Hilliard Schools Help Students 'Close the Gap'
Assistant Principal Clausen Recognized as State's Best
Hilliard City Schools was recently recognized as best-in-the-state in two instances.
Hilliard Davidson High School Assistant Principal Kristen Clausen has been named the 2023 State of Ohio Assistant Principal of the Year, by the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators, and that Hilliard City Schools, collectively, was No. 1 out of 607 public school districts in Ohio, on one component of the “value-added” metric on the 2022-2023 state report cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education.
Clausen said her achievement as assistant principal of the year, among secondary schools, or junior high school, middle schools, and high schools, is owed to the teamwork and dedication of the students and staff at Davidson, and the community.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award. It is a testament to the incredible teamwork, dedication, and support of our students, staff, and community…together, we have made a difference and this recognition fuels our passion to continue striving for excellence in education,” Kristen Clausen
Joyce Brickley, director of professional capacity for Hilliard City Schools, and a former principal at Darby High School, nominated Clausen.
Clausen taught English at Pinellas County Schools, in Florida, and in 2012 was named as assistant principal of Pinellas County Schools.
She was named assistant principal at Davidson High School in 2018.
Lane Vanderhule, an English teacher at Davidson, describes Clausen as “organized, focused and resourceful” but adds that what makes Clausen an “effective and inspiring leader” is her dedication to public education.
“Every decision she makes furthers her mission to provide an equitable and supportive academic environment to every single student that passes through the doors of our school,” Vanderhule said.
On the most recent state report cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education, Hilliard City Schools was ranked No. 1 out of 607 public school districts on the overall growth index, and No. 15 out of 607 districts on effect size.
Full State Report Card Results for Hilliard can be Viewed Here
Together, the overall growth index and the effect size compose the value-added score and are used to assign a grade for “Progress” on the state report card.
Value-added looks closely at the growth all students are making based on their past state test performances, according to Hilliard Superintendent David Stewart.
“In short, value-added measures how much our district’s teachers grow student performance, regardless of where students start, over the course of a year’s time. It is a true representation of our commitment to every student, without exception,” Stewart said.
The ‘progress’ component is based 100 percent on value-added and measures the academic performance of students compared to students’ expected growth on state tests.
This calculation uses a “value-added” model of measuring academic growth that compares the change in the achievement of a group of students to an expected amount of change in achievement based on the students’ prior achievement history.
“I want to congratulate every employee and every student of Hilliard City Schools for this achievement. It is a testament to their hard work and dedication to being ‘Ready for Tomorrow’,” Stewart said.
Last year, the Ohio Department of Education moved from a letter-grading metric (A-f) to a five-star rating system.
In 2022, Hilliard achieved five stars in the components of progress and gap-closing, four stars in the achievement progress, and three stars in the graduation and early literacy components.
This year, Hilliard City Schools achieved the same rating in each of the five components and an overall rating of 4.5 stars, according to state reports cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education.