COLUMBUS — Ohio released its 2026 school report cards Tuesday, rating districts and schools one to five stars in half-star increments across six components, alongside new statewide proficiency data covering the 2025-26 school year.
Math proficiency climbed to 56.4% statewide, and English language arts proficiency reached 62.2% — Ohio's highest literacy mark in five years, according to Gov. Mike DeWine. Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, tied the gain to the state's first full year built on the Science of Reading approach, saying educators have concentrated on making sure students are getting what they need.
The improvement wasn't isolated: literacy proficiency rose across all 10 demographic groups the state tracks, and math proficiency rose in nine of them. Cropper cautioned that gaps persist because students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds haven't had the same opportunities in early childhood and tutoring access.
Chronic absenteeism fell for a fourth straight year, from 25.1% to 23.9%, though Aaron Churchill, Ohio research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, noted that about a quarter of students are still chronically absent each year — a drag, he said, on teachers' ability to keep instruction on track. Churchill also flagged that year-over-year consistency remains rare: districts often gain ground one year and lose it the next, since sustained improvement takes time and steady leadership commitment.
The same divide that's defined Ohio's report cards since 2021 held across every region.
In central Ohio, Bexley, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, Olentangy and New Albany-Plain all kept five-star ratings, while Columbus City Schools, the state's largest district, rose to 2.5 stars from two, with early literacy and graduation still stuck at one star.
In Greater Cincinnati, last cycle's data showed Mariemont, Wyoming and Sycamore at five stars, while Cincinnati Public, the region's largest district, sat at 2.5.
Around Cleveland, Cuyahoga Heights and Independence posted five-star ratings, while Cleveland Municipal sat at 2.5.
In the Dayton region, Centerville and Mason held five stars against Dayton Public's two.
And in northwest Ohio, Perrysburg earned five stars while Toledo Public Schools remained at two.
Outside the big metros, some of the highest-ranked rural districts include Tri-Village Local Schools in Darke County, which earned a five-star rating this cycle, according to state Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City.
Rural districts that posted five stars in last year's ratings include Ross Local Schools in Butler County, Wayne Local Schools in Warren County, and Fort Frye Local Schools in Washington County, which came in at 4.5 stars.
In northwest Ohio's Van Wert County, Spencerville earned the region's top mark at 4.5 stars last cycle, ahead of Bluffton and Columbus Grove, which each posted 4.5 stars as well.
Report cards also rate college, career, workforce, and military readiness. Cropper said schools could lean harder into job shadowing and workplace learning to help students see how coursework connects to careers.
Look up your own district at reportcard.education.ohio.gov.