The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Social studies. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ethel M. Taylor Academy
Ethel M. Taylor Academy is a small public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Cincinnati, located in the 45225 zip code area. The school enrolls a small student body drawn almost entirely from the immediate neighborhood: the vast majority of students are Black, with smaller numbers of students identifying as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, white, and Hispanic.
State assessment data reveal that Taylor Academy students are significantly struggling with core academic content. In 2024-25, proficiency rates on Ohio's State Tests across grades three through eight sit well below the state standard. In English language arts, about one in six students scored at proficiency or above. In mathematics, performance was similar, with roughly one in eight students reaching proficiency. Science proficiency is particularly low, with only a handful of students scoring proficient out of those tested. When set against other districts in Hamilton County, Taylor Academy's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile of schools. The school did report participation rates near or above ninety percent, so the low proficiency numbers reflect performance, not testing gaps.
The data available do not include a breakdown of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, special education enrollment, English learner numbers, or chronic absenteeism rates, so a full economic and support-service picture is not available from what was reported. A parent may want to look into these details directly with the school to understand what share of students receive services and what barriers the school is addressing.
The wider Cincinnati context includes a district that has faced significant budget constraints. In 2025-26, Cincinnati Public Schools approved budget reductions that eliminated classroom positions and reshaped staffing and support services district-wide. On a positive note, the district has moved to the Science of Reading framework and adopted new ELA curricula emphasizing structured literacy, changes that began showing early gains in third-grade reading proficiency. The district also secured voter renewal of its operating levy in November 2025, stabilizing funding through the next decade.
Housing in the 45225 area is modestly valued relative to other parts of Hamilton County, and rental housing is available. The Cincinnati neighborhood character is strong, with the school situated within a city of distinct neighborhoods, good transit access via Metro buses and the free Connector streetcar, and anchors like parks, libraries, and cultural institutions citywide.
For families considering Taylor Academy, the critical question is academic support: with proficiency rates far below both state and county medians, students will need to understand what intervention, small-group instruction, and teaching adjustments the school is making to help students reach grade-level benchmarks. The school's small size and neighborhood location offer community stability, but the performance data indicate substantial academic needs that warrant detailed conversation with the school about its literacy and math instruction plans, staffing, and progress-monitoring systems.
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