Last week, Laura flagged a useful interactive map that grades states on their level of educational innovation in areas ranging from school finance to a state's reform environment. The map accompanies the recently released report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Center for American Progress, and Frederick M. Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card of Educational Innovation. The second of its kind, this edition of Leaders and Laggards grades states not only according to how they are performing currently, but also on the basis of groundwork they are laying to address impending challenges and fuel innovation in the years to come.
For the most part, Ohio's results are disappointing. The Buckeye State scores a "C" and a "D" respectively in two staffing areas: "hiring and evaluation" and "removing ineffective teachers." (All the more disappointing when considering that Race to the Top's final priorities gives the most weight to great teaching and leadership.) Ohio ranks average ("C") in technology and school finance, and gets a "B" for its data, and having a solid pipeline to postsecondary education.
However, we are happy to report that despite Ohio's mixed results, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute is highlighted as a group that contributes positively to the state's reform environment:
"There are few reliable state-by-state data on local education advocacy and research efforts-a reflection of the lack of overall commitment to this issue. As a result, we are unable to issue a meaningful grade. However, Kids Ohio and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute are members of the forward-thinking Policy Innovators in Education Network."