COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — Ohio students posted five-year highs in English language arts and math proficiency, while chronic absenteeism continued to decline, according to the 2026 Ohio School Report Cards.
Statewide English language arts proficiency reached 62.2% during the 2025-26 school year, the highest level in five years. Math proficiency also reached a five-year high at 56.4%.
The results were announced by Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin.
A deeper look at the performance of area schools will be posted in the coming days.
The 2025-26 school year marked the first full year of implementation of instruction based on the Science of Reading in Ohio schools. The state began requiring the approach as part of the ReadOhio initiative, launched by DeWine in 2023.
English language arts proficiency increased across every student demographic group, including economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities, according to the report card results.
“We know the Science of Reading is the best method we have for teaching children of all abilities how to read,” DeWine said. “A change of this scale takes time and persistence from teachers and students, but when you look at this year’s state report cards and see what has been done in a relatively short amount of time, it is a tremendous accomplishment.”
The state’s Performance Index also showed gains in both subjects. English language arts increased 2.21 points since 2022 to 84.07, while math increased 5.7 points over the same period to 78.7.
Postsecondary Readiness
The report cards also showed continued improvement in college, career, workforce and military readiness among Ohio’s Class of 2025.
More than two-thirds of graduates earned at least one of Ohio’s 11 postsecondary readiness measures, marking the third consecutive year of statewide improvement.
The percentage of graduates demonstrating proficiency on three or more career-technical assessments increased from 22.3% in 2023 to 25.4% in 2025.
The percentage of students earning the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal along with 250 hours of work-based learning more than doubled, reaching 8.4% in 2025.
Chronic Absenteeism Declines
Ohio’s chronic absenteeism rate declined for the fourth consecutive year.
The rate fell from 25.1% to 23.9% over the past year. Since the 2021-22 school year, chronic absenteeism has declined by 6.3 percentage points, according to the state.
Officials estimate the latest decline represents an additional 3.7 million hours of learning for Ohio students.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce launched a statewide attendance dashboard this summer to provide schools and communities with data to identify attendance problems and intervene earlier.
Early Literacy
The state also reported gains in literacy readiness among children entering kindergarten.
The number of children demonstrating literacy readiness increased by 16,900 last year, representing a 17.2 percentage-point increase from the previous year.
The state has also continued expanding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which provides participating children from birth through age 5 with a free book each month. According to the state, more than 430,000 Ohio children currently receive books through the program, with more than 28 million books mailed since its statewide launch.
“Raising literacy achievement is foundational to everything we want for Ohio students,” Dackin said. “The ability to read proficiently opens doors to success in mathematics, postsecondary education, careers, and life beyond the classroom.”
The 2026 Ohio School Report Card data for individual districts and schools is available through the state’s online report card system.
