CPS scores 3 stars for 1st time, but still room to improve

State of play: For comparison, CPS still trails behind many neighboring districts. For instance, Mason earned five stars, Lakota Local and Springboro earned 4.5, Princeton earned four and Norwood earned 3.5.

• But CPS outperformed Ohio's other large urban districts. Cleveland and Columbus received 2.5 stars, while Dayton received two.

By the numbers: CPS fared strongest in the Progress component, with students in grades 5 and up improving in nearly all subjects.

• The district earned solid marks for closing educational gaps and preparing students for life after graduation.
• But K-3 literacy still lags behind, as does the graduation rate of 83.9%.

Zoom in: The district improved in over a dozen tested areas, including six high school end-of-course exams.

• "(To) be able to make such jumps is not a small thing, and it's not something that goes without very specific and targeted interventions, enrichment, and strategies," superintendent Shauna Murphy said during a Tuesday press conference after the report card was released.
• "And together, we were able to do those things."

Between the lines: Murphy says there are problems with the report card system, but it remains a very public metric.

• "Because the report card is important to a lot of people, it's important to me," Murphy said. "It is our accountability measure. … This is what we're measured on, and so this is what we're going to deliver on."

What's next: CPS now turns its attention to the November ballot initiative.

• "I would hope they would see that … we are on the move, we are seeing 'stars' in a positive way," she says. "[I hope] they would stop and think and say the children are the best investment we can make with our dollars."