Suburban News Publication

5/16-5/23/07

By JENNIFER NOBLIT

A national education advocate offered an outsider’s look last week on the state of education in Ohio.

Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust and a top child advocate in education, spoke last week at a Columbus Metropolitan Club meeting.

She compared Ohio test scores nationally, and although test scores are improving, she said they could be better. Ohio students have some top test scores, but Haycock said the rate of students going to college is low.

“In general, though, if you want to give a fair look,” she said, “your state’s performance is relatively strong.”

In addition to a relatively low number of student proceeding to college, many Ohio students — especially low-income or black students — are not prepared for college or the work force, she said.

“Remember what all employers in this room know,” she said, “you can choose employees not just from neighboring states, but the world … Low income and African-American (students) are not even close to being prepared for the old or new economy.”

Haycock also said the gap between white students and low-income and black students is getting wider.

“There’s not a person in this room that doesn’t know that these gaps begin even before school,” she said. “They arrive at our doors significantly behind … We take the kids with less and give them less at school.”

In general, poorly performing schools often get less money than high performing schools — but it should be the opposite, Haycock said.

Columbus school board President Terry Boyd agreed.

“I think sometimes we look at schools that are doing well and we applaud that … We need to target resources that will enhance the student learning climate as well as teaching skills,” he said.

While many problems remain in the education system, Haycock gave some suggestions that could improve Ohio schools.

Strengthening standards and academic assessments as well as implementing the Ohio Core Plan, which calls for an increase in college preporatory classes, would be valuable for the state. Haycock also suggested finding a way to “replicate” good public schools and close poor academic performers.

Offering incentives for effective teachers in challenging schools could improve schools, Haycock said.

At Columbus Public Schools, that option has been considered, Boyd said.

“We’ve looked at all those ideas, and when I say we’ve looked at it that includes the teachers union because we want to reward those teachers that perform in an excellent manner,” he said.

“When it comes to more challenging schools, we could pay our teachers a premium. It’s one thing to do that, but in my mind it doesn’t matter if you’re working at a challenging school and not getting results. It has to be a two-prong attack. You work at a challenging school, but you’re getting results.”

Despite problems, Haycock did give a few examples of schools in high poverty areas that are achieving above state standards to show it is possible to get good results.

“I think that’s really inspiring for Columbus and inspiring for teachers and principals because it shows we can improve academics in even the most challenging circumstances,” said KidsOhio.org president Mark Real.

Several educational and civic leaders were in attendance, and response to Haycock — a KidsOhio.org sponsored speaker — was very positive, Real said.

“The comments we’re getting were, ‘Gee, it’s great to have a hopeful program,’ ” he said. “This was really constructive because it put Columbus in context.”