Ohio Department of Education (ODE): In Charge of Primary & Secondary Public Education
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is the organizational department of the Ohio state government. The ODE is accountable for the primary and secondary public education in the Ohio state.
The Ohio State Board of Education is the central body of the department. It is also in charge of the supervision of the department. The board provides work for the Superintendent of Public Instruction who looks after the management of the department. The Ohio Department of Education is headquartered in Columbus.
The ODE is in charge of the execution of the uniform tests mandatory by state and federal law. It includes the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), Ohio Achievement Test (OAT), and the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA, formerly OTELA).
The State Board of Education does not have authority and control over higher education. The public colleges and universities of Ohio State are administered as part of the University System of Ohio by the Ohio Board of Regents and by the boards of trustees of each association.
There are 19 members on the Board of Education. They all have a term of four years. Out of 19 members, 11 members are elected from 11 single-member districts which are created by merging three adjacent Ohio Senate districts. The 8 members are appointed by the governor. These 8 members serve four-year terms.
The terms of elected members are spread out. As a result, half of the board is elected in every even-numbered year. The job openings in the elected membership are filled by selection by the governor. The chairman of the Ohio House of Representatives Education Committee and his or her corresponding person in the Ohio State Senate are ex-officio members.
The ex-officio non-voting members of the board are the chairs of the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate education committees. The board is accountable for the selection of a Superintendent of Public Instruction who supervises and directs the everyday affairs of the Department of Education.
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is an equal opportunity contributor of ADA services. The Ohio State Board of Education is an elected administrative agency of the Ohio state government. It is accountable for the administration of the state’s public K-12 education.
Those who aspire as a teacher in Ohio must have a bachelor’s degree as minimum education qualification. A state-permitted instructor preparation program grants degrees to licensure candidates in most cases. It is in agreement with regulations put in place by the Ohio Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure.
