Superintendent Talks Biggest Challenge Facing Heights Schools

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Elizabeth Kirby has been the superintendent of Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools for less than a month. Still, she has analyzed the district and has an early idea of the biggest challenge facing the school system.

"The state report card," she said.

Controversial since their inception, the state report cards give letter grades to school districts in six categories: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation rate, improving at-risk K-3rd grade readers and preparation for success. The district is then given an overall grade by the state.

Last year, this was the report card for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools:

• Achievement — D
• Progress — F
• Gap closing — D
• Graduation rate — C
• Improving at-risk K-3rd grade readers— D
• Preparation for success — F
• Overall — D

Kirby said one of her main objectives will be aligning state report card results with the progress she sees actually happening in the district. "I know this is a good district. This report card does not reflect all of the work happening," she told Patch. She worries that a family new to the district may be concerned by the school system's performance on the report cards.

Much of the data gathered by the state report card is culled from standardized tests and students' historical performance on those tests. Superintendents from across Northeast Ohio, including Solon Schools (one of the highest performing districts in Ohio), have criticized state report cards as an oversimplification of school performance.

Besides trying to improve the district's performance on the narrow metrics offered by the state report cards, Kirby also wants to highlight and build upon the success stories in Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools: the arts programs, the enthusiasm and longevity of staff, the steady support of the community, the thriving and proud alumni base.

"There are programs in place [in CH-UH Schools] that we didn't have in Chicago," she said. "I've been very impressed with where the district is."

Moving forward, Kirby wants to build on the district's strengths and alleviate its weaknesses. She's still evaluating specific policy decisions and getting to know the district, but her energy and attention are now focused on the state report cards.