Members of Northwestern Local Schools’ Board of Education (BOE) met for their monthly BOE meeting on March 17, 2016. The main topic of the meeting was the school district’s yearly “Report Card” and what its results mean for the district’s students.

Superintendent Jesse Steiner opened discussion by pointing out that in general, Ohio’s school district state report cards are “a mess.” Steiner also explained a recent meeting with Ohio state legislators revealed state officials agreed.

According to Steiner, state officials had expected student testing scores across Ohio’s school districts to be lower due to the new “PARCC” and “AIR” tests administered during the last academic year. Steiner explained that lower-than-expected scores and problems related to the PARCC testing prompted Ohio to join other states in dumping the PARCC test.

Although Ohio has discontinued the PARCC tests, the AIR test will continue to be administered, with math and English tests being added along with the science and social studies tests AIR provided last year.

Steiner explained, “The only reason the state released district report cards at all is because it is a state law. Otherwise (state officials) said they would not have done so.” In fact, according to Steiner, Ohio passed a law declaring all schools were in “safe harbor” for this year and next. This means that state-mandated testing results will just be used to establish baseline scores and cannot be held against schools districts.

Steiner says the biggest problem for Northwestern is how the change in Ohio’s testing program makes it difficult to get a good picture of how the district’s students are progressing because there is nothing to compare their test results to. Also, the new tests are based on the “value added” to student learning; so schools currently doing well in student achievement receive lower scores than districts not doing as well that have more room for academic improvement.

In light of the levy passing recently, Steiner had some good news for the BOE regarding the district’s report card. “There are 276 schools in Ohio that are about the same size as ours. Out of those 276 schools, we came in twenty-fifth on the amount of money that goes into the classroom. This means we scored right at the top in how much money is being used for classroom instruction, which I am very happy about.”

Steiner invited anyone with questions about the district’s report card results to contact him.

In other business, the BOE approved the 2015-2016 academic year calendar. Superintendents across the county worked together to create synchronized school calendars featuring concurrent winter and spring breaks and other considerations. Steiner explained the goal was to make life easier for parents.

The BOE also authorized the creation of a Northwestern Jr/Sr High School Art club and to accept donations of High School Boys Basketball Warm-Ups shirts and pants and Middle School Girls Basketball Uniforms from the local, independent Warrior Youth Basketball program.

New teacher and head football coach, Sam Johnson, was warmly welcomed by both BOE members and community members in attendance. Johnson says he is excited about teaching at Northwestern and looks forward to serving as the Head Football Coach.

BOE members also accepted James Doughman accepted for the position of High School Girls Assistant Softball Coach and Brad Heintz will serve as a Volunteer Baseball Coach. Belinda Lewis was brought on as a non-certificated substitute on an as-needed basis. BOE members also accepted the resignations from Thomas Treadway, Debby Johnson, Jodie Noffke, and Jennifer Mason.

Steiner brought BOE members up-to-date on the status of the facilities repairs. A service learning trip a teacher wants her students to take to Ecuador was also discussed and approved by BOE members.

The next regular Northwestern BOE meeting will take place on April 21, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the Northwestern Elementary School Library.

Links to Ohio’s school district report cards are available online at http://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/Pages/default.aspx. Any questions about Northwestern’s report card can be directed to Superintendent Steiner at 937-964-1318.

Other information about the Northwestern BOE can be found online at http://www.northwestern.k12.oh.us/Board.