In Akron, Ohio (WKYC), none of the students originally admitted to the I Promise School have achieved a passing score on Ohio’s math proficiency test since they were in the third grade during the 2018-19 academic year. As they prepare to enter eighth-grade classes on Monday, this remains a concern.
This matches official data from Ohio’s latest school report cards from 2021-22, showing that inaugural class (in sixth grade at the time) indeed scored a 0% in math proficiency.
The 2022-23 report cards will be released in the coming months, although Akron Public Schools administrators have already confirmed the class was at 0% in seventh grade, too.
The low test scores were a major topic at last Monday’s Akron school board meeting, with some district leaders expressing disappointment given the amount of resources put into the I Promise School.
While the facility is a public school and under the control of APS, it is operated with the support of the LeBron James Family Foundation to assist at-risk youths who are considered two or more years behind grade levels, providing resources, incentives, academic, and emotional support to students and their families while they attend.
In its most recent report cards, the state gave I Promise just one star out of a possible five, indicating the school “needs significant support to meet state standards in academic achievement.” 3News dug into the numbers and discovered the school’s overall test scores are among the worst in Ohio:
Third grade
6.6% proficiency in English language arts
11.5% in math
Fourth grade
5.9% in English language arts
9.9% in math
Fifth grade
7.1% in English language arts
1.0% in math
4.0% in science
Sixth grade
3.1% in English language arts
0.0% in math
Seventh grade
8.2% in English language arts
1.0% in math
Acknowledgment: WKYC Studios has a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation and that leverage their resources to provide opportunities for I Promise School students. For instance they have worked closely with the rising eighth graders who participate in the school’s news team to produce the 3 Questions segments.
