Dear Lakewood Schools Community,
On Friday, September 16, the State Report Card for 2021-2022 was released. According to Ohio Department of Education website, “Report Cards are designed to give parents, communities, educators and policymakers information about the performance of districts and schools — to celebrate achievement and success and identify areas for improvement. The information provides clear and easily available reporting on student performance, drives local conversations on school improvement and identifies schools to receive supports for getting better. The goal is to ensure all students receive an excellent education that can lead to success in life, careers and future learning.”
The Report Card has six metrics related to student academic performance: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Early Literacy, Graduation, and College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness. The first five areas were graded on a 1-5-star measure in 2022, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.
We are proud to say that Lakewood Local School District earned 5 stars in the Progress and Gap Closing metrics, and 3 stars in the Achievement and Graduation metrics. We earned 2 stars in Early Literacy. To delve into these scores a bit more:
- Progress – A 5-star rating means that there is “significant evidence that the district exceeded student growth expectations by a larger magnitude.”
- Gap Closing – A 5-star rating means that Lakewood “significantly exceeds state standards in closing educational gaps.”
- Achievement – A 3-star rating means that Lakewood “meets state standards in academic achievement.”
- Graduation – A 3-star rating means that Lakewood “meets state standards in graduation rates.”
- Early Literacy – A 2-star rating means that Lakewood “needs support to meet state standards in early literacy (K-3).”
There are certainly parts of this report card that reinforce the great work our students, teachers, and principals are doing in our schools. There are areas we must continue to improve but, as with most student data, it encourages us to dig deeper and look at more data about our students’ progress and programming.
We recognize that the Early Literacy scores, as well as the Achievement and Graduation scores, represent areas for improvement for our District; however, we believe these data represent only part of the picture of our students’ achievements. We have so many wonderful programs and activities happening in our buildings, including: Lucy Caulkins’ literacy program and the Fundations phonics-based program in our K-3 classes; and over the summer, K-2 students were invited to participate in the Read Now program, providing nine free books over the summer to help prevent the "summer slide.”
These are just a few examples. To witness the more complete picture, please talk to your children, other students, educators and parents about what is happening in our buildings each day. Please visit our District website, subscribe to our newsletters and follow our social media channels. Many great things are happening all of the time!
If you are interested in learning more about the State Report Card, I encourage you to visit the ODE’s webpage.
It’s Lancer Time!
Sincerely,
Dr. Mark Gleichauf
Superintendent, Lakewood Local Schools