CLEVELAND — On his 108th day as the new CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Dr. Warren Morgan outlined the district’s new core values, strategic priorities, and five-year goals under his leadership.
“They're ambitious,” Morgan shares. “That means it's going to be challenging.”
One of the goals is to improve the district’s 4-year graduation rate from 74.4% to 90%. It’s the same goal for the district’s five-year graduation rate, which currently sits at 81.1%.
“One of the strategies we'll be looking at is [are] freshmen and sophomores on track,” Morgan explains. “Looking at our grading practices to make sure that it's equitable, also making sure teachers have support to provide students with opportunities to close the gap.”
The district has also set a goal of having 65% of their K-8th grade students and 55% of their high school students achieve proficiency in ELA (English Language Arts) and Math.
CMSD received a rating of one out of five stars in the areas of Graduation and Early Literacy and two out of five stars in Achievement on the latest Ohio School Report Cards report, all below the state standard.
“Since arriving in Cleveland I have prioritized listening and learning in my first 100 plus days,” Morgan tells a full audience at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland.
Morgan says he conducted more than 30 listening sessions and two major townhalls to hear from community members who were able to share “their grievances, criticisms, and thoughtful suggestions for how the district could build on current successes.”
“I am so glad to see him on I guess a little parade around Cleveland listening to everybody and what they have to say,” says Kyle Williams, a 15-year-old CMSD sophomore.
Improving state ratings and graduation rates for the district’s more than 36,000 students are not the only challenges CMSD faces.
“We have some tough choices ahead of us as we look at our budget,” Morgan says to the audience.
Like other districts, Morgan and his team are preparing for the loss of COVID relief funding at the end of this academic year.
“All together we have $465 million in federal recovery relief funds,” Morgan points out. “That has been able to pay for many different resources, and that $465 million is what's going away.”
Morgan says the relief funds were used to provide technology for remote and hybrid learning and wraparound support services for students and families.
“Though there are difficult decisions ahead of us, I’m committed to protecting schools and classrooms where possible because the instructional core is our district’s most important function.”
Below are CMSD’s new Core Values, Strategic Priorities and Five-Year Goals:
CORE VALUES
- Equity & Inclusion
- Student & Community Focused
- Growth & Learning
- Care & Well-Being
- Excellence & Achievement
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
- Safe and Supportive Culture
- A Strong & Engaging Instructional Core
- Educator Learning
- Coherent Central System
- Engaged Community
CORE MEASURES: 5-YEAR GOALS
College and Career Measures
- 90% of scholars enrolled in college, employed or enlisted
- 4-year and 5-year graduation rates at 90%
Achievement Measures
- (K-8) 65% of scholars achieving proficiency in ELA and Math
- (High School) 55% of scholars achieving proficiency in ELA and Math
Culture and Climate Measures
- % of scholars reporting social emotional wellness
- # of series safety incidents reported in schools
Equity Measures
- % of schools exceeding state growth expectation in Math and ELA
- Achieving targets designed to eliminate gaps
- Proportionality of discipling rates by race and other subgroups
- % of ELL (English-Language Learner) scholars achieving proficiency goals