The focus of this article is helping our community understand the Ohio School Report Cards and the rating our district received in September. Mrs. Cassie Schaffer, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Dr. Jason Inkrott, Superintendent, recently presented their analysis of our results, highlighting how they will be used to drive continued academic growth in our district.
The Van Buren Local School District has once again demonstrated its commitment to high-quality education by earning a 4-star overall rating on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's 2025 State Report Card. This result reflects the outstanding efforts of our students, teachers, and staff and is highlighted by the fact that the district met, exceeded, or significantly exceeded state standards in all six rated components. The report card provides a comprehensive snapshot of the hard work happening across the district and serves as a starting point for continuous improvement to support every student's success.
Ohio School Report Cards at a Glance
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce issues an annual report card to track school and district performance. The overall rating, ranging from 1 to 5 stars in half-star increments, is based on a comprehensive evaluation of six key components.
These components measure different aspects of student success:
Achievement: How well students performed on state tests.
Progress: The measurable academic growth students are making compared to their peers statewide.
Gap Closing: The success in reducing educational gaps for student subgroups (e.g. students with exceptionalities and economically-disadvantaged students).
Graduation: Success in ensuring students earn their diplomas within four years.
Early Literacy: Reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.
College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness (CCWMR): How prepared graduates are for their post-high school plans.
Highlights from Our 2025 District Report Card
Van Buren Local School District’s 4-star overall rating (exceeds state standards) is supported by high performance across all areas:
Gap Closing: The district received a 5-star rating, indicating it significantly exceeded state standards in closing educational gaps for student groups.
Graduation Rate: The district once again received the highest possible 5-star rating and significantly exceeded state standards in graduation rate. We are projecting that we will receive a 100% graduation rate on the 2026 State Report Card, the sixth consecutive year with a rate above 96%.
Achievement: Our students continue to perform above the state average, with a Performance Index of 88% leading to a 4-star rating. The district exceeded state standards in academic achievement, with nearly half of all students scoring at the Accomplished or Advanced levels on state tests.
Early Literacy: The district earned a 4-star rating and exceeded state standards in Early Literacy for students in grades K-3.
Progress: The district earned a 3-star rating, which indicates it met state standards for student growth expectations.
College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness (CCWMR): This component was rated for the first time this year with the district meeting state standards. As part of this newly rated component, 41% of graduates earned Honors Diplomas, and a growing number of students earned 12-point industry-recognized credentials.
Areas of Focus
We continue to prioritize academic growth, ensuring all students make measurable progress each year. While achievement remains high, we are committed to supporting every child's growth, regardless of starting point. Through collaboration and reflection, our educators are refining instruction using insights from student learning to strengthen opportunities across all grades.
In addition, we are reviewing the College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness (CCWMR) component, which was rated for the first time this year. We recognize the critical importance of ensuring all graduates are prepared for their chosen paths after high school, whether that involves further education, apprenticeships, employment, or military service. We are taking a thoughtful and rigorous approach to analyzing these results, using this data to inform strategic enhancements to our academic programming and career-focused opportunities to set up every student for success in an ever-changing world.
Looking Ahead
Our district is committed to building on its successes while finding practical ways to support learning and engagement. With ongoing attention to student progress and collaboration among staff and families, we aim to maintain our record of strong outcomes while continuing to improve where it matters most–in the classroom.
The growth and success of every student is what drives our staff to always be their best as we continue working to achieve our mission: Building Thinkers. Building Connections. Building Experiences.
Check out these opportunities to learn what is happening at Van Buren Local School District:
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