Nearly twenty years ago, state leaders established Academic Distress Commissions (ADCs) as a way for the
Schools have a responsibility to educate students about what it means to be an American.
In September, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) released the latest round of school and district report cards, which cover the 2024–25 academic year. Here at Fordham, we’ve been digging through the data to provide some overarching analysis.
Last month, when the state released data from the 2024–25 school year, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s
The city celebrated when Lorain Public Schools was given a free pass out of its academic distress designation two years ago. But today, the data show woeful academic performance, rampant absenteeism, and graduates who are unprepared for the real world.
It’s been a little over two years since Ohio policymakers established a statewide initiative championing the science of reading, an evidence-based instructional approach that focuses on
Author’s correction (9/16/25): The original version of the press release inadvertently misstated the Algebra I proficiency rates for the Ohio Eight districts. The percentages displayed below are the correct ones.
In 2014, Ohio implemented a new screening tool for all incoming kindergartners.
As budget deliberations continue, we can't lose sight of other important legislation. Here are two current bills aimed at improving interventions for low-achieving students and beefing up Ohio's school-improvement framework.
It’s state budget season, which means Ohioans are being inundated with an abundance of confusing numbers. Most have dollar signs attached.
NOTES: Today, the Ohio Senate Education Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 127, which would make changes to the way in which low-performing public schools are identified and how the state intervenes when scho
It’s no secret that improving early literacy has been Governor DeWine’s hallmark education passion.
In 2012, Governor John Kasich signed legislation enabling the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide school turnaround plan.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released data from the 2024 round of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Today, the United States Department of Education released data from the 2024 round of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” These assessments are given to a representative sample of students from every state and provides one of the most comprehensive looks at student ach
NOTE: Today, the Ohio Senate Education Committee heard testimony on Substitute Senate Bill 295 which proposes substantive changes to the closure requirements for public schools across the state.
A new rating system for student readiness is nearly completed and could be part of Ohio's school report cards next year. However, we recommend some improvements before it is fully rolled out.
In 2001, Congress enacted No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the much-discussed statute that, among other things, required states to identify their lowest-performing schools and help them improve. In 2015, in an effort to address perceived problems with NCLB, lawmakers revised the law into its current form, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Without a strong third grade retention policy, it’s a sure bet that Ohio students who cannot read proficiently are being promoted to fourth grade. We look at the data which starkly illustrate the problematic return of “social promotion.”
The Economist recently made the case that the United States economy is the envy of the world.
The jury remains out regarding the true impact of pre-K enrollment on early elementary outcomes. Some research finds a positive impact, some a negative, and much of it shows the fading out of impacts by third grade or soon thereafter.
Author update (10/11/24): Since this piece was posted, sources have indicated Canton’s kindergarten data were misstated on its report card—a possibility acknowledged in this piece. The district's report card, as well as its elementary school report cards, now have “watermarks” flagging the data reporting error and indicating that the error may have impacted the ratings.
One of the most pressing challenges facing American education is closing achievement gaps.
New early literacy data from state report cards are part of the baseline from which we can measure the impact of Science of Reading reforms going forward. Here’s a look at ten Ohio districts whose results fill in important details for the future.
Ohio has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the post-pandemic academic recovery—but also much work left to do. That’s the message that comes out of my recent analysis of spring 2024 state assessment data released earlier this month.
Ohioans now have access to a brand-new set of school report cards based on results from the 2023–24 school year. The data they contain provide policymakers, advocates, and families with an updated look on how students are progressing academically in the wake of the pandemic.
Today, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released its annual school report card, which is based on data from the 2023–24 school year. Included are five-star ratings that provide parents and the public with a user-friendly overview of district and school performance.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will soon release Ohio’s school report cards for the 2023–24 school year.
Ohio students have yet to fully recover from pandemic-era declines in achievement.
State tests are an important annual check-in for parents, teachers, communities, and policymakers, as they provide an objective assessment of student achievement based on grade-level standards.
