Local schools get state report card grades

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

COLUMBUS — Area schools received their grade cards this past Friday from the state, with mostly decent marks for the three county schools: Van Wert, Crestview and Lincolnview.

Crestview had the best results, overall, with mostly As in the six categories for which grades were given for the 2013-2014 school year. The district earned a B in performance, earning 105 out of a possible 120 points. As part of the performance ranking, Crestview had 59.8 percent of its students perform in the “Advanced” or “Accelerated” areas, versus 50.4 percent for Van Wert and 48.1 percent for Lincolnview.

Crestview earned an A for meeting 23 of 24 state indicators, with the district failing only to meet the fifth grade reading requirement. Van Wert received a B for meeting 21 of 24 indicators, with all the failed indicators coming in fifth grade (math, reading and science). Lincolnview received a C in the state indicator category, missing the 80-percent cutoff in third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math and reading, seventh grade math, and eighth grade science.

In the area of gap closing, Crestview did very well, earning an A for ensuring that 93.8 percent of its students succeeded, despite low income, race, ethnicity or disability. However, the district also has the lowest number of low-income students at 295 (33.9 percent of district) and about the same number of disabled students as Lincolnview (147 versus 144).

Van Wert earned a B in gap-closing, ensuring that 81.7 percent of its students are not held back by low income, race, ethnicity or disability, despite having the largest number of both disabled (436)) and low-income (1,146) students. In fact, the district has more than half of its students (54.1 percent) categorized as “economically disadvantaged”, while more than a fifth of district students are classified as “disabled.”

Lincolnview did the worst in this category, earning a D for ensuring that 66.7 percent of its students are not held back by low income, race, ethnicity or disabilities. The district has the second highest number of economically disadvantaged students (40.5 percent of the district), and has 144 students with disabilities (15.8 percent).

Crestview again aced the “Progress” category, formerly known as value-added, earning an overall grade of A, although the district also earned Cs for progress made by gifted students, students with disabilities and students in the lowest 20 percent of achievement.

Van Wert had its lowest marks in the Progress category, earning an overall grade of F, as well as earning an F in the gift category. The district did earn Bs, though, for progress made by disabled students and those in the lowest 20 percent of achievement.

Lincolnview also struggled in the Progress category, earning an overall grade of C and receiving a C in the gifted and lowest 20 percent in achievement subcategories, and an F for students with disabilities.

All three districts excelled in the graduation rate area, with Crestview and Lincolnview earning As for graduation rates in four and five years, while Van Wert had a B in four-year graduation rate and an A for graduating students in five years.

Crestview’s graduation rate was especially excellent, with 100 percent of students graduating in four years, compared to 98.6 percent for Lincolnview and 91.7 percent for Van Wert.

Because the results were released late on Friday, superintendents have not yet been contacted for their comments on their districts’ grades. Those comments will be added later today.