LUCAS — Lucas Local Schools retained its overall rating of four stars when Ohio released its state report cards this week.
Supt. Brad Herman said report card scores “are a direct reflection of the dedication and hard work of our staff, students, families, and the entire Lucas community.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the support and teamwork that makes our success possible,” Herman said.
Every fall, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce releases its Ohio School Report Cards for public schools, including traditional and community schools, career tech districts and dropout recovery programs.
ODEW released its report cards for the 2024-2025 school year on Monday.
All nine of Richland County’s traditional public school districts received at least a three-star rating, meaning they met or exceeded state standards. All four career tech districts serving those schools earned top marks.
School report cards evaluate buildings and districts on six components with a one-to-five star scale with half-star increments.
One star means a district needs significant support to meet state standards. Three stars means a district has met expectations. Five stars means a district has significantly exceeded expectations.
What each component means
Achievement is a measure of how well students performed on state tests.
Progress is a measure of the growth students are making based on their past performance.
Gap Closing is a measure of the reduction in educational gaps among students of different races, ones with special needs and those from economically disadvantaged families.
Graduation is a measure of the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and the five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.
Early Literacy is a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.
College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness is a measure of how prepared Ohio’s students are for future opportunities, whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college.
How Lucas’ scores broke down
Lucas’ overall district rating for the 2024-2025 broke down as follows:
- Achievement: 4 stars
- Progress: 3 stars
- Gap Closing: 5 stars
- Graduation: 5 stars
- Early Literacy: 3 stars
- College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness: 5 stars
Herman said the district remains committed to its vision of pursuing excellence for every child, every day.
“While we celebrate this success, we also recognize there is always room to grow,” he said.
“We will continue to build on these results, focusing on continuous improvement so that every student is empowered to reach their full potential and prepared for a successful future.”
At the building level, Lucas Heritage Middle School earned a 2.5 star rating. Lucas High School received a four star rating. Lucas Elementary School earned a 4.5 star rating.
This year’s report cards include new post-secondary readiness metric
This is the first year report cards have a rating for the College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness (CCWMR) component. Previous versions of the report card included data, but not a rating.
The Ohio Education Association, a group representing teachers and school staff across the state, commended the use of CCWMR data, but said the report card is still too reliant on standardized testing data.
“For too long, these state report cards have been overly reliant on standardized test scores to determine ratings, ignoring the fact that these scores are a snapshot in time of a few stressful days in a student’s life rather than a measure of their ability or mastery,” OEA President Jeff Wensing said.
“Including CCWMR measures in the school ratings helps Ohioans get a more accurate view of the quality education public schools provide.”
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce also acknowledges the grade card has its limitations.
“Everyone has a role in the success of Ohio schools, and community members are encouraged to learn more about what’s happening in their local schools,” an ODEW press release stated.
“Talking with parents and neighbors, browsing school and district websites, and connecting with educators are among the ways to gain a complete understanding of students’ educational experiences.”
