Fordham's annual analysis of school academic performance relies on the Ohio Department of Education's 2011-12 preliminary Report Card data as well as other ODE data sources. Our analysis of Ohio's public schools (district and charter) answers the following questions (among others):
- How many students attend a charter school in Ohio's urban areas?
- How do charter schools, as a group, perform compared to traditional public schools?
- Has the performance of charter and district schools improved over time?
- How many students attend high-performing schools versus failing schools?
- How far will the pass rate on standardized tests fall when Ohio moves to the Common Core?
This year's analysis also examines how Ohio's move to the Common Core and the PARCC exams in English language arts and math will impact the pass rates on standardized tests. The fall in pass rates is likely to be dramatic in 2014-15, and could stall the implementation of the Common Core. Despite this initial fall in test scores--and the shock that may ensue--Ohio must remain faithful to implementing these higher academic standards and more challenging exams, in order to ready all of its students for success in career and college.
