Independence Local Schools has earned an overall 4.5-star rating on the 2026 Ohio School Report Card, reflecting strong student achievement, graduation rates, and progress in closing achievement gaps. For the majority of categories, the data used is from the 2025-26 Ohio State Test (OST) data.
The district earned five stars in Achievement, Gap Closing and Graduation Rate, three stars in Early Literacy and Progress, and four stars in College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness.
Achievement remains a district strength. Independence earned a 92.4% Achievement score and five stars, continuing a five-year stretch of earning the state's highest rating in this component.
Several grade levels and subject areas posted strong results. Seventh-grade English language arts proficiency reached 94%, an increase of six percentage points. District Algebra proficiency was 88%, eighth-grade math reached 94%, biology was 89%, and American Government reached 89% and American History reached 92%.
The district also earned 82.5% and five stars in Gap Closing, up from 79.5% in 2025. The component measures how well districts meet performance expectations in areas including gifted education, chronic absenteeism, math and English language arts achievement and growth, and graduation. Independence earned all five stars including the gifted indicator this year after for the first time.
Graduation Rate remained another area of strength, with the district earning 98.6% and five stars. The district's four-year graduation rate was 100%. Data used was from the 2024-25 school year.
The district earned three stars in Progress, which measures student growth from one year to the next based on students’ previous performance. The rating indicates that Independence students met expected growth during the 2025-26 school year. Moving forward, the district is focused on helping students move from meeting expected growth to exceeding those expectations more consistently across grade levels and student groups.
The report card also identifies areas for the district to target during the 2026-27 school year. Early Literacy received three stars with a score of 70.8%. District leaders have identified early literacy and third-grade reading as priorities, with plans to strengthen support for students who are not on track, monitor the effectiveness of interventions, and continue explicit, evidence-based literacy instruction.
Mathematics will also receive additional attention. Sixth-grade math proficiency declined from 85% to 64%, while Geometry decreased from 80% to 69%. In science, fifth-grade proficiency moved from 85% to 75%. In response, the district is strengthening its intervention systems, expanding evidence-based supports, and increasing the use of student-level data to guide instruction. A new Amplify math curriculum is being implemented in grades 6 through Algebra I, with Geometry planned for the following year. The district will also continue its work on vertical alignment and mathematical practices across grade levels.
Independence earned four stars in College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness, with a score of 75.9%. Among students included in the measure, 47% met the indicator through an Honors Diploma and 41% through an ACT or SAT remediation-free score. The district plans to increase the percentage of students earning at least one qualifying readiness measure while expanding career pathways. Next year’s report card will most likely show the district at 86.3% and receiving five stars.
The district's focus for 2026-27 is to build upon its areas of strength while using report card data to guide targeted improvements in literacy, mathematics, science, and college and career readiness.
Our focus for the 2026–2027 school year is to build upon our areas of strength while intentionally addressing opportunities for growth. Independence continues to demonstrate strong academic achievement, earning Five Stars in Achievement, reflecting the high levels at which our students perform.
We are also proud to have met the Gifted Performance Indicator for the first time, reflecting our intentional work around gifted identification, student progress, service delivery, and professional learning for staff.
Moving forward, our greatest area of focus will be student growth, particularly through earlier and more targeted intervention in literacy and mathematics. By strengthening our use of data, identifying student needs sooner, and providing timely, evidence-based supports, we will work to ensure that every student, not only achieves at a high level, but demonstrates meaningful academic growth each year.
Our goal is clear: maintain excellence in achievement, build upon our progress with gifted learners, and strengthen the systems that accelerate growth for every student.