FAIRBORN — The Ohio Department of Education released district report cards Sept. 14. Fairborn City Schools improved in nine out of 23 areas measured even as the standards for the state tests continue to change which reflects lower scores in other areas.
“We already had somewhat of an understanding that out district would not do well because of the changes to the standards,” FCS Superintendent Mark North said. “But our job as educators, teachers, administrators is to accept the responsibility that no matter how the standards change, we have a responsibility to make sure our students are successful.”
Fairborn City Schools received a D in the achievement category, which measures how well the general population of its students performed on and passed state achievement tests. The measurement is broken into two categories which are performance index and indicators met.
The performance index examines results of state tests on all students. FCS received a 67.2 percent, or D letter grade in this area. Indicators met highlighted the percentage of students who passed state tests. It received an 8.3 percent or F letter grade in this area.
Gap closing displays “how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our most vulnerable populations of students in English language arts, math and graduation,” according to the ODE. The category includes an annual measurable objective which measures how well students in the district performed in comparison to the state’s goal. Fairborn received a 25 percent or an F in this category.
K-3 literacy highlights the amount of struggling readers in kindergarten through third grade who become proficient readers by the time they reach third grade and beyond. FCS received a C or 25.7 percent in this category.
It specifically breaks down groups of students according to the lowest 20 percent in achievement, gifted, students with disabilities and overall. It received an F letter grade overall as well as all other categories.
The state measures graduation rates based on how many students are earning their diploma within four to five years. FCS received a B in this category. The report card highlighted that the category measured how many students in the Class of 2016 graduated within four years, which was 89.3 percent. The five-year graduation rate, according to the report card, measured how many students in the Class of 2015 graduated within five years which was 92.6 percent.
The prepared for success category indicates how well high school students are prepared for life after senior year. FCS received a D in this category.
North highlighted that while the test scores are unacceptable and that the district can do better — there are other ways the district can be assessed such as what students do upon graduating and through local report cards. He added that the district had improved in nine areas and will work toward keeping that up.
District officials focused on best classroom practices over the summer months in addition to classroom strategies as well as consistencies between grades and classes. FCS is also aiming to improve communication between itself and parents.
“We don’t want to lose sight that a successful child goes beyond state standards,” North said. “We have to look at the whole child, educating the child looking beyond state standards and providing children with necessary skills to be successful.”
