OAPCS Statewide Data Analysis for the Ohio State Report Card

Transcription

1 OAPCS Statewide Data Analysis for the Ohio State Report Card An analysis by OAPCS of the State Report Card for the school year released in two segments in January and February indicates both brick and mortar site-based traditional and charter schools faced special challenges in the transition to new standards, in the late release of performance data and in the continual shifting of state assessment vendors. The trend of previous years in which poverty is a defining factor in student performance continues, as students with high economic disadvantages showed significant achievement gaps. In the Urban 8, where the majority of Ohio public charter schools are located, upwards of 85 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and for nearly one-third of the students, English is their second language. For charter schools in the Urban 8, student poverty rates correlate significantly with the Report Card outcomes. The Urban 8 includes Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown. In these urban centers, there are approximately 220 brick and mortar public charter schools that are not drop-out recovery or statewide virtual schools. These 220 charter schools also include those with blended learning models and about 35 with a special education focus serving primarily students with autism and other learning disabilities in which the majority of students have an Individual Education Program (IEP). Despite the report card flaws and complexity, in the OAPCS analysis comparing outcomes for Urban 8 charter versus Urban 8 traditional district schools, the data showed evidence of charter school student progress in measures of Performance Index (PI), Indicators Met, Gap Closing, K-3 Literacy and Graduation Rates. For Value Added (VA), charter schools tracked close to their urban traditional school counterparts in obtaining A-C grades. It is important that the Report Card measures be viewed within the context of the student demographics of public brick and mortar schools in the Urban 8, said Dr. Darlene Chambers, CEO and President of OAPCS. Because new state systems are continually being changed and proficiency expectations are redefined annually, these metrics are best evaluated in how they can inform strategies to improve academic outcomes, she added. The challenges linking poverty and performance require both traditional urban district and charter schools to do more to find solutions that work, she said. Educators and policymakers need to recognize the urgency of addressing the achievement gaps between the state s economically disadvantaged and more affluent students. The OAPCS analysis covered these State Report Card metrics: Value Added, (VA), which measures student academic growth over a year. Achievement, known as Performance Index (PI), which measures the achievement of every student on state assessments. Indicators Met, which shows how many students are proficient in their level of knowledge based on subject tests. Gap Closing, which measures how well students are doing and their progress based on ten specific demographic groups within schools and districts. K-3 Literacy, which monitors how many students are reading at or below their grade level between kindergarten and third grade. Graduation Rate, which measure how many students graduate in four years or five years. High-Mobility VA score for virtual schools, which measures growth for students who have been in a virtual school for two or more years.

2 Value Added (VA) For Value Added (VA), which measures the learning growth a student made during a school year, charter schools tracked close to their urban traditional school counterparts in obtaining A-C grades, with Dayton charters exceeding city schools 38 percent to 9 percent. This VA metric is essential to evaluating student progress and classroom success, Dr. Chambers said. This data should fully inform schools of the steps necessary to help students move to their highest levels of ability, she added % 6 Value Added 69% 57% 4 47% 72% 66% 9% 3 56% 29% 29% Performance Index (PI) An analysis by OAPCS comparing state report card measures in Performance Index (PI) scores for the Urban 8 public brick and mortar charters compared to the Urban 8 traditional school districts indicates charters in Columbus, Cleveland, and Dayton exceeded their traditional district counterparts in receiving a rating of A to C. Approximately 24 percent of the charters in these three cities had grades of A, B, or C compared to 12 percent of the traditional district schools. The Performance Index Scores measure student performance on state tests. Within the context that new state test systems are continually being changed and that expectations are redefined annually, it is encouraging that the charter schools have PI scores in this range, Dr. Chambers said. Performance Index % 21% 21% 2 13% 13% 1 7%

3 Indicators Met For the Indicators Met, brick and mortar public charter schools in Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton also exceeded their traditional district counterparts in obtaining a grade of A to C. In the OAPCS analysis, 9 percent of brick and mortar public charter schools in these three cities received grades of A, B, or C, compared to 4 percent of traditional schools in these three urban districts. Indicators met shows how many students are proficient in their level of knowledge based on specific subject tests % 12% 1 Indicators Met 6% 1 Gap Closing For Gap Closing, brick and mortar public charter schools in Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton also surpassed their traditional district counterparts in obtaining a grade of A to C. In these three cities, 11 percent of charters received grades of A, B, or C, compared to 7 percent of traditional district schools. Gap Closing measures the progress of ten specific demographic groups within the schools and districts, including black, multiracial, limited English proficiency, economically disadvantaged and others. Urban 8 charters have student populations in which upward of 85 percent are economically disadvantaged and for nearly one-third of students, English is their second language. There is still much more progress to be made in gap closing for charter and urban traditional district schools with high poverty, with high special needs populations and students whose primary language is not English, Chambers said. Educators often struggle with the complex and widespread needs these students have. Gap Closing % % 6% 7%

4 K-3 Literacy An analysis by OAPCS comparing state report card measures in K-3 Literacy for Urban 8 public brick and mortar charters compared to the Urban 8 traditional school districts indicates charters in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo exceeded their traditional district counterparts in receiving a rating of A to C. Approximately 20 percent of the charters in these five cities had grades of A, B, or C compared to 8 percent of the traditional district schools. The K-3 Literacy grade monitors how many students are reading at or below their grade level between kindergarten and third grade. Public charter schools recognize the importance of this reading proficiency measure and continue to focus on improvements in equipping students with the literacy skills they need to succeed, she noted. They are doing so with student populations in which upwards of 85 percent are economically disadvantaged and for nearly one-third of the students, English is their second language, Dr. Chambers said in K-3 Literacy 61% % 2 19% 17% % 7% 4 Year Graduation Rate For four-year graduation rates, brick and mortar public charter schools in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton exceeded their traditional district school counterparts in obtaining a grade of A to C. In the OAPCS analysis, 38 percent of brick and mortar public charter schools in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton received grades of A, B, or C, compared to 26 percent of the traditional district schools in these three urban districts. Akron, Canton and Youngstown public charter schools were not rated in this measure because brick and mortar charter schools in those cities do not have sufficient enrollment of students in grades 9-12 to track graduation rates. Drop-out recovery schools were not included in this rating. Achieving the four-year timeframe for graduation with student populations that struggle with poverty in both the Urban 8 traditional districts and public brick and mortar charter schools is an ongoing challenge, said Dr. Chambers. This data reinforces the link between poverty and performance, but economic difficulties should never deny traditional public and charter school students opportunities to fulfill school and career goals, she said. in Graduation Rate % % 2 29% 22% 2 2

5 5 Year Graduation Rate For five-year graduation rates, brick and mortar public charter schools in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, and Dayton exceeded their traditional district school counterparts in obtaining a grade of A to C. In the OAPCS analysis, 44 percent of brick and mortar public charter schools in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, and Dayton received grades of A, B, or C, compared to 33 percent of the traditional district schools in these four urban districts. There were no brick and mortar charter schools in Akron, Canton, or Youngstown that were rated in this measure due to insufficient enrollment of students in grades Drop-out recovery schools were not included in this rating % 3 in 5 Year Graduation Rate 5 42% 43% 5 43% 22% 2 High Mobility Value Added for Virtual Charter Schools Within the high-mobility VA score on the report cards, results for virtual charter schools showed that student retention has an impact on academic success. Only those students who have been in a virtual school for two years or more are tracked in this category. Of the statewide virtual schools, four received an A in the high-mobility VA score: Ohio Connections Academy, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), Ohio Virtual Academy and Alternative Education Academy. Ohio Connections also received an A in its overall VA grade. Three other virtual schools received a C in the high mobility VA score: Buckeye On-Line School for Success, Insight School of Ohio and Virtual Community School of Ohio. Buckeye On-Line School for Success and Ohio Virtual Academy also received a C in its overall VA grade. Due to the high percentage of students who move in and out of virtual schools, the high mobility VA results indicate that for those who make the transition successfully and adapt to the virtual model, their learning growth is exceeding or meeting expectations, Dr. Chambers said. A Virtual Schools Value Added Scores B C D F Ohio Connections Academy, Inc Buckeye On-Line Insight School of School for Ohio Success Electronic Classroom Of Tomorrow Ohio Virtual Academy Alternative Education Academy Virtual Community School Of Ohio VA Overall Grade High Mobility VA