A mechanism to revise Ohio’s Common Core standards and a reprieve for educators implementing them next year were among several education policy tweaks made in legislation passed Wednesday.
The House is expected to reject the changes, sending the legislation to a conference committee of lawmakers from both chambers and sides of the aisle to sort out the differences.
Sen. Peggy Lehner, a Kettering Republican and Senate Education Committee chairwoman, said House Bill 487 aims to improve policies already in motion such as new school and district report cards and Common Core standards. The Senate amended the bill Tuesday and passed it Wednesday in a 27-5 vote.
Ohio adopted the nationally-developed standards for what students should learn in math and language arts in 2010. Since then, critics, including many conservative and Tea Party voters, have argued the standards encroach on local control of what’s taught in classrooms and threaten student privacy.
House Bill 487 explicitly states Ohio does not nor will not collect or report personally identifiable information such as political party or religion, with curriculum decisions left to local school boards. The bill also creates committees of experts, parents and educators to review the standards and associated assessments.
Democrats failed to get GOP support for amendments to the main budget-related bill that would have appropriated millions for early childhood education, the third-grade reading guarantee and school safety.
Also approved Wednesday by the Senate:
A one-year, “safe harbor” provision
Schools and districts would not be penalized for report card grades in the 2014-15 school year. Value-added data from next year’s new Common Core-aligned tests would also not factor in teacher employment or compensation decisions.
Lehner said the provision will help teachers and students concentrate on fully embracing new education changes without worrying about school rankings and test scores.
The Senate version of a teacher evaluation bill
Senate Bill 229, as passed by the Senate, would reduce how often high-performing teachers are evaluated and decrease the weight of student performance from 50 percent of a teacher’s rating to 35 percent.
Property valuations
Under House Bill 483, school boards and other local governments would not be able to challenge property valuations. School officials opposed the change in a standalone bill last year, arguing undervalued properties increase the tax burden on other homeowners and property taxpayers.
Concussion clearance
House Bill 487 also allows “licensed health care professionals” to clear student athletes to resume sports after suffering concussions if they have obtained training. Similar language allowing chiropractors to assess and give clearance has been inserted and removed from several budget-related bills since 2012, when lawmakers passed a law requiring physician approval before students can return to play.
In a letter to lawmakers, leaders of several state medical associations said that definition could place doctors behind chiropractors, dental hygienists, genetic counselors, psychologists, radiologist technicians and even dietitians.
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