• 43 percent of students in Franklin County school districts were children of color in 2011 – up from 34 percent in 2001;
• All 16 Franklin County school districts had a higher rate of students of color in 2011 than in 2001; and
• 63 percent of the 18,518 public charter school students in Franklin County were children of color.

Moreover, nearly half (47.6 percent) of students of color in the 16 Franklin County school districts attend a suburban school, thus dispelling the myth that most minorities live in Columbus.

Growing diversity is one of the great strengths of Franklin County. While we work to close educational and economic achievement gaps, diversity can enrich our students’ educational experiences, promote personal growth, and help connect the Columbus region to the international economy.  Understanding and taking advantage of our community’s demographic shift is key to strengthening Central Ohio’s schools, colleges, and economic competitiveness.  We hope this report educates community leaders about the need to prepare our students for citizenship in an increasingly diverse workplace and global community.

Click here to read the full report.

KidsOhio recently chatted with six of these leaders, each representing a different sector of Ohio’s public education system: Stan Heffner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Rhonda Johnson, President of Ohio’s largest local teacher union; Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District; Kyle Newton, Superintendent of Crooksville City Schools, a rural district in Southeastern Ohio; and Chad Carr and Brian Carlton, Principal and Assistant Principal of Columbus Preparatory Academy, a highly- rated charter school.

We talked about the challenges, successes, and lessons learned in year-one of the RttT grant. We also talked about what is in store for year-two. Lessons learned: Common goals, strategic planning, consistent monitoring of success, and quick adjustments to what is not working are essential to making headway in four-years’ time.

Click here to read the report.

KidsOhio’s latest report, Ohio’s Race to the Top Effort Continues amid Leadership Changes, describes how the Ohio’s Race to the Top $400 million plan continues “seamlessly” despite changes in leadership in the offices of governor, state superintendent of education, and state school board president.  More than one million students are enrolled in Race to the Top schools.

The report features excerpts from video interviews with Dr. Robert Sommers, Director, Governor’s Office of 21^st Century Education, and Dr. Michael Sawyers, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Race to the Top Initiatives, commenting on the purpose and progress of Ohio’s Race to the Top effort.  In addition, the report contains interviews with two front-line educators who are implementing Race to the Top in their districts.

To read the report, “Ohio’s Race to the Top Effort Continues,” click here

To view the 1 minute, 8 second video interview with Dr. Michael Sawyers, click play below.

To view the 6 minute, 35 second video interview with Dr. Michael Sawyers, click play below.

To view the 56 second video interview with Dr. Robert Sommers, click play below.

To view the 5 minute, 49 second video interview with Dr. Robert Sommers, click play below.

1)      50 percent of students were economically disadvantaged;

2)      90 percent  or more of disadvantaged fourth graders passed the state reading test; and

3)      the school was rated Effective or higher on the state report card.

Click here to read the report.

Today, KidsOhio and School Choice Ohio jointly released a guide for parents and students, Get a Jumpstart on College & Your Career: High School Classes Can Count for College without Costing You a Dime.

The brochure showcases four opportunities for students to earn from a few credits up to two years of college credit or more while they are in high school: 1) Early College High Schools, 2) College TechPrep, 3) Post Secondary Enrollment Options, and 4) Advanced Placement.

“Our state and national college attainment goals are to increase the number of degrees awarded in Ohio from 75,000 in 2009 to 100,000 by 2017 and to reclaim the United States’ top rank among nations,” said Ann Bischoff of KidsOhio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education policy organization. “If we are going to meet these goals, we have to bolster college-going among low-income students and would-be first generation college-goers.”

One way to increase college success is to educate more Ohio students about opportunities for earning tuition-free college credit while in high school, known as dual enrollment. Not only does dual enrollment alleviate a financial burden for families, but it also exposes students to the real-life demands of college. This exposure builds confidence among would-be first generation college students about college-level work.

“The students who need these options the most are the ones who are last to find out about them,” said Sarah Pechan of School Choice Ohio. “Students are excited about the chance to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ and earn both college credit and high school credit for a single class. This brochure is the first place where all of these options have been compiled into one source.”

To download a copy of the brochure, click here. To request copies, please call School Choice Ohio at 614.223.1555 or KidsOhio at 614.228.6400.

The report, More Franklin County students are economically disadvantaged; many attend suburban schools, provides a brief overview of the increase in student poverty among the 16 Franklin County school districts since 2005.

KidsOhio asked the superintendents of Reynoldsburg and Worthington schools to discuss how their districts’ are responding to the increase in student need. To read their responses, see Field Notes: Featuring Superintendent Steve Dackin, Reynoldsburg City Schools and Field Notes: Featuring Superintendent Melissa Conrath, Worthington City Schools.

Many of you requested a synopsis of Ohio’s 387-page proposal.  In response, KidsOhio and Ohio Grantmakers Forum are providing this independent summary.  Our organizations have no financial interest in the proposal, but we want to ensure that a wide range of Ohioans understand the state’s plan and its specific goals and performance measures.

To read this report, click here

To read the brochure, click here.

To read the guide, click here.