FHSD Earns 4.5 Star Rating on Ohio School Report Card
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce awarded Forest Hills School District an overall rating of 4.5 stars for the 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Cards, which were released in September. This rating indicates that FHSD “exceeds state standards” based on the district’s performance in six key areas of measurement:
- Achievement
- College, career, workforce and military readiness (CCWMR)
- Early literacy
- Gap closing
- Graduation
- Progress
The overall rating weighs the individual components of achievement and progress at 25% of the overall score, while the remaining four categories are factored at 12.5% each. When examining the underlying scoring data available on the ODEW website, FHSD is rated among the top 12% of all public school districts in the entire state. In the category of achievement, which analyzes student performance on state tests, FHSD is rated among the top 7% of all school districts.
Nagel Middle School and Maddux Elementary School both earned the highest possible rating of five stars for the 2024-2025 school year. Anderson, Turpin, Mercer, Sherwood, Summit and Wilson each earned 4.5 stars, and Ayer received a four-star rating. This means all nine FHSD schools were rated as “exceeds state standards” or higher.
The district was awarded five stars, a measure that indicates FHSD “significantly exceeds state standards,” in achievement, gap closing and progress. FHSD is considered to have shown “significant evidence that the district exceeded student growth expectations” by earning four stars in progress. The district also earned four stars in early literacy indicating FHSD “exceeds state standards” in grades K-3. The newly rated CCWMR is an area where FHSD earned three stars, which indicates the district “meets state standards.”
To view a brief presentation about the report card ratings, please click here for a link to that portion of the September Regular Board of Education Meeting.
To read FHSD’s full profile on the Ohio School Report Card website, please click here. You can also find more information about the annual report cards from the following sources provided by ODEW:
FHSD and a number of other Ohio school districts experienced a decline from last year’s five-star rating. While 68 school districts earned an overall rating of five stars last fall, just 47 school districts were awarded the top score in the latest report card ratings. Two possible areas of impact are likely the CCWMR component and the early literacy component.
The CCWMR component looked at data from the 2024 graduating class and specifically identifies the percentage of students who met at least one of the criteria the state uses to determine “readiness” for college, career, workforce and military postsecondary plans. While FHSD is slightly above the state average, this is an area where district leaders and administrators at both high schools have been collaborating closely to identify areas of potential improvement. Efforts are already underway to add new pre-apprenticeship offerings, increase outreach for the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal and provide other avenues for students to demonstrate “readiness.”
The early literacy component included a new measurement for FHSD in the 2024-2025 report card due to an increase in the number of students entering kindergarten who are identified as “off track” in their reading ability. The “improving K-3 literacy measure” looks at the percentage of “off track” students who improve their reading ability during the school year to be considered “on track.” While the FHSD Teaching and Learning team and the six elementary schools are closely examining this data to identify strategies to improve in this specific measurement, it is important to note that 85.7% of all third grade students scored proficient on the reading segment of the state English language arts test. This shows that current interventions and supports are effective in helping many students demonstrate strong reading ability by this critical grade level.
While these results from the Ohio School Report Card provide important measurements and considerations that are used to inform curriculum planning and instruction, there are so many other factors to consider when trying to understand the overall educational experience of students. FHSD is committed to providing educational opportunities that enable our students to acquire the knowledge, skills and personal qualities necessary for responsible citizenship and lifelong learning.
To help provide a more comprehensive assessment of the district’s performance, FHSD releases an annual Quality Profile each fall to supplement the state’s report card data. Because the state report card continues to focus primarily on how well students perform on state mandated assessments, FHSD feels it is important to inform families and community members about how the district is providing an unmatched educational experience.
Please check the FHSD website and social media channels in October for the release of the Quality Profile.
