Study Urges Top-to-Bottom Overhaul in Ohio

Academic standards, funding method viewed as needing changes.

If Ohio wants to join the world’s educational elite, state policymakers will need to enact changes that touch nearly every corner of its K-12 system, according to a 96-page policy audit unveiled this week.

The report, drafted by the education policy group Achieve Inc. and the global consulting firm McKinsey and Co., identifies seven common characteristics of the world’s best education systems, including principals who are empowered as instructional leaders, strong intervention for struggling schools, and a fair funding system.

The report then spells out, step by step, policies that its authors believe Ohio needs to put into effect to compete with the likes of Singapore, known for its high math standards, or the State of Victoria in Australia, known for its sophisticated school finance system that relies on detailed cost studies to...