Empowering 36,000 Ohio Students: Honest Game’s Role in Cincinnati

Impact District Wide

With such a large student body, Cincinnati Public Schools needed a comprehensive system to ensure student-athletes across the district could meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements.

Honest Game’s software offers a centralized platform for tracking and managing eligibility requirements. This has been a game-changer for Cincinnati Public Schools, allowing them to maintain consistency across schools and ensure every student-athlete is on the right path. By automating eligibility checks and providing real-time data, Honest Game has made it easier for Cincinnati Public Schools staff to focus on supporting students rather than getting bogged down by administrative tasks.

“Honest Game stepped up for us. Without an additional staff member in a role overseeing the college pathway, they [Honest Game] provided a connection with the NCAA, college institutions, and the NCAA Eligibility Center. They have worked closely with our school counselors, with myself and my team.” –  Joshua Hardin, District Athletics Manager, Cincinnati Public Schools

Individualized Guidance to Transform Futures

While the impact on a district-wide level is significant, Honest Game also excels in providing individual guidance to student-athletes. Every student has unique needs and aspirations, and Honest Game’s software takes this into account. By providing personalized academic roadmaps, the software helps students and their support systems understand exactly what is needed to stay eligible for college.

“That’s the beauty of this partnership, that there’s big things that can be found within our large scale district. Like ‘This class was not added on your curriculum guide. Let’s add it in so that all those kids can take advantage of that.’ That little find on a big scale impacts a lot of people. Those big scale things are great, but that individual attention is also there, which is phenomenal.”

Unfortunately, there are a number of cautionary tales of students not getting the support they need. Just this year, a graduate student-athlete of CPS moved into a college dorm and attended football practice, and was only found to be academically ineligible when the bus roster for their first game was created. Honest Game helped rectify the situation, but the NCAA and the college did not complete his initial eligibility until Sept 4 of his freshman year of college. It was too late to get him on the bus for his first game. High schools need Honest Game because colleges and the NCAA Eligibility Center are swamped, and do not offer the hands-on care needed for each and every student.

The ultimate goal for Cincinnati Public Schools and Honest Game is to help students achieve their dreams in the future while receiving a quality education in the present. By ensuring that student-athletes stay academically eligible, Honest Game is opening doors to new opportunities for many CPS students.

A Model for Large School Districts

CPS’ success with Honest Game serves as an exemplary model for other large districts throughout the country. By implementing Honest Game, CPS has been able to offer a level of support and oversight that would be nearly impossible to achieve otherwise, particularly with their large and diverse student population.

Honest Game’s partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools has been a resounding success in transforming the futures of student-athletes. From managing district-wide compliance to offering personalized academic guidance, Honest Game has become an invaluable resource in Cincinnati.

“I’ve really tried to be innovative, thoughtful and intentional, providing opportunities for students within Cincinnati and giving them as much support and resources as possible. Fast forward to today – this has been a partnership [with Honest Game] for Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools that provides that extended support and resource to our students.”

Set up a meeting with one of our experts to learn more about how Honest Game can support your students, school, or district.