Ohio's highest ranked elementary school gets ready for the governor

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - The main entrance and hallway at Wells Academy in Steubenville are all decked out in red, white and blue.  Continue down the hall a bit and you'll see a wall of welcome letters written by students. 

Gov. John Kasich is coming to Wells Academy Tuesday, and the school is buzzing with anticipation.

"The whole community is very honored that Governor Kasich is coming to Steubenville to give his address," principal Joe Nocera said.

Kasich chose Wells Academy as the backdrop for his State of the State address because it is the highest-ranking public elementary school in Ohio, measured by test results. Every student tested was deemed proficient in both math and reading in 2010-2011 and many are performing higher than the state requires. 

"It was never our goal to shoot for that, but it's extremely nice," Nocera said. "Our goal was always to educate our kids, to get them ready for the next year to the best of our ability."

Several walls at Wells Academy are lined with banners highlighting all the awards the school has received for student achievement.

Nocera seems especially proud of the 2008-2009 Education Trust Dispelling the Myth Award. Wells Academy was one of just six schools in the nation to receive the award for closing the achievement gap between students of different economic backgrounds.

Many Wells Academy students are affected by poverty in a town battered by job losses from a declining steel industry.

"This school showed that we were able to close that gap and those kids could learn," Nocera said.

Wells Academy is a school of choice, and when parents send their children here they make a commitment to be a partner in their education.

Nocera said teachers and administrators are also key factors in student success. 

"The kids are expected to excel," he said, "and we will not accept them being mediocre or just on level."

The school also places a strong focus on reading and math. Its success is a special source of pride for Nocera, a lifelong resident of Steubenville, who graduated from the same high school that now houses Wells Academy.

"This place has a strong work ethic.  Even though it might be depressed, you still have parents who expect and demand out of their kids," he said, "and we're a very proud community and we're very happy that he (Kasich) picked Steubenville, Ohio to come to do his speech. "

You can watch today's State of the State Address live on newsnet5.com or using the newsnet5 app.