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What is Academic Excellence and How is it Measured? 2008 / 2009 School Year |
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During 2008-2009, the Ottawa Hills School District received recognition for a number of academic achievements.
· Ottawa Hills School District ranked second in the state in student performance for the 2008-2009 school year. This ranking is based on the Performance Index (PI), a weighted average that includes the level of achievement of every student on each state test taken at grades 3-8 and 10. The district’s PI was 109.8 out of a possible 120. Wyoming City Schools near Cincinnati was first with a PI of 110.0. Solon City Schools near Cleveland was third with 109.5. In 2008, Ottawa Hills was first with a PI of 109.7. In 2007, we were third behind Wyoming (1st) and Solon (2nd). In 2006, Ottawa Hills was second behind Solon. Our students have continued to achieve at the highest levels on a consistent basis over many years.
· Ottawa Hills School District is consistently rated “Excellent” by the State of Ohio for the ninth consecutive year. On the Local Report Card (LRC), the district met 30 out of 30 indicators of performance. For the second year, the district has also achieved a rating of “Excellent with Distinction.” This designation was added to the LRC in 2007-2008 to recognize high-performing school districts and buildings. It is earned when a district or school attains the “Excellent” rating and also exceeds value-added progress goals for two consecutive years. One hundred sixteen (116) districts earned this designation by demonstrating above expected student growth, or progress.
· Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School was selected as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education in 2001-02, 2002-03, and 2003-04. It was the first school to be selected for the recognition for three consecutive years.
· Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School was honored as a School of Distinction by the Ohio Department of Education to acknowledge the achievement of students with disabilities. The building received this designation from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction twice, in 2007-08 and 2006-07. The award is no longer given.
· One hundred percent of sophomores scored at proficient level or above on the 2009 Ohio Graduation Test in reading, mathematics, writing, and social studies. Nearly ninety-nine percent (98.8%) did so in science. One hundred percent of the juniors and seniors have passed all five tests.
· Almost ninety-eight percent (97.6%) of our third graders scored at proficient level or above on the 2009 Ohio Third Grade Reading Achievement Test and therefore met the “Third Grade Guarantee.”
· Students lead the Northwest Ohio area in results on the 2009 Ohio Third – Eighth Grade Achievement Tests. Specific results for each grade level can be viewed on the Local Report Card posted on the district website.
· Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School is among the top public high schools in the nation according to Newsweek magazine’s annual listing of “America’s Best High Schools.” Schools are ranked on the basis of a Challenge Index, a measure of the rigor of the curriculum available to the student body. Newsweek’s list of over 1300 schools in the U.S. includes only 26 schools in Ohio. It represents the top 5% of all high schools in the nation. Ottawa Hills High School has qualified for this list each year from 1998 to the present.
· U.S. News and World Report magazine ranked Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School 95th among the top 100 high schools in the nation. It was awarded a Gold medal rating in the second annual listing of “America’s Best High Schools.” The analysis is based on standardized test scores, proficiency levels of all students (including those at-risk), and a challenging “college-ready” curriculum.
· Eighty-nine (89) students took 184 Advanced Placement (AP) tests in 13 curriculum areas with 79% scoring a 3, 4, or 5 (equivalent to a college level A or B). Thirteen AP courses are offered. All AP courses have been approved through a rigorous audit procedure conducted by the College Board.
· Twenty-nine students were named as AP Scholars for the 2008-2009 school year. Eight students were named Scholars with Distinction; six were Scholars with Honor; and fifteen were Scholars. Almost 18% of the 1.7 million students taking AP tests around the world performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition as an AP Scholar. These AP Scholars represent 33% of our students who took AP tests last year and nearly 27% of the graduating Class of 2009.
· The Ottawa Hills High School Quiz Bowl team took first place among small schools in the NAQT High School National Championship competition in Chicago in the spring of 2009. The tournament involved 192 teams from 36 states, one province, and the District of Columbia.
· The Class of 2009 had one National Merit Finalist and one Commended Student named by the College Board.
· More than 95% of Ottawa Hills’ graduates pursue a college degree. Our graduation rate is 100%.
· Of the 76 graduates in the Class of 2009, 42 students were awarded Honors diplomas, and 35 received the Ohio Award of Merit. Members of the Class of 2009 were offered 186 scholarships from 63 universities and other sources valued at $3,438,616.56.
· One hundred percent of our teachers are Highly Qualified Teachers. Three teachers are National Board certified. Seventy-six percent (76%) of the teaching staff have a Master’s degree or higher. Average classroom teacher experience is 20.7 years.
· The School Board operates under a five-year strategic plan. Specific goals are selected each year. Progress is measured through the accomplishment of these goals. Recently the School Board increased graduation requirements to include four years of mathematics and four years of science. It also added a third foreign language, Mandarin Chinese, to the foreign language offerings. The district hosted a Guest Teacher from China through a program sponsored by the College Board and the Ohio Department of Education. This program enabled the district to introduce this new language to the curriculum. Chinese I and II are now offered with a plan to add more levels in future years.
· On annual exit surveys conducted with graduating seniors, members of the following classes said they would rate their educational experience at Ottawa Hills Schools as an A or B: Class of 2005 - 94.7% Class of 2006 - 95.5% Class of 2007 - 95.9% Class of 2008 - 86.8% Class of 2009 - 88.2% |
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