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District presents elementary instruction gains and special‑education trends; staffing shortages flagged

Cincinnati Public School Board · November 25, 2025
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Summary

District leaders reported increased curriculum use and intervention ramping in elementary schools, upcoming winter benchmarks and a plan for K–6 report‑card implementation. The Student Services director outlined rising special‑education enrollment (about 21.5% of students), areas of disproportionality and critical staffing shortages for specialists and nurses.

District leaders used the Nov. 24 board meeting to present elementary instructional data and a separate update on special education.

Deputy Superintendent Smith and Assistant Superintendent Klein said fall I‑Ready results show a mix of gains and declines across elementary schools and noted improved fidelity in curriculum implementation (district internal instructional rounds indicated an increase in observed curriculum-aligned practice). They described the district's "ramps" approach for tiered interventions for students identified as off track and said winter benchmark testing will inform action plans and additional coaching visits.

Board members asked for follow-up data on how many students exit ramps successfully and how the district will involve parents in rolling out the revised report card. Klein said ramps are logged and require parent acknowledgment; the district plans step‑by‑step communications and principal‑level briefings to support consistent rollouts.

Chrissy Reeves, director of Student Services, presented special-education data and goals: 6,392 K–12 students currently served (about 21.5%), roughly 36% of that group identified with specific learning disabilities, about 20% as other health impairment and about 12% with autism. Reeves said the department has four priorities: raise graduation rates for students with disabilities to meet the state target, reduce ELA and math achievement gaps by 5 points, increase proficiency in grades the special‑ed profile measures, and move more students into least‑restrictive environments.

Reeves warned of staffing shortages for intervention specialists, psychologists, paraprofessionals and skilled nursing staff, and noted an increase in students with complex needs coming into preschool and elementary grades. She described operational changes the department is implementing: corridor-based supports, building staff capacity, cross-training and strengthened partnerships (including with Children's Hospital) to manage complex medical needs and support attendance. Board members requested further data about exact staffing shortfalls, counts of students awaiting specialized placements and demographic breakdowns tied to the state's disproportionality finding; Reeves offered to provide those figures in follow-up.