Cincinnati school board hears data-driven case to raise strategic goals, tighten tracking of credentials

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Murphy and district staff presented trend data Sept. 8 and asked the Board of Education for direction on whether to raise strategic-plan targets and change how some student groups and career credentials are counted.

The district’s director over goals and guardrails, Mike Turner, showed several years of data that the district says already exceed some of the strategic-plan targets, including a reported 57% third-grade English language arts proficiency in 2023–24 (the plan goal for that year was 51%). Turner told the board, “This data definitely shows that the strategic plan goal for this year . . . was already exceeded last school year.”

The presentation aimed to give the board context on whether to keep, combine or raise targets and how to report performance for subgroups and career-technical metrics. Board members repeatedly pressed for practical next steps — what instruction and supports will change, how credentials will be tracked, and how the district will address gaps for Black, Hispanic and multiracial students.

District staff provided subgroup…