2016-2017
f ox c hapel a rea s chool d istrict s tate of the s chools
Message from
the Superintendent
W
e have a lot to celebrate in the Fox Chapel Area School
District! I am pleased to report we are receiving national
attention for our educational excellence and I am proud of the
progress we have made. Beginning with the announcement last fall
that Fairview Elementary School won a National Blue Ribbon based
on the high performance of our students, we then also received a number of other prestigious
honors and recognitions throughout the year. Many of the achievements are detailed in this
2016-2017 State of the Schools report, but a short list also includes:
• Fox Chapel Area was chosen to become a member of the prestigious League of Innovative
Schools as one of 19 new school districts added to the 87 from across the nation.
• Fox Chapel Area School District and our students ranked high in the Pittsburgh Business
Times Regional School Report Card, based on the most recent three years of state standardized
assessment scores.
• Th e district stacked up well on 2017 rankings from Niche.com, a Pittsburgh-based website that
uses rigorous analysis and authentic reviews to highlight the best places to live and schools to
attend. Points of note are:
– Best School Districts: Fox Chapel Area was number 2 out of 78 in the Pittsburgh metro area;
number 5 of 497 in Pennsylvania; and number 22 out of 10,364 in the nation.
– Districts with the Best Teachers: Fox Chapel Area was ranked number 2 out of 75 in the
Pittsburgh metro area; number 4 out of 480 in Pennsylvania; and number 30 out of 8,195
across the nation.
– Safest School Districts: Fox Chapel Area was number 4 out of 75 in the Pittsburgh metro
area; number 16 out of 480 in Pennsylvania; and number 103 of 8,211 in the nation.
Even more important than national awards and recognitions is the actual progress in
performance and achievement our students attained. Since 2014-2015, when the Pennsylvania
Core became the new guide, our standardized assessment results have shown steady and
continued growth. In fact, our students’ scores have improved in all grade levels in every subject.
More specifi cally, the grades three-eight PSSA profi ciency has increased by fi ve percent in English
Language Arts and by nine percent in math. Th e Fox Chapel Area Keystone Exam pass rates
for 11 th graders have also all increased, and more than 90 percent of our students are passing the
Algebra I, literature, and biology exams.
One of the reasons for this improved performance is that we have successfully implemented a
system of quarterly benchmark assessments. Each school year, beginning early in the fall, students
are assessed so that administrators and staff can identify areas of strength and areas of needed
improvement in each student’s knowledge and achievement. With this information, instruction
is adapted early on to ensure that students are meeting or exceeding their overall achievement
goals. I am pleased to report that we are fi nding that student assessment results indicate that
the initial academic starting point for students is increasing. I expect even higher levels of
achievement from our students by the end of this school year, and continuing improvement in
upcoming years as well.
Our school district has a committed staff , a caring and involved community, and the tools to
achieve even higher goals for our students. I believe that the current year and the years to come
will truly bring the best – that Fox Chapel Area students will demonstrate the best is yet to come.
Sincerely,
Gene Freeman, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fox Chapel Area | Fall 2017 | icmags.com 9