State report cards show improvement in some districts, more of the same in others

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce uses multiple data points from public schools to determine the districts’ ratings. The five categories that go into the overall rating are achievement, gap closing, early literacy, graduation and progress.

Achievement and progress are most heavily weighted into the equation. Achievement includes how students did on state testing, and progress is the statistical analysis used to measure academic growth of students from year to year, according to ODEW.

While five stars is the best a district can do, a district “meeting expectations” is a 3.5-3 star district. Below that rating, districts are considered to need state support to meet their goals.

The report also has a college, career, workforce and military readiness component that measures how ready students are to achieve outside of the K-12 system. But the state has not yet begun to include this component into the overall system and it won’t be rated as an individual component on this report card.

Statewide, math proficiency was up over last year, improving from 53% in all grades and all students in the 2022-2023 school year to 2023-2024. However, there was no additional improvement in English Language arts.

How local districts did

Oakwood and Marion Local in Mercer County received two of the top four spots in overall rating points, both with 4.983 points overall. Marion Local got the highest rating in performance index in the state, 99.4.

“While we celebrate this achievement, we recognize that there is always room for growth,” Oakwood superintendent Neil Gupta said. “This year, we look forward to advancing into the next phase of our special education audit, ensuring that we provide the best possible support for every student in our district. Together, we look forward to the work ahead.”

Credit: Jim Noelker

Credit: Jim Noelker

Dayton Public attributed the gains the district had made on its report card to its new superintendent and team.

“I am very proud of the improvements we’ve seen over the last year,” said DPS superintendent Dr. David Lawrence. “While there is still work to be done, these results show that our Academic Action Plan is having a real impact and is truly improving student achievement at all levels. We look forward to advancing the Academic Action Plan this year to continue this upward momentum.”

DPS noted the gains the district had were made while Lawrence was interim superintendent and expects more of these gains to be made in the future.

Dayton Public is also no longer the lowest-performing district in the Ohio 8, the eight districts located in big cities that have traditionally underperformed. Youngstown was the lowest-performing district on the 2023-24 report cards. Cleveland Municipal Schools performed the highest, earning a 3-star rating, meaning the district met state expectations.

Fairborn schools touted a 4-star rating, up from last year’s 3.5-star rating. The district’s individual components improved in three of the five categories in the 2023-2024 report card, including a 3-star early literacy rating, 5 stars in gap closing and 3 stars in early literacy.

“The district is focused on academic excellence and the 4-Star rating is commendable,” said Fairborn superintendent Gene Lolli. “We are setting the bar high and will continue to look at data and academic supports for our students.”

Lolli commended Sue Brackenhoff, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction.

Centerville Schools noted in a statement that the district had gotten 5 stars for the second year in a row. The district also received 5-star ratings in progress, gap closing, and graduation rate components, and 4 stars in the areas of achievement and early literacy.

“This accomplishment reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire school community and showcases our commitment to empowering, challenging, and supporting every student to grow every day,” said Centerville superintendent Jon Wesney.

Bellbrook schools again received 5 stars overall, with five stars in each category except for graduation, where the district was awarded 4 stars.

“For the second consecutive year, we are very pleased to see the ODEW back up what everyone in our district already knows, we are a 5-star district backed by a 5-star community,” Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools superintendent Doug Cozad said. “This certainly doesn’t come without the hard work of our entire staff, from teachers to transportation, support staff to maintenance and everyone in between.”

Jefferson Twp. local schools was the lowest-performing district in the state for a second year in a row and got 1.5 stars, again the only district in the state to do so.

Interim superintendent Rusty Clifford said the district is working through a new strategic plan, set in place over the summer, and expects to see more improvements next year.

“Jefferson Township has a Strategic Plan and we are laser-focused on continuous process improvement,” Clifford said in a statement. “Our collective self-discipline and grit will produce significant gains in student achievement, early literacy, and graduation on the 2024-25 State Report Card and beyond!”

Trotwood-Madison and Northridge districts each received 2 stars. Northridge received 3 stars in graduation while Trotwood got 1 star, but otherwise the districts did similarly on this year’s report card, with both earning 2 stars in gap closing and one star in early literacy. Trotwood received 2 stars in progress and Northridge received 1 star.

Trotwood-Madison and Northridge districts each received 2 stars. Northridge received 3 stars in graduation. Trotwood got 1 star, but otherwise the districts did similarly on this year’s report card, with both earning 2 stars in gap closing and 1 star in early literacy. Trotwood received 2 stars in progress and Northridge received 1 star.

Trotwood interim superintendent Marlon Howard said the district plans to look at the data and use it to continue to improve the district. One space already identified is chronic absenteeism, he said.

“Students cannot learn if they are not in school or late to school chronically,” Howard said. “We plan to look at this information and use it to develop targeted strategies to help support students in this category get to school on time and ready to learn.”

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Northridge superintendent David Jackson said Northridge is optimistic about improvements in graduation rates and science of reading.

“By working together as a community, we will create a supportive environment that fosters both attendance and achievement, ensuring a brighter future for all our students,” Jackson said.