DPS responds to state report card

Not all local school districts are making the grade according to today's latest statewide report card out Wednesday.
 
Due to an ongoing investigation regarding attendance at schools across Ohio the State Board of Education only released 2011-2012 preliminary report cards.

While a lot of information was not included, Dayton Public School Superintendent Lori Ward told 2 NEWS her district have their work cut out for them.

Ward said there were some areas of improvement, such as 10th and 11th grade graduation tests. Graduation rates also jumped from 59% to 65%.

3rd grade reading continued to be an area of great concern, at only 54%.
    
However, Ward said the problem actually starts much earlier than 3rd grade. Only about 20% of the nearly one-thousand kindergarten students in the Dayton Public School district were "kindergarten-ready".

"That can't be" added Ward.  "When you are coming that far behind, you really have to look at not only your core instruction, but also intervention. Transformation means you have to start at the input. We have to strengthen how our babies come to school".

Dayton Public Schools is one of the districts that has State Auditors taking a closer look at attendance numbers.

Also under scrutiny for attendance tampering, Springfield, Trotwood-Madison, Northridge and Jefferson Township schools. Due to the ongoing recounts, Wednesday's state report card omitted the attendance rate performance index and overall rating.
    
When those findings are released 2 NEWS will follow up with school officials.