In an updated report to the community called “Measuring What Matters,” the District provides a comprehensive review of quality indicators for the Shaker schools as well as an overview of the District’s Five-Year Strategic Plan.
The report, which will be mailed to all residents in the Shaker Heights City School District, can be downloaded below. It is designed to supplement the State Report Card, which is based on a narrow set of test scores.
Says Superintendent Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., “Shaker families, staff, and community members have made it clear, time and again, that the Shaker Experience goes far beyond traditional subjects taught and tested in conventional ways.
"That is why our report goes well beyond standardized test scores to reflect essential elements of our curriculum, such as the fine and performing arts, co-curricular activities, and hands-on learning with a global perspective. We also include some key financial information.”
The report includes specific highlights of the 2013-14 academic year, including:
- High Schools students again scored significantly above the national average on the SAT and ACT.
- The High School’s four-year graduation rate increased from 83% to 89%.
- 99.7% of third graders met the requirements of the Ohio Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
- In collaboration with the City and Shaker Schools Foundation, the District launched a new Innovative Center for Personalized Learning and Family Engagement.
- Spending for the 2013-14 fiscal year came in under budget by about $2 million, without reducing the number of teachers.
- The members of the Class of 2014 were admitted to 235 colleges and universities, including many of the most selective in the nation.
- Shaker students won numerous awards and accolades at regional, state, and national competitions in the fine and performing arts, history, science, and world languages.
- Community feedback from phone surveys conducted by an independent research group indicated widespread approval of the schools, particularly among parents of Shaker students.
In addition, the report outlines the vision, core values, and goals delineated in the District’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which was created by a team of 44 educators and community members with input from hundreds of stakeholders. In subsequent years, “Measuring What Matters” will serve as the District’s annual report to the community on progress toward those goals.
Read “Measuring What Matters” online.
Read the Strategic Plan in its entirety.