 | SummaryRecommendationsBackground Information
Education DataEffective Practices |
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K-12 Education |
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"For a very long time, Ohio has been satisfied to educate a relatively small percentage of our students very well, while a much larger percentage got an education that was, at best, mediocre. The portion that got the best schooling was largely white and wealthy, while students of color and those who were poor routinely got an education that prepared them for little.
That has to change. It has to change because it is morally wrong to do otherwise. It has to change for our state to be successful in the knowledge economy and to capitalize on our heritage of leadership."
High Quality High Schools - Quality High Schools for a Lifetime of Opportunities |
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The county has focused attention on increasing graduation rates and promoting higher academic performance. The graduation rate is greater than 90 percent in 15 of 17 Stark County school districts and is the county has one of the highest graduation rates in the state. Stark County has a higher percentage of its population 25 years or older with a diploma or equivalent than does the state or nation.
School district performance is reported by the state to the public using measures that are based on student performance on a series of standardized tests, attendance and graduation rate. To graduate from high school, students must pass the Ohio Graduation Test. Significant disparities in graduation rates and proficiency test results and other indicators of school performance are associated with economic disadvantage, homelessness, disability, limited English proficiency and race. Economic disadvantage is seen as one of the most significant of these variables and continues to be a
problem, not only for the urban areas of Stark County but also for the rural areas. Despite increasing poverty rates, performance of economically disadvantage students in urban schools improved on the 2008-2009 achievement tests. The improvement may be a result of a convergence of factors including the growth of after-school programs, improved quality of early education, accelerated college credit and the development of new programs and efforts to intervene with low performing students.
There is a continuing effort to “front load” interventions to ensure that every child can read. Additionally some districts in Stark County have taken a proactive approach to reduce the number of children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) through intensive reading/literacy programs in the first years. Unfortunately, while the number of children with IEPs has gone down for these districts, the cost per special needs student has increased, thus offsetting any financial savings to the district. The cost of educating a special needs student is on average three times more than for a student without special needs.
Stark County has been improving in K-12 education. Graduation rates and test scores as a whole are improving. Emphasis has shifted from simply graduating students with a high school diploma to helping them explore opportunities for life beyond the school door. More Stark County graduates are going on to education after high school.
Ohio Department of Education - Power User Reports
Ohio Department of Education - School District Report Cards
Ohio School Boards Association |
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