Sycamore Community Schools has earned an overall 5-star rating on the 2023 Ohio School Report Card.

“We are proud that the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and families are reflected in this latest report card release,” said Chad Lewis, Superintendent. “Our students are not only back on track following educational interruptions from the pandemic, but are significantly exceeding state expectations.”

Sycamore Schools was one of only 11 local school districts to achieve a 5-star overall rating. This achievement marks a significant milestone, being the first time since 2016 that the district has secured the highest overall rating, even under the previous letter-grade system in place prior to the pandemic.

“Our impressive growth on the state report card is the direct result of the dedication and outstanding efforts of our incredible teachers, staff, administrators, and district office team,” affirmed Paul Balent, Board of Education President. “Our focus remains on meeting the diverse needs of every student in our district and continuing to help them grow and achieve.”

Additionally, ODE provides a performance index for each district, which is based on how well all students perform on state tests. When compared to other local districts, Sycamore Schools had the third highest performance index of local school districts. This year, Sycamore Schools earned a score of 105.2, marking a 1.2-point increase from the previous year and an impressive 12-point surge from the 2020-21 school year, taking the performance index back to pre-pandemic levels. 

“Our relentless pursuit of meeting the needs of all students has propelled us to achieve at the highest levels,” said Kelly Wegener, Assistant Superintendent. “It takes our entire school community working collaboratively every day to help our students reach their full potential.”

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) also evaluates schools based on five distinct components: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, and early literacy, each rated on a scale of one to five stars. In the 2023 report card, the district garnered an impressive 5-star rating in four out of the five components:

• Achievement: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐(Significantly exceeds state standards)

This component represents whether student Grades 3-12 performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall.

• Progress: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (Significantly exceeds state standards)

This component looks closely at the growth of all students by comparing last year’s state test scores to their performance on previous state tests.

• Gap Closing: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (Significantly exceeds state standards)

This component looks at several data points to assess whether student subgroups are meeting state standards.

• Graduation: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (Significantly exceeds state standards)

This component looks at the four-year and five-year adjusted cohort graduation rates. 5-stars means a graduation rate of 96.5% or more.

• Early Literacy: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐  (Exceeds state standards)

This component measures reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.

“Our approach centers on meeting students where they are, nurturing their growth and achievements,” said Rebecca Tompkins, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “When our focus is on our students and their needs, the report card naturally reflects our dedication."

As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, the district is diligently reviewing the data released today. Stay tuned for further updates regarding the individual ratings of our schools in the coming days.