The East Cleveland City School District has raised its rating on the Ohio state report card from two to three stars, a significant achievement that signifies it now meets state standards. This marks a major turning point for the district, which has been under state oversight since 2018 due to a history of low academic performance.
The improvement follows the implementation of a multi-faceted strategy that included intensive tutoring, personalized student engagement, and a focus on specialized arts education. District leaders view this as a foundational step toward continued growth, despite ongoing challenges like high student mobility and economic hardship in the community.
Key Takeaways
- East Cleveland City School District improved from a 2-star to a 3-star rating, meeting state standards for the first time in its modern era.
- The district has been managed by a state-appointed academic distress commission since 2018 due to persistent low test scores.
- Key strategies included widespread tutoring, connecting academics to student interests, and creating a specialized performing arts school.
- Despite progress, the district faces a 30% student transiency rate and a low community median income, which impact graduation and literacy scores.
- Several other Northeast Ohio districts also saw their state report card ratings improve through targeted educational initiatives.
A Milestone Achievement for East Cleveland
For the first time in recent memory, the East Cleveland City School District is meeting state academic standards. The recently released state report cards, based on standardized tests from the previous spring, awarded the district three out of five stars. This is an upgrade from the two-star rating it held previously, which indicated a need for state support.
"For the first time we’re meeting state standards, really, ever in the modern era of the school district," said Henry Pettiegrew II, the district's superintendent and CEO. He emphasized that this success is not an endpoint but a new beginning.
"We’re really excited and happy about that. It’s not a finish line. It’s definitely a starting point. And we want to see if we can get more stars."
The Path From State Takeover to Improvement
The district's journey has been closely watched. In 2018, after decades of low test scores, the state of Ohio appointed an academic distress commission to oversee its operations, largely supplanting the authority of the local school board. This intervention was a response to what state lawmakers often cited as a case of minimal results despite significant taxpayer investment.
Understanding Academic Distress Commissions
In 2021, Ohio lawmakers shifted their approach to struggling districts. Instead of indefinite state control, districts under academic distress were allowed to create three-year improvement plans. If approved by state officials, these plans offered a pathway to exit state oversight and regain local control.
East Cleveland developed a plan with 20 specific measures and was required to show improvement in at least 51% of them. According to Pettiegrew, the district's focus on these metrics was a driving force behind its recent gains. "Those measures coincidentally also helped drive the achievement and the progress that we’ve seen in last year’s report card," he explained.
The district met the requirements to exit state control on June 30, though the commission remains involved. A final decision on returning to normal operations is expected from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in December.
Strategies That Made a Difference
The district's turnaround was not accidental; it was the result of a deliberate and varied approach to student learning. Officials implemented over a dozen different strategies designed to boost academic performance.
Personalized Support and Engagement
One of the most impactful initiatives was providing extensive tutoring services. Tutors were made available to students before, during, and after the school day. This program was initially funded by COVID-19 recovery money but has since been incorporated into the district's primary budget, signaling a long-term commitment.
The district also focused on making learning relevant to students' lives. For example, if a high school student is on the football team, their coach might be asked to speak with them about the importance of maintaining good grades. This method leverages existing relationships with trusted adults to motivate students.
Specialized Education Programs
Another key element was the establishment of the Superior School for the Performing Arts. This three-year-old institution allows students to pursue their passions in dance, music, drama, and graphic arts while completing their core academic subjects like English, math, and science. By connecting learning to students' interests, the school fosters deeper engagement.
Teacher Dedication
According to the state report card, the average teacher has been with the East Cleveland district for 11 years. Lillian Tolbert, president of the East Cleveland Education Association and a 33-year veteran of the district, noted that the improvement was a gradual process built on sustained effort.
"This hasn’t been something that magically happened overnight," Tolbert stated. "I think it’s just continuing to do the work, continuing to put in the effort, continuing to try, to find new and innovative ways to motivate the students."
Persistent Challenges Remain
Despite the celebrated progress, East Cleveland continues to face significant hurdles that are common in urban, high-poverty districts. One of the largest is a high rate of student transiency. Approximately 30% of students move into or out of the district within a single school year.
"You work with them and get progress, then they leave for a number of reasons that aren’t related to the school district," Pettiegrew said. This constant churn makes it difficult to build upon academic gains year after year.
Economic factors also play a major role. In 2022, the median gross income in East Cleveland was just $25,140, the third lowest among Ohio's 609 school districts. This contrasts sharply with the state's wealthiest district, Indian Hills, where the median income was $94,710 and the schools received a 5-star rating. These economic disparities contribute to the district's 1-star ratings in the graduation and early literacy components of the report card.
Improvements Across Northeast Ohio
East Cleveland was not the only district in the region to see positive results. Several others also improved their state report card ratings by implementing targeted strategies.
- Parma City School District: Increased from 3.5 to 4 stars by focusing on the "science of reading," monitoring student data, and improving school culture.
- Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools: Moved from 3 to 3.5 stars, crediting gains in early literacy to a focus on high-quality, science of reading-aligned materials.
- Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District: Jumped from 2.5 to 3.5 stars, showing significant growth in measuring student progress and closing achievement gaps, particularly for gifted students.
- Firelands Local School District: Rose from 3.5 to 4 stars after creating dedicated intervention periods for targeted support and aligning its curriculum across grade levels.
These successes highlight a regional trend of using data-driven and research-backed methods to improve student outcomes, providing a blueprint for other districts facing similar challenges.