Ohio school report card data released Thursday morning showed statewide drops in student performance, enrollment and attendance.
Local districts reflected the same trends, most alarmingly in the percentage of students who tested at proficient or higher on standardized tests.
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The results came as no surprise, as education experts have warned of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and learning over the last year and a half.All 49 public school districts in southwest Ohio – covering Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties – showed slight to significant drops in the overall percentage of students who tested at proficient or higher last year compared to the 2017-2018 school year.
These annual tests evaluate students in grades 3, 4, 6 and 7 in English language arts and math, students in grades 5 and 8 in English language arts, math and science and high schoolers in math, science, English, government and history.
The two largest drops in the region were at Cincinnati Public Schools and New Miami Local schools, both of which saw percentages of students testing at proficient or higher plummeted more than 20 points since the 2017-2018 school year, according to state data.
Student achievement data was not provided for the 2019-2020 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
See Kentucky school report card results here.
Scroll to the bottom of this story to see 3-year percentage drops in all 49 public school districts in the region.
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The results should spur districts to start strategically spending their American Rescue Plan funds, Ohio Education Association president Scott DiMauro said in a Thursday news release.
“It’s clear Ohio’s public school students need every resource they can get to succeed, especially considering the disrupted learning opportunities they’ve endured over the last year and a half,” DiMauro said. “It is essential that school districts spend (American Rescue Plan) money as soon as possible on the programs and services that will help bring students back up to their pre-pandemic performance levels. Our kids can’t afford to have districts stockpile that money for a rainy day; they need that support right now.”
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Third-grade reading guarantee
Most schools in southwest Ohio had a higher percentage of third-graders test at or above the baseline for reading than the statewide threshold of 98.62%, according to the data.
Districts with third-grade reading rates below the statewide average included St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools, Carlisle Local Schools, Norwood City Schools, Batavia Local Schools, Loveland City Schools, Williamsburg Local Schools, Felicity-Franklin Local Schools and North College Hill City Schools.
North College's rate was one of the 20 lowest in the state with 91.18% of district third-graders meeting the reading benchmark.
These scores alone will not keep any students from being promoted to the fourth grade, due to a change in House Bill 409 this year. The scores can, however, be used for instructional purposes.
“While we do not have as much information as we normally would, schools and districts can use the data in this year’s report cards to guide decisions about where and how to focus time, efforts and resources that will best serve their students in the midst of pandemic-related challenges,” Stephanie Siddens, interim state superintendent of public instruction, said in a Thursday news release. “The entire education community continues to model perseverance, dedication and resilience despite challenges that still exist both inside and outside the classroom. I commend districts and schools across the state for their commitment to innovation and creativity as they continue to ensure students, educators and staff are healthy, safe and successful every day.”
Enrollment and attendance
Enrollment was down across the state last year, including in most districts in Southwest Ohio. The top 10 largest school systems in our region based on 2020-2021 enrollment data are Cincinnati Public Schools, Lakota Local Schools, Mason City Schools, Hamilton City Schools, Fairfield City Schools, Northwest Local Schools, West Clermont Local Schools, Oak Hills Local School District, Forest Hills Local Schools and Milford Exempted Village School District.
Every one of these districts declined in enrollment compared to the 2019-2020 school year. Cincinnati Public's enrollment dropped by more than 1,400 students or nearly 4%.
Statewide, enrollment in grades pre-K through 12 decreased by approximately 3%, almost half of which was caused by drops in pre-K and kindergarten enrollment.
"Many students likely delayed enrollment or enrolled in other educational options; Ohio’s home-school enrollment increased by 55%," state results read.
Attendance rates were also down across the state. Chronic absenteeism increased across all grade levels, and overall increased in 75% of Ohio's public schools, according to the data.
Locally, nine of the region's 10 most populous school systems saw slight to significant drops in attendance from the 2019-2020 school year. Northwest Local Schools saw the largest drop in attendance rates, by more than 8%. Mason City Schools was the only district to see an increase in attendance, by 4%.
High-scoring high schoolers
Wyoming City Schools and Indian Hill Exempted Village School District ranked in the top three districts in the state for students scoring a 3 or better on advanced placement tests. Wyoming City Schools had 75.2% of AP test-takers score a 3 or above, while Indian Hill had 76.8% of test-takers score 3 or higher.
Bexley City Schools in Franklin County had the highest percentage of high-scoring advanced placement test-takers with 76.9%, according to the data.
Madeira City Schools had the highest percentage in the region of students earning three or more dual enrollment credits, with 74.2%.
Ohio report cards are available at reportcard.education.ohio.gov.
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