To: LWVO
From: Joan Platz
Education Update for February 26, 2007

1)  127th General Assembly: 
The House and Senate have scheduled sessions for this week.  The House and Senate education committees will not be meeting this week, but other committees, such as the House Ways and Means Committee and the both the House and Senate finance committees, are scheduled to meet.  To view the hearing schedule for House and Senate committees please visit http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/today.cfm.

*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee chaired by Representative Dolan, will continue to hear testimony on the FY08-09 Transportation Budget, HB 67 (Patton), which was introduced last week.  The transportation budget is one of several FY 08-09 budgets for the state that lawmakers will consider over the next few months. Governor Strickland is recommending $3.9 billion in FY08 and $3.8 billion FY09.

*On February 20, 2007 Jim Zehringer took the oath of office to become the representative for the 77th Ohio House District, replacing Keith Faber, who resigned to be appointed to the Ohio Senate 12th District.

*In the Senate Tom Sawyer was sworn in as the representative of the 28th Senate District, replacing Kimberly Zurz, who resigned to become director of the Department of Commerce.

2)  Bills Introduced the Week of February 19-23, 2007:  
Lawmakers introduced last week 67 bills in the Ohio House and 80 in the Ohio Senate, setting the legislative priorities for the 127th General Assembly.  Among the bills introduced in the House is legislation that would address school funding, higher education, the estates tax, eminent domain, the CHIP insurance program for children, and redistricting.  In the Senate the legislative priorities are school funding, higher education health care, eminent domain, the Passport program for senior citizens, and health care.  The Democrats also introduced five priority bills as part of the "Turn Around Ohio" initiative.  These bills include changes in the law regarding education and economic prosperity; energy production and conservation; affordable and accessible healthcare; economic security and safe communities; and responsive and responsible government.  The following is a summary of education related bills introduced last week:

Senate
SB1 (Padgett) School Funding.  Reserves bill number for Governor's school funding reform plan.
SB2 (Cates) Chancellor of the Board of Regents.  Transfers appointment of the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents to the Governor.
SB8 (Coughlin) College Tuition Tax Deduction.  Restores the income tax deduction for college tuition and fees.
SB11 (Roberts) Educational Opportunities.  Directs the deliberations of the Ohio General Assembly to reform the state's public education systems.
SB46 (Mumper) Youth athletics.  Requires the development of a coach's conduct and ethics policy for volunteer coaches.
SB49 (Schaffer) School Facilities Expedited Local Partnership Program. Regarding the ranking of a school district participating in the Expedited Local Partnership Program.
SB51 (Schaffer) Deduction for Teaching Instructional Materials. Allows a tax credit for amounts spent by teachers for instructional materials.
SB57 (Coughlin) Special Education Voucher.  Establishes the Special Education Scholarship Program.
SB62 (Ray Miller) School Zone Speeding.  Doubles the fine for speeding violations in a school zone during restricted hours.
SB64 (Ray Miller) Trio Programs.  Provides for matching funds for federal TRIO programs at Ohio colleges.
SB71 (Ray Miller) Corporal Punishment.  Regarding the use of corporal punishment.
SJR2 (Coughlin) Real Property Taxes.  Limits increases in the taxable value of real property.

House
HB1 (Setzer) School Funding Placeholder.  Placeholder legislation reserved for Governor Strickland's school funding proposal. (Finance and Appropriations.)
HB2 (Webster) Higher Education.  Grants the governor authority to appoint the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. (Education Committee)
HB6 (Stewart) State CHIP.  Increases coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB14 (Hughes)  Reimbursement for TPP.  Extends full reimbursement to school districts for the phase-out of taxes on  business tangible personal property.  (Finance and Appropriations)
HB26 (Wolpert) Urban Homestead Zones. Permits the creation of urban homestead zones in cities to encourage the re-population of certain city cores.
HB27 (Wolpert) Academic performance ratings.  Revises the law regarding school district and school building academic performance ratings. (Education Committee)
HB29 (Harwood) Motor Fuel Tax.  Exempts from the motor fuel tax any sales of motor fuel sold to school districts. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB34 (Wolpert) Graduate School Student Loans.  Establishes the Third Frontier Pilot Forgivable Loan Program for graduate students. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB36 (Wolpert) School Enrollment.  Creates the Rapid Enrollment Growth School Facilities Assistance Program. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB42 (Steward) School Funding.  Establishes a bipartisan committee to recommend to the G.A. a system that provides state funds to pay one hundred per cent of the cost of education. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB43 (Garrison) Funding for Kindergarten.  Provides formula funding for all-day kindergarten for all school districts and community schools that offer it. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB44 (Garrison) State parity aid.  Changes the formula for calculating state parity aid payments to primary and secondary schools. (Finance and Appropriations)
HB59 (Combs) Property taxes.  Defers increases in taxes on residences owned and occupied by individuals age 65 or older.
HB60 (Evans) Homestead Exemption Military Service.  Authorizes boards of county commissioners to exempt from taxation the homesteads of qualifying members of the National Guard and reserve components of the Armed Forces who have been deployed outside the state.
HB66 (Collier) Minimum School Year. Base minimum school year on hours, rather than days, of instruction.
HB67 (Tom Patton) Transportation Budget.  Makes appropriations pertaining to transportation purposes.
HJR1 (DeWine) Legislative and Congressional Districts.  Creates an independent commission comprised of seven individuals to help draw the legislative and congressional districts.

3)  This Week at the Statehouse:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2007
*The House Transportation and Justice Finance Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Tom Patton will meet on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 1:30 PM in room 115 to hear testimony on HB 67 (T. Patton), the FY08-09 Transportation Budget.

*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Carey, will meet on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 2:30 PM or after session in the Finance HR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007
*The House Transportation and Justice Finance Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Tom Patton, will meet on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 9:00 AM in room 115 to continue testimony on HB67 (T. Patton).

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2007
*The House Transportation and Justice Finance Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Tom Patton, will meet on Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 9:00 AM in room 115 to continue testimony on HB67 (Patton).

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2007
*The House Transportation and Justice Finance Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Tom Patton, will meet if needed on Friday, March 2, 2007 at 9:00 AM in room 115 to continue testimony on HB67 (Patton) Transportation Budget.

4) Council Issues Recommendations for Math and Science: 
The Science and Mathematics Education Policy Advisory Council (SAMEPAC), cochaired by OSU President Dr. Karen Holbrook and Dr. Julian Earls, released its report outlining reforms to improve math/science education in Ohio on February 19, 2007.  The Council was appointed by former Governor Bob Taft in 2005 to develop recommendations to support higher levels of student achievement in math, science, technology, and engineering, in order to improve Ohio's success in the global economy.

The report includes five overall goals, several strategies, and 13 recommendations to make Ohio a leader in the innovation-based global economy and ensure that its citizens have high-level knowledge and skills in science and mathematics.  The following includes the five goals with selected recommendations:

*Expand public awareness about the importance of science and mathematics to the future of Ohio's prosperity.  Develop and implement a multi-year, research-based public awareness campaign promoting STEM careers, and sustain community-based and statewide partnerships to improve mathematics and science education.

*Increase the number of students mastering advanced science and math and pursuing STEM-related careers.  Create special-focus schools linked to public and private colleges and universities, or to other STEM organizations, that can provide interested students with concentrated learning opportunities in STEM disciplines; Use technology - such as online course delivery - to expand access to upper-level courses in high school mathematics and science, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, to small, rural school districts that lack financial or human resources to make such courses available in their school buildings; Refine and clarify Ohio's academic content standards in mathematics and science to help schools and school districts develop a more focused and coherent curriculum compatible with the preparation needed to enter college and the workforce; Encourage the redesign of entry-level postsecondary STEM courses based on models of exemplary postsecondary teaching to attract and retain more undergraduate students in STEM disciplines; Expand school-based and extracurricular resources and programs to attract students to higher-level mathematics and science learning opportunities and STEM careers.

"K-12 students in urban and rural high-poverty schools should have the same access to higher-level mathematics and science as students in wealthy suburban schools. Unfortunately, students - particularly underrepresented students - do not have uniformly good teachers, support and encouragement, rigorous coursework, enrichment opportunities or financial support. As long as such gaps exist, students from underrepresented populations will continue to struggle when and if they enter college, and economically challenged minorities will continue to be underrepresented in STEM careers." p. 12-13.

*Support high-quality science and math teachers and corresponding classroom instruction, based on changes in the way candidates are recruited, trained, retained, and developed throughout their careers. Provide higher subsidies or other incentives to teacher education programs that produce high-quality middle- and high-school mathematics and science teachers who enter the profession and teach in Ohio.  Monitor and report on teacher education programs that successfully retain high-quality teacher education candidates through licensure and make the transition into the teaching profession, which is one of the research priorities of the Teacher Quality Partnership. Strengthen middle-grade licensure programs and middle- and high-school re-licensure requirements for mathematics and science teachers.

*Increase collaboration between postsecondary education programs and businesses to improve opportunities for those seeking STEM careers and meet workforce needs.  Develop a Web-based clearinghouse for regional and statewide internship and externship opportunities to ensure that students in STEM academic programs acquire the requisite skills for entry into and for successful careers in Ohio's job market.

*Increase state-level capacity to improve STEM education, including the creation of the Institute for Mathematics and Science Education (IMSE).  Connect the Institute for Mathematics and Science Education with regional delivery and support systems to drive strategic improvements in P-12 STEM education across the state.

Sustain Ohio's commitment to math and science education through the reallocation of current resources, new private investments, and new funding from the state.

To view the report, please visit http://regents.ohio.gov/samepac/

5)  Coalition for Public Education Responds: 
The Coalition for Public Education, Barbara Shaner chair, responded on February 19, 2007 to the recommendations of the Science and Mathematics Education Policy Advisory Council.  According to a press release, Coalition member organizations believe that many of Ohio's public schools already provide the kinds of technology programs that students need in order to develop the high-level knowledge and skills in science and math, and that efforts to improve math and science can be integrated into existing public school programs to make them even better.  The Coalition for Public Education is a statewide alliance of education, parent and civic organizations interested in improving public education for Ohio's children and increasing accountability to taxpayers. Member organizations include: Ohio PTA, League of Women Voters of Ohio, Ohio Association of School Business Officials, Ohio School Boards Association, Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio Association of Public School Employees, Cleveland Teachers Union, Akron Education Association, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Columbus Education Association, Ohio AFL-CIO, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Toledo Federation of Teachers, Ohio Education Association, Ohio Retired Teachers Association.

6)  Utah Enacts Voucher Program: 
Lawmakers in Utah narrowly approved a public supported voucher program that is the most extensive in the nation.  The new program will provide between $500 and $3000 in public funds per year per student, depending on family income, to pay for private school tuition.  The bill, HB 148 (Urquhart), was signed into law by Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.  on February 12, 2007. The voucher program is estimated to cost $9.3 million the first year, and up to $48 million per year in thirteen years.  Students currently enrolled in private schools are not eligible, unless they qualify for free and reduced price lunch.  For more information visit http://www.utea.org/ and http://www.allchildrenmatter.org/state.php

7)  Is Education in a Crisis? 
The Brookings Institute released on February 14, 2007 a report called "An Education Strategy to Promote Opportunity, Prosperity & Growth" by Joshua Bendor, Jason Bordoff, and Jason Furman.  This report is part of a series of research papers produced by the Brookings Institute that focus on reforming education through innovative policy solutions, including improving teacher quality, expanding early childhood education, addressing learning loss during the summer, and expanding access higher education.

According to the report,

"Throughout the twentieth century, much of our educational gains came from expanding the number of years of schooling for much of the American population. In the twenty-first century, the potential gains from increased schooling will be far more limited, so it is critical that we focus our energy on improving the quality of schooling that students currently receive. Doing so requires that we first take stock of where our education system is wanting, and then that we map out and prioritize potential reforms." p. 6.

"Mindful of this plea for caution, it is important to recognize that, despite the unquestionable need to make education reform a national priority, educational outcomes in the United States have actually been improving, albeit modestly, over the past few decades." p. 8

"Nonetheless, there is significant reason to worry that the U.S. education system is failing to realize its potential- partly because of underinvestment and partly because of structural barriers to high performance." p. 8.

The report shows that education is critical to broad-based economic growth; investments in education yield large returns to both society and the individual; and expanding access to high-quality education directly addresses one of the major causes of increased inequality: technological changes that increasingly reward skilled workers.

The report recommends several education reform strategies, including expanding early childhood education; improving school accountability systems; expanding market forces within the current educational system; reevaluating the teacher tenure system; expanding support for disadvantaged children; and changing the federal student financial aid system.

The full report is available at http://www.brook.edu/views/papers/200702education.htm

8)  Survey of School Partnerships: 
DeHavilland Associates recently released the results of a survey on community and school partnerships called the "2007 Survey of External Support for K-12 School Districts".  DeHavilland Associates is a consulting and communications firm that designs, manages, and evaluates outreach campaigns and partnership initiatives between the business and education communities.

According to the report, "By identifying the wide range of prospective partners in the community and beyond, and by exploring the different ways in which they work with schools and districts, professionals on both sides of the partnership equation can begin to think more broadly about how to establish successful partnerships to benefit both our schools and their contributing partners.  This survey lays the groundwork for such explorations - and provides a foundation for future research in this important, but often overlooked, facet of public education." p. 8.

The 2007 survey found that school districts have developed many partnerships with community groups and organizations, but little is really known about their structure, and most districts do not have established procedures to recruit or monitor partnerships.  Business partnerships, parent organizations, and booster clubs are ranked highly by districts in the survey.   School districts also state that they would prefer to increase partnerships with business coalitions, individual businesses, and foundations.  Suburban districts report having more support from partnerships than urban or rural districts. 46 percent of school districts report receiving support from a local education fund or school foundation.  The full report is available at http://www.dehavillandassociates.com/resources.html

Please Note: DeHavilland Association has several resources on its web site to support partnerships and collaborations between the business and school communities.  These resources were developed from the business perspective, but provide web sites, organizational models, and communication and evaluation tools that school districts, parent organizations, or advocates for public education can use to develop or improve outreach initiatives.

9)  The NAEP Report Card Released: 
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), National Center for Education Statistics, released two reports on February 22, 2007 highlighting 12th student achievement and the types of courses that students completed in 2005.  The two reports, the Nation's Report Card -- "12th Grade Reading and Mathematics 2005" and "America's High School Graduates 2005", show a decline in reading scores in spite of reported increases in the number of advanced courses that students reported taking.  Reading scores have declined from 80 percent in 1992 to 73 percent in 2007.  The results for mathematics show that 77 percent of 12th grade students were below proficient and 39 percent were below basic levels.  The results for mathematics could not be compared to previous years, because the NAEP assessment in mathematics has changed. The results indicate that a closer examination of the rigor of the content of high school courses is in order.  The report is available at http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_grade12_2005/