Monthly Archives: August 2009

Truth in Reporting: Cleveland Metropolitan Schools

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The power and ability to tell the truth is a powerful thing.  Ever read something that just struck at your very core?  Ever read something that made you want to shout out loud even though you were in public?  Perhaps I have an unnatural affiliation with words being an English professor, but reading the Boston Consulting Group’s unflinching report of the Columbus Metropolitan School District made me want to dance.

 

Now, people are often wary of reports because they are often just that – a report.  Statements and more often than not restatements of issues that everyone knew existed, except it comes from a different group in a different year which is often the only novelty that exists about the report.

 

People are also wary about reports because they tend to lend themselves more to inaction than actual action.  The problems are identified or re-identified and then we admire the beauty of the data.  It only seems to serve as a way to further detach ourselves from the actual lives, emotions and problems from which the data is derived.  Thus the action taken is number driven instead of people driven and the effort to change the problem fails.

 

Yes, there have been plenty of reports produced about the Cleveland schools and things need to change and problems exist, but we’re still a good system and etc.  I have read these reports and never had hopes that things would actually change.  Not so secretly, the district, parents, students, and politicians had very little faith that academically CMSD could rise above the deep inertia in which it exists.  But then again, these reports were self reports and on a good day, an individual might know that they have a problem but barely admit to the truth of the problem; even when directly confronted with the stark baldness of that truth. 

 

What is beautiful about this report is that the district, to its credit sought an outside analysis based on funding from The Cleveland Foundation and The George Gund Foundation.  In doing so, it looks like the district has finally finished the five steps of grief and in that acceptance there is hope and a glimmer of a chance that CMSD is indeed about to change for the better.

 

However, it is unfair really to call it a report, because it is in truth a strategic development plan.  The CMSD Strategic Development Initiative: Progress update and path forward, lays out starkly the challenges that exist within the district.  As a document it is not bogged down with overly technical terms, but terms that any parent or interested citizen can understand which should make it easier for the district to achieve its goals, because it is a community document.

 

It notes that given the national and local context of education today CMSD must implement dramatic changes.  It sums up the district’s system by stating that the quality of education provided is not sufficiently preparing children.  It goes on to note:

 

            “As expectations for success have risen, CMSD has been unable to keep pace

  • % of schools in academic watch or emergency has increased
  • few effective or excellent rated school options exist within the district

Graduation rates remain unacceptably low and many who graduate are not prepared for college or the workforce”

 

The update also provides maps of the areas with failing schools and not surprisingly, several academic neighborhoods have all failing schools.  It underlines the importance of not only fixing public schools, but giving parents vital options that will allow their child to become a productive citizen. The plan will also seek to engage other education stakeholders such as charter, private, parochial schools and city leaders. These partnerships are vital to educating our children because the act of educating our children is a shared responsibility.

 

As like all good strategic development documents, this document is the product of the first phase of development in the quest for change.  Perhaps more importantly the update lays out a clearly defined path to move forward.

 

The second phase which will soon occur if it has not already begun will seek to engage the community, synthesize research and community feedback to create a system-wide plan, translate the plan to school-by-school decisions using a decision tool and will deliver the plan to the board for approval in December.

 

This is a document that is well worth reading and could actually be a starting point for other districts that find themselves in academic watch or emergency such as Youngstown City Schools.  It is said that the truth will set you free, well as the CMSD continues its process of change hopefully it will be the children that will benefit.

 

 

– Tisha Brady

Grading Ohio’s Schools

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Today is report card day for Ohio’s schools. Each charter school and traditional public school received a state rating – an A-F grade– based on student test scores and other factors.

 

What’s new this year? For the first time, schools could be dinged for their value-added results. Schools whose students did not learn an average year’s worth of material can see their ratings lowered. We commend the state of Ohio for highlighting the impact of individual schools on moving students toward proficiency.

 

This year, 443 schools earned a “D” or “F” grade, 21 fewer than last year. An improvement – yes. But, still too few students in these schools are acquiring the skills they need for future success.

 

This is one reason school choice is so important. Families of kids in schools where excellence is not yet widespread need other options.

 

The EdChoice Scholarship will allow some of these students to attend a private school next year. Because eligibility for the EdChoice Scholarship is based on these state ratings, the eligible population changes every year. Last year, the lowest 5% of schools were designated as under-performing and students in these 199 schools in 27 districts were eligible for a private school scholarship option.

 

This year’s EdChoice public school list will be released by the ODE early next month. How will this year’s changes to the rating system affect eligibility? A lot of parents are eager to see how this will shake out for their kids.

 

- Sarah Pechan

On Education Vouchers and Being Accountable

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On Wednesday, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute hosted a simulcast panel discussion on the future of charter schools and vouchers. The panel featured national experts including Ohio’s own Dr. Susan Zelman, namesake of the famous Zelman v Simmons-Harris US Supreme Court case based on the Cleveland Scholarship.

 

Much of the discussion landed on questions of accountability for schools outside the local public school district. Those same questions have routinely been raised in Ohio.

 

Accountability can take lots of forms, but the greatest attention is given to academic accountability (testing). Charter schools take all the same state tests as district schools and face closure if they don’t show student achievement. And private schools are both accountable to paying customers (parents who are free to leave the school if they feel it fails to educate their child) and required to administer state tests to students who receive vouchers.

 

Still, the question has been raised: When a school accepts state vouchers, how much information should the public have about student achievement?

 

At School Choice Ohio, we believe the student achievement of a student using a voucher matters and these students’ test scores should be among the information made public.

 

That’s why we supported landmark legislation in the latest budget that requires the Ohio Department of Education to report test scores of the students who use the EdChoice Scholarship and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program.

 

These recent changes to Ohio law will put our state on the forefront of voucher accountability nationwide. Parents will have more information about how their children are doing and the public will have information about the investment they’re making in scholarship programs with tax dollars.

 

- Sarah Pechan

 

 

A Learner’s Bill of Rights

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Crayons, pencils (endless supply), notebooks (spiral, perforated, wide rule, single subject, five subject…the variations are endless as well as the want of each individual teacher), ink pens, tissues, etc.  This is the supply list that many parents are familiar with and when you add on to that school clothes, shoes, socks and other school necessities, even with good back to school shopping deals, somehow you still seem to be out the same amount of money if not more than last year.

 

Going back to school is fraught with anticipation and anxiety alike for both parents and students.  We want our children to excel and in most cases children want to excel also, but can quickly succumb to learning handicaps from which they may never recover.

 

As we pack lunches and ensure that every labeled item is in that spanking new backpack, parents and students alike harbor an unspoken hope for the year:  that students will enjoy learning. This not only means the ability to place your child in an environment that is safe and conducive to learning, it also means arming your child with the knowledge of why he or she is learning.  A learner’s bill of rights, if you will.

 

Curious as to whether someone was inspired to create such a bill of right’s for learners, I came across two that speak to the nature of learning and also why school choice is important. If children are to exercise these rights, the ability is often found in a parent’s ability to choose the best school that fits the individual needs of their child.

 

John Harris Loflin who is with the Democratic Education Consortium in Indiana has creatively combined a learner’s bill of rights with the music “Get Up, Stand Up” on YouTube.  He describes the ideal school as a place where children want to be and he believes that these rights are inalienable and fundamental human rights.

 

Very similar in nature to Loflin’s but more succinct and tangible are the bill of rights penned by Kirsten Olson in her newest book Wounded by School: Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture.  Olson states:

           

1.       Every learner has the right to know why they are learning something, why it is important now, or may be important to them someday.

 

2.       Every learner has the right to engage in questioning or interrogating the idea of “importance” above.

 

3.       Every learner has the right to be confused and to express his confusion openly, honestly, and without shame.

 

4.       Every learner has the right to multiple paths to understanding a concept, an idea, a set of facts, or a series of constructs.

 

5.       Every learner has the right to understand his or her own mind, brain, wiring, and intellectual inclinations as completely as possible.

 

6.       Every learner has the right to interrogate and question the means through which his or her learning is assessed.

 

7.       Every learner is entitled to some privacy in their imagination and thoughts.

 

8.       Every learner has the right to take their own imagination and thinking seriously.

 

So, let us add on to our list of back to school supplies a learner’s bill of rights. After all, all the supplies in the world are just meaningless instruments if children do not understand what they are learning and why they are learning.

 

 — Tisha Brady

 

 

 

 

Stepping Up with Solutions for Kids who Learn Differently

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Most people can imagine that the parents of kids who have special needs lead busy lives. Between appointments with specialists, doctor’s visits, making sure siblings aren’t lost in the mix, and keeping up with daily life, these families have added challenges (and joys).

 

With all of these added dimensions in their lives, families have enough on their plate without having to fight for their child to receive an appropriate education.

 

But many do spend valuable hours, days, and years fighting to convince skeptical schools that their kids with dyslexia can learn, they just need to be taught differently. Fighting to secure services they know will jumpstart their kids’ learning. Fighting to ensure that their kids with developmental delays have a chance to live independently.

 

Parents of students with autism have a way out of the fighting. It’s the Ohio Autism Scholarship, the first of its kind in the nation.

 

This tax-funded scholarship is a form of follow-the-student funding touted by education reformers nationwide. Parents can direct $20,000 (a fraction of the roughly $30,000 designated for these students in public schools) to the private education services they prefer. They can combine early intervention services, private schools, and cutting edge therapies – in other words, parents are empowered with options.

 

What difference has it made? Public schools step up their game, kids aren’t stuck in a holding pattern, and innovative ways of teaching kids with autism are expanded. Ohio is becoming known as an “autism-friendly state,” and parents are free to focus their energy more on helping their kids and less on fighting to get the services their child needs.

 

Shouldn’t this same opportunity be available to students with other learning differences and special needs?

 

Want to help this solution become a reality? Read up on the proposed special education scholarship legislation we mentioned last week, share your story with us, and tell your state legislator about it. Let’s all be a part of the solution.

 

- Sarah Pechan

College Success starts in Kindergarten

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This week, the Ohio Board of Regents, GEAR UP Ohio, Hispanic Roundtable, Ohio College Access Network, and a host of other important Hispanic and college readiness groups co-sponsored a dialogue on Hispanic Student College Access and Success.

 

This was an excellent forum to hear insights and ideas from Ohio colleges and universities, community groups that work with Spanish-speaking families, and other stakeholder groups. Top among the concerns of the attendees is the low college attendance and graduation rates of Hispanic students.

 

One critical theme that emerged was building college readiness as soon as a child enters school. Students who receive a quality education in grades K-12 are prepared to succeed in higher education. Of course, parents of all ethnicities across Ohio want their kids to be equipped to pursue their dreams. Ohio’s three scholarship programs (Autism, EdChoice, and Cleveland) are opening those doors to thousands of families.

 

“The scholarship has been wonderful for us and enables our son to better reach his true potential!” (Poland parent)

 

“EdChoice has given me the opportunity to go to a private school with an excellent curriculum and great teachers. Thank you for helping me to reach my goals and obtain an excellent education.” (Youngstown high school student)

 

“The EdChoice program has helped to level the playing field for hardworking families who are committed to educating their children at the highest level. Prior to EdChoice, the quality of their education always came down to affordability despite their aptitude. Now, with that financial barrier breached, our children are free to climb as high as their abilities will take them.” (Toledo parent)

 

These vital scholarships are challenging students to reach for the stars, regardless of their economic status, and preparing them for success.

 

- Sarah Pechan

Eunice Kennedy Shriver – Words and Actions from the Heart

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“MAGGIE had been four days at her aunt Moss’s giving the early June sunshine quite a new brightness in the care-dimmed eyes of that affectionate woman, and making an epoch for her cousins great and small, who were learning her words and actions by heart, as if she had been a transient avatar of perfect wisdom and beauty.”

                                    —-   The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot 

 

For students, parents and those who continually champion the fight of the developmentally disabled, the words and actions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver came from the heart which is the ultimate form of sincerity.   As we mourn her loss, it is only right that we celebrate her legacy of achievements and remember that the fight for children with special needs continues on.

 

Full of passion and vision to improve the lives of the developmentally disabled, Shriver taught and led by example.  Inspired by the plight of her sister Rosemary Kennedy who was mentally disabled, Eunice knew that although the developmentally disabled might have major difficulties with life activities, it did not mean that they could not live active and productive lives within society.

 

In 1963, Shriver started a special summer camp which led to the first Special Olympics in 1968.  From then on, the Special Olympics would garner national and international attention.  She gave parents and children hope.  She gave life to a movement that had previously been ignored.

 

Although much ground has been covered for children with disabilities, there is still much to be done.  This is especially true in the area of education.  Just this week there are articles focused on the plight of children with special needs.

 

The New York Times has an article about a new study which found that students with disabilities made up 18.8 percent of students who suffered corporal punishment at school during the 2006-2007 school year, although they constituted just 13.7 percent of the total nationwide student population.

 

Another article in Education Week looks at the National Assessment of Educational Progress proposal to set new and more uniform testing for English as second language learners and students with disabilities.  The ultimate goal is inclusion.

 

In Ohio, we can help to open additional paths to students with special needs by offering them educational options that recognize that students with disabilities need flexibility in learning.  One such option is Senate Bill 6 which would create a Special Education Scholarship that would allow parents the ability to find the best education that meets the unique needs of their child.

 

Eunice Kennedy Shriver knew that although institutions can help those with disabilities, it can also hinder the potential development of a being.  She knew that the real potential lies within the individual and every individual has the right to achieve.

 

 — Tisha Brady

 

 

Parents Have New Tool to Ensure Accountability

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One of the underpinnings of the school choice movement has always been our belief in accountability.  Without a doubt, voucher programs have always had market accountability. If parents are unhappy with the education a private school is providing to their children then they simply leave. A private school failing to meet the educational needs of its students is destined to struggle or fail.

 

Many people, friend and foe alike, have also suggested additional accountability (or perhaps more accurately, transparency) for school choice programs. They want to know if students using the programs are performing better academically than their cohorts in public schools.

 

At SCO, we agree that the measurement of academic performance is important. To that end, we have repeatedly pushed to have longitudinal analysis conducted on voucher student test data. After all, all students using an EdChoice Scholarship in Ohio take the state assessment test. Despite high profile studies in Florida, Washington, DC, and Milwaukee, we have not been able to get a similar study done in Ohio. That is soon going to change.

 

The recently passed state budget included language that will increase public transparency of the scholarship programs and give parents additional information to help them make informed decisions about their children’s education. The new language will require the Ohio Department of Education to:

§         Compile and organize test scores of voucher students on a statewide, school district, and private school basis

§         Post voucher student performance to the website each year (without identifying individual students)

§         Notify all eligible parents how voucher students are performing on the state assessment

§         Provide data on their child’s performance annually to the parents of all voucher students and compare the performance to that of similar students who attend the public school that the child would have been assigned

 

In this case, a change of language in the budget is a good thing.  Given that parents are the primary consumer when making decisions about their children’s education, it is important that they know how their children are faring.

 

In addition, we welcome the chance to show policy makers and naysayers what we hear from so many parents….the program works.

 

– Chad Aldis

 

 

 

 

 

WSJ on Obama’s “Race to the Top”

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Education reform discussions around the country have been focusing recently on President Obama’s $4 billion “Race to the Top” initiative. Essentially, it establishes a funding source for states that have created a positive environment for education reform.

Friday’s Wall Street Journal offered some thoughts on the way the program is shaping up. The WSJ editorial contains some interesting data related to the size and scope of education funding in the United States. It is definitely worth taking a quick look.

The editorial also pointed out that several states—Tennessee, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Massachusetts—have passed legislation that could benefit charter schools. Here in Ohio, Senator Jon Husted sent a letter to Governor Strickland last week suggesting several changes that the state should consider to both improve education and position itself to compete for “Race to the Top” dollars.

The question now becomes—will federal education policy make Ohio friendlier to charter schools? Time will tell.

–Chad Aldis

 

 

 

 

Aftershock

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“Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm!
How shall your houseless heads, and unfed sides,
Your loop’d and window’d raggedness, defend you
From seasons such as these?”—SHAKESPEARE.

 

In the wake of a difficult state budget, EdChoice students, parents, and schools have taken a direct hit.

 

In a blow to hardworking Ohio parents, Governor Strickland reduced scholarship amounts for the popular scholarship program.  Scholarships have been reduced from $4500 to $4250 for K-8 and from $5300 to $5000 for 9-12.

 

Unfortunately, this change was unnecessary.  The House and Senate had already made a compromise on funding the vouchers by taking out the automatic increase for changes in the cost of education that the scholarship had included.

 

Thus, the scholarship was both cut by 6% (back to 2006 funding levels) and given no ability to adjust upward in the future.  This is more than everyone sharing in what was a painful budget process for many, as public schools were only cut by 1% (before taking into account federal stimulus dollars). This is a weakening of a parental option for parents whose children had been assigned to attend Ohio’s lowest performing public schools. Why?

 

The veto message from the governor stated, “This provision would increase the maximum award for the Educational Choice scholarship program.  In a time of limited resources and shared sacrifice across state government, it is not in the public interest to increase these scholarships.”

 

First, the vetoed language would not have been an increase in the scholarship amount—students this year received scholarships with a maximum value of $4500 and $5300 depending upon grade level. This represents a decrease in funding. Second, during this time of shared sacrifice, education was not supposed to be on the list of cuts.

 

These cuts when coupled with the reductions in state aid to Ohio’s parochial and other nonpublic schools might force schools to increase tuition to make up for the lost revenue. 

 

During these trying economic times, these parents have already and are continuing to sacrifice for their families. It is now more important than ever that we do not take from parents quality educational choices for their children.

 

We all want our children to have a quality education.  This means improving all schools to fit the needs of the child.  It is imperative for us all to work together.   If we fail to strip away the dogma that surrounds education and treats public education as the only available source of education, then we have not embraced the change that President Obama has called for.

 

As the governor seeks to turn around Ohio through the promotion of education as the main thruster of economic resource, this action is truly a curious way to make education a top priority and show a commitment to all Ohio students.

 

– Tisha Brady