Fairborn Digital Academy earns Exceeds Standards rating for fifth consecutive year
For the fifth consecutive year, Fairborn Digital Academy has earned an overall Exceeds Standards rating on Ohio’s Dropout Prevention and Recovery Report Card.
The 2025-26 report card also gave FDA Exceeds Standards ratings in Achievement and Gap Closing and Meets Standards ratings in Progress and Graduation Rate. Within the Graduation Rate component, FDA exceeded standards in both its seven-year and eight-year graduation measures.
“This report card is a reflection of the work our students and staff put in,” said Erik Tritsch, executive director of Fairborn Digital Academy.
The results carry particular weight for a school created for students who need a different high school experience.
Fairborn Digital Academy is a public dropout prevention and recovery school serving students in grades 9-12. Many students arrive at FDA after struggling in a traditional school environment or falling behind in credits. Other students need more flexibility because of responsibilities outside school or circumstances that have interrupted their education. FDA’s model is built to account for those differences without losing sight of graduation.
Our students complete coursework at their own pace through a hybrid model that combines online learning with opportunities for in-person instruction. Each student also works with an accountability coach who knows the student personally, follows academic progress and provides structure when a student starts to fall behind.
This relationship starts before enrollment. FDA’s administrative staff meets with prospective students and their families to learn why they are considering a change in schools and what their previous experience has been like. Our staff also looks at the kind of environment in which the student is most likely to engage and make progress. Those conversations influence how students are supported once they enroll.
FDA limits the number of students assigned to each accountability coach so coaches have time to know the students and their families. That familiarity can reveal obstacles that would be easy to miss in a larger setting and allows our staff to respond before a student simply disengages.
The school also offers opportunities that extend beyond online coursework. Gardening, art, life skills programming and other hands-on experiences give our students additional reasons to come into the building, connect with staff and develop skills they can carry beyond high school.
FDA’s graduation results are especially relevant because many students enter the school on a timeline that no longer fits a traditional four-year path.
Ohio’s Dropout Prevention and Recovery Report Card measures graduation across several time periods. FDA exceeded standards this year in both the seven-year and eight-year graduation measures, reflecting students who continued working toward a diploma even when earning it took longer than originally expected. That persistence is central to the work we do here at FDA.
A student who comes in behind on credits may need a different schedule. Another may need more regular contact with an accountability coach. Some students respond to the independence of online coursework; others spend more time in the building because the relationships and structure there keep them engaged. The school’s approach changes according to the student, but graduation remains the ultimate target.
FDA has been serving students since 2002 and currently enrolls students from Fairborn, Beavercreek, Xenia, Dayton, Yellow Springs, Huber Heights, Greenon, Tecumseh and Mad River.
Five consecutive overall Exceeds Standards ratings provide a consistent measure of the work taking place inside a school where students often arrive after their original plan for high school has changed. For FDA, our work begins with understanding what happened, what the student needs now and what will keep that student progressing toward a diploma.
To learn more about Fairborn Digital Academy, visit fairborndigital.us or call 937-879-0511.
Ohio’s Dropout Prevention and Recovery Report Card:
Read the full Press Release:
Comments