Ohio School Counselor Association Legislative Report

Transcription

1 Grime Testifies Befre Special Huse Cmmittee n Educatin Speaker Batchelder appinted special cmmittees t travel the state late this summer t gather testimny and feedback n imprtant tpic, including educatin. Representative Cliff Rsenberger (R Clarksville) was chsen t Chair the Higher Educatin Refrm Cmmittee. The ther members appinted t the cmmittee were: Representatives Christina Hagan (R-Alliance) as Vice Chair, Richard Adams (R-Try), Tim Dericksn (R-Oxfrd), Heather Bishff (D-Blacklick), Dan Rams (D-Lrain) and Michael Stinzian (D-Clumbus). At the hearing n August 20, 2013 in Perrysburg, Ohi, Shawn Grime, past president and current treasurer f the Ohi Schl Cunselr Assciatin, presented remarks n behalf f OSCA. Grime tld the cmmittee that In tday s ecnmic climate, the imprtance f ensuring that all students graduate cllege and career ready has becme paramunt and schl cunselrs are specifically trained t help supprt this initiative in many ways. Schl cunselrs prvide develpmental career cunseling and cllege advisement, serve as crdinatrs f dual and pst-secndary enrllment prgrams, wrk with cllege and industry leaders t stay current with educatin and career trends, prvide academic advising that encurages students t take challenging and relevant curses and wrk with parents as they supprt their children in making cllege and career decisins. Belw is a summary, prvided by Shawn, f the questins he received frm the cmmittee: 1. There were several questins abut Grime s call fr mandates, ratis and prgramming. Specifically, he was asked abut what ther states had in place, examples f states I felt were ding things right and if I knew f any research t supprt the claims f ratis. After the hearing, Grime fllwed-up with the Chair s ffice and ed several links t ASCA, CSCORE and NOSCA fr the cmmittee t review fr a better understanding f natinal trends and research. 2. The Cmmittee asked questins abut cunselr s training and that f ther career based prfessinals. Grime shared that the training is very cnsistent with the training a licensed career cunselr wuld get but with the additin f the training in the ther areas vital t schl cunseling like academic success. I shared that schl cunselrs are the nly educatrs with specific training in cllege/career advising and that it requires mre credit hurs and internship hurs t becme a schl cunselr than a superintendent. I als spke t licensure and hw changes in the licensure rules have led t an influx f licensed schl cunselrs wh are ready t have the pprtunity t use their training. 3. Chairmen Rsenberger asked what levels schl cunselrs needed t be wrking at because he has spken with cunselrs wh are the nly persn in the high schl while the district has fur elementary cunselrs. I shared that schl cunseling is needed at all levels because the wrk we d is develpmental in nature and changes as students prgress thrugh schl. Rsenberger then fllwed up with a statement wanting t knw hw we are evaluated because he wants t knw that cunselrs are being effective. I shared with him that there is n prvisin at the state level that evaluates us and that evaluatin ccurs at the lcal accrding t whatever cntract guidelines the cunselr wrks under. Grime did share that he felt it wuld be impssible fr the state t evaluate us unless they develped standards fr prgramming with which t base that evaluatin n. He then shared that OSCA has been practive and created a schl cunselr evaluatin tl mdeled after OTES that we have made available t ur members and prfessinals t self-advcate fr apprpriate evaluatins. 1 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013

2 4. Grime was asked fr his thughts n the emphasis that schls put n all students needing t g t cllege and hw schl cunselrs handle that directive they get frm superintendents. Grime respnded that he did nt feel that the schl cunseling prfessin is ne that nly prmtes cllege but that we have embraced the imprtance f cllege and career readiness fr all students. Because the high schls n lnger have agricultural science, family cnsumer science, business/technlgy, industrial sciences and ther elective prgrams, the high schls have reverted t pushing cllege prep and placing greater emphasis and reliance n the career/technical schls. Many schls have been frced t give the kids the ptin f g t the technical schl r stay here and g cllege prep. ODE Releases New A-F Reprt Cards Ohi educatin fficials released the first phase f lcal district and building reprt cards under the new A-F schl evaluatin system Thursday. Schls can see their measurements n nine indicatrs but nt an verall grade, which will be added in 2015 after additinal indicatrs are implemented. Schls will get an verall grade in 2015, when 17 indicatrs will figure in t the reprt card, thugh the State Bard f Educatin still has t determine what weights and calculatins it will use t translate the individual measures int a single mark. A final, 18th indicatr will be added in Because the bard has yet t devise methdlgies fr an verall grade, ODE is actively warning schls against trying t arrive at their wn grade by averaging grades acrss the nine indicatrs. "Averaging these measures will prduce an inaccurate grade," said Tm Gunlck, vice president f the state bard. The ld reprt cards, which placed schls n a scale frm "excellent with distinctin" t "academic emergency," were unclear and helped cnceal failings in ne area r anther behind ambiguus labels, said state Superintendent Dick Rss. "These reprts represent a big change in hw we determine hw well ur schls are educating bys and girls," Rss said. "We must have the curage t be hnest with urselves, and be hnest with ur cmmunities, abut where we really stand," he said. The reprt cards break the indicatrs int six cmpnent categries: achievement; prgress; graduatin rate; gap clsing; K-3 literacy; and prepared fr success. Districts will eventually get an aggregate grade n each cmpnent as well as the verall aggregate grade. Indicatrs measured fr the reprt cards are the fllwing: Achievement: standards met; perfrmance index. Prgress: value-added fr all students; gifted students; students with disabilities; students in lwest 20 percent f achievement statewide. Graduate rate: Fur-year graduatin rate; five-year graduatin rate Gap clsing: Annual measurable bjectives. Sme categries dn't include any graded indicatrs yet. Fr example, all K-3 students have yet t be re-evaluated after their first year f interventin under the third grade reading guarantee, s n grades have been assigned yet in the literacy categry, said Gunlck. 2 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013

3 Nine districts' reprt cards cme with an asterisk because f Auditr Dave Yst's investigatin f their attendance data. Sme ther districts' grades als are flagged at this pint because they've ntified ODE f errrs in the data they've submitted. At the district level, lcal schls earned the mst A grades fr meeting standards, with 319 districts earning tp marks, fllwed by fur-year graduatin rate at 293 and value-added fr all students at 281. Annual measurable bjectives is the indicatr that generated the greatest number f F grades at 191, fllwed by value-added fr all students at 141 and valueadded fr students with disabilities at 79. N district received all A's r all F's. The state als released wrk-in-prgress reprt cards fr drput recvery schl and career-technical schls. Thse reprts mstly cntain data n indicatrs, and mst will nt have a grade attached until at least next year. A calitin f educatin management grups said Thursday the reprt cards cnfirm a "direct crrelatin" between student perfrmance and incme and pverty. The Ohi Schl Bards Assciatin, Ohi Assciatin f Schl Business Officials and Buckeye Assciatin f Schl Administratrs released that analysis Thursday afternn. Of 135 districts with incme abve the state average, 91 percent gt an A in the achievement categry's standards met measure, accrding t the three grups. Meanwhile, 41 percent f the districts belw the state average incme earned an A in that categry. Similarly, 74 percent f districts with student pverty levels abve the state average earned an A in that measure, cmpared t 20 percent f thse belw the average, their analysis fund. The reprt cards are available at The department is directing peple unable t see the interactive reprt cards because f technical prblems t the website's spreadsheets, which can be dwnladed at An ODE mem utlining details f the indicatrs is available at Huse Bill 59 - Biennial Budget Bill Effective July 1, 2013 Medicaid Expansin The riginal budget bill prpsed by Gvernr Kasich included an expansin f Medicaid eligibility t 138% f the federal pverty level. The expansin f the Medicaid prgram was remved frm Huse Bill 59 by the Ohi Huse, due t lack f supprt t pass the prpsal. The Medicaid expansin was nt included in the enacted legislatin. The Expansin is bradly supprted by the business industry, the healthcare industry, and advcates fr the pr. Hwever, the Huse Republican caucus did nt have sufficient supprt t pass the expansin as part f the budget. The Senate never is frmally cnsidered the prpsal. Huse and Senate members have intrduced at least a half dzen separate pieces f legislatin regarding Medicaid. Sme bills include the Expansin as prpsed by Kasich, while thers are fcus slely n refrm. The refrm prpsal fcus n things like wrk frce develpment with the gal f getting mre Ohians int jbs that prvide healthcare, s there is less reliance n Medicaid. Mental Health and Drug Treatment -- The Huse did add an additinal $30 millin per year t cunties fr mental health services and an additinal $20 millin per year fr drug treatment fr a ttal f $100 millin new dllars in the biennium. 3 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013

4 At least 50% f the $20 millin set aside in each fiscal year fr allcatin t cmmunity alchl, drug addictin, and mental health services bards fr addictin services is t be used fr drug treatment using nn-piate drugs. Ohi Department f Mental Health and Addictin Services -- The Ohi Department f Mental Health and the Department Alchl and Drug Addictin Services have fficially merged int the Ohi Department f Mental Health and Addictin Services as a result f prvisins in the budget. The departments have been mving frward with the cnslidatin fr sme time, but made it fficial n July 1 st. The new Department will be led by ODMH Directr Tracy Pluck. Frmer ODADAS Directr Orman Hall will nw serve as the Directr f the Gvernr s Cabinet Opiate Actin Team. Ohi Department f Mental Health and Addictin Services Prblem Gambling Apprpriatins $60,000 fr each fiscal year is t be used fr the administratin f prblem gambling services; $275,000 per fiscal year was apprpriated fr prblem gambling services; $1,361,592 fr each year was apprpriated fr the administratin f prblem gambling and casin addictins; $4,084,772 was apprpriated per fiscal year fr prblem gambling and casin addictins. State Lttery Cmmissin -- $2 millin apprpriated fr fiscal year 2014 and $3 millin fr 2015 fr prblem gambling. Ohi Department f Medicaid -- Creates a stand-alne Department f Medicaid led by the current Medicaid Directr Jhn McCarthy. ABA Therapy Language was included in the bill creating a certified Ohi Behavir Analyst t practice ABA therapy. Carlyn and Amanda were able t get an amendment that licensed prfessinal cunselrs and licensed prfessinal clinical cunselrs wuld nt need certificatin under Chapter 4783 t prvide ABA services t their patients if the practice f applied behavir analysis engaged in by the licensee was within the licensee s educatin, training, and experience. Schl prfessinals were als exempt frm certificatin when a schl prfessinal was under the regulatin f the state bard f educatin when the prfessinal was acting within the scpe f that emplyment. Opprtunities fr Ohians with Disabilities Agency -- Renames the Rehabilitatin Services Cmmissin the Opprtunities fr Ohians with Disabilities Agency and generally requires the Agency t perfrm the duties and exercise the respnsibilities assigned t the Rehabilitatin Services Cmmissin, and prvides fr the transitin t the Agency. The bill replaces the Administratr f the Cmmissin with the Executive Directr f the Agency, and generally requires the Executive Directr t perfrm the duties and exercise the respnsibilities assigned t the Administratr under current law. Schl Safety Levies Language frm Senate Bill 42, which wuld allw schl districts t levy prperty taxes exclusively fr schl safety and security, was included in Huse Bill 59. Prperty Tax Rllback -- Eliminates the 2.5% and 10% real prperty tax rllbacks, effective with new r replacement levies. 4 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013

5 Sales Tax -- Increases the state sales and use tax rate frm 5.5% t 5.75% beginning September 1, Applies the sale r use f electrnically transferred digital audi r audivisual wrks r digital bks t sales and use tax beginning January 1, Eliminates the sales and use tax exemptin fr sales f magazine subscriptins, beginning January 1, Persnal Incme Taxes (PIT) -- Phases in a 10% reductin in incme tax rates fr all brackets ver three years by reducing current rates by 8.5% fr taxable years beginning in 2013; 9% fr taxable years beginning in 2014; and 10% fr taxable years beginning in Suspends inflatin-indexing adjustments t the incme tax brackets and the amunt f the persnal and dependent exemptins fr taxable years beginning in 2013, 2014, r Taxpayer Persnal Exemptin -- Eliminates the $20 credit fr each persnal exemptin fr taxpayers with incmes ver $30,000 as reprted n individual r jint returns Hmestead Exemptin -- Senirs age 65 r lder and Ohians wh are permanently disable qualify fr the hmestead exemptin, shielding $25,000 f the market value f their hme frm prperty taxatin. Thse wh are nt yet 65 and wh earn mre than $30,000 n lnger wuld qualify fr the hmestead exemptin. Huse Bill 59 establishes a means test t qualify fr the hmestead exemptin. Senate Bill 42 Schl Safety Levies Included in Budget Bill Senate Bill 42, spnsred by Senatrs Gayle Manning (R Nrth Ridgeville) and Randy Gardner (R Bwling Green), wuld allw schl districts t levy prperty taxes exclusively fr schl safety and security. In spnsr testimny, they indicated that the issue was brught t them by Vermillin Schl fficials wh requested the permissive change t state law, saying restricting funds raised fr safety and security will ensure taxpayers that future schl bards r superintendents wn't have the ability t divert that mney t ther purpses. The bill is als supprted by the Fraternal Order f Plice, the Ohi Schl Bards Assciatin, Buckeye Assciatin f Schl Administratrs, the Ohi Assciatin f Schl Bard Business Officials, and the Ohi Educatin Assciatin. During the bill debate n the Senate flr, Senate Peggy Lehner, wh c-chaired the Jint Cmmittee n Safe and Secure Schls, indicated that SB 42 was nt the beginning r the end f the discussin n schl safety and that recmmendatins frm her cmmittee were frthcming. The legislatin was cnsidered by the Senate Ways and Means Cmmittee. It was passed by the Ohi Senate n April 10, 2013 by a vte f SB 42 has been referred t the Huse Ways and Means Cmmittee fr cnsideratin. The legislatin was ultimately added t HB 59, the state budget bill. Huse Bill 543, Jasn Flatt Act Ges Int Effect Last sessin, Representative Marlene Anielski (R Waltn Hills) was successful in passing Huse Bill 543, the Jasn Flatt Act, which mandates all public schl persnnel cmplete training t recgnize the signs f thse wh may be at risk f harming themselves. OSCA supprted HB 543 and submitted testimny in the Huse and Senate Cmmittees encuraging passages f the legislatin. 5 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013

6 The year will be the first full schl year in which all Ohi schl emplyees will receive this training. The enactment f the legislatin and Representative Anielski s persnal stry was recently highlighted by the Clumbus Dispatch: Mental Health and Addictin Services Officially Merge The Ohi Department f Mental Health and the Department Alchl and Drug Addictin Services have fficially merged int the Ohi Department f Mental Health and Addictin Services as a result f prvisins in the budget. The departments have been mving frward with the cnslidatin fr sme time, but made it fficial n July 1 st. The new Department will be led by ODMH Directr Tracy Pluck. Frmer ODADAS Directr Orman Hall will nw serve as the Directr f the Gvernr s Cabinet Opiate Actin Team. Infrmatin n the new cmbined department can be fund at Hw t Cntact Yur Lbbyists Carlyn Twner and Amanda Sines Twner Plicy Grup, LLC. 33 Nrth Third Street, Suite 320 Clumbus, Ohi (telephne) carlyntwner@sbcglbal.net amandasines@sbcglbal.net 6 Twner Plicy Grup September, 2013