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Sept. 15, 2022 -- The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District is showing notable progress in the Ohio state report card data for 2021-2022, especially in closing educational gaps for students.  

This is the first state report card that schools and districts have received since 2019. The state report card has gone through many changes and includes performance information provided by schools and districts, including academic, financial, and student opportunities. Some of this data is then combined into six components that receive star ratings from 1-5 (previously letter grades) to indicate the level of performance for the school and district.

School districts and individual schools did not receive overall ratings this year. Overall ratings are expected in 2023.

“While the state report card provides information about performance on state assessments, our 2026 strategic plan is our blueprint towards realizing our mission for our students. We monitor our progress towards our strategic plan goals through a robust performance management structure that guides the work of our teacher teams, building leadership teams and district departments. Such structures are even more crucial post-pandemic, and our teams continue to work hard to realize our vision for our students,” said CH-UH Schools Superintendent Liz Kirby.

“Now that the vast majority of our students have returned to in-person learning, we anticipate additional academic growth. We also will continue to promote the importance of consistent school attendance, given that chronic absenteeism was a particular challenge last year,” said Superintendent Kirby.

Gap Closing
This component measures the reduction in educational gaps for student groups.
District star rating: 4

In 2016, CH-UH implemented an Educational Equity Policy, the first of its kind in Cuyahoga County. Educational equity addresses the polices, practices, programs, personnel and resources required to ensure access to educational opportunity and achievement for all students.

“Our work as educators is always done with equity at the forefront,” said Superintendent Kirby. “I am incredibly proud of our school community for its commitment to equity, and their dedication is illustrated in this rating.”

In addition to the District’s 4-star rating, nearly all CH-UH schools received a 4 or a 5 rating on the Gap Closing component.

Progress
This component looks closely at the growth all students are making based on their past performances.
District star rating: 3

Academic growth is measured by looking at the current achievement compared to prior achievement results on Ohio’s State Tests. From 2020-2021 to 2021-2022, each CH-UH school saw improvements on the Performance Index Measure of the Ohio State Tests (OST), as well as the percentage of students scoring “proficient” or higher in each OST.

Achievement  
This component represents whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall.
District star rating: 2

The calculation includes performance on the following assessments: English language arts (grades 3-8), Math (grades 3-8), Science (grades 5, 8), English language arts II, Integrated Math I and II, Geometry, Algebra I, Biology, American History, American Government, and approved substitutes using performance on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate assessments.

“Our students grew 10 points on the performance index, which includes all the scores on the state tests, despite the challenges they faced. Our recent initiatives, which include Tiger Summer Camp, additional social emotional support, and a district-wide tutoring program, all of which were made possible by ESSER funds, are designed to help our students regain ground lost during the pandemic and to help us achieve our mission of ensuring all of our students become responsible citizens who will succeed in college and career,” said Superintendent Kirby.

Graduation Rate
This component looks at the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and the five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.
District star rating: 2

The District has a weighted graduation rate of 88.9%, just shy of a 3-star rating. Heights High School currently has a four-year graduation rate of 87.7% for students who entered the 9th grade in the 2017-2018 school year and graduated in 2021. The five-year graduation rate is 90.7%. The District’s 4-year graduation rate goal, a key component of the District’s 2026 Strategic Plan, is 95%.

While the District’s four-year and five-year rates continue to exceed the state average, the District will continue to work hard to support all Heights High students towards graduating within four years.

“This summer, we enhanced our support for incoming freshmen, and all students have access to resources and programming such as success coaches, tutors, AVID and GEAR UP. We also remain focused on students’ post-secondary outcomes and will build upon the success of the Heights High School Class of 2022, which earned a collective $17.3 million in college scholarships,” said Superintendent Kirby.

The District has a set of Measures that Matter which go beyond test scores; activities such as community service, participation in the arts, music, and sports, and an ongoing quest for learning come to mind when we imagine a Heights graduate who is ready to become a responsible, caring and successful citizen.

Early Literacy
This component measures reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.
District star rating: 2

The District’s 2026 target is 100% of 3rd graders reading at or above their identified grade level.

“We are proud that our third graders made enormous gains in literacy, growing by approximately 16 percent in proficiency compared to last year. We are well on our way to reaching our strategic plan target for all of our third graders,” said Superintendent Kirby.

Ensuring success in early literacy begins before a child comes to kindergarten. All three of the District’s preschool programs boast 5-star ratings, the highest possible, from the Ohio Department of Education.

During the second quarter of the 2022-2023 school year, the District will enter the pilot phase for ELA adoptions for grades K-12. The District will continue to utilize programs such as teacher-led interventions and Springboard.

College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness
This component looks at how well prepared Ohio’s students are for future opportunities, whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college.

Districts and schools did not receive ratings in this component this year. Those ratings are expected in 2025.

“I’m proud of the hard work and determination put forth by our educators, support staff, administrators, and most importantly, our students,” Kirby said. “Our teachers, administrators and staff have a commitment to student achievement that is unrivaled, unwavering, and truly inspiring. We will continue to build on our successes using the strategic plan as our guide.”