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Ohio panel hears plans to add 'readiness' rating to school report cards
Summary
The Department of Education and Workforce proposed adding a sixth rated component — college, career, workforce and military readiness — to Ohio School Report Cards, describing 11 statute‑defined indicators and proposed 5‑star cut scores; a second year of data is due this month to set improvement thresholds.
The Senate Education Committee received a presentation from the Department of Education and Workforce outlining plans to make the college, career, workforce and military readiness component a rated part of Ohio School Report Cards.
Steve Dakin, director of the Department of Education and Workforce, told the committee the department is drafting rules under Ohio law to rate the readiness component and that the measure will use the same graduation cohort as the four‑year graduation rate. "We are proud to be working alongside" the administration on workforce readiness, Dakin said, describing the change as an opportunity for schools and districts to demonstrate how they prepare students "for life after high school."
Dr. Chris Woollard walked members through the statutory design and the 11 ways a student may demonstrate readiness under current law, which include remediation‑free ACT or SAT scores, an honors diploma, AP/IB qualifying scores, 12 or more college credits, military enlistment, industry‑recognized credentials, apprenticeships or pre‑apprenticeships, technical assessment proficiency, and participation in work‑based learning. Woollard emphasized that the statute prescribes the list of indicators and the department's proposed rules cannot change that roster.
Using class‑of‑2023 data, the department said 56.3% of graduating seniors met at least one readiness indicator. To convert that percentage into a five‑star scale, officials proposed cut scores that would place 80% and above at five stars, 70–80 at four, 60–70 at three, 50–60 at two and below 50% at one star. Woollard said the department will determine an improvement threshold once a second year of cohort data (class of 2024) is finalized later this month.
Committee members asked for additional district‑level breakdowns and for clarifications about cohort composition, dual‑credit participation and how College Credit Plus enrollments are counted. Woollard offered to provide follow‑up data. Dakin and Woollard said the department views the proposed cut scores as a fair, data‑informed starting point and expects to revisit them as more students participate in readiness activities.
The committee did not take any formal action on the rules at the hearing. Staff said the department will file proposed rules with JCAR (Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review) and, if approved, the readiness rating would appear on the 2024‑25 report cards published next September.
