'Room For Improvement' On Strongsville Schools' State Report Card Performance

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Strongsville Schools Superintendent Cameron Ryba recognizes the district has work to do after the district's performance on the annual school system report card, issued by the Ohio Department of Education.

"With the release of the state report card results, we recognize that there is room for improvement. The work we have done as a District over the past year with our teachers, staff, and administration has built a foundation for future success on both state and local measures. Our goal is to ensure all students have the opportunity to grow, develop, and reach their fullest potential," Ryba said.

The district earned one A and one B, for Graduation Rate and Progress respectively. The district was also given three Cs and one D. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Strongsville newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

Here's how the district was graded by the state:

• Achievement: C
  • The Achievement component represents the number of students who passed the state tests and how well they performed on these tests.
• Gap Closing: D
  • 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: B
  • The Progress component looks closely at the growth that all students are making based on their past performances.
• Graduation Rate: A
  • 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.

The grades are actually a slight improvement over last year's performance. Strongsville Schools received an F in the 2015-2016 school year for Gap Closing. The district improved that grade to a D this year.

"We will continue to work tirelessly to place our students in the best possible positions for success, both inside and outside of the classroom. Strongsville City Schools places great emphasis on balancing state report card results with our local measures that are equally as important to our students and community," Ryba said in an emailed statement.

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