Chamber Salutes Students’ Improved Test Scores
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber is praising the progress students in the 45 public school districts in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties have achieved on the so-called state report cards and praised their efforts along with those of their teachers, guidance counselors and administrators.
Forty-two of those 45 districts, or 93.3%, were graded “excellent with distinction,” “excellent” or “effective” compared with 91.6% of the 612 districts in Ohio, noted Tom Humphries, president and CEO of the chamber. Thirty-one of the 45 (68.8%) achieved either “excellent with distinction” or “excellent” ratings compared to 63.4% of the districts statewide.
The results are based on the mandated annual state proficiency tests.
“We want to give credit where credit is due,” Humphries said. “Our many superintendents, principals, teachers, counselors and students in the three-county area should be proud of the 2011-2012 report card results. They were outstanding.”
Unofficial report card results show seven districts in the three counties achieved “excellent with distinction and 24 “excellent” for a total of 31 compared to 27 in both categories in 2010-2011 and 24 in 2009-2010.
The results of a survey released two months ago by Consultant Site Guide magazine found that the No. 1 quality-of-life factor businesses consider when determining where to expand or relocate is the quality of the public schools.
“At a time when many companies are considering locating here and bringing workers and their families to our area,” Humphries said, “we are able to tell them that the Mahoning Valley has excellent schools and show them the facts in black and white.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.