As Ohio goes, so goes the nation—at least when it comes to the 2016 Quality Counts ranking. Called to Account is the twentieth edition of Education Week’s annual ranking of states based on a bevy of (somewhat random) indicators. Each year’s rankings are accompanied by a thematic commentary on American education—effectively a backdrop of national trends, events, or priorities against which to view state data. This year’s theme is accountability, and researchers examined trends in achievement and poverty-based gaps according to NAEP.
The latest scorecard for the Buckeye State is nearly impossible to differentiate from the national one. Ohio’s overall letter grade (C) and individual grades on the report’s three main indicators—the Chance-for-Success Index (C-plus), K–12 Achievement Index (C-minus), and school finance analysis (C)—match national grades right down to the pluses and minuses.
Ohio falls in the middle of the pack nationally on all counts, though not all grades are especially insightful. For instance, a state earns a perfect score on the “spending index” if all of its districts spend above the U.S. average, yet we know that more spending does not always translate to better outcomes. Still, it’s worth noting Ohio’s rankings relative to peers and areas of possible deficiency.
- Ohio’s ranking and grades have dropped. Its overall standing among peer states fell to twenty-third (from eighteenth last year); “chances for success” and school finance grades also fell slightly. Bear in mind that the grades are relative, so a decline in scores may occur merely because others improve. However, given Ohio’s standing at number five in 2010, its current rank represents quite a precipitous drop over time.
- Persistent and growing poverty gaps. Perhaps the most concerning slice of data from the whole report is Ohio’s poverty gap—how non-poor kids score on the NAEP compared to poor kids—which is now approaching thirty points.
- Lower scores on pre- and post-K–12 metrics. While Ohio scores above the national average on NAEP proficiency and high school graduation rates—and could be considered ahead of the K–12 curve in many ways—it falls several percentage points below on preschool and kindergarten enrollment. Similarly, Ohio lags on the “adult outcomes” measures, specifically for the number of adults with a two- or four-year degree and those with incomes at or above the national median.
- Low scores on Advanced Placement. More than any K–12 achievement metric, Ohio’s percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on AP exams falls below national norms.
Not all of Quality Counts’s indices are equally important, and Ohio’s overall average grade conceals what’s happening—for better or for worse—among individual categories. What stands out from this year’s rankings is that Ohio must make more concerted efforts to address serious poverty gaps. Moreover, policy makers should consider ways to enhance the entire spectrum of a person’s educational experience from “cradle to career,” not just K–12.
Source: “Quality Counts 2016: Called to Account: New Directions in School Accountability,” Education Week (January 2016)
