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The Springfield News-Sun digs into important education stories, including recent stories on the Springfield City School District’s improving third grade reading scores.
Springfield City School District is one of five districts statewide to score an F and not meet any of the 24 state standards on the state school report cards released Friday
But the district showed continued improvement in progress measurements, earning an A rating in three out of four value-added categories, which measure whether fourth- through eighth-graders made one year’s worth of academic growth in math and reading last school year.
“ We’re making great progress, but we have a ways to go to catch up with the performance standards, and obviously that has been made more difficult in recent years because they’ve raised the bar on all of the performance standards,” Springfield City Superintendent David Estrop said.
Estrop said the F for the number of state standards, as well as the F in annual measurable objectives, are just one part of the district’s performance.
“The F is part of the story, but so is the A,” Estrop said. “If you look at the old system and the old bars where they were set, we would probably be an A or a B.”
Ohio schools no longer receive a single label such as “Excellent” or “Continuous Improvement.”
The state has instituted a “letter-grade” system of evaluating schools, which currently charts grades in nine categories and sub-categories.
A Springfield News-Sun analysis of available data showed the top districts in Clark and Champaign counties — based on five key performance measures — were West Liberty-Salem, Greenon, Clark-Shawnee, Northeastern, Northwestern and Mechanicsburg.
West Liberty-Salem again led the way among districts in Clark and Champaign counties, meeting 23 of 24 of the state standards and earning a performance index score of 105.5. The district earned As in letter grade standards for graduation rate, but received a C in overall value added.
The district met all 24 standards last year, Superintendent Kraig Hissong said, but is still pleased with the overall results.
“Our biggest concerns are value-added trends and making sure our students are showing the growth that some other districts are showing,” Hissong said. “But overall I think we’re fairly pleased and we’re happy with how we did and how our students did and how our teachers did, but there’s always room for improvement.”
Greenon Local met 22 out of 24 of the state standards and earned a performance index score of 101.1 and also received A ratings in all four value-added categories.
Greenon was one of only two districts in nine Miami Valley counties to do so.
“We are extremely pleased that the district earned an A on the indicators and in the value-added section on the report cards,” Superintendent Dan Bennett said.
“Our students and educators are working tirelessly in the classroom every day to master the concepts that will help our children be successful,” he said. “The data we’ve received from the state shows us that those efforts are paying off with excellent results for our kids.”
Greenon spokeswoman Megan Anthony said the district’s report card showed students continue to make progress on the value-added measures andfor accelerated and gifted students. She also said the district made progress in the performance of students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.
Springfield, by far the largest district in Clark and Champaign counties, received an F in standards met and also the lowest performance index score of 83.6.
The district also received an F in the annual measurable objectives grade, which shows whether each subgroup of students, such as by race or economics, narrowed the achievement gaps with the student body as a whole.
The Springfield district is close in a couple of areas, Estrop said, but how often its students change schools is a factor and there is a direct correlation between student performance and poverty, which has increased 15 percent in the past six years.
“Given the challenges and the barriers that we face, you need to look beyond that (F) grade. Take a look at progress. We got an A. No, we’re not where the state says we should be, but we’re on our way and that’s clearly evident,” Estrop said.
He also said: “I don’t have to be a very good teacher or administrator in Upper Arlington, Beachwood or Bexley, but I have to be a superb educator in Springfield everyday.”
The district has improved, Estrop said, but the state standards are tougher now.
The state increased the performance index from a maximum scale of 100 to 120 and the state standards went from requiring 75 percent of students passing state exams to 80 percent.
“The bar was raised over the last two years and while we’re continuing to make great progress we haven’t made the necessary progress to meet the performance standards, but we’re well on our way,” Estrop said.
He’s pleased the district’s four year graduation rate has significantly improved from 74.6 — an F — last year to 87.5 — a C — this year. And the progress among the district’s gifted students moved up from a C to a B.
“Our children are making much more progress than one would expect and that’s evidenced by the three As and the B,” Estrop said.
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