Perrysburg and Washington Local school districts fell a letter grade on their state report cards released Thursday while Toledo, Lake Local, and Springfield Local showed improvement.
The report cards by the Ohio Department of Education are designed to indicate school districts’ performance for the 2018-19 school year as well as identify areas for improvement. Districts earn a specific letter grade — A through F — based on six factors: progress, achievement, gap closing, graduation rate, K-3 literacy, and “preparing students for success.”
Perrysburg fell from an A to a B this year while Washington Local’s grade went from a C to a D. Advancing a letter grade were Lake Local (from a D to a C), Springfield Local (from a C to a B) and Toledo (from an F to a D — a grade improvement enough to remove the district from academic-distress status).
Other area school districts maintained their grade from last year: Anthony Wayne, Maumee, and Sylvania received B’s, Rossford and Oregon received C’s, and Northwood Local received a D.
With Perrysburg’s grade drop, Ottawa Hills was the only area school district to earn an A.
One reason for the Perrysburg drop was the decrease in its gap-closing component — receiving a B on the current report card compared to an A last year.
Perrysburg Superintendent Tom Hosler said the district’s score reduction is also a result of the four-year graduation rate for students with disabilities, caused by changes in the way the graduation category is calculated.
Also playing a role was the decision by school officials for half of the district’s non-graduates to have their graduations deferred “because a team of educators and their parents identified this as the best option for these students,” he wrote, adding the state permits schools to educate students on Individual Education Plans through the age of 22.
“If given the choice between doing what is right for students on IEPs or taking a higher letter grade, we will do what is best for students every single time,” he wrote, adding he is proud of the district's performance in spite of its reduction.
Kadee Anstadt, the newly appointed superintendent for Washington Local Schools, said the district was about “one-tenth of a point away” from sustaining its previous year’s C.
The district improved in the progress category — a component highlighting the growth that all students are making based on their past performances. In the 2017-18 school year, the district received a C; but for the 2018-19 report card the district achieved a B.
Ms. Anstadt said the improvement is admirable considering the varying socio-economic challenges the district faces. Ms. Anstadt said Washington Local has about 1,000 students who move in and out of the district annually.
“Here there’s a lot of flux, so my concern is always what we do when we receive them and how do we grow them? That’s what that progress component is about and I appreciate that the state at least recognizes that it’s not all about a test score, it’s also about where students were last year and where they are this year,” she said.
The district decreased two letter grades for its gap-closing component — a component highlighting how schools are meeting the performance expectations for their “most vulnerable students.” In 2017-18 the district received a B; however, in the 2018-19 school year the district was graded a D.
Proud of what the district accomplished in the 2017-18 school year, Ms. Anstadt said that the district has to continue to go the extra mile for its students who identify with sub-categories — based on factors like race, ethnicity, and disabilities. Ms. Anstadt said the district will continue to “dig” into its sub-groups and figure out how to ensure their growth as well.
Springfield Local Schools improved this year, with a new grade of B. In the 2017-18 academic year, the district received a C.
Superintendent Matt Geha said the district is proud of its improvement and is specifically celebrating its maintained A for the progress component. He said the component speaks to the “overall value-added” to students from one academic year to the next.
As for improvement, Mr. Geha said the district is assessing its placement in both the achievement and prepared for success categories. In the 2017-18 school year, the district received a D for achievement and an F for prepared for success. In 2018-19, the district received a D for both categories.
For Ottawa Hills, it not only maintained its A grade once again, the district also received top grades with A's in five of the six factors measured, as it also scored in the 2017-2018 assessment. The district was not rated for K-3 literacy because at least 95 percent of children were reading well from the start.
Adam Fineske, who took over as superintendent this year, said it's the fifth consecutive year the district has scored straight A's. Four other districts in the state also scored A's: Chagrin Falls, Madiera, Rocky River, and Solon City.
Statewide, nearly 80 percent of school districts received a C or higher, with more than 30 percent receiving a B or higher, according to an Ohio Department of Education news release. Out of 666 school districts, 106 improved their overall grades from last year, including 12 that moved up to a D from an F.
“I’m particularly proud of all the districts that have improved their overall grades,” wrote Paolo DeMaria, superintendent of public instruction. “I know they will continue their focus on improvement so they can continue to advance even further and ensure that every student is successful.”
Educators and lawmakers alike have been critical of state report cards, arguing the grades are too often linked to the poverty level of the district. On Thursday, several lawmakers, union leaders, union groups, and education experts released statements blasting the latest results.
In one statement, State Rep. Lisa Sobecki wrote that the report cards “do not reflect the hard work our students and teachers put in throughout the year.”
“The process of calculating components of the district ‘grade’ is flawed and often paints larger, urban and poorer districts in a negative light. Instead, our state report cards should accurately reflect the dedication and perseverance shown by our children and teachers,” she wrote.
State Sens. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) and Tina Maharath (D., Columbus) cautioned the accuracy of the report cards. In a written statement both representatives called for the system’s overhaul.
Miss Fedor, who serves as a ranking member on the Senate Education Committee, wrote the report cards do not offer a meaningful method to assess school districts.
“The state recognizes the report card is flawed and depicts a false narrative for our communities and school districts. The legislature has the power to fix these mistakes, and we need to do that immediately,” she wrote.
First Published September 12, 2019, 7:54 p.m.
