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Valley charter school students score poorly on state tests
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Community School is the only Mahoning Valley charter school to score above the state average on any area of the most-recently released state report cards.
Of the school’s students who took the third-grade math test, 77.6 percent scored proficient or above. The state average was 68.1 percent.
The Ohio Department of Education released preliminary data last month for the new standardized tests administered last spring.
In every other category, which covered math, English language arts, science and social studies, the Valley’s community schools – or charter schools, as they’re more commonly known – fared far below the state average.
That contrasts with the Valley’s public district schools, where most students scored above the state average in all categories. Youngstown City Schools were the exception, however, scoring below the state average in every category.
Youngstown Community School scored below average in the other grades and subject areas.
School officials couldn’t be reached for comments.
The scores covered third- through eighth-grade math, fourth- and sixth-grade science, fourth- through eighth-grade English language arts and fifth-grade science.
Some schools racked up scores in other categories including algebra, geometry and physical science.
Not all community schools received scores in all grades and subject areas.
Stambaugh Charter Academy saw its highest score in third-grade math, too, with 61.1 percent scoring at or above proficiency, but that’s still below the state average.
In an emailed statement, Jennifer Hoff, senior manager of communications at National Heritage Academies, which operates Stambaugh Charter, said:
“National Heritage Academies is committed to the students, families and partner Board at Stambaugh Charter Academy. The release of the Public State Assessment Results shows what many school districts are also seeing – areas of strong performing schools and areas where work is needed.
“Education of students is an adult responsibility, and at NHA, we do not take that lightly. We recognize this is just one way to measure the academic progress of students and plan to use the data provided in this release, along with other data on achievement to continue to develop targeted action plans to help students reach their potential.”
Youngstown Academy of Excellence, a Mosaica school, saw its highest score in fourth-grade English language arts with 53.3 percent of those students who took the tests earning a proficient or higher score.
That’s 20 points before the state average, though.
Southside Academy was managed last year, when the tests were administered, by White Hat Management. This year, the board dumped White Hat and hired the Educational Empowerment Group of Akron.
Southside students’ highest score was 35.3 percent student-proficient or higher on sixth-grade English language arts; 71.7 is the state average.
Horizon Science Academy’s highest score was for eighth-grade English language arts with 46.2 percent of those tested scoring proficient or higher. The state average was 69.4 percent.
Summit Academy’s highest score was 37.5 percent for the fourth-grade English language arts test. The state average for that grade and subject area is 73.3 percent.
Summit serves students with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and those on the autism spectrum and other disorders.
Representatives from Horizon and Summit also were unavailable to comment last week.