Last month the Ohio Department of Education released rankings for the best – and worst – schools in the region. The Ohio Schools Report Cards graded schools from A to F in six categories:
- Achievement
- Gap closing
- K-3 literacy
- Progress
- Graduation rate
- Prepared for success
These rankings were based on student performance on state tests. The district measures the volume of students that show proficient knowledge across all grades and subjects.
Let’s take a look to see if your schools made the grade.
Central Ohio’s Best Schools
New Albany-Plain Local Schools netted a solid B ranking this year, scoring 81.5% on their performance index, while meeting 25 of 30 indicators. Bexley City School District edged out New Albany by one point, hitting 26 indicators and receiving a B grade. Dublin City Schools achieved a performance index of 83.4% and Upper Arlington 84.2%, which was enough to place them in the top five schools in the region.
The top three school districts in Central Ohio this year were:
#3 Grandview Heights Schools
Hitting 26 of 28 indicators, and scoring 84.7%, this small suburb is making big headlines in the higher education community.
#2 Olentangy Local Schools
Not to be outdone, the ever-competitive Olentangy district netted 27 of 29 indicators with a performance index of 85.1%.
#1 Granville Exempted Village
This year, the number one school district in Central Ohio is in Granville. They were the only district scoring an A for indicators met, with an impressive overall performance index of 87%.
Central Ohio Schools that Need Some Improving
Around the state of Ohio, 60% of school districts measured received a D or F grade on the Achievement measurement. Around Columbus, 13 districts received an F and another eight received D’s on the cumulative measurement of “indicators met.”
Unfortunately, city school districts did not fare well this year. One of the “F” districts was, in fact, the Columbus City Schools. Joining Columbus was Whitehall City Schools with an overall performance index of 52.9% with only four of 30 indicators achieved. Groveport Madison came in with a D, as did South-Western City Schools. While Newark City Schools performed slightly better in the performance index, at 68.8%, they only met six of 29 overall indicators, which ultimately gave them a failing grade.
Does this Really Matter
An article in Columbus Business First noted that the state did increase requirements under the Achievement indicator. Critics of the grading system say increasing the number of students required to pass the state school test in order to score higher simply forces staff to “teach to the tests” and is not a true indicator of achievement in schools.
Nevertheless the article quoted the Superintendent of Public Schools as not backing down from their emphasis on the grading system as an indicator of the success of failure of these schools to prepare children for college and careers.
Your Hometown Realtor Always Strives for an A+
The state of our school systems are one of the key indicators that the majority of our clients are interested in. The Grover Group helps our clients understand the communities they’re considering; from school and crime rankings to giving you the inside scoop on fun things to do on a Friday night. Our clients choose The Grover Group because we grew up in these communities and understand them. We’d love the opportunity to share our knowledge of the communities you’re considering. Just give us a call to find out how we can help.
