In the 2024 Ohio Department of Education and Workforce report cards released on September 13, Chagrin Falls Schools is once again one of Ohio's top school districts. With a Performance Index of 111 and a five-star rating across all categories, for more than a decade, Chagrin Falls Schools’ commitment to excellence has solidified a reputation of academic distinction ranking the District as #3 in the state.
"This achievement of Chagrin Falls Schools is a testament to the efforts of our students, commitment of our teachers, support of our staff, leadership of our administrators, and collaboration of our community," said Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Penczarski, Chagrin Falls Schools. "Every star earned recognizes the unity, passion, and excellence that define our District. This year’s results celebrate our growth and inspire us to continue to challenge our practices, creating new high quality experiences for all of our learners."
The District is proud to highlight these academic achievements on the State Report Card:
Five Star Achievement: Chagrin Falls Schools is one of 68 districts in the state to earn an overall five-star rating, a distinction that reflects the District’s high standards and dedicated efforts to support all students.
Excellence in All Components: Chagrin Falls Schools is one of only 18 districts in the state to achieve a five-star rating in all five report card components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation, and Early Literacy
PreK-12 Distinction: All schools within the District, including Gurney Elementary, Chagrin Falls Intermediate School, Chagrin Falls Middle School, and Chagrin Falls High School, earned five stars in the School Achievement component, demonstrating consistent excellence across all grade levels.
Overall Rating: Chagrin Falls Schools were rated 3rd overall in the state with a Performance Index (PI) of 111.003 and a PI percentage of 101.6%. The District was one of only six districts to score above 100 and earned a 5-star rating across all five components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation, and Early Literacy.
Growth: Chagrin Falls Schools’ Performance Index has steadily increased from 97.9 in 2020 to 111 in 2024, showcasing its continuous commitment to educational excellence. The District is the only one in the top 5 schools who have seen growth over the last 3 years.
Early Literacy Success: The District ranked 2nd in the state in Early Literacy, with a score of 98.6, supported by its initiatives like the Fundations literacy program for PreK-3rd grade.
School building achievements include:
Gurney Elementary School: Ranked 3rd school in the state based on a PI percentage of 103.6. (This is out of every single building at every grade level!)
Chagrin Falls Intermediate School: Ranked 2nd in the state with a PI percentage of 99.2 and achieved the highest rating in Gap Closing.
Chagrin Falls Middle School: Ranked 2nd in the state with a PI percentage of 101.5 and top rankings in ELA and Math OST performance.
Chagrin Falls High School: Ranked 2nd in the state with a PI percentage of 100.3 and top 10 rankings in key end-of-course assessments.
“Test scores are one of the many metrics we review to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students. We have seen consistent growth in our scores over the past four years,” stated President Lori Bendall, Chagrin Falls Board of Education. “This wouldn’t happen without the incredible effort by our entire learning community.”
The District’s commitment to continuous growth is deeply rooted in its community-driven Strategic Plan, which prioritizes high-quality learning experiences, student and staff well-being, and strategic resource allocation. The latest report card data validates the progress made toward these goals and serves as a valuable compass for guiding future efforts to ensure the growth and success of every student.
“Our continuous growth over the past few years shows thoughtful planning and collaboration,” said Principal of Data and Assessment Sarah Read, Chagrin Falls Schools. “The report card data provides valuable insights to the success we are seeing through our commitment to personalized learning. In the coming weeks, we will continue to analyze the data and provide the school community with more insights.”
The positive impact of the personalized learning approach is increasingly evident in the data, fostering a shared commitment to growth across all levels of the District. Educators are at the forefront of this work, remaining steadfast in their pursuit of fostering the growth of every student.
"We will continue to work hard to learn, grow, and improve the education delivery to our students and our services to students, families, and the Chagrin Falls’ community,” said President Lisa Salyers, Chagrin Falls Education Association. “Furthermore, we will maintain a persistent focus on our students–all that they are, and all that they can become."
Helpful guidance in further unpacking the ODE Report Cards is available HERE.
