Ohio report cards: 10% of school districts earned less than 3 stars

School lockers in a hallway. Getty Images.

Ten percent of Ohio school districts are below state standards, according to the new state report cards the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released last week. 

ODEW uses 1 to 5 star ratings in half increments based on five categories: achievement, progress, early literacy, gap closing and graduation. The state stopped using the A-F letter grade system two years ago.

For the second year in a row, Jefferson Township Local in Montgomery County received 1.5 stars meaning the district needs significant support to meet state standards, according to the state report card. 

17 districts received 2 stars, meaning those districts needs support to meet state standards
46 districts received 2.5 stars — needs support to meet state standards
110 districts received 3 stars — meets state standards
135 districts received 3.5 stars — meets state standards
129 districts received 4 stars — exceeds state standards
101 districts received 4.5 stars — exceeds state standards
68 districts received 5 stars — significantly exceeds state standards

Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district, earned 2 stars. Cincinnati Public Schools and Toledo Public Schools received 2.5 stars and Cleveland Metropolitan School District earned 3 stars. Click here to find out how your local school district performed on the state report cards. 

Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood, applauded Cleveland for getting 3 stars. The district received 2 stars in last year’s report.

“This shows the hard work and dedication that students and staff have put into improving their education, and I join parents and community members in celebrating this achievement,” she said in a statement.

Literacy scores went up slightly from last year, with 64.5% of third graders reading at or above grade level compared to 62.3% from the previous year. 

This is the first school year school districts are required to teach the science of reading which is based on decades of research that shows how the human brain learns to read and incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The science of reading was signed into law through last year’s state budget and teachers are required to complete professional development in the science of reading by June 30 and $168 million of the state budget was allocated toward implementing the science of reading. 

“Our teachers continue to make great strides in building reading skills for students, and we believe we have the opportunity to continue improving in this area once all schools in Ohio become fully aligned with the science of reading,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “… This is especially important for our young children, because the earlier they are able to master reading, the better positioned they will be for success in every subject throughout their education.”

For the early literacy category, 25 districts received 1 star; 97 districts received 2 stars; 258 received 3 stars; 170 received 4 stars and 55 received 5 stars. 

Just more than half of Ohio students (53.5%) are proficient in math, according to the state report card. 

“We have work to do in math and middle and high school literacy,” ODEW Director Steve Dackin said in a statement. “This work is urgent because there are significant numbers of students who need additional learning supports.”

The state’s four-year graduation rate went up slightly to 87.9%, compared to last year’s 87.3%. 

Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school hours for any reason — dipped slightly, from 26.8% in the 2022-23 school year to 25.6% in the 2023-24 school year. 

“Students need to be present to learn, and the positive trend in attendance is directly related to the increases we are seeing in academic outcomes, including overall graduation rates,” Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said in a statement. “It is crucial that Ohio continues to properly fund wraparound services and promote academic programs that address the needs of the whole child.” 

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