Release date: 12/9/2019

The State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria today recognized 63 districts, 436 schools and 12 Career-Technical Planning Districts for achieving high performance, outstanding progress and momentum for students across Ohio.

The State Board of Education recognizes schools and districts with the All A Award if they receive A’s on all Ohio School Report Card measures. This year four districts and 50 schools earned this award by recording straight A’s.

The state board also celebrates schools and districts that earn an overall grade of A on the report card with the Overall A Award. Twenty-seven districts and 209 schools received this honor. This year is the first year Career-Technical Planning Districts received an overall grade on their report card, and 12 planning districts received the Overall A award. Additionally, nine schools receiving the Dropout Prevention and Recovery report card earned the highest rating of ‘Exceeds Standards’ and were honored for their accomplishments. 

In addition, 48 districts and 173 schools have secured the state board’s Momentum Award, presented for exceeding expectations in student growth for the year.

Complete lists of districts and schools across Ohio that have warranted the Overall A Award, All A Award or Momentum Award are available on the Ohio Department of Education website.

“The students, teachers, administrators and staff honored today are shining examples to peers and colleagues around Ohio,” said State Board of Education President Laura Kohler. “We are so proud of these award recipients and the effort they put in to learning, leading and growing every day. We are both encouraged and challenged by the example of excellence they are setting.”

The Ohio Department of Education is recognizing 72 schools that have a substantial proportion of economically disadvantaged students (40 percent or more) for reaching high academic achievement and progress with the Schools of Promise and Schools of Honor awards.

The Department has named two Schools of Promise, two High Performing Schools of Honor and 71 High Progress Schools of Honor. Each program has its own criteria. Among other benchmarks, a School of Promise must receive an A or B on the Progress component of the Ohio School Report Card.

The Schools of Honor initiative builds on the Schools of Promise program, recognizing schools that exceed Schools of Promise standards. To be named a High Performing School of Honor, 90 percent or more of all students must score Proficient or higher in reading and math on statewide assessments over the last five years, along with several other requirements.

To become a High Progress School of Honor, conditions for a high school include increases in graduation rate over the past five years that meet or exceed the 90th percentile of statewide gains in graduation.

“Across the state, there is increased student exposure to poverty and social stressors,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria. “These schools are succeeding in meeting the needs of the whole child, and helping students take full advantage of educational opportunities. Congratulations to the students, teachers and administrators at these schools for the impressive success we celebrate with these awards.”

Two new awards debuted this year: for Career-Technical Planning Districts and Dropout Prevention and Recovery Community Schools. Twelve career-technical districts received the CTPD Overall A Award. A total of nine dropout prevention schools earned the “Exceeds Standards” award.

Lists of Schools of Promise and Schools of Honor, as well schools receiving the career-technical and dropout prevention awards, are available on the Ohio Department of Education website.