Akron Public Schools rises to 3.5 stars on Ohio report card; district leaders highlight growth and remaining gaps

Akron Public Schools improved its overall Ohio Department of Education report-card rating from 2.5 stars last year to 3.5 stars this year, district officials told the Board of Education on Monday night.

The presentation, led by district staff and curriculum specialists, outlined component results that lifted the overall score: substantial gains in the progress (value-added) component and a strong first-time result on the College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness (CCWMR) measure. "From last year to this year, we did improve our rating from 2.5 stars to 3.5 stars," a district presenter said during the board briefing.

Why it matters: the report card aggregates multiple measures that guide state accountability and local strategy. Board members and staff said the new rating reflects work on student growth, graduation rates and career-readiness supports, but they also emphasized areas that still need improvement.

Key details - Progress: The district’s progress (value-added) rating rose sharply, helped by multi-year gains in gifted and special education subgroups. Keith Lichty Clifford, who explained the progress component, said Akron moved from 2 stars to 4 stars on progress, a major driver of the overall increase. - Achievement: The achievement component remained below top marks (2 stars) while showing year-over-year gains in multiple grades and subjects, including double-digit increases in Algebra I and Geometry performance. - Early literacy: The early literacy component fell just short of the 2-star threshold (the district scored 57.9 where 58 was required). Staff said tighter state standards and the removal of partial-credit rules contributed to that result; promotion-to-fourth-grade and growth measures were explained as part of the composite. - Graduation and readiness: Akron’s graduation indicator was the district’s highest-performing large-urban result in Ohio at 88.9% on the measure cited in the presentation. The new CCWMR indicator produced an 81.5% result (described as a 4-star measure), placing Akron in the top roughly 16% of Ohio districts on that measure.

What officials said: Superintendent Mary Outley reminded the board that the ratings reflect targeted district initiatives such as structured literacy, multi-tiered systems of support, and college-and-career partnerships. Presenters credited teachers and building leaders and said continued attention will focus on early-grade literacy and on translating achievement gains into higher proficiency ratings.

Context and next steps: Staff told the board those measures will inform professional development, curriculum adoption rollouts and summer/promotion interventions. The district said it will continue to use the report-card indicators to guide instruction and to refine supports for buildings that need improvement.

Board response: Board members applauded the gains and urged continued emphasis on early literacy and supports for students who remain off track. Several members suggested opportunities to showcase student work and partnerships that support STEM and career pathways.

The district presentation and data were posted for board members; no formal vote was required on the report-card briefing.