How Dayton Public Schools Boosted Algebra I Growth and Rebuilt Instructional Consistency

The Challenge: Teacher Shortages and Disrupted Instruction in High School Classrooms

Across Ohio, student proficiency in core subjects like math has become a growing concern. School systems throughout the state are grappling with persistent teacher shortages, widening achievement gaps, and declining performance on state assessments, particularly in urban districts where finding and retaining certified educators has become increasingly difficult. 

At Dayton Public Schools, these challenges reached a critical point. The district was losing more than 250 teachers each year, leaving 1 in 8 classrooms staffed by long-term substitutes or uncertified teachers. High school math, especially gateway courses like Algebra I, was among the hardest hit, with inconsistent instruction threatening both academic progress and graduation readiness. 

“We were losing over 250 teachers a year—just not sustainable. We had to stop the bleeding,” says Dr. David Lawrence, superintendent of Dayton Public Schools. “The teacher shortage is not just a staffing issue. It’s an equity issue. And it’s right in front of us to fix.” 

Dayton’s experience reflects a broader statewide trend. Ohio’s Math Performance Index declined from 81.6 in 2019 to 75.9 in 2024, signaling a significant drop in statewide math achievement (Ohio Department of Education Report Card Effectiveness Study, 2024). Meanwhile, education experts continue to raise concerns about rising vacancy rates and an overreliance on underqualified staff to fill essential roles (Thomas B. Fordham Institute). 

For Dayton, short-term fixes were no longer enough. The district needed a sustainable approach that could deliver consistent, high-quality instruction in subjects where students were falling behind. 

Finding the Right Solution: LIVE Teaching with Elevate K-12

With growing vacancies and gateway courses like Algebra I increasingly at risk, Dayton Public Schools needed more than a stopgap. Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence and his academic leadership team made a bold decision: act urgently and put certified teachers in classrooms where none could be found. 

“When you see the data, when you see the gaps, you can’t look away. You have to act,” says Dr. Lawrence. 

Rather than waiting on certification pipelines or continuing to rely on long-term substitutes, Dayton launched a pilot with Elevate K-12 to bring licensed teachers into their classrooms through real-time, synchronous instruction. The goal was clear: stop the academic slide, restore consistency, and ensure students had access to subject-level expertise. 

Our students can’t wait for perfect hiring conditions. They need real teachers today—and Elevate made that happen.

Dr. David Lawrence Superintendent, Dayton Public Schools

What set Elevate apart?  

• Certified, experienced teachers: Elevate instructors averaged 14 years of experience and held active credentials in their subject areas  
• LIVE daily instruction: Students received real-time teaching rather than pre-recorded videos or third-party online content. 
• District-aligned curriculum: Elevate followed Dayton’s pacing guides and academic priorities to ensure seamless integration. 
• On-site support: Classroom Coaches provided daily classroom management and student support. Elevate Program Coordinators partnered with principals and district staff through learning walks and observation cycles  
• Operational alignment: Elevate shared data regularly, supported fidelity, and collaborated with Dayton’s academic teams to drive outcomes. 
• Strategic rollout: The pilot began in Algebra I at their Freshman Academy, a targeted choice tied to student retention and graduation readiness 

Content knowledge is unmatched. You can’t fake it in front of our students, and they know the difference.

Dr. David Lawrence Superintendent, Dayton Public Schools

This model was not just about covering vacancies. It was about ensuring every student received consistent, high-quality instruction from a certified teacher, no matter the hiring climate. 

The Results: Academic Gains, Stronger Instruction, and a Scalable Path Forward

Dayton’s Algebra I pilot with Elevate K-12 provided clear evidence that certified, real-time instruction can reverse learning loss and restore consistency in hard-to-staff classrooms. Across five high schools, Elevate teachers supported 841 students in 34 class periods, delivering instruction aligned to Dayton’s pacing guides and standards. 

Restoring Momentum in Algebra 1

By the end of the year, students in Elevate classrooms outperformed their peers in three out of four schools on district benchmark assessments. The most compelling results came from the 2025 Ohio State Test (OST) for Algebra I, where Elevate classrooms achieved an average scaled score growth of 12.83 points, compared to 8.79 points in non-Elevate classrooms. 

The graph below highlights this overall growth difference: 

This level of growth suggests that consistent, certified instruction delivered through Elevate’s LIVE teaching model played a meaningful role in supporting student progress. While several factors influence performance, the nearly 50 percent greater gain in scaled score growth among Elevate classrooms compared to non-Elevate peers points to the impact of reliable, content-level instruction in restoring academic momentum. 

Importantly, these gains came in Algebra I, a foundational course where instructional disruption has lasting consequences for high school success and graduation readiness. Dayton’s results offer early evidence that when districts ensure every student has access to high-quality core instruction, delivered consistently by certified teachers, student learning can recover, even after years of instability. 

School Performance Highlights 

Across the district, Elevate students demonstrated stronger academic gains, lower rates of decline, and greater engagement—particularly in schools that had struggled most with vacancies. The chart below compares student improvement and decline rates in Elevate and non-Elevate classrooms: 

The school-level breakdown adds additional clarity to the overall gains. Schools like Belmont and Thurgood Marshall, where Elevate classrooms saw some of the largest growth margins, have also been sites of strong implementation and leadership engagement. While each school’s context varies, these results suggest that Elevate’s model can be particularly impactful when paired with consistent support, certified instruction, and a districtwide commitment to academic recovery. 

Elevate teachers outperformed our teachers who were long-term subs. Those with licenses and content-level knowledge will win every single time.

Dr. David Lawrence Superintendent, Dayton Public Schools

Student Voice and Classroom Impact

Student survey results showed notable improvements in how learners perceived their Elevate classrooms, from feeling more supported to being more engaged in daily learning: 

These results point to more than just academic improvement; they reflect a classroom experience where students feel seen, supported, and engaged. The largest gains came in how students rated their teacher’s care, helpfulness, and their own enjoyment of class.  

This suggests that Elevate’s model does more than deliver certified instruction. It also fosters strong student-teacher connections, even through a virtual format. As one student shared, having a teacher who made sure they understood the material made all the difference. 

The best thing about my Elevate class is that my teacher makes sure we know what we’re doing and understand it.

Algebra I Student Dayton Public Schools

Staff and Community Response 

• Principals and teachers began requesting Elevate in their own classrooms 
• Union leaders embraced the program once they saw that Elevate filled gaps rather than displacing teachers 
• Classroom Coaches reported stronger collaboration, better planning time, and clearer support systems 
• Elevate instructors were specifically requested to return to Dayton schools the following year 

Our principals, our union, our staff—once they saw how it worked, they embraced it. Elevate became part of our fabric.

Dr. David Lawrence Superintendent, Dayton Public Schools

Dayton has since expanded its Elevate partnership to include Special Education, Gifted, and English Learner programs as part of a broader, multi-year academic recovery strategy.

Elevate K-12: A Scalable Solution for Ohio and Beyond   

With clear gains in Algebra I and growing momentum across multiple subjects, Dayton Public Schools is continuing its partnership with Elevate K-12 to bring consistent, certified instruction into more classrooms. What began as an urgent pilot is now part of the district’s long-term strategy to stabilize instruction while rebuilding its teacher pipeline. 

We made a three-year commitment to Elevate because while we rebuild our teacher pipeline, we still need kids to have great instruction today.

Dr. David Lawrence Superintendent, Dayton Public Schools

District leaders are expanding Elevate’s role to support additional student populations, including those in Special Education, Gifted and Talented programs, and English Learner services. They’ve also strengthened program monitoring and district alignment to ensure continued academic growth and community trust. 

The challenges Dayton faced—chronic vacancies, disrupted instruction, and declining outcomes—are not unique. Across Ohio, districts are confronting similar struggles, particularly in high-need schools where staffing shortages are hardest to overcome. 

Elevate K-12 offers a new way forward. By delivering certified, content-level instruction in real time, schools can ensure students stay on track no matter the hiring landscape. Whether in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, or beyond, districts across Ohio have the opportunity to reimagine instructional staffing and put student achievement back at the center.