District earns higher ratings in all categories on state report card

by Laura Bednar

Independence Local Schools raised its star ratings in all five categories on the 2024 state report card compared to last year, earning an overall 4.5 stars as a district. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s star-based system defines 4.5 stars as “exceeding state standards.”

The state rates schools in five categories: performance on state tests; student progress; reducing learning gaps for student subgroups; measuring four- and five-year adjusted class graduation rates; and reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.

Compared to last year, the district maintained five stars in achievement (state tests), graduation rates and gap closing (reducing learning gaps between subgroups). Early literacy (reading improvement in K-3) rose from three stars on last year’s card to five stars this year.

“Early literacy is what improved our overall score,” said Superintendent Kelli Cogan.

She said the district uses a curriculum called Fundations for English language arts for students in grades K-2 but “teachers saw skill deficit in phonemic awareness,” according to Cogan. “So we decided to add to [Fundations].”

The district now also uses a curriculum called Heggerty, which teaches the sounds letters make instead of just putting letters together to make words, which Fundations teaches. Since implementation two years ago, Cogan said the administration has seen growth in students who read at or above grade level in second grade.

Progress, which measures student growth, rose from two stars to three this year, meeting state standards. The middle and primary schools met or exceeded the progress standard while the high school is rated two stars. Cogan noted math and science as the problem areas at the high school.

“Students are achieving [on state tests] but not showing growth from year to year,” she said.

She explained that students are tested on middle school science, and then biology in two years when they reach high school. Cogan said the district is trying to “bridge instructional strategies” by having high school teachers speak to middle school students about biology expectations, such as writing lab reports.

The plan is to create curriculum maps for each grade level to make it coherent throughout the district. This year Cogan is focusing on math, science and English language arts teachers. She sent a survey to teachers to get feedback on the curriculum they use, their strategies for teaching and where they see gaps in the curriculum.

“Teachers have been working hard individually, and collectively, we could have a more coherent curriculum across the district,” said Cogan, adding that she wants students to be prepared for a new grade level so a teacher can seamlessly start with the new curriculum.

“It’s impressive that without a curriculum map, the work the teachers have done earned us 4.5 stars,” said Cogan. ∞