'More to the story' in the Worthington school district

By Melissa Conrath

Published: November 6, 2008
Edition: Worthington
Section: Commentary and opinion
Page: 04A



Several weeks ago I was reviewing our 2008 state achievement test results. I was thrilled that our students did well, eclipsing past performance and earning Worthington Schools an "excellent" rating on our state report card. This is something that our community has come to expect, and it is a credit to the outstanding efforts of our staff and students. But as I reflected, I thought about how easy it is to become fixated on test scores as the sole measure of a school district's success. It's certainly important to pay attention to test scores. They're a useful barometer of student achievement. But there is also much more that makes a school district "excellent." Most of us have heard radio commentator Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story," where he shared stories about famous people and events and uncovers interesting facts that most of us didn't know. In Worthington Schools there is also "more to the story," beyond great test scores, which makes Worthington an excellent place to learn and work.

What defines excellent schools is a good question that deserves much thought and research. For the past 40 years, the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation has conducted an annual survey that tracks public opinion of how Americans perceive the performance of their public schools. The survey asks open-ended questions that give a picture of what good schools look like. For the sixth year in a row, the survey showed that the public believes the biggest problem facing schools is a lack of funding, followed by lack of discipline and overcrowding. The 2008 survey also showed that the public defines excellent school districts by factors beyond good test scores. In fact, 80 percent of respondents believed that schools should measure academic success through written observations and evaluation of examples of student work throughout the school year, and not rely solely on performance on state-mandated tests.

This past spring, Worthington Schools conducted our own survey to determine what our community views as important qualities of a great school district, to tell us how we performed on those issues, and to let us know where we need to improve. The results released in May of 2008 told us that a majority of respondents (67%) would describe Worthington Schools as having a good reputation and great teachers and staff. Only five percent of respondents considered state test scores as important in describing Worthington as a good school district. The survey told us that the community considers our greatest strengths to be qualified, dedicated teachers and a diverse curriculum. Performance on state-mandated tests didn't make the list.

Respondents, those with students in school and those without, gave Worthington Schools an overall grade of A-. Specifically, we received an A for academic quality, a B for managing finances, and a B+ for overall district management and communication. Sixty-five percent rated Worthington as "better or much better" compared to neighboring school districts. When asked what areas Worthington Schools could improve, the highest response was "keeping costs down." Surprisingly, the second-highest response was "nothing."

We are committed to meeting our community's expectations and definition of excellence, looking beyond test scores as the sole measurement of student success. We're taking the survey data and applying what we have learned toward meeting our district's four targeted goals: (1) supporting high-quality learning opportunities that give students 21st-century learning skills, (2) making technology an integral part of our teaching and learning; (3) recruiting, developing and retaining high-quality staff; and (4) expanding communication and community engagement.

There is so much to celebrate and share about Worthington Schools. I look forward to having a regular dialogue with the community through this column and other avenues, letting you know "the rest of the story" about Worthington Schools and the many ways we are working inspire our students and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-century.

Melissa Conrath is superintendent of Worthington Schools.




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