Imagine being the parent of a third grader who was unable to pass the state’s reading test and facing the conundrum of holding your child back, or moving ahead to fourth grade.
You actually would not have had that choice over the past decade. The state mandated that students who fail the test be held back.
But now, parents across Ohio are the ones making the decision thanks to a new policy.
And the overwhelming choice being made locally is to promote their child to fourth grade. Of the 31 public school districts in Cuyahoga County, all but nine had 100 percent of such students advance to fourth grade.
Giving parents the power to make decisions about their child is hard to argue against, but the surge is having adverse effects. These fourth graders are put on mandated specialized reading plans with heavy tutoring that educators say are stretching schools’ already-thin resources.
-- Kristen Davis
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Overnight Scores and Weather |
Browns vs Saints: Browns can’t overcome Saints in 35-14 loss Cavs vs Hornets: 128-114 win improves Cavs record to 15-0 Northeast Ohio weather forecast: High 50s and mostly sunny |
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After years of debate over the effectiveness of mandatory retention, Ohio’s most recent state budget, House Bill 33, permanently empowered parents to make the decision about whether their children would be promoted. |
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Reading benchmarks: Ohio used to require that third graders who fail reading benchmarks repeat the grade, but a new policy lets parents decide whether to hold back or promote to fourth grade. Educators throughout Cuyahoga County have mixed feelings about the change, reports Hannah Drown.
Great Lakes: Ohio Congress members on both sides say they feel optimistic about the Great Lakes remaining a priority in Donald Trump’s second administration, reports Sabrina Eaton.
Need for fostering: Ohio has nearly 15,000 children in custody but only 7,000 licensed foster homes, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. In honor of National Adoption Month, reporter Kaitlin Durbin explores what it takes to foster youth in need and how the adoption process works.
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Ohio House speaker: Ohio lawmakers are back for the final stretch of the current legislative session to handle unfinished business, from regulating cannabis knockoffs to a number of education reform measures. But there’s one vote looming over this year’s “lame-duck” session that could have implications for how much gets done: Wednesday’s House Republican caucus vote on who to back for House speaker next session, Laura Hancock and Jeremy Pelzer report.
Marijuana tax: In the three months since legal recreational marijuana sales began in Ohio, $15.5 million has been collected for state and local governments from an extra tax on marijuana, Laura Hancock reports.
Supreme Court: Having been brushed back by the state Supreme Court, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost signaled he’d at least partially lift his political blockade against an effort to abolish qualified immunity – a legal doctrine that shields police officers who use lethal force, Jake Zuckerman reports.
Buttigieg visit: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will be the featured speaker during a special City Club event on Monday, Dec. 9, the City Club announced Friday.
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State unemployment: October was the first time Ohio’s unemployment rate has decreased since May 2023 when it hit historic lows, Zachary Smith reports.
Suburban council: Euclid City Council is expected on Monday to pick the member who will replace outgoing Council President Charlene Mancuso. The vote is included on the agenda for Monday’s meeting in council chambers, but it gives no indication of who might be selected, Cory Shaffer reports.
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Truck lawsuit: A Cleveland truck driver is suing TravelCenters of America, saying a faulty oil change at one of the company’s truck stops damaged his truck’s engine and temporarily put him out of business, Sean McDonnell reports.
Gang violence: A federal judge sentenced a suspected member of a Cleveland gang to more than nine years in prison for illegally possessing guns while fighting with Cuyahoga Falls police officers, Adam Ferrise reports.
Teens arrested: Cleveland police arrested three teenagers late Wednesday night and accused them of breaking into several cars on the city’s West Side, Olivia Mitchell reports. The arrests marked the second time in a week that officers nabbed youths rifling through vehicles. In both instances, the suspects drove stolen cars as they preyed on victims and later fled from authorities, police said.
Bitcoin scamming: An Akron man was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for laundering more than $300 million in bitcoin, with much of it through the darknet, Lucas Daprile reports.
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Museum updates: The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will unveil the final phase of its $150 million transformation project Dec. 13-15, Paris Wolfe reports. During the weekend, visitors will get a firsthand look at how the museum makes science more relevant to daily life and connects people to the natural world and inspires change toward a healthier planet.
Clifton Lagoons home: The Lakewood home at 830 Beach Road has a rich and storied history. The property was built in 1901 as a boathouse for LaBelle, a 145-foot yacht owned by Alexander Winton, founder of the Winton Motor Carriage Company, one of the first car manufacturers in the nation, Joey Morona reports. The home recently hit the market for the first time in 30 years.
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Colorful trees and community cheer at Akron Children’s Hospital’s 43rd Holiday Tree Festival Read more Holiday happenings throughout the Westshore Read more Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood celebrates new Impett Park Playground Read more |
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