Ohio is recognizing 12 schools today for maintaining high academic achievement among their students, including many from economically disadvantaged circumstances that can make learning difficult. The Ohio Department of Education named two Schools of Promise, four High Performing Schools of Honor and nine High Progress Schools of Honor. Each program has its own criteria. Two schools received more than one award.
Included among the four High Performing Schools of Honor was Mansfield’s Spanish Immersion School.
“All children can learn and thrive, and these schools are supporting their students with the innovative practices that are closing achievement gaps,” said Paolo DeMaria, superintendent of public instruction. “Congratulations to these teachers and administrators for making a real difference in the lives of their students.”
To qualify as a School of Promise, a school must meet these criteria:
- Serve at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students;
- Eighty percent or more of students in each grade who took the 2016-2017 Ohio State Tests, including end-of-course exams, must have rated Proficient in reading and math for all subgroups of students, which includes economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, students with disabilities and all racial/ethnic groups;
- Score an Ohio School Report Card grade of A or B on its Annual Measurable Objectives, to narrow performance gaps between student groups; and
- Receive an A or B on student learning progress through the school year and a grade of A or B on high school graduation rate, if it is a high school.
- The Schools of Honor initiative builds on the Schools of Promise program, recognizing schools that exceed Schools of Promise criteria. The U.S. Department of Education approved Schools of Honor as part of Ohio’s flexibility waiver request for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2012.
To be a High Performing School of Honor, a school must:
- Be Title I-served or eligible and serve 40 percent or more economically disadvantaged students;
- Have 90 percent or more of all students score Proficient or higher in reading and math on statewide assessments (i.e., Ohio Achievement Assessments, Ohio Graduation Tests and Ohio’s State Tests) over the last five years;
- Have 80 percent of all subgroups, including racial and ethnic, economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities and English language learners, who are Proficient;
- Score an Ohio School Report Card grade of A, B or C on its Annual Measurable Objectives, to narrow performance gaps between student groups; and
- Receive an A or B on student learning progress through the school year and a combined five-year graduation rate of 93 percent or higher, if it is a high school.
To be a High Progress School of Honor, a school must:
- Be a Title I recipient or Title I-eligible;
- Serve 40 percent or more economically disadvantaged students;
- Have gains in its combined reading and math proficiency over the past five years (between 2013 and 2017) that must meet or exceed the 90th percentile of all statewide gains. (Subject results are combined and aggregated for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10.);
- Have gains in its legacy graduation rate over the past five years (between 2012 and 2016) that must meet or exceed the 90th percentile of all statewide gains in graduation;
- Meet or exceeded the Progress measure for the three most recent years for which the school has data. In 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, the overall progress grade must be an A or B; and
- Have an Annual Measurable Objectives grade of A, B or C for the 2016-2017 school year.
