Morning Read

IMPROVEMENTS SOUGHT IN EDUCATION EVALUATION SYSTEM – As the state of Ohio has moved forward in fundamentally changing the way teachers and principals are evaluated, the new system appears to be more “discerning and rigorous,” but some components need to be improved, according to Ohio’s Student Growth Measures Policy and Practice, a report recently published by the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC).

According to various national reports, prior to the implementation of the new evaluation systems, virtually all teachers were rated similarly and highly. Results from the first year of the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) and Ohio’s Principal Evaluation System (OPES) indicate that the new evaluation is more variable and thorough.

“We would expect to see resistance and uncertainty during such a transformational change, and we did see that through the interviews and surveys we conducted as part of the research,” details the cover memo of the report. “Feedback from teachers and principals is critical to system improvement.”

OHIO ARTS COUNCIL CHIEF HONORED – Ohio Arts Council (OAC) Executive Director Donna S. Collins was inducted into the Association of Ohio Commodores on June 6. The Association of Ohio Commodores is a group of individuals recognized by the Governor of Ohio with the state’s most distinguished honor, The Executive Order of the Ohio Commodore.

The Commodores inducted 12 new members during the association’s annual summer induction dinner at the Hilton Easton in Columbus. Each year outstanding Ohioans are recognized for their business accomplishments, acumen, and leadership with this prestigious honor.

VITAMIN K STUDY RELEASED – Vitamin K, which has been administered to newborns as an injection since it was first recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1961, is vital for blood to clot normally. Despite it being given as standard medical practice since then, vitamin K-deficient bleeding (VKDB) is being seen more often in newborns than it has in decades. Emergency Department physicians at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have recently seen several cases of intracranial bleeding due to parental refusal of the neonatal vitamin K shot.

In a case study published by Karyn Kassis, MD, MPH, in The Journal of Emergency Medicine, a 10-week-old infant presented to the emergency department with increased fussiness over a two-week period. After thorough examination, the infant only appeared to have a pale complexion, flecks of blood in stool and pale mucous membranes. Due to the paleness of the infant, a complete blood count was obtained, demonstrating a profound normocytic anemia. Additional history and testing determined that the infant was presenting with VKDB. Vitamin K was administered via an IV and internal bleeding stopped within 24 hours.