http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ This is an XML content feed of; Middletown Forum : School Achievements : STATE REPORT CARDS Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:15:26 +0000 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:08:30 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 10.12 360 www.middletownusa.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=5829 http://middletownusa.com/images/blog-logo.jpg http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43730&title=state-report-cards#43730 Author: 409
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 17 2014 at 10:08am

•“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” Ignacio Estrada]]> Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:08:30 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43730&title=state-report-cards#43730 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43729&title=state-report-cards#43729 Author: VietVet
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 16 2014 at 8:06pm

Bill wrote: I'm confused and am guessing others are about the evaluation criteria the state uses.  My main question is how can our Value Add score be pretty good over the last few years and yet the overall rating still stinks.

From a post from Ms. Andrew as she discusses value added......

"That is why Middletown earned an A in value added growth. We have been above value added for the last three years in a row. That means that students in Middletown City schools are learning more than a year's worth each year. To me, this is the most important grade on the report card, because it shows how well a district is doing in actually improving a student's academic success, rather than just reflect the socio-economic background of the students who walk through its doors."

Taken from her post under the "School Achievement" category, sub category "Report Cards Are In" on August 23, 2013

SO THE WAY I READ THIS IS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING MORE IN A YEAR"S TIME THAN THEY ARE REQUIRED TO LEARN, HOWEVER, ALL OTHER SCORES ARE DISMAL, INDICATING THAT THEY CANNOT RETAIN NOR DO THEY TEST WELL IN REMEMBERING ALL THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED. I SEE NO VALUE IN STUDENTS LEARNING ALOT OF "STUFF" IF THEY CAN'T RETAIN IT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO PERFORM. REMEMBER STAYING UP ALL NIGHT TO "CRAM" FOR A TEST....THEN WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO TAKE THE TEST, YOUR MIND GOES BLANK AND YOU CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING YOU READ THE NIGHT BEFORE.

ALL THE "LEARNIN'" IN THE WORLD DOESN'T MEAN A THING IF LITTLE RETENTION IN THE LEARNING PROCESS IS REALIZED.....ESPECIALLY AT TEST TIME. THIS STATISTIC IS KINDA USELESS ISN'T IT AS IT RELATES TO ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THE OTHER NUMBERS?]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:06:53 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43729&title=state-report-cards#43729 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43728&title=state-report-cards#43728 Author: spiderjohn
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 16 2014 at 4:35pm

system response is very symptomatic with a major flaw in today's society:

everything not as expected is someone else's fault
"they" changed the rating system, making it more difficult

glad that we did get an A in an important area, though it might only show how far down we have been.

We have the schools--we have a new teachers contract to retain the best--we have the board and admin

rapid improvement is honestly the only acceptable result
excuses are simply excuses
no more talk

hopefully we can pull it off

and--no, Bill--I have no idea what that chart means, other than our #s are lower than those of everyone else]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2014 16:35:13 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43728&title=state-report-cards#43728 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43725&title=state-report-cards#43725 Author: Bill
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 16 2014 at 1:05pm

I'm confused and am guessing others are about the evaluation criteria the state uses.  My main question is how can our Value Add score be pretty good over the last few years and yet the overall rating still stinks.]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:05:46 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43725&title=state-report-cards#43725 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43724&title=state-report-cards#43724 Author: VietVet
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 16 2014 at 12:15pm

Ok, substantiated evidence from the Journal.....

Middletown superintendent: ‘We are making progress’

MIDDLETOWN —
The Middletown City Schools superintendent said he understands why some residents want the district to make improvements faster, but urges patience.

PATIENCE??? IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE MR. ISON. WE ARE OUT OF PATIENCE. THE YEARS OF EXCUSES ARE COMPOUNDING ON THEMSELVES.

The Ohio School Report Cards that were released Friday showed Middletown City Schools met fewer standards this year than last year. Last year’s card showed the district meeting eight; this year’s three. Superintendent Sam Ison said residents should remember the state is using different, more difficult, standard this year.

AND??? ADAPT....OVERCOME.....ADJUST TO THE NEW SYSTEM. NO TIME FOR EXCUSES. CONSTANT CHANGE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THE BUSINESS/WORK ENVIRONMENT NOWADAYS. IT'S TIME YOU SCHOOL PEOPLE LIVED WITH THEM AS WE MUST DO IN OUR LINE OF WORK.

Instead of focusing on one aspect of the record card — where Middletown received an F on standards met — Ison said residents should look at the entire report card, the same way they may view their child’s report record. He said the district’s graduation rate increased from 79 percent to 84 percent and it received an A for valued-added for the second straight year.

TOLD YOU THAT THE SCHOOL PEOPLE WOULD PULL THE "VALUE ADDED" CARD FROM THE DECK OF FLAK AND DECEIT.

Middletown’s valued-added score, which rates the progress the same group of students makes from the first day of class to the last, is something to be proud of, Ison said.

MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF ISON, BUT IT DOESN'T TRUMP ALL THE OTHER POOR RATINGS ON THIS DATA CHART. YOU TOLD US TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL REPORT CARD, NOT JUST THE VALUE ADDED IN YOUR STATEMENT ABOVE. DIDN'T YOU? TELL US ONE THING....TURN AROUND AND DO ANOTHER. WHY?

“That’s really comparing apples to apples,” he said. “Where our kids start and where they end, that’s growth. That means our students are making progress. We are making progress here.”

HOW TWISTED IS THIS STATEMENT. IF YOU BURY THE REAL DATA IN DELUSIONAL CONFUSION, YOU CAN MAKE BANKRUPTCY SEEM WORTHWHILE AND A GOOD THING.

He said improvements will take time, maybe several years in some cases. Still, he understands the district must increase its scores.

IT'S ALREADY TAKEN MORE THAN "YEARS" ISON. WE ARE NO LONGER COUNTING YEARS. WE ARE COUNTING DECADES.

“This is something that we don’t take lightly,” he said. “We are always looking to improve. We are never satisfied.”

NOT SATISFIED? SURE YOU ARE OR YOU WOULD BE MAKING REAL CHANGES THAT PRODUCED ACTUAL NUMERICAL UPWARD TRENDS. BUSINESS AS USUAL SUITS YOU JUST FINE. SAME WITH YOUR PREDECESSORS.

The report card system includes grades and data from the 2013-14 school year for all schools and districts, including community schools, via Ohio’s interactive report card site, reportcard.education.ohio.gov. Ohio schools no longer receive a single label such as “Excellent” or “Continuous Improvement.” The state instituted a “letter-grade” system last year that charts grades in nine categories and sub-categories.

Overall school building and district grades will not be calculated until 2016
]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:15:57 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43724&title=state-report-cards#43724 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43722&title=state-report-cards#43722 Author: VietVet
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 16 2014 at 6:08am

Nice post Neil and right on target IMO. So sad to see the voters continually give this city and the schools what they ask for, despite the repeated lack of performance. Defies logic. ]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2014 06:08:40 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43722&title=state-report-cards#43722 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43721&title=state-report-cards#43721 Author: Neil Barille
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 15 2014 at 8:38pm

The charade all along has been that significant improvement can be achieved in this district of poverty, single parents, grandparent caretakers, and goal setting that ends with a six pack or a bong.

The microscopic improvement of recent years was sold to us as proof that better days were coming-- the new buildings, the feel good tenure of Rasmussen (and departure of Price), the new teaching methods were surely going to be a trampoline to getting Middletown into the "Effective" category followed by much deserved pats on the back.

The culprits-- fat-n-happy union teachers, idealistic "it takes a village" board members, the common core proponents, the court system that refuses to allow proper discipline in schools as well as the parents/guardians who would cry fowl even if they did, have fostered a rancid stew of low expectations, excuses, and no accountability.

It is now clear that this district is out of ideas and out of excuses.....That the good soldier Ms. Andrew has fought the good fight and gone down with the ship....That Ison is just another Super who sees retirement in the distance and is padding the heck out of the pension payout.

But with 2 construction levies passed, it doesn't really matter does it? After all, we now think we are keeping up with the Jones's by having shiny new buildings and a spiffy Barnitz Stadium. Other areas will certainly respect us now, right? Parents working with realtors will certainly look twice at possibly moving here, right? Like a twice divorced lonely guy/gal sitting at the bar with a drink and a smoke, the desperation and lack of esteem is palpable.

Between the pro-school crowd and the downtown cheerleaders, I'm not sure which wins the battle of delusion and denial. In either case, it's just sad to watch.]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2014 20:38:49 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43721&title=state-report-cards#43721 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43720&title=state-report-cards#43720 Author: spiderjohn
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 15 2014 at 6:11pm

disappointment everywhere, I am sure
I have seen the effort by the staff, and how much that they honestly care--and I see what they are working with
hopefully it will improve as quickly and as much as possible]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2014 18:11:56 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43720&title=state-report-cards#43720 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43719&title=state-report-cards#43719 Author: VietVet
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 15 2014 at 3:34pm

Hmm. Dead silence from our friends on the school board and our levy supporters.

Could it be that there is no defense to be offered against the indefensible as the graph shows the sad state of affairs? Or, do they not see the truth concerning the lack of progress for this school district?

]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:34:36 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43719&title=state-report-cards#43719 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43718&title=state-report-cards#43718 Author: acclaro
Subject: 5829
Posted: Sep 14 2014 at 9:48pm

3/24 and a levy for 155 Mm passes. Village idiots.]]> Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:48:31 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5829&PID=43718&title=state-report-cards#43718