Kenston posts 4.5 rating; new college/career readiness metric identified as area for improvement

Kenston Local School District officials presented the district's Ohio report card results to the board on Oct. 13, saying the district earned a 4.5 overall rating and several five-star marks but must improve on the newly graded college, career, workforce and military readiness measure.

District officials said the district earned five stars in Achievement and Graduation, four stars in Progress, Gap Closing and Early Literacy, and three stars in the new readiness measure, which they said is based on outcomes for the graduating class a year earlier. "We have a 4.5 rating, which is considered exceeding expectations for the state of Ohio," said Dr. Katie Poe, director of curriculum (first reference: Dr. Katie Poe, director of curriculum). The district's performance index was reported as 103.7.

The report card aggregates six weighted components. Superintendent Dr. Bruce Willingham and principals said the readiness metric is the first year it was graded statewide and that Kenston scored three stars because the measure awards one eligibility point per student across multiple pathways. "Every senior within four years has the opportunity to earn one readiness point," said Tom Gabriel, high school administrator (first reference: Tom Gabriel, high school administrator). Officials listed 11 possible ways for a student to earn that point, including honors diploma, remediation-free SAT/ACT scores, 12 or more college credit plus credits, industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning and approved military enlistment.

Why it matters: The district's readiness score draws attention because it measures how prepared graduates are for immediate postsecondary paths, said Gabriel. District leaders said they will better track individual student progress and expand opportunities such as career-technical programs, apprenticeships and OhioMeansJobs seals so more students meet the single-point requirement.

Administrators outlined building-level focus areas tied to the report card. At Kenston Middle School, principal Adam Fender emphasized data-driven instructional leadership, a daily "no new instruction" (NNI) period for flexible student regrouping, and social-emotional supports under a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) structure he calls RISE (Respectful, Inclusive, Safe, Engaged). "NNI is valuable to our teachers to connect with students at a time where they're not necessarily instructing," Fender said (first reference: Adam Fender, Kenston Middle School principal). Fender said the middle school serves about 800 students and uses NNI for both remediation and social-emotional work.

Timmins Elementary and other building leaders identified "power standards" and alignment between curriculum, common assessments and state-tested standards as priorities. Principals said they will audit pacing guides and common assessments so instruction aligns with how and which standards are tested.

Officials also described steps to raise the readiness rating: expanding Auburn Career Center partnerships, increasing industry credential opportunities, building pre-apprenticeship pathways with local partners, and integrating certain readiness work (for example, the OhioMeansJobs job-readiness seal) into junior-year courses.

Quotes and clarity: Board members asked whether college credit plus (CCP) or AP credit is weighted differently and how many CCP credits are required for a readiness point. Administrators said a student needs 12 CCP credits to earn that readiness point; AP/dual-credit weighting was not elevated above CCP for the single-point rule. "One of the biggest things we learned about that component is every student needs one point," Gabriel said. Officials noted the readiness score on the 2025 report card reflects the class of 2024 and that the district is already working with the class of 2025 and current juniors/seniors to close gaps.

What's next: Administrators said principals and teachers will use state-provided Power BI data and forthcoming value-added reports to identify students who did not show expected growth and to target instruction and interventions. The board did not take formal action on academic items during the report but directed staff to continue the readiness-focused work and to return with updates.

Ending: District leaders described the report card as one metric among many and said they will use it with the district's own profile to guide curriculum alignment, professional development and student supports going forward.