During the Monday, Feb. 8 Pettisville School Board meeting, it was announced that 62.5% of Pettisville third grade students scored proficient or above in the 2020 fall state reading assessment test.
It was also announced that after some students had been administered an alternative test, all had passed the Ohio Department of Education third grade reading guarantee, and were eligible for promotion to the fourth grade.
While 62.5% testing proficient or better does not sound like an outstanding result, Jason Waldvogel, elementary principal, said the state average for the same measure– proficient or above– for the 2020 fall test was 36.79%.
In fact, over the last three years, Waldvogel said northwest Ohio schools have all “been pretty far ahead of the state average.”
When asked if educations had suffered with classrooms shuttered by fears about the Coronavirus pandemic, Waldvogel said, “I think all students have suffered to some extent with remote learning.
“There is no piece of technology that will ever replace the value of an actual teacher.”
Archbold
Michele Bagrowski, curriculum director for the Archbold School District, said 92% of third-grade students received a passing score on the state reading assessment test.
All third graders have either taken the test and-or the first attempt at an alternative assessment.
Bagrowski said, “61.5% of our students scored proficient or higher on the Ohio State Test in ELA (English language arts.)
“Our figures include students who continue at-home learning though the NOVA program and all of those that are back to in-person learning.”
Working Hard
When asked about whether Archbold students had suffered academically due to the pandemic, Bagrowski said, “Our teachers worked hard to make sure that our students received the best possible education even when we were participating in remote learning.
“Staff have worked tirelessly to make sure the students are where they need to be.
“While remote learning was not ideal, we feel our teachers provided the best education possible so that our students’ academics did not greatly suffer.
“However, there is no substitution for in-person learning.”