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London Schools rated Effective
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - September 01, 2010)
London City Schools received an “Effective” rating on the 2009-10 report card from the Ohio Department of Education.
Last year, the district was rated a step below Effective at “Continuous Improvement.”
“This is the best London has ever scored,” said Superintendent Steve Allen. “Seventeen (of 26) is the most indicators we have ever met, and that’s after (the state) dropped several of the indicators in writing which were ones we could rely on every year.”
Allen said the district is “pleased and a little surprised” by the results.
“Research shows that often it takes five to seven years to see improvement, and here we are four years into this and we're seeing indications that we’re getting better,” he said. “It feels good to be somewhat validated.”
In the quest for improvement, staff have aligned the curriculum with state standards from kindergarten through 12th grade, pumped up professional development, and implemented internal quarterly assessments of students so that adjustments can be made all year long.
Allen said those adjustments are best reflected in the value-added measure part of the state report card. Last year, London “met” the standard, which requires students on average to show a year’s worth of progress over the previous year. This year, London was rated “above” the standard, which means students on average showed more than one year’s progress.
“That’s what London City Schools has to do, because 60 percent of our kids enter school without kindergarten readiness skills. You start in a hole. So, (the value-added score) is really a tribute to our staff and how hard they’re working,” Allen said.
Individual school results
While London Elementary and London Middle School retained their “Continuous Improvement” ratings, each showed improvements in the percentage of state indicators met and in their performance index scores. As for the value-added standard, the elementary went from meeting it to falling below it; the middle school went from “below” to “above.”
London High School improved from “Effective” to “Excellent” and met all 12 of the high school indicators.
“The high school has been rated Effective the last several years. Now, it’s Excellent. That’s really good,” Allen said.
The one category in which the district struggles across all schools is adequate yearly progress (AYP). The federal government has set 2014 as the deadline for all students to pass all parts of the state achievement tests and for districts to meet other standards in graduation and attendance. Leading up to the deadline, schools are expected to reach ever-increasing proficiency standards. None of London’s schools have met those yearly goals.
To see London's complete state report card, visit the Ohio Department of Education Web site at www.ode.state.oh.us.
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