Talawanda City School District officials on Thursday presented the district’s state report‑card results and outlined targeted steps for weak spots, especially early literacy.

The district earned a four‑star overall rating from Ohio school report measures, and every Talawanda building met or exceeded state standards. Director of Teaching and Learning Stephanie Arnie told the board: “Overall our school district rated at 4 stars which is exceeding state standards and every single one of our buildings as well is either meeting or exceeding standards.”

Why it matters: the report card is used in Ohio to measure school achievement, growth, subgroup progress and new college/career/military readiness measures. High graduation rates and building gains help the district qualify for performance supplements, but low early‑literacy indicators can trigger targeted interventions and require sustained resource investment.

What the report shows
- District overall: 4 stars. Arnie noted Talawanda High School, Kramer and Marshall scored 4 stars; Talawanda Middle School scored 4.5 stars; Bogan Elementary remained at 3 stars.
- Components: achievement 4 stars; progress (value‑added) 4 stars; gap closing 4 stars; graduation 5 stars; early literacy 2 stars; career/college/workforce/military readiness 3 stars.
- Arnie highlighted that the district is first in Butler County on graduation rate and credited high‑school programming and counseling for those results.

Plans and interventions
- Early literacy: Arnie identified early literacy as the district’s primary area for growth. She explained the state’s early‑literacy component looks at third‑grade ELA outcomes, promotion rates to fourth grade, and movement from off‑track to on‑track on diagnostic tests. She said Talawanda added reading intervention teachers last year and will continue to expand targeted supports.
- Growing ELL population: Arnie said Talawanda has seen a substantial increase in English‑language learners and has received additional federal funding tied to that growth. The district is evaluating intervention programs and tutoring supports; “we haven’t made a decision on that yet,” she said of a specific intervention under review.
- Instructional work: schools will continue to use readiness assessments that mirror state test questions, expand CCP (College Credit Plus) offerings at the high school and refine K–12 math and ELA curriculum implementations (Bookworms, CommonLit were cited) with ongoing professional development.
- Data work: Arnie said value‑added (student‑level growth) reports will be released soon and teachers will have scheduled time in November to analyze that data and set actionable next steps.

Board comments and public questions
- Board members praised staff and highlighted the district’s graduation supports and alternative programs that help students complete requirements, including evening classes, career‑based programs, and credit recovery options.
- Trustees and the director discussed lingering post‑COVID learning impacts and the difficulty of recovering early‑grade gaps; Arnie said the impact remains visible and that statewide supports and grants (she named Zearn for math) have been accessed by the district.

Quotes
- “This is where a lot of our focus is,” Arnie said of early literacy, noting the district’s added reading interventionists.
- On graduation: “I believe this is directly tied to the specific programming that the high school has in place for their students,” Arnie said, referring to the district’s top‑ranked graduation rate in Butler County.

Context and next steps
- Arnie said the district will continue targeted PD days and more frequent administrator check‑ins on data; she invited board members and the public to review the technical report‑card documents posted on the district site for details about how state metrics are calculated.
- The board endorsed the district’s emphasis on early literacy and data‑driven interventions, and staff said they will return with more data after November data sessions.

Ending
- Arnie closed by thanking staff and families and reaffirmed the district’s focus on expanding reading interventions, refining diagnostics, and continuing curriculum implementation supports across K–12.