Ohio House votes to give students a symbolic "safe harbor" from scores on new Common Core tests

The Ohio House unanimously passed on Wednesday a bill that bans scores from this first year of new state tests using the Common Core standards from being used against students in any way.

House Bill 7 passed the full House 94 to 0, just a day after the House Education Committee backed it 18-0.

It's a mostly-symbolic bill, since the new tests that start being given next week count for little this year. Only high school freshmen could see a tangible impact from tests they need to pass before graduating in four years.

(Read more at Cleveland.com)

7th Grade PARCC Test Reading Level =9.6

The 7th grade ELA team was discussing short cycle assessments last week and was thinking about using the PARCC practice test as an example. We chose to not subject our students to this misery.

One of the passages on the 7th grade PARCC practice test is from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I ran that text through an online readability formula. The screen capture of the result is below.

I encourage you to read this post about about reading levels and think whether or not it is necessary to subject our 12/13 year olds to three days of PARCC, which is not used to inform instruction or help the student in any way.

Bottom line: The PARCC is testing 7th graders on a 9.6 grade reading level. Why?

(continue reading at Kevin722)

"High-performing" school districts would duck bureaucracy others face, under proposals from Gov. Kasich and Senate Pres. Faber

School "deregulation" proposals from Governor John Kasich and Sen. President Keith Faber offer rule exemptions that would save time and paperwork for all schools in the state

They also create separate exemptions only for "high performing" schools or teachers.

"Why put them through the hoops if they're already making a difference for boys and girls?" state Superintendent Richard Ross asked Monday, as he explained the governor's proposals to the state school board.

In a written statement, Faber expressed the same goal.

"Much has been asked of educators and school leaders over the last several years with the goal of improving student achievement," Faber wrote. "The Senate's goal is to eliminate ineffective or unnecessary state regulations for all schools and provide greater flexibility for high performing schools."

The much-anticipated proposals from Faber, which he promised late last year, are in Senate Bill 3 and will have their first hearing Tuesday before the Senate Education Committee. Kasich's proposals have yet to be drafted into a bill but had some early feedback from the state school board Monday morning.

(Read more at Cleveland.com)

Ohio school district winners, losers in John Kasich's new budget plan

Details of Kasich's two-year budget proposal show that about half of the state's 610 school districts would receive more money from the state than they currently are receiving.

In Cuyahoga County, 14 districts would receive more money in 2016-2017, and 17 would receive less, according calculations from data released Wednesday by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.

The Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. calculated the changes using both core aid from the state and money the state provides some districts to help make up for some revenue lost by the elimination of a tangible personal property tax and some utility taxes.

Jim Lynch, a spokesman for the governor, however, said no district would encounter a large decrease, once both local and state money are considered. The maximum loss would be 3 percent in the first year from both sources.

(Read more at Cleveland.com)

Kasich budget trims aid to over half of Ohio's public school districts

More than half of Ohio's public school districts would get less money from the state under Gov. John Kasich's proposed education budget as the administration seeks to adjust the funding formula to better reflect district incomes.

Those cuts come even as Kasich's $72.3 billion, two-year budget increases state foundation funding by $700 million over two years.

The state budget director and superintendent both said the spending blueprint doles out state education aid under a formula adjusted to better reflect a district's wealth.

Budget director Tim Keen told state lawmakers a formula that's ineffective in getting dollars to the neediest districts is unacceptable.

Kasich's budget also reduces districts' state guarantee and resumes phase-out of two tax streams they've received, reducing state payments by $235 million over two years.

Ohio school districts facing cuts in Kasich plan

More than half of Ohio school districts would see their state funding reduced under Gov. John Kasich’s new two-year budget, which also seeks to increase oversight of charter schools.

Kasich wants to pour another $700 million in state foundation funding into K-12 education over the next two years. But that funding is partially offset by a loss of $235 million in state reimbursements to schools for lost tangible personal-property taxes — a tax on business property and inventory that the state has eliminated.

Kasich wants to rework the school-funding formula to better incorporate a district’s ability to raise local revenue.

“We are really trying to say we are trying to help those who can’t help themselves,” Kasich said. “For those that can help themselves, we need you to step up and help.”

(Read more at the Dispatch)