Sub. H. B. No. 107 As Reported by the Senate Education Committee

Representatives Setzer, Webster, Seitz, Kearns, Distel, C. Evans, Chandler, Combs, Domenick, D. Evans, Flowers, Hagan

A BILL

To amend section 3319.23 of the Revised Code, to 1
amend Section 4 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 125th 2
General Assembly, and to amend Section 206.09.12 3
of Am. Sub. H.B. 66 of the 126th General Assembly 4
to require the State Board of Education to adopt 5
standards that require the curricula of teacher 6
preparation programs to be aligned with the state 7
academic content standards, the State Board's 8
minimum standards for schools, and the value-added 9
progress dimension developed by the Department of 10
Education; to extend the deadline for the 11
Department and the Educator Standards Board to 12
propose a career ladder program for teachers; and 13
to set aside $247,000 in each of fiscal years 2006 14
and 2007 for the Center for Learning Excellence. 15

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That section 3319.23 of the Revised Code be 16
amended to read as follows: 17

       Sec. 3319.23. (A) The state board of education shall 18
establish standards and courses of study for the preparation of 19
teachers, shall provide for the inspection of institutions 20
desiring to prepare teachers, shall approve such institutions as 21
maintain satisfactory training procedures, and shall properly 22
license the graduates of such approved courses and institutions. 23
If the standards adopted by the state board under this section 24
require an institution also to satisfy the standards of an 25
independent accreditation organization, the state board shall 26
permit each institution to satisfy the standards of either the 27
national council for accreditation of teacher education or the 28
teacher education accreditation council. 29

       (B) The standards and courses of study adopted by the state 30
board under division (A) of this section shall require each 31
institution, as a condition for approval to prepare teachers, to 32
make changes in the curricula of the institution's teacher 33
preparation program, as the state board determines is necessary, 34
so that: 35

       (1) By July 1, 2006, the curricula, including instruction in 36
methods, best practices, and materials, are aligned with the 37
academic content standards adopted under section 3301.079 of the 38
Revised Code and the minimum standards for elementary and 39
secondary schools prescribed by the state board pursuant to 40
division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code; 41

       (2) Within one hundred eighty days after the department of 42
education implements the value-added progress dimension, as 43
required under section 3302.021 of the Revised Code, the 44
curricula, including methods of interpreting data, are aligned 45
with that value-added progress dimension. 46

       Division (C)(2) of this section does not apply to any 47
standards, rules, or regulations adopted, amended, or rescinded in 48
order to comply with division (B) of this section. 49

       Each institution shall allocate money from its existing 50
appropriations to pay the cost of making the changes required by 51
the state board under division (B) of this section. 52

       (C)(1) The standards and courses of study for the preparation 53
of teachers together with the standards, rules, and regulations 54
set for each kind of license and for the renewal and conversion 55
thereof shall be adopted and published by the board in accordance 56
with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. ~~Notwithstanding~~ 57

       (2) Notwithstanding division (D) of section 119.03 and 58
division (A)(1) of section 119.04 of the Revised Code, any 59
standards, courses of study, rules, and regulations, or any 60
amendment or rescission of such standards, courses of study, 61
rules, and regulations, adopted by the board under this section 62
that necessitate institutions offering teacher preparation 63
programs approved by the board to revise the curriculum of those 64
programs shall not be effective for at least one year from the 65
first day of January next succeeding the publication of the said 66
change. 67

       Section 2. That existing section 3319.23 of the Revised Code 68
is hereby repealed. 69

       Section 3. That Section 4 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 125th 70
General Assembly be amended to read as follows: 71

       Sec. 4. As used in this section, "career ladder program" 72
means a performance-based multilevel system of teaching positions 73
or compensation levels within a school district or district 74
building. 75

       The Educator Standards Board ~~established by this act~~ and the 76
Department of Education jointly shall develop a proposal for a 77
career ladder program. The Educator Standards Board and the 78
Department also shall determine the estimated cost of implementing 79
the proposal and how the Department would reallocate its resources 80
to cover the costs of implementation. Within ~~eighteen~~twenty-four 81
months after the Educator Standards Board convenes for its initial 82
meeting, the Board and the Department shall make a report to the 83
General Assembly describing their proposal for a career ladder 84
program, including estimated costs for implementation and the 85
manner in which the Department would pay for those costs. 86

       Section 4. That existing Section 4 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 87
125th General Assembly is hereby repealed. 88

       Section 5. That Section 206.09.12 of Am. Sub. H.B. 66 of the 89
126th General Assembly be amended to read as follows: 90

       Sec. 206.09.12. COMPUTER/APPLICATION/NETWORK DEVELOPMENT 91

       The foregoing appropriation item 200-420, 92
Computer/Application/Network Development, shall be used to support 93
the development and implementation of information technology 94
solutions designed to improve the performance and services of the 95
Department of Education. Funds may be used for personnel, 96
maintenance, and equipment costs related to the development and 97
implementation of these technical system projects. Implementation 98
of these systems shall allow the Department to provide greater 99
levels of assistance to school districts and to provide more 100
timely information to the public, including school districts, 101
administrators, and legislators. 102

       ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS 103

       There is hereby created the Alternative Education Advisory 104
Council, which shall consist of one representative from each of 105
the following agencies: the Ohio Department of Education; the 106
Department of Youth Services; the Ohio Department of Alcohol and 107
Drug Addiction Services; the Department of Mental Health; the 108
Office of the Governor or, at the Governor's discretion, the 109
Office of the Lieutenant Governor; the Office of the Attorney 110
General; and the Office of the Auditor of State. 111

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 112
Education Programs, up to $6,227,310 in each fiscal year shall be 113
used for the renewal of successful implementation grants and for 114
competitive matching grants to the 21 urban school districts as 115
defined in division (O) of section 3317.02 of the Revised Code as 116
it existed prior to July 1, 1998, and up to ~~$6,408,074~~$6,161,074 117
in each fiscal year shall be used for the renewal of successful 118
implementation grants and for competitive matching grants to rural 119
and suburban school districts for alternative educational programs 120
for existing and new at-risk and delinquent youth. Programs shall 121
be focused on youth in one or more of the following categories: 122
those who have been expelled or suspended, those who have dropped 123
out of school or who are at risk of dropping out of school, those 124
who are habitually truant or disruptive, or those on probation or 125
on parole from a Department of Youth Services facility. Grants 126
shall be awarded according to the criteria established by the 127
Alternative Education Advisory Council in 1999. Grants shall be 128
awarded only to programs in which the grant will not serve as the 129
program's primary source of funding. These grants shall be 130
administered by the Department of Education. 131

       The Department of Education may waive compliance with any 132
minimum education standard established under section 3301.07 of 133
the Revised Code for any alternative school that receives a grant 134
under this section on the grounds that the waiver will enable the 135
program to more effectively educate students enrolled in the 136
alternative school. 137

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 138
Education Programs, up to $422,281 in each fiscal year may be used 139
for program administration, monitoring, technical assistance, 140
support, research, and evaluation. Any unexpended balance may be 141
used to provide additional matching grants to urban, suburban, or 142
rural school districts as outlined above. 143

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 144
Education Programs, $247,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to 145
contract with the Center for Learning Excellence at The Ohio State 146
University to provide technical support for the project and the 147
completion of formative and summative evaluation of the grants. 148

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 149
Education Programs, up to $675,000 in fiscal year 2006 and up to 150
$500,000 in fiscal year 2007 may be used by the Department of 151
Education to administer the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot 152
Program established under section 3310.02 of the Revised Code. 153

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 154
Education Programs, $75,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to 155
support the Toledo Tech Academy. 156

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative 157
Education Programs, $100,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for 158
the Youth Opportunities United, Inc. 159

       SCHOOL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE 160

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-422, School 161
Management Assistance, up to $1,315,000 in each fiscal year shall 162
be used by the Auditor of State in consultation with the 163
Department of Education for expenses incurred in the Auditor of 164
State's role relating to fiscal caution, fiscal watch, and fiscal 165
emergency activities as defined in Chapter 3316. of the Revised 166
Code and may also be used to conduct performance audits consistent 167
with the recommendations of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force 168
on Financing Student Success, with priority given to districts in 169
fiscal distress. Expenses include duties related to the completion 170
of performance audits for school districts that the Superintendent 171
of Public Instruction determines are employing fiscal practices or 172
experiencing budgetary conditions that could produce a state of 173
fiscal watch or fiscal emergency. 174

       The remainder of foregoing appropriation item 200-422, School 175
Management Assistance, shall be used by the Department of 176
Education to provide fiscal technical assistance and inservice 177
education for school district management personnel and to 178
administer, monitor, and implement the fiscal watch and fiscal 179
emergency provisions under Chapter 3316. of the Revised Code. 180

       POLICY ANALYSIS 181

       The foregoing appropriation item 200-424, Policy Analysis, 182
shall be used by the Department of Education to support a system 183
of administrative, statistical, and legislative education 184
information to be used for policy analysis. Staff supported by 185
this appropriation shall administer the development of reports, 186
analyses, and briefings to inform education policymakers of 187
current trends in education practice, efficient and effective use 188
of resources, and evaluation of programs to improve education 189
results. The database shall be kept current at all times. These 190
research efforts shall be used to supply information and analysis 191
of data to the General Assembly and other state policymakers, 192
including the Office of Budget and Management and the Legislative 193
Service Commission. 194

       The Department of Education may use funding from this 195
appropriation item to purchase or contract for the development of 196
software systems or contract for policy studies that will assist 197
in the provision and analysis of policy-related information. 198
Funding from this appropriation item also may be used to monitor 199
and enhance quality assurance for research-based policy analysis 200
and program evaluation to enhance the effective use of education 201
information to inform education policymakers. 202

       TECH PREP CONSORTIA SUPPORT 203

       The foregoing appropriation item 200-425, Tech Prep Consortia 204
Support, shall be used by the Department of Education to support 205
state-level activities designed to support, promote, and expand 206
tech prep programs. Use of these funds shall include, but not be 207
limited to, administration of grants, program evaluation, 208
professional development, curriculum development, assessment 209
development, program promotion, communications, and statewide 210
coordination of tech prep consortia. 211

       OHIO EDUCATIONAL COMPUTER NETWORK 212

       The foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 213
Computer Network, shall be used by the Department of Education to 214
maintain a system of information technology throughout Ohio and to 215
provide technical assistance for such a system in support of the 216
State Education Technology Plan under section 3301.07 of the 217
Revised Code. 218

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 219
Computer Network, up to $18,136,691 in each fiscal year shall be 220
used by the Department of Education to support connection of all 221
public school buildings and participating chartered nonpublic 222
schools to the state's education network, to each other, and to 223
the Internet. In each fiscal year the Department of Education 224
shall use these funds to assist data acquisition sites or school 225
districts with the operational costs associated with this 226
connectivity. The Department of Education shall develop a formula 227
and guidelines for the distribution of these funds to the data 228
acquisition sites or individual school districts. As used in this 229
section, "public school building" means a school building of any 230
city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school 231
district, any community school established under Chapter 3314. of 232
the Revised Code, any educational service center building used for 233
instructional purposes, the Ohio School for the Deaf and the Ohio 234
School for the Blind, or high schools chartered by the Ohio 235
Department of Youth Services and high schools operated by Ohio 236
Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections' Ohio Central School 237
System. 238

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 239
Computer Network, up to $1,700,000 in each fiscal year shall be 240
used for the Union Catalog and InfOhio Network. 241

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 242
Computer Network, up to $8,338,468 in each fiscal year shall be 243
used, through a formula and guidelines devised by the department, 244
to subsidize the activities of designated data acquisition sites, 245
as defined by State Board of Education rules, to provide school 246
districts and chartered nonpublic schools with computer-based 247
student and teacher instructional and administrative information 248
services, including approved computerized financial accounting, 249
and to ensure the effective operation of local automated 250
administrative and instructional systems. 251

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 252
Computer Network, up to $769,223 in each fiscal year shall be used 253
for the INFOhio Network to support the provision of electronic 254
resources with priority given to resources that support the 255
teaching of state academic content standards to all public 256
schools. Consideration shall be given by the Department of 257
Education to coordinating the allocation of these moneys with the 258
efforts of Libraries Connect Ohio, whose members include OhioLINK, 259
the Ohio Public Information Network, and the State Library of 260
Ohio. 261

       The remainder of appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational 262
Computer Network, shall be used to support development, 263
maintenance, and operation of a network of uniform and compatible 264
computer-based information and instructional systems. This 265
technical assistance shall include, but not be restricted to, 266
development and maintenance of adequate computer software systems 267
to support network activities. In order to improve the efficiency 268
of network activities, the Department and data acquisition sites 269
may jointly purchase equipment, materials, and services from funds 270
provided under this appropriation for use by the network and, when 271
considered practical by the Department, may utilize the services 272
of appropriate state purchasing agencies. 273

       ACADEMIC STANDARDS 274

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 275
Standards, up to $747,912 in each fiscal year shall be used to 276
provide funds to school districts that have one or more teachers 277
participating in the teachers-on-loan program. 278

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 279
Standards, $150,000 in each fiscal year shall be used by the 280
Department in combination with funding earmarked for this purpose 281
in the Board of Regents' budget under appropriation item 235-321, 282
Operating Expenses. Such funding shall be used to support Ohio's 283
Partnership for Continued Learning at the direction of the Office 284
of the Governor. Ohio's Partnership for Continued Learning 285
replaces and broadens the former Joint Council of the Department 286
of Education and the Board of Regents. The Partnership shall 287
advise and make recommendations to promote collaboration among 288
relevant state entities in an effort to help local communities 289
develop coherent and successful "P-16" learning systems. The 290
Governor, or the Governor's designee, shall serve as the 291
chairperson. 292

        Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 293
Standards, $1,000,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for 294
Project Lead the Way leadership and management oversight and 295
initial and continuing support of Project Lead the Way workforce 296
development programs in participating school districts. Project 297
Lead the Way is a program that supports students interested in 298
pursuing engineering professions and stimulates growth of career 299
pathways that meet business and industry workforce needs. 300

        Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 301
Standards, up to $2,600,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for 302
intensive teacher professional development institutes that focus 303
on classroom implementation of the mathematics standards. 304

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 305
Standards, $200,000 in each fiscal year may be used to support the 306
Ohio Resource Center for Math and Science. 307

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 308
Standards, up to $282,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for 309
the JASON Expedition project that provides statewide access to 310
JASON Expedition content. Funds shall be used to provide 311
professional development training for teachers participating in 312
the project, statewide management, and a seventy-five per cent 313
subsidy for statewide licensing of JASON Expedition content with 314
priority given to content aligned with state academic content 315
standards for approximately 90,000 middle school students 316
statewide. 317

       Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-427, Academic 318
Standards, $285,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for the Ohio 319
Science Institute (OSCI). 320

       The remainder of appropriation item 200-427, Academic 321
Standards, shall be used by the Department of Education to develop 322
and communicate to school districts academic content standards and 323
curriculum models. 324

       Section 6. That existing Section 206.09.12 of Am. Sub. H.B. 325
66 of the 126th General Assembly is hereby repealed. 326

       Section 7. Sections 5 to 7 of this act, and the items of law 327
of which Sections 5 to 7 of this act are composed, are not subject 328
to the referendum. Therefore, under Ohio Constitution, Article II, 329
Section 1d and section 1.471 of the Revised Code, Sections 5 to 7 330
of this act, and the items of law of which Sections 5 to 7 of this 331
act are composed, go into immediate effect when this act becomes 332
law. 333

Section 1. That section 3319.23 of the Revised Code be	16
amended to read as follows:	17

Sec. 3319.23. (A) The state board of education shall	18
establish standards and courses of study for the preparation of	19
teachers, shall provide for the inspection of institutions	20
desiring to prepare teachers, shall approve such institutions as	21
maintain satisfactory training procedures, and shall properly	22
license the graduates of such approved courses and institutions.	23
If the standards adopted by the state board under this section	24
require an institution also to satisfy the standards of an	25
independent accreditation organization, the state board shall	26
permit each institution to satisfy the standards of either the	27
national council for accreditation of teacher education or the	28
teacher education accreditation council.	29

(B) The standards and courses of study adopted by the state	30
board under division (A) of this section shall require each	31
institution, as a condition for approval to prepare teachers, to	32
make changes in the curricula of the institution's teacher	33
preparation program, as the state board determines is necessary,	34
so that:	35

(1) By July 1, 2006, the curricula, including instruction in	36
methods, best practices, and materials, are aligned with the	37
academic content standards adopted under section 3301.079 of the	38
Revised Code and the minimum standards for elementary and	39
secondary schools prescribed by the state board pursuant to	40
division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code;	41

(2) Within one hundred eighty days after the department of	42
education implements the value-added progress dimension, as	43
required under section 3302.021 of the Revised Code, the	44
curricula, including methods of interpreting data, are aligned	45
with that value-added progress dimension.	46

Division (C)(2) of this section does not apply to any	47
standards, rules, or regulations adopted, amended, or rescinded in	48
order to comply with division (B) of this section.	49

Each institution shall allocate money from its existing	50
appropriations to pay the cost of making the changes required by	51
the state board under division (B) of this section.	52

(C)(1) The standards and courses of study for the preparation	53
of teachers together with the standards, rules, and regulations	54
set for each kind of license and for the renewal and conversion	55
thereof shall be adopted and published by the board in accordance	56
with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. ~~Notwithstanding~~	57

(2) Notwithstanding division (D) of section 119.03 and	58
division (A)(1) of section 119.04 of the Revised Code, any	59
standards, courses of study, rules, and regulations, or any	60
amendment or rescission of such standards, courses of study,	61
rules, and regulations, adopted by the board under this section	62
that necessitate institutions offering teacher preparation	63
programs approved by the board to revise the curriculum of those	64
programs shall not be effective for at least one year from the	65
first day of January next succeeding the publication of the said	66
change.	67

Section 2. That existing section 3319.23 of the Revised Code	68
is hereby repealed.	69

Section 3. That Section 4 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 125th	70
General Assembly be amended to read as follows:	71

Sec. 4. As used in this section, "career ladder program"	72
means a performance-based multilevel system of teaching positions	73
or compensation levels within a school district or district	74
building.	75

The Educator Standards Board ~~established by this act~~ and the	76
Department of Education jointly shall develop a proposal for a	77
career ladder program. The Educator Standards Board and the	78
Department also shall determine the estimated cost of implementing	79
the proposal and how the Department would reallocate its resources	80
to cover the costs of implementation. Within ~~eighteen~~twenty-four	81
months after the Educator Standards Board convenes for its initial	82
meeting, the Board and the Department shall make a report to the	83
General Assembly describing their proposal for a career ladder	84
program, including estimated costs for implementation and the	85
manner in which the Department would pay for those costs.	86

Section 4. That existing Section 4 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the	87
125th General Assembly is hereby repealed.	88

Section 5. That Section 206.09.12 of Am. Sub. H.B. 66 of the	89
126th General Assembly be amended to read as follows:	90

The foregoing appropriation item 200-420,	92
Computer/Application/Network Development, shall be used to support	93
the development and implementation of information technology	94
solutions designed to improve the performance and services of the	95
Department of Education. Funds may be used for personnel,	96
maintenance, and equipment costs related to the development and	97
implementation of these technical system projects. Implementation	98
of these systems shall allow the Department to provide greater	99
levels of assistance to school districts and to provide more	100
timely information to the public, including school districts,	101
administrators, and legislators.	102

There is hereby created the Alternative Education Advisory	104
Council, which shall consist of one representative from each of	105
the following agencies: the Ohio Department of Education; the	106
Department of Youth Services; the Ohio Department of Alcohol and	107
Drug Addiction Services; the Department of Mental Health; the	108
Office of the Governor or, at the Governor's discretion, the	109
Office of the Lieutenant Governor; the Office of the Attorney	110
General; and the Office of the Auditor of State.	111

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	112
Education Programs, up to $6,227,310 in each fiscal year shall be	113
used for the renewal of successful implementation grants and for	114
competitive matching grants to the 21 urban school districts as	115
defined in division (O) of section 3317.02 of the Revised Code as	116
it existed prior to July 1, 1998, and up to ~~$6,408,074~~$6,161,074	117
in each fiscal year shall be used for the renewal of successful	118
implementation grants and for competitive matching grants to rural	119
and suburban school districts for alternative educational programs	120
for existing and new at-risk and delinquent youth. Programs shall	121
be focused on youth in one or more of the following categories:	122
those who have been expelled or suspended, those who have dropped	123
out of school or who are at risk of dropping out of school, those	124
who are habitually truant or disruptive, or those on probation or	125
on parole from a Department of Youth Services facility. Grants	126
shall be awarded according to the criteria established by the	127
Alternative Education Advisory Council in 1999. Grants shall be	128
awarded only to programs in which the grant will not serve as the	129
program's primary source of funding. These grants shall be	130
administered by the Department of Education.	131

The Department of Education may waive compliance with any	132
minimum education standard established under section 3301.07 of	133
the Revised Code for any alternative school that receives a grant	134
under this section on the grounds that the waiver will enable the	135
program to more effectively educate students enrolled in the	136
alternative school.	137

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	138
Education Programs, up to $422,281 in each fiscal year may be used	139
for program administration, monitoring, technical assistance,	140
support, research, and evaluation. Any unexpended balance may be	141
used to provide additional matching grants to urban, suburban, or	142
rural school districts as outlined above.	143

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	144
Education Programs, $247,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to	145
contract with the Center for Learning Excellence at The Ohio State	146
University to provide technical support for the project and the	147
completion of formative and summative evaluation of the grants.	148

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	149
Education Programs, up to $675,000 in fiscal year 2006 and up to	150
$500,000 in fiscal year 2007 may be used by the Department of	151
Education to administer the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot	152
Program established under section 3310.02 of the Revised Code.	153

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	154
Education Programs, $75,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to	155
support the Toledo Tech Academy.	156

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-421, Alternative	157
Education Programs, $100,000 in each fiscal year shall be used for	158
the Youth Opportunities United, Inc.	159

Of the foregoing appropriation item 200-422, School	161
Management Assistance, up to $1,315,000 in each fiscal year shall	162
be used by the Auditor of State in consultation with the	163
Department of Education for expenses incurred in the Auditor of	164
State's role relating to fiscal caution, fiscal watch, and fiscal	165
emergency activities as defined in Chapter 3316. of the Revised	166
Code and may also be used to conduct performance audits consistent	167
with the recommendations of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force	168
on Financing Student Success, with priority given to districts in	169
fiscal distress. Expenses include duties related to the completion	170
of performance audits for school districts that the Superintendent	171
of Public Instruction determines are employing fiscal practices or	172
experiencing budgetary conditions that could produce a state of	173
fiscal watch or fiscal emergency.	174

The remainder of foregoing appropriation item 200-422, School	175
Management Assistance, shall be used by the Department of	176
Education to provide fiscal technical assistance and inservice	177
education for school district management personnel and to	178
administer, monitor, and implement the fiscal watch and fiscal	179
emergency provisions under Chapter 3316. of the Revised Code.	180

The foregoing appropriation item 200-424, Policy Analysis,	182
shall be used by the Department of Education to support a system	183
of administrative, statistical, and legislative education	184
information to be used for policy analysis. Staff supported by	185
this appropriation shall administer the development of reports,	186
analyses, and briefings to inform education policymakers of	187
current trends in education practice, efficient and effective use	188
of resources, and evaluation of programs to improve education	189
results. The database shall be kept current at all times. These	190
research efforts shall be used to supply information and analysis	191
of data to the General Assembly and other state policymakers,	192
including the Office of Budget and Management and the Legislative	193
Service Commission.	194

The Department of Education may use funding from this	195
appropriation item to purchase or contract for the development of	196
software systems or contract for policy studies that will assist	197
in the provision and analysis of policy-related information.	198
Funding from this appropriation item also may be used to monitor	199
and enhance quality assurance for research-based policy analysis	200
and program evaluation to enhance the effective use of education	201
information to inform education policymakers.	202

The foregoing appropriation item 200-425, Tech Prep Consortia	204
Support, shall be used by the Department of Education to support	205
state-level activities designed to support, promote, and expand	206
tech prep programs. Use of these funds shall include, but not be	207
limited to, administration of grants, program evaluation,	208
professional development, curriculum development, assessment	209
development, program promotion, communications, and statewide	210
coordination of tech prep consortia.	211

The foregoing appropriation item 200-426, Ohio Educational	213
Computer Network, shall be used by the Department of Education to	214
maintain a system of information technology throughout Ohio and to	215
provide technical assistance for such a system in support of the	216
State Education Technology Plan under section 3301.07 of the	217
Revised Code.	218