behind the early learning initiative," said Cagle, whose state has a lottery-funded universal preschool program for 4-year-olds. "For our governor"—Republican Nathan Deal—"it is a real challenge to begin talking about a new tax. From what we're hearing from members of Congress, the real challenge is going to be the financing and where the money's going to come from."Study: High Quality Matters More Than Specific Model for Preschoolers with Autism Education WeekThe findings suggest that common elements of good classroom instruction, including an orderly classroom environment, well-trained teachers and positive interactions between children and adults, may be more important for children with autism than instruction using any particular treatment model. The study was published in the June edition of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, and the researchers have written a layman-friendly version of their findings.Superhero Play Creates Higher-Level Thinking, Builds Vocabulary, Author Says Education WeekSuperhero play, a staple of recesses everywhere during the early years, can seem overly aggressive to educators and parents, yet much of it can actually be productive if you peel back the layers to look at its components, writes Marica Mitchell in a recent blog post for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Mitchell, the director of higher education accreditation and program support at the Washington-based NAEYC admits to being "overwhelmed" when her own kids went through the phase, as evildoers were jailed and even murdered in her own home. Child Care Costs More Than College in Illinois Education WeekIf you've just had a baby in the Chicago area and are planning to place her in a child-care center full time when you return to work, be ready for sticker shock: You'll pay about $12,200 for one year of care, a new report says—roughly $1,016 per month. That's $200 more than you'll likely pay for a year of in-state college tuition in Illinois —and more than you'd likely pay for housing over a four-week time frame in Cook County, where the city of Chicago is located.Study: Head Start Helps Children Make Some Progress Towards Kindergarten Readiness Education WeekA report on children who entered Head Start in 2009 found that after exiting the program that they were below norms in language, literacy, and math, though making positive progress in those areas. By the time they exit the program they score at the norm on letter-word knowledge. ResearchStudy Seeks to Explain Black-White Gap in College Completion Inside Higher EdThe tendency of black students to enroll in urban and less-selective public universities and the fact that they attend high schools of lesser quality contribute to their lower graduation rates in college -- but the "primary driver" of the black-white graduation gap is a difference in "pre-entry" traits such as ACT scores and high school class rank, according to a study published Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research.America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2013 Released Online Institute of Education SciencesAmerica's Children, 2013 is a compendium of indicators highlighting the latest data and recent trends on children and their families prepared by the 22 federal agencies of the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. The 16th in an ongoing series, America's Children, 2013 contains 41 key indicators on important aspects of children's lives and features 7 domains—family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.Report Sees Strengths and Failings in America's Career and Tech Education The Chronicle of Higher EducationCareer- and technical-education programs offered by employers and colleges in the United States are diverse and decentralized, and those traits, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, are both their strength and their failing. The United States has "an exceptionally rich" array of offerings in career and technical education, said Simon Field, a co-author of the report, "A Skills Beyond School Review of the United States." The options in the United States for attending college part time, or as an adult or returning student, are also an advantage.Young Children's Well-Being Is Rising, Federal Indicators Suggest Education WeekChildren who experienced at least some early child care beyond their parents or relatives performed better in reading and math in kindergarten than those who were cared for only by relatives, according to a new federal data release, which includes a special section on kindergarten. "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," released today by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, is the latest of 16 annual reports which summarizes national indicators of the well-being of children and their families, monitoring changes as they occur each year. This year's report includes 41 key indicators, spread across seven domains: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. The widespread applicability of this data is reflected in its demographic findings: In 2012, there were 73.7 million children ages 0-17 in the United States, making up nearly 24 percent of the population. Summer Jobs Found to Reduce Youth Violence Education WeekA study of Boston teenagers and young adults found decreases in violent behavior after the young people participated in a jobs program, says a new study. According to The Boston Globe, Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies surveyed 421 teenagers and young adults who participated in a jobs program last summer, supported by the Boston-based State Street Foundation. Participants reported that after a month of employment, they were less likely to engage in fights, threaten or attack someone with a gun, and engage in other "risky" behaviors like drug and alcohol use, The Globe reports. Does Increasing K-12 State Funding Mean Less Local Tax Pressure? Education WeekI've written this year about new dynamics for state school funding, and how different states have different approaches about the best way to use increased K-12 funding in the wake of the Great Recession. Yet even in states that have decided to be more generous with their public schools, that doesn't mean a magic carpet will whisk away all the fiscal issues for the districts and individual schools relying heavily on state dollars. One example of what I'm talking about is in Minnesota, the state I featured in my March 6 story along with Ohio. As Christopher Magan at the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, the $485 million in new school spending released by state lawmakers comes with a few strings attached and perhaps a gaping loophole in terms of future tax burdens.UNESCO Probes Links Between Absenteeism and Violence Education WeekIn the United States, the push to improve school attendance often focuses on outreach efforts, better monitoring, and parent education. But in much of the world absenteeism is a matter of life and death. "Children Battling to Go to School," a report released this morning by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Education for All initiative finds half of the world's out-of-school children, 28.5 million primary-school-age kids, live in a country affected by conflict, from civil war to extreme gang violence. For adolescents, who were last measured in 2011, 69 million are not attending secondary school, and 20 million of those out-of-school students live in conflict zones. Grant OpportunitiesPrivateFirstEnergy Accepting STEM Grant Applications From Educators First Energy Corp (Deadline: September 16, 2013)FirstEnergy Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classroom Grants are awarded for creative individual classroom projects in grades pre-K-12. Any creative project in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will be considered. Grants may be used to compensate experts who come to work with students but not to pay teachers or staff. The resources requested should be an integral component of a well-planned classroom project/lesson plan and important to its success.Lowe's Toolbox for Education Accepting Applications for K-12 Public School Improvement Projects Lowe’s (Deadline: October 15, 2013)Funded by the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, the Lowe's Toolbox for Education program provides grant awards of up to $5,000 to support school improvement projects at K-12 public schools in the United States. Now in its sixth year, the program has donated over $35 million to more than eight thousand schools.National Science Teachers Association Accepting Entries for Shell Science Lab Challenge National Science Teachers Association (Deadline: December 20, 2013)The National Science Teachers Association, with support from Shell Oil Company, is accepting entries for the fourth annual Shell Science Lab Challenge. The challenge invites middle and high school science teachers (grades 6-12) in the United States and Canada (with special attention to urban and underrepresented groups) to illustrate replicable approaches to science lab instruction utilizing limited school and laboratory resources.GTECH Seeks Proposals to Create After-School Computer Labs for At-Risk Youth GTech (Deadline: Rolling)GTECH's After School Advantage Program provides nonprofit community agencies and public schools with state-of-the-art computer labs designed to give inner-city children between the ages of 5 and 15 a safe, meaningful, and fun learning experience during afterschool hours. The program provides up to $15,000 in computers, online technology, computer software, and volunteer hours to afterschool programs in inner-city communities where the online gaming company has an office. GTECH employees will work with each agency and school to design and develop a fully operational computer center.Northeast Ohio SchoolsLorain Academic Distress Commission tries to answer ultimate goal for Lorain schools Lorain Morning JournalPainesville City Schools hires new administrators Willoughby News-HeraldMedina school board files response to Randy Stepp, sues for return of signing bonus Sun NewsWickliffe School Board to seek new superintendent Willoughby News-HeraldBay VillageBay Village second-grader returns from National Braille Challenge Finals after placing second in age group Lorain Morning JournalBereaBerea school teacher brings autism documentary to a Cleveland theater Sun NewsChagrin FallsChagrin Falls schools reports good community response to survey Sun NewsCuyahoga Valley Career CenterCuyahoga Valley Career Center board, teachers reach agreement on new three-year contract Sun NewsEuclidEuclid School District welcomes new teachers Willoughby News-Herald StrongsvillePresident of Cleveland Teachers Union sues Strongsville City Schools Board of Education News Net 5WestlakeWestlake schools to dedicate new location July 30 Lorain Morning Journal ................
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