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Closing the Gap In Ohio Schools

Teaching disadvantaged students well is one of the biggest challenges in public schools nationwide. That has been recognized for many years, yet little progress is being made in many places, including Ohio.

Information on how well school systems throughout the state are doing in closing the gap between economically disadvantaged students and others is gathered through the state’s Report Card process. It presents evaluations in a variety of other areas, too.

An analysis of Report Card data for the past four years disclosed there has been little change in the performance of disadvantaged students, it was reported earlier this month. That is the case in general for the entire state.

Unfortunately, that appears to hold true for East Ohio school districts.

One item on the state’s Report Card is called “gap closing.” According to the state Department of Education, it measures, on an A-F scale, “how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our most vulnerable populations of students in English language arts, math and graduation.”

Fourteen of the 15 school districts in Belmont, Jefferson, Monroe and Harrison counties received F grades in the state’s most recent evaluation of gap closing. There was just one exception — Steubenville City Schools, which earned a D.

Several East Ohio school systems perform well in many ways, earning A’s from the state. But clearly, in educating children who need the most help, schools in our area need to find better ways of closing that gap.

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