Most Ohio Gadfly readers know that we typically offer in-depth commentary one topic at a time. This tendency assumes (pardon the holiday metaphor) that one huge present is preferred—like the Lexus tied up in a bow. We recognize that other folks might prefer a bundle of gifts. So, for those yearning for a little more diversity in their inbox, this one is for you. (No white elephants, we promise.)
A win on ESSA accountability
In late November, the U.S. Department of Education released its revised and final regulations on school accountability under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In a victory for high achievers, the feds made it crystal clear that states are permitted to use a performance index—as Ohio has long done—as an indicator of student achievement. Regrettably (see here and here for why), the previous draft regulations would have likely forbidden performance indices and forced states to use proficiency rates instead. Now it’s full steam ahead on the performance index as Ohio drafts its ESSA state plan.
Information in the palm of your hand
Kudos to state leaders who are making Ohio’s report card data useful and accessible to policy wonks and the general public alike. A recent Data Quality Campaign (DQC) publication spotlights Ohio’s school report cards as exemplars for providing “data that is valuable to my community” and displaying clear information. The report also notes that Ohio’s database houses the large majority of the data elements DQC deems important for public review (fifteen out of twenty-three). Meanwhile, the Ohio Department of Education last week launched a smart phone app where users can receive updates and check out school report cards anywhere and anytime. Is your local school board member—or maybe real estate agent—waxing poetic on how lovely the schools are? Now you can get the lowdown on the data and see for yourself. As President Reagan once said, “trust but verify.”
No thanks on the similar students measure
In the recent charter reform legislation, state lawmakers ordered the Ohio Department of Education to “conduct a study to evaluate the validity and usefulness of using the ‘similar students measure.’” In a report issued in late November, the Department concluded after said study that the measure was “neither valid nor useful” for use in the Ohio’s accountability system. The measure, pushed by a charter advocacy group and ECOT, adjusts a school’s achievement rate depending on its demographics (for more, see here). One of the central problems, however, is that the measure would set lower proficiency expectations for disadvantaged children. As Chris Woolard, the Department’s accountability chief, told the Columbus Dispatch: “Our system right now has high expectations for all students. This [measure] violates that basic principle that we want all students to be able to succeed.”
Auditor Yost on inter-district open enrollment
Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost recently released a report on the fiscal impact of inter-district open enrollment. The main takeaway: Districts should weigh the costs and benefits of accepting additional pupils via open enrollment. Under state law, districts are not obligated to accept open enrollees—though state funding follows students, offering districts a financial incentive to do so (no local dollars transfer however). According to his cost-benefit calculations for four Northeast Ohio districts, one posted a net loss of $1,282 per incoming open enrollee, while another gained a whopping $4,563 per open enrollee. The fiscal impact, as the Auditor explains, depends in large part on capacity. When a district has “empty seats,” the cost of educating an open enrollee is minimal—teachers wouldn’t need to be hired, for example—but it would gain the funding tied to the student. The reverse might be true when a district is at or near capacity: Marginal costs could exceed the benefit. The Auditor understands the finances of open enrollment, but this analyst at least wonders whether economic concerns could be used as an excuse by public schools to not accept all comers. (“Sorry kid, we just don’t have the capacity.”) This begs a couple questions: a) just how many districts in Ohio are at full capacity, including suburban ones that prohibit open enrollment altogether; and b) for districts without excess capacity—but facing increasing demand—should the state support expansions, so they are not turning away students?
AP scores of 2 = proficient?
In an amendment to Senate Bill 3, a deregulation bill that passed last week, state legislators added language that would deem an Advanced Placement (AP) score of 2 equivalent to proficiency on certain state end-of-course exams (EOCs). Ohio high schoolers may substitute AP test results for EOCs in the following content areas: US History, US Government, and science (substitutions are not allowed in math or English). This raises an eyebrow, because an AP score of 2 is typically considered mediocre—the second lowest on AP’s 1-5 scoring scale. It’s a score that colleges and universities won’t accept for course credit—a minimum 3 or 4 is required. In addition, an AP score of 3 is needed for schools to earn credit on Ohio’s Prepared for Success report card component. It may be true that an AP score of 2 is technically a closer equivalent to EOC proficiency than a 3 (AP tests are likely more difficult), but it does seem peculiar to call an unsatisfactory AP score “proficient.” Did the student demonstrate proficiency in the AP course? According to the test results, it’s not clear she did. Or maybe this predicament calls into question the notion that different standardized tests are so easily substitutable.
We hope you enjoyed this package of ed news gifts. Stay tuned in the New Year as we continue to track these stories and much more!
