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The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has launched investigations of Southside Academy in Youngstown and Newton Falls Elementary School over irregularities in state testing procedures last spring.
The two Mahoning Valley schools are among 52 statewide that ODEW announced Friday it is now targeting.
In July, the department launched an investigation into spring testing results at Columbus City Schools after the district self-reported "anomalies" at two high school buildings.
As part of that ongoing investigation, DEW officials said they took the proactive step of directing its state testing vendor to launch a comprehensive review of statewide testing data to determine whether any other anomalies occurred at other school buildings across Ohio.
Through that process, DEW has identified significant testing anomalies at 52 additional school buildings statewide that may result in further investigation.
The investigation initially targeted Independence High School and Walnut Ridge High School in Columbus.
Student and staff interviews from those schools revealed that cellphones and other smart devices were used in testing classrooms. Questions were also raised about proctor preparation at Independence High School.
The state department did not release additional details on the suspected irregularities at any of the new schools under investigation.
Ohio's State Tests are administered statewide each spring to measure students' progress in Ohio's Learning Standards.
For elementary school students, those tests measure academic achievement in such coursework as English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and history.
In high schools, the tests measure end-of-course achievement in Algebra I, Geometry, English Language Arts II, Biology, American History, and American Government.
According to the 2025 state report cards, Newton Falls Elementary School houses 246 students and its overall grade was 2.5, meaning the school needs greater support to better meet state standards. Its chronic absenteeism rate was 31%.
Southside Academy on Oak Hill Avenue in Youngstown houses 180 students in grades K-12. It achieved a 3.0 rating in 2025 based on the standardized tests, which means it has met state standards. Its chronic absenteeism rate was 71%.