Columbus —
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Deborah Delisle announced today that the KnowledgeWorks Foundation will lead a comprehensive review of the state’s K-12 education system this year in an effort to find efficiencies while maintaining focus and investment on activities that improve student achievement.

This project builds on the state’s new education reform plan, which modernizes our classrooms and strengthens the teaching profession to better prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st Century economy. No state resources will be expended on the review.

“As a respected national leader that understands the importance of innovation in education, KnowledgeWorks is the best entity to take on this challenge,” Strickland said.

“We’ve modernized our education system to improve classroom learning and student success, and now our K-12 system is more aligned with our economy and higher education institutions than ever before. Our new evidence-based funding model makes sure that tax dollars are spent on what research tells us will help every child succeed in the classroom. We must continue to build on these reforms by working with Ohio educators to identify existing and new system-wide efficiencies that will empower our schools to deliver a world-class education as cost-effectively as possible,” Strickland said.

“Every dollar we can save through greater efficiency is a dollar we can reinvest to improve high-quality opportunities for students in the classroom.”

This collaborative, non-partisan effort will ensure that Ohio is meeting the student-centered goals of the state’s new education law at a time when every dollar is critically important. The education law also sets a higher level of accountability for schools, requiring for the first time fiscal reports and annual spending plans for each district.

“I look forward to engaging in critical conversations with stakeholders about Ohio's reform agenda and identifying specific strategies that will enable our schools and districts to be efficient in our operations while maintaining the high quality of classroom experiences we provide for our students,” said Superintendent Delisle. “KnowledgeWorks has committed significant time and effort to develop research-based approaches on what the future of learning looks like, and is a practitioner on developing the innovations necessary to get there.”

The Governor and Superintendent have asked KnowledgeWorks to apply this way of thinking toward further educational efficiencies in Ohio, as it has done in the past, and to not be afraid to disrupt the status quo in helping state leadership tap new learning technologies and new kinds of collaborations. This effort can help remold our current education system into a world of learning that truly puts the needs of learners first, the governor said.

“We are encouraged that Gov. Strickland is demonstrating forward-thinking leadership on what I believe is our most important public responsibility – ensuring the children of Ohio receive the best education in the nation in spite of the economic challenges we face,” said KnowledgeWorks CEO Chad Wick. “KnowledgeWorks looks forward to working with the Ohio Department of Education, key education stakeholders and listening to the citizens of Ohio as we explore the best ideas and systems available to help seed innovation and re-imagine how to better deliver learning in our state at a time of great financial challenge.”

KnowledgeWorks will work with the Ohio Department of Education, legislators from both parties, and education stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, students, community and business leaders, and foundations. The collaboration will ensure that a full range of interests are involved to advise the state on achievable goals for modernization and efficiency in our education system in the near- and long-term future.

“Our success at identifying system-wide efficiencies through greater collaboration among University System of Ohio institutions has helped Ohio keep public tuition costs from exploding at a time when other states are increasing tuition by double-digits. Just as important, we did it without sacrificing improvements to the overall quality of our higher education system for students,” Strickland said. “I have no doubt that this work to share and incentivize best practices within our K-12 education system will yield similar results while improving the quality of our student’s education. Many of our districts are already finding efficiencies in their systems that we can build upon in this collaboration with KnowledgeWorks.”

Strickland has asked KnowledgeWorks to report back on its findings by December 2010 for consideration in the next biennial budget and the 2011-2012 school year. The project will be funded by KnowledgeWorks and potentially other private funders.