Yesterday, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released its draft overview of Ohio’s State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
ODE developed the draft overview after a year of meetings and outreach to Ohio’s educators, parents and community members about the state’s educational system. According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria, the plan’s major policy points include:
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Endrew F v. Douglas County School District. The case involves the legal standard the courts will apply when determining whether a school district has provided FAPE as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA).
The question presented in this case involves IDEA’s provision that federal funds will be provided to states that make FAPE available to every…
There are three instances where boards of education must competitively bid:
The legal division often gets questions about whether the competitive bidding threshold…
Three . . . two . . . one . . . Happy New Year!
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Restraint and seclusion reporting
Dec. 16 is the deadline for schools to submit annual reports of student restraint and seclusion incidents to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Districts are asked to complete an online survey to fulfill their annual reporting obligations set forth under Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3301-35-15. In an effort to improve statewide reporting accuracy, ODE has created additional guidance documents and sample reporting forms.…
On November 22, a judge in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted an emergency motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction barring implementation of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule. The rule, which was scheduled to take effect on December 1, was expected to make more than four million workers eligible for overtime pay. The court’s decision can be found under “notable cases” on the court’s website.
Twenty-one states, including Ohio, argued that DOL…
Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) made additional materials on education of students in foster care available on its website. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires new guidelines and resources to ensure that students in foster care have improved educational outcomes. The purpose of the guidelines is to remove educational barriers faced by students in foster care, such as traumatization, high mobility, and undiagnosed behavioral and health conditions.
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Earlier this year, the OSBA Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) was asked to support the Tolles Career and Technical School Board of Education. The LAF board of trustees voted to write an amicus brief on behalf of the board and to provide assistance with the cost of the litigation. On November 21, the 12th Appellate District Court decided in favor of the board of education.
In the case, Tolles Career & Technical School Bd. of Edn. v. Tolles Edn. Assn.,…
On Nov. 1, the Ohio Department of Commerce (ODC) released its draft version of the medical marijuana cultivator rules. The rules are available on the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP) website: medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/rules.
The rules provide ODC the ability to issue up to 18 provisional cultivator licenses prior to Sept. 8, 2018, and allow discretion to ODC’s director to issue additional provisional licenses after Sept. 9, 2018. While these rules might not directly affect schools, there are several provisions that…
This week's blog post focuses on three tidbits of educational news involving Ohio’s truancy laws, the new reading tests required for some teaching licenses, and a policy brief on the educational use of technology for young children.
Senate education committee to focus on truancy
Hannah News has reported that Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, announced that the committee’s focus during the lame duck session will be pending legislation to revise the state’s truancy laws. She plans to hold multiple…
