Vet,
Yes, the Ohio Dept of Education finally released the local report cards and rankings, based on last school year's tests (2011-12). Middletown ranked 672 out of 924 based on the Performance Index Score. (This is more than the 612 school districts in Ohio because it includes charter schools in the rankings).
ODE also released a ranking based on Value-Added Gain Index, which measures how much academic growth students in that district showed from one year to the next (more than a year, a year, or less than a year). On that ranking, Middletown ranked 126 out of 832. The only districts in the area that did better than Middletown on this growth rating are Lebanon (at 45) and Lakota (at 50). All other schools in the area ranked significantly lower on growth, including many who score much higher in the Performance Index Ranking. Franklin (at 320), Monroe (at 465), Madison (at 483) and Mason (at 493).
Fairfield (at 673), Talawanda (at 735), Edgewood (at 776), and Hamilton (at 806) all had a negative value added gain index score, meaning students in that district showed less than a year of academic growth.
Whereas the Performance Index score tracks closely to the income level in districts, the value added piece looks at how well we are doing with the kids that come through our doors, no matter where they started. I am proud of Middletown's ranking of 126 out of 832 on value added, and it is the proof of what we have been saying, that the academic scores are slowly improving. Our Performance Index score is inching up.
As I mentioned before, we are within reach of a 90 Performance Index score, which would qualify as "Effective" under the current system. However, the state has scrapped that terminology and is moving to A-F. They have said the letter grade will be based on many more factors than currently used to come up with Continuous Improvement, Effective, Etc. But, they have not said what formula they will use to weigh all those different factors to come up with an overall grade. If they give relatively high weight to value added, we could do quite well. We don't know. In the meantime, the teachers, administrators and other staff continue to work very hard to improve instruction, improve climate (discipline, morale, etc) all in a cost-conscious manner.
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