Highland County districts, schools graded in 2022-23 Ohio School Report Cards

The 2022-23 Ohio School Report Cards were released Thursday, including yet another new “star rating system” for schools in Highland County and across the state.

As previously reported, in 2021 and in 2020, the Department did not release overall grades for any individual schools or districts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019 and earlier years, there were overall letter grades (A to F) awarded to districts and schools as well as letter grades for various metrics.
 
In 2022, a “star rating” (one to five stars) was being awarded for achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation and early literacy. Now, for 2023, “schools and districts will receive overall ratings of 1-5 stars in half-star increments,” according to the Department of Education. “The report cards also include five rated components and various report-only data. The five components, Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Early Literacy and Graduation, will receive ratings from one to five stars.”

Five-star ratings mean a district or school has “significantly exceeded” state standards; four-star ratings “exceed” standards; three-star ratings “meet” standards; two-star ratings mean the district or school “needs support;” and one-star ratings mean the district or school “fell short … by a larger magnitude.”

For overall ratings, Fairfield Local Schools and Hillsboro City Schools each earned four stars. Bright Local and Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools both received three and a half stars. Greenfield Exempted Village Schools got a three-star rating.

For the five rated components, here is how Highland County stacked up this year.

• The Achievement “component represents whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall,” according to the Department of Education.

For district ratings, Bright Local, Fairfield, Hillsboro and Lynchburg-Clay received four stars overall. Greenfield had three stars.

Included in Achievement is the Performance Index, which “measures the test results of every student, not just those who score proficient or higher.” For overall district ratings, Hillsboro met 91.5 of a possible 108.8 points for an 84.1% score. Lynchburg-Clay met 90.7 for an 83.4% score; Fairfield met 90.4 for an 83.1%; Bright Local met 88.2, for an 81.1%; and Greenfield met 82.7, for a 76%.

As individual schools, Hillsboro Intermediate School led the way in Highland County by earning five stars.

Bright Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Fairfield High School, Fairfield Middle School, Hillsboro Middle School, Hillsboro Primary, Lynchburg-Clay Elementary and Lynchburg-Clay Middle School had four stars.

Buckskin Elementary, Greenfield Elementary, Greenfield Middle School, Hillsboro High School, Lynchburg-Clay High School, McClain High School, Rainsboro Elementary, Whiteoak High School and Whiteoak Junior High School each received three stars in Achievement.

• The Progress Component” measures the academic performance of students compared to expected growth on Ohio's State Tests,” the ODE says.

Fairfield led the county with four stars as a district. Hillsboro received three stars, Greenfield and Lynchburg-Clay each had two stars and Bright Local had one star.
 
For individual schools, Hillsboro Intermediate School was the lone school to earn five stars.

Fairfield High, Fairfield Middle, Greenfield Elementary and Lynchburg-Clay Elementary scored four stars.

Buckskin Elementary, Greenfield Middle School and Lynchburg-Clay Middle School earned three stars.

Bright Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro Middle School, McClain High, Whiteoak High and Whiteoak Junior High each had two stars.

Rainsboro Elementary and Lynchburg-Clay High School each had a one-star rating.

• The Gap Closing component shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our students in English language arts, math and graduation,” according to the ODE. “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.”

For overall district scores, Hillsboro and Lynchburg-Clay earned five stars. Bright Local and Greenfield received four stars. Fairfield had three stars.

Individual school ratings for Gap Closing included:

— Fairfield Middle, Greenfield Elementary, Greenfield Middle School, Hillsboro Intermediate, Hillsboro Middle, Hillsboro Primary, Lynchburg-Clay Elementary, Lynchburg-Clay Middle, five stars;

— Bright Elementary, Buckskin Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Fairfield High, Hillsboro Early Childhood Center, Hillsboro High, Lynchburg-Clay High, Rainsboro Elementary and Whiteoak Junior High, four stars;

— McClain High School, three stars; and

— Whiteoak High, two stars.

The component includes Annual Performance Goals, which “are established in six areas, and the performance of specific student subgroups are measured against the annual or long-term goals for each area. Goals are established for English Language Arts academic achievement and growth, Math academic achievement and growth, graduation, English learner language proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and gifted performance.

“The state expectation for all areas and all student subgroups is to continue closing educational gaps year over year. A proportional adjustment is applied to schools and districts if their combined testing participation rate in English language arts and math does not meet or exceed 95%.”

Hillsboro City Schools met 32 out of a possible 47 goals for a 68.1%, with a 99.8% participation rate. Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools met 28 of 42 goals for 66.7%, with 99.6% participation. Greenfield EVSD met 23 out of 42 goals for a 53.5% and had a 99.6% participation rate. Bright Local met 18 of 36, for a 50%, with 99.9% participation. Fairfield Local met 17 out of 40 goals for a 42.5%, with 100% participation.

Chronic absenteeism, “defined as missing at least 10% of instructional time for any reason – excused or unexcused,” was also gauged. The annual performance goal for the 2022-2023 school year is 20.2%, according to the ODE. The percentages of students chronically absent in area districts included: Hillsboro, 26.5%; Fairfield, 22.6%; Greenfield, 20.6%; Lynchburg-Clay, 17.4%; and Bright Local, 16.1%.

According to the Department of Education, “The Gifted Progress element measures academic growth for students identified as gifted. A school or district must earn the equivalent of a three-star rating or better to receive points towards the Gap Closing Component.”

Hillsboro, Fairfield, Greenfield and Lynchburg-Clay districts met the requirement with three stars for Gifted Progress. Bright Local did not have a rating.

Also graded is the Gifted Performance Index Score, which “uses the same calculation rules as the regular Performance Index Score, including applicable tests as required in state law.”

Lynchburg-Clay (95.8%) met the Performance Index, while Bright Local (95.1%) Hillsboro (93.1%), Fairfield (93.6%) and Greenfield (93.3%) did not meet the Performance Index.

Meanwhile, “The Gifted Identification and Services element awards points based on the levels of identification of and services provided to gifted students. In 2022-2023, schools and districts must earn 70% of possible points on this element to receive points toward the Gap Closing Component.”

Hillsboro (73.8%) and Lynchburg-Clay (71.7%) met the Gifted Identification and Services requirement, while Fairfield (69.6%), Greenfield (59.2%) and Bright Local (58.1%) did not.

The overall Gifted Performance Indicator awards up to 15 points, the Department of Education says. Hillsboro and Lynchburg-Clay districts earned a 10 overall, and Fairfield and Greenfield received a 5. Bright Local had a 0.

• Early Literacy “is a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.” Bright Local, Fairfield and Hillsboro received three stars. Greenfield and Lynchburg-Clay had two stars.

For the Early Literacy Component, which “examines the effectiveness of the reading and literacy supports provided to children in kindergarten through third grade,” the Hillsboro district received a 77.4%, while Bright Local scored a 75.8%, Fairfield had a 71%, Lynchburg-Clay had a 67.8% and Greenfield had a 64.9%.

For districts with more than one elementary school, Buckskin Elementary and Hillsboro Primary School each earned three stars for early literacy. Greenfield Elementary, Hillsboro Early Childhood Center and Rainsboro Elementary all received a two-star rating.

• Graduation “is a measure of the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and the five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.” Bright Local and Fairfield each received the highest honor with five stars. Greenfield earned four stars. Hillsboro and Lynchburg-Clay received three stars.

“The four-year graduation rate applies to students in the class of 2022 who graduated within four years,” ODE says.

For the four-year rates, Bright Local was the only district in the county to earn a 100%. Fairfield had a 97.3%, Greenfield scored a 92.4%, Lynchburg-Clay had a 91.8% and Hillsboro received a 91.5%.

Similarly, the “five-year graduation rate applies to students in the class of 2021 who graduated within five years.” Bright Local again led the county with a 98.1%. Fairfield earned a 97.3%, Greenfield scored a 96.1%, Lynchburg-Clay had a 95.6% and Hillsboro earned a 92.9%.

The weighted graduation rates, which “combines the four- and five-year graduation rates into a single rate,” included the following scores: Bright Local, 99.2%, Fairfield, 97.3%; Greenfield, 96.1%; Lynchburg-Clay, 93.3%, Hillsboro had a 92.1%.”

Also measured, but not graded, was the The College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness Component, which gauges “how well-prepared Ohio's students are for all future opportunities.” The percentage is calculated by taking the number of students in the four-year graduation cohort demonstrating post-secondary readiness and dividing that by the number of students in the four-year graduation cohort.

For area districts, Bright Local had the highest score by far with an 88.5%. Lynchburg-Clay scored a 49.4%, Fairfield had a 48.6% score, Hillsboro received a 39.2% grade and Greenfield had a 26.5%.

More details and ratings for each district and individual school can be viewed at: https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov.