Toledo Public Schools’ failing grade for academic achievement on this year’s state report card should not immediately sound alarms of panic and despair. The district is making progress — albeit slowly — and earned an “A” grade for adding value to its students’ education.
The high mark for value-added growth is a stark improvement from the “F” grade TPS received on the same measure last year. It determines how much a district’s teachers helped fourth through eighth-grade students make a year’s worth of academic gains in math and reading during the school year. More so, it suggests that district leadership is repairing the troubled school system from its foundation in the classroom — a daunting task.
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Still, TPS has much work to do. The district achieved just two of the 24 academic standards for reading, math, science, and social studies scores by the district’s students on standardized tests, according to the Ohio Department of Education report card. This is the second year that the report card offers letter grades rather than the previous unclear classifications; the already complex scoring system was changed to reflect tougher standards. Districts are graded on their test scores, graduation rates, and student-achievement gaps, among other benchmarks.
Last week, TPS hosted a community leadership event at which Schools Superintendent Romules Durant shared his vision for the district. The energy in the room was palpable. He touted the district’s plans for early childhood development programs, parental involvement, and creation of long-term relationships between teachers and students.
Mr. Durant is using creative thinking to address the needs of the entire student population. He wants special-education students to leave school with a marketable skill, not just a degree. He’s talking with University of Toledo officials about creating a law school partnership that would expose TPS students to courses such as persuasive essay writing, debate and argument, and Latin.
But academic success and achievement aren’t born only of ideas; adequate funding is also needed. The district is seeking a 5.8-mill property tax on the Nov. 4 ballot; the levy would raise $13 million a year for five years. Mr. Durant properly asserts that the community must invest in improving TPS, because state aid has dwindled in recent years.
Urban public school districts such as Toledo, Dayton, Cleveland, Youngstown, Columbus, and Akron all performed relatively poorly on the state’s annual report card. This is not a coincidence: There is a direct correlation between student poverty and lower district test scores. Yet Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled General Assembly have continued to divert state aid from traditional public schools to charter schools and voucher programs.
The state report card provides a useful snapshot of how TPS is faring. The grades should be considered encouraging; the district appears to be making long-term progress that will affect generations of students. Yet the report card is also a call to action for reforms that will further improve educational opportunities.
First Published September 19, 2014, 4:00 a.m.
