Local schools make, exceed grade
Area superintendents provided reflections on the state report cards that were recently released by the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce for their school districts and shared insights into what can be celebrated and where a focus continues for improvement.
School districts across the state were graded on six components this year: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation, Early Literacy and College, Career, Workforce, Military Readiness.
Dalton Local Schools and Triway each received four stars overall, Orrville, Northwestern and Waynedale each received 3.5 stars overall, Norwayne, Smithville, Chippewa, Rittman and neighboring Tuslaw in Stark County all received 4.5 out of 5 stars overall.
“We are very proud of the hard work our students and staff put in every day to strive for excellence,” said Dalton Local Schools Superintendent Steve Watkins. “Our state report card is just one of many indicators of the great things happening at Dalton Local Schools. We were especially pleased to see Dalton Middle School earn a 5-star rating, and our district ranked 70th out of 607 schools in the state for performance index. We are also encouraged by the progress we’ve made in closing learning gaps for our students as both the Achievement and Gap Closing components were 5 Stars.”
Watkins said there is always room to grow and two areas the district is focused on are literacy and readiness for life after graduation. Both Progress and Early Literacy components each received three stars and College, Career Workforce, Military Readiness received one star.
“District-wide, we’ve been investing time and resources into strengthening literacy instruction with our staff, which will have a direct impact on student learning in all subject areas,” he said. “At the same time, with new indicators such as College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness, we are adjusting our programs to better prepare students for their future pathways. With the commitment of our staff, we are confident we will see growth quickly in both of these important areas.”
The state report card is one way to measure success, but it doesn’t tell the full story of everything students and staff achieve each day, Watkins said.
“It does, however, reflect that Dalton Local Schools is moving in a positive direction,” he said. “Families and community members should know that our teachers and staff are committed to continual growth and providing the best opportunities for students both in and out of the classroom.”
Waynedale’s overall rating meets state standards with the district’s graduation rate earning the district five stars, noted Superintendent Jon Ritchie. Waynedale also meets state standards in the areas of student growth, achievement and gap closing. Early Literacy and College, Career, Workforce, Military Readiness both received two stars showing needs support to meet state standards.
“We are confident that we will make improvements in College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness moving forward,” he said in an email. “We are excited to see how our additional preschool class will impact our early literacy progress in the future. We appreciate the support of all stakeholders in our learning community and our district is dedicated to student success.”
Rittman received 4.5 stars and Ritchie said the score “is an aggregate of every employee caring about kids and working together to create an environment that encourages student success.”
All components received four or five stars and Early Literacy received two stars.
“We are continuing to work on our Early Literacy score,” he said in an email. “We have solid core instruction in place and are refining our intervention systems to merit early literacy improvement. Our student growth scores have shown improvement across all student groups. However, we are hyper-focused on our subgroups to close the achievement gap.
“As a district staff, we are never done finding ways to improve. We are continually analyzing data, refining our practices and offering professional development to our staff members. These best practices ensure that we are providing a solid education to our students, supporting families as they grow and change, and involving our community to produce quality graduates and citizens.”
Chippewa Local Schools topped the county in State Report Card results earning a 4.5 out of 5, not only exceeding state standards but also landing the highest rating and performance index score in Wayne County. Chippewa received a five-star rating in Achievement, Gap Closing, Graduation, with a 100 percent graduation rate; and four-star ratings in Progress and Early Literacy; and three-star rating in College and Career Readiness.
“We’re especially proud of our 100 percent graduation rate and the strong results across most categories,” Chippewa Superintendent Tim Adams said in a provided statement. “One area we’re eager to grow is College and Career Readiness. This new category came in at a 3, and we see that as an opportunity. We’re learning from the data and investing in real-world experiences that prepare students for success after graduation.”
Ohio School Report cards and more information are available at Ohio School Report Cards.
