September 24, 2024
Hello Heath Schools Community,
On Friday, September 13, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released its Report Card for 2023-2024 school year. We are proud to say that Heath City Schools earned a 4-star overall rating (5 stars in Gap Closing; 4 stars in Achievement and Progress; and 3 stars in Graduation and Early Literacy)! Our Performance Indicator score – a summary of the star ratings – improved from 91.8 to 93.1 (and 200th to 173rd in the entire state), which ranks us third in the county and on pace to be ranked second soon!
What do these scores mean?
- Achievement – A 4-star rating means that Heath “exceeds state standards in academic achievement.” We have steadily improved each of the last four years, and we are well ahead of our pre-pandemic achievement. I think it is worth mentioning that we have one of the highest levels of economic need in the county but also one of the highest levels of performance!
- Progress – A 4-star rating means that there is “significant evidence that the district exceeded student growth expectations.” This is the value-added measure that is student growth…only 37% of the state is 4 or 5 stars in this area.
- Gap Closing – A 5-star rating means that Heath “significantly exceeds state standards in closing educational gaps.” Only 29% of districts in Ohio earned 5 stars in this area. This is fantastic and is indicative of excellent student performance in subgroups, the growth of gifted students and the number of gifted students we serve, and also improvement in attendance.
- Graduation – A 3-star rating means that Heath “meets state standards in graduation rates.” While we are meeting state expectations, this is an area where we need to and will improve.
- Early Literacy – A 3-star rating means that Heath “meets state standards in early literacy (K-3).” Our 3rd-grade reading proficiency percentage was 70.6% this year. They are one of our strongest teams, and we are proud of their work. We will continue to improve here because our literacy work is yielding very positive results.
We are making huge progress toward our goals, and we are quickly becoming the best district in the county for educating and growing our students. I am proud of and thankful for our staff for their hard work and dedication. More than just these ratings, our students and staff are doing remarkable things every day. To witness a more comprehensive picture, please talk to your children, other students, educators, and families about what is happening in our buildings each day. Please visit our District website and follow our social media channels. Ensuring all students learn and grow is our collective responsibility.
Trevor Thomas, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Heath City Schools