Ohio lawmakers weclome superintendent’s plan to trim standardized testing

Lawmakers heard State schools Superintendent Richard A. Ross’ recommendations on cutting the time students spend taking standardized tests and said they will look to expand on them.

“It’s a good set of recommendations,” Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Centerville and chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, said, “I think that we may be adding on to some of the recommendations. I see us expanding them as opposed to throwing any of them away. I think the ones that are out there are solid.”

In the report, Ross recommends reducing the average time Ohio students in all grades spend taking standardized test from 19.8 to 16.2 hours. Ross said the reduction would mean all students spend no more than 2 percent of the school year taking standardized test.

The 28.4 hours high school sophomores spend on tests would remain unchanged and first-graders would see the biggest reduction from 11.6 to 4.5 hours.

(Read more at the Dispatch.com)

Kasich Says Fellow Republicans Are Lying About Common Core

Ohio Governor John Kasich went on the attack on Sunday against top Republicans who have rejected Common Core, claiming they have switched positions purely for political gain, even when they know the attacks made on the standards are false.

Common Core has been a popular punching bag for many Republicans seen as 2016 presidential contenders. Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker and Mike Huckabee have all taken their turn bashing it.

The most common line of attack claims that Common Core, which began as a shared initiative between many state governments, has become a means of federal control forced upon states by the Obama administration. Jindal has been a particularly strong proponent of this argument, filing a federal lawsuit against the government claiming that Department of Education incentives such as Race to the Top amounted to an illegal effort to nationalize curriculum.

Kasich, however, said on Fox News Sunday that such attacks are bogus, and accused his fellow governors of not merely being wrong, but also of being dishonest.

(Read more at The Daily Caller.

Affluent districts pay less in school taxes by this count

If New Albany-Plain school district residents paid an average amount of their income to fund local education, in relation to all Ohio districts, the district not only could stop worrying about budget cuts, it could more than double spending.

The affluent northeastern Franklin County district could bring in an extra $70 million a year — $15,200 per pupil — if its local tax effort matched the average effort in Ohio, according to an analysis by Howard Fleeter of the Ohio Education Policy Institute.

Neither Fleeter, nor anyone else for that matter, is suggesting New Albany strive for such a goal. But as Gov. John Kasich and state lawmakers again prepare to debate school funding as part of the two-year state budget, he thinks a district’s capacity to generate local revenue should be considered.

“Capacity is a valid point,” Fleeter said. “You can’t just make judgments that your millage rate is low so you need to help yourself before we help you. There are places with low millage rates that really are trying as hard as they ought to be.”

(Read more at the Dispatch)

Fleeter analyzed the local tax-effort index, a state-developed calculation that reflects how much financial effort residents are making to fund their local school district. An index greater than 1 indicates district residents are making an above-average effort, while those less than 1 are below average.

Student Testing Time in Ohio May Drop

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSPD) -- The time students spend taking standardized testing could soon be dropping in Ohio.

A report from the Ohio Department of Education included recommendations to reduce testing by nearly 20 percent. Many of the changes would require the Ohio General Assembly to act.

"I am committed to improving testing efficiency and reducing the testing burden on students while maintaining accountability in our schools," said Richard Ross, superintendent of public instruction at the Ohio Department of Education.

ODE surveyed several districts, teachers, and stakeholders and found that the average Ohio student spends nearly 20 hours each year taking tests. Students use up another 15 hours doing practice tests.

"Testing serves an important purpose for monitoring and improving student learning," Ross said.

Under the proposal, students would spend no more than 2 percent of their school year on testing and 1 percent on practice tests. The state would also do away with the fall third grade reading test, but test students over the summer if they are found to need it. Students would also no longer be mandated to take math or writing diagnostic tests before third grade.

(Read more at wspd.com).

New House education committee chairman wants to cut the "glut" of testing, have less "toxic" talks about the Common Core

State Rep. Bill Hayes expects to have a busy first year as chairman of the education committee of the Ohio House, with legislation on the Common Core, standardized testing and charter schools all likely to come before the panel.

"Mostly I've been getting condolences," joked Hayes, 71, a Licking County Republican.

He replaces Gerald Stebelton, a Lancaster Republican, who left office at the end of 2014 because of term limits and returns to his law practice.

The Plain Dealer talked with Rep. Hayes last week about his background and his views on several major issues expected to come up this year. Here's a quick look at the newest major player in education policy for the state.

Who is he? Hayes has been a member of the legislature and the House Education Committee since 2010, after losing two earlier bids for the House.

(Read more at Cleveland.com)

Lake Local may join trend of allowing armed staff

The way Tim Krugh sees it, he’s just trying to minimize carnage.

The Lake Local Board of Education president said that when he reads or hears about mass shootings in schools, he worries about it happening in his district. With the school system cash-strapped, and no large police force nearby, he’s joined a growing number of Ohio school officials considering a last-ditch line of defense: arming staff.

Mr. Krugh is quick to say that no decision has been made. The board will hold a forum at 10 a.m. Saturday, at which a Buckeye Firearms Association speaker will discuss a training program the nonprofit offers to school staff.

It is a chance for the community to ask questions about having teachers, principals, or janitors, or anyone carrying a gun into their child’s school.

“We are looking at every option we can,” Mr. Krugh said.

In the wake of mass school shootings in Newtown, Conn., Chardon, Ohio, and elsewhere, school districts around the country re-evaluated their security procedures.

(Read more at The Toledo Blade.