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10 Valley schools earn Mahoning Valley Momentum Awards
The Ohio Department of Education recognized 10 Mahoning Valley schools with the Momentum Award for high performance on their state report cards.
According to the ODE’s website, the Momentum Award recognizes schools for exceeding expectations in student growth for the year. “Any Ohio school or district is eligible for the Momentum Award if it receives straight A’s on all Value-Added measures on the report card,” according to an ODE news release.
The Value-Added subgroups include students who are gifted, students in the lowest 20 percent in achievement and students with disabilities.
State Board of Education President Tom Gunlock said in an ODE news release that “it’s especially impressive to see schools adjusting quickly to the new, more rigorous standards.”
The Valley schools are Leetonia Elementary, Southern Local Elementary, Austintown Middle, South Range Elementary, Stambaugh Charter Academy, West Branch Middle, Youngstown Early College, Chalker High, Girard Intermediate Middle and Summit Academy Community.
School leaders expressed gratitude for their staff and students during this time of transition.
“This is just the latest example of YEC’s success,” said Youngstown schools CEO Krish Mohip. “It shows all of the hard work our teachers, administrators and our students are doing. I’m very pleased, and I look forward to YEC’s next recognition and award.”
Austintown Middle School Principal Jim Penk said his students and staff are very deserving of the award as a result of their hard work.
“The tests have changed twice in two years, and it’s a new learning experience every year when we change tests,” he said. “What we do is we prepare our students according to content standards and go from there, which is apparently working.”
Steve Matos, South Range Elementary School principal, said South Range schools share Austintown schools’ methodology when it comes to the tests – to teach by content and “not get too wrapped up in what the test is.”
“We really try to stay focused on what we are teaching and what we should be teaching,” he said. “We’re not teaching to the tests, but the tests are based on our teaching standards. We know our kids are going to do well.”
Matos said the Momentum Award is the result of “a huge team effort” in schools that won it.
Greg Bonomase, Girard Intermediate School principal, mirrored Penk’s appreciation for his students and staff.
“They all worked hard with testing completely new to all our students,” he said. “[The award] is a congratulations to our students and staff. We have a lot of different learners, and the students and staff have done a wonderful job.”
For a complete list of districts and schools that received the Momentum Award visit http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/School-Improvement/Awards-and-Recognition/Momentum-Award.