Ada shines, USV struggles on spring student achievement tests

2012 Ohio Achievement Test results

When the Ohio Department of Education released the results of this spring’s achievement tests this week, the news was good for Ada, but dismal for Upper Scioto Valley.
The tests were administered to students in grades 3-8. Students in all grades were tested for reading and math skills, but those in the fifth and eighth grades were also given tests in science.
The results show the percentage of students considered proficient or above in the subjects. A passage rate of 75 percent for each test results in a point on the state report card which is released later this summer.
Of the 14 tests administered to the students, Upper Scioto Valley was at the bottom of the county schools 11 times. Ada finished at the top of the list six times and Ridgemont had the top scores in four tests. Hardin Northern and Riverdale each had two first-place results.
Third-graders are tested twice each year for their reading abilities. All Hardin County schools saw their rates increase over the year, but Ridgemont nearly doubled its proficiency rate between October and May.
Ridgemont’s third-grade students had a passage rate of 50 percent as they entered the class, but raised it to a county-high 92.9 percent in the May testing. Hardin Northern third-graders went from 61.8 in the fall to 87.7 in the spring. Riverdale went from a 56.6 percent passage rate to 87.7; Ada went from 73.2 to 83.6; Kenton went from 75 percent to 79.6 and USV rose their rate from 32.4 to a 40 percent passage rate.
Ridgemont also led the county in third grade math scores, with 97.6 percent passing the test. Riverdale was in second place with Falcon third-graders earning a 90.4 percent passage rate.
USV trailed the other schools with a 57.1 percent, more than 20 points lower than the second lowest score at Ada, which came in at 79.7.
All the county schools had a passage rate of more than 75 percent in reading for the fourth grade and the math scores, with the exception of USV, were at a passage rate for the county.
USV’s scores for the fourth grade were higher than its third-graders, but were still the lowest among the county schools. In reading, USV students tested at 77.8 percent proficient or higher. Hardin Northern had the highest score with a passage rate of 94.4 percent.
Math scores in the fourth grade ranged from Riverdale’s county-high rate of 91.4 to USV’s 71.1 passage rate. Ada had a high percentage of students in fourth grade math who tested at the advanced level with 29.3 percent at the top mark.
Fifth grade scores in math were low throughout the county, with only Ada scoring higher than 75 percent on the test with 83.6. The Bulldogs led the county in all three of the subjects tested. Their proficiency rate of 90.4 percent was the highest in the county as was their reading score of 89.9 percent.
On the other end of the report, was USV’s fifth grade class, which was the lowest of the county schools in each of the three subjects. In fact, USV’s 34.6 percent passage rate in science was the lowest score on the entire county report. With only one in three students considered proficient in science at that level, the math scores were slightly higher with 40 percent passing. The USV fifth-graders scored 50.9 percent in the reading section of the test.
All the schools had a strong showing in the sixth grade tests. The districts could pick up two points on their report cards if the two subject areas tested 75 percent or higher and all did that except Hardin Northern, which fell short in math with a 73 percentage rate. Ada lead the math scores at 97.1 percent.
A third of the Ada students tested at the advanced level and Ridgemont was slightly lower at 32.1 percent.
The reading scores ranged from Ridgemont’s 96.4 percent to Riverdale’s 83.1 percent.
Half the districts met the 75 percent passage rate for reading in the seventh grade. Hardin Northern, Ridgemont and USV fell short of the goal. Ada had the top score with 83.1 percent and USV was the lowest at 61.9 percent.
Kenton was at the bottom of the report for math scores in the seventh grade with a passage rate of 67.6 percent and the high mark went to Hardin Northern at 78 percent.
Three areas are tested in the eighth grade. Reading rates at Ada were 86.6 percent, the highest in the county report. USV had the lowest rate at 64.8 percent. Riverdale’s 90.1 percent paced the county in math and USV was the lowest at 57.4 percent. The science scores ranged from Ridgemont’s high mark of 87.9 percent to USV’s 53.7 percent.
No students were identified as being advanced in math in Hardin Northern, Ridgemont or USV.
Each district could have earned 14 points on the state report cards, which will also include Ohio Graduation Test results, dropout rates and other information. Ada earned 13 points. Riverdale won 12 points, with Hardin Northern, Kenton and Ridgemont earning 10 points each. USV scored three points.

By DAN ROBINSON
Times staff writer

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Posted by Kenton Times on July 6, 2012. Filed under Local News,Recent Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry