Fewer Virginia schools receive honors from state

Gov. Bob McDonnell and state education officials recognized 447 Virginia schools for top performance on Thursday, nearly 300 fewer than received the distinction last year, as more campuses failed to meet testing benchmarks from both the federal and state governments.

In Fairfax County, 66 public schools earned 2012 Virginia Index of Performance, or VIP, awards for advanced learning and achievement, a 33 percent drop from last year’s 98 schools. As a division, Fairfax lost its 2011 status as a Board of Education Excellence Award winner.