Nordonia School Board Celebrates Academic Excellence, Advances Strategic Plan

Students and Staff Earn National Recognition Nordonia High School showcased exceptional academic achievements at Monday's board meeting, Principal Jesse Archer presented recognition for students who excelled on Advanced Placement exams and earned national honors. The district administered 765 AP exams last spring, with 81% of students earning scores of three or higher - significantly above national averages. Students scored at or above national benchmarks in 17 of 27 subjects, producing an impressive 119 perfect scores of five. The school conducted home visits during summer to personally congratulate high-achieving students with "high fives." Notable Individual Achievements: 76 students earned at least one score of five on AP exams Five current seniors earned two perfect scores each Three additional students achieved three perfect scores each Outstanding Faculty Performance: The physics department achieved remarkable success, with students earning a 100% pass rate on Physics 1 exams (compared to 73% nationally) and 86% on Physics 2 (compared to 78% nationally). The program covers both physics courses in a single year, unlike most schools that require two years. AP Seminar students posted a 98% pass rate with 43 participating students AP Biology students achieved 93% pass rate, well above the 71% national average AP Computer Science A students reached 90% pass rate, significantly higher than the 70% national benchmark Superintendent Casey Wright praised the achievement levels, noting this represents the highest number of AP test-takers and high scorers he has witnessed in 28 years of education. Career Center Excellence: Nordonia led all partner schools in early placement earnings through the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, with 11 students earning state scores qualifying for national competition. Two students earned nationally ranked awards: one placed fourth nationally in education professions specializing in school leadership, completing an internship with the high school principal, while another earned fifth place nationally in both Java programming and web development. The programming student created an AI chatbot calculator for Java and developed a healthy habit app tracker for companies to use in health challenges. Homecoming Court Recognition: The 2025 homecoming court was also recognized for representing positive student leadership. Selected by their peers, the court members are involved in various sports, clubs, and leadership positions. Principal Archer described them as "genuinely the sweetest, nicest kids" who exemplify respectful classmates and responsible teammates. National Merit Recognition: Three students earned National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar status, scoring in the top 4% nationwide on the PSAT. Strategic Plan Shows Significant Progress The board received comprehensive updates on the district's "Achieve" and "Connect" strategic plan components during a work session, revealing extensive implementation efforts already underway. Curriculum and Instruction Transformation: Curriculum Director Carol S. Tonsing reported meeting with every instructional team across the district to review the strategic plan and implement the five-step professional learning community process. The response has been enthusiastically positive, with the high school team meeting at 7 a.m. and requesting additional data support. Teams are implementing high-quality student data analysis using state test results and diagnostic assessments. The middle school administered its first-ever Ohio Readiness Assessment, which serves as practice for state testing. Elementary representatives from each building observed the assessment to prepare for implementation. The district has established vertical alignment for goal-setting, focusing on analysis skills where students show deficits. All content areas - including art, physical education, and music teachers - are participating in the data-driven approach. Addressing Achievement Challenges: Officials acknowledged specific areas needing attention, particularly fifth-grade science scores and high school mathematics performance. The district scored a three in progress measurements on the state report card, which indicates expected growth but falls short of the four or five needed for a five-star district. Despite increases in every indicator, including significant gains in seventh-grade reading (up seven points) and eighth-grade math (from 68% to 80% proficiency), the weighting changes in state measurements affected overall ratings. The challenge involves moving proficient students to advanced levels rather than basic skill development. The district maintains its five-star rating overall but acknowledges the need for more intensive interventions to accelerate high-performing students. Communications Revolution: The new Parent Square platform has achieved remarkable adoption rates, with 1,329 parents downloading the app from the district's 3,500 families within the first month