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Students aren't the only ones who get report cards. Schools earn them, too.To calculate the statewide report cards, officials at the Ohio Department of Education look at a wide variety of data from the state's schools, including how well students perform on state tests, how many students are actually passing those tests, and if any progress has been made to close achievement gaps.In the past, districts used to receive labels like "Continuous Improvement” or “Excellent with Distinction" based on their performance. But the ODE has now shifted to ranking nine separate categories with an A-F grade. Each district will receive an overall A-F grade by the 2015-16 school year.
Out of the plethora of information the ODE reports, we've included a few of the notable categories below. You can see each of the individual benchmarks on the department's spreadsheet. The department also publishes a colorful, interactive website with the results, which can offer another avenue to help easily understand and break down information.Here's a breakdown of what you'll see in the table below and what each category means:
- Performance Indicators: This A-F grade reflects how many students were rated as being proficient in each grade and subject on state tests. For a school to get credit for the indicator, at least 80 percent of students must pass to get credit. That's an increase from the 75 percent that was required last year, which may mean a shift in grades for some districts.
- Performance Index: This A-F grade is based on a weighted average of students' performance on state tests.
- Value-Added: This A-F grade uses a formula to see if students are making a full year's worth of progress during the school year.
- Annual Measurable Objectives: This A-F grade looks at how well schools have worked to close the achievement gap between different groups within their student bodies, including students who come from low-income families, students who are learning English, and different race and ethnic groups.
- Graduation Rate: This A-F grade based on how many students graduated high school within 4 years of starting. The state also has added a five year graduation rate, too. But it's important to note that the inverse of the graduation rate doesn't correlate to a district's dropout rate.
You can search for your school by name, or sort through each of the different categories.[spreadsheet key="0AsBKR52HUej1dEF1TXZhd0JVNHNMUWhmY1VkenpTYUE" source="Ohio Department of Education" sheet=3 filter=1 paginate=1 sortable=1] Hungry for more report card analysis? Lucky for you, there's no shortage.Here's some helpful reading:
- Six Tips for Reading Your School's State Report Card
- 2012-13 Report Card Results
- 2011-12 Report Card Results
- What You Really Want to See on Report Cards: Parts one, two, and three