Daily Digest: Merit Pay for Teachers, Fitter Students, Education Olympics, and More

Merit pay for teachers getting step closer – “Foreshadowing changes in how teachers are paid, some central Ohio school districts have stopped planning for so-called step raises, which are pay bumps based on seniority. District school boards can’t unilaterally end the raises that have been a part of Ohio schools for decades, but school treasurers have included vague references to “possible” merit pay or to-be-determined raises in financial forecasts, in place of allotments for step raises.” The Columbus Dispatch

Cincinnati schools may lose top rating – “Preliminary data from the Ohio Department of Education rates CPS in “Continuous Improvement” for the 2011-12 school year. That’s a drop of one rating from the district’s previous status of “Effective.”” Cincinnati.com

Fitter kids, better grades? – “The fitter the middle school students were, the better they did on reading and math tests, says researcher Sudhish Srikanth, a University of North Texas student. He presented his research Friday at the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando.” www.daytondailynews.com

Education Olympics: How Does the U.S. Rank? – “The United States left the 2012 London Olympics with 104 medals in tow. But how do we stack up against the world when it comes to education? According to this infograph by Certification Map, the U.S. — which leads in gold medal count — is ranked seventh in high school graduation rates, trailing countries like Germany, Japan and Great Britain.” PBS NewsHour