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Report card puts Solon schools back on top
(by Sue Hoffman - September 02, 2010)
Report card puts Solon schools back on top
By SUE HOFFMAN
After the Solon School District reduced its operating budget by $1.5 million last year, officials wondered whether the reductions might have gone too far and impacted student performance, according to School Superintendent Joseph V. Regano.
Their answer came last Friday, with the Ohio Department of Education's release of the 2009-2010 district report cards. Solon was at the top of the charts with the highest performance index in the state: 110.5.
Solon has been in the top three districts each year and was the highest performing district previously in the 2005-2006 school year. Being No. 1 showed the district was able to continue top student achievement while striving for greater efficiency, Mr. Regano said.
"Our teachers worked harder than they ever worked," Mr. Regano said. "Our community stepped up," he said, supporting the teachers' efforts and approving the 6.9-mill operating levy in May.
The district once again received the "excellent with distinction" rating. Last year, the Ohio Department of Education recognized Solon schools for earning its top rating for 10 consecutive years.
Mr. Regano said it's getting more and more difficult to achieve the excellent with distinction rating. That rank reflects the "value added" component, added to the report card in 2003 to show student improvement, he said.
"More than half the schools in the area lost their excellent with distinction ranking," Mr. Regano said. "You have to constantly do better to keep it." Eventually, all of the districts will have no level to which to improve and lose their "distinction" ranking, he said. "I want us to be the last person standing."
The performance index reflects the achievement of every student, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Districts, buildings and community schools earn points based on how well each student does on all tested subjects in grades three to eight and the 10th grade Ohio Graduation Test.
"The No. 1 ranking shows our students are moving forward," Tammy Strom, coordinator of communication services, said. "They're truly accelerating, with greater numbers in the accelerated and advanced performance levels."
In achieving its top ranking this year, Solon edged out the Wyoming School District, near Cincinnati, which came in first last year, and Ottawa Hills, near Toledo, which came in second last year.
The report card showed that Solon achieved all 26 indicators, which included results on state achievement tests and the Ohio Graduation Test, as well as the attendance and graduation rates. Students in grades three and four are tested in reading and math, and students in grades five and eight are tested in reading, math and science. The graduation test includes two additional subjects: social studies and writing.
"The performance index score is reflective of how well Solon students are mastering the state of Ohio's rigorous academic content standards, which are the core of the district's curriculum," Mr. Regano said. "For Solon, this top achievement score demonstrates the depth of implementation and effectiveness of the district's research-based teaching practices."
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