Ohio Department of Education

Official Report Cards Finally Released

Ida Lieszkovszky (StateImpact: Ohio) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:04:00 +0000

After a 6 month delay Ohio school officials (today) released school report cards for 2011-2012. The state’s data scrubbing investigation delayed the report cards. The investigation continues to cast a cloud on some grades.

Finally, Ohioans get to see their schools’ ratings in the nice, clean PDF format they’re used to, instead of those confusing and incomplete spreadsheets the Department of Education released in the fall.

Ohio Ready to Release School Report Cards

Associated Press — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:04:00 +0000

The Ohio Department of Education says it's ready to release school districts' long-awaited report cards now that a review of attendance data practices has been released.

The report cards for the 2011-2012 school year should have been published last summer but were delayed because of a state investigation into districts' enrollment policies.

Education Department spokesman John Charlton said Monday the report cards and other school rankings will be released by month's end.

Free School Lunch Enrollment Declines in Ohio

Associated Press — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:35:00 +0000

The number of lower-income school children in Ohio receiving free or reduced-price lunches has decreased for the first time in six years.

Numbers from the Ohio Department of Education showed that nearly 820,000 youngsters get subsidized meals this school year. That's 44.4 percent - a slight decline from the 45.3 percent enrolled in the program last year.

The school-lunch program is funded by the federal government. It serves students considered to be economically disadvantaged based on their family income.

Ohio Begins Educators' School Shooting Training

Associated Press — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:18:36 +0000

The state has kicked off the first of five days of regional training meant to teach Ohio educators to respond to school shooting situations.

More than 200 people registered to participate in Thursday's training in Columbus, where the instructor told participants that planning and practicing responses for an intruder situation will save lives in case of a real incident.

Ohio Board OKs Student Restraint, Seclusion Policy

Associated Press — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:04:00 +0000

The Ohio Board of Education has approved a policy on how educators seclude and physically restrain students in schools.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the rules in effect beginning next school year allow for students to be physically restrained or put in seclusion rooms only if they're a danger to themselves or others. The plan is meant to ensure those tactics aren't used for a child's punishment or for the staff's convenience.