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District maintains third‑grade reading proficiency as state falls; eight schools show double‑digit gains
Summary
Cincinnati Public Schools kept overall third‑grade reading proficiency stable in the fall assessment while the state reported a decline. District staff highlighted eight schools with double‑digit improvements and noted several others with higher fall proficiency than last year’s report‑card population.
District staff reported the Cincinnati Public Schools fall third‑grade reading results and said the district maintained its proficiency rate while the state experienced a decline.
Kathy Spellman, director of performance and accountability, and testing manager Amanda Vargo presented the fall results, noting that the fall administration uses the same test design, rigor and scoring system as the spring assessment and is particularly useful for comparing fall‑to‑fall trends.
Highlights presented by the district included: - The district’s overall percent‑proficient on the fall third‑grade reading assessment remained the same as the prior fall, while the state as a whole declined by about five percentage points, according to the district presenter. - Fifty percent of elementary schools showed an increase in percent‑proficient this fall compared with last fall. - Eight schools recorded gains of at least 10 percentage points year over year: Bond Hill; GDA; Frederick Douglass; John P. Parker; Kilgore; Pleasant Ridge Montessori; Roselawn; and Winton Hills. - Four schools had higher fall proficiency this year than their accountable student population’s spring report‑card proficiency last year: Bond Hill, GDA, Hayes Porter and Kilgore.
Vargo reminded the board that the fall test includes every child tested that day (not only the full‑year accountable cohort used in report cards) and that trend analysis is the most valuable lens for this administration. Board members asked follow‑up questions about differences between fall and spring results and about how the district uses benchmark data to support learning across grades.
What’s next: district staff said they are conducting instructional rounds and targeted supports in schools where benchmark and classroom evidence show gaps between current instruction and the district’s expectations. The district also provided a link to a comprehensive school list showing four‑year fall‑to‑fall trends for each school.
