The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education has a new website!
Our new website includes now includes our blog! We have imported all archived blog content to the new website, and discontinued use of our blog at ohioarts.wordpress.com as of August 2018.
Visit us at www.oaae.net to get Arts On Line, legislative updates, as well as the latest OAAE news.
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education’s Franklin County Neighborhood Arts grants support community based arts projects. We offer three rounds of funding each year.
The following organizations received grants in the most recent round of funding:
Good Medicine Productions – $750
Uptown Scrooge 2018
Jazz Arts Group – $500
Harrison West Jazz Stage
King Arts Complex – $500
Youth Arts Education Program
Kingdom Works – $750
Kingdom Works Arts Development & Celebration
MORE, Inc. – $750
What Color Is Your Ribbon?
New Vision Dance – $750
Kaleidoscope
Urban Cultural Arts Foundation- $400
African Village Arts Festival
US Together – $750
Day of the Dead Celebration
Congratulations once again to all award recipients!
Want to apply in our next round? Get the Franklin County Neighborhood Arts grant application and program guidelines online at www.oaae.net.
Photo credit: FCNA grantee Friends of the Ravines
OHIO LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Education and Career Readiness Committee
Chair: Brenner
The committee heard testimony on the following bills last week:
All testimony on SB216 PUBLIC SCHOOL DEREGULATION ACT (Huffman) To enact the “Ohio Public School Deregulation Act” regarding the administration of preschool and primary and secondary education programs.
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education Executive Director, Tim Katz testified as an interested party last week on the bill intended to reduce regulations and mandates for local schools allowing for increased local control and improved efficiency. The bill would affect major areas of education law including teacher evaluations; highly qualified teachers; teacher licensure and employment; substitute teachers; and teachers in career-technical education programs.
OAAE testimony praised the passage of a recent amendment (Amendment 1962X2 Topic: Multi-age Area Specific Teaching Licenses) which directly addresses the concerns of many regarding the security of the multi-age preK-12 teaching licensure. But the testimony pointed out that an issue of great concern remained, which is the question of exactly what general educators, licensed under SB216’s proposed new preK-5 grade band, would be certified to teach. Specifically: Will the preK-5 license certify elementary school general classroom teachers to teach the arts (defined in Ohio as music, visual arts, theatre/drama, and dance) in the way that the current preK-3 license does? On behalf of OAAE and its members, Katz told the committee that a preK-to-grade 5 license that allowed general teachers, with minimal arts content knowledge and arts teaching training, to teach the arts could seriously undermine the quality of standards-based arts education in Ohio.
OAAE has suggested that a provision be added to the bill specifying that all courses in the arts at all grade levels be taught by a teacher with a multi-age, preK-12 license in a specific arts discipline of dance, drama, music, or visual art.
Chairman Brenner said he would not go forward with plans for amendments and a vote on the bill because some members were absent.
Proponent testimony on HB544 STATE BOARD-ADOPT SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS (Rogers, Perales) The bill prescribes safety enhancement standards for new school facilities. The committee received written testimony from James McBride, police chief for Lakeland Community College; Anthony Podojil, executive director of the Alliance for High Quality Education; and Howie Beigelman of Ohio Jewish Communities.
Proponent testimony on HB628 RESIDENT EDUCATOR LICENSES (Stein, Retherford) The bill creates an alternative pathway to qualify for a resident educator license. Candidates interested in pursuing an educational license through an on-line course would need to have bachelor’s degrees and be able to pass a background check. The proposed additional pathway would be an exclusively online program with no student teaching required.
Sponsor testimony on HB680 SCHOOL BUS SEAT BELTS (Barnes) To require all passenger seats on school buses to be equipped with occupant restraining devices beginning on July 1, 2019, and to designate “Safe School Week” on the first third full week of October. Rep. Barnes quoted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistic of 1,172 fatal motor vehicle crashes related to school transportation from 2006 to 2015, as support for the measure.
Sponsor testimony on SB246 STUDENT SAFETY ACT (Lehner, Manning) To enact the “SAFE Act” to revise the procedures for emergency removal of a student. The bill deals with positive behavioral intervention supports and suspension and expulsion policies for students in grades pre-kindergarten through three. Sen. Lehner said in sponsor testimony the bill is meant to limit the use of exclusionary discipline practices by barring use of suspensions or expulsions on children in third grade or younger except in extreme cases, and support implementation of positive behavior intervention and supports as an alternative to such discipline practices.
Sponsor testimony on HB487 RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL-COMMUNITY SCHOOLS (Ingram) The bill eliminates the right of first refusal for charter schools, STEM schools and college-preparatory boarding schools when acquiring school district property.
Sponsor testimony on HB707 ONLINE CHARTER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT (Reinke, Faber) The bill deals with the regulation of e-schools and requires a legislative review of the student enrollment reporting manual for public schools.
The House passed several bills, sending them to the Senate for consideration:
HB58: (bill passed 89-4) Requires the State Board of Education to adopt a model curriculum for cursive handwriting instruction for students in grades kindergarten through five
HB342: (bill passed 61-32) Requires the ballot wording on property tax proposals to be in terms of tax per $100,000 of fair market value rather than per $100 of tax valuation
HB477: (bill passed 93-0.) Eliminates nonoperational and outdated provisions related to the Ohio Department of Education and school operations
OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL
Ohio Attorney General’s Drug Use Prevention Resource Guide
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Joint Study Committee on Drug Use Prevention Education released a resource guide to help schools develop comprehensive prevention services. The guide walks users through the strategic planning process of developing a comprehensive drug-prevention plan for their classroom, school, or district. The committee identified 12 prevention services that, it believes, make up a comprehensive prevention plan, including: Before- and after-school programs; Cross-curricular prevention education; Health education curricula; Social-emotional learning; School climate and drug-use surveys; Alcohol, drug, and mental health board engagement and treatment providers; Caregiver engagement; Law enforcement engagement; Professional development in mental health and substance use; Youth-led prevention; Community-based health referrals; and School-based health care services.
Akron Beacon Journal: New guide for school drug prevention
“Gone are the days of educators teaching kids to “just say no” with frightening visual representations of a brain on drugs. But today’s new wave of drug prevention programming in some schools might be just as ineffective — and, in some cases, harmful to developing minds.”
Columbus Dispatch: DeWine offering drone photos of schools for safety plans
“Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine wants to take school-safety planning to new heights. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s squadron of six drones, normally used to document crime scenes, now is available to take high-quality aerial photographs of buildings for inclusion in school safety plans.”
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
School-Based Healthcare Support Toolkit Offers Resources to Support School and Care Provider Partnerships
Ohio launched the new School-Based Health Care Toolkit, a set of resources for schools and communities as they work together to address common health issues and keep students in class and learning.
Annual Safety Plan Certification Reminder
Schools must annually certify to the Ohio Department of Education that their safety plan documents are current and accurate. School and district administrators with compliant school safety plans, from 2017 and earlier, have until July 1 of each year to complete this annual review.
ON THE CALENDAR
Tuesday, June 26
3:30 p.m. House Education and Career Readiness Committee (Chair: Brenner)
Ohio Statehouse Room 121
Wednesday, June 27
9:00 a.m. Senate Education Committee (Chair: Lehner)
Ohio Statehouse South Hearing Room
OHIO NEWS
Dayton Daily News: New Ohio School Plan: Equity, Social issues as Crucial as Math, Reading
“The state school board’s new strategic plan for Ohio education puts development of social skills and leadership on equal footing with literacy, math and other traditional academics. The document calls a lack of equal opportunities from child to child “Ohio’s greatest education challenge” and it calls for a focus on the “whole child,” including physical, social, emotional and intellectual aspects.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Emotional, Leadership and Critical Thinking Skills Are Officially Equal Goals for Ohio’s Schools as Math and English
“Ohio’s schools should move away from their test-driven focus of the last several years toward helping the “whole child” develop emotional, reasoning, and leadership skills, the state school board decided Tuesday as it passed its new “strategic plan” calling for major changes in schools’ approach.”
Columbus Dispatch: As Yost, others press for action, House to pass eschool changes
“ECOT has been auctioned off in pieces, but the enrollment count issue that led to its downfall and is impacting other Ohio online schools so far remains unaddressed as state lawmakers prepare to head into a summer break. State Auditor Dave Yost, along with both liberal- and conservative-leaning education policy advocates, say lawmakers need to act with more haste in clarifying how to count the thousands of students attending Ohio e-schools.”
Springfield News-Sun: Schools may get cursive handwriting guidelines from State
“What started out as a mandate that Ohio school children learn to write in cursive is now likely to be more of a suggestion. Brenner’s initial idea was to require instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade in cursive handwriting. The version of the bill passed Wednesday, though, would only direct the State Board of Education to develop model curriculum that would be available for school districts to use.”
Columbus Dispatch: Growing Pressures Feed Kids’ Mental Health Issues, Expert Says
“It’s not your imagination, or mere nostalgia for the good ol’ days: Today’s children and teens have more mental-health problems than earlier generations. The reason is a mix of social, environmental and even dietary factors, but the problem is growing, said experts speaking Wednesday to the Columbus Metropolitan Club.”
NATIONAL NEWS
LA Times: White House to propose merging Labor, Education depts
“The White House on Thursday announced a proposed overhaul of the federal government that would merge the Labor and Education departments, consolidate a slew of social safety net programs under a renamed health agency and reorganize federal food safety functions.”
Center for American Progress: Addressing the Gap Between Education Research and Practice
“This issue brief attempts to address the research-practice gap in the education space. First, it describes some challenges in applying research to educational practice. It then outlines research-practice partnerships (RPPs)—mutually beneficial collaborations between research scientists and education leaders that can narrow the gap between research and practice. Finally, the brief proposes the creation of state-level education capacity centers, which would help leaders in state and local education departments use research to inform practice.”
USA Today: Teens Take Fewer Risks with Sex and Drugs But Face New Challenges
“Today’s high school students have less sex and take fewer drugs than those of decades past, but they face some newly recognized risks, including misuse of pain pills, according to a report released Thursday. The findings, from a set of surveys updated every two years by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), paint a picture of teen life that is safer than it used to be, but still fraught with risks ranging from suicidal thoughts to sex without condoms.”
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
K-8 Arts Integration Institute for Teachers
The Mansfield Partners in Education Team will host a two-day professional development workshop on arts integration for elementary and intermediate educators and administrators on August 2-3, 2018 at the Mansfield Art Center.
Course: Reading Portraits as Biographies: Observe. Infer. Inquire.
There’s more to a portrait than you might think. Portraits are often viewed as a mere depiction of a person when in actuality they can be read as biographies that communicate significant information about a person’s life. This workshop examines ways to teach students to view portraits as a visual text filled with meaningful symbolism in order to make the study of people and biographies more engaging. Reading portraits helps students activate and build background knowledge of, construct understanding of, and reflect on historical and literary figures across the curriculum.
Dates: August 2-3, 2018
Location: Mansfield Art Center
Cost: Free
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Board Approves Strategic Plan for Education
The State Board of Education voted overwhelmingly to approve the state’s five-year strategic plan for education titled EachChild=OurFuture. The approved plan covers the years 2019-24 and will guide the state in working to achieve the stated goal to: “Annually increase the percentage of Ohio’s high school graduates who, within one year of graduation, are enrolled and succeeding in a post-high school learning experience, including an adult career-technical education program, an apprenticeship and/or a two-year or four-year college program (15 semester hours); or serving in a military branch; or earning a living wage.”
The plan lays out a framework for the state’s educational goals and includes four focuses: foundational skills and knowledge; well-rounded content; reasoning; and social-emotional learning. It also establishes three “core principles” of equity, partnerships and quality schools. A key component of the plan is the acknowledgment that critical reasoning and social emotional learning competencies are important, inseparable elements of learning. Because of this, Board member Sarah Fowler was the lone dissenting vote stating she felt the document strayed too far into family matters. The entire plan can be reviewed online.
The Plain Dealer: Emotional, leadership and critical thinking skills are officially equal goals for Ohio’s schools as math and English
“Ohio’s schools should move away from their test-driven focus of the last several years toward helping the “whole child” develop emotional, reasoning, and leadership skills, the state school board decided Tuesday as it passed its new “strategic plan” calling for major changes in schools’ approach. It’s a shift that also values the pursuit of job and career skills as equal goals for graduates as going to college.”
OHIO LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
HB512 “Shelved”
Rep. Bill Blessing, R-Cincinnati, chairman of the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, has indicated that HB512 will not have any further hearings at this time. Blessing cited the overwhelming opposition the bill has received as the reason.
HB512 was introduced in February of this year as a bill designed to significantly alter education policy and governance by creating a new cabinet level agency. This would be done by combining the functions of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to create the Ohio Department of Learning and Achievement. Also, as part of the new bill, the State Board of Education, which is required under the Ohio constitution, would find its responsibilities and authority significantly reduced, as would the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
OAAE’s Position on HB512: OAAE issued an action alert in March opposing HB512.
OAAE expressed concerned that the bill would eliminate the policy-making authority of the State Board of Education, which would greatly diminish the public’s ability to participate in preK-12 education policy development, decision-making, and rulemaking. The public and stakeholders would lose their ability to influence education policy at the grassroots level through State Board committee meetings and business meetings, if the bill were to be signed into law. The bill would also create a huge state agency, that would control 53 percent of the General Revenue Fund, under the direct control of the governor, without any checks. The focus of this new agency on workforce development and career readiness could marginalize meeting the academic, social, emotional, creative, and physical needs of students in grades preK-12.
OAAE recommended in our March testimony to the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee that lawmakers should support the creation of a non-partisan, independent board by reinstating an elected state board of education, which would facilitate the participation of parents, students, teachers, administrators, business and community members in the development and implementation of education policies.
Columbus Dispatch: Proposal to merge Ohio Department of Education put on ice
“A bill pushed by Gov. John Kasich to put the Ohio Department of Education under the governor’s direct control has been shelved. “You were seeing people from the left and the right coming at this,” said Rep. Bill Blessing, R-Cincinnati, chairman of the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, which held multiple hearings on the bill. “There was too much opposition to move forward with it.” Under House Bill 512, the Department of Education would merge with the Department of Higher Education and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation into a new agency under the governor’s control. Supporters say the consolidation would streamline efforts, improve communications and better prepare students for the workforce of the future.”
ON THE CALENDAR
Tuesday, June 19
3:00 p.m. House Education and Career Readiness Committee (Chair: Brenner)
Ohio Statehouse Room 121
OHIO NEWS
Toledo Blade: Report-Area school districts lost almost $16.5 million to defunct ECOT
“Democrats and progressive activists continued to ramp up criticism of both a now-defunct virtual charter school and Republican leaders. Innovation Ohio on Wednesday released a breakdown that shows how much each Ohio school district transferred to the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow in the past six years, showing districts from Lucas and Wood counties transferred close to $16.5 million to the charter school since 2012. Overall, school districts throughout the state transferred about $590 million during those six years.”
ODE: Ohio Department of Education Celebrates New Graduates Headed to U.S. Military
“In a first-ever ceremony held at The Ohio State University, the Ohio Department of Education celebrated the members of the class of 2018 who are joining the U.S. military. “Ohio salutes these recent graduates and we beam with pride as they take the first steps into their careers in the U.S. military,” said Paolo DeMaria, superintendent of public instruction. ‘In service to our country, opportunity of all kinds awaits them. We wish them well as they embark on this new journey.'”
NATIONAL NEWS
USDOE Launches Website with ESSA Resources
The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recently announced the launch of the Comprehensive Center Network (CC Network) website. The CC Network website brings together a compilation of more than 700 resources developed by 23 Comprehensive Centers and over 200 projects currently underway in states across the country. Through the single website, the CC Network portal assists anyone interested in learning more of the broad range of education initiatives funded by the U. S. Department of Education’s comprehensive centers and makes searching by state or topic easier. The site can be visited at www.CompCenterNetwork.org.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTS ADVOCATE
Darren T. Hamm
Executive Director, Oberlin Center for the Arts
Q: How did you participate in the arts as a child?
A: The arts helped to inform and define my life as a child. At a very young age, I found that I could better understand and explain my world by utilizing visual art. Thankfully, my parents recognized this and found ways to support my interests and continued education in the arts, through public school education and private lessons.
Q: Describe your favorite “a-ha moment” in arts education.
A: To the best of my recollection, I believe it was in the first grade when I first realized that my visual art skills could be used to better the world around me, when I was asked to create large reproductions of “The Letter People” (a PBS children’s literacy series) for display in our classroom. This moment remains precious as I believe it to be the first time that my talents were publicly recognized and I witnessed the joy that my creations brought to others.
Q: How do you practice creativity in your own life and / or what inspires you?
A: While raising young children, I have considered my “formal” artistic career in the visual arts, graphic arts and music performance, to be on temporary hiatus. However, I consider creativity, and the arts more broadly, as the way in which we approach life as opposed to our occupation. That said, I seek to incorporate creativity into my work and life experiences every day, from the way I work with others to design programs, engage stakeholders, develop resources or build collaborations, to the way I hope to raise my children and enrich their world.
Q. Name one puzzle or problem you are working on in the field right now.
A: We are currently working to build an arts and culture sector for our region, an activity which finds us bringing together a wide range of people around the role of the arts in our communities and the value it has in advancing community-level causes.
Q: Name an arts educator who impacted you and how they influenced your younger days.
A: You can reference my “ah-ha” moment above. If it weren’t for the recognition of my talents at a young age, my personal and professional life would have been on an entirely different trajectory. An education through the arts had allowed me to feel like someone of value, helping me to communicate through a new language and ultimately develop my own identity.
Q: What can the average person do to advocate for more and / or stronger arts education in local schools?
A: They can think of why art matters to them, the impact the arts have had on their life, and tell their story to anyone willing to listen.
Portrait of an Arts Advocate is a monthly feature profiling an OAAE member active in advocating for arts education in Ohio. If you’d like to submit your information, or recommend an #artsed advocate to us, email akruse@oaae.net.
OHIO LEGISLATIVE NEWS
The Ohio House of Representatives elected Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Gallipolis) to serve as its new speaker last Wednesday ending a near 2-month period of stalemate. It took 11 voting rounds and more than two hours for the election to be completed. The speaker’s office had been vacant since April 12 following Cliff Rosenberger’s (R-Clarksville) resignation amid an FBI inquiry. Smith had been serving as chair of the House Finance Committee, a role which will now be filled by Rep. Scott Ryan (R-Newark).
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio House Votes 11 Times before Picking Ryan Smith as Speaker
“Nothing about the Ohio House has been pretty over the past eight weeks, so few people were surprised Wednesday when it took an unprecedented 11 rounds of voting to elect Rep. Ryan Smith as the new speaker, temporarily easing a bitter internal GOP fight.”
NATIONAL NEWS
Grad Nation: 2018 Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Raising High School Graduation Rates
The nation continues to see steady growth in high school graduation rates, but it remains off pace to reaching the 90 percent goal—a goal that would require graduating about 219,000 more young people on time than graduated in 2016 and nearly doubling the annual rate of gain in recent years through 2020.
Ohio is one of 12 states to have a graduation rate between 80 and 85 percent. However, the report notes the state has gained little ground over the past six years.
ESC of Central Ohio: National Dropout Prevention Network Conference
The National Dropout Prevention Network Conference, to be held in Columbus in October 2018, provides an opportunity for district and school administrators to build a research-backed foundation for an effective dropout prevention plan. The strategies put forward by the NDPC/N have been put into practice by states nationwide and are considered the standard in dropout prevention planning.
New York Times: Trump’s School Safety Commission Won’t Look at Guns, Betsy DeVos Says
“Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the federal commission on school safety set up this year after the Parkland, Fla., school massacre will not focus on the role guns play in school violence.”
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday, June 11
8:30 a.m. State Board of Education Meeting
Ohio Department of Education, 25 S. Front St., Columbus
Tuesday, June 12
8:30 a.m. State Board of Education Meeting
Ohio Department of Education, 25 S. Front St., Columbus
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTS ADVOCATE
Darren T. Hamm
Executive Director, Oberlin Center for the Arts
Q: How did you participate in the arts as a child?
A: The arts helped to inform and define my life as a child. At a very young age, I found that I could better understand and explain my world by utilizing visual art. Thankfully, my parents recognized this and found ways to support my interests and continued education in the arts, through public school education and private lessons.
Q: Describe your favorite “a-ha moment” in arts education.
A: To the best of my recollection, I believe it was in the first grade when I first realized that my visual art skills could be used to better the world around me, when I was asked to create large reproductions of “The Letter People” (a PBS children’s literacy series) for display in our classroom. This moment remains precious as I believe it to be the first time that my talents were publicly recognized and I witnessed the joy that my creations brought to others.
Q: How do you practice creativity in your own life and / or what inspires you?
A: While raising young children, I have considered my “formal” artistic career in the visual arts, graphic arts and music performance, to be on temporary hiatus. However, I consider creativity, and the arts more broadly, as the way in which we approach life as opposed to our occupation. That said, I seek to incorporate creativity into my work and life experiences every day, from the way I work with others to design programs, engage stakeholders, develop resources or build collaborations, to the way I hope to raise my children and enrich their world.
Q. Name one puzzle or problem you are working on in the field right now.
A: We are currently working to build an arts and culture sector for our region, an activity which finds us bringing together a wide range of people around the role of the arts in our communities and the value it has in advancing community-level causes.
Q: Name an arts educator who impacted you and how they influenced your younger days.
A: You can reference my “ah-ha” moment above. If it weren’t for the recognition of my talents at a young age, my personal and professional life would have been on an entirely different trajectory. An education through the arts had allowed me to feel like someone of value, helping me to communicate through a new language and ultimately develop my own identity.
Q: What can the average person do to advocate for more and / or stronger arts education in local schools?
A: They can think of why art matters to them, the impact the arts have had on their life, and tell their story to anyone willing to listen.
Portrait of an Arts Advocate is a monthly feature profiling an OAAE member active in advocating for arts education in Ohio. If you’d like to submit your information, or recommend an #artsed advocate to us, email akruse@oaae.net.
OHIO NEWS
WOSU: Study: Ohio’s Student Proficiency Standards Are Too Low
“A new Stanford University analysis of state and national test scores shows more Ohio students pass state exams than similar nationwide tests, which researchers say means the state’s proficiency standards are too low.”
Education Next: Have States Maintained High Expectations for Student Performance?
“The report shows that even though states have raised their standards, they have not found a way to translate these new benchmarks into higher levels of student test performance. There was no correlation at all between a lift in state standards and a rise in student performance, which is the central objective of higher proficiency bars.”
Groundwork Ohio: Invest Early or Pay Later: Ohio’s Early Childhood and Juvenile Justice Systems
“Early investments like quality child care, quality preschool, and evidence-based home visiting can help mediate the effects of childhood trauma by increasing a child’s resiliency. Without the buffering impact of resiliency factors, later interventions, like the juvenile justice system, are extremely costly and ineffective in addressing the roots of a child’s behavior.”
Alliance for Excellent Education: The Graduation Effect
“Using data from the 2014-2015 school year, the Graduation Effect, an online tool created by the Alliance, draws a straight line between educational attainment and economic success. As has been well demonstrated, high school graduates are less likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, have poor health, and engage in criminal behaviors.”
See Ohio data here.
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Spread the Word: Kids Eat Free This Summer!
“All children ages 1 through 18 are eligible to receive free meals during the summer months at participating program sites. Individuals ages 19 through 21 who have been identified as having mental or physical disabilities and are following Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through their current enrollment in educational programs also are eligible for free summer meals.”
For more information or to find a location near you call 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or follow the above link to view a clickable map or a list of all 2018 Summer Food Service Program locations.
Summer Food Service Program Sponsors and Sites Still Needed
“This year, the Ohio Department of Education wants to increase participation in summer meal programs. The Department is looking for local nonprofit agencies to serve as sponsors or sites to serve free meals to children. Summer food service sponsors and sites are especially needed in southern Ohio counties where families struggle with food insecurity, as well as in rural communities and areas where migrant families live. Sponsoring organizations receive reimbursements to cover the costs of nutritious meals and snacks to children in eligible areas.”
Opioids and Ohio Children: Tools for School Nurses
“The Ohio Department of Health will host a conference on July 25 to give school nurses information and resources to support students with prenatal opioid exposure and trauma caused by family opioid abuse.”
Local Equity Planning Rubrics Now Available
“During the 2018 fiscal planning year, districts and schools worked to ensure poor and minority students have equitable access to excellent educators. This required equity planning, in alignment with the Every Student Succeeds Act, included identifying equity gaps, conducting a root-cause analysis and developing strategies to close these gaps.”
Early College High School Programs and College Credit Plus
“This document outlines the required information that must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education in order for an Early College High School (ECHS) to request an exemption of the requirements of College Credit Plus.”
OHIO LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Dayton Daily News: Bill Would Push Ohio Schools to Open after Labor Day
“Under House Bill 549, schools that want to open before Labor Day would need to take extra steps. The school board would have to hold a public hearing on the topic and then wait at least 30 days before voting on a resolution permitting schools to open earlier.”
Columbus Dispatch: Schuring: Ohio House Will Meet Next Week to End Speaker Impasse
“Determined to end a bitter seven-week leadership impasse, Rep. Kirk Schuring says Ohio House members have until Friday to tell him how the chamber will go about picking a new leader next week.”
ON THE CALENDAR
Wednesday, June 6
3:15 p.m. Senate Education Committee (Chair: Lehner)
Ohio Statehouse South Hearing Room
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
OHIO LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Education and Career Readiness Committee
The committee heard testimony on the following bills last week:
Proponent and Interested party testimony on SB216 SCHOOL REGULATIONS (Huffman) To enact the “Ohio Public School Deregulation Act” regarding the administration of preschool and primary and secondary education programs.
Ohio Alliance for Art Education Executive Director, Tim Katz testified as an interested party last week on the bill intended to reduce regulations and mandates for local schools to increase local control and improve efficiency. The bill would affect major areas of education law including teacher evaluations; highly qualified teachers; teacher licensure and employment; substitute teachers; and teachers in career-technical education programs.
While Katz praised the Senate’s amendments regarding gifted education, he said some provisions of the bill don’t go far enough to address concerns with teacher preparation and licensure. “We are concerned about the potential negative impact that this bill could have on education programs and students, who deserve well-trained teachers in all their classes so that they can achieve at the highest levels,” said Katz. “We would like an amendment to SB216, regarding its provision to revise the grade band structure for which teacher licensure is received, to clarify that the bill does not eliminate or affect the future issuance of the multi-age, preK-12 teaching license. This is the teaching license by far most commonly held by Ohio’s professional pre-K-12 educators who are assigned to teach the specific disciplines of visual arts, music, dance, or theatre/drama.”
Katz was reassured by committee Chair Andrew Brenner that an amendment relevant to his concerns was already in the works. Several amendments were accepted including a gradual adjustment of the the n-size, the numerical threshold for when a group of students is large enough to be included in data reporting and accountability calculations, to 10; allowing only the third-grade state tests to be administered in paper; and an amendment to require the State Board of Education to revise the OTES framework, instead of the Ohio Department of Education.
OAAE’s Positions on SB216: The bill’s intent is to reduce regulations and mandates for local schools to increase local control and improve efficiency. The bill would affect major areas of education law including teacher evaluations; highly qualified teachers; teacher licensure and employment; substitute teachers; and teachers in career-technical education programs.
OAAE supports the changes in the teacher evaluation framework in Section 3319.112 of the bill, including the elimination of shared attribution and student learning objectives. We also believe that the changes in new Section 3319.361 will discourage a superintendent from hiring a licensed teacher to teach the arts without a multiage license in the arts. The changes made to this section in the substitute bill would require that a teacher, who is employed to teach a subject area for which the teacher is not licensed, attain a passing score on an examination prescribed by the state board of education in the teaching area.
OAAE still opposes the changes in the license grade bands included in Section 3319.22. While the Senate Education Committee listened to the concerns of some stakeholders and retained the Middle Childhood License (grades 4-9) and the Adolescent – Adult License (grades 7-12), the committee expanded the grade bands for the Early Childhood License from preK-3 to preK-5. OAAE is disappointed that the Senate Committee did not address our concerns about clarifying the subjects that a teacher with the preK-5 license could teach. Currently general education teachers with the preK-3 license are certified to teach the arts. We recommended that the bill be amended to require that all courses in the arts at all grade levels be taught by a teacher with a multiage preK-12 license in a specific arts discipline of dance, drama, music, or visual art, or an equivalent license in a specific area. We will continue to advocate for this amendment in the House.
Dayton Daily News: Ohio School Deregulation Bill Gets Dozen Amendments, But No Vote
“Wednesday’s expected Ohio House vote on a bill supporters claim will reduce red-tape for local schools did not happen, as the House session was canceled amid Republicans’ continuing struggle to choose a new Speaker of the House.”
All testimony on HB591 SCHOOL REPORT CARDS (Duffey) To revise the state report card rating system for school districts and public schools.
OAAE submitted written testimony on HB591. While the recent substitute bill addresses a concern OAAE had with the measure, there are still several areas of concern. OAAE recommend that school districts be required, rather than allowed, to report the number of specialists under the enrichment and support measure, and opposed repealing the section that requires the Ohio Department of Education to annually report the availability of courses in the fine arts. OAAE testimony pointed out, “This measure provides different information than the new enrichment and support measure, which focuses on the number of arts teachers, “Current Section 3302.034 identifies the range and depth of arts education opportunities offered to students and allows parents and the public to compare course offerings in the arts among school buildings in a district.”
HB591 would change Ohio’s annual report card for school districts, school buildings, community schools, and STEM schools beginning in the 2018-19 school year. Duffey said the purpose of the bill is to create a state report card that is transparent, understandable, useful, and trusted by school districts, parents, and legislators. The principles the new report card include:
Proponent and Opponent testimony on HB200 SCHOOL CHOICE (Koehler) To eliminate the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program and Pilot Project Scholarship Program and to create the Opportunity Scholarship Program
HB200, which would establish a statewide, income-based voucher program for students at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level, had its ninth hearing last week. Opponent testimony was hear from school districts including Marysville EV, Toledo City, and Elida Local. Representatives from American Federation for Children and Excellence in Education in Action gave proponent testimony.
Proponent testimony on HB549 SCHOOL YEAR (Arndt) The bill would require public and private schools to open for instruction after Labor Day.
Sponsor testimony on HB628 EDUCATOR LICENSES (Stein, Retherford) The bill creates an alternative pathway for qualifying for a resident educator license.
The committee passed the following bills:
Senate Education Committee
The committee heard testimony on the following bills last week:
Opponent testimony on SB241 NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS (Terhar, Thomas) To establish a category of nonpublic schools called “accredited nonpublic schools” and to prescribe requirements and exemptions for such schools.
The committee heard from nearly a dozen opponents of the bill, with the majority from Catholic and Christian based schools. The general concern was that the term ‘accredited nonpublic schools’ could put religiously-oriented schools at a disadvantage because of their more diverse student population and different value-oriented philosophies.
Sponsor testimony on SB289 STUDENT EXPULSIONS (Kunze) With respect to authorizing the expulsion of a student from a school district, community school, or STEM school for communicating a threat of violence to occur on school grounds.
Reported out of committee: HB21 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS (Hambley) The bill requires charter schools, instead of school districts, to verify charter school student residency and enrollment.
The Senate passed the following bills:
Governor Kasich Executive Order: Technology First
Governor John Kasich signed an executive order launching the “Technology First” initiative. “Technology First” is the product of efforts launched in the Governor’s last budget that called upon the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to explore the use of technology such as apps, cell phones, smart pads, and smart speakers to augment the supports delivered by caregivers.
Governor of Ohio: Kasich Signs Executive Order to Put New Technologies to Work for Ohioans with Developmental Disabilities
“Ohioans with developmental disabilities will now have the opportunity to improve their lives with the help of innovative supportive technologies thanks to the new “Technology First” initiative launched today by an executive order signed by Gov. John R. Kasich.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Robot Joins Gov. John Kasich to Sign Executive Order Prioritizing Technology for People with Disabilities
“Smart wheelchairs, speakers that can turn on lights and other technology will be considered as part of care plans for Ohioans with developmental disabilities under an executive order signed Thursday by Gov. John Kasich.”
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
ODE Awards $33 Million in Striving Readers Grants
“More than $33 million was awarded today by the Ohio Department of Education to 46 school districts and consortiums of districts to improve the language and literacy development of our state’s children.”
ODE Recognizes New Purple Star Schools
“State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria announced 33 Ohio schools that received the Purple Star designation for their commitment to serving military-connected students and families.”
“Ohio launched the new School-Based Health Care Toolkit, a set of resources for schools and communities as they work together to address common health issues and keep students in class and learning.”
Annual Safety Plan Certification Reminder
“Schools must annually certify to the Ohio Department of Education that their safety plan documents are current and accurate. School and district administrators with compliant school safety plans, from 2017 and earlier, have until July 1 of each year to complete this annual review.”
State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria’s presentation to the Joint Educational Oversight Committee.
NATIONAL NEWS
U.S. Department of Education releases its annual Condition of Education
The report includes data on key education indicators from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons.
USDOE: The Condition of Education 2018
“This website contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics, which are updated throughout the year as new data become available. In addition, this website has Spotlight indicators that provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics. The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that is provided to Congress each year.”
OHIO NEWS
Columbus Dispatch: Bill to Ease Reporting on Minorities for Ohio Charters, Other Small Schools
“Many of Ohio’s smaller charter schools, and even a few traditional public schools, would not have to report on academic performance by small groups of students including racial minorities if a Senate-passed bill also gets through the House.”
Columbus Dispatch: New Recommendations, Legislation Restart Conversation about School Bus Seat Belts
“For the first time, [the National Transportation Safety Board] recommended all new large school buses be equipped with lap and shoulder belts. Additionally, it recommended new buses have automatic emergency braking and electronic stability control.”
FYI ARTS
2018 AEP Annual Convening
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) invites partner organizations and leaders in the field to share their exemplary work supporting the role and contribution of the arts to prepare all students for success in school, work and life. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and to submit a proposal. AEP will accept concurrent session proposals until 5 p.m. PST Friday, June 1.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Destination Integration: ARTS Education
Teacher Workshop, Grades 3-12 June 6 – 7, 2018
Join teachers from around the state for fun, new and engaging instructional ideas taught by national John F. Kennedy Center teaching artists! The Ohio Kennedy Center Collaborative invites you to Wooster, Ohio for a 1 & 1/2 day conference on June 6-7. Teachers will deepen their understanding and practice of arts integrated teaching to improve instruction and increase student learning through visual art and creative writing strategies. Enjoy the exploration of the creative process and the experience of the arts!
Dates: June 6-7, 2018
Cost: $65
Location: Wooster, OH
Graduate Credit is available through Ashland University
Download the printable flyer here.
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Board Approves Chronic Absenteeism on Ohio School Report Cards
The State Board of Education approved adding chronic absenteeism improvement as an indicator on the schools’ state report cards. The new measurement is part of Ohio’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan and will reflect absentee rates with a focus on measuring improvement in the reduction of students missing regularly. Chronic Absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year for any reason, which is approximately 18 days of school. Currently Ohio’s rate is 16.9 percent.
Schools can meet the new indicator in one of two pathways ways. The first is by reaching a target goal set by the state. This goal would start at an absentee rate of 13.6 percent and drop each year to the final goal of 5 percent for the 2025-2026 school year. The second pathway would be for schools to see incremental improvement based on their current absentee rate, or Baseline Chronic Absenteeism Improvement Standard. For schools with a 36.7 percent or higher chronic absenteeism rate, they would need to see a 1.1 percent decrease. For schools with an absenteeism rate of 36.7 percent or lower, they would need to improve by 3 percent.
The chronic absenteeism indicator will be included as a measure on the next round of state report cards in the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.
OHIO LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Education and Career Readiness Committee (Chair: Brenner)
The committee heard testimony on the following bills last week:
Sponsor testimony on SB216 (Huffman) SCHOOL REGULATIONS To enact the “Ohio Public School Deregulation Act” regarding the administration of preschool and primary and secondary education programs.
Sponsor testimony was given by Sen. Huffman. Huffman said, “The bill addresses a myriad of education topics and standards, either contained in the Revised Code or currently sheltered in agency rule. Evaluation System, state assessments, student management and safety, College Credit Plus, and preschool operating standards.”
The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Peggy Lehner, held hearings on the bill over several months, and after several revisions the committee approved the bill on March 7, 2018. The Ohio Senate approved the bill unanimously on March 21, 2018.
OAAE’s Positions on SB216: The bill’s intent is to reduce regulations and mandates for local schools to increase local control and improve efficiency. The bill would affect major areas of education law including teacher evaluations; highly qualified teachers; teacher licensure and employment; substitute teachers; and teachers in career-technical education programs.
OAAE supports the changes in the teacher evaluation framework in Section 3319.112 of the bill. We also support the changes in new Section 3319.361, including the requirement that a teacher, who is employed to teach a subject area for which the teacher is not licensed, attain a passing score on an examination prescribed by the state board of education in the teaching area, among other controls.
OAAE still opposes the changes in the license grade bands included in Section 3319.22. The Senate Education Committee listened to the concerns of some stakeholders and retained the Middle Childhood License (grades 4-9) and the Adolescent – Adult License (grades 7-12), but the committee expanded the grade bands for the Early Childhood License from preK-3 to preK-5. The Senate Committee still has not addressed arts education stakeholders’ concerns about clarifying the subjects that a teacher with the preK-5 license could teach. Currently general education teachers with the preK-3 license are certified to teach the arts. We recommended that the bill be amended to require that all courses in the arts at all grade levels be taught by a teacher with a multiage preK-12 license in a specific arts discipline of dance, drama, music, or visual art, or an equivalent license in a specific area. We will continue to advocate for this amendment in the House.
In addition to our previous concerns, there are now questions about how the changes in Section 3319.22 could affect the multiage and other types of educator licenses issued by the State Board of Education. Currently grade band licenses are not mentioned in Ohio law. Grade band licenses are included in the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rule 3301-24-05, developed by the State Board of Education. The main types of grade band educator licenses are “Early Childhood” (grades pre-kindergarten through three), “Middle Childhood” (grades four through nine in named curriculum areas), “Adolescent through Adult” (grades seven through twelve in named curriculum areas), and Multiage Licenses (preK-12) issued in a particular subject area, such as dance, drama/theater, music, or visual art, library/media, health, languages, etc.
SB216 would link some of the grade band licenses (Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Adolescent – Adult) and the professional licenses for the first time. The bill doesn’t include the multiage license, however. Section 3319.22(A)(2) of Revised Code allows the State Board to issue any additional categories, types, and levels of educator licenses. The Legislative Services Commission has reviewed Sub. SB216, and suggested adding language to the bill to clarify that the bill would not affect other types of educator licenses issued by the State Board.
Sponsor & Proponent testimony on HB591 (Duffey) SCHOOL REPORT CARDS To revise the state report card rating system for school districts and public schools.
Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Duffey presented a substitute bill that covered a range of topics including “third grade reading; post-graduate outcomes; enrichment and support; student growth measure; dedicated report card pages; geographic tool and others.” The bill’s changes can be viewed here.
The Ohio School Boards Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators and Ohio Association of School Business Officials testified jointly in favor of the measure. Jennifer Hogue of the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) said, “Our members have been asking for changes to the current report card system. They believe that reports of school district quality should provide accurate reflections of district, staff, and student achievement. Publication of district and school report cards must be accurate, fair, and credible. Reports should be communicated to the public in a clear and concise manner. We believe HB591 accomplishes these objectives.”
HB591 would change Ohio’s annual report card for school districts, school buildings, community schools, and STEM schools beginning in the 2018-19 school year. Duffey said the purpose of the bill is to create a state report card that is transparent, understandable, useful, and trusted by school districts, parents, and legislators. The principles the new report card include:
OAAE supports eliminating the use of letter grades and the composite grade; accurately reflecting students with special needs in the graduation rate; measuring student growth through a formula that is understandable and replicable; revising the K-3 Literacy component to measure student achievement; and including measures for identifying and appropriately serving gifted students.
Under the new enrichment and support measure (Section 3302.03 (B)(7)(b)) the bill, as introduced, allowed school districts to report art and music teachers. The substitute bill expands this provision to include (f) fine arts teachers, and (g) music teachers. This amendment ensures that all arts teachers, including dance, drama/theater, music, and visual arts teachers, would be reported.
OAAE recommends, however, that school districts be required, rather than allowed, to report the number of specialists under the enrichment and support measure. For comparison purposes, the information included in this measure would be more helpful to parents or the public, if all school districts report the same type of information.
OAAE also opposes repealing Section 3302.034. This section requires the Ohio Department of Education to report annually on the report card the availability of courses in the fine arts (Section 3302.034 (A)(6)). This measure provides different information than the new enrichment and support measure, which focuses on the number of arts teachers. Current Section 3302.034 identifies the range and depth of arts education opportunities offered to students, and allows parents and the public to compare course offerings in the arts among school buildings in a district.
There is also concern that the bill maintains the current letter grades and ratings for implementing other provisions of law. These include determining eligibility for students to participate in the Educational Choice voucher program; opening and closing community schools; providing state academic interventions; and establishing an academic distress commission.
Many education organizations and stakeholders believe that the current report card is flawed, and its grades and ratings should not be used as a basis to impose sanctions on school districts or schools. OAAE joins them in recommending that safe harbor provisions enacted for the previous three school years be extended until the state can transition to the new report card and a new accountability system is developed.
Proponent testimony on HB540 (Gavarone, Manning) TEACHER EVALUATIONS
Bill sponsor, Rep. Theresa Gavarone amended the bill (AM1918) with two changes that she said served to mirror Senate companion legislation (SB216). The scheduled vote was delayed to give the committee time to review the amendment further.
Sponsor testimony on HB544 (Rogers, Perales) SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS To require the State Board of Education to adopt rules prescribing standards for safety enhancements to new public and nonpublic school facilities and to require the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission to revise its construction and design standards to comply with the State Board’s standards.
Sponsor testimony was given by Reps. Rogers and Perales. Rogers said, “This bill would take advantage of the critical junction that presents itself when a district designs and constructs a new school building. Quite simply, by requiring that safety features be incorporated into the design of a building before construction begins, these features would be much more affordable as opposed to the expense of remodeling and or retrofitting.”
Passed out of Committee HB517 (Schaffer, Leland) MONTH DESIGNATION To designate the month of October as “Ohio Principals Month.”
Senate Education Committee
The committee heard testimony on the following last week:
Sponsor testimony on HB360 (Greenspan) BULLYING To enact the “Ohio Anti-Bullying and Hazing Act” with regard to school discipline and bullying and hazing policies at public schools and public colleges.
Rep. Dave Greenspan (R-Westlake) said in sponsor testimony the bill “is ultimately a ‘second strike bill,’ once the first offense is deemed as bullying the district can act on the matter as they see fit.”
HB360 lays out a framework schools may adopt to strengthen communication with families and enact more consistency in handling bullying after the second offense. But the plan does require rather than permit a school to notify the families of both the bully and the victim of an investigation into a reported incident and states that a suspended bully cannot participate in extracurricular activities during the suspension.
All testimony on HB438 (Hambley, Kick) ESC BOARDS To permit the addition of appointed members to educational service center boards and to permit a local school district to sever its territory from one educational service center and annex that territory to an adjacent service center under specified conditions.
Sen. Lehner’s amendment to utilize $3.8 million left in a fund established by the General Assembly for construction or renovation efforts at high-performing charter schools won approval. This money would be awarded through a third round of grants from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
“That money will be lost if it’s not spent before the end of this budget cycle,” Sen. Lehner said. “We don’t want to see that happen.”
Proponent testimony on HB87 (Roegner) COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Regarding public moneys returned to the state as a result of a finding for recovery issued pursuant to an audit of a community school.
Testimony was given in favor of the bill from State Auditor David Yost, the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and Twinsburg City Schools Board of Education.
Passed by the Senate:
SB246 STUDENT REMOVAL To enact the Supporting Alternatives for Education Act “SAFE Act” to revise the procedures for emergency removal of a student, to prohibit certain suspensions and expulsions of students in grades pre- kindergarten through three.
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate approves bill limiting suspensions of young students
“Ohio schools could no longer impose out-of-school suspensions for young students who commit minor offenses under a bill that unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday. Ohio elementary schools have handed out an average of 35,000 out-of-school suspensions over each of the past two years. Almost half were for disruptive or disobedient behavior, nearly two-thirds were black children, and 90 percent were from low-income households.”
ON THE CALENDAR
Tuesday, May 22
4:00 p.m. House Education and Career Readiness Committee (Chair: Brenner)
Ohio Statehouse Room 121
Wednesday, May 23
3:15 p.m. Senate Education Committee (Chair: Lehner)
Ohio Statehouse South Hearing Room
FYI ARTS
2018 AEP Annual Convening
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) invites partner organizations and leaders in the field to share their exemplary work supporting the role and contribution of the arts to prepare all students for success in school, work and life. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and to submit a proposal. AEP will accept concurrent session proposals until 5 p.m. PST Friday, June 1.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Destination Integration: ARTS Education
Teacher Workshop, Grades 3-12 June 6 – 7, 2018
Join teachers from around the state for fun, new and engaging instructional ideas taught by national John F. Kennedy Center teaching artists! The Ohio Kennedy Center Collaborative invites you to Wooster, Ohio for a 1 & 1/2 day conference on June 6-7. Teachers will deepen their understanding and practice of arts integrated teaching to improve instruction and increase student learning through visual art and creative writing strategies. Enjoy the exploration of the creative process and the experience of the arts!
Dates: June 6-7, 2018
Cost: $65
Location: Wooster, OH
Graduate Credit is available through Ashland University
Download the printable flyer here.
Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
High-quality assessments are an integral part of measuring and monitoring student growth and informing classroom instruction. Arts educators are often left on their own to develop assessments and identify student growth measures, often without adequate background in assessment design and implementation.
Our Arts Assessment Professional Development workshop will help educators acquire skills in developing, reviewing, and selecting high-quality assessments. Sessions will focus on foundations of assessment literacy, quality assessment design and an understanding of why they are important to instruction and student learning. Workshops are appropriate for all fine arts disciplines (including dance, music, theater and visual arts.)
Workshops will focus on these topics:
To schedule professional development sessions for your district’s fine arts teaching staff contact:
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
info@oaae.net
614.224.1060
www.oaae.net
Downloadable flyer to share with administrators and colleagues: Arts Assessment: Evidence of Success
The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is a leading member of the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative, a consortium of Ohio school districts, Battelle for Kids, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio State University.
Arts On Line keeps arts education advocates informed about issues dealing with the arts, education, policy, research, and opportunities.
The distribution of this information is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association OhioDance , and the Ohio Arts Council.
This update is written weekly by Andrea Kruse, OAAE’s Research and Information Coordinator.
Mike Huffman
Artist; Visual Arts Educator and former Director of Arts & Magnet Programs,
Lima City Schools (retired)
Q: How did you participate in the arts as a child?
A: “Sometimes the best teachers are the ones you react against.” This quote is what Jackson Pollock said when asked about his time with Thomas Hart Benton. In elementary school, I filled my wide-lined, goldenrod tablets with drawings, not English sentences or math problems. All attempts to “color outside of the lines” or play the “funky notes” were met with varying degrees of admonishment from classroom, and yes, even the seldom seen art and music consultants. I know that sounds bad, but the upside of it all was that much of my endeavor as an arts educator went to changing that close-minded paradigm for my students. I embraced all opportunities to put the arts on par with the rest of the curriculum as well as make them accessible to all children in my district. In short, I spent thirty some years “reacting against.”
Q: Describe your favorite “a-ha moment” in arts education.
A: “The best teacher is not the one with all the answers. The best teacher is the one who asks the best questions.” During my time in public school arts education, I was fortunate to ride the wave of change from teaching, to supervision, to Director of Arts and Magnet Programs. After that “thirty year professional development stint,” I began teaching middle school art again. I recount this only to illustrate how long it took me to get to a real “Aha moment.” Maybe that first month in I read the above quote, really thought about it, and then seriously put it into practice. The student/teacher dynamic in my classroom went to a whole new level. Maybe as arts advocates we should stop making statements like, “we need more arts education.” Maybe we should ask questions like, “How can a comprehensive education be close to excellent without the Arts?”
Q. How do you practice creativity in your own life and / or what inspires you?
A: “I am a painting junkie.” On the way to Art Education, I went through an M.F.A. program at Bowling Green State University. I enjoyed it but it left me hopelessly addicted to making art. I must say, this addiction has served me well in a number of ways:
As for inspiration, I am more driven by content than technique. What I read in the news or pick up from the “great media slipstream” usually drives subject and form.
Q: Name an arts educator who impacted you and how they influenced your younger days.
A: I was fortunate to drop into art education at Ohio State University when I did. It was the end of the 1970s. I had a ton of fine arts and art history in my head and the face of art education was shifting from a singular “making work and move on” to the more comprehensive discipline based art education. By its very nature, DBAE was easier to plant solidly in the larger curriculum. It was, however, a major change and demanded that art educators become arts advocates.
I have had any number of people who have pushed and inspired me. Some were instructors, some are long time colleagues. The one person who set the never ending course for me as an arts advocate was Dr. Nancy MacGregor. In her teaching, she was a realist who, as she presented the theory and mechanics of the “New Art Education,” hammered home the very pragmatic need for every art teacher to be an advocate.
She constantly practiced her own philosophy as she developed, guided and evolved the Getty Foundation sponsored, Ohio Partnership for the Visual Arts.
From 1989-1994, my teaching colleagues and I constantly benefited from this endeavor and Dr. MacGregor’s leadership.
Q: What can the average person do to advocate for more and / or stronger arts education in local schools?
A: What does advocacy look like?
As arts educators, I think we must face the fact that in many quarters, our work and what we push into the curriculum, no matter how powerful, how game, changing is expendable. Every art, dance, music and theatre teacher needs to embrace advocacy and make it “part of the job.”
Portrait of an Arts Advocate is a monthly feature profiling an OAAE member active in advocating for arts education in Ohio. If you’d like to submit your information, or recommend an #artsed advocate to us, email akruse@oaae.net.
Ohio Alliance for Arts Education 