New Albany-Plain Local posts top state rating; district adopts updated continuous improvement plan

The New Albany-Plain Local Board of Education on Monday said the district earned the highest overall rating on the Ohio Department of Education''s local report card and approved an updated Continuous Improvement Plan that raises several district targets.

Superintendent Michael Sawyers told the board the district''s official report card, released at 10 a.m. the same day, gave the district an overall rating of five stars. "We have 5 stars," Sawyers said, adding that the district is "one of 47" of Ohio''s school districts to earn a five-star overall rating this year.

The board approved the one-page Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) as presented. The CIP keeps the district''s primary performance-index benchmark at 95 percent or greater, raises the gap-closing target to five stars and retains a five-star graduation-rate benchmark. It also sets new, specific college- and career-readiness targets for the class of 2026: at least 70 percent college readiness (measured by honors diplomas, SAT growth or AP/dual-enrollment credit) and career-readiness goals including industry credentials and 250 or more hours of work-based learning.

Why it matters: The state report card is the state''s primary accountability tool; a five-star district rating is rare under the revised star system. The CIP translates state accountability measures into local benchmarks and directs the district''s instructional priorities and resource planning.

Key details - State stars: Sawyers said the district earned five stars overall. For component scores, the district earned five stars in achievement and gap closing, four stars on the progress measure and four stars on the new college/career/workforce/military readiness component. - Comparative data: Sawyers told the board 47 of Ohio''s 607 districts earned five stars overall and that no district earned five stars on all six components this year. - CIP benchmarks: The board left Benchmark 1 (95% district performance index) and Benchmark 2 (district progress component) largely intact but elevated the gap-closing benchmark to five stars. Benchmark 4 specifies both college-readiness (70% of the class of 2026 meeting state college measures) and career-readiness (industry credentials, pre-apprenticeships/apprenticeships, OhioMeans job seal and 250+ hours of work-based learning). - Implementation and data work: Greg Taylor, director of assessment and accountability, was out of district; Sawyers said Taylor will lead data mining of the new state spreadsheets and return with more granular subgroup and grade-level analysis.

Discussion and follow-up Board members and administrators emphasized the combination of celebration and continued scrutiny. Trustee comments praised teachers and administrators while urging the district to examine pockets of lower growth captured in the progress measure. Sawyers said the district will produce a digestible summary and a more detailed data package that will be shared with the board and building-level staff.

What the board approved During the same meeting the board approved superintendent items A through D, which included the CIP as part of the personnel and business agenda items. Ms. Jenkins called the roll after motion and second; the board voted unanimously on the superintendent''s consent items.

Looking ahead Sawyers told the board the district will continue to mine the new ODE data, contact peer districts that scored highly on the college/career component to learn practices, and return to the board with more detail on subgroup progress and proposed CIP implementation steps.

Ending Board members said they view the results as both a validation of current practices and a call to refine supports for growth and career-readiness.