Cleveland Education Data Dashboard at a Glance

Our dashboard uses state-published data to provide a consistent picture of school performance across Cleveland's public schools. You can use the dashboard to understand trends, compare results across the city, and understand which neighborhoods have schools that are best preparing students for their futures.

DATA NOTE: Data includes both district and charter schools.

3rd Grade Reading
8th Grade Math
College Career Workforce and Military Readiness
Graduation Rate (5-Year)
Chronic Absenteeism

36%

of Cleveland’s 3rd graders were proficient readers according to the ELA assessment in the 2024–25 school year.

Reading proficiency by 3rd grade is one of the strongest early indicators of long-term success.

How Cleveland Compares:
Students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade struggle as their classes transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Cleveland's citywide rate of 36% reading proficiency in 3rd grade trails both the state average (62%) and comparable districts (43%). Results vary meaningfully across neighborhoods and school types, as can be seen in the 3rd Grade ELA dashboard.
Why This Matters:
Third grade is when students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Children who read proficiently by the end of third grade are more likely to attend college (Lesnick et al., 2010), while those who don't are significantly less likely to graduate from high school (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2013). As a result, 3rd grade reading ability is strongly associated with long-term income potential and economic mobility (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2013).

Each bar represents the percentage of 3rd grade students scoring proficient or above on the Ohio ELA Reading assessment.

Notes about this data:

Data Source: This city-level data has been aggregated using school-level data from Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data portal. All data is from the 24/25 school year.
‍
Data Notes: Includes all public schools in Cleveland with valid 3rd grade ELA reading data. "NC" (not calculated) and "NA" results are excluded from averages.

School-level outcomes are weighted by enrollment.

The “Comparable Districts” average is based on a group of school districts determined as “similar” by the Ohio Dep. of Education & Workforce (DEW). DEW uses a formula that identifies similar districts based on student enrollment, urbanicity, land area, and other demographic factors.

The Comparable Districts average does not include charter or private school outcomes and is not weighted by enrollment.

26%

of Cleveland’s 8th graders scored proficient or above in math during the 2024–25 school year.

8th grade math proficiency reflects whether students are on track for algebra, advanced math classes in high school, and STEM careers.

How Cleveland Compares:
Proficiency in 8th grade math is a key on-ramp to higher-level coursework and post-secondary opportunity. Cleveland's citywide rate of 26% is below the state average (47%), but slightly passes comparable districts (25%). Performance varies across neighborhoods, see the 8th grade dashboard below for more details.
Why This Matters:
Algebra I is a “gatekeeper to more advanced academic courses and enhanced opportunities after high school” (Spielhagen, 2006). As a result, 8th grade math proficiency is a strong signal of whether students are leaving middle school ready for what comes next.

Includes all public schools with valid 8th grade math proficiency data for the 2024–25 school year.

Notes about this data:

Data Source: This city-level data has been aggregated using school-level data from Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data portal.

All data is from the 24/25 school year

Data Notes: Includes all public schools in Cleveland with valid 8th grade math data. "NC" (not calculated) and "NA" results are excluded from averages.

School-level outcomes are weighted by enrollment.

The “Comparable Districts” average is based on a group of school districts determined as “similar” by the Ohio Dep. of Education & Workforce (DEW). DEW uses a formula that identifies similar districts based on student enrollment, urbanicity, land area, and other demographic factors.

The Comparable Districts average does not include charter or private school outcomes and is not weighted by enrollment.

35%

of graduates from the 24/25 school year finished high school meeting the College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness standard.

CCWMR measures the percentage of students who finish high school prepared for college, a career, workforce training, or military service.

How Cleveland Compares:
While specific high-performing schools in Cleveland are demonstrating what is possible, Cleveland's citywide rate of 35% readiness is well below the state average (61%) and comparable districts (59%).
Why This Matters:
The milestones tracked by this measure are linked to important long-term outcomes. For example SAT and ACT scores predict college readiness and success (Opportunity Insights, 2024) and Career Technical Education (CTE) completion is associated with higher graduation rates, employment, and wages (Dougherty, 2016).

Each bar represents the percentage of students in the most recent 4-year graduation cohort demonstrating post-secondary readiness.

Notes about this data:

Data Source: This city-level data has been aggregated using school-level data from Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data portal.

All data is from the 24/25 school year

CCWMR rate based on the most recent available cohort data. Applies to high school programs only. The CCWMR rate is not calculated for Dropout Recovery Schools.

‍Data Notes: "Includes all public schools in Cleveland with valid CCWMR data. "NC" (not calculated) and "NA" results are excluded from averages.

School-level outcomes are weighted by enrollment.

The “Comparable Districts” average is based on a group of school districts determined as “similar” by the Ohio Dep. of Education & Workforce (DEW). DEW uses a formula that identifies similar districts based on student enrollment, urbanicity, land area, and other demographic factors.

The Comparable Districts average does not include charter or private school outcomes and is not weighted by enrollment.

82%

of the 9th grade students who started high school in Fall 2022 graduated within five years.

Graduating High School is not only a gateway to college, but to a longer, healthier, & more financially secure future

How Cleveland Compares:
Cleveland's 5-year graduation rate of 82% is both below the state average of 90% and below the comparable district average 85%. That said, graduation rates vary significantly across schools and neighborhoods in Cleveland. For more info, see the 5-Year Graduation dashboard.
Why This Matters:
A high school diploma still meaningfully shapes a young person's future, with higher earnings, better health, and stronger employment rates following graduation. Students who don't graduate face lower wages, less stable work, and reduced access to health coverage (Urban Institute, 2021).

Each bar represents the 5-year graduation rate for the most recently available student cohort.

Notes about this data:

Data Source: This city-level data has been aggregated using school-level data from Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data portal.

All data is from the 24/25 school year.

The 5-Year Graduation rate is based on the most recent available cohort data. Applies to high school programs only.

Data Notes: School-level outcomes are weighted by enrollment.

The “Comparable Districts” average is based on a group of school districts determined as “similar” by the Ohio Dep. of Education & Workforce (DEW). DEW uses a formula that identifies similar districts based on student enrollment, urbanicity, land area, and other demographic factors.

The Comparable Districts average does not include charter or private school outcomes and is not weighted by enrollment.

57%

of Cleveland students were chronically absent, missing 10% or more of school days during the 2024–25 school year.

Chronic absenteeism is one of the strongest early warning signals that a student is at risk of falling behind or dropping out.

How Cleveland Compares:
A student is chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of the school year. Cleveland's citywide chronic absenteeism rate of 57% is high compared to the state average (25%) and the comparable district average (42%). For a more detailed view of how Chronic Absenteeism impacts your neighborhood or ward,  see the Chronic Absenteeism dashboard below.
Why This Matters:
Research indicates that there is a strong and meaningful relationship between student absences and achievement (Goodman, 2014). Long-term, chronic absenteeism increases the probability of high school dropout and decreases the probability of both starting and completing college (Smerillo, 2018).

Lower chronic absenteeism rates indicate better attendance outcomes. The lower the chronic absenteeism rate, the better.

Notes about this data:

Data Source:  This city-level data has been aggregated using school-level data from Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data portal.

All data is from the 24/25 school year

Data Notes: Includes all public schools in Cleveland.

School-level outcomes are weighted by enrollment.

The “Comparable Districts” average is based on a group of school districts determined as “similar” by the Ohio Dep. of Education & Workforce (DEW). DEW uses a formula that identifies similar districts based on student enrollment, urbanicity, land area, and other demographic factors.

The Comparable Districts average does not include charter or private school outcomes and is not weighted by enrollment.
Read the Dashboard FAQs

Explore Our Community’s Data

2025 Cleveland Education Data

This data is focused on the outcomes that matter most to the long-term success of Cleveland’s children. Use the dashboard to better understand what the results look like by neighborhood and ward. 

NeighborhoodWard
Neighborhood
Ward

Neighborhood

The Neighborhood Dashboard uses school report card data from the 24/25 school year to show performance outcomes within each of Cleveland’s neighborhoods. While report card data cannot show the full picture of what students are learning, FRC believes it is important for community members to understand how children are performing on key learning indicators within their neighborhood.

Map Instructions: Use the stack icon to toggle between report card categories and the details icon to click into any neighborhood for ward-specific data and benchmarks.
Legend:
Below Expectation
Meets Expectation
above Expectation

The Expectations for Neighborhood and Ward outcomes are connected to the performance metrics set via the State Report Card within Ohio’s traditional report card system. 3rd grade reading proficiency and 8th grade math are not directly measured within the report card and thus estimated performance bars have been set using the performance expectations for the Early Literacy and Proficiency Components within the state report card respectively. More information on Ohio’s school report card metrics can be found here.

Comparable Districts: Akron City, Toledo City, Columbus City Schools District, Dayton City, Cincinnati Public Schools, Hamilton City, Canton City, Springfield City School District, South-Western City, Lorain City, Middletown City, Reynoldsburg City, Euclid City, Groveport Madison Local, Elyria City Schools.

Ward

The Ward Dashboard uses school report card data from the 24/25 school year to show performance outcomes within each of the city’s wards. While report card data cannot show the full picture of what students are learning, FRC believes it is important for stakeholders to have a clear understanding of how children are performing on key learning indicators within each ward.

Map Instructions: Use the stack icon to toggle between report card categories and the details icon to click into any neighborhood for ward-specific data and benchmarks.
Legend:
Below Expectation
Meets Expectation
above Expectation

The Expectations for Neighborhood and Ward outcomes are connected to the performance metrics set via the State Report Card within Ohio’s traditional report card system. 3rd grade reading proficiency and 8th grade math are not directly measured within the report card and thus estimated performance bars have been set using the performance expectations for the Early Literacy and Proficiency Components within the state report card respectively. More information on Ohio’s school report card metrics can be found here.

Comparable Districts: Akron City, Toledo City, Columbus City Schools District, Dayton City, Cincinnati Public Schools, Hamilton City, Canton City, Springfield City School District, South-Western City, Lorain City, Middletown City, Reynoldsburg City, Euclid City, Groveport Madison Local, Elyria City Schools.

Contact Us

Frequently asked questions About The Dashboard

This dashboard is meant to make public school data easier to find and understand. If you have a question that we haven't answered yet within the information above or our FAQ section, please share it with us here.

What is this dashboard for?
This dashboard brings together Cleveland’s public school data in one place so community members can quickly understand key measures, trends, and comparisons across the city. It is designed to make information easier to access without requiring users to search across multiple sources.
Where does the data come from?
The dashboard uses publicly available data published by Ohio’s Department of Education and Workforce. While Future Ready Cleveland has aggregated the data so that the dashboard includes all public schools (district and charter) in the city and calculated averages based on Cleveland’s neighborhoods and ward boundaries, all of the data can be found via Ohio’s School Report Card Download Data page.
How do I use this information?
Community Members come to the dashboard with different questions. Some may want a quick snapshot of the city’s performance, while others may want to explore a specific metric or compare results in the neighborhood they live in. For city-wide trends, check out the City-Wide Comparison Dashboard. For data about a specific neighborhood or ward, go to the Community Data Dashboard.
Does the dashboard show the full picture of learning outcomes in Cleveland?
No single dataset can capture everything about an education system or learning experience. Instead, this dashboard is meant to support a better understanding of a set of key school-level outcomes across the city, not replace local context, direct experience, or deeper research.
How often is the dashboard updated?
The Dashboard will be updated each Fall, after the state releases school report card data. FRC’s goal is to have the dashboard updated by the end of October each year.  

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