Jim Hooper | Director of Curriculum & Instruction |
A few weeks ago, Ohio released state report cards for the 2022-2023 school year. This is the first year that school districts received an overall rating on the report card, and Greenville City Schools received an overall 3-star rating (out of 5). Eighty-nine percent (89%) of school districts in the state of Ohio received a 3-star or higher rating.
The final overall rating is made of 5 component ratings (each 1-5 stars) which includes Achievement (3 stars), Progress (3 stars), Gap Closing (3 stars), Early Literacy (3 stars) and Graduation rate (2 stars). Most of these components are based upon student’s success on the state tests given each spring in grades 3-10. These state tests measure student’s reading and math in all grades, science in grades 5, 8 and 10 and social studies also in grade 10. The focus of the report card is student growth: Are students showing growth on the state tests from one year to the next? For Greenville students, the answer is a resounding yes!
With a renewed focus on reading across all grade levels, but particularly at the lower grades, the district improved in the area of K-3 Literacy, and showed consistent growth in the other three areas that reflect growth in student learning, especially in closing the achievement gap for students. Although the overall rating for the district was 3 stars, additional information shows that students grew in 4 of 6 areas in reading and 5 of 6 areas in math.
An area for the district to work on is our graduation rate. This past school year, 88.8% of students eligible graduated from Greenville City Schools. Despite providing additional pathways for students to graduate, too many are still choosing to leave school rather than earn their diploma. Our goal for the 2023-2024 school year is a better than 90% graduation rate, and to meet that goal we will be expanding non-traditional pathways for students to graduate, such as apprenticeships and workforce development.
As we analyze the results, we are reminded the state report card information is not a complete picture of all the unique opportunities that we are providing for our students. We are deeply committed to ensuring the education our students receive is reflective of our local values and traditions – values that have made Greenville a great place to live and learn.
Our on-site Career Technology (CT) programming allows students to learn valuable career skills along with industry recognized credentials. Our FCCLA program this year earned some of the highest awards in the nation.
We are continuing to expand College Credit Plus programs and participants, allowing students to earn college credit – and in some cases, an Associates Degree – while still in high school. Our excellent performing and fine arts departments provide opportunities for students to display talents that are not measured on the state report card. The Naval Junior ROTC program is expanding, recruiting Service-minded students and offering military pathways for graduation.
Greenville City Schools is proud of the education we’re providing for our students, and through our successes and opportunities for improvement, our goal is to always give every student the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in school and life.