"Major Work" is a major asset at O.H. Perry

In a school district that prides itself on offering school choices, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has given residents of the North Collinwood neighborhood a very attractive choice in O.H. Perry Academy.

Perry, rated effective in the Ohio Department of Education Report Card, is one of the District’s “Gifted and Talented Programs, called the “Major Work Program” for boys and girls in Grades 2-6 and “Honors Program” for Grades 7 and 8.

Programs for gifted children date to October 1921 in Cleveland’s schools. Denison Elementary School was the first in the nation. Within six years, the program had grown to 14 elementary schools and two junior high schools.

By the 1950s, Cleveland educators had developed a gifted program for students from primary grades through high school.

Today, entrance into Major Works is based on a statewide assessment. Students must meet required test scores to be considered for the “Gifted” programming. 

At Perry, students in the Gifted Program benefit from the community partnerships that have blossomed around them. Those partners, including the unflagging support of former U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, contribute their expertise, and they help ensure Perry students face rigorous, enriching challenges.

The educational opportunities in the school are examples of what a 21st century school system should strive for. Thanks to The Cleveland Plan, CMSD is trying to make such opportunities the hallmark of its educational programs.

Now, more than 2,500 students in schools like Perry, Ben Franklin, Riverside, Garfield, Wade Park and Whitney Young are in the program, which has grown from what people once called “the greatest experiment in education” into a staple of CMSD.