By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) recently released its annual School Report Cards. Manchester Local School District (MLSD), Adams County Ohio Valley Local School District (ACOVSD), and Ohio Valley Career Technical Planning District (OVCTPD) received overall ratings of three stars, two and a half stars, and four and a half stars, respectively.
Districts were rated in five categories: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, and early literacy. Each district received an overall rating of one to five stars based on these components.
Under ODEW guidelines, a one-star rating indicates a district fell significantly short of expectations. Two stars indicate a district needs support, three stars indicate a district meets state standards, four stars indicate a district exceeds state standards, and five stars indicate a district significantly exceeds state standards.
MLSD earned three stars in achievement, progress, and early literacy; two stars in gap closing; and four stars in graduation.
“The three-star overall rating is great, and I commend the students and staff. We will continue to improve in all facets, but consistency, to me, is a great benefactor here,” said MLSD Superintendent Nick Roberts. “At MLSD, a strong educational foundation is built on the support and belief of our dedicated staff. Our teachers and staff embody a clear vision of high expectations for every student, every day. We aim to ensure that ‘everyday learning’ occurs for all of our students. By dissecting data and utilizing curriculum while keeping up with educational mandates, continued progress is achievable.”
The four-star rating in graduation for MLSD is the top in the county, and Superintendent Roberts credits the students, staff, and board of education for that success.
“This is phenomenal, and I commend the entire student body, staff, leadership, and counselors. I believe this success comes down to knowing your students and focusing on data-driven instructional strategies. Our teachers are top-notch. Social support and enrichment are important, too,” Roberts told The People’s Defender. “We have two after-school programs and numerous clubs like FFA, Spanish Club, Art Club, and Yearbook, as well as extracurriculars like band, athletics, and activities that provide a sense of connection for students. This is imperative for creating a supportive learning atmosphere. Our board of education is also very supportive, which helps streamline success.”
ACOVSD earned three stars in achievement, graduation, and early literacy, two stars in gap closing, and one star in progress.
“The State Report Card is important, but it’s not everything happening in the district. Our teachers have gone through a lot of training, there have been changes from the state, and there have been changes in administration,” said ACOVSD Superintendent Dawn Wallace. “It will take three to five years for the results of those changes to become evident. We are already seeing improvement in some of our internal norm testing, which shows that our students are doing better than what the State Report Card reflects.”
While the district earned a three-star rating for graduation, Peebles High School and West Union High School both received one-star ratings in that category. Superintendent Wallace is confident this will improve as the district implements plans to target graduation readiness earlier.
“I think the things we are doing now will help with the graduation rate. We’re working on graduation plans that identify students’ goals earlier, starting in ninth grade,” Wallace explained. “We are also working with our CTC to enhance the programs we already have, including apprenticeships, work-based learning, early placement, and expanding opportunities for our students. We want to engage kids earlier in the process.”
The Ohio Valley Career and Technical Center, which serves students from both MLSD and ACOVSD, earned a four-and-a-half-star overall rating. This included five-star ratings in career and post-secondary readiness, graduation, and post-program outcomes.
“Our CTC is fantastic at building relationships with businesses and industry in the county and surrounding areas. They do a great job with placements and connections. We want that success to extend to our high schools as well. We are working together more,” Wallace said.
To view the full State Report Card results, including individual school and metric ratings, visit the ODEW website at https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/.