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G’view superintendent: Test scores do not define who we are

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JAMESTOWN — Like many superintendents across Ohio, Greeneview’s Isaac Seevers isn’t overly concerned with the district’s report card.

Released by the state Sept. 14, Greeneview received one A, three Ds and two Cs in on the six-component report card. Last year the district received two Fs. The six components are Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation Rate, K-3 Literacy and Prepared for Success.

“We are not pleased with our results on the state report card, but we also understand that it does not define who we are as a district,” Seevers said. “These test scores say very little about our staff and our students. I believe these results speak more to the system that is designed to show that public schools are failing. When 81 percent (490 of 608) of the schools in Ohio receive an F (in Achievement), this says more about the test than it does the students and staff. The target moved from 75 percent to 80 percent this year and that movement impacted our district drastically. Research will demonstrate that students must know the learning target in order to be successful. It is difficult to be successful when the state continues to move the target for students and schools.”

The biggest improvement came in K-3 Literacy, where Greeneview went from 16 percent being on track (an F) to 43.8 percent and earned a C. Grad rates went from a B to an A thanks to a 2-percent increase in the 5-grade rate.

Greeneview received a D in Achievement — which represents the number of students who passed the state tests and how well they performed on them. It scored 73.4 percent on the performance index — which measures the achievement of every student, not just whether or not he or she reaches “proficient” — up a tick from last year. The district met just 16.7 of the indicators, down from 34.5 percent last year. But as Seevers said, the target increased.

Gap Closing, which shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for the most vulnerable populations of students in English language arts, math and graduation, improved from an F to a C after meeting 43.8 percent of the expectations, compared to 33.3 percent last year.

Like last year, the district earned a D in Progress, which looks closely at the growth that all students are making based on their past performances. Are students gaining a year’s worth or growth? Are they gaining more or less? It includes the progress of all students, gifted students, the lowest 20 percent of students in Achievement and students with disabilities.

Greeneview received a D in Prepared for Success — a newer component which looks at how well prepared students are for all future opportunities — reflecting no change from last year.

Despite not being a fan of the testing, Seevers said the district is working hard to improve student performance.

“Our administrative team and teachers have been busy already this fall responding to the deficiencies highlighted consistently throughout our district.” he said. “We have committed district resources to improving our curriculum and professional development for our staff. We have invested in a writing program that will be first implemented in grades 4-8. We believe this focus on writing across all curriculums will yield the type of results necessary to improve scores in all areas. This focus on grades 4-8 will address the majority of our tested areas and we believe it will impact scores across all categories of the report card. When we become better thinkers and writers, we are confident that we will see an increase in the metrics across all categories: ‘A rising tide raises all boats.’ “

Seevers
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By Scott Halasz

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Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.