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BELMONT -- The Union Local Board of Education and staff reviewed the district's "report card" that was issued by the state and expressed high hopes for more improvement.
On Wednesday, the board heard a presentation from Curriculum Directors Jennifer Wooding and Ron Bober about the district's report card. The district's overall rating for the 2022-23 school year was 3.5 stars out of a possible five.
In the card's five different components, the district scored 3 stars in achievement, 3 stars in progress, 4 stars in gap closing, 4 stars in graduations and 2 stars in early literacy. Officials noted there was improvement in every criteria compared to the 2021-22 school year.
Bober said some strategies to improve test results include working with teachers to build curriculum, integrating technology and increasing parental involvement, as well as providing individualized support.
Wooding said the Success For All curriculum is being employed at the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade level and district staff have been dedicated in applying the technology and following the curriculum. She elaborated after the meeting.
"It's a huge part. It's been a whole school-wide reform effort. It involves not only the reading curriculum but a shift in their teaching strategies, and the main methodology that they're using is cooperative learning. And so the structures and the systems and the procedures that they have in place to put kids into teams so they can work together to get through whatever their assignments are is really the driving force of that program," she said.
"There's a big emphasis on the development of oral language, so kids are speaking and they're listening to each other, which then lends to the development of those foundational literacy skills, which creates strong building blocks for interest in reading."
Wooding said teachers have seen improvements in reading and math.
Board member Terry Puperi also noted the district has also launched a new single, unified curriculum rather than using three curricula -- one at each building -- to reduce confusion.
Some staff members such as Mary Zink, second grade teacher, spoke highly of the new curriculum.
"I'm so thrilled to be a part of this at the beginning level. I have seen more engagement and excitement with my kids than I think I've ever seen in the 40 years that I've taught, because they are taking ownership," she said.
Rhonda Eberhart, guidance counselor at the high school, said her son, Isaiah, an eighth-grader, has also seen results.
"As a student, I like having those conversations. I like working in that team together. I'm definitely more involved than I was," Isaiah Eberhart said.
Board member Ed Stenger was impressed.
"I've been on the board for 20 years. This is the most impressive, exciting time it's ever been," he said. "You guys are doing great."
Puperi agreed.
"Just looking at the scores of the year and the small increase that we saw, I was elated," he said. "You guys, the teachers, you drive this and you ran with it."
Superintendent Zac Shutler further commended the staff after the meeting.
"There's a great deal of optimism and enthusiasm. We are working to reshape and improve and grow our culture," he said, adding that some of the central features are teamwork among the staff, coaching and being coached. "We've got a long way to go, but it's good to see us trending in the right direction."
Shutler said he expects the integration of technology in the classroom to continue into the higher grades.
"Anytime you're starting a new initiative — and one of our initiatives was getting our technology up to date — it's going to be done in phases. We put a lot of emphasis on the elementary levels with the new Success For All curriculum," he said.
In looking to the next state report card, Shutler referred to Bill Walsh, former coach of the San Francisco 49ers and his book, "The Score Takes Care of Itself," which emphasizes best fundamental practices.
"If we do the small things right, if we adhere to our core values, if we follow our mission statement, if we're great teammates to each other, then the score's going to take care of itself next year."
Wooding and Bober said the next state report card covering the 2023-24 school year should be out by summer or early fall.
The state report cards can be viewed at reportcard.education.ohio.gov.