As the state expects companies like Joby Aviation and Honda to invest further into the Ohio’s economy, state leaders have encouraged students to go into high-paying STEM jobs. But additional workers are needed and may come from areas that don’t traditionally send students to college.
Aaron Churchill, the Ohio research director for the Fordham Institute, a think tank that studies education, said the state needs to invest in these students.
“High achievers are the ones most likely to become Ohio’s scientists, engineers, business and community leaders,” Churchill said. “If Ohio is to have a bright and inclusive economic future, we must fully develop the talents of our high achieving, low-income students.”
The study found that some high schools are better at preparing low-income, high-achieving students for college, particularly large, suburban, wealthier districts, such as Mason and Springboro. Oakwood also made the list.
Churchill speculated the results seen with these large, high-performing suburban schools may be a result of students having high-quality curriculum from elementary school through high school.
But some high schools where most students were low-income also performed well at getting their students to attend college. Hamilton and Dayton Early College Academy, a charter high school focused on sending students to college, were both among those successful in this measure.
Stéphane Lavertu, a professor at Ohio State University’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs and author of the study, wrote these schools are most effective if those high-achieving students are surrounded by others who are intent on getting a four-year degree.
The study also looked at ways for Ohio to improve outcomes for these students. Those proposals include:
- Ensuring more Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are available for students in all high schools.
- Expanding access to high-quality schools, such as a selective school that draws high-achieving students from multiple districts.
- Requiring open enrollment in districts that have a high number of college-going students, as long as the district has open seats.
Lavertu wrote in the study that making these changes will benefit Ohio’s economy.
“Unlocking this talent not only would transform these students’ futures but would likely also deliver broad economic and social benefits for Ohio,” Lavertu said.
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