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State Releases Grades on School Districts in Ohio
By: Associated PressBy: Rhyann Green
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Grades are in for schools across Ohio.
In a report released today, the Ohio Department of Education gave each school district and schools an overall grade from A to F. Schools and districts are given a grade in six different categories which contribute to their overall grade. Some of these categories include progress students make, graduation rates, and achievement on standardized tests.
Alexander Local School District and Athens City School District both received ‘C’s. Federal Hocking Local Schools, Nelsonville-York City Schools, and Trimble Local School District received ‘D’s.
Using overall grades remains controversial among some lawmakers and others. Supporters including Republican Gov. John Kasich say it provides clarity. Opponents argue it’s overly simplistic and unduly influenced by local economic status.
“It’s very difficult to get an accurate picture of what’s going on in the district from the state report card alone. According to the state, most of the districts within Ohio are failing, which I don’t believe is the case,” Sara Brumfield, a member of the Federal Hocking Local School Board, wrote in an email to WOUB News.
Brumfield says that Federal Hocking gathers information to produce its own report card. The school hands them out to each household through a newsletter.
“Our version gives parents and voters a more accurate picture of what’s actually happening inside our schools and how our children are progressing in their education,” she wrote.
Schools awaited the overall grading for several years while Ohio changed how they’re evaluated and stopped using designations like “effective” or “continuous improvement.”