SUNBURY — The Big Walnut Local School District has received an overall rating of 4 stars on the 2023 Ohio School Report Cards, which exceeds state standards.
“Overall, I am pleased with our report card, especially in the Achievement component,” Superintendent Ryan McLane told The Gazette. “This was our district’s highest Performance Index score since 2019, and we made improvements in many areas. This was the result of the hard work of our students, staff and families. I am very appreciative of their efforts. While there are areas in which we know we can continue to improve, I am proud of the education our students receive at Big Walnut.”
The Performance Index measures the test results of every student. Big Walnut received 94.9 points out of a possible 108.8.
Every district in the state receives a rating of 1 to 5 stars in half-star increments, based on five components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation and Early Literacy.
• Achievement: The district scored a 4 out of 5. “This component represents whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall,” said the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), which issues the report cards.
• Progress: Big Walnut earned 3 out 5 stars, “evidence that the district met student growth expectations,” ODE said.
• Gap Closing: The district received the top score of 5 stars on “a measure of the reduction in educational gaps for student subgroups.”
• Graduation: Big Walnut again “significantly exceeds state standard in graduation rates.”
• Early Literacy: The district met state standards in “a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.”
Another component, “College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness,” is not currently rated, but does have a report. The ODE said the component “provides information on how schools and districts prepare students for different pathways of college and career success.” It noted that 149 of 307 Big Walnut students in the four-year graduation cohort demonstrated post-secondary readiness, or 48.5%.
The report card said the district has 4,049 students attending eight schools, with an attendance rate of 94% and a four-year graduation rate of 96.4%. The district’s teachers average 13 years of experience, have an average salary of $69,757 and an attendance rate of 93.8%.
“Report cards are only one part of the story about what is happening in schools and districts,” the School Report Cards home page said.
In a future story, The Gazette will break down the report cards by schools.
For more information, visit reportcard.education.ohio.gov.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He may be reached at [email protected].
