Springfield Rated Excellent By Ohio Department Of Education
BY KAREN BERGER— MIRROR REPORTER
The state’s report cards came out on the first day of school, and Springfield Local Schools’ staff and students had a good reason to cheer.
The district received an excellent rating and increased its performance index score to its highest ever, to 100.8.
“We’ve had a continuous climb the past four years,” assistant superintendent Todd Kramer said of the index.
In the past decade, the district has improved its Ohio Department of Education grade from effective to excellent with distinction last year. Falling back to an A this year from last year’s A+ doesn’t faze Kramer.
“Four years ago, we were ranked effective. In the past three years, we’ve been excellent or excellent with distinction,” Kramer said.
The district overall, the high school, middle school and Holloway, Dorr and Crissey elementaries were ranked excellent overall. Holland Elementary was rated effective, in part due to a slip in fifth-grade reading scores.
The district and building scores are based upon four criteria:
• State indicators, which include standardized test scores and attendance and graduation rates.
On the third- through eighth-grade achievement tests, 75 percent of students must be proficient to meet the requirement. At Springfield, most of those scores were above 80 percent, except seventh grade, which was lower statewide overall.
On the Ohio Graduation Test, 85 percent must pass, and last year’s juniors passed by rates well into the 90s on each section.
Because of these scores, plus a 94.7 percent attendance rate and 93.6 percent graduation rate, the district met all 26 indicators.
• The performance index, a weighted average of all tested subjects and grades, including untested, limited, basic, proficient, accelerated and advanced performance levels. The district’s performance index grew from 99.8 in 2008-09 to 100.6 in 2009-2010 and 100.8 in 2010-2011.
• Value added ratings, which show the progress the district has made. Districts rate either below, at or above average growth. The district’s scores show the district was below its expected growth rate overall.
Kramer believes this is in part due to having a high quality kindergarten through third-grade literacy program, and trying to improve on already-high reading scores each year.
However, Holland Elementary’s fifth-grade reading test scores were 74.4 percent – just below the 75 percent requirement.
• Adequate yearly progress, or AYP, a federal measure of goals set for reading and math proficiency and participation, attendance rate and graduation rate. This applies to all groups, including various racial groups, economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency.
Overall, the district met AYP, which is remarkable considering the large number of transient students and those who are economically challenged or requiring an individual educational plan, Kramer said.
“In some buildings, as many as 50 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunches,” Kramer said.
While that number drops at the high school, he suspects that’s due to youth not wanting to complete the paperwork.
Attaining an excellent or excellent with distinction rating each year becomes challenging, Kramer said. Once kids score at such high levels, there’s a smaller window for improvement.
But the staff continues to look for ways to identify data, spot trends in learning and work with specific groups, such as those needing IEPs (individual educational plans), to improve performance.
Building leadership teams gather monthly to go over ideas and data for making improvements.
Each year the state tweaks tests that are included, but in 2013-14, the ODE will make major changes to its system of rating schools.
Instead of using Ohio Achievement Assessments and the Ohio Graduation Test, state testing will consist of a series of online assessments conducted in smaller sessions throughout the year, rather than conducted in one week.
The OGT will assess college and career readiness and end-of-course exams including math, social studies, science and language arts.
To read the district and building report cards, go to www.ode.oh.us.

Park Shelter House Demolished To Make Way For New Structure
BY KAREN BERGER— MIRROR REPORTER
Chanting “Take it down,” kids in cleats and shin guards watched as Mike Hampton pushed the bucket of an excavator into the roof of the Community Home-coming Park shelter house and ripped out a large chunk.
Letting a section of shingles and plywood drop to the ground, Hampton, Spring-field Township public works director, lifted up the bucket and tore into another section.
“That was extremely cool,” said U12 soccer player Evan Hosman, who was watching the August 28 demolition with friends and siblings.
For several years, township trustees have discussed the liability of the circa 1970 building – and how to afford replacing it. Last week, township administrator Leslie Kohli learned that the maintenance staff was cleared to do the demolition work and some of the finishing work on a new building.
Having employees do demolition, drywall and other finish work will help lower costs on the project, which is funded in part by a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant. The building should be completed by spring, she said.
With the grant and $38,000 of donated materials and labor, the township will keep the cost of the project at about $200,000 to $225,000. Some of the funds will come from $250,000 in estate taxes, which are earmarked for capital rather than operating funds.
Several area businesses were on hand for Sunday’s tear-down ceremony, including Jody McCollum of Northwest Electric, which offered reduced rates for disconnecting the electricity prior to demolition. Buck and Knobby donated the use of the heavy equipment. Other donors include Sam’s Club, All-Ohio Concrete, Menards, Waste Manage-ment, the Springfield athletic department and Meg Adams of First Energy.
The new structure will be L-shaped with a 24-foot-by-37-foot storage area, an inside rental area of 40 by 70 feet, and a 36-foot-by-36-foot kitchen. The inside will have a capacity of seating 190 with tables and chairs, or 560 standing. An outside covered picnic area will be 100 by 30 feet.
“We think this will generate more use by the community, for graduations and weddings,” trustee Andy Glenn said. “We want people to stay local and have their events here.”
While Holland Gardens and Angola Gardens are other local venues, trustee Bob Bethel noted that the new community shelter won’t compete with them.
Because the new facility won’t have heat, it won’t be a four-season facility. It will feature garage doors that can be opened up on both sides to allow for ventilation on warmer days or closed during chillier weather.
“We’re different from them in that we have garage doors that allow people to have an open-air event,” Bethel said. “This will be unique.”
Kohli believes the building will get a lot of use, as even rain or chilly weather won’t hamper activities.
“We knew we wanted to use it for the Strawberry Festival and soccer and have plenty of opportunities to rent it out for the rest of the year,” she said.
The project will go out to bid soon. As far as other amenities, soccer player Madelyn Baker had one main request: nice public bathrooms.
“The ones in there are gross with spiders,” Madelyn said. “We needed a new one.”
Community Homecoming Park is located at 7807 Angola Rd.