The Ohio Department of Education can't decide if some schools are failing or a wonderful example for all Ohio schools.
We were recently alerted to ODE sending out notices to schools, informing them that they are Momentum Award winners. This is a new award, described by ODE thusly:
The Momentum Award is presented by the State Board of Education and recognizes schools for exceeding expectations in student growth for the year. Schools must earn straight A’s on all Value-Added measures on the report card. The school or district must have at least two Value-Added subgroups of students, which includes gifted, lowest 20% in achievement, and students with disabilities.
165 schools achieved this award, and we congratulate them. Here's a redacted copy of the letters being received by the schools
Your school is a wonderful example for all Ohio Schools
Nothing objectionable about any of this on first glance. Until, that is, you look at the list of academic watch schools that ODE maintains and you realize that 57 of the schools that have won a Momentum Award for exceptional student growth are also on the list of schools that ODE maintains for schools that aren't producing enough growth!
Here's how ODE describes its watch list
A Watch School is a school that has a “D” or “F” on the AMO Report Card measure for two years or is receiving state funding for subgroups and those subgroups are not making adequate achievement and progress. Watch Schools are a new category of school that has been added to Ohio’s accountability system. These schools must implement an improvement plan to close gaps among low-achieving subgroups by targeting resources and interventions beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
We can only assume that ODE will be removing these 57 schools from their watch list now that they have won this Momentum Award and demonstrated they are "a wonderful example for all Ohio Schools".
Here's the list of the 57 schools trapped in a dichotomy of success and failure
| Building Name | District Name |
| McEbright Community Learning Center | Akron City |
| Seiberling CLC | Akron City |
| Barberton Middle School | Barberton City |
| Canal Winchester Middle School | Canal Winchester Local |
| Chagrin Falls Middle School | Chagrin Falls Exempted Village |
| Cheviot Elementary School | Cincinnati City |
| Dater Montessori Elementary School | Cincinnati City |
| Monticello Middle School | Cleveland Heights-University Heights City |
| Roxboro Middle School | Cleveland Heights-University Heights City |
| Entrepreneurship Preparatory School - Woodland Hills Campus | Cleveland Municipal |
| Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School | Cleveland Municipal |
| Colonial Prep Academy | Colonial Prep Academy |
| Berwick Alternative K-8 School | Columbus City School District |
| Buckeye Middle School | Columbus City School District |
| North Linden Elementary School | Columbus City School District |
| Ridgeview Middle School | Columbus City School District |
| Sullivant Elementary School | Columbus City School District |
| West Broad Elementary School | Columbus City School District |
| Columbus Collegiate Academy - West | Columbus Collegiate Academy - West |
| Columbus Grove Middle School | Columbus Grove Local |
| Crestwood Intermediate School | Crestwood Local |
| Ann Simpson Davis Middle School | Dublin City |
| Eastern Elementary School | Eastern Local |
| Edison Middle School (formerly Berlin-Milan Middle School) | Edison Local (formerly Berlin-Milan) |
| Westwood Middle School | Elyria City Schools |
| Fairborn Intermediate School | Fairborn City |
| Pennyroyal Elementary School | Franklin City |
| Hilliard Crossing Elementary School | Hilliard City |
| North Rd Elementary School | Howland Local |
| Jackson-Milton Elementary School | Jackson-Milton Local |
| Canaan Middle School | Jonathan Alder Local |
| KIPP: Journey Academy | KIPP: Journey Academy |
| London Elementary School | London City |
| Larkmoor Elementary School | Lorain City |
| Madison-Plains Junior High | Madison-Plains Local |
| Marietta Middle School | Marietta City |
| New London Elementary School | New London Local |
| Newton Falls Middle School | Newton Falls Exempted Village |
| Hillside Middle School | Parma City |
| Shiloh Middle School | Parma City |
| Pfeiffer Intermediate School | Perry Local |
| Harmon Middle School | Pickerington Local |
| Pike-Delta-York Middle School | Pike-Delta-York Local |
| Pinnacle Academy | Pinnacle Academy |
| Heritage Hill Elementary School | Princeton City |
| Greenview Upper Elementary School | South Euclid-Lyndhurst City |
| Memorial Junior High School | South Euclid-Lyndhurst City |
| Galloway Ridge Intermediate School | South-Western City |
| Park Street Intermediate School | South-Western City |
| Prairie Lincoln Elementary School | South-Western City |
| Skyvue Elementary School | Switzerland of Ohio Local |
| Urbana Junior High School | Urbana City |
| Warrensville Heights Middle School | Warrensville Heights City |
| Jackman Elementary School | Washington Local |
| Arrowood Elementary | Xenia Community City |
| Central Middle School | Xenia Community City |
| Cox Elementary School | Xenia Community City |