Cleveland Metropolitan School District's rating from state to drop to academic emergency

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will likely fall into academic emergency when the report cards are officially released by the state.

Preliminary data released Wednesday reports the district did not meet the state's value-added measure. That shows whether students met the expected one year of growth in reading and math. 

"The district will likely drop from academic watch to academic emergency when the report cards are published," said Eric Gordon, the district's chief executive officer.

It will be the first time since the 2004-2005 school year that Cleveland schools have dropped to that rank, which is basically equivalent to an F.

"We have a lot of work to do," Gordon said. "We knew that before this data came out. If anything, it's a stark reminder of why the Cleveland Plan is so important and why we actually have to restore all of the cuts we've made over the last two years."

The Cleveland Plan is a plan to transform education. It includes, among other things, replacing failing schools with new, high-quality schools, lengthening the school day, updating textbooks and technology, and attracting and developing excellent teachers. Voters are being asked to approve a 15 mill levy in November to fund the plan.

"It's just another reminder of why we have to pass Issue 107," Gordon said, "put the resources into our schools and implement the Cleveland Plan that we promised for this community."

You can see preliminary report card data for all Ohio school districts by clicking here: http://5.wews.com/hS5