Superintendent’s Notebook
August 14, 2014
Strategies for Improvement
The Bexley School District’s faculty, staff, and administrators have been working hard over the
summer months preparing to welcome our students back to another productive and enriching
school year. We return to school knowing that we have achieved at record high levels on the
report card issued by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).
The Bexley City School District met 100 percent of the 24 ODE indicators in Reading, Writing,
Math, Science and Social Studies at all grade levels. At the high school level, 99.3 percent of
students achieved at the proficient level or higher in Reading, 100 percent in Writing, 99.3
percent in Math, 98.7 in Social Studies, and 96.6 percent in Science. In addition, Bexley earned
its highest performance index of 107.4 points out of 120 points possible.
The school district’s four year graduation rate was 95.3 percent; its five-year graduation rate,
99 percent.
As last school year ended with the school district achieving at the highest levels in its history,
we renew our commitment to achieve at higher levels again this year.
Closing the achievement gap in areas where our students are performing below targets set by
the state of Ohio continues to be an important goal. While the school district’s performance in
all subgroup categories has increased year over year and students are achieving at record
levels, the achievement targets set by ODE continue to ratchet higher. As a result, the district
falls one or two students short of the state target.
Our improvement plans for next year include studying, knowing and understanding Ohio’s
Common Core Standards in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social studies. We will
continue to revise, improve, and implement K-12 model curriculum in these core subject areas.
District staff will perfect strategies for meeting the needs of all learners, including gifted
students, English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities. Assessment
strategies for diagnostic assessment, formative assessment, and summative for final
assessments will be developed and implemented to support value-added strategies in student
achievement.
Faculty and staff will continue to pursue the school district’s second strategic priority about
social/emotional development, creating learning environments to support the social and
emotional health of the school community.
A research study conducted by the University of Virginia and published in the American
Educational Research Journal in March 2014 concluded that attending to the social/emotional
and multicultural needs of the student body was the determining variable to closing the
achievement gap prevalent among minority student populations and with economically
disadvantaged students. In addition, students of all backgrounds, economic classifications, and
achievement levels demonstrate significant performance gains when social/emotional and
multicultural needs of students are intentionally addressed.
The research-based study emphasized fostering student autonomy and developing the
foundational social and emotional skills that students will need as they continue into higher
learning. An emphasis on social/emotional and multicultural competencies also raises teachers’
abilities to promote academic engagement, create a positive community, and develop and
maintain a positive and inclusive school environment, school climate, and community culture.
During the 2014-2015 school year we intend to emphasize the importance of students’
social/emotional needs and their corollary importance to student achievement.
Dr. Mike Johnson is Superintendent of Bexley City Schools.