Five Ithaca City School District (ICSD) schools rank within the top 25 percent of schools statewide for overall academic achievement, and two schools have exited state support status, according to newly released 2025-26 accountability designations from the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
The five ICSD schools ranking in the top quarter statewide for overall student performance are:
Caroline Elementary School
Cayuga Heights Elementary School
Northeast Elementary School
DeWitt Middle School
Ithaca High School
In addition, Ithaca High School ranks in the top 25 percent of schools statewide for College, Career, and Civic Readiness, reflecting strong graduation outcomes and preparation for postsecondary pathways. This designation comes after Ithaca High School was recently named to the 2025 Advanced Placement (AP) School Honor Roll, earning Gold-level recognition from the College Board. The award reflects the school’s commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
Under NYSED’s accountability system, schools are evaluated both on overall student performance and on the performance of specific student groups. The statewide rankings above reflect results for all students combined.
Schools Exiting Support Status
Two ICSD schools have successfully exited their prior support models:
Enfield Elementary School
DeWitt Middle School
Both schools have returned to Local Support and Improvement (LSI) status after meeting state exit criteria.
Continued Progress at Identified Schools
Three schools will continue to receive targeted support under the state’s accountability system:
Beverly J. Martin Elementary School
Cayuga Heights Elementary School
Boynton Middle School
All three schools demonstrated year-over-year improvement across key performance indicators. Additionally, Beverly J. Martin’s Black Students group exited support status this year.
Due to updates in federal identification requirements under NYSED’s revised accountability framework, the three schools will shift from Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) to Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). This shift does not add new requirements and may increase the district’s access to School Improvement Grant funding to support continued improvement efforts.
Updates to NYSED’s Accountability System
The 2025-26 designations are the first under the “Reimagine Phase” of NYSED’s accountability system.
Changes to the accountability indicators include:
Replacing Chronic Absenteeism with a revised Attendance indicator
Reintroducing Student Growth as a core measure at the elementary/middle school level
Renewed emphasis on College, Career, and Civic Readiness at the high school level
In addition, NYSED lowered the minimum group size from 30 to 20 students, allowing more student groups to be included in accountability determinations. The updated framework also adjusts identification timelines, requiring three consecutive years of meeting criteria for new Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) designations, previously two, and allowing schools to exit TSI, ATSI, or Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) status as early as the second year following identification if they meet state exit criteria.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
“Schools in Ithaca continue to be exceptional environments for teaching and learning,” Superintendent Luvelle Brown said. “Our sustained commitment to continuous improvement is reflected in recent student achievement outcomes on state assessments. These results are a testament to the collective efforts of our students, families, and educators.”
The ICSD will continue implementing evidence-based strategies and developing School Comprehensive Education Plans for the identified schools to ensure sustained progress across all student groups. This work will be funded by School Improvement Grants from the state. If funding is maintained at current levels, the district will be eligible to receive up to $500,000 to support improvement efforts during the 2026-27 school year.
To learn more about the New York State accountability system, visit www.nysed.gov/accountability/essa-accountability-system. An overview of the ICSD’s accountability status for 2025-26 can be found on our district website, at www.ithacacityschools.org/accountability-status.