The auditor’s office compared the actual attendance numbers from its surprise headcounts to data from ODE’s Education Management Information System, which schools use to report student and staff information.
Yost called the EMIS system “archaic” and “a mess,” saying some of the underlying programs are decades out of date. Yost and Ohio House Education Committee Chair Rep. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, said school officials around the state have problems with EMIS, which can lead to inaccurate data reporting.
But Yost went further than just technology, complaining that it takes weeks or months to schedule needed meetings with ODE officials, and takes far too long to get requested data from the agency.
These things are in conflict
Yost said ODE should focus on functions central to its educational mission, but he questioned whether it should have a hand in funding, assessment or certain types of regulations.
“There’s a problem with the design of ODE,” Yost said. “It has many, many missions, many identities, and they conflict with each other. Is it an advocate and a coach for education at the local level, or is it the state overseer and regulator and licenser? These things are in conflict.”
Ohio Department of Education spokeswoman Brittany Halpin issued a statement defending ODE’s processes.
“The department is currently implementing Ohio’s new community school sponsor evaluation system, which is one of the most transparent and comprehensive in the country,” Halpin said. “This, and other measures included in Ohio’s community school reform bill, significantly strengthens the accountability structures that govern Ohio’s community schools, state oversight of sponsors and operator transparency.”
Yost’s complaints went far beyond charter school oversight, suggesting that school funding might be better run by the Office of Budget and Management and EMIS reporting handled by the Department of Higher Education.
“I think I’m in a position, having been in all of the departments, to be able to tell you that frankly, ODE is among the worst, if not the worst-run state agency in state government,” Yost said.
Brenner said he hopes he and Senate Education Chair Peggy Lehner can meet with new state superintendent Paolo DeMaria sometime over the summer after he’s settled in.
DeMaria was named to the job 12 days ago.
Attendance report
Yost’s attendance report stemmed from surprise visits to 44 charter and 10 district schools on Nov. 9, 2015. Auditors did a physical head count of the students present and compared the numbers to total enrollment data reported to the state for school funding purposes.
Yost’s report showed attendance at the regular charter schools that day was 13.7 percent lower than the full enrollment reported, while attendance at traditional district schools was 9 percent lower than full enrollment.
The schools with dramatically different attendance were the dropout recovery charter schools, which serve students at risk of not finishing school. Auditors visited 14 such schools and found that none had attendance rates higher than 50.2 percent. The average was 34.1 percent.
Yost questioned whether those schools should still get funding based on enrollment. Chad Aldis, Vice President for Ohio Policy at the Fordham Institute, a charter sponsor, suggested funding could be tied to completion rates rather than enrollment rates.
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