09/16/2022
Ohio must continue to develop transparent, meaningful, and fair report cards that reflect a wider view of school success measures rather than relying on a set of test scores to determine school quality. Then, we must use this information to better target support for communities and schools.
For years, Ohio’s school report cards have employed arbitrary and flawed metrics. The reformed grading system reflects a systematically different, student-centered account that will provide logical feedback for families, educators, communities and policy makers.
Our new approach reflects a commitment to closing the gap between school districts. This enables school districts and families to analyze year-to-year student improvement, rather than just the results of a test score. Students may grow exceptionally over the course of the year, but that progress might not show up on a standardized exam. This system accounts for those nuances.
This new report card framework has been a long time coming. Families, communities and policy makers are now able to have more constructive conversations over the comprehensive story of our students. However, this report card is only one element to the wider story of education in Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Education is set to release its annual report cards on school buildings and districts soon. Here's how to interpret them.