Finalists for Kentucky Commissioner of Education
Published comments from various newspapers
Mitchell ChesterAge: 55 Education: Master's and doctorate degrees in administration,
planning and social policy from Harvard University.
He also holds advanced degrees from the University of Connecticut
and the University of Hartford.
Family: Married with a daughter and two sons.
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Academic report cards increasingly complex
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)August 20, 2006
…In 2007-08, [school report cards] will include data from Ohio's nascent "value-added" model - a new and sometimes controversial data analysis that measures the effectiveness of schools based on the amount of academic progress students make from year to year.The value-added system uses a mind-boggling array of data to track the performance of public school students in third through eighth grade.
Every student in the state has been assigned an individual identification number that will allow educators to monitor performance, regardless of how many times he or she changes districts."We think we're providing a very robust, accurate picture of the district," Mitchell Chester, associate state superintendent for policy and accountability, said during the release of this year's reports. "We like to think the mystery is taken out of the system."
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Some schools feel left behind - State report cards show improvement, but some districts bemoan federal act
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)August 15, 2006
A third of Ohio school districts improved their grades last school year, but many districts struggled to ensure that their poor, disabled, minority and non-English-speaking students were keeping up. Last year's test scores boosted 200 of the state's 610 school districts to a higher rating, the Ohio Department of Education announced today. Now, 491 districts are rated excellent or effective -- equal to an A or B, respectively. None landed in academic emergency, the equivalent of an F. Of the 262 charter schools receiving report cards, about 49 percent are rated in the bottom two categories, compared with 71 percent on the previous report card."This is real improvement," said Mitchell Chester, who oversees testing and accountability for the state. "Almost 97 percent of districts improved their (performance) over last year."
… "I think this shines light ... on where the gaps exist," Chester said in defending the federal progress measure. "The situation probably existed in the past, but we didn't unmask it."
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Report cards show A's for effort
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)August 15, 2006
"It's as the law is titled - No Child Left Behind," said Mitchell Chester, the state's associate superintendent for policy and accountability. "It's not about making exceptions. We think it's the right thing to do. We look at all children and not just some children."
…The optimism surrounding the testing gains is tempered by concerns about funding. Many districts have been forced to lay off teachers and make deep program cuts during the last two years, and public enthusiasm for raising taxes to pay for schools remains low. In the Aug. 6 election, 71 percent of the school tax issues statewide failed."Investment in public education is crucial," Chester said. "Educators can't do it alone."
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No Child Left Behind yields unfair state ratings, districts say
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)February 4, 2006
…David Estrop, superintendent of Lakewood schools, said the ratings are biased against diverse districts. Homogenous schools that don't have enough students in any subgroup aren't asked to meet most federal standards, he said.But state education officials argue that Ohio should have one rating system, not separate state and federal standards.
"We believe 'excellent' should be 'excellent' for all students in the districts, not just some of the students," said Mitchell Chester, who oversees testing and accountability for the Ohio Department of Education.
McVey fires back that state education officials are "out of touch" on the issue. Hilliard's population, he said, has grown rapidly, and a number of new students have little English-speaking ability."We cannot expect these students to become academically proficient within a few short years," he said.
Chester said state lawmakers already have built in plenty of leeway for districts.The bill that created Ohio's new testing and report-card system in 2003 says a district's rating is not hurt unless it misses federal standards for three straight years.
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A new way to evaluate success in schools
Plan will use data analysis to measure the progress for each Ohio student
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)October 13, 2005
Ohio is preparing for a revolutionary change in the way it measures how schools and teachers are performing. The “value-added” model – a new and sometimes controversial data analysis used in only a handful of states – measures the effectiveness of schools based on the amount of academic progress students make from year to year.
“In a lot of educators’ minds, the benefit of value-added is that it takes into account the fact that we don’t all work with the same kids,” said Mitchell Chester, an assistant superintendent with the Ohio Department of Education. He addressed a task force Wednesday charged with implementing value-added statewide by the 2007-08 school year.Value-added could radically redefine how Ohio’s school districts are performing. Districts with chronically low test scores might be lauded for making significant progress, given where their students started. Likewise, the state’s best-performing districts based on test scores could have their egos deflated if it is found their students are not progressing year-to-year…
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Schools make strides
Cincinnati Enquirer, The (OH)August 16, 2005
…Mitchell Chester, the state's associate superintendent for policy and accountability, said he was proud of the progress of all of Ohio's eight largest public systems. "For the first time since we've given these designations, three of the Big Eight are in continuous improvement," he said, listing Akron, Cincinnati and Toledo public school systems. Two of the big urban districts, Columbus and Canton, are in "academic watch." He declined to comment on the other three…
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Fewer schools meeting goals
Cincinnati Enquirer, The (OH)August 16, 2005
…”We've seen results going up for four or five years," said Mitchell Chester, the state's associate superintendent of policy and accountability. "We know school districts are delivering improved instruction and higher test scores, and they're doing it with the resources they have…"
..."We know we need to focus more on math and science, statewide and in the middle grades," Chester said. He said the state would push for more teacher training in math and science…
… Chester said the bar for federal standards rose this year for the first time and will continue to rise. Schools and districts that don't make adequate yearly progress for two years or more face sanctions from having to bus students to other public schools and districts, to having to pay for vouchers to send them to private schools.Chester said Ohio schools have made progress narrowing the achievement gaps of minority, poor and disabled students. Nevertheless, black high school students drop out at three times the rate of their white peers, and nearly 30 percent of Ohio's Hispanic students do not graduate from high school, he said…
… As an educational alternative, charter schools are growing in numbers in large, urban districts like Cincinnati. However, fewer than half the 264 charter schools in Ohio received state ratings on the various indicators this year, Chester said. Of the 130 that received ratings, 71 percent were in "academic watch" or "academic emergency," an increase from the 56 percent that rated so low last year, Chester said.
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Grades are in; Results unclear Ohio scores chasing tougher standards
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)August 16, 2005
…Under No Child Left Behind, states are required to raise academic targets every two years. That’s why fewer schools (76 percent) and fewer districts (56 percent) met AYP. Districts and schools that continually miss AYP face sanctions ranging from using tax dollars to offer students outside tutoring to converting to a charter school. “There’s no question that raising the bar on standards for AYP has had an impact,” said Mitchell Chester, an assistant state superintendent…
… “We’ve seen results go up, but we are very concerned we may be reaching a point of diminishing returns if we don’t invest in Ohio’s education system,” Chester, the assistant state superintendent, said.
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LAGGING STUDENTS CAN TRY NEW TEST
Ohio begins switch to graduation exam to earn a diploma
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)March 6, 2005
… Students rarely make it all the way to 12th grade and don't pass the exam, said Mitchell Chester, who oversees Ohio's testing program. Those students haven't learned material the test is designed to measure, he said…
… Chester said juniors and seniors might do better on the new test simply because they've been in high school longer and have taken more courses…
… Passing rates, called "cut scores," for the science, social-studies and writing portions, won't be set until June, Chester said, after the state sees how well students do on this month's tests….
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Bill would relax school sanctions
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)December 2, 2004
… The bill that passed the Senate Wednesday states that a failing-grade group, as long as others have shown academic progress over the previous year, will no longer drop a district into the lower category…
… “This bill doesn’t change at all the fact that every district has to demonstrate to its community that students from every group are learning at a grade-level standard,” said Mitchell Chester, assistant superintendent for policy and accountability for the education department…
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BILL WOULD SOFTEN 'NO CHILD' ACT'S RULES
Ohio plan may make sanctions less likely for school districts
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)November 26, 2004
Some call it flexibility. Others call it backtracking. But if a recently proposed education-accountability measure becomes rule in Ohio, this much will be true: It will be harder for school districts to be labeled failures. "It is a watering down of rigor and of standards and expectations," said Terry Ryan, program director for the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation in Dayton, which supports the charter-school movement…
… State education leaders say Ohio's accountability system won't be weakened. "People should not see this as backtracking or weakening or lowering standards," said Mitchell Chester, who oversees testing and accountability for the Ohio Department of Education. "It really focuses on those districts not showing good achievement at any level and distinguishes those districts having success at some levels that require a lesser form of intervention."In central Ohio, the Columbus, Hamilton, Newark and South-Western districts are on the list.
Chester speculated that none of them would be affected by the change because they are not close to meeting the improvement goals.The Education Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit that tracks changes in No Child Left Behind, is supportive of the change -- as long as it affects only districts…
… Progress goals -- and the sanctions in place when they're missed for too long -- will remain in place at the school level, Chester said….
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Achievement gap remains in Ohio schools
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)November 12, 2004
Six years of steady academic gains have failed to erase Ohio’s large achievement gap between white and minority students, according to a just-released report.
…“In some sense, Ohio is a victim of its success with all students,” said Assistant State Superintendent Mitchell Chester. “One of the concerns I have with the report is that someone might conclude that no progress has been made, and that would be an inaccurate conclusion. You see very, very strong progress.”The Ohio report is different from other state data because it compares the average raw test scores of students year-to-year rather than the test passage rate for each group of students. Chester said he believes the passage rate is a better gauge because it is the standard to which schools and districts are held accountable…
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Student test scores improve
Cincinnati Enquirer, The (OH)August 24, 2004
Mitchell Chester, assistant state superintendent for policy development, said he's concerned that many black and Hispanic students are not reaching an education level to ensure success as adults. "Most of our students, regardless of the group that they're from, are making gains," he said. "However, there is a large gap."On the reading section of the fourth-grade test, white students outperformed blacks by 29 percentage points. The gap was 33 percentage points for math and 37 percentage points for science.
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SPECIAL-ED STUDENTS GIVE SCHOOLS NEW CHALLENGE
Disabled students' scores can hinder state ratings, some officials say
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)August 25, 2003
Some central Ohio school officials attribute lower ratings on this year's state report cards, in part, to the inclusion of all disabled students' proficiency-test scores. They question whether the new requirement is fair for students with mental or physical disabilities.
Helping all students reach their potential is the overriding goal of the No Child Left Behind Act, said Mitchell Chester, assistant superintendent for policy development for the Ohio Department of Education."Accountability for students with disabilities has been a tremendous lightning rod in this new federal legislation," he said. "Are there superintendents that are frustrated? Yes. And then there are superintendents who think it is the right thing to do."
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DO THE MATH - Practice test shows where schools need to help more students
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)July 15, 2003
…"In many high schools, there are too many students who are not experiencing the kind of math curriculum that the state board and math educators think is essential," said Mitchell Chester, assistant state superintendent, such as algebra and geometry classes.School districts need to match their curricula to state standards, which were designed to prepare students for life beyond high school. Those efforts should begin soon, because this fall's freshman class will have to pass the test to graduate…
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OHIO STUDENTS SCORE BETTER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE ON TEST
8th-graders ahead of curve in writing
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)July 12, 2003
Ohio's eighth-graders can write better than many of their peers across the United States…
… "It's a testament to having a coordinated effort around literacy," said Mitchell Chester, Ohio assistant superintendent…
… But achievement gaps in Ohio remain. "They're troubling," Chester said. Solving them, "is one of the state board's top priorities. It's about offering challenging courses to all."In Ohio, white fourth-graders' average scores were 21 points higher than those of their black peers. White eighth-graders' average scores were 32 points higher than black eighth-graders.Chester said the state is studying methods used by schools across Ohio where gaps seem to be closing. For example, in Steubenville in eastern Ohio, black fourth-graders met standards on all state tests and are catching up with white peers."One thing you hear very clearly there -- it's a no-excuse attitude," Chester said of Steubenville. "You can't say the problem is the kids. It's not a matter that they're from tough backgrounds. It's our job to educate them."
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NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
SCHOOLS FEAR LAW'S EFFECT ON TEST SCORES
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)April 17, 2003
Gov. Bob Taft doesn't like it; state school Superintendent Susan T. Zelman doesn't like it; Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Gene Harris and many of her counterparts across the state don't like it. But the federal No Child Left Behind Act is about to force Ohio to change the way it calculates student proficiency rates. As a result, districts and schools can expect lower scores on state "report cards" this summer…
… "We've pushed back hard on them because we don't think the policy makes a lot of sense," said Mitchell Chester, assistant superintendent for policy development with the Ohio Department of Education.Chester described the state's ongoing tangle with federal officials as a "dogfight" that Taft and Zelman have weighed in on with letters to U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige…
… A bill under consideration in the Ohio House to bring the state into line with No Child Left Behind eliminates multiple rounds of testing in favor of an annual exam, Chester said.The Department of Education believes lawmakers should retain multiple testing dates but move the first test from October to March to give teachers more time to work with students, Chester said.But that would take away the October test as an evaluation tool for teachers to assess which students need help with reading.So state officials are considering a compromise in which districts could offer an October proficiency test that isn't officially given by the state, Chester said. That way, it wouldn't count in the state report card…
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OHIO'S PROFICIENCY TESTS 13TH BEST IN NATION, SURVEY FINDS
Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)June 19, 2002
…The Ohio Department of Education is working to develop assessment tests for students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency, said Mitchell Chester, an assistant superintendent of the department.
Though students with disabilities have been tested differently for the past two years, the test for limited-English students will be new, he said.Those tests are part of a $33 million program that in the next two years will revamp the department's testing system, by developing more exams to replace current fourth-, sixth- and ninth-grade tests and more scoring categories to better identify struggling students.
The testing changes were prompted by the "No Child Left Behind" Act, which ties federal education money to schools' performance on accountability testing. Since President Bush signed that act earlier this year, evaluating testing has become especially important, Kutno said.
As for students from different places being given different tests, Chester said Ohio would rather have tests consistent across the state, so students can be measured against the same standards."There's a tension that exists between tests that address different learning styles and a system that is consistent," Chester said. "We come down on the side of consistency…"
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