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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 1
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2 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
Sadowsky seeks to make connections as director of Mandel JCC ECC KATERYNA KOPYLCHAK kkopylchak@cjn.org
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he Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland Early Childhood Center in Beachwood is entering a new chapter under the leadership of director Jill Sadowsky, who brings decades of experience in early childhood education and social work to the role. The center serves children from infancy through pre-K with year-round, full-day programming. Swimming lessons are included in the program, which also serves as an entry point into the broader Mandel JCC community for many families. Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the Mandel JCC, said early childhood programming is often a family’s first connection to The J. “Early childhood is often the very first door families walk through at our Mandel JCC,” Rosen told the Cleveland Jewish News. “Jill brings decades of leadership, deep roots in our community and incredible heart to our program. Our primary goals are to strengthen family partnerships, support our talented educators and ensure every child
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experiences joy, growth and belonging from day one.” Sadowsky, a licensed social worker and parent, holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in social work from Yeshiva University in New York City. Before returning to the Mandel JCC in 2023, she spent 26 years at Bellefaire JCB, where she supervised the JDN Early Childhood Center. Sadowsky said her background in both education and social work has shaped her approach to early childhood development and working with families. “I’m most excited to welcome new families and help them feel they’ve found a
true home away from home,” Sadowsky told the CJN. “As a licensed social worker and parent, I know early childhood is about far more than academics – it’s about building relationships, fostering social-emotional growth, and sparking curiosity.” Rosen said the center looked for a leader who could build strong relationships with parents, support teachers and maintain an active presence in the school. “We looked for proven leadership, high emotional intelligence and authentic warmth,” Rosen said. “Our director needs to be a trusted partner to parents, a strong support system for teachers and an active, visible presence in the school every day.” The center emphasizes play-based learning and social-emotional development, while providing opportunities for families to connect with the larger Mandel JCC community. Sadowsky said she wants children, parents and staff members to feel valued and connected under her leadership. “I want every child, parent and staff member to feel known, valued and connected,” she said. “Parents should feel confident they have an accessible, engaged
partner in their child’s journey.” Looking ahead, Sadowsky said she hopes to build on the center’s existing reputation while enhancing its play-based curriculum and creating opportunities for families to experience Jewish life together. “Ultimately, I want us to remain a vibrant home where children develop confidence and resilience, and where families know they belong for generations to come,” Sadowsky said. Liza Adams and Jackie Gordon left their roles as co-directors of the Early Childhood Center in summer 2025. Sadowsky initially stepped in as interim director while a national search for the next leader was launched. “Jill was so beloved by both our teachers and families, and she stepped in so seamlessly to lead our incredible team of teachers and support staff, that we ultimately realized the perfect leader was already here,” Rosen said. “We’re really excited about the new school year and all that’s ahead for the Early Childhood Center under Jill’s leadership.”
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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 3
Dance can boost physical, mental health CASEY SWINARSKI cswinarksi@cjn.org
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eyond the studio, 5-6-7-8 is more than a numerical direction. For students looking for a physical extracurricular activity that builds skills both on and off the barre, dance can offer physical, academic and mental benefits. “It’s a great option for kids to stay healthy, active and moving their bodies,” Sarah Sumbrum, marketing and artistic director at DANCECleveland, said. “But there’s also a lot of academic benefits that studies have found as well, so dance not only helps physically, but also mentally and across different disciplines.” Sumbrum Citing numbers as an example, Sumbrum said that dance can help students develop skills in subjects such as math, as dancers regularly count steps and learn to differentiate between numbers, rhythms and beats. Dancers also develop multitasking and prioritization skills, she said. Older dancers, for example, often balance rehearsals with schoolwork and jobs, skills that can carry into adulthood. “As they get older, those skills carry into their adulthood, no matter whether or not they go into a career in dance,” Sumbrum said. Dance can also provide mental health benefits. Physical activity releases endorphins, which can help improve mood, she said. This can be particularly valuable during Cleveland’s winters, when students may spend less time outdoors. “When you’re moving your body, endorphins are going to be released,” Sumbrum said. “That often will help lift your mood, and making sure that you stay healthy mentally in the winters here in Cleveland is so important. Dance is a great outlet for that because it’s indoor in a studio, where some sports are required to be outdoors in the winter.” DANCECleveland also incorporates movement into classroom learning through its “Read to Learn, Dance to Move” program for prekindergarten and kindergarten students in the Lorain City School District and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. According to Sumbrum, students who have difficulty focusing, including some students with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, can benefit from incorporating movement and dance into the learning process. “When you see students apply movement into their learning, whether it’s in a dance studio or if it’s in a public school classroom, you really do see the benefits of adding movement into the learning process,” she said. “Because every student learns differently, and some students are physical learners, adding movement into the way that they’re learning the information is always really interesting to see that benefit.” For parents considering dance as an extracurricular activity, Sumbrum recommends first considering where their child will thrive and what goals they have for the activity. “Maybe you have a child that is very competitive and excels in that type of environment, or they like to be pushed and have a goal that they have to reach,” Sumbrum said. “If so, you might want to find a studio that is more on the competitive side. If you have a student that gets really anxious in that type of environment, you’re going to want to find a school that’s more of a recreational dance environment that
has maybe a more creative approach.” Ultimately, she said, parents should focus on finding an environment that matches their child’s interests and personality. “It’s about figuring out what it is about movement and dance that makes your child happy, and finding a school that aligns,” Sumbrum said. “Every school is different.” DANCECleveland will host “Dance Career Day” on Oct. 24 at Tri-C Metro Campus in Cleveland for high school students and their parents. The event will allow attendees to meet dance professionals from a variety of fields and learn about pathways to careers in dance. For more information, visit DANCECleveland.org.
DANCECleveland employees incorporate movement into the classroom through the organization’s “Read to Learn, Dance to Move” program. | Submitted photo
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4 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
AI reshapes education as schools navigate its use SHAWNA POLSTER wolfintern@cjn.org
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hen ChatGPT was released by OpenAI in 2022, schools were faced with a challenging question: What do we do about AI? Since then, artificial intelligence has expanded rapidly, with thousands of new platforms being developed. Rennie Greenfield, the instruction Greenfield technologist of Hawken School in Chester Township, said that while many teachers were initially averse to AI, they have since realized that they need to adapt to it. “It’s here, it’s not going away, and we’ve got to deal with it,” Greenfield said. Each school has implemented different policies regarding AI. Greenfield said that some schools have completely reverted to pen and paper assignments and assessments to avoid AI completely. He said that Hawken has taken a different approach, including limiting take-home essays and implementing a “flipped classroom” teaching style in some classes. According to Greenfield, a flipped classroom is an idea that arose about 15 years ago, where students learn content outside of school, and apply it through activities, assignments and assessments during class time. While this concept was not created to combat cheating using AI, Greenfield said it is a good way for teachers to ensure that students are doing their own work and not shortcutting it with AI. “You don’t take the students’ class time doing the lecture, because that’s something the students could absorb at home,” he said. “And there’s no way to cheat on watching a lecture, you either watched it or you didn’t.” In addition to altering teaching and assessment styles, schools are implementing technology to scan for and limit AI use. Platforms like Turnitin scan documents for AI use and provide a report on the originality of the writing. Other AI detectors use live monitoring to prevent students from using AI on assignments. “There’s a nice AI plugin called Brisk that will show up on a Google Doc and it will allow you to see a video of the student typing in real time and let you know if there were
copy and pastes,” Greenfield said. AI is not an intrinsically evil technology, he noted. It does have many benefits, including in the classroom. “AI for students is phenomenal for tutoring, research and iterative feedback,” he said. ChatGPT has a feature called study mode, Claude has a version of Claude called Claude for Education with a learning mode and other AI platforms have their own study tools to help students learn content. Greenfield said that features like these provide real learning support that is more accessible than human tutors. “Some of our students already have tutors, and they can pay for them, that’s great,” he said. “Some of them can’t afford them. No tutor is available at 10:30 at night on a Sunday. This is just this incredible, patient tutor that will be with you always. So we tell students to absolutely lean into using it that way.” In addition to scholastic purposes, knowing how to work with AI is becoming an increasingly significant part of many industries. To prepare for the workforce, some schools feel that it is important for students to be fluent in AI. “This is a technology that will be here in the future that honestly, employers will want their employees to have some facility with,” Greenfield said. “And so again, forward focus preparation for the real world, we do have to teach them. But we really do want to teach them to use it ethically.” With AI constantly changing and becoming more intertwined with society, it is clear that there is no single answer for how schools should limit and utilize AI. Greenfield said that Hawken, along with K-12 schools around the country, will continue to adjust to this developing technology. “To be perfectly honest, we’re still figuring it out,” he said. “We’re doing well, but I think everybody is still kind of building this plane while it’s in the air.” Shawna Polster is the Linda and Clifford Wolf Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.
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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 5
Application process can include tests, essays, transcripts SHAWNA POLSTER wolfintern@cjn.org
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he 2026 college application season has officially begun, ever since the Common Application opened on Aug. 1. Many high school seniors are juggling the different requirements that go into each school’s application, from essays to test scores to application fees. The Cleveland Jewish News spoke to three Ohio college representatives about what students need to know when applying to their universities. Sean Broghammer, vice president for enrollment management at Kent State University, said that KSU accepts applications through the Common App or the kent.edu website. This includes submitting background information, an application fee and a high school transcript. As of Aug. 1, KSU is eliminating the $50 undergraduate application fee for Ohio residents. And if prospective first-year students tour the campus and enroll at KSU by Nov. 30, they will receive a new $1,000 scholarship, awarded at $250 per year, the university announced July 27. Broghammer said KSU admissions place a heavy emphasis on transcripts, feeling that it is more reflective of students’ abilities than ACT and SAT scores, which are optional to submit at Kent. The ACT is scored out of 36 points, with 36 considered a perfect score, and the SAT is scored out of 1,600 points, with 1,600 considered a perfect score. “Our view is that a student’s transcript is really a stronger indicator for Kent State students in terms of how they performed academically over a four-year period, as opposed to a single sitting for a standardized test,” he said. Similarly, John Carroll University in University Heights has adopted a test optional policy. Mike Andelbradt, assistant vice president for enrollment and director of admission at JCU, explained that even if a student submits test scores, they will only be taken into account if they are beneficial to their application. “We practice a no-harm testing policy, which is relatively unique,” Andelbradt said. “Basically, this means that should a student submit their test score, we will only consider it if it helps their admission chances or their merit scholarship opportunity.” JCU allows students to apply through the Common App or Coalition Application. Andelbradt said that in the essay and activity section of the application, the JCU admissions team hopes to see prospective students highlight their passions and interests. “When we’re reading applications, we try to answer two questions,” Andelbradt said. “We say, one, can this student succeed academically at John Carroll University, and, two, will this person contribute positively to the John Carroll University community. A lot of that is who they are as a person.”
“I encourage students to apply to multiple schools to get a feel for the campus, the community and find the fit that works for them.” Sean Broghammer Kent State University
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Ursuline College in Pepper Pike does admission a little differently. While Ursuline has a no-harm testing policy like JCU, it does require test scores for admission to certain programs. “Students need to submit official ACT or SAT scores only if they are applying to the 3+4 pharmacy program with Duquesne University or our LECOM programs for dentistry, pharmacy and medicine,” Kelly Tomory, Ursuline’s director of undergraduate enrollment, said. In addition to applying through the Common App or apply.ursuline.edu, Ohio seniors can now be admitted to Ursuline through the Ohio Direct Admissions Program, which will launch this year. According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education website, this program will allow the class of 2027 to be accepted into certain Ohio colleges without even applying, as long as they meet academic requirements such as “GPA, class rank and/or standardized test scores.” Regardless of which method students use to apply, Tomory advised them to take their time and put their best
foot forward. “Don’t rush,” she said. “Make sure that somebody has looked over your information, it is correct and you’ve completed all the sections, including activities. Don’t have AI write your essay or personal statement. Students can use AI to proofread the essay, but not to write it.” According to Andelbradt, four of JCU’s pillars that he looks for in applications are character, intellect, leadership and service. He said that one of the most important things for prospective students to focus on when applying to college is whether their personal values align with those of the school. “When you are applying to that college, a really easy trick would be to Google or search that university’s mission,” Andelbradt said. “When you find the mission statement that they have on their website, you get a quick glimpse into ultimately what they’re looking for, how they’re looking to make an impact on the community and how the type of students that they’re bringing in to help make that impact as well.” Broghammer said that one of the best pieces of advice he has for seniors applying to college is to keep an open mind. “I encourage students to apply to multiple schools to get a feel for the campus, the community and find the fit that works for them,” he said. “Students oftentimes can establish that fit by visiting campus, so we always encourage students to visit the university if they can.” Shawna Polster is the Linda and Clifford Wolf Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.
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6 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
Financial aid can help ease burden of cost of college SHAWNA POLSTER wolfintern@cjn.org
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ith the cost of college on the rise, many families and students are concerned about paying for an undergraduate education. Despite high costs, colleges and universities offer financial aid options to help reduce the impact of tuition prices. Sean Broghammer, vice president for enrollment management at Kent State University, said that while the price of college may seem high initially, once scholarships and grants are factored in, tuition can decrease significantly. “There’s a sticker price which is right around $14,000 for Kent State,” Broghammer said. “But then there’s what is referred to as the net price, the price students or families should be expected to pay that’s dependent on scholarships.” At Kent State and many other universities, these scholarships can take many forms. Some scholarships are automatically provided and do not require an application to receive. As of Aug. 1, Kent State is eliminating the $50 undergraduate application fee for Ohio residents. And if prospective first-year students tour the campus and enroll at Kent State by Nov. 30, they will receive a new $1,000 scholarship, awarded at $250 per year, the university announced July 27. “The way that we do it at Kent State, and I think for many universities, is when you apply to college, they automatically take into account your academic credentials and anything else they may glean from your application,” Broghammer said. “That may qualify you for automatic admission scholarships or what we refer to as merit scholarships.” At John Carroll University in University Heights, the scholarship process begins the same way. Mike Andelbradt, assistant vice president for enrollment and director of admission at John Carroll, said the university also provides merit scholarships right after admission. “The first step for any student would be to apply to John Carroll University,” Andelbradt said. “Once they apply, their application will be reviewed by their admissions counselor and then should they be offered admission, they will receive a merit scholarship. This scholarship is based on high school GPA, involvement, strength of curriculum and if they choose to submit test scores, they are factored in if they help the student.” If students are still looking for more aid after the automatic scholarships, John Carroll, Kent State and many other universities have additional options. Broghammer said that there are many scholarships available for students to apply for
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that are tied to hometown, major, first-generation or other factors. “Most universities, including Kent State, have supplemental scholarship applications,” he said. “For example, we have a program called Scholarship Universe where, once a student is admitted for the next year, they’re able to go in and explore all the various scholarships that they may be eligible for.” Similarly, John Carroll has a portal where admitted students can apply for additional scholarships. As a private institution, John Carroll’s tuition is the same for in-state and outof-state students at $51,650. Andelbradt said with the help of your admissions counselor, students can receive enough scholarship money to make the education more affordable. “Once you’re admitted, you receive your merit scholarships,” Andelbradt said. “Students are then able to use their admitted student portal to look to see if there are any scholarships that match their background, academic interests and maybe alumni funded scholarships.” Many universities also offer need-based financial aid. For example, Kent State offers grants for students requiring more financial support. “These would be for families from lowerincome households where they’d be eligible for need based grants. They wouldn’t always know those things up front until they go through the financial aid process,” Broghammer said. Broghammer and Andelbradt also recommend looking outside universities for financial aid. They suggested local community scholarships and federal loans through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which opens on Oct. 1. “Start now,” Broghammer said. “Start your research early. Really pursue and exhaust all of those options so you really have a good idea of what aid may be available to you to help with your education.” Shawna Polster is the Linda and Clifford Wolf Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.
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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 7
Extracurricular activities can round out high school experience A. KEVIN CORVO
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oined more than two centuries ago to quantify the fundamental tenets of a public education in the early 1800s, students in middle school and high school today have far more to learn and engage in than the three R’s of reading, writing and arithmetic. Not only are students studying subject matter not taught or even conceived of in the 19th century, but students often participate in a variety of clubs, sports and extracurricular activities. Achieving a balance between the two can be a challenge but is important when preparing to attend college or enter a post high-school career, according to the staff of some middle and high-school education all institutions. Matt Simon, upper school director at the Hawken School in Chester Township, said he suggests students as freshman and sophomores determine what extracurricular activities give them a “sense of purpose” and to effectively pair it with their academic workload. “Colleges want students to be ready
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for the academic lift (of collegiate-level classes),” and use standardized test scores, grade-point-averages and strength of class schedule to determine it, Simon said. “But colleges are also looking at what kind of community member a students will make on their campus,” he said. Achieving a balance between academia and extracurricular activity is an important consideration in preparing for college, according to Simon. “There can be a danger in being too focused (on one or the other),” Simon, citing as a possible example a student becoming so focused on academia and grade point average that it adversely affects behavior, said.
“If you’re so stressed that you’re not pleasant to be around,” that should be an indicator to take a second look at your schedule, he said. But students should not fall into a cruisecontrol mode that presents no challenge whatsoever, according to Simon. “We want students to a schedule as challenging as it can possibly be and yet thrive,” Simon said. In searching for the best extracurricular fit, students should explore, according to Simon. “Ask yourself, what gives you a sense of purpose (and) belonging,” he said. “We suggest freshman explore options to learn what does,” which at Hawken School include speech and debate, Science Olympiad, outdoor leadership, and a variety of STEM clubs, Simon said. “By the time our students are in the 11th grade, we hope they are rooted in what interests them the most, and then find they are also good at it,” Simon said. “Finding the intersection of what interests them and where they are also successful is a hard combination to beat.” Hillary Teague, associate director of
college guidance at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, said students at the Laurel School are told to view extracurricular activities as a vehicle for personal growth essential to success at the collegiate level. “While extracurricular activities are a quintessential part of the high school experience, too many students see them as a checklist item for college admissions,” Teague said. “In actuality, involvement in team or community-based activities provides invaluable opportunities for personal growth,” she said. “Students learn vital time management skills and while parents may want to steer the schedule, students must take the wheel.” “They also learn the value of showing up, honoring commitments, and collaborating with others, even in competitive arenas. These skills translate directly to classroom success and future career mobility. Most importantly, we shouldn’t lose sight of a simpler truth- sometimes students should join an activity simp-ly because it brings them joy.” A. Kevin Corvo is a freelance journalist.
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8 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
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AT and ACT scores are regaining importance in the college admissions process as some colleges and universities move away from test-optional policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. While standardized test scores are only one part of an application, education professionals say strong scores can strengthen a student’s application, even at colleges where submitting them remains optional. “I think the big answer to that is they matter more than they did a couple of years ago,” Susan Henschel, senior consultant at the College Review in Pepper Pike, said. “And the trend is swinging back requiring SATs and ACTs. I think the key is remembering that test optional doesn’t mean irrelevant.” Henschel said students applying to highly selective colleges should expect standardized testing to play a role in the admissions process. Even at test-optional schools, a strong score can provide another way for students to demonstrate their academic abilities. “Basically, with the overinflation of GPA, colleges are finding that test scores could really give a truer picture of the student,” Henschel said. “Test scores predict college performance better than GPA alone.” Andrew Cruse, a director at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, said the current testing landscape is partly a reversal of changes that occurred during the pandemic. Before COVID-19, most colleges required applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores, he said. Test-optional admissions existed before the pandemic but became much more common when students had limited access to standardized testing. “What we are coming out of is the wave of the test optional landscape that colleges mostly adopted as a result of COVID,” Cruse said. As colleges accumulated several years of data, some began reconsidering those policies and returning to standardized testing requirements, he said. Cruse pointed to The Ohio State University in Columbus as one example of a school that has returned to requiring scores. “So, test scores absolutely still matter,” Cruse said. “And they also matter where they aren’t required.” Despite renewed attention on testing, grades and the difficulty of a student’s high school curriculum generally remain more important in the admissions process, Cruse said. “At the top of the list of things that matter to colleges is, of course, grades in high school
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coursework and the level at which those courses were taken,” he said. Colleges look at whether students challenged themselves academically through Advanced Placement, honors or other advanced coursework and how well they performed. Test scores can then provide additional context to a student’s overall academic record, Cruse said. “We want to see strong grades and a rigorous curriculum, and then let testing fall where it can in order to assist or not assist,” he said. For families deciding whether a student should take the SAT or ACT, Henschel recommended viewing standardized testing as another way to understand the student’s academic standing. “Going to college is often a family’s second biggest investment besides their home,” Henschel said. “And they want to have a firm understanding of where the student is academically.” Cruse said families should also avoid allowing one part of the admissions process to overshadow the larger goal of finding the right college. “At Laurel, we really try to focus on fit and making sure students are finding places where they’re going to thrive and be successful,” he said.
“Going to college is often a family’s second biggest investment besides their home. And they want to have a firm understanding of where the student is academically.” Susan Henschel College Review
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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 9
Lack of Z’s can keep you from getting all A’s SHAWNA POLSTER
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tudents slumped onto desks is not an uncommon scene in many schools. With the school day typically starting promptly between 7 to 9 a.m., some students attend their classes running off of just a few hours of sleep. Sharon Baker, the director of middle school at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Baker Heights, said that many students are not getting as much sleep as they should. “They really need a full night to be their most successful. I think eight hours for adolescents at a minimum would be what we’re shooting for,” he said. “I think their little bodies would probably crave 10 hours to 11 hours of sleep, but they do need a full night of sleep.” Baker said that there has seemed to be an increase in students being sleep deprived in school, a trend she attributes to cellphone use. “When smartphones became really significantly prevalent in the adolescent years, when you were seeing 10, 11 and up, every single one of those kids having their own personal device and one that was so bright and had so much access, we saw a real dip in sleep,” she said. “We were seeing kids coming to school very, very tired, who were reporting going to bed at midnight, past midnight.” Lack of sleep can impact students’ performance in school. Baker said that she has noticed teachers needing to repeat their instructions and students forgetting what they read due to sleep deprivation. “When they are overly tired, they are just sluggish. It’s hard for them to sustain attention,” she said. “They definitely wear out over the course of the day faster. I think their memory is pretty significantly impacted.” Since children and adolescents are growing increasingly fast during these years, sleep is particularly vital. Baker said that without enough sleep, the brain does not have the energy it needs to function, develop and learn. “Like any muscle, it needs to rest in order to be prepared for learning at the rates that they’re expected to learn for a full day each
day,” Baker said. From 2020 to 2021, the National Survey of Children’s Health found that 35.9% of children from 4 months old to 14 years old had insufficient sleep in the state of Ohio, the 19th highest out of every state. This percentage is not going unnoticed. In response to widespread sleep deprivation, more discussion regarding healthy sleep practices or “sleep hygiene” has been occurring. Schools, including Hathaway Brown, are taking measures to support and educate students about sleep hygiene. “We had some education around the biological impact and neurological impact of developing brains and how much you need sleep,” Baker said. “We’ve been having a lot of conversations with them about why it’s really important to establish a healthy sleep routine. Just as you would establish a healthy hygiene or skincare routine, a healthy sleep routine is equally important.” A major factor of sleep hygiene is technology use. Using phones, televisions or other electronic devices can keep students’ brains awake and prevent them from being able to sleep, Baker said. Some schools are also realizing that their workload is impacting the sleep of their students. “We are very thoughtful about how much outside of school day work we assign students,” Baker said. “We try to make sure that that students are not spending three, four hours a night working on schoolwork after a full school day and then after school activities.” Baker said she hopes that parents will have conversations with their children to ensure that are the best versions of themselves that they can be. “I see families and students being more mindful of the importance of sleep,” she said. “Thinking about the impact on your body and your brain afterwards is something that you just want to make sure that they understand and know.” Shawna Polster is the Linda and Clifford Wolf Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.
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10 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
As test-optional admissions take hold, families, advisers report new set of blind spots SUSAN HENSCHEL Special to the CJN
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ore than 80% of four-year colleges in the U.S. no longer require SAT or ACT scores for admission, a shift that accelerated during the pandemic and has largely held. But counselors, admissions consultants and financial aid advisers say the change is producing a side effect few families anticipated: less information about where students actually stand academically – and, in some cases, costly missteps in how college savings are structured. PLACEMENT EXAMS ARE SURFACING GAPS GPAS DIDN’T SHOW One local case illustrates the pattern advisors describe. A high school senior with a 4.2 weighted GPA and four years of honors Henschel coursework was admitted to every college on her list without ever sitting for the SAT or ACT. Her family saw no reason to add a standardized test to an already demanding senior year. The first outside measurement of her academic standing came months later, in the form of freshman placement exams. She placed two courses below where her transcript indicated, in both math and writing. “She had the grades,” her mother said. “A test score felt like it was just there to trip her up.” Admissions consultants say the case is not unusual. Colleges that don’t require testing at the application stage still frequently require placement exams once students enroll —
exams that can carry real costs, including remedial coursework that doesn’t count toward a degree and delayed graduation timelines. “Families sometimes treat test-optional as test-irrelevant,” one consultant who works with high schoolers said. “But a test score was never really about getting past a gatekeeper. It was one of the only standardized data points a family had to check their own assumptions against.” GRADE INFLATION COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM, RESEARCHERS SAY National transcript studies have tracked a steady rise in average high school GPAs over the past two decades, even as standardized test scores nationally have held flat or declined. Advisors point to retake policies, extended deadlines and lighter penalties for late work – now common in many districts – as factors that can lift a GPA without a proportional gain in mastery. The result, they say, is transcripts that look uniformly strong but reveal little about where a specific student stands relative to a broader population – information the SAT and ACT used to supply by default to nearly every
applicant. Test-prep and tutoring companies report that demand for outside diagnostic tools hasn’t disappeared even as fewer students are required to test. The College Review, a Cleveland-area company founded in 1989, is among those now marketing standalone diagnostic assessments as a way to flag academic gaps before they surface on a college syllabus. A SECOND, LESS-VISIBLE ISSUE: HOW SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ARE TITLED Financial aid advisers flag a separate and unrelated issue that they say catches families just as often: the legal ownership structure of college savings. Assets held in a custodial account under a student’s name – commonly a UTMA account – are assessed at a significantly higher rate under the federal financial aid formula than assets held in a parent’s name. Families who move money into a child’s name years earlier, often on a bank adviser’s recommendation for tax purposes, sometimes don’t learn about the aidformula difference until a FAFSA submission returns a lower-than-expected offer. Advisors say the mismatch is rarely due to bad intent. “It’s usually a well-meaning recommendation for tax advantages, made without walking through how it interacts with aid formulas years down the road,” one adviser said. WHAT COUNSELORS AND ADVISERS ARE RECOMMENDING Financial planners and admissions
consultants interviewed on the topic point to three steps they say families should take before senior year, not after: Take the SAT or ACT at least once, even when applying to test-optional schools, to establish an outside benchmark alongside GPA. Ask a school counselor directly how the high school’s grading and retake policies compare with those of neighboring districts. Review how any college savings accounts are titled, and how that titling will be treated on the FAFSA, well before the aid application is due. Advisors say the underlying issue in both cases is the same: information that used to reach families automatically – through a test score or a savings account statement – now requires families to seek it out themselves, earlier than they may expect. Susan Henschel is senior consultant of The College Review, which is based in Pepper Pike. Content provided by advertising partner
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Students flip for gymnastics because of its benefits CASEY SWINARSKI cswinarksi@cjn.org
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he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children ages 6 to 17 get 60 minutes of activity a day, including muscle- and bonestrengthening work three days a week. A gymnastics class can hit all of these targets at once, as the CDC classifies gymnastics as both a bone-strengthening and muscle-strengthening activity. According to Irene Graber, owner and operator of Lakeshore Dance and Gymnastics in Mayfield, gymnastics is great for students who are looking to develop full-body strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. “Along with all that, the cardio fitness and benefits from weight-bearing movement is great for them as well,” Graber
said. “Gymnastics also creates body awareness; that is something that transfers to nearly every other sport.” Other benefits include improved focus and attention span, especially in younger athletes, Graber said. According to a 2025 study in Frontiers in Psychology, a 12-week structured gymnastics program can improve both static and dynamic balance in children ages 3 to 6. Beam work, jumping and landing drills can help give children practice in these areas, as those are the years that balance can develop the quickest in a child. “They are learning to build skills step by step towards a bigger goal,” Graber said. Outside of the gym, Graber said that gymnastics can help teach athletes discipline, resilience and work ethic. When working to move up through the levels, gymnasts must set goals and work towards accomplishing them in a time frame
that works for them and works with their other commitments. “Many athletes, as they progress, and maybe even become part of the team, learn time management,” Graber said. “They have to balance practice, school and other commitments.” When determining what gym might be a good fit for a child, she said that parents should look for safety practices, Graber proper equipment and mats, and appropriate student-to-coach ratios. “Our younger athletes require a lower ratio than our older students,” Graber said. “We want to make sure everyone is GYMNASTICS | CONTINUED ON PAGE 61
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getting the proper coaching and attention.” According to Graber, another important factor to watch for is whether coaches push for excellence in a way that is encouraging versus one that is harsh or overly pressure driven. Graber recommends watching a class, if possible, to see how coaches work with their athletes. “We have a very open concept gym with a waiting area where parents are welcome to stay
AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 11 and watch,” Graber said. “We also strive to teach proper foundational skills over rushing kids into flashy tricks. Rushing can lead to injury or bad habits; building skills takes time and repetition.” Additionally, knowing the gym’s policies and whether or not they offer makeup classes for recreational students is something that Graber said all parents should ask about before joining a gym. While each gym may offer something different, trying out different options may be the best way to determine what gym is the best fit for a child before getting started.
The interior of Lakeshore Dance and Gymnastics in Mayfield. | Submitted photo
Volunteer tutors work to improve literacy in schools
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reater Cleveland Volunteers is preparing volunteer tutors for the 2026-27 school year as part of its effort to improve literacy among elementary school students in Cuyahoga County. The organization partners with AARP Foundation Experience Corps, a tutoring program focused on improving literacy among students in first through fourth grades. During the 2025-26 school year, 32 Greater Cleveland Volunteers served as one-on-one tutors for students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Euclid City Schools. By the end of the academic year, 92% of participating students showed improvement in test scores and 79% demonstrated overall improvement in reading performance, according to a news release. In addition, 60% of students reported their tutor had a strong influence on their reading abilities.
Three fourth-grade students began the school year about 1 1/2 to two years behind grade level in reading skills. By the end of the program year, they had nearly caught up to grade level, according to the release. The tutoring program also provides volunteers with an opportunity to support students while becoming more involved in their communities. “AARP Foundation Experience Corps is a rewarding experience for us as Greater Cleveland Volunteers staff, for our volunteers, for our wonderful school partners, and for the students and their families,” Charlotte Petrie, AARP Foundation Experience Corps program manager, said in the release. “Our goal is to be here for the students and to help them grow into more confident learners.” For more information, visit shorturl.at/cJx1Y.
12 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG | AUGUST 21, 2026
Afterschool activities for new school year
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Jump Start Gymnastics - Beachwood
Cleveland City Dance – Shaker Square
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
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AUGUST 21, 2026 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG 13
‘It puts special education back 50 years.’ Ohio advocates concerned over recent federal changes MEGAN HENRY | OHIO CAPITAL JOURNAL
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hio special education advocates fear recent changes to the U.S. Department of Education will cause confusion, delays, and a loss of service to students. The Trump administration announced in June it will move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office for Civil Rights to the U.S. Department of Justice. The special education office is responsible for making sure states follow the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that ensures students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education. The civil rights office investigates complaints from students and families. Dee Marks sits on the Member Organization Council, an arm under the governing board of the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities. “For special education in Ohio, it means the process of children with disabilities getting their needs met just got significantly more complicated,” Marks said. “There’s significant fear that it’s going to degrade the programs and services that have historically been provided under IDEA to the point where students with disabilities will no longer be educated to the level that the law dictates that they should be educated to.” About 14% of Ohio students receive special education services, said Jennifer Webb, past president for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Ohio chapter. “It puts special education back 50 years to when we were diagnosing and trying to fix kids versus identifying them to give them the services they need to help them learn the best,” said Webb, chair of the teacher education programs at Malone University, a private university in Canton. This move also creates a stigma that students with disabilities are viewed as having a medical need first, instead of being viewed as a student first, Marks said. For example, she talked about students with disabilities who are blind. “You have specialized needs, but all of those needs are focused on education … that student navigating the education building, accessing the curriculum, making sure that it’s in braille or audio so that that student has access,” Marks said. She wonders if the focus would now be a medical first model under HHS. “It becomes less about them getting access to the education and more focus on that student who’s blind, which then becomes a big concern that that student might be segregated because they’re different,” Marks said. Robyn Linscott, director of education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, agrees. “Moving IDEA oversight into HHS pushes students with disabilities toward a medical model, where disability is treated as a diagnosis to manage instead of a natural part of human life,” she said in a statement. “When that mindset drives education decisions, students are more likely to be segregated, underestimated, or treated as separate from the school community.” The U.S. Department of Education will continue to be in charge of the statutory responsibilities over special education as required
by federal law, but this shifts the day-to-day operations to HHS. “It adds another layer of complexity because two departments are involved, and one is still going to have the ultimate responsibility for this other department underneath it, but then how does a parent of a child with a disability who has an issue navigate that?” Marks asked. She also wonders how HHS will be able to support students’ educational needs. “The Department of Education has, for decades, been in charge of special education, and all of a sudden they just carve special
education out, send it to Health and Human Services, and they’re not qualified to handle that programming,” she said. This move further shrinks the U.S. Department of Education as President Donald Trump works to fulfill his campaign promise to dismantle the department. The Education Department had announced 10 earlier interagency agreements, or IAAs, with HHS, Labor, Interior, State and Treasury, which transfer several of Education’s responsibilities to those agencies.
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2026 Class of CJN 12 Under 36: Members of the Tribe
Elianna Breetz
Kyle Cohen
Adam Feldenkris
Sarah Kolick
Mikayla Laufer
Toby Lausin
Samuel Evan Milner, Ph.D., J.D.
Yaffa Muhlbaum, MAJNM
Austin Pavilack
Cantor Alyssa Rosenbaum
Holly Sukol
Emily Evans Tuchfeld
Join us for an awards celebration at
56 Social Café & Catering | September 10 • 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $72 and include vegetarian heavy appetizers, beer, wine, soft drinks and dessert by 56 Social Café & Catering. Kosher appetizers and dessert are available upon request. To register, visit cjn.org/12under36. Venue Sponsor: For sponsorship and congratulatory advertising opportunities, contact Gina Lloyd at 216-342-5196 or glloyd@cjn.org
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