Ohio State Board of Education
Encyclopedia
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is the state education agency
of Ohio
, headquartered in Columbus
. The Ohio State Board of Education is the governing body of the department.
The Ohio Department of Education is responsible for primary
and secondary
public education
in the state
. The Board of Education is responsible for overseeing the department and consists of 19 members. Eleven of these are elected
from single-member districts, which are formed by combining three contiguous Ohio Senate
districts. In 2011 they were: Ann E. Jacobs District 1, Kathleen A. McGervey District 2, Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. District 3, Debe Terhar District 4, Robin C. Hovis District 5, Kristen E. McKinley District 6, Tammy O'Brien District 7, Deborah Cain District 8, Michael L. Collins District 9, Jeff Hardin District 10, and Mary Rose Oakar District 11. Eight are appointed by the governor of Ohio. All serve four-year terms.
The elected members' terms are staggered so that half of the board is elected in each even-numbered year. Vacancies in the elected membership are filled by appointment by the governor. The chairs of the Ohio House of Representatives
and Ohio Senate education committees are ex officio non-voting members of the board. The board is responsible for choosing a Superintendent of Public Instruction, who manages the day-to-day affairs of the Department of Education.
The State Board of Education does not have jurisdiction over higher education
. Ohio's public colleges and universities
are governed as part of the University System of Ohio
by the Ohio Board of Regents
and by the boards of trustees of each institution.
The Department of Education is responsible for implementing standardized test
s required by state and federal law, including the Ohio Achievement Test
(OAT), Ohio Graduation Test
(OGT), and Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA).
State education agency
A state education agency , or state department of education, is a formal governmental label for the state-level government agencies within each U.S...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, headquartered in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The Ohio State Board of Education is the governing body of the department.
The Ohio Department of Education is responsible for primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. The Board of Education is responsible for overseeing the department and consists of 19 members. Eleven of these are elected
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
from single-member districts, which are formed by combining three contiguous Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
districts. In 2011 they were: Ann E. Jacobs District 1, Kathleen A. McGervey District 2, Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. District 3, Debe Terhar District 4, Robin C. Hovis District 5, Kristen E. McKinley District 6, Tammy O'Brien District 7, Deborah Cain District 8, Michael L. Collins District 9, Jeff Hardin District 10, and Mary Rose Oakar District 11. Eight are appointed by the governor of Ohio. All serve four-year terms.
The elected members' terms are staggered so that half of the board is elected in each even-numbered year. Vacancies in the elected membership are filled by appointment by the governor. The chairs of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
and Ohio Senate education committees are ex officio non-voting members of the board. The board is responsible for choosing a Superintendent of Public Instruction, who manages the day-to-day affairs of the Department of Education.
The State Board of Education does not have jurisdiction over higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. Ohio's public colleges and universities
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
are governed as part of the University System of Ohio
University System of Ohio
The University System of Ohio is the public university system of the state of Ohio. Legally unified under Governor Ted Strickland in 2007, the University System of Ohio is governed by the Ohio Board of Regents....
by the Ohio Board of Regents
Ohio Board of Regents
The Ohio Board of Regents is the coordinating board for higher education in Ohio. The board was created in 1963 by the Ohio General Assembly to: provide higher education policy advice to the Governor of Ohio and the Ohio General Assembly; develop a strategy involving Ohio's public and independent...
and by the boards of trustees of each institution.
The Department of Education is responsible for implementing standardized test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
s required by state and federal law, including the Ohio Achievement Test
Ohio Achievement Test
The Ohio Achievement Test is a standard-aligned test meeting NCLB requirements. Grades 3-8 are tested in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, and writing. As of 2010, the Ohio Achievement Test is called the Ohio Achievement Assessment....
(OAT), Ohio Graduation Test
Ohio Graduation Test
The Ohio Graduation Test is the high school graduation examination given to sophomores in the U.S. state of Ohio. Students must pass all five sections in order to graduate. Students have multiple chances to pass these sections and can still graduate without passing each using the alternative...
(OGT), and Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA).