Our Work in Ohio

2009-10 Ohio Report Card Analysis

Fordham just conducted its annual analysis of urban school performance in Ohio, and found some dismal (though not wholly unsurprising) results: 26 percent of public school students in Ohio’s Big 8 attended a school rated A or B in 2009-10, while a much larger percent – 47 – attended a school rated D or F. There are other interesting trends: Cincinnati reached the rating of Effective (B), while a number of schools in some cities (e.g., Columbus and Akron) aren’t meeting one year of expected growth. Also check out Terry Ryan’s thoughts on Flypaper when it comes to reading and math performance over time. The overarching theme? It’s as stagnant as Grand Lake St. Marys.

Race to the Top reforms are good, but can we afford them over the long-haul?

This week Ohio was announced as a winner in the Race to the Top federal education sweepstakes, garnering $400 million for the state and its participating schools. With the state facing a steep funding cliff and imminent cuts that threaten K-12 spending, we’re happy to see Ohio win dollars. But being the honest brokers that we are, the Fordham Ohio team outlined several concerns about the state’s ability to follow through with several promised reforms – namely that it probably can’t afford most of them and lacks the political will to push through ideas like partnerships with Teach For America, state takeover of failed school turnarounds attempts, and teacher evaluations comprising significant student growth data.

Locals react to Ohio’s Education Reform Challenges

Last week Checker and Terry had two conversations with Ohioans about Fordham’s latest book, Ohio’s Education Reform Challenges, a memoir of Fordham’s experience as an authorizer of charter schools in Ohio. The book is spurring new and nuanced thinking among thought leaders, especially when it comes to charter school reforms. The Akron Beacon Journal lifted up Fordham’s “strong case” for a statewide authorizing entity and named pitfalls surrounding murky authorizer relationships. Catalyst Ohio highlighted Checker’s comments on the state’s “mixed bag” or charters. And Gongwer News Service (subscription only) did the same, while pointing out Ohio’s inconvenient state law preventing a combination of virtual and brick-and-mortar charters. It’s great to see the media and community members alike in Ohio discuss ways to improve charter schooling, enhance accountability, and ultimately serve our neediest children better.

Be sure to tune in for another book event on August 26 in DC or via webcast.

Study of student mobility in greater Dayton points to high out-migration

Dayton has experienced significant population loss and declining student enrollment over the last decade. The Gem City also happens to be home to Ohio’s largest school choice community – 27 percent of public schools students attend charters and 1,500 use vouchers. But school choice has nothing to do with greater Dayton’s student mobility issues, according to a Fordham-commissioned analysis conducted by economist Richard Stock of the Business Research Group at the University of Dayton. Read Terry’s Flypaper post to learn more about what the data shows – for example, did you know that a student’s reading score on the state test is the single greatest predictor of school mobility? Also read what the Dayton Daily News has to say about the findings, and about how area school and districts leaders address high levels of mobility among disadvantaged students.

Minimal increases to student teacher-ratios could save Ohio millions

The state faces an $8 billion budget hole in the next biennium, yet most cost savings suggestions focus on trimming corners. When it comes to K-12 education, real cost savings lie in teachers’ salaries and benefits. What would happen if Ohio increased student-teacher ratios by just a few students per classroom? Emmy writes in a Flypaper post that Ohio could potentially save $276 million in teacher salaries if every district in the state increased its average student-teacher ratio by one student. Also read her op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch, which breaks down potential cost savings that lie in small increases to student-teacher ratios, and puts it in a local context: Bexley is going to the ballot to ask voters for $3 million but small changes to ratios could raise nearly that much.