The Ohio school rating system will immediately dispense with its wordy rubric — “Academic Emergency,” “Continuous Improvement,” “Excellent with Distinction,” etc. — and move toward a standard scorecard, one that features grades.
The PD reports that by 2015, districts and schools will be graded from A to F — “just like their students” — and will likewise be graded on the individual categories which make up the composite grade — “just as students are graded in different subjects.” (Just in case it wasn’t crystal clear.)
The changes were mandated by the state as districts prepare for more rigorous testing in 2015. Lawmakers say the letter grades will make districts more accountable.
Tom Gunlock, the chairman behind the redesign committee, was on point when he said that nobody had any idea what those stupid current ratings signified.
“For years, I always said this was ridiculous,” Gunlock told the PD. “It doesn’t mean anything to anybody.”
Gunlock’s got a point, but the veil was likely a beneficial one for schools who’d only recently emerged from the “Academic Emergency” basement. Just a hunch, but we probably won’t see too many banners trumpeting “Continuous Ds.”
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 5, 2013.
So they figured out that basically everyone was getting an excellent rating? Shucks.
Good…Get rid of the fluff and point out the fact that those kids are dumbasses and need to start focusing…..