First Step Preschool earns Step Up To Quality gold rating; administrators outline areas for growth

First Step Preschool at Parma City reported on April 10 that it received a gold rating on Ohio's Step Up To Quality assessment, the highest rating in that system, and administrators described program strengths and next steps to the school board.

Laura Cibilek, identified in the presentation as principal of First Step Preschool, said the rating followed an unannounced multi-day review and that the program earned a three-year reprieve from the full review cycle while continuing to be monitored annually. She identified a successful transition rate from Part C (early intervention) to Part B (preschool special education) and noted that the program transitioned about 50 children by age 3 across the Parma City/Parma Heights/Seven Hills feeder area — a complex task in a larger district.

Cibilek listed areas for improvement, particularly social-emotional skills tied to the special-education indicator (referred to as indicator 7a), and said the program was at 44% on that measure with a target of 50%. She said the district has rolled out the Second Step supplemental curriculum and will continue professional development (including training enabled by House Bill 33 and A47) and a creative, play-based curriculum that avoids worksheet-driven instruction.

Cibilek also recognized four high-achieving preschool students and thanked staff and families for their contributions. The principal credited superintendent-level support for prioritizing social-emotional learning and for enabling targeted professional development.

Why it matters: A gold Step Up To Quality rating is a statewide credential indicating the preschool met high standards on multiple indicators; the district said it will continue targeted work on social-emotional measures and professional learning to sustain that rating.