Catholic Conference of Ohio
Friday, March 29, 2024

News & Press - Catholic Conference of Ohio

State Budget & Catholic K-12 Schools

Recently Passed Budget Helpful to Children Attending Catholic Schools

PDF Version Budget Bill Summary

PDF Version of Ideas that did not make it into the final budget

HB49 Biennial Budget

Scholarship Programs

• EdChoice Expansion

Increases funding in the EdChoice Expansion Program to $38.4M in 2017/18 and $47.7M in 2018/19. By existing law, the Expansion program is available to qualifying students in grades K-4 in FY18 and K-5 in FY19. The ODE Scholarship Office expects these allocations will be sufficient to award scholarships for all renewals and new applicants in the lowest income bracket (i.e., 0-100 percent of poverty).

• Beginning in 2017/18, ODE does not need to conduct a second application period for Expansion unless funds remain after the first application period. By May 31 of each school year, ODE shall determine whether sufficient funds remain after the first application period to warrant a second application period.

Cleveland Scholarship Program

Increases Cleveland scholarship amounts to $4,650 for students in K-8 and $6,000 for students in grades 9-12. CSTP awards now align with EdChoice.

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

Eliminates application periods for the Peterson Program and permits families who have a child with an IEP to apply for the JPSNSP year-round. Authorizes the ODE to pay the scholarship amount to the parent of each qualified student unless the parent authorizes a direct payment to the provider.

Administrative Cost Reimbursement (ACR) and Auxiliary Services (AS)

• ACR

Increases the allocation to: $68,034,790 in each year of the biennium Estimated per pupil amounts (without benefit of final ODE enrollment figures or the amounts of claims): $400 (2017/18); $400 (2018/19);

Sets the cap at $405 per student in each year of the biennium. This cap is high enough for our schools to utilize the entire allocation.

• AS

Increases the allocation to: $150,594,178 in each year of the biennium. Estimated per pupil amounts (without benefit of final ODE enrollment figures): $869 (2017/18); $869 (2018/19)

Adds two new services that can be purchased with AS funds: (1) provision of language and academic support services and other accommodations for English language leaners (ELL); (2) security services through a county sheriff, police force, or from a certified special police officer, security guard, or privately employed person serving in a police capacity

 Earmarks the same set-aside ($2.6M per year) for nonpublic CCP as in the previous two years. The ODE has the ability to draw down an additional $2.6M per year from AS reserves to supplement the appropriation.

Security Grants

• Creates a small “Security Grants Program” ($250,000 in each year of the biennium) to make competitive grants to chartered nonpublic schools or childcare centers to assist schools/centers in dealing with acts of terrorism. The grant may include services of a resource officer. Program is to be administered by ODE (details yet to be determined). Each grant award may not exceed $100,000. Each grant requires a matching contribution from any legal non-state source (public or private)

Pathways to Graduation

Creates two alternative pathways to graduation exclusively for the class of 2018. The pathways apply to students in public schools and chartered nonpublic schools.

• Alternative Pathway #1 (academic): The student may qualify for a high school diploma if the student: (a) takes all the EOCs or an approved alternative assessment for chartered nonpublic school students; (b) retakes, at least once, any EOC in English language arts of math for which the student received an equivalent score lower than “3”; (c) completes the district’s or school’s required units of instruction AND (d) completes at least 2 of the following conditions: (i) has an attendance rate of at least 93% during the 12th grade; (ii) takes at least 4 full-year equivalent courses during the 12th grade and has a GPA of at least 2.5 for courses completed during the 12th grade; (iii) completed, during the 12th grade, a capstone project as defined by the district or school; (iv) completed, during the 12th grade, 120 hours in a community service role or in a position of employment, including internships, work study, co-ops, and apprenticeship as defined by the district or school; (v) earned 3 or more transcripted credit hours under the CCP program, at any time during high school; (vi) passed an AP or IB course, and received a score of “3” or higher on the corresponding AP course or a score of “4” or higher on the corresponding IB course at any time during high school; (vii) several conditions relating to WorkKeys; (vii) several conditions relating to industry-recognized credentials; (ix) received a jobs-readiness seal.

• Alternative Pathway #2 (career-technical): The student may qualify for a high school diploma if the student: (a) takes all the EOCs or an approved alternative assessment for chartered nonpublic school students; (b) completes the district’s or school’s required units of instruction; (c) completes a career-technical training program approved by ODE that includes at least 4 career-technical courses AND completes one of several conditions – all of which relate to career-technical programs.

College Credit Plus

• Requires schools to provide information on CCP to all students in grades 6 through 11 by February 1 (rather than March 1) of each year.

• Permits (rather than requires) the ODE and the Dept. of Higher Education to create an additional report – an annual “report on outcomes of the CCP program” which compares the post-college outcomes of students who participated in CCP from those who did not participate.

• Requires the college to which a student applies in the CCP program to pay for one assessment to determine the student’s eligibility, and the student to pay for each additional eligibility assessment

• Beginning with the 2018/2019 school year, requires, as a condition of eligibility for CCP, that a student must either (a) be “remediation-free” on at least one specified assessment, or (b) score within one standard error of measurement below the remediation-free threshold for one measurement and either (i) have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, or (ii) have a principal’s or counselor’s recommendation.

• Requires the Chancellor of Higher Ed and State Superintendent to adopt rules specifying which courses under CCP are eligible for state funding and to specify: (1) whether courses must be taken in a certain sequence; (2) whether to restrict funding and limit eligibility to certain types of courses; (3) whether courses with private instruction are eligible for funding; (4) the school year for which these rules first apply.

• Requires the Chancellor of Higher Education and the State Superintendent to adopt rules specifying conditions under which students determined to be underperforming may continue to participate in CCP. Further requires that: “underperforming” be defined; additional conditions for repeat underperformers be specified; timeframe for notifying underperformers be developed; helps for underperformers be established; (and related rules)

Educator Credentials

• Substitute educational aides

Permits a school district superintendent to allow an employee who does not hold an educational aide permit or an educational paraprofessional license to work as a substitute for an educational assistant who is absent due to illness or other emergency or on a leave of absence, provided that the superintendent believes the employee is qualified to obtain a permit or license. The employee must complete a criminal background check. The employee may begin working as a substitute no earlier than the date on which the employee files an application with the State Board for an educational aide permit or an educational paraprofessional license.

• Licensed Educator Fingerprint Requirements

Requires ODE to request fingerprints from licensed educators and applicants for licenses who are not enrolled in the Retained Applicant Fingerprint Database RAPBACK to enroll them in RAPBACK. Also requires ODE to inactivate a license or reject an application of an educator who does not comply.

Early Childhood Education

• Appropriates $68M in 2017/18 and in 2018/19 to continue the state-funded early childhood education program at schools (including chartered nonpublic schools) that meet at least the third highest tier of the “Step Up to Quality Program.” However, (1) changes eligibility from age 4 as of the district’s entry date for kindergarten to simply age 4; (2) qualifies a child who is simply 3 (instead of 3 as of the district’s entry date for kindergarten) if funds remain on Oct. 1 after awards are made for eligible 4-year olds; (3) removes specification that funds for eligible 3-year olds may be awarded only after awards have been made for all eligible 4-year olds.

• Requires ODE to distribute funds first to existing providers that received ECE funds in the preceding fiscal year, and the balance to new eligible providers or to existing providers to serve more eligible children or for purposes of program expansion, improvement, or special projects to promote quality and innovation.

• Requires ODE to distribute new or remaining funds to serve more eligible children where there is a need based on community economic disadvantage, limited access to high quality preschool or childcare services, and demonstration of high quality preschool services

• Requires awards to providers be distributed on a per-pupil basis and that per-pupil funding be sufficient to provide eligible children with services for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week for the minimum school year.

• Sets additional requirements for participating programs

Curriculum and Assessment

• Social Studies Assessments

Eliminates the 4th and 6th grade statewide achievement assessments in social studies

Requires each district or school to teach and assess social studies in at least the 4th and 6th grades, but adds that (1) the social studies assessment may be formative or summative; (2) results may not be reported to ODE.

• Integrated course content

Permits schools to integrate academic course content for which the State Board has adopted standards into a course in a different subject area; permits the student to receive credit for both subjects and to administer any related state-required assessments upon the student’s completion of the integrated course.

Revised requirement: sudden cardiac arrest

Revision of existing law: A student participating in a school athletic activity or the athletic activity of a youth sports organization must submit the signed form indicating review of sudden cardiac arrest guidelines prior to participating in an athletic activity once every year (rather than once every year for every athletic activity in which the student participates).

Posting Requirements for Chartered Nonpublic Schools

• Requires each chartered nonpublic school to publish on the school’s website:

 The number of students enrolled in the school by the last day of October of the current school year;

The school’s policy regarding background checks for teaching and nonteaching employees and for volunteers who have direct contact with students

• STEAM designation

Authorizes creation of STEAM schools and programs of excellence, whereby a school (including a chartered nonpublic school) meets existing provisions for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and also shows evidence that its curriculum integrates arts and design into the study of STEM and meets related requirements

Other legislation effective in 2017/2018

Sheriff’s services at private schools

• A county sheriff is permitted to enter into contracts with chartered nonpublic schools located in the sheriff’s territorial jurisdiction to provide community preventive education programs, which include but are not limited to DARE programs and other programs designed to educate adults or children about the dangers of drug abuse. Note – this is permissive, not required. Effective March 16, 2016.

Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

• Any chartered nonpublic school with a kindergarten program may elect to administer the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

• Participating schools shall meet the following conditions:

 Notify the State Superintendent of Public Instruction no later than March 31 prior to any school year in which the school will administer the assessment, which will be provided by the ODE at no cost to the school;

Agree to share each student’s assessment data with the ODE. Each participating student will be assigned a data verification code (Statewide Student Identifier Number), which is the same code assigned to state-sponsored scholarship students;

Ensure that each kindergarten teacher administering the assessment either has been trained by the ODE or has been trained by another person who has completed such training, or order to administer the assessment.

Administer the assessment in the same manner as public school districts.

Effective for the 2018-2019 school year.

Administration of the ACT/SAT

• A student who takes the ACT or SAT (see below) and receives a “remediation-free” score in English, math and reading and has presented evidence of that fact to the school, shall not be required to take the test a second time, but may do so if the student chooses.

• As noted on the ODE’s website, the following are the TESTING requirements under Ohio law for students in chartered nonpublic schools: Testing requirements are different from graduation requirements.

Students in the class of 2018 (current seniors) and beyond, whether or not they hold state sponsored scholarships, must do ONE of the following in order to meet testing requirements:

Take a national college admissions test (ACT or SAT) and 7 EOCS; or

Take only the national college admission test if the school publishes aggregate results for the class##, or

Take an approved alternative assessment.

##Under RC3301.0711 (L) (3), aggregate scores are defined as the overall composite scores are defined as the overall composite scores, mean scores, twenty-fifth percentile scores for each subject area of the assessment.

• The General Assembly clarified in the below-stated language that select public and chartered nonpublic high school special needs students and students who do not speak English as their first language shall not be required to take the ACT and/or SAT.

Specifically, this applies to:

(1) A student who has significant cognitive disabilities and is administered an alternate assessment in accordance with the student's individual education plan (IEP);

(2) A student who has a disability that includes an intellectual disability, as outlined in guidance issued by the Department of Education;

(3) A student who is a limited English proficient student who has been enrolled in United States schools for less than two years and for whom no appropriate accommodations are available based on guidance issued by the Department;

In addition, the exemption specifically prohibits a district board or chartered nonpublic school governing authority from prohibiting such a student from taking the nationally standardized assessment that measures college and career readiness. Effective March 16, 2017.

Substitute assessments: scores

• Specifies that a student’s score on a substitute end-of-course exam, a score of 2 on an Advance Placement exam or a score of 2 or 3 on an International Baccalaureate exam is equivalent to a proficient level of skill. Effective March 16, 2017.

State Seal of Biliteracy

• The State Board of Education is required to establish a State Seal of Biliteracy and develop rules for its use. The seal may be affixed to the transcripts of qualifying public and nonpublic high school students to demonstrate the attainment of a high level of proficiency in languages other than English. Note – use of the state seal of biliteracy is permissive, not required. Effective March 16, 2017.

EDChoice Scholarship Program: eligible public schools in 2017/18

• A district or specific public school that is designated for students to be eligible for EdChoice scholarships in 2016-2017 shall continue to be designated through the 2018- 2019 school year, regardless of whether the district or building meets the conditions that would remove the designation. Effective March 16, 2017.

Alternative resident educator license

• Qualifies for an alternative resident educator license an individual who has not completed coursework in the subject area for which the individual is applying to teach, as long as the individual holds a baccalaureate degree, completes required teacher preparation, and passes the exam in the subject area for which he/she is applying. Effective March 16, 2017.

7/19/17


Ideas that did not make it into the final budget

• Textbooks for CCP

Idea: require each public and nonpublic high school to enter into an agreement with any college that enrolls its students under CCP: either the college provides all required textbooks or high school and college share cost of textbooks, but students cannot be charged.

Verdict: Existing law remains: high schools must provide for textbooks

• Grade requirements for awarding credit for CCP

 Idea: Require CCP participants receive a grade of “C” or better in a CCP course in order to receive credit for the course (would apply to both high school credit and college credit).

Verdict: Existing law remains: a passing grade is required for CCP credit

• Teacher Residency Program

Idea: Eliminate Teacher Residency Program or retain the Teacher Residency Program, but without performance-based assessment.

Verdict: Residency Program and performance-based assessment stay.

• On-site work experience for renewing educator license

Idea: Require holders of educator licenses to complete on-site work experiences with local businesses as a condition for renewal of the licenses.

Verdict: there will be no such requirement.

• Paper/Pencil Format for State Achievement Tests

Idea: Permit public and nonpublic schools to administer state achievement assessments in paper/pencil format or a combination of online and paper/pencil format.

Verdict: State assessments must be administered in an online format only: no option for paper/pencil format.

• Exemptions from testing and graduation requirements for selected schools

Idea: Exempt from state test and graduation requirements students on state scholarships who are enrolled in ISACS-accredited nonpublic schools or exempt all students in chartered nonpublic schools where at least 75 percent of students enrolled are on IEPs.

Verdict: No exemption for ISACS-accredited schools and no exemption for all students in schools where 75 percent of students enrolled are on IEPs; current assessment requirements for CNPs remain.

• Reporting requirements for chartered nonpublic schools

While there is a new reporting requirement for CNPs (on preceding page), the requirement could have been more onerous.

Idea: The proposed legislation would have required nonpublic schools to post their financial information and to make the school’s curricula and reading list for each grade available to parents.

Verdict: See the actual posting requirements on the preceding page

• Division of Accredited Schools (ISACS)

Idea: Establish a Division of Schools accredited by the Independent Schools Association of Central States. The proposal would have allowed only ISACS accredited schools to be exempt from the state’s Operating Standards while benefiting from “chartered nonpublic school” status (e.g., state funding).

Verdict: there is no such provision

“Does it apply to us?” Answer: NO

• Training in use of AEDs

 Excludes coaches and supervisors of interscholastic athletics from an exemption given to substitute teachers, adult education instruction, and persons employed on as-needed basis: the exemption refers to state- required training in the use of automated external defibrillators:

Verdict: this exclusion does not apply (BY LAW) to chartered nonpublic schools because the original requirement does not apply (BY LAW) to nonpublic schools. Nonpublic schools may (but are not required) to place AEDs in school buildings. Even if the nonpublic school places AEDs in its building, it can decide who is trained to use them.

• Betel nut prohibition

Prohibits a student’s use or possession of any substance containing betel nut in any area under the control of or at any activity supervised by a school district.

Verdict: Does not apply to chartered nonpublic schools

• Use of sunscreen

Prohibits a school district from requiring written authorization from a health care provider in order to administer sunscreen to a student; permits a student to possess and self-apply sunscreen; permits a district to require parental authorization for the possession or application of sunscreen.

Verdict: Does not apply to chartered nonpublic schools.

7/19/17

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