Ohio has received a “C” in Education Week Research Center’s 2017 Quality Counts education ranking of states, putting it at 22nd among the 50 states and District of Columbia.
That’s on par with the rest of the nation, which also received a C and a score of 74.2 out of a possible 100 points. Ohio’s score was also 74.2 out of possible 100 points.
The report, released last month, studies states’ efforts to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The highest grade given was a B, which was earned by nine states. The lowest was a D, earned by three states.
“Ohio’s students compete in a global economy. Education Week’s report highlights the need to keep raising expectations for our students and focus our attention on supporting schools and vulnerable populations of students,” said Brittany Halpin, associate director for media relations at the Ohio Department of Education. “We’re taking this opportunity, as we develop Ohio’s ESSA state plan, to evaluate the ways we can drive improvement in our schools.”
Ohio’s score is about the same as it was last year, when it ranked 23rd.
What this means depends whether the glass is seen as half full or half empty, said Sterling C. Lloyd, assistant director at the research center.
“On one hand, stability might be seen as positive result, given the fact that the economy, although improved, does present challenges,” Lloyd said. “Schools are asked to respond to challenges presented by poverty and economic stress. Educators also are asked to adjust to new demands. Some will find it a relief that the state’s not backsliding in face of a changing environment.
“Folks engaged in school reform would like to see dramatic leaps in the areas of grades and educational performance overall,” he said. “Stable grades can be seen as static grades.”
Three categories
The 21st annual report looks at three categories: chance for success, school finance and K-12 achievement.
The Chance-for-Success Index captures the role of education in a person’s life from cradle to career, according to Education Week. Overall, Ohio received a C-plus and 78.1 points in chance for success.
Ohio earned a B and ranked 25th when it comes to “early foundations,” or factors that help children get off to a good start. For pre-K through postsecondary participation and adult outcomes, based on postsecondary education attainment and workforce indicators, the state received a C and ranked 28th.
“There’s definitely room for improvement,” Lloyd said. “There are different areas of strengths and weakness as we look across the indicators. Ohio is in the bottom tier with kindergarten enrollment and high school graduation rates. It’s in the top 20 for fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math. For many of the indicators, Ohio’s in the middle of the pack.”
The annual analysis of school finance examines educational expenditure patterns and the distribution of those funds within states. Data are from 2014, the most recent year available. Across the spending indicators, Ohio receives a D with a rank of 23rd. On the equity measures, Ohio receives a B with a rank of 37th. Overall, Ohio received a C and 73.8 points.
Ohio’s grade is the same as last year and its numerical score steady, Lloyd said. “There’s not a lot of change in Ohio’s results in that realm,” he said. “Educators and policymakers might like to see more improvement over time.”
The K-12 Achievement Index, last updated in 2016, assesses the performance of a state’s public schools against 18 indicators capturing: current achievement levels related to reading and math performance, high school graduation rates and the results of Advanced Placement exams; improvements over time; and poverty-based gaps. Ohio received a C and 70.7 points.
Current performance
Measures in the status subcategory look at a state’s current performance. Ohio received a C-minus and ranks 16th. The change subcategory examines a state’s improvement over time. Ohio receives a D and ranks 33rd. In equity, grades are given based on achievement gaps between low-income students and their more affluent peers. Ohio received a B-minus, ranking 37th.
“Although Ohio’s current achievement if fairly strong, residents may look to see the state close achievement gaps between low-income students and more their more affluent peers,” Lloyd said. “That’s an area of concern, especially since the gaps are not going in the right direction. There is concern the gaps are growing in time in Ohio. They are actually widening.”