World Class Education

This report from the Ohio Department of Education makes interesting reading. I have only browsed the executive summary but the description of where they want to head to as a state made me stop and think for a minute. As a New Zealander I read the list including, that schools would be

• Organized around instructional leadership of principals and teachers
• Receive funding based on a weighted student formula
• Are accountable for delivery against state standards:
– Student performance
– Implementation of teacher career lattice in cooperation with unions
– Provision of student supports based on systemic diagnosis
• Have the authority and resources and state accountability
• Teachers have a variety of roles and compensation related to the contribution they make

and thought that most of this was covered currently under the present local governance model of education we have in New Zealand. I don't think we could claim to be particularly revolutionary and there are many who would certainly question any claim that we have a world class education system. I wonder how much research Ohio State have done? I must go and read the rest of the report to find out more.