District Earns 3.5 Stars on Ohio Report Card

“We are so proud of the work our students, staff and families continue to do,” stated Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki. “From day-to-day learning, state testing and preparation for life after high school, this work is challenging, and our staff and students continue to meet and exceed those challenges.”

Lakewood City Schools saw measurable gains in several vital performance categories, including increased graduation rates, expanded college and career readiness, and a higher percentage of students scoring at the Advanced and Accomplished levels on state assessments, which resulted in 3-, 4- and 5-star ratings in their respective categories.

The adjustment in the District's overall rating was primarily driven by a decline in the Progress metric. Progress measures growth over time rather than a score on the yearly state assessment, comparing Lakewood students' test results with those of students across Ohio with similar prior scores. Two key factors influenced this outcome:

• While the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce noted a statewide increase in proficiency in both English Language Arts and math that reached a five-year high, a district’s progress (growth) measure can still remain the same or even move down. A district whose students made genuine academic gains can still see its Progress rating decline if those gains didn't keep pace with the accelerated growth happening across Ohio, not because the district fell behind in absolute terms, but because the statewide benchmark moved up around it.

• Because the composite rolls three years of data into a single score, the rating reflects a longer timeframe than the most recent school year alone.

"The Progress metric, in simpler terms, looks at a student's place in line related to every student in Ohio taking the test,” explained Assistant Superintendent Steven Ast. “Our students could maintain or improve those scores, but if students across the state improve more, our progress can decrease. When the Progress metric reports are released by the state in October, we will be looking closely at the data to determine the next steps to best support our students.”

Lakewood does not use state testing alone to determine student growth. In addition to state testing, the District utilizes the annual SAT Cohort report  to monitor student growth. In recent years, Lakewood cohorts have consistently improved average scores for each graduating class while steadily reducing the number of students who do not meet college and career-readiness thresholds in math and English Language Arts.

The District's overarching guidepost remains the Vision of a Lakewood Ranger, which prioritizes developing students in six core competencies across all grade levels: Critical & Creative Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Growth Mindset, Global Awareness/Citizenship, and Empathy.

Lakewood City Schools remains proud of its building teams and students and their dedication to continuous growth. To support teachers and ensure classroom work aligns directly with state standards, the district has taken several strategic steps in recent years:

• Implemented newly updated math, ELA, and science curriculum resources.

• Adjusted intervention and enrichment pathways through the refinement of the district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework.

• Traced state testing data to individual standards using released test items and advanced reporting to better tailor daily classroom instruction.

District leadership and staff remain committed to ensuring that future state report card metrics reflect the high-quality learning happening across Lakewood classrooms every day.