The results place Chagrin Falls among Ohio’s highest-performing public school districts. The district’s Performance Index of 100.9% ranks third among Ohio’s 607 traditional public school districts. Chagrin Falls also ranks seventh in Gap Closing and 12th in Early Literacy among districts with reported results. Only 61 traditional public school districts statewide earned an overall Five-Star rating.

“These results give us an opportunity to see the whole picture,” said Superintendent Jennifer Penczarski. “We are incredibly proud of the level at which our students continue to achieve, but the value of the report card is in looking beyond a single rating. We can look across several years, across our schools and at both achievement and growth to better understand what is working and where our students need us to keep pushing.”

Strong Results Over Time

This year’s results are part of a longer pattern of strong academic performance. Since Ohio introduced its revised accountability system in 2021–22, Chagrin Falls’ Performance Index has remained above 100% for five consecutive years: 100.6% in 2021–22, 100.4% in 2022–23, 101.6% in 2023–24, 101.1% in 2024–25 and 100.9% this year.

The Performance Index measures student achievement across all levels of Ohio’s state tests, giving schools additional credit as students move beyond proficiency into higher levels of performance. A score above 100% indicates that student performance, collectively, exceeds the state’s proficiency benchmark.

But achievement is only part of the picture.

Ohio’s Progress measure looks at how much students grow compared with expectations based on their previous performance. Chagrin Falls earned Five Stars in Progress this year, with a growth index of 9.50, indicating that students overall grew beyond expected levels.

For a district where many students already begin at high levels of achievement, district leaders say both measures matter. The goal is not only for students to perform well, but for each student to continue making meaningful academic growth.

Strength Across Chagrin Falls Schools

All four Chagrin Falls schools earned Five Stars overall and Five Stars in Achievement this year, while individual building results provide additional insight into student performance and growth.

At Gurney Elementary, the Performance Index reached 101.8%, approximately ninth statewide among reporting buildings. Gurney also earned 100% in Gap Closing, up from 47.4% two years ago, and chronic absenteeism declined from 8.6% in 2023–24 to 4.7% this year.

Chagrin Falls Intermediate School posted a Performance Index of 100.2%, its highest of the past three years and approximately 23rd statewide. The school earned Three Stars in Progress, meaning students overall made the growth expected by the state based on their previous performance.

At Chagrin Falls Middle School, students continued to demonstrate high achievement and positive growth, earning Five Stars in Achievement and Four Stars in Progress.

Chagrin Falls High School paired high achievement with particularly strong student growth. Its Performance Index of 101.1% ranks approximately 17th statewide among reporting buildings, while its growth index of 19.12 ranks approximately 24th. CFHS also earned a 98.2% Graduation component.

Looking Closely at Where Students Can Grow

The report card also helps district and building teams identify where closer examination and continued work are needed.

At the Intermediate School, for example, students are achieving at exceptionally high levels while overall growth met state expectations rather than exceeding them. At the Middle School, the Performance Index declined from 101.3% last year to 96.9% this year, while the growth index moved from 5.52 to 2.04. District and building teams will continue examining grade-level, subject and student-group data to better understand those results and identify opportunities to strengthen growth.

“The next step is understanding what those results mean for the students behind them,” Penczarski said. “Growth doesn’t look exactly the same in every building or for every learner. Our responsibility is to know our students well enough to understand where they need greater challenge, where they need additional support and where we need to adjust our own practices to help them continue to grow.”

Gifted education provides another example of that work. Chagrin Falls earned all 15 points on Ohio’s Gifted Indicator this year, improving from 10 points last year and meeting the state standard for both gifted identification and services. Growth among gifted students earned Four Stars, providing a continued area of focus.

The district’s College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness measure earned Four Stars with a score of 78.2%. The measure considers indicators including college credit, industry credentials, career-technical education and work-based learning. District leaders will continue examining both opportunities available to students and how those experiences are captured within the state measure.

Using the Data to Keep Moving Forward

Ohio’s report card is one measure of the student experience, but it provides an important opportunity to step back and see the district as a whole while also looking closely at the individual students, schools and groups represented within the numbers.

That approach connects directly to Chagrin Falls Schools’ Strategic Plan and its mission of Inspiring All to Grow and Thrive. Throughout the year, teachers and administrators will continue examining results across grade levels, subjects and student groups, identifying successful practices and areas where additional challenge, support or adjustment may be needed.

“We have a lot to celebrate,” Penczarski said. “But thriving isn’t about standing still when things are going well. It’s about continuing to learn from one another, respond to what our students need and make the whole experience stronger together.”