Ohio's Black Student ACT Scores Drop Since '04: Where's Boost From Charter Schools?

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The college board scores on the ACT test are up this year in Ohio, an achievement the state education department and outgoing State Supt. Susan Tave Zelman are high-fivin' in a press release. But the data is not so positive for African-American students, whose 2008 results are actually lower than they were in 2004. In fact, the gap between whites and blacks has been growing, not shrinking. The scores demonstrate that black children are still being left behind in this era of No Child Left Behind and charter schools. They were supposed to erase the achievement gap, not make it worse.

This year, the ACT composite score was 21.7 for all 88,103 Ohio students who took the college entrance exam, which measures academic results in reading, science, math and English. For whites the score was 22.2; for blacks 17.1. Five years ago, the ACT score was 21.4 for all students, 21.8 for whites and 17.2 for blacks.

Over the past five school years, charter schools have proliferated, and last year there were 252 in the state's nine largest, most urban counties. They were created and funded as alternatives to the public schools, meant to give parents a choice if they felt the public schools weren't up to snuff. The plan was that charter schools would offer poor and urban families a superior education for their children. While the ACT scores don't prove the charter movement is going to wind up a complete failure in the long run, the test results do show that momentum toward success is lacking. The scores for African American haven't improved at all since the charter schools have proliferated:

2004 -- 17.2
2005 -- 17.1
2006 --17.2
2007 -- 17.0
2008 -- 17.1.

Meanwhile, State School Supt. Zelman is crowing about the overall results, and notes there is a relationship between a rigorous curriculum and the ACT: "Data clearly shows a relationship between coursework and college readiness. There more students are exposed to rich and challenging coursework, the better the opportunity for success in the future."

She doesn't say anything about the impact of Ohio's charter schools on the national entrance and placement exam.

Ohio Has Hit Bottom Or Gone Broke: Now Can't Afford Help Wanted Ads For New State Supt. Of Education

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- There's no cash for ads in local newspapers. Some would say the state superintendent of education -- the person in charge of all Ohio public schools and responsible for educating hundreds of thousands of children -- has the most important job of all. Outgoing Supt. Susan Tave Zelman made about $217,000 a year, but now there is no money to advertise for her replacement. Inquiring minds are wondering: Who would want to run an education department that is so impoverished it can't even afford to advertise for its top job? Or is there a fix in place -- the leader has already been picked behind the scenes making an ad campaign unnecessary? State education officials made the announcement Tuesday:

"Media May Contact: Karla Warren (614) 995-3867 (614) 995-3867
For Immediate Release Tuesday, July 15, 2008
State Board of Education seeks next superintendent of public instruction
Editor’s note: Due to state budget constraints, no classified advertisements for this position will be placed in Ohio newspapers. With this in mind, the State Board of Education would appreciate your publication covering this important news story. Columbus – This morning, the State Board of Education heard an update from Hudepohl & Associates, the Worthington-based firm assisting the Board with its search for the state’s next superintendent of public instruction."

Stunning news. Ohio is too broke to buy ads. Strangely, it doesn't even have the opening on its own jobs' site today. That means the state has bypassed its own online portal to recruit potential candidates as Zelman's successor. At the moment, this is the only state education job listed (and Zelman quit more than a month ago, though she plans to stay until December at the latest):

"Title:
Director
PN:
20009642
Agency:
Education
Opening Date:
Tue. 07/01/08
Closing Date/Time:
Fri. 08/01/08 11:59 PM Eastern Time
State Salary Range:
Negotiable
Job Type:
Full-Time, Permanent, Exempt
Location:
Franklin County, Ohio
Promotional Bid:
N/A
Pay Range
commensurate with education and experience
Hours of Work
8:00am - 5:00pm
Division
Curriculum and Instruction
Job Location
25 South Front Street Columbus, Ohio 43215

Print Job Information Apply

Description Benefits Supplemental Questions

Serves as an unclassified employee pursuant to Section 3301.13 R.C. and performs the following educational and/or research duties: Plans, administers and coordinates all aspects of curriculum & instruction programs and services provided to Ohio’s schools (K-12); exercises leadership in a team environment. Plans and implements improved coordinated consultative services to schools (K-12) in contact areas of: Fine Arts, English-Language Arts, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology Education; oversees services to provide technical assistance to districts related to courses of study and standards-based education. Works with staff to develop and prepare publications on curriculum and instruction that reflect customer needs; plans cooperative curriculum development projects with school districts; provides direction for the development and execution of school improvement projects; actively seeks customer input and feedback and uses data to guide decision making. Creates procedures and policies for the operation of the office; establishes, monitors, and evaluates quality control standards as they apply to programming, systems analysis & systems design & implementation. Performs administrative duties such as interviewing and selecting employees; training of new and assigned employees. Advises center associate superintendent/directors on matters of budget and personnel requirements. Represents center administrators at meetings and conferences. Represents the department on national committees. Prepares long range plans; ensures that staff tasks are completed; develops detailed reports. Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master's degree in education or related field with an emphasis in educational administration and supervision, or curriculum development. Seven years supervisory/leadership experience in a public education or university setting including financial management experience. Recent experience in local or state curriculum related initiatives and direct experience conducting standards-based professional development in specific curricula. Knowledge of current theories of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Knowledge of educational testing instruments, methods, and procedures. Ability to interface with administrators; ability to find creative solutions to challenging problems.
Supplemental Information:
Unusual Working Conditions: Requires travel throughout State of Ohio & may require overnight stay. (Must be willing & able to secure a valid driver’s license OR supply your own transportation)."

Ohio School Supt. Susan Tave Zelman: Schools 'Rudderless' In Voinovich Years

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio's superintendent of public instruction, Susan Tave Zelman, appears to place zero credibility in Republican U.S. Sen. George Voinovich's oft-repeated claim he was the "education governor." Voinovich served two terms as the state's chief executive before winning the Senate seat in 1998. Zelman took over as the state's top education official not long after Voinovich left Columbus for Washington, and said she found a school program that was adrift, or not following any clear course. Zelman's seems to be grading the Voinovich years with an an "F" -- for failure. Here's what she says:

"Nine years ago, I assumed responsibility for a public agency that was rudderless and ranked 29th nationally on education indicators. Today, Ohio is ranked seventh in the nation. Working collaboratively with governors [Ted Strickland, Bob Taft], leadership in the legislature, and educational stakeholders, I have led systemic reforms that developed a clear statewide vision of higher academic achievement for all students and a mission for the state and school districts to raise expectations, build the capacity for the system to meet those expectations, and improve results."

Zelman outlined her strengths -- and t00k the swipe at Voinovich -- in this three-page letter to officials at the University of Oregon, where's she's a finalist to become dean of the school's College of Education. Voinovich often wanted to be judged by his performance, and said in this 1998 Senate debate, "I'll let the people of Ohio judge my performance when it comes to education." Now we know what Zelman thinks -- "rudderless."

That should be good news to Ohio bloggers Matt Hurley and Tom Blumer who run a Web site called Ham Sandwich for Senate that has questioned Voinovich's claim he was an "education governor." Hurley and Blumer, both conservative Republicans, now have more evidence that Voinovich flunked on that score.

Ohio's Department of Education: Sorry Folks, Nothing Is Happening Here

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The Ohio Department of Education's public affairs/press office has published just 20 press releases since mid-August -- and only 6 so far this year. That's two per month to date in 2008. Apparently, nothing much is happening at the agency that is worth informing the state's citizenry about. Or nobody is supposed to know what is happening. Either way, the lack of communication with the public -- and lack of any excitement and news at the state education level -- could be part of the reason behind Gov. Ted Strickland's push to shake things up. He's on record saying he doesn't think much of State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman's leadership skills.

Ohio's State School Supt. Susan Tave Zelman: A Dyslexic Psychometrician Granny

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Gov. Ted Strickland wants to jettison the state superintendent of public instruction. She has let it be known she's a grandmother afflicted with a reading disorder. The governor has another word for her -- "psychometrician," a word that had some Ohioans running for their dictionaries.

Susan Tave Zelman told Ohioans earlier this year she suffers from dyslexia -- a mild case, of course. Zelman, who's been the state's top education official since 1999, holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan. She discussed her learning disability during brief remarks earlier this year to the statewide special education leadership conference in Columbus:

"As the first mother and grandmother who is superindentent of Ohio's public schools, I share your hopes and goals for the success of our children, I hope you share mine. As someone with mild dyslexia and the mother of children with mild disabilities, I understand."

Strickland wants the dyslexic superintendent gone so he can take responsibility -- and greater control -- over Ohio's schools. He's not a fan of Zelman:

"But she's not a leader, she's not an advocate, she's not a good manager. She's an academician, a psychometrician, a statistician."

Dyslexic is a fairly common word nowadays. It means that someone has a tendency to mix up or confuse letters in words while they read -- "Susan" might be seen as "nuisance." As for "psychometrician," that means somebody who uses tests to measure aptitude or personality. It does not mean a nutjob addicted to the metric system of weights and measures. There is more about psychometrics here and here. And if you want to take a psychometric test, this British Web site will measure your personality profile.