MAJOR METRO DISTRICTS
HIGH SCHOOL COMPARISONS
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
PRELIMINARY VERSION
PREPARED BY SCOTT GERBER
GERBER ANALYTICS, LLC

 

The table below highlights the academic performance of the high schools in the Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus metro school districts. Included with the table are links that provide even greater insight and detail.

Note that this document will evolve and improve over time as additional analysis is included. The date above will be modified each time a substantial improvement is added.

What Was Included?

For those unfamiliar with the OGT tests, there are five parts -- Reading, Mathematics, Writing, Science, and Social Studies. There is also a summary page that shows the percentage of students who successfully passed all five parts with a “Proficient” rating. The data used in this report is from those five parts and the summary.

There were 991 schools included in the rankings of public and private schools. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Local Report Card data download capability was used to acquire most of the data for the public schools. The ODE provided electronic media as the source for the private school data, the charter schools, and the "percentage of students who passed all five parts" of the test for all schools.

Rankings

To create the statewide rankings, the Performance Index Scores were calculated for each individual subject. The schools' subject Performance Index Scores were then sorted. For example, Walnut Hills had the highest ranking of any of the metro schools with an overall Performance Index Score of 114.6, When the same calculation was used to create a "Performance Index Score" for the individual subjects, it was sixth in the state in Social Studies. The schools which have subjects ranked in the state's top ten are further identified with a blue background.

The subject rankings provide an additional dimension by helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses within each school. To view detailed performance on each school, click on the school name.

The table below is sorted so that schools are in Performance Index Scores order. Color-coding was used to make it easier for readers to quickly identify schools in each school district.

HIGH SCHOOL /
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
# STU.
PIS
PASS 5%
STATEWIDE RANKINGS
READING
MATH
WRITING
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
Walnut Hills High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
375
114.600
97.9%
13
8
9
7
6
John Hay Early College High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
52
113.700
96.2%
26
2
41
74
3
Whitney Young School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
27
111.100
100%
25
33
161
132
60
John Hay School of Science & Medicine
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
81
110.200
96.3%
113
60
79
159
77
Columbus Alternative High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
156
109.500
89.7%
79
138
138
133
132
School For Creat & Perf Arts High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
96
106.700
88.5%
138
339
86
270
332
John Hay School of Architecture & Design
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
71
105.600
80.3%
359
148
181
349
398
Clark Montessori High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
92
105.500
84.8%
265
319
217
422
260
Cleveland School Of The Arts High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
89
104.800
76.4%
216
537
101
621
182
Centennial High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
202
102.400
71.8%
442
587
352
546
390
West Side Montessori High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
38
100.000
71.1%
590
652
538
687
410
Eastmoor Academy
Columbus City SD
Columbus
126
98.700
68.3%
578
732
431
697
603
MC^2 STEM High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
76
97.000
43.4%
538
704
580
762
709
New Technology West
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
56
96.100
58.9%
686
764
594
768
628
HIGH SCHOOL /
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
# STU.
PIS
PASS 5%
STATEWIDE RANKINGS
READING
MATH
WRITING
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
Dater High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
88
95.600
65.9%
798
745
730
766
545
Fort Hayes Arts and Academic HS
Columbus City SD
Columbus
167
93.100
52.7%
702
798
562
832
757
Garrett Morgan Schl Of Science School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
88
92.600
58.0%
766
777
749
779
815
Withrow University High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
218
91.600
45.9%
815
782
639
844
783
Columbus Africentric Early College
Columbus City SD
Columbus
54
91.200
48.1%
776
817
829
829
674
Shroder Paideia High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
90
90.900
50.0%
828
794
714
824
795
Northland High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
211
90.200
47.4%
812
813
758
814
822
Whetstone High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
172
89.100
46.5%
842
820
842
811
798
Briggs High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
203
86.800
39.9%
855
836
865
841
841
Western Hills University High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
131
86.500
35.1%
899
819
860
870
782
Beechcroft High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
125
86.100
36.0%
857
873
801
872
805
Oyler Elementary School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
46
85.500
28.3%
891
821
843
885
831
James Ford Rhodes High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
292
84.400
39.4%
875
810
889
857
884
Hughes STEM High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
103
83.700
31.1%
923
859
897
869
807
Marion-Franklin High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
163
83.200
33.7%
883
870
866
877
859
HIGH SCHOOL /
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
# STU.
PIS
PASS 5%
STATEWIDE RANKINGS
READING
MATH
WRITING
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
Ginn Academy
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
53
82.400
28.3%
888
847
823
931
862
Riverview East Academy
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
44
82.300
27.3%
889
824
872
865
916
Virtual High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
28
81.100
35.7%
874
899
890
897
864
West High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
156
81.000
31.4%
924
886
894
892
853
Aiken College and Career High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
33
81.000
30.3%
884
891
901
889
865
Design Lab
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
52
80.700
26.9%
852
884
908
893
896
John Marshall High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
214
79.900
31.8%
892
888
884
883
907
Brookhaven High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
105
78.300
24.8%
899
932
912
902
882
Woodward Career Technical High School
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
111
77.900
27.0%
931
876
921
917
883
Independence High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
130
77.100
28.5%
918
938
911
907
890
Walnut Ridge High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
139
77.000
23.0%
880
900
920
930
914
Robert A. Taft Information Technology H
Cincinnati City SD
Cincinnati
109
76.200
25.7%
934
895
909
913
933
Jane Addams Business Careers High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
47
75.100
10.6%
905
928
874
942
946
Health Careers Center High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
66
74.100
15.2%
885
936
819
962
971
Mifflin High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
135
73.900
20.7%
949
910
933
936
928
HIGH SCHOOL /
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
# STU.
PIS
PASS 5%
STATEWIDE RANKINGS
READING
MATH
WRITING
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
East High School on Arcadia
Columbus City SD
Columbus
71
73.600
19.7%
939
964
898
947
906
Washington Park
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
43
73.000
18.6%
955
905
914
944
957
Linden-Mckinley High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
104
71.600
13.5%
945
940
931
969
934
Genesis Academy
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
32
71.200
12.5%
958
931
946
929
950
COLUMBUS GLOBAL ACADEMY
Columbus City SD
Columbus
78
71.100
20.5%
985
920
963
943
887
John Adams High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
231
70.600
16.9%
951
960
916
958
958
Lincoln-West High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
219
70.300
17.4%
954
951
942
952
945
SuccessTech Academy School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
48
69.400
14.6%
921
943
949
959
976
Law & Municipal Careers @ MLK
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
43
69.300
4.7%
967
921
939
978
960
Collinwood High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
113
69.000
15.0%
953
948
964
966
947
John F Kennedy High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
184
68.800
15.8%
961
954
929
972
963
South High School @ Barrett MS
Columbus City SD
Columbus
79
68.600
12.7%
981
963
962
939
932
East Technical High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
86
66.500
12.8%
978
957
969
981
938
Max S Hayes High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
112
66.500
13.4%
976
953
959
971
967
New Technology HS@East Tech
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
24
66.200
12.5%
936
968
952
984
978
HIGH SCHOOL /
DISTRICT
DISTRICT
# STU.
PIS
PASS 5%
STATEWIDE RANKINGS
READING
MATH
WRITING
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
Glenville High School
Cleveland Municipal SD
Cleveland
166
65.300
15.7%
974
982
947
975
966
Alum Crest High School
Columbus City SD
Columbus
21
60.900
0.0%
977
976
987
977
987

Trend Charts for Performance Index Scores and % Who Passed all Five Tests

While the table above provides a good, static comparison among metro schools, it does not provide readers with a "over time" perspective. Click on this link to see five year trend charts for each school's Performance Index Score and % Who Passed All Five Test.

Click on this link to return to the table view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparative Analysis

While the performance numbers and trend charts are beneficial, what sets this web site apart from others is the comparative analysis that this site permits with other schools and within schools.

John Hay Early College has done an incredible job in Mathematics and Social Studies. What can it do better in Reading, Writing, and Science? Whitney Young shows strengths in Reading, Mathematics, and Social Studies, but why is its Social Studies performance lagging Reading when both subjects only require reading?

One of the goals for this web site is to encourage communities to become better informed and to ask questions. These tools encourage it.

Comparing the Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus School Districts

The weighted averages further highlight how the Cincinnati high schools are considerably stronger than the other districts. The weighted-averages (weighted using number of students taking the test) for the Performance Index Scores are: Cincinnati - 95.3; Columbus - 86; and Cleveland - 79.4. The "% Who Passed All Five Tests" weighted averages are: Cincinnati - 58.7%; Columbus - 41.3%; and Cleveland - 32.1%.

Based on the most recent ODE expenditure numbers for the 2011-12 school year, the cost per Cincinnati high school student was $11,553; Columbus - $12, 979; and Cleveland - $11,867. On a percentage basis, Columbus' expenditures were 12.3% higher than Cincinnati's better educated students. Cincinnati pays 2.9% more than Columbus on per elementary student basis.

Learning from Cincinnati (or not)...

Cincinnati's Walnut Hills is the jewel of the metro school systems. It provides those who really care about academics with an excellent choice for a traditional high school environment that includes athletics and all of the other extra-curricular activities. Of course, it is more than simply a choice. Students (and their parents) have to choose to earn the right to attend the school. This means making the very difficult choices to work hard and to make sacrifices throughout the pre-K, elementary, and middle school years.

Also note how many students Walnut Hills benefits. While it is great that Cleveland offers small, boutique schools for high achievers, the five Cleveland schools at the top of this table benefit less students (totaling 320) than one Walnut Hills (with 375 students in 10th grade).

Here are several statements to consider. Great schools can only be great if the students (and their parent(s)) really care about learning. There has to be a critical mass of students who care to make this happen. A critical mass does not contain everyone -- it must contain the group who cares. The group of people who do care can be identified based on their previous hard work and great results. Walnut Hills does this. It is not possible to "focus" on an entire school district to make it great. If it happens at all, it would take decades and many generations of families to do this. No one has that much time. Likewise, districts need vocational school alternatives for those families who are unwilling to make sacrifices for education.

Click on the following link for a worthwhile Youtube video of Walnut Hills' principal, Jeff Brokamp.

As Columbus attempts to turn its beleaguered, scandalized school system around, it would be interesting to know why it is not pursuing a Walnut Hills approach.

Map of the Schools

To make it easier to visualize the school locations, click for a map of the three school districts. Schools are color-coded by Performance Index Score (i.e. Top 5%, Top 10%). Clicking on the marker provides readers with the school name. Clicking on the school name, takes readers to the detailed Gerber Analytics report for that school.

Use the zoom controls to easily navigate the page.

Corrections

Does this document include any mistakes? Hopefully not, the data was carefully entered and the numbers were double checked, but it is possible. Please send a Feedback message with any significant discrepancies. The revised document will be updated and placed online.

You may forward this report to anyone you wish but please give proper attribution if you use any of this material. To assist with tracking, please provide others with this link:

I have a substantial "one-of-a-kind" database, and I am open to new analysis projects. If you have an education-related analysis project in mind that you think would benefit all Ohio schools, please contact me.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Scott Gerber
Gerber Analytics, LLC
GerberAnalytics.com

Click to submit a Feedback for any questions and/or to have your email address included so that you may be alerted to additional analysis.

 

Calculation of Performance Index Score (Adjusted)

Note that the Performance Index Score (Adjusted) is different from what you may have seen on the Ohio Department of Education’s Report Card. The calculation in this document is only for the 10th grade students. It was calculated as follows:

Ada High School


Subject
Below Basic Basic Proficient Accelerated Advanced

 

Mathematics 9.4% 9.4% 24.5% 20.8% 35.8%  
Reading 3.8% 5.7% 43.4% 35.8% 11.3%  
Science 3.8% 18.9% 26.4% 22.6% 28.3%  
Social Studies 15.1% 9.4% 24.5% 22.6% 28.3%  
Writing 5.7% 5.7% 39.6% 47.2% 1.9%  
             
Total of Above 37.7% 49.1% 158.5% 149.1% 105.7%  
Average of 5 7.5% 9.8% 31.7% 29.8% 21.1%  
Factor

0.3 0.6 1 1.1 1.2  
            Summation
Average * Factor 2.3 5.9 31.7 32.8 25.4 98

The new "Advanced Plus" designation was used randomly for some schools. To insure an "apples-to-apples" comparison, the percentage of students scoring "Advanced Plus" was added to the Advance category.