Turning Around Ohio’s High Schools

KnowledgeWorks managed one of the nation's most ambitious high school turnaround efforts with the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative (OHSTI) and the development of Early College High Schools. The effort had a positive impact on more than 50,000 students and trained more than 2,000 teachers in Ohio's most challenging school districts. Specifically, students performed better on state standardized tests, attendance rates rose, and the academic achievement gap between minority and non-minority students began to significantly close.

Graduation Rates

Graduation rates in OHSTI schools increased by 32% between 2002 and 2008. Ohio’s average graduation rate increased by only 2.3 percent.

The OHSTI initiative delivered outstanding results in low-performing schools across the state of Ohio, in districts ranging from small urban districts such as Canton City to large urban districts such as Cleveland. The initiative took place at a time when poverty levels were increasing in these urban centers – the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced price meals more than tripled between 2002 and 2008. Despite this troubling economic climate, the graduation gap between OHSTI high schools and all Ohio high schools closed during the implementation, by more than 73%.

Along with dramatically improving graduation rates, OHSTI schools outpaced the state’s growth for pass rates on the Ohio Graduation Test for both Math and Science. Between 2004 and 2008, 89% of OHSTI campuses had improved both OGT Math and Reading Pass Rates, some at spectacular rates; for example, Cleveland East High School increased its Math Pass Rate by 334%, and Columbus Brookhaven High School increased its 10th Grade Reading passing rates by 184%.

“The investment we made in the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative is paying off in success for African-American students. OHSTI schools are doing what we are asking all schools and districts to do – direct existing resources to those activities that research indicates will improve student achievement.”
— Governor Ted Strickland

Closing the Achievement Gap

Nearly eight out of ten African-American students in OHSTI sites graduated in 2008 - a 29% increase since 2002, surpassing the state’s graduation rate for African-American students during the same period. This increase in graduation rate came behind dramatic increases among African American males in both reading and Math.

Getting an early start on college

To some, it seems counterintuitive. Take the students who are least likely to attend college and most likely performing below grade level. Then enroll them in a high school where they start taking college courses in grade 9 or 10, earning up to 60 hours of college credit by the time they graduate.

Our ECHS students earned over 10,000 hours of college credits in the first four years of the initiative.

The EdWorks Early College High School (ECHS) model has proven that what seems to be a paradox is extraordinarily effective. These schools report an average graduation rate of 91% and more than one in three ECHS students graduate high school with both a high school diploma and two years of college credit or an associate's degree. Others earn a range of college credits, shortening their time to degree completion after high school.

More than 90% of ECHS 10th graders scored proficient or higher on the OGT assessments in reading, writing, mathematics and social studies, outperforming the State in each of these categories. External research found that these schools facilitate college enrollment and completion. Greater percentages of students from ECHS sites scored either “Accelerated” or “Advanced” on Ohio state achievement tests than students at comparable high schools, suggesting that they are more college ready.