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Extra Credit
Recognizing Momentum... One of the Great Things Happening in Ohio’s Schools
By: Chris Woolard
1/25/2019
Merriam-Webster defines momentum as “strength or force gained by motion.”
In sports, the concept of momentum often is used to describe teams or
athletes that create an energy that turns the game in their favor
through a series of outstanding efforts and events. As a sports fan, I
can recognize that concept in action. There is a feeling of extreme
positivity, gains are being made, and everyone — the team, the coaches,
the fans — recognizes things are going in the right direction. It feels
contagious — and the idea is that you can build on it.
That energy can apply to schools too.
Our state superintendent of public instruction, Paolo DeMaria, spends a
lot of time visiting with Ohio’s students and teachers to see firsthand
the great things happening in Ohio’s classrooms. If you follow his
Twitter and the Department’s Instagram posts, you can see amazing
examples of these schools. These visits also are featured in blog
posts. Recently, as part of the ongoing discussion about Ohio’s
Strategic Plan for Education, Each Child, Our Future, Paolo has been
visiting schools that have received state recognition.
Ohio highlights schools and districts with awards that recognize high
academic performance, growth, and improvements with groups of students.
In my role with the state report card and understanding the performance
of Ohio’s schools, one of my favorite recognitions is the Momentum
Award. The State Board of Education presents this award to districts
and schools for exceeding expectations in student growth on state
assessments. To earn the award, a district or school must earn straight
A’s on all Value-Added measures on the Ohio School Report Cards. Report
cards serve many purposes. One of those that often gets overlooked is
the recognition of success. Report cards have a lot of information.
They contain information about student progress on state tests, which
are tools for students to demonstrate what they can do regarding state
learning standards. Measuring growth is complex, but the importance of
it cannot be overstated. All students in Ohio can show growth. All
schools and districts, regardless of their starting points, can show
growth for their students. The Momentum Award identifies those schools
and districts that exceeded growth expectations on the most recent
report cards.
A total of 70 districts and 226 schools recently were announced as
Momentum Award winners. They come from all over the state, including
Georgetown Jr/Sr High School in Brown County, Mason City Schools, and
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary in Cleveland. They will be recognized with
certificates, and many local newspapers have been highlighting these
successes. But most importantly, students in these schools are showing
outstanding growth. There are great things going on in Ohio’s schools,
and growth on state assessments is only one part of the picture.
Schools are preparing students for what comes after graduation. Schools
are meeting students’ social-emotional needs. Students are
participating in remarkable art programs and marching in dazzling
bands. There are lots of great things that represent success, and we
should be sure to acknowledge that. We also can learn from these
examples using Ohio’s Evidence-Based Clearinghouse. The Momentum Award
is one way to acknowledge that success. Congrats to all of this year’s
honorees. Keep doing great things for Ohio’s students.
Chris Woolard is senior executive director for Performance and Impact for the Ohio Department of Education.
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