PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth-Shiloh Local School District retained its overall rating of four stars on the newest round of Ohio School Report Cards.
Every fall, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce releases its report cards for public schools, including traditional and community schools, career tech districts and dropout recovery programs.
ODEW released its report cards for the 2024-2025 school year on Monday.
All nine of Richland County’s traditional public school districts received at least a three-star rating, meaning they met or exceeded state standards. All four career tech districts serving those schools earned top marks.
“I was very proud of our students and staff for their continued efforts throughout the 2024-25 school year that led to our district exceeding state standards receiving a four star rating,” Supt. Brad Turson said.
“Our district continues to show improvement in student achievement and growth as we promote a culture that makes student safety and well-being a top priority.”
School report cards evaluate buildings and districts on six components with a one-to-five star scale with half-star increments.
One star means a district needs significant support to meet state standards. Three stars means a district has met expectations. Five stars means a district has significantly exceeded expectations.
What each component means
Achievement is a measure of how well students performed on state tests.
Progress is a measure of the growth students are making based on their past performance.
Gap Closing is a measure of the reduction in educational gaps among students of different races, ones with special needs and those from economically disadvantaged families.
Graduation is a measure of the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and the five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.
Early Literacy is a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.
College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness is a measure of how prepared Ohio’s students are for future opportunities, whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college.
How Plymouth-Shiloh’s scores broke down
The district’s overall district rating for the 2024-2025 broke down as follows:
- Achievement: 4 stars
- Progress: 4 stars
- Gap Closing: 5 stars
- Graduation: 3 stars
- Early Literacy: 2 stars
- College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness: 4 stars
At the building level, Plymouth High School earned a three star rating. Shiloh Middle School earned a four star rating. Shiloh Elementary School received a 4.5 star rating.
“We are truly fortunate to have such dedicated and talented staff in our district, whose commitment enriches our district and students daily,” Turson said.
“We will continue to review the available data and work to address areas of need to provide the best possible education for our students.”
This year’s report cards include new post-secondary readiness metric
This is the first year report cards have a rating for the College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness (CCWMR) component. Previous versions of the report card included data, but not a rating.
The Ohio Education Association, a group representing teachers and school staff across the state, commended the use of CCWMR data, but said the report card is still too reliant on standardized testing data.
“For too long, these state report cards have been overly reliant on standardized test scores to determine ratings, ignoring the fact that these scores are a snapshot in time of a few stressful days in a student’s life rather than a measure of their ability or mastery,” OEA President Jeff Wensing said.
“Including CCWMR measures in the school ratings helps Ohioans get a more accurate view of the quality education public schools provide.”
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce also acknowledges the grade card has its limitations.
“Everyone has a role in the success of Ohio schools, and community members are encouraged to learn more about what’s happening in their local schools,” an ODEW press release stated.
“Talking with parents and neighbors, browsing school and district websites, and connecting with educators are among the ways to gain a complete understanding of students’ educational experiences.”