Large suburban districts adjust to lower grades

The Dayton area’s 12 largest suburban school districts saw more B’s, C’s and D’s on their report cards than normal, as no one was exempt from the tougher tests and state grading scale.

Many of the top-performing districts have traditionally earned performance index scores of 105 or higher. The names were the same this year, but Beavercreek, Springboro and Centerville’s scores were 98, 97 and 96, respectively. Those three districts earned B’s for the achievement grade, while the rest of the suburban pack recorded C’s and D’s when state data was released Thursday.

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Ohio Department of Education officials said this year essentially is resetting the baseline scores for schools, as the easier Ohio Graduation Tests are phased out of the scoring system, leaving only the harder, Common Core-tied tests.

The big 12 suburban schools’ highest grades came in graduation rate (seven A’s, three B’s, two C’s), and student progress, where Beavercreek, Northmont and Miamisburg got A’s and five others earned B’s.

But combining those slightly lower grades with the very low marks that most districts got in Gap Closing and K-3 Literacy Improvement made an impact. Centerville, Troy, Huber Heights, Fairborn and Xenia all got a pair of F’s in those categories.

Kettering is not used to having two B’s and two C’s as its highest grades. The lower marks led Kettering and some other districts to address the issue with their residents.

“These new AIR tests were more difficult and comprehensive than any tests that have come before them,” Kettering Superintendent Scott Inskeep wrote to his community. “That said, we are Kettering, we will work hard to give every student who walks through our doors the tools they need to succeed, and we will get better!”

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