6 Valley schools recognized for student achievement

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Six Mahoning Valley schools are among 29 across the state recognized by the Ohio Department of Education for maintaining high student achievement, even among economically disadvantaged students.

Five of those also earned the High Performing School of Honor designation.

“Even as expectations rise, these communities continue to beat the odds,” Lonny J. Rivera, interim state superintendent of public instruction, said in a news release. “Students of every background and ability level deserve the opportunity to succeed, and I’m especially proud of the difference these schools are making in the lives of Ohio’s students.”

Boardman’s Robinwood Lane and West Boulevard Elementary schools, Youngstown Early College, Girard Senior High School and Maplewood Elementary School earned both distinctions. Beaver Local’s West Point Elementary School earned the School of Promise label.

It’s the ninth year that Youngstown Early College, the best-performing in the city school district, has been designated a School of Promise and the fourth year it’s been a High Performing School of Honor.

To qualify as a School of Promise, a school must serve at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students.

Eighty percent or more of students in grades that took the 2014-15 PARCC and Ohio Graduation Tests must have rated proficient in reading and math for all subgroups of students, which includes economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, students with disabilities and all racial/ethnic groups.

A school must score an “A” or “B” on its annual measurable objective measure on the Ohio School Report Card and receive an “A” or “B” on student learning progress through the school year and an “A” or “B” on high-school graduation rate, if it is a high school.

To be a High Performing School of Honor, a school must be Title 1 served or eligible and serve at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students and have at least 90 percent of all students score proficient on standardized tests over the last five years.

It’s also required to have 80 percent of all subgroups, including racial and ethnic, economically disadvantaged who are proficient and score at least a “C” on its annual measurable objectives measure on the state report card.