The Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) has been named a five-star district by the Ohio Department of Education following the latest school district report cards, which were released earlier this month.
OLSD is one of 75 school districts in the state to receive a five-star overall rating and one of just six in central Ohio.
Report cards are comprised of five components that evaluate various aspects of a district’s performance. Those components include achievement, progress, early literacy, graduation and gap closing. OLSD received five-star ratings in all but one of the components; four stars were awarded in the progress component.
“The continued recognition of Olentangy’s commitment to educational excellence affirms our staff’s efforts to facilitate maximum learning for every student,” said OLSD Superintendent Todd Meyer in a press release. “The state report card is one measurement of the Olentangy learning experience, and we are proud of the opportunities and supports we deliver to our students.”
The achievement component measures students’ academic achievement using each level of performance on Ohio’s state tests. OLSD received a 94.9% on the Performance Index, which measures the test results of every student regardless of the student’s scores.
Schools and districts receive points on the index for every student who takes a test. The higher the performance level on the state tests, the more points are awarded toward the index score. The index score is then divided by the maximum possible score, and the maximum possible score is determined by the average of the highest 2% performance index scores in the state.
The gap-closing component, in which OLSD received 83.6%, shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for students in English language arts, math, and graduation. It also measures how schools are doing in supporting English learners to increase language proficiency, reducing chronic absenteeism for all students, and identifying gifted students and providing gifted services.
A weighted graduation rate is used to determine a district’s graduation evaluation. The rate includes students in the class of 2022 who graduated within four years and students in the class of 2021 who graduated within five years. The four-year graduation rate is weighted at 60% and the five-year graduation rate is weighted at 40%.
OLSD received a 98.3% in the weighted graduation rate.
Early literacy examines the effectiveness of the reading and literacy supports provided to children in kindergarten through third grade. OLSD received a 91.8%, which is made up of an 86.4% mark in proficiency in third-grade reading and a 100% promotion of students to fourth grade.
As for the progress component, Director of Data and Continuous Improvement Jeanette Kenney said in the release, “A four-star rating on the progress component means there is significant evidence that Olentangy is exceeding the student growth expectations. Olentangy students have historically met and exceeded state benchmarks, which impacts our ability to continually demonstrate progress year over year in the measured areas.”
Meyer added in the release, “One of our district values is that we can always get better, and we continue to find ways to enhance the learning experience for the benefit of our students.”
During a review of the report card as part of the Olentangy Schools Board of Education’s meeting on Sept. 21, Board President Kevin O’Brien thanked the students, parents, staff, and administration in the district for their collective efforts to earn the rating.
“This is years of work culminating into a set of tests, and it takes a village,” he said. “This is a fantastic performance across the board because the students work hard, the parents are engaged, and the staff and administration care. It’s a really good outcome and really good work.”
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
