Westerville school officials say the state’s two-star college and career readiness rating overlooks some students’ accomplishments. They also acknowledge the district needs to help some students more as they prepare for life after high school.
The district earned 3.5 stars overall on Ohio’s 2025-26 report card, meeting state expectations. But its two-star rating for college, career, workforce and military readiness prompted an extended discussion at the school board’s Oct. 12 meeting about the state’s requirements and the district’s response.
Matt Misener, director of career and college pathways, said 409 graduates did not meet any of the state’s readiness requirements. But 197 of those students had completed at least one Advanced Placement course, and 165 had grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher.
Passing an advanced course does not necessarily meet the state’s requirements. Students can qualify, for example, by earning the required scores on three AP exams.
“We’ve got a significant portion, I think, of our population that just doesn’t draw attention,” Misener said. He described students who attend regularly, complete assignments, and earn acceptable grades, yet may receive less attention than students who are struggling or taking the most demanding classes.
Misener also acknowledged that the district had placed some middle school students in classes below their abilities. As a result, students who weren’t encouraged to try honors classes may be reluctant to attempt advanced work in high school, limiting their later options.
The district is expanding academic planning in middle school and encouraging eighth graders to develop four-year graduation plans. It also wants teachers more involved in helping students choose courses, rather than leaving that work primarily to counselors, whose caseloads range from about 250 to 450 students.
Administrators said the state’s rules can fail to recognize students who complete a mix of advanced courses without meeting all the requirements in any one category. However, Misener said a state law that took effect Oct. 9 allows some AP, International Baccalaureate, and College Credit Plus accomplishments to be combined. Still, the district was awaiting guidance on whether the change could apply to the graduates counted in this report.
Exam costs also can be a barrier. Some students complete AP courses but skip the exams, which carry fees. Board members discussed reduced fees and financial assistance for students from lower-income families.
Documenting job skills presents another problem. Of the 409 graduates, 61 earned the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal, which recognizes workplace skills, but they had not completed the additional 250 hours of documented work-based learning required to meet the state’s requirement.
The district is developing a program that would let students earn high school credit while working with employers to build and document job skills. It also plans to expand pre-apprenticeship opportunities.
Administrators pointed to college results from earlier graduating classes as evidence that the readiness rating does not tell the whole story. Among Westerville’s 2023 graduates, 67% enrolled in college within two years, compared with 49.5% statewide. Among its 2019 graduates, 42% earned a college degree within six years, compared with 30.3% statewide.
Those results are reported separately and do not affect the star ratings. Still, Misener said, “Our post-graduation success does not show up in any star. This is a report-only measure.”
The report card identified other concerns. Westerville’s progress rating fell from four stars to three, and early literacy received two stars. Administrators said they would present a more detailed literacy report in November.
Administrators said they do not intend to steer students into classes to improve the district’s rating. Instead, they want students to recognize their options earlier and receive more encouragement to pursue them.
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