State Releases 2014-2015 Ohio School Report Card
The Ohio Department of Education released the second portion of the 2014-2015 Ohio School Report Card on Thursday, February 25, 2016. This latest release includes component grades for “Student Achievement,” “Academic Progress,” and “Gap Closing.”
The "Student Achievement" component grade is calculated by combining two measures: "Indicators Met" and "Performance Index." According to the report, Kings received a 96.9% or an "A" for Indicators Met, which is the scores our students attained on each state-mandated tests. Some of the highlights include:
- 95.6% of 3rd graders were proficient or above in Reading
- 91.3% of 4th graders were proficient or above in Social Studies
- 82.7% of 8th graders were proficient or above in Science
- 97.9% of students in grades 8-10 were proficient or above in Geometry end-of-course exam
There are significant changes in the release of this year’s report card because of recent implementation of new state tests and accountability measures. For many schools and districts—including Kings Local Schools—the new report card shows a decline in academic performance measures following the switch to more rigorous assessments.
Some lawmakers are claiming that this year’s report card does not accurately reflect the reality of the education system in Ohio. “The tests, and, therefore, the grades, violate standards of fairness,” said AJ Wagner, Ohio Board of Education member. “I urge students, parents, and communities to ignore them. These report cards are not just inaccurate, they are harmful to our children, our schools, and our communities.”
“This year’s report card data can be confusing,” said Kings Superintendent, Tim Ackermann. “We always continue to try to get better and will look at this data seriously and will put measures in place to improve next year.” Already this year, new systems are being created including a Response to Intervention Program and Positive Behavior Intervention and Support System. Read more about Kings Literacy Team.
The report card data does not accurately reflect the daily efforts of teachers, support staff, and administrators on behalf of our students. Ackermann states, “We are proud of most of our accomplishments on this year’s report card but we recognize we still have work to do.”
Most importantly, report cards are only one tool used to measure performance and progress. The Kings district released a Quality Profile that includes additional accountability measures that define a high quality education that are not captured by the state report card. “Our Quality Profile provides a more comprehensive picture of the successes of our students,” said Ackermann.