The Times-Reporter

Dover-New Philadelphia, OH

Sunday, March 30, 1997

Aspects of STW misunderstood by some

Guest commentary - R. Arline Smith

Several questions have been asked about the School-to-Work initiative, some arising from some information that has been distributed.

First, STW is a concept - it is not a program. The general purpose simply is to assure that students have opportunities for careers.

It is locally driven. It is not mandatory and students and parents may opt out. It does not mean that every student has to participate, but rather that students have access and opportunity.

STW was approved by the General Assembly on a bipartisan vote and was unanimously endorsed by the State Board of Education.

Much of STW is not new. For example, kindergarten students have often taken a field trip to the local fire station as career awareness, woven into the curriculum to reach into the community.

All through the elementary grades, junior high and high school, students take field trips or have resource speakers. Schools have career days so students understand opportunities for work.

Nonetheless, some controversy may have arisen over some of the aspects of STW.

Some of the background topics include:

School-to-Work Opportunities Act - This law, passed in 1994, was intentionally written to stimulate bottom-up change. It allows great latitude for states and local communities to create customized STW systems.

The goals of STW are to improve the quality and relevance of education for students and to improve young people's knowledge of and access to career opportunities.

STW participation - STW is for all public school students. This does not mean that every student must participate, but rather that all students have access and opportunity.

Numerous documents on Ohio's STW initiative have been written. Each emphasizes that the decision to participate in STW opportunities is clearly determined between individual students and their parents.

This is also true for STW activities such as individual career plans, career passports, youth apprenticeships, Tech Prep or other work-based learning experiences.

Funding - Ohio will receive $45 million over a five-year period to implement its STW plan. Coordination of other funding sources, such as the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, will need to be leveraged to support education reform efforts in local communities.

To dispel one false report, participating business are not assessed a 1 ½% percent tax to fund STW.

Standards for Ohio schools - Specific actions taken or decisions made relative to the standards have been made by the State Board of Education, the Ohio General Assembly and others.

For example, Ohio's decision to establish a performance-based system of education was initiated through legislative action enacted in 1987. House Bill 231 established both the 9th and 12th grade proficiency tests.

This step by the Ohio General assembly was further re-inforced when Senate Bill 140 was passed requiring the adoption of compatible state and local competency-based education programs.

What began with competency based education requirements in the 1983 standards and evolved over time to the current proposed standards has been debated on an ongoing fashion.

Ohio's State Board of Education and its General Assembly have been and will continue to be active participants in helping to shape the direction for education reform in Ohio and in providing a forum for public input. Clear evidence of this will be seen as the state board discusses the proposed new standards and then, depending on the outcome of that dialogue, seeks legislative concurrence on this work.

The proposed standards specify the importance of the role of local school boards.

Teacher education and licensure - Ohio has adopted teacher education and licensure standards. These are designed to prepare and support excellent teachers in all Ohio's schools. The standards are developed to ensure that all communities have teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to teach so that all children can learn and that all school systems are designed to support teachers in this work.

Certificate of Initial Mastery - Reference is made in Ohio' STW implementation plan to explore the need for a Certificate of Initial Mastery, which does not mean the implementation of such certificates. Any discussion of these certifications (and many others) would need to become a part of the work of the state board.

Youth centers - Youth centers have never been discussed in Ohio's STW implementation plan nor in any of its ongoing activities.

1996 National Education Summit - On March 26, 1996, the nation's governors and President Clinton joined business leaders and educators in a national education summit to reaffirm their commitment to achieving higher academic standards for America's schools and students.

The governors pledged to develop academic standards and assessments on each state within the next two years and to allocate funds to provide the professional development, infrastructure and new technologies needed to achieve high academic standards for America's public and chartered non-public schools and students.

We honestly believe that STW presents an opportunity for education and business to cooperate for mutual benefit of public school students.

R. Arline Smith is a resident of Sugarcreek and representative on the State Board of Education for District 8, comprised of Carroll, Columbiana, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Mahoning, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

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