MANSFIELD — Mansfield-area career technical programs earned top marks in the latest round of Ohio School Report Cards.
Every fall, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce releases its school report cards for all public schools and districts — including career technical planning districts.
Locally, these districts include Pioneer Career and Technology Center, Knox County Career Center and programs housed within local districts like Madison Local Schools and Mansfield City Schools.
Career technical planning districts (CTPDs) receive a report card with four metrics: achievement, career & post-secondary readiness, graduation rates and post-program outcomes.
The cards also includes nine federal indicators: four year graduation rate, extended graduation rate, academic proficiency in language arts, academic proficiency in mathematics, academic proficiency in science, postsecondary placement, non-traditional program enrollment, participated in work-based learning and technical skill attainment.
Pioneer Career Technical Center received an overall rating of five stars and met all nine federal indicators.
Superintendent Greg Nickoli said achieving a five star rating is no small feat. It means Pioneer is not just meeting, but significantly exceeding expectations.
“It signals that Pioneer is equipping students with strong technical skills, that students are completing their training, and that after graduation students are prepared well for either employment, further education, or both,” he said.
“This is important because it shows families that choosing Pioneer for their students means a high likelihood of success — academically, vocationally, and in terms of future employment for their children.”
Nickoli said strong career technical programs benefit the local economy as well.
“Pioneer is producing graduates with relevant skills who can contribute meaningfully, reducing skills gaps and bolstering workforce readiness in Richland, Crawford, Morrow and Huron Counties,” he said.
“Congratulations to our instructors, support staff, leadership, and our incredible students at Pioneer. And thanks also to our many community partners, parents, businesses, and all those whose support helps make this happen.”
Knox County Career Center, which accepts students from Clear Fork, received an overall rating of five stars and met all nine federal indicators.
“We are excited for another year with a 5-star rating. We do not take it for granted and work diligently year-round to prepare our students for success and to give them many opportunities to succeed in different ways and areas,” Supt. Kathrine Greenich said.
“The CTPD report cards reflect students not only at KCCC High School, but all students in Knox County taking career tech classes at our associate schools. We will be digging into the data for our own students and the students from other schools, too.”
Madison Local’s Career Technical Planning District received an overall rating of five stars and met eight of the nine federal indicators.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment that echoes the unwavering dedication, not only from our program instructors, but also from all of our teaching staff across the district, and most importantly, our students,” said Jacob Grove, Madison’s director of career technical education.
Grove expressed pride, but not contentment, with the results. Click the story below for a more in-depth story on Madison’s traditional and career tech report cards.
Read the full story
Mansfield City’s Career Technical Planning District received an overall rating of five stars and met four of the nine federal indicators.
Nikia Fletcher, the district’s director of college and career readiness, said the jump was “a long time coming.”
“This is my seventh year. We have been pushing, we have been asking the questions, we have been turning over the rocks so that we can get to this spot,” she said.
For a more in-depth look at Mansfield City’s traditional and career tech report cards, click the story below.
