The Ohio Department of Education granted Talawanda schools 24 points out of 26 for its performance. The district has programs such as Extra Time and Extra Help to provide students with additional tutoring. (SCOTT ALLISON | The Miami Student)
The Talawanda School District was recently given an excellent rating by the Ohio Department of Education on its annual state report card for the third consecutive year.
According to Talawanda Superintendent Phil Cagwin, Talawanda High School in particular earned a rating of excellent for the sixth year in a row.
The rating, which was released Aug. 27, is determined by factors including performance index, adequate yearly progress and the amount of indicators achieved by a particular school.
To attain their excellent rating, Talawanda schools achieved a 24 of 26 for the performance index with a score of 100.9, surpassing their goal of 100. The two indicators that were not met were 8th grade science and 5th grade math.
Assistant Superintendent Kelly Spivey said 5th grade math has been an issue in the past.
"It continues to be an area of focus," Spivey said.
Both Cagwin and Spivey said continued success in the high school and district should be credited to the teachers.
According to Spivey, teachers working in Talawanda schools work hard at monitoring student performance by collecting data, making constant adjustments and setting goals.
"Teachers are the ones in the trenches and deserve commendation," Spivey said.
Cagwin also credited success at Talawanda High School to a few programs that have been implemented in recent years.
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He said programs such as Extra Time and Extra Help, which resembles an additional study hall where students can receive tutoring in specific subjects, have been helpful in propelling the district forward.
"(Students receive) small group help they could not get in a larger classroom," Cagwin said.
Cagwin said another program in place at Talawanda High School is called People Respecting Individual Differences Everyday (PRIDE). The goal of PRIDE is to address sensitivity issues with the intention of everyone — from the administration to cafeteria workers — looking out for one another.
"The key to success for children learning is one to one interaction," Cagwin said. "This is a critical thing in a district our size … it's about people."
Jeanne Hey, director of Miami University's International Studies Program, has a son who just started his first year at Talawanda High School.
As a parent and a recruiter of new faculty at Miami, Hey described the rating as great news.
Hey said despite evidence that area schools have been improving the last 10 years, some Miami faculty members do not always have the greatest opinion of them.
According to Hey, the continuous improvement by the school district will be beneficial in continuing to recruit high-quality professors and faculty to Miami.
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