State school report cards were released Thursday. The annual Ohio Department of Education evaluations measure the educational performance of districts across the state.
After last year's state report cards were released, many DPS officials breathed a sigh of relief. The district had earned an “A” grade in overall student progress, allowing it to avoid state takeover. The district had been at risk after receiving failing grades for the previous three years.
This year, results weren’t quite as rosy.
The district received straight Fs in three major categories measuring student performance. But, test results did show improvement in some areas. The grade for Kindergarten through Third Grade literacy rates went from an "F" to a "D," and the district’s gifted program was given an "A" for year-to-year growth.
Still, the "F" ratings are not good news for DPS. If the district continues to receive failing grades over the next two consecutive years, it will end up back on the state’s watch list.
But Associate Superintendent Dr. Shelia Burton says it’s likely going to take a while for a district the size of DPS to completely turn around.
“When you’re talking about 900 teachers and 12,000 students, it’s not realistic to assume you can make that significant of a change in a few months,” she says.
In a press release, Superintendent Rhonda Corr said she expects it will take three to five years to transform the district’s performance record.
