MORROW, OHIO - Little Miami Local Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bill Sears is taking a 10% salary cut in an effort to “help preserve quality education programs.”
Little Miami High School recently was selected as one of 33 Ohio pilot high schools in Battelle for Kids' value-added high schools "22 x 12" national program.
Although much of the district's cost to participate will be covered by a grant, there is a small financial commitment that must be made by the district to demonstrate its desire to make this program a success. Mr. Sears' solution was to take a pay cut.
Battelle for Kids is a non-profit organization that has done research on the implementation and use of value-added scores to improve teaching and learning. Previously, Battelle's work has focused on grades 3-8. Battelle submitted a proposal to the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation to expand their value-added work to the high school level using ACT's new end-of-course exams. The goal of this project is to ensure that all students can score a 22 or higher on the ACT. Battelle received a grant to work with high schools across the United States, including just 33 selected high schools in Ohio.
"We are extremely excited about this opportunity, especially in light of the Governor's proposal to replace passage of the Ohio Graduation Test with attaining a 23 or higher on the ACT in order for students to graduate," said Sears. "We feel participation in this grant will not only serve as a catalyst for raising the academic bar for all students in Little Miami, but it will also allow us to stay ahead of the curve in meeting the future requirements for graduation."
Through the three-year program, Little Miami will incorporate ACT end-of-course exams into nine subject areas. The school also will receive free professional development training on how to use value-added statistics - an analysis of test scores, which is used to measure collectively and individually a student's growth over time.
"We believe this is another opportunity for Little Miami to be on the forefront of educational opportunities," said Sears.
