Districtwide Teaching & Learning Initiatives
District officials rolled out “Portrait of a Graduate,” which provides a consistent framework to ensure that all students have educational experiences from elementary through high school to effectively learn and contribute beyond graduation.
Today’s students not only need to engage in learning experiences aligned with state standards, but they also need experiences that promote a variety of skills and competencies. The district’s Portrait of a Graduate is a living document that was developed with extensive input from students, staff, and the community. It will be used to develop programming that reflects our community’s collective vision and ongoing effort to be the benchmark of educational excellence.
The district now makes its entire curriculum available online, which enhances transparency and strengthens our longstanding practice of giving families and community members the opportunity to review curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials during the adoption cycle.
Learning During a Pandemic
As part of its COVID response, district officials crafted a learning strategy that combined virtual instruction with in-person instruction that met coronavirus health and safety measures. The district also operated its Westerville Virtual Academy (WVA) during the peak of COVID. This instructional model gave interested families the option of a fully remote education for their students while others participated in the district’s blended learning model. The WVA and blended learning options stopped when the district fully returned to in-person instruction at the start of the 2021-22 school year.
Academically, the Westerville City School District has bounced back quite well as we began a return to normalcy following the peak of COVID-19. U.S. News & World Report ranked all three high schools as among the best in Ohio and the nation for 2023-24. Additionally, the district met or exceeded every component measured on the latest State Report Card.
The State of Ohio continues to modify its School and District Report Cards. In the latest version of the State Report Card, the Ohio Department of Education changed the components that are measured, how they are measured, and how they are reported. The state now uses a “5 Star Rating System” to report performance on identified standards. This year’s report card measured performance on five standards; additional standards will be added in the future. A rating of 3 stars means the state standard is being met, anything above three stars exceeds the standard, and anything below three stars is falling short of the standard. Although COVID-19 created havoc nationwide for schools and school districts, the Westerville City School District met or exceeded every component rated on the most recent state report card:
5 stars for Gap Closing, which means the district’s achievement in closing educational gaps for student subgroups significantly exceeded the state standard.
4 stars for Achievement, which means students are testing at higher levels and their performance on state tests exceeded the state standard.
4 stars for Progress, which means the academic growth students achieved as compared to past performance exceeded the state standard.
3 stars for Graduation Rate, which means the 91.3% of students graduating after four years and the 93.9% of students graduating after five years meets the state standard.
3 stars for Early Literacy, which means students in Kindergarten through Third Grade are meeting the proficiency measures established for reading.
Supporting ALL Students
Educational Equity
School officials developed an Equity Framework to remove barriers that prevent underrepresented students from accessing educational opportunities. This is a continuation of work that began in the 2014-15 school year to provide meaningful educational opportunities and experiences for all students.
English Learners
The district’s English Learners Department added a new technology called TalkingPoints, which allows schools to strengthen parental involvement by communicating with families in their home languages. This is a valuable tool to have in our diverse community as there are more than 1,500 English Learners enrolled in our schools who speak 65 native languages and represent 64 countries.