Fallsnewspress.com - Woodridge earns 'Excellent' ranking on state report card according to early results

by Phil Keren

Editor

Peninsula -- According to preliminary results released by the Ohio Department of Education, the Woodridge Local School District was rated "Excellent" for the 2009-10 school year on the state report card.

Woodridge met 25 of 26 possible indicators. These indicators include reading, writing, math, social studies and science tests at various grade levels, as well as the district's attendance and graduation rates.

The official report from the Ohio Department of Education was not scheduled to be released until Aug. 27, after the Falls News-Press went to press. The ODE cautioned on its website that the information it had released on the 2009-10 state report card data during the week of Aug. 23 was preliminary.

According to Walter Davis, the district's superintendent, Woodridge met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure in all subgroups and met the Value Added rating. The Value Added rating measures individual students' progress on the state tests from one year to the next, and the Adequate Yearly Progress rating measures how students in various subgroups have performed on the state tests "to determine if there are any achievement gaps," said Davis.

Last year, the district met 29 of 30 indicators, and earned the top rating of "Excellent with Distinction," but fell short of that designation this year.

"In order to earn the 'With Distinction' designation, ... a district or school must have been designated Excellent first -- and must earn 'Above' for the Value Added rating ... our value added rating had to exceed expected gains for two consecutive years," said Davis. "Our value added rating [of] 'MET' indicates that our students did as well as expected -- but did not exceed expectations for annual growth during the 2009-10 school year."

In 2008-09, Woodridge met the AYP measure and had a Value Added rating that was "Above" expected gains.

"Although the Board is disappointed that we didn't receive 'with distinction,' we are pleased to have been named an Excellent school [district] once again," said Board President Cheryl Hoover.

How the buildings performed

According to Davis, Woodridge High School received an "Excellent" rating, meeting 12 of 12 indicators; the high school did not meet AYP in the economically disadvantaged subgroup for reading or the IEP subgroup for math and reading. The high school also received an "Excellent" rating, the highest designation a high school can earn, in 2008-09.

Davis said Woodridge Middle School earned an "Effective" rating, meeting seven of eight indicators; the building met AYP in all subgroups and its value added rating was "met." It needed to earn "above" on the value added rating to receive a higher final rating, according to Davis. The middle school also received an "Effective" rating in 2008-09.

Davis said Woodridge Intermediate School earned an "Excellent" rating, meeting all eight of its indicators; the building also met AYP in all subgroups and its value added rating was "met." Like the middle school, it also needed to earn "above" on the value added rating to receive a higher final mark, according to Davis.

The middle school also received an "Excellent" rating in 2008-09.

Woodridge Primary School does not have a report card rating or a value added rating because no state tests are given to the grade levels served by that building (Kindergarten, first and second grades). However, Davis said it attained the one indicator it has to meet and met AYP in all subgroups for attendance.

Terri Sigler, the district's curriculum director, said "Some significant increases were made by students in the area of reading at grades 5, 6, and 8 ... students did make substantial increases in math at grade 5 and science at grade 8."

She noted that the implementation of the Everyday Math program two years ago has had a "tremendous impact on students' understanding of mathematical concepts."

Sigler added that, "An area that still proves to be trying for students is answering constructed response questions ... We will focus on what strategies we are using as a district this year and discuss what else we could be doing to assist students."

"We have already begun to study the data thoroughly and will work together to identify any specific things we can do to address any specific issues we find," said Davis. "I am confident that, working together, we can -- and will -- move forward and regain the higher designation."

Woodridge School Board Vice President Melissa Wilkinson said, "we look forward to the challenge to regain" the "With Distinction" designation.

E-mail: pkeren@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3940