Is There a Gap Between Your District OST Test Scores and Expectations?

Take the OST Assessment

The EdFOCUS eight-step assessment will provide an overview of your district’s greatest needs and strengths toward state content standards.

Improve Student Performance and District Progress

All Ohio school districts want their State Test (OST) scores to reflect student mastery of the content standards. Do Yours?

Take the OST Assessment

Standards-Based

Professional Development

Collaborative

Professional Development and School Improvement Specialists

During our work with Ohio’s standards, we discovered a common thread – districts were teaching the standards, but students were failing to master them.

EdFOCUS is a leader in school reform and provides customized professional development and consulting services in seven states and throughout Ohio. It has a long-standing reputation for thoroughness and reliability.

EdFOCUS uses the “work-with approach” of coaching, modeling, and collaboration between consultants and school staff.

This collaborative strengthens the professional traits of highly-effective teachers and classroom practices to engage students in learning, increase levels of achievement, and equip them with college and work-ready skills.

EdFOCUS’ focused approach (a) teaches the standards at the appropriate level of conceptual thinking; and (b) tests the standards with items that are parallel to what students encounter on the Ohio State Tests (OST).

Assess Your Performance Gap

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

“Our school was one of a 4-building collaborative to devise standards-based ELA Units for grades 6-8. The General and Special Education teachers from all 4 schools worked to assemble high quality texts and devise ‘best practice’ teaching and testing strategies for 8 Units per grade level.
EdFOCUS guided us through this process with amazing expertise. Our teachers enjoyed working with them and appreciated their depth of knowledge in every aspect of the project. They provided sample texts and modeled effective teaching strategies that were easily adapted to our classrooms. Our teachers still say it was one of the best projects we’ve ever done.”

–Dawn Hayden, Principal, Willson School,

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Green Local Schools

“Before Covid, I was Assistant High School Principal at Green Local. Our district took on the task of creating a standards-based curriculum in the four core content areas. We devised standards-based Curriculum Maps, and – as a small district – it was essential that there be a developmental flow grade to grade and a coordination among buildings.
Our provider, EdFOCUS, brought to our teachers a huge array of sample Maps and a deep knowledge of Ohio’s standards. Our teachers rose to the occasion and used the opportunity to articulate teaching and testing techniques shown by the research to yield student mastery. Green was well-prepared to deal with the challenge of remote learning.
–Kim Dannemiller, Director of Operations for OHuddle Mentorship, Ashland University.

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Bexley City Schools

“For several years, Maryland School used EdFOCUS as providers for our best practice work on School Effectiveness. We had a Superintendent who believed that each school was the engine of its own continuous improvement. EdFOCUS helped us devise Curriculum Maps and Unit Plans that made the Maryland instructional program authentically and consistently standards-based.
Our primary grades devised cross-curricular connections among the four core academic areas. And although our intermediate Maps were single-subject, we integrated activities across subjects to provide a seamless, integrated approach to learning. EdFOCUS tailored their services to our precise needs. Every teacher was individually engaged and encouraged to strengthen their skills knowing the impact this work would have on our students. Now as principal of the school, I see the big-picture value of this work at every grade level. EdFOCUS helped Maryland Elementary become leaders in curriculum.
– Rachel Niswander, Principal, Maryland Elementary School, Bexley City Schools.

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Youngstown City Schools

“When EdFOCUS conducted an audit of the Youngstown City Schools, I worked at East High School as principal. Across the district, our test scores were continuing to decline, and our 6-12 curriculum needed an overhaul to include the Ohio Academic Standards in all four core areas. EdFOCUS helped our General Ed and Special Needs teachers work together to devise Curriculum Maps for each subject based on the standards.
Next, we created “best practices” Unit Plans to guide classroom instruction and provide tests that were parallel to Ohio’s high-stakes test items. In addition to the teachers, the district principals were also involved. Not only did we help develop the Maps and Unit Plans, we learned how to monitor the teaching of standards in classroom instruction. It was one of the first projects involving the teachers and administrators in a district-wide effort to improve classroom instruction and increase student achievement.
– Holly L. Seimetz, Assistant Principal, Warren G. Harding High School

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Diagnostic Services

EdFOCUS uses diagnostic profiles and audits to determine specific strengths and needs and make recommendations for improvement.

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Content Standards & Curriculum

EdFOCUS transforms curriculum with content standards and offers professional development in research-based “best practices.”

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Close Your School’s Student Mastery Gap

Take the Self-Assessment

All Ohio school districts are required to provide instruction so students can pass the Ohio State Tests (OST).
When students fail to pass the OST tests, it reflects negatively on the school and the district as a whole.

Self-Assess

Schedule a Consultation

The EdFOCUS materials are written exclusively to the Ohio Standards and address the underlying level of thinking required for mastery.
EdFOCUS materials are directly connected to the standards.

Schedule Now

Improve Outcomes

Classroom instruction is made more effective.
District OST scores reflect mastery of content standards which generates public support and increases the state ranking.

Get Guidance

Test scores rise and staff competence improves in every school or district that works with EdFOCUS.

Is your district ready to improve?

Close the Student Mastery Gap

Is There a Gap Between Your District OST Test Scores and Expectations?

The EdFOCUS eight-step assessment will provide an overview of your district’s greatest needs and strengths toward state content standards.

Improve Student Performance and District Progress

All Ohio school districts want their State Test (OST) scores to reflect student mastery of the content standards. Do Yours?

Standards-Based

Professional Development

Collaborative

Professional Development and School Improvement Specialists

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Green Local Schools

Bexley City Schools

Youngstown City Schools