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Home > Blogs > Lakota Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > August > 11 > Entry
State budget items affect schools
Thanks to Lakota representative to the state superintendent’s parent advisory council Ray Murray for this breakdown of state mandates.
“I have tried to condense and make a little sense of the governor’s budget bill as it pertains to education. Some of the mandates do not have time lines for implementations and it is up to the ODE to provide those for the district. The State Superintendent Deborah Delisle said that she is set to act on the budget right away.
Local Report Card release set The 2008-2009 Local Report Card data will be released to the public Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009. The information should be available through the Ohio Department of Education website by 10 a.m. As you may recall from last year’s release, state and district data were released to the media, under embargo, one day prior to the public release. This will not occur this year due to data-processing time lines as well as responding to the various needs districts have surrounding the release of data. Last year, the report cards underwent a major facelift, and also included the value-added measure for the first time. Also, an additional way to meet the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement was made available through the Growth Model. This year, the report cards will look almost identical to last year’s. The only change that impacts the accountability calculations has to deal with the value-added measure. Beginning with this year’s report card, any district or school with an overall composite value-added score of (Below Expected Growth) for three consecutive years will have its rating reduced by one designation. There are some exceptions, however. A school or district whose rating is affected by their AYP status cannot have the rating adjusted by the value-added measure. Similarly, a school or district that is rated as Academic Emergency will not have its rating reduced one designation as a result of value-added release of data.
All Day Kindergarten
Starting with FY10, kindergarten students will be funded as full time whether or not they are in school full time or part time.
Requires every school district, no matter the district’s rating, to offer ADK to all kindergarten students, beginning in FY11, subject to the following exceptions: (1) requires districts to continue to accommodate kindergarteners whose parents elect to enroll them for only half-day kindergarten; and (2) permits districts to apply for a waiver of the requirement to the State Superintendent. Permits the State Superintendent to take into consideration space concerns or alternative delivery approaches when considering the waiver.
Permits a school district to use space in a child day-care center licensed by the Department of Job and Family Services to provide ADK to district students.
Permits school districts to use state funds provided under the school funding formula for the modification or purchase of classroom space to provide ADK or to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade if those funds are not specifically allocated for another purpose and the district certifies its need for additional space to ODE.
Conversion Levies
Authorizes school districts levying current expense taxes with an aggregate effective tax rate exceeding 20 mills on residential/agricultural real property to convert that excess millage, with voter approval, to a single levy for a specified amount of money and for a term of up to 10 years or continuously. This, in essence, allows for growth on the lower 20 mills as property value increase and allows any mileage over 20 mills to become a fixed dollar amount.
Requires a conversion levy and the renewal of a conversion levy to be proposed only at a primary or general election. Authorizes school boards to propose conversion levies for five years (2010 through 2014). This relatively short window of time allows just a short period of time to educate the voters and get one of these levies passed. Specifies that a school district conversion levy applies to the tax year in which voters approve it and authorizes voters to repeal a conversion levy that originally was imposed for a continuing period of time.
Graduation test
Requires that the State Board, State Superintendent, and Chancellor of the Board of Regents develop a new high school assessment system to replace the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) that consists of (1) a nationally standardized assessment in science, mathematics, and English/language arts, (2) a series of end-of-course examinations in science, mathematics, English language arts, and social studies, and (3) a senior capstone project.
Increased Learning Opportunities
Reduces the five excused calamity days to three calamity days for the 2010-2011 school year.
Requires the State Superintendent to report recommendations on extending the school year to the General Assembly not later than December 31, 2010.
Requires school districts, to inform, prior to opening day each school year, each enrolled student and the student’s parent of the parental notification procedures in the school’s protocol for responding to threats and emergency events, which are established under existing law.
Local Curriculum Requirements
Allows school district boards to waive the requirement to take an American History course for promotion from eighth grade to ninth grade for academically accelerated students who show a mastery of the subject. (Retains current law requiring one unit of American history and government in high school for a diploma.)
Prohibits the administration of the elementary writing and social studies achievement assessment during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, unless the State Superintendent determines that ODE has sufficient funds to pay the costs of furnishing and scoring the assessments
Extends to public middle and high schools a requirement that under existing law applies to public elementary schools under which specified employees must complete four hours of in-service training in the prevention of child abuse, violence, and substance abuse, and the promotion of positive youth development. Establishes a deadline of two years after the effective date of this amendment for the specified middle and high school employees to take the required four hours of in-service training. Requires school districts, to inform, prior to opening day each school year, each enrolled student and the student’s parent of the parental notification procedures in the school’s protocol for responding to threats and emergency events, which are established under existing law. Requires school districts, to count as excused absence, up to four days per school year, time that a student is absent from school for the sole purpose of traveling out of state to participate in an enrichment activity approved by the district or school governing body or in an extracurricular activity. Requires the student to make up all missed classroom assignments. Specifies that if the student will be out of state for four or more consecutive school days for a school-approved enrichment activity, a classroom teacher employed by the district or school must accompany the student to provide instructional assistance. Prohibits corporal punishment in school districts, ESCs, community schools, and STEM schools and eliminates the requirement that ODE collect data on the percentage of students receiving corporal punishment.
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By Lokata Students Council
August 12, 2009 5:04 AM | Link to this
Thanks Ray for keeping us informed! I would like to see a report about all day kindergarten if you could
By Sam J.
August 12, 2009 5:07 AM | Link to this
Holy crap! I hope all of these changes are worth it. Lindsey or Ray can you do separate stories on the impact to Lakota. Thanks
By cherokeeparent
August 12, 2009 10:10 AM | Link to this
Ray is it possible to include your email so we can send you suggestions and comments to take back with you. Thanks