Education :: Senate Bill 1 Analysis

Academic standards define what children should know and be able to do at each grade level. SB 1 directs the SBOE to adopt statewide academic standards in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies for grades kindergarten through 12. Within 18 months after adopting the standards, the SBOE has to create model curricula, aligned with these standards, for each grade in each subject area. Model curricula serve as a guide that local schools and teachers can use to ensure that daily instruction is geared toward the statewide academic standards.

Academic Standards
Subject	Grade	SBOE Adopts Standards	SBOE Adopts Model Curricula
Reading, Writing, Math	K–12	December 31, 2001	June 30, 2003
Science, Social Studies	K–12	December 31, 2002	June 30, 2004

After adopting statewide academic standards and model curricula and disseminating them to local school districts, the SBOE must develop achievement tests aligned with the standards and curricula. These tests replace the current proficiency tests.

The 10th grade tests will be called the "Ohio Graduation Tests". Students must pass these tests to receive a diploma. SB 1 also directs the SBOE to consider developing a series of "end of course" tests that would be an alternative to passing the Ohio Graduation Tests.

Ohio Achievement Tests
Subject	Grade	First Administration
Reading	3rd	2003–2004
Writing, Mathematics	4th	2004–2005
Science, Social Studies	5th	2005–2006
Reading, Writing, Mathematics	7th	2006–2007
Science, Social Studies	8th	2006–2007
Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies (Ohio Graduation Tests)	10th	2004–2005

SB 1 directs the SBOE to designate four skill levels: Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Below Basic. School districts must provide intervention services to students who score below the Proficient level. A score in the Below-Basic level may be one factor used by districts in determining whether or not a student will be retained in their current grade level.

By July 1, 2007, the SBOE must adopt diagnostic assessments aligned with the standards and curricula. Administered at least once a year, these assessments will provide teachers and parents with information about students’ strengths and weaknesses relative to the statewide academic standards. Districts will provide intervention services to students whose assessments show that they are having trouble meeting the state standards.

School districts will report the results of the kindergarten diagnostic assessment to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to provide a benchmark of children’s skills as they enter school. Otherwise, the results of diagnostic assessments will not be reported to the state, but they can be shared locally.

Diagnostic Assessments
Subject	Grade Level
Reading	K–8
Writing	K–8
Mathematics	K–8
Science	3–8
Social Studies	3–8

President Bush’s education plan, currently in a House–Senate conference committee, would require annual testing of all students in grades 3–8 in reading and math within the next three years. State results will be confirmed by the state’s progress on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). One way that Ohio could meet this requirement is by using the results of the diagnostic assessments in reading and math. Districts would have to report these results to ODE, which would track progress. Alternatively, Ohio could design new tests that would meet the requirements of the Bush plan.

SB 1 repeals all of the 27 performance indicators used on the current school district report cards. It directs the SBOE to establish at least 17 indicators for the report cards beginning in the 2001–2002 school year. SB 1 does not say which indicators the SBOE should choose; however, it does suggest that the SBOE consider achievement test results, rates of student improvement on the achievement tests, student attendance, and the breadth of coursework available within the district.

Annually, ODE shall report for each school district and each school building the extent to which it meets the performance indicators. SB 1 creates five designations for school districts: Excellent, Effective, In Need of Continuous Improvement, Academic Watch, and Academic Emergency.

School District Performance Designations
Category	Performance Indicators Met (Out of 17)
Excellent	At least 16
Effective	13–15
In Need of Continuous Improvement	9–12
Academic Watch	6–8
Academic Emergency	5 or fewer

For school districts and school buildings that fail to meet performance indicators, the SBOE will adopt a rule establishing a standard unit of improvement that represents satisfactory movement toward meeting the indicators.

Those districts that are neither Excellent nor Effective and districts that contain buildings that do not fall into the Excellent or Effective categories must create three-year continuous improvement plans for either the district as a whole, or for those buildings that are not meeting the state’s performance indicators.

SB 1 directs ODE to conduct on-site evaluations of any districts or buildings declared to be in a state of Academic Emergency within 120 days of the designation. ODE will also conduct on-site evaluations of districts or buildings in a state of Academic Watch or Academic Emergency that do not make acceptable progress toward meeting the state performance indicators.

School districts and school buildings in a state of Academic Emergency will have three years under their Continuous Improvement plans to make progress on the indicators that they failed to meet. If, after three years, the district or building has not made satisfactory improvement, districts must implement at least one of a menu of interventions that include replacing the building’s principal, altering the structure of the school day or year, or closing the building and reassigning the students to other buildings within the district. Subject to available funding, ODE may also send in an intervention team to evaluate all aspects of a school building, such as management, instruction, curriculum, and resource allocation. The intervention team will then make recommendations to the district as to how the building can improve its performance.

If the building has not made acceptable progress two years after the above intervention, the district must choose another intervention from the menu and try again. SB 1 does not mandate a final closure, intervention, or state takeover of failing buildings or districts.