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Report: Most Ohio Students Aren't Ready for Life After High School

School desks
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
According to the report, just 2 in 5 high school students are meeting college and career ready goals.

The state has a lot of work to do to meet its self-imposed goal of 65 percent of working-age adults holding college degrees or industry certificates by 2025. That’s the conclusion of an analysis of the state’s school report cards by a pro-charter school group.

The Fordham Institute’s Aaron Churchill said the analysis shows only 2 in 5 high school students are meeting college and career ready goals, and those numbers are even lower in Ohio’s eight largest cities.

“About 60 percent of students are leaving their high school experience without the knowledge and skills really necessary to do well in college and also in technical careers,” he said.

Churchill said incoming Gov. Mike DeWine needs to emphasize career and technical education. And though charter schools scored poorly overall on state report cards, Churchill said there are high performing charters in urban areas, and if they’re supported, low-performing schools will do better or potentially close.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.