The Coalition of Essential
Schools is a nationally recognized school reform
movement with almost two decades of experience in providing
leadership for school reform. In Ohio, the Coalition
of Essential Schools has a growing presence and voice.
In 1997, Ohio had six member schools. Currently, 14
Ohio schools are fully affirmed member schools; 17 additional
schools are in some phase of the membership process,
and many more are using the Coalition philosophy and
its Ten Common Principles as a framework for their work.
As the number of schools interested in Coalition grew
dramatically nationwide, the National Center re-organized
into a national office located in Oakland, California
and 2 regional centers. In 1997, the Ohio Department
of Education pledged funds to found the OCES Center.
Today, like many Centers, the Ohio Center is no longer
receiving that system of state funding; instead, also
like many other Centers around the country, the OCES
Center is largely a fees-for-services organization.
To accommodate the needs of our affiliate and member
schools, as well as to respond to the request for
services from other interested schools, the Center
relies on its staff members and a cadre of talented
people who comprise our Ohio CES Faculty.
A most significant change in the Center’s evolution
occurred in the autumn of 2001 when, due to its growth
and diversified yet related initiatives, the Center
changed its name to The Ohio Center for Essential
School Reform. Under this “umbrella,” the
Center still retains the Ohio Coalition of Essential
Schools with its services to member and affiliate
schools and continues to be governed by its own Board
of Trustees.
Additionally, however, new contracts have led to
the following new initiatives:Literacy Curriculum
Alignment Project which works with elementary teachers
and principals to align curriculum, assessment, and
instruction to Ohio’s achievement tests and Quality
Impact Teams where teams of teacher-leaders work intensively
in individual schools whose districts are in Academic
Emergency.
More recently, the Ohio Center for Essential School
Reform has entered an exciting partnership with the Ohio State University, Battelle, and the Educational Council to open a small and intellectually vibrant learning community open to students in Franklin County. Metro High School is designed to serve students who want a personalized and extraordinary learning experience that prepares them for a connected world where math, science and technology are vitally important. All Metro students engage in a personally relevant and academically rigorous curriculum within a safe and trusting environment. For more information, go to www.themetroschool.com.
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