Statewide Stories of the Day

State joins school-attendance probe (Dispatch)

Columbus schools officials sought state help yesterday in a probe of possible record-tampering, saying the scope of the issue was larger than previously thought. Superintendent Gene Harris asked the state auditor’s office to conduct a special audit of the district’s enrollment data. Also, the Ohio Department of Education said that because of concerns raised yesterday in a story in The Dispatch and after a request for help from the district, it plans to review the accuracy of Columbus’ attendance figures. Read more...

More grads not ready for college (Enquirer)

Rayjean Ranford graduated from Woodward High School over a year ago in the top 10 percent of her class. She planned to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College for two years, then transfer to the University of Cincinnati for two more. But the 18-year-old single mother fell behind before she took her first college class. Scores on her college placement tests were so low that Cincinnati State assigned her to “developmental” classes in math and English, designed to get her ready for college, but which yield no college credit. She took four. Read more...

Early interaction helps children learn (News-Journal)

MANSFIELD - If you want your children to succeed in life, read to them, talk to them, play with them, especially in the first three years of their lives. Lisa Cook, early childhood consultant for Succeed and Prosper through Education Ashland, Richland, Crawford (SPARC), and a former teacher and head of school at Discovery School, wants to see parents become their child's first teacher. Cook played some humorous video clips of TV show host Art Linkletter interviewing children about their hopes and ambitions when they grow up. Read more...

Failed SB 5 still a boon for some schools (Dispatch)

Fallout from the state’s failed attempt to scale back collective-bargaining rights has helped some school districts stretch levies longer than planned, officials say. When the Bexley schools treasurer put the district’s finances into focus recently, he found that the district likely can stay off the ballot until 2014, a year longer than expected. The Westerville district, too, plans to wait a year longer than officials had said. Olentangy is stretching the life of a 2011 property tax by two years. Read more...

Local Issues

Columbus school district’s attendance data ‘not logical’ (Dispatch)

Columbus fifth-graders come to school nearly every day. But roughly half of them can’t pass their math, reading and science exams. Linden-McKinley STEM Academy has had near-perfect attendance for the past three school years. But only 54 percent of Linden-McKinley students graduate, and fewer than 2 in 5 can pass the state science exam on the first try. If showing up is half the battle in helping students succeed, why aren’t more Columbus schools winning? Read more...

Scioto Valley schools not betting on set amount from casinos (Chillicothe Gazette)

CHILLICOTHE - School treasurers in Ross County aren't betting on much of a boost from casino tax revenues, which should begin paying out this year. Still, they said any additional funding, no matter the amount, is a good thing at a time when most districts are tightening their belts. Exactly how much money will be doled out to the schools depends entirely on the success of the casinos. In 2009, when voters approved a statewide referendum allowing casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. Read more...

Lake Erie College camp all business for area high school students (News-Herald)

Beginning Sunday, high school students from the area will have the opportunity to hear from local business leaders during a weeklong, hands-on program. The Learning About Business program at Lake Erie College in Painesville brings 60 students from high schools in Lake, Geauga and Cuyahoga counties to live on campus for one week and work together on a business project. While there, students will hear from area professionals who will teach them various aspects of how to run a business, Executive Director Michael Jablonski said. Read more...

Demand for vouchers declines in TPS district, reversing trend (Blade)

Demand for vouchers to attend private Toledo schools waned for next school year, abruptly ending a trend of rapid growth. The Ohio Department of Education received 2,023 applications from Toledo students for the 2012-2013 school year in the EdChoice program, which provides scholarships for students to attend private schools if their public school performs poorly on state standards. That's down from 2,068 the year prior, in contrast to two straight years of 200-plus growth in applications. Read more...

Editorial

Cleveland schools' diversion of bond funds causes taxpayers to get less for their money (Plain Dealer)

Just because it's legal to use Cleveland school construction bond money to repair aging schools doesn't make it right -- or smart. Cleveland voters approved the $335 million Issue 14 in 2001 to deal with aging schools. Since then, 32 of the district's 86 buildings have been renovated or replaced. The projects qualified for a two-for-one match that has brought in more than $422 million from the state, according to district spokeswoman Roseann Canfora. That's a huge jackpot for the city's children. Read more...

Another win for kids (Dispatch)

It was a good week for Ohio schools at the Statehouse: A day after lawmakers came together to approve a revolutionary plan for Cleveland schools, the General Assembly on Wednesday at long last approved a measure that promises to hold all Ohio schools accountable in some critical areas. Experience shows that, in failing schools, accountability is a necessary first step toward improvement. Senate Bill 316 was subject to months’ worth of contention and horse-trading, and the final product isn’t perfect. Read more...

School plan not right for all districts (Tribune Chronicle)

A federal program intended to help students who are doing poorly in school turned into a fiasco in Ohio. Now the state is doing what should have been done all along - in effect, telling local school districts they can get the kinds of help they want for such students. As so often is the case with the federal government, the program adopted a one-size-fits-all, strictly controlled approach. It provided federal money to pay for tutors for struggling students, but only by individuals, organizations and companies approved by the state of Ohio. Read more...