GOAL Digital Academy Exceeds Standards on 2025-2026 Ohio School Report Card

District improves overall rating as Progress and Gap Closing advance to Exceeds Standards and four-year graduation rate climbs 10.1 percentage points

GOAL Digital Academy has earned an overall Exceeds Standards rating on the 2025-2026 Ohio School Report Card, marking an improvement from the district’s Meets

Standards rating one year ago. Released by the Ohio Department of Education and

Workforce, the annual report card for dropout prevention and recovery schools

evaluates performance across four major components.

GOAL exceeded standards in Progress, Gap Closing and Graduation Rate, while

meeting standards in Achievement. The results represent year-over-year improvement

in two key areas. Both Progress and Gap Closing advanced from Meets Standards in

2024-2025 to Exceeds Standards in 2025-2026, while GOAL maintained its Exceeds

Standards rating in Graduation Rate.

"The latest report card for GOAL is proof of what happens when a community comes together with purpose,” Superintendent Tish Jenkins said. Our vision has always been to ensure every single student is truly known, deeply valued, and given the tools to succeed. This achievement belongs to our extraordinary staff, students, and families who work hand-in-hand every day to unlock our students' potential, exceed expectations, and light the path toward graduation and beyond."

Student Growth and Gap Closing Move to Exceeds Standards

GOAL's Progress rating measures the academic growth students made during the

school year. After meeting the state's standard in 2024-2025, GOAL advanced to

Exceeds Standards in 2025-2026. The district saw the same year-over-year

improvement in Gap Closing, which examines how well schools are meeting or

improving performance expectations for students in English language arts,

mathematics, graduation and English language proficiency.GOAL continued to Meet Standards in Achievement, which measures the number of students meeting applicable criteria on assessments required for graduation. Together, the results helped move GOAL's overall report card rating from Meets Standards to Exceeds Standards in one year.

Graduation Rates Continue to Climb

GOAL also maintained its Exceeds Standards rating in Graduation Rate while posting

substantial improvement in the underlying data. The district's four-year graduation rate

increased from 54.7% to 64.8%, a gain of 10.1 percentage points in one year. GOAL's

weighted graduation rate across all measured cohorts also increased by 4.7 percentage

points, from 53.1% to 57.8%. For GOAL, a dropout prevention and recovery school, those numbers reflect students whose paths to graduation do not always follow a traditional timeline. The district's blended learning model is designed to provide flexibility while surrounding students with the academic and personal support they need to continue making progress toward a diploma.

Performance Among Ohio's Largest Dropout Prevention and Recovery Schools

GOAL's results also provide additional context when compared with other large dropout

prevention and recovery schools across Ohio. Among the 10 largest DOPR schools in

the state based on 2025-2026 data, GOAL was one of only three to earn an overall

Exceeds Standards designation. GOAL posted a 59.1% passage rate on state assessments, the second-highest among Ohio's 10 largest DOPR schools. Its 64.8%

four-year graduation rate was the third-highest among the same group. Statewide, 90 schools received a DOPR report card for 2025-2026. Of those, 42 earned an overall Exceeds Standards designation and 46 Met Standards. The remaining two schools were designated Does Not Meet Standards or were not rated.

Building the Systems Behind Student Success

The improved results come after a year of continued investment in instruction and

student support across GOAL. During 2025-2026, the district strengthened literacy

instruction and intervention, expanded opportunities for individualized academic support and continued refining the online learning experience. GOAL also launched Night Scholars, extending access to teachers and intervention specialists into the evening for students needing additional assistance.

Teachers, intervention specialists, counselors, educational advocates, mentors and

other student support staff worked across departments to identify barriers, reconnect

students with their education and provide individualized pathways toward success.

“These results give us a reason to celebrate, but they also give us direction,” Director of Curriculum Rob Terrill said. “We will continue studying where our students are making progress, where opportunities for growth remain and how we can build on this momentum throughout the 2026-2027 school year.”

GOAL Digital Academy serves students in grades 2-12 through a blended learning model combining online instruction with individualized support and opportunities for in-person assistance at learning labs throughout central and north-central Ohio.