Ohio delays submitting education plan, will review feedback

COLUMBUS (AP) — State officials will spend more time reviewing public feedback before sending federal regulators Ohio’s education and accountability plan under the law that replaced No Child Left Behind.

Ohio intended to submit the plan next month, but educators raised criticisms about the draft, particularly about not reducing standardized testing. State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria says Ohio will wait until a September deadline to submit the final plan and will carefully consider feedback in the meantime.

He says he’ll convene an advisory committee to consider the testing issues.

Ohio has 24 tests, more than required in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which gives states more control over schools and education policy.

DeMaria rebuffed critics’ claims the draft ignored public feedback, noting that its development took a year and involved 15,000 Ohioans.