Transformation plan for Cleveland schools is still under way: Whatever Happened To ... ?

A bright note was provided by New Tech, an academy at East Tech that is assessed separately from the three other small schools housed there.

On its first state report card, New Tech was ranked in Continuous Improvement, the rough equivalent of a C grade. Though state goals weren't met, the school-within-a-school got extra credit for reaching Adequate Yearly Progress, a federal designation that affects state rankings.

Ryan Durr, the New Tech principal, said that more students are taking leadership roles this year. "That's something great for the culture we're trying to establish," he said.

Enrollment at New Tech also is growing slowly, with about 130 students in grades 9-11. Students and parents who spread the word are the academy's best recruiting tool, Durr said.

Gordon said that in this second year of the plan, the emphasis is on turning the vision into "very explicit strategies" that will work with the resources the district has.