State Report Cards A "Disservice" To Shaker Schools, Superintendent Says

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — The Shaker Heights School District has progressed in some areas and regressed in others, according to the Ohio Department of Education's annual report cards. Superintendent Gregory Hutchings sent a letter to the Shaker community saying the report cards are a "disservice to our students, our teachers, our administrators and our entire community."

"Even worse, the state report card provides those unfamiliar with the Shaker Schools an inaccurate and incomplete picture of what a Shaker education is about," he said in his letter.

There were some notable changes from last year to 2017 in how the Shaker Heights Schools were graded. The district's "achievement" grade went down from a 'C' in 2015-2016 to a 'D' this year. The K-3 Literacy grade jumped from an 'F' to a 'C' in 2017. All other grades remained the same. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Shaker Heights newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

Here's how the Shaker Heights Schools were graded this year:

• Achievement: D
  • The Achievement component represents the number of students who passed the state tests and how well they performed on these tests.
• Gap Closing: F
  • The Gap Closing component shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our most vulnerable populations of students in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and graduation.
• K-3 Literacy: C
  • The K-3 Literacy component looks at how successful a school district is at getting readers identified as not on-track, per the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, on-track to proficiency in third grade and beyond.
• Progress: D
  • The Progress component looks closely at the growth that all students are making based on their past performances.
• Graduation Rate: B
  • The Graduation Rate component looks at the percent of students who are successfully finishing high school with a diploma in four or five years.
• Prepared for Success: C
  • Whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college, the Prepared for Success component looks at how well prepared students are for all future opportunities.

"One data point doesn't define who we are as a district or as a community. Only by working together can we ensure that all our students receive a rich and rewarding educational experience," Hutchings added.

He urged the community to use the Measuring What Matters report, produced by the Shaker Schools, as a guidepost to how the district is actually performing. Learn more about that report by clicking here.

Hutching's entire letter to the community can be read here.

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