The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pair of schools honored by state
Two North Ridgeville City School District schools, Ranger High-Tech Academy and Early Childhood Learning Community, received high-level academic accolades from the State of Ohio for excellent student performance.
Both schools earned the Overall A Award on the 2017-18 state report card.
The schools were two of the 310 in Ohio to earn the honor, according to a news release from the district.
As Overall A Award winners, the report cards of the Early Childhood Learning Community and Ranger High-Tech Academy, show the schools are demonstrating high academic performance of every background and ability level, the release said.
“We are very excited about the award, especially with it being our first year as a school,” said Melissa Durkin, principal at Ranger-High Tech Academy.
“With it being the first year, this award is an accumulation of what the students and the district as a whole have done, and continue to do.”
Durkin also attributed the award to Ranger HighTech Academy’s mission for project-based learning.
“Sometimes people are hesitant when they hear about the project-based model, because it means doing something differently,” she said. “It sometimes takes some convincing, but a lot of research has been done through STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) schools. The research shows kids are more actively engaged with this model.”
Durkin said the STEM school model focuses on the application of knowledge.
“Traditionally, you’d have teachers giving kids information and have them absorb it like little sponges,” she said. “That doesn’t really help prepare them for a career. They are doing activities here that help solve real-world problems.”
Early Childhood Learning Community was one of 57 schools in Ohio that earned the All A Award which recognizes schools that earned straight A’s on all of its applicable report card measures, the release said.
“We are extremely proud of both the Overall A and All A awards,” said Principal Andrea Vance.
“This is a testament to the educators here. They are meeting the needs of the students.”
Vance said the awards speak to how well the school has utilized individualized learning.
“Each student comes in at their own level,” she said. “Some students may come in and already have their ABCs grasped; others are trying to learn those things for the first time.
“Our teachers have done a good job of making oneon-one sessions with students so they all get enough individual attention. This allows us to challenge the students who already have a lot of the knowledge, and also give enough time to those who don’t.”