Primer, January 2010
January 2010 Volume 5, Number 1
Editor’s Note: Ohio received a boost this month in its effort to remake the state public education system. The Education Commission of the States announced that it will honor Ohio with the 2010 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation for its education reforms, described by ECS as “informed, bold and courageous.” Gov. Ted Strickland, whose administration proposed the changes, made the announcement in his 2010 State of the State address. Now it is up to State Superintendent Deborah Delisle to lead educators and communities in carrying out the sweeping changes to systems that provide funding, quality teaching, guidance and student supports from early learning to postsecondary education. She just released a 10-year strategic plan, Ohio’s Promise: Enhance Achievement, Focus on Excellence and Provide Opportunities. We asked her to outline her plans for Ohio to realize a vision of “a world-class education system in which all students will graduate with a sense of purpose and be well prepared for college, work and life.”
Ohio’s Promise: The state plan for preparing students for their future
Deborah S. Delisle
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education
Education is the primary driver for success in the 21st century and Ohio is fortunate to have a strong system of public education. During the past decade, significant progress has been made. Students have shown strong gains in academic achievement, the quality of educators continues to improve, districts and schools are implementing innovative programs to support students and their families and community partnerships are increasing. Ohio’s ranking in the annual Education Week Quality Counts report also continues to improve. According to the 2010 report, Ohio’s educational system is now fifth in the nation. This is the third straight year Ohio has gained ground in the Quality Counts report. Previously, Ohio ranked seventh in 2008 and sixth in 2009.
While we celebrate these successes in Ohio’s education system, it is imperative that we continue to address the challenges of educating students for the 21st century. Ohio schools must prepare students for the global community in which they will be living and working – a community that connects people economically, technologically and politically.
The skills needed to compete in a 21st-century world economy are not new. Critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, effective communication, creativity and innovation, and information, media and technology literacy are skills that have been valued for some time. What is new is that our nation's interdependence with the economies of other countries requires all citizens to not only have these skills, but also be able to adapt them in meaningful ways in different situations.
Ohio House Bill 1 (HB 1) incorporates a plan for statewide education reform and brings forth a new and exciting promise for public education in our state – a promise that Ohio government, education leaders, schools and communities will work collaboratively to enhance achievement, focus on excellence and provide opportunities for all of Ohio’s students – and to raise our public education system to a globally recognized status.
Our world is changing at a rapid rate, and our ability to respond innovatively will determine the future prosperity of our state, its place on the global stage and its ability to offer a high quality of life to Ohio citizens. The time has come to write our own story for Ohio’s education system – a new story that will help Ohio students meet the challenges of their future.
Governor Ted Strickland recognizes the strong ties between Ohio’s economy and its education system and has promoted education reform in Ohio by introducing a series of initiatives based on six major principles:
- 21st-century learning environments;
- Expanded learning opportunities;
- High quality educators;
- Measurement of Ohio students against the world;
- Heightened school district accountability; and
- Effective funding for a 21st-century education system
From these six principles, a comprehensive plan for education reform was ultimately passed by the Ohio General Assembly as part of HB 1, Ohio’s biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2010–2011. In addition to the Governor and General Assembly’s commitment to education reform, the State Board of Education adopted a vision document in September 2009, Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century: A Vision for Transforming PK–12 Education in Ohio. Through this vision, the State Board outlines objectives and strategies to ensure that all students graduate with the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to be well-prepared for success.
As we move through this decade and beyond, we must ensure that all of Ohio’s children are prepared to work in a global marketplace that is becoming more competitive each day. Our students must graduate equipped to cross geographic, cultural and economic boundaries using knowledge and skills that make them marketable anywhere in the world. It is our job to shape them to be tomorrow’s leaders in existing, emerging and, to date, unimagined fields.
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is committed to enhancing the current education system to be among the best in the nation and the world. This document highlights a 10-year strategic plan to realize this goal.
As we work toward an enhanced vision of success, ODE recognizes that the prekindergarten through grade 12 (PK–12) education system is embedded within a larger system that includes early learning and postsecondary education and programs. ODE celebrates the power of partnerships and understands that they are vital to the success of our students. By partnering with local education agencies and community support systems, we can jointly develop and implement quality services and customize services based on individualized needs. The work of ODE and local education agencies will be shared, valued and recognized for excellence.
Vision
Ohio will implement a world-class education system in which all students will graduate with a sense of purpose and be well prepared for college, work and life.
Mission
The Ohio Department of Education is a catalyst for transforming Ohio’s public education system. ODE will:
- Collaborate with the education community to effectively serve all students;
- Ensure that Ohio’s education system is focused on excellence; and
- Provide differentiated support that addresses unique needs within Ohio’s schools.
The 21st-century education system we envision for Ohio will have an impact not only on students and educators, but on families and communities as well.
- For students, this means you will be challenged by a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare you with the knowledge and skills you need to compete in the global economy. You also will have access to services to meet your nonacademic needs, and you will develop a love of learning that will help you be successful in postsecondary education, the workplace, your community and the world.
- For educators, this means you will receive support and professional development to help students achieve at high levels. You will create learning environments that inspire and challenge every student to succeed.
- For families and communities, this means your children will graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Ohio’s education system will produce future leaders that will bring jobs and economic prosperity to the state, ensuring that Ohio is an innovative and vibrant place to live and work.
The Ohio Department of Education cannot accomplish these reforms alone; it will take the collaboration of educators, government leaders, policymakers, students, families and communities to achieve education reforms that ensure all students in Ohio receive the quality education they deserve. As individuals and institutions working together, we can produce students for the 21st-century workplace who will do more than keep pace with change – they will lead change, bringing about a better world for all Ohioans.
Strategic Goals for Education for Ohio’s Future
ODE has developed a set of six strategic goals to ensure a state education system that is “innovative, personalized to student needs and linked to economic prosperity,” in keeping with the education reforms proposed by Governor Strickland and passed by the Ohio General Assembly. These goals are aligned with the State Board of Education’s vision, outlined in its report, Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century: A Vision for Transforming PK–12 Education in Ohio. Our strategic goals are:
21st-Century Skills
Goal 1: ODE will design an education system that prepares all students to graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for post-high school success.
In designing an education system that responds to the needs of all students, it is necessary to recognize that there are significant inconsistencies across the state in the types of learning environments and the level of rigor offered to students. Many of Ohio’s schools offer an excellent education to some, but not all of their students. Although incremental progress has been made in student achievement, too many students still do not complete high school within four years. Also, achievement gaps persist between students of different ethnicities, home languages, areas of residence and program placement.
Funding and Accountability
Goal 2: ODE will provide resources, tools and services to districts and schools that support the implementation of the education reform plan and that produce rigorous learning environments and improved academic achievement for all students.
ODE must ensure that all funds committed to public schools are carefully allocated and used to achieve the best results. Additional funding is likely to promote improved educational outcomes only if such an investment is coupled with other changes in the way the system delivers educational services. Schools’ and districts’ financial plans should be integrated with and support their overall academic improvement plans.
Graduation
Goal 3: ODE will strengthen strategic initiatives that address graduation rates, achievement gaps and persistently struggling schools.
To turn Ohio around economically, all students must graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in postsecondary programs and to become gainfully employed. However, of all students enrolled in ninth grade in the 2005–2006 school year, many students did not graduate, and the disparity among various subgroups of students is alarmingly large. Addressing the achievement gap is a priority of ODE, and we will strengthen initiatives to tackle this critical issue.
ODE will place emphasis on turning around our lowest achieving schools, and we pledge not to allow a zip code to predetermine the quality of a child’s education.
Research confirms that children are most successful when they have a strong system of positive guidance and access to learning opportunities at school, at home and in their communities. It is essential that every school district strengthen and link its ties to community-based organizations to support its students.
Leadership
Goal 4: ODE will enhance state, district and school leadership capacity and support for aligning Ohio’s education systems for early learners, K–12 students and postsecondary education.
ODE strives to be an effective, efficient organization that provides essential services and is engaged in reciprocal communication with districts and educators. ODE must refocus its procedures to better customize services for all districts and schools.
Additionally, districts and schools must view leadership in terms of how it will best influence teaching practice and student performance. Distributed leadership must become common practice in districts. Structures such as district and building leadership teams are needed to organize, implement, monitor and learn from improvement efforts, so that all adults sharing the work are held accountable.
Early Childhood
Goal 5: ODE will develop and sustain a quality, affordable system of voluntary early education and care that helps close early learning achievement gaps among various groups of children.
Early learning, which takes place between birth and kindergarten entrance, prepares children for future success. Investments in high quality early learning, including effective teachers, yield huge economic and social dividends. Research consistently provides a clear understanding of the vital roles that families, schools, early learning settings, communities and the state can play in supporting children’s positive development.
ODE must provide leadership in creating a high quality, results-driven, early learning system. By optimizing children’s physical, social, and emotional health and positive inclinations for learning, we will promote children’s holistic development and readiness for school. This includes improving the quality, healthiness and safety of all early education settings; expanding the pool of highly qualified early childhood professionals; encouraging families to become more involved in their children’s educations; creating a reliable financing mechanism for early learning services; and strengthening accountability for public and private investments in early education.
Partnerships
Goal 6: ODE will deepen essential partnerships with stakeholders that will result in enhanced educational opportunities for all Ohio students.
ODE recognizes the importance of engaging with all stakeholders on behalf of all of Ohio’s children. We must champion multiple resources to create an effective system of support for our schools and families. ODE will strengthen already established partnerships with foundations, federal and other state agencies, and community-based organizations and businesses to provide essential resources for schools, staff, students and their families. Additionally, ODE will establish partnerships with all education-based organizations to impact the quality of education for all of Ohio’s students.
Since assuming my role as Ohio’s State Superintendent, it has been my primary mission to not have the quality of any child’s education be predetermined by his or her zip code. I believe that the challenges that lie before us can be quite daunting. However, our students deserve our commitment and focus so that they can face their future with confidence. Let us all join in this important mission: to graduate all of Ohio’s students with a sense of purpose and be well prepared for college, work and life.
About the Author
Deborah S. Delisle served as a school district superintendent, principal, curriculum director, classroom teacher of both language arts and gifted education, and college instructor in education before becoming Ohio’s superintendent of public instruction in 2008. As superintendent of Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, she led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote innovative uses of technology, redesign the district’s comprehensive high school, and prepare students with 21st-century skills. Delisle also was a member of the governing board of the Minority Student Achievement Network and the chairperson for the Greater Cleveland Schools Superintendents Association and the Ohio Schools’ Council Executive Board. She has worked on the Buckeye Association of School Administrators’ State Report Card Committee and the Women’s Leadership Committee, and served as the Co-Chair of the Superintendents’ Committee for the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council and on the ODE International Education Advisory Committee.