LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Achievement

  • Three Loveland Schools Recognized with Achievement Awards by Ohio Superintendent and State Board of Education

    Three Loveland Schools Recognized with Achievement Awards by Ohio Superintendent and State Board of Education

    State Board of Education and Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria (Image ODE)

    Columbus, Ohio – The State Board of Education and Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria announced this week the recognition of schools across the state for achieving high performance, outstanding progress and momentum for students – and among them are Loveland High School (LHS), Loveland Elementary School (LES) and the Loveland Early Childhood Center (LECC).

    Loveland High School earned the “Momentum Award” for the third consecutive year in recognition of exceeding expectations in student growth. In order to be recognized, schools must earn straight A’s on all value-added measures on the report card and must have at least two value-added subgroups of students, which include gifted, lowest 20% in achievement, and students with disabilities. Value-added measures use student achievement over time in English Language Arts and Math to measure the gain in learning from year to year.

    Loveland Elementary School earned the “Overall A Award” for receiving an “A” as a school on the report card. The overall letter grade is calculated by using results in the six components that make up the state report card: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers, Graduation Rate and Prepared for Success.

    Loveland Early Childhood Center earned the “All A Award” for receiving A grades on the applicable Ohio School Report Card measures. Only 50 schools and four school districts across the state were recognized for this achievement in 2019.

    “I’m incredibly proud of our educational leaders and staff across the district who embrace the mindset of continuous improvement,” said Loveland City School District Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse. “They have done a remarkable job putting goals into action for the benefit of student achievement and academic momentum at Loveland Schools.”

    State Board of Education President Laura Kohler issued a statement in a press release issued by the Ohio Department of Education:

    “The students, teachers, administrators and staff honored today are shining examples to peers and colleagues around Ohio. We are so proud of these award recipients and the effort they put into learning, leading and growing every day. We are both encouraged and challenged by the example of excellence they are setting.”


  • The annual school report card released by the Ohio Department of Education

    The annual school report card released by the Ohio Department of Education

    Read Loveland’s Report Card HERE

    Loveland, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Education recently announced the release of the annual school report card to provide communities across the state a picture of the progress by schools in raising achievement and preparing students for the future. In terms of value-added progress – data measuring academic growth and students’ gain in learning over time – Loveland now ranks 22ndout of 608 public school districts in Ohio. Two years ago, the district was ranked 433.

    “This year’s report card shows an upward trend that we are extremely proud of,” said Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse. “We’ve been laser-focused on the areas where we’ve had opportunities to improve. The commitment and hard work by our staff in developing and implementing improvement plans over the past several years have paid off in a big way and our students have benefitted.”

    For the second consecutive year, Ohio districts and schools received an overall letter grade, which is calculated using the result of six components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers, Graduation Rate and Prepared for Success. All Loveland schools, and the district as a whole, received an overall grade of either an “A” or a “B.” The performance index, a calculation that measures student performance specifically on state assessments in math and reading/English, improved from 99.5 to 101.1.

    “The state report card can help show general trends – moving from a D-F range to an A-B range indicates improvement, while the opposite scenario draws attention to areas a school district must work on,” said Dr. Crouse. “Let’s not forget, however, that the report card and the metrics behind it are quite convoluted, evidenced by the accompanying 32-page guide to understanding it. We need to keep in mind that the report card is only one measure of accountability and based mainly on standardized tests – it is just

    one snapshot of the very complex work we do. Our district is committed to continued high achievement and an exceptional educational experience for all our students, and that’s why the development of the Portrait of a Tiger is so important for our work going forward. In that regard, I believe there will always be room for improvement.”

    To supplement the information in the state report card, Loveland Schools recently issued its Quality Profile (QP) for the 2018-19 school year. It includes accountability measures that define high-quality education beyond those captured by the state report card to provide a more complete information of the value the schools provide to the students, staff and the community. According to the District, the QP is supported by the Alliance for High Quality Education, an education consortium that works to improve educational opportunities for students and that represents member districts on matters of educational policy and funding.

    If you find this story useful and helpful in your daily life…

  • Measuring the success of our school district

    Measuring the success of our school district

    A Guest Column By Dr. Amy Crouse,

    Our collective mission at Loveland City Schools is to prepare students for tomorrow, today; this year, the state report card reflected that we are making strides to achieve just that. I have said before and will say again: I strongly believe the true value of a school district cannot be limited to a simple score on a standardized test, which is what the state report card reflects. I also believe that there will always be room for growth and
    improvement, regardless of the “grades” earned. So while the report card is just one tool of accountability, it provides us with useful information we can apply and reflect upon as we continue to provide the best educational experience we can for our students.

    In Loveland, we celebrate gains in the Progress and Achievement components, both of which echo the growth we have made in giving our students the tools they need to comprehend, retain and personalize the information they receive every day. Through our targeted improvement plans in the past year, we have made particular strides in the Progress component, which indicates the growth of our students based on past performance. Our grade in the Achievement component places Loveland in the top 22 percent of districts in our region, which means our students are one step closer to being more educated, empowered and prepared for tomorrow, today.

    We can also celebrate a gain in the Gap Closing component of the report card, meaning we are putting initiatives and programs in place to properly meet the performance expectations for all students in English language arts, math and graduation. We are one of only 14 (out of 49) districts in Hamilton, Warren, Butler and Clermont counties that earned an “A.” I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment because it reflects the dedication and hard work our staff has put toward ensuring each and every student can be successful.

    While we will continue to celebrate our successes, we will never ignore the areas that present opportunities for growth. After all, who wouldn’t love to receive an “A” across all measures? Who wouldn’t love to see every child succeed every day? Ultimately, our goal is that every Tiger student is empowered to learn, grow and embody our core values of care, respect and responsibility. That is success.

    Dr. Amy Crouse is Superintendent of the Loveland City School District

    The work we do every day in our classrooms is complex, and as a school district committed to high achievement and continuous growth, we monitor, analyze and factor in multiple data points when we consider the educational experience we strive to provide. I invite you to take a look at another source of data – our Quality Profile – which includes measures beyond the test scores to show the total value that our schools provide our Tiger students, staff and community. This publication is available by clicking on the image to the upper right. Residents will find an executive summary in the mailboxes shortly.

    As always, I thank you for supporting our educational mission. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns regarding the state report card or our Quality Profile.

    In service to our Tigers.

      Loveland chiropractor Douglas Portmann, DC at Wards Corner Chiropractic & Sports Rehab is one of the best chiropractors in the Loveland area.

  • Loveland High School Receives an A on State Report Card

    Loveland High School Receives an A on State Report Card

    Overall, Loveland City School District received a B

    Loveland, Ohio – On September 13, the Ohio Department of Education released its annual report cards for public school districts across the state and Loveland High School was listed as one of six high schools in the Greater Cincinnati area to receive an A, the highest grade a school can obtain.

    Dr. Amy Crouse

    “I am so proud of the work we’re doing in all of our classrooms for all of our students, although I believe we will always have room for growth and improvement,” said Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “Even though we know the state report card is just one tool of accountability based on one standardized test, it is validation that we are on the right track in preparing students for tomorrow, today.”

    The report card grades, A through F, are based on other sub-grades in areas such as Achievement, Progress, Graduation Rate and Gap Closing. For the first time, the state also released an overall district-level grade summing up how districts performed in this year’s report cards. Loveland City School District received a B. In Hamilton County, four school districts received an A, five received a B, and the 13 remaining districts received a grade of C or lower.

    “We know the state report card can provide us with useful information, although we have to keep in mind that its data offers just one snapshot of the very complex work we do every day in our classrooms,” said Crouse. “As a school district committed to high achievement and continuous growth, we monitor, analyze and factor in multiple data points when we consider the educational experience we strive to provide in our schools.”

    Later this month, the Loveland City School District will also release their own “Quality Profile”, which offers a look at the performance of district students and staff, using multiple measures and data points. The Quality Profile is supported by the Alliance for High Quality Education, an education consortium that works to improve educational opportunities for students and represent member districts on matters of educational policy and funding.

    “Our Quality Profile includes measures beyond the test scores that make up the state report card and seeks to show the complete picture of the total value our schools provide to our students, staff and community,” said Crouse. “While we will continue to celebrate our successes, we will never ignore the areas that present opportunities for progress. Ultimately, our goal is that every Tiger student is empowered to learn, grow and embody our core values of care, respect and responsibility.”

    Community School Closure Family Frequently Asked Questions

    State Report Card District Overview

    District Grade B

    Achievement

    The Achievement Component represents whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall. A new indicator measures chronic absenteeism.
    B – Component Grade
    Progress
    The Progress component looks closely at the growth that all students are making based on their past performances.
    B – Component Grade
    Gap Closing
    The Gap Closing component shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our most vulnerable students in English language arts, math, graduation and English language proficiency.
    A – Component Grade

    Graduation Rate

    The Graduation Rate component looks at the percent of students who are successfully finishing high school with a diploma in four or five years.
    A – Component Grade

    Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers

    This component looks at how successful the school is at improving at-risk K-3 readers.
    C – Component Grade

    Prepared for Success

    Whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college, the Prepared for Success component looks at how well prepared Ohio’s students are for all future opportunities.

    LCSD 2018-19 Expectations

    Click the image below to learn more about the 2018-19 Loveland City School District expectations.

    Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.

  • Opportunities for Tiger Growth – The State Report Card

    Opportunities for Tiger Growth – The State Report Card

    “It is my belief that the true value of any district cannot be limited to a simple grade on a standardized test.”

    By Dr. Amy Crouse,

    Our district mission is Preparing Students for Tomorrow, Today; our No. 1 district goal is Tiger academic growth. As such, our educational instructional leaders at every level – teachers in the classroom, principals managing the buildings and administrators specializing in Teaching & Learning at the Board Office – stay focused on measures of our performance. One data point we are equipped with to gauge performance is the annual State Report Card, which the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released to the public Thursday, September 14.

    I want to be clear that – as an educator with 20-plus years of experience serving students – it is my belief that the true value of any district cannot be limited to a simple grade on a standardized test which is what the ODE State Report Card reflects. We are in the business of whole student growth, which encompasses the complete student experience, to include academic, social and emotional development. I invite you to take a look at the way we do business through our Quality Profile Report – it is a complement to the State Report Card scores and will give you a more intimate view of what it means to be a Tiger.   

    Whether we agree or disagree with our state assessments, I do have a strong belief in accountability, and understand that the State Report Card is one tool of accountability that can be of value. The State Report Card grades districts and schools on six components – Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation Rate, K-3 Literacy and Prepared for Success. Districts and schools received an A-F grade on each of the six components and most of the individual measures. While this – on the surface – sounds like a simple pass/fail – the explanations behind those letter-grade measures are much more complex.

    In Loveland, we can celebrate a gain in the Gap Closing measure as all of our subgroups showed gains in reading, we made strides in the K-3 Literacy measure, and 20 out of 23 tested areas showed an increase in performance. While we will highlight our successes, we will not ignore the areas the State Report Card highlights as opportunities for growth.

    One area we are focused on is our Progress measure

    One area we are focused on is our Progress measure, which is an indicator of student growth. Our Board of Education made clear it was of paramount importance that we deliver on the expectation that every Tiger will demonstrate personal academic growth, which is the heart of our Growth goal for this school year. As such, entrenched in our building goals is increased time and focus for teachers to collaborate on: curriculum work planning lessons aligned to the state standards and vertically aligned to increase rigor for students as they progress through the grades; assessment work using student MAP data to meet students where they are and measure their individual growth; and, instruction work to improve student engagement and opportunities for their application of their learning. We feel strongly this focus will move the needle for us on Progress.

    We feel strongly this focus will move the needle for us on Progress.

    As always, I thank you for supporting our educational mission; I invite you to contact me directly should you have any questions or concerns regarding our State Report Card.    

    In service to our Tigers,

    Dr. Amy Crouse

    Dr. Crouse is Interim Superintendent of the Loveland City School District

    Loveland Magazine
    Published by David Miller

    We are celebrating and proud to be a member of the Ohio News Media Association along with more than 250 Ohio daily and weekly newspapers including, The Columbus Dispatch, Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal, Dayton Daily News, and The Toledo Blade. Loveland Magazine was the first “digital only member”.