Solon High Receives Top High School Performance Score in Ohio

No matter how you slice it, the Solon School District is one of the top performing in Ohio.

Especially Solon High School, which received the best performance score of the 736 Ohio high schools that were ranked.

The data was released by the Ohio Department of Education as a preview of new performance index rankings of school districts and buildings.

Solon Schools as a whole ranked eighth out of 936 school districts, including charter schools and other nontraditional schools, the data shows. If you compare Solon with other traditional school districts, the district comes in fourth.

"Performance index is actually one component of the state report card," said Dennis Evans, Ohio Department of Education public information officer. "There are other measures on the report card as well."

The performance index scores are different than those on the last report cards because this report used updated data on state testing.

Scores are based on how well each student does on all tested subjects in grades three to eight on Ohio’s Achievement Assessments and on the 10th grade Ohio Graduation Test. Students at all levels – advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic and limited – are included. The percentage of students scoring at each level is calculated and multiplied by the point value assigned to that performance level and the levels are totaled to determine overall score.

"It's a pretty simple formula," Evans said.

Evans stressed that the rankings released so far are preliminary. The final ranking released next year will also incorporate data on the amount of money devoted to classroom instruction and opportunities provided to gifted students.

"Going forward, the ranking will be based on other criteria as well. What we released last week is actually a preview," he said.

Solon's performance index score was 110.69. The data also shows that Solon spends $13,387 per student, the 35th highest of the state's traditional school districts.

Solon's individual schools also performed well, especially Solon High School, which earned a score of 114.59, the third best overall score in the state and the top score for a high school.

Other individual school ranks are:

• Parkside Elementary: Score of 110.93, overall rank of 51, 24 of 1,745 elementary schools
• Solon Middle School: Score of 109.61, 105 overall, 7th of 643 middle schools
• Arthur Road Elementary School: Score of 109.47, 114 overall, 53 of 1,745 elementary schools
• Lewis Elementary School: Score of 108.98, 133 overall, 63 of 1,745 elementary schools
• Roxbury Elementary School: Score of 108.68, 152 overall, 74 of 1,745 elementary schools
• Orchard Middle School: Score of 107.95, 207 overall, 17 of 643 middle schools