In 2019, Scale Strategic Solutions worked with Philanthropy Ohio on the Complete to Compete Ohio Initiative. Complete to Compete Ohio is a statewide initiative with the purpose of fostering and sustaining a shared vision to meet Ohio’s attainment goal of 65% of Ohioans to have a degree, certificate, or other postsecondary credential of value in the workplace by 2025.

When analyzing the Complete to Compete Ohio data, we found that the school districts in Washington County, where Marietta, Ohio is the county seat, had numbers off the charts in college readiness, particularly in the Ohio Department of Education Prepared for Success indicator. High school graduates are considered “prepared for success” by the metric if they are awarded an Honors Diploma, earn a substantial industry-recognized credential, or earn an ACT or SAT remediation-free score (i.e a score that suggests students have the skills to perform in a college level course without developmental supports). The six Washington County school districts scored 20 percentage points higher than other districts in the region with its 2016 and 17 cohorts. Industry credentialing rates in the districts are particularly high, ranging from 16.9% to 35.5% among the districts in the most recent cohorts. When we presented this information to a meeting of the Appalachia Ohio P-20 council, we connected with a representative from the Building Bridges to Careers program in Washington County to understand the work in the community and why districts may be so far ahead.

Districts in Washington county are collaborating on post-secondary readiness in many ways. In Washington County, districts have taken advantage of the College Credit Plus program. The College Credit Plus Program is Ohio’s dual enrollment program that provides students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to earn high school and college credits simultaneously from Ohio colleges and universities. With access to local colleges in Washington County, high school students are earning college credits and further promoting a college-going culture. 

Promoting a culture of success is not limited to traditional college going but also includes valuing of career-technical credentials, as evidenced by the percentage of high school graduates who received an industry credential. Washington County ’s Building Bridges to Careers program and its partners have prioritized meaningful post-secondary options for Washington County’s students. The Building Bridges to Careers program helps bridge the gap between education and employment for their students. The program is able to help students by building community networks that provide them with experiences in a variety of career fields and helping them reach their goals. Washington County believes teachers are the gateway to kids and parents, so they put together teacher tours and family awareness tours as part of the program. 

This work was aided by a history of collaboration. The Districts in Washington County have a history of working together through grant programs like the Straight A Fund and Race to the Top. Through these previous partnerships, they have been able to form a good rapport, relationship, and knowledge throughout the county that has built a strong foundation that makes it easy for the districts to continue working together. 

While these efforts are not the only work happening in the county that may have contributed to the preparation of students, Scale Strategic Solutions appreciated a chance to hear more about what may be the county wide activities behind the numbers.