The vast majority of Northern Virginia schools passed the state’s education standards last year, with two given warnings to improve.
All schools in Arlington County, Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park met state standards in four core subjects, as did 98 percent of the state’s 1,850 schools, the Department of Education announced.
All but four of Loudoun County public schools were fully accredited, but those four — Buffalo Trail Elementary, Harmony Middle, and Tuscarora and Woodgrove high schools – are new schools or have received a new status (Harmony Intermediate changed to Harmony Middle School this year). The state’s 17 new schools were automatically rated as conditionally accredited.
Jefferson-Houston Elementary School in Alexandria was accredited with warning for subpar performance in English and history, and Hybla Valley Elementary in Fairfax County was warned for subpar status in history. Fifteen schools statewide were accredited with a warning.
Under Virginia’s accountability program, a school that has been on academic warning for three consecutive years and fails to meet state standards in the fourth can apply for conditional accreditation — if the local school board agrees to shake up the school’s leadership, staff, governance or student population.
Beginning next year, high schools will have to meet an annual objective for raising graduation rates to earn full accreditation. In September 2012, a pass rate of at least 75 percent in English will be required for all grades, and the required pass rates for elementary schools in science and history/social science will rise to 70 percent — the same benchmark middle schools and high schools must meet.
Students also will take more rigorous Standards of Learning math tests beginning in 2011-2012 and more rigorous tests in English reading the following year.
“Taken together, these steps will represent a substantial increase in the rigor of Virginia’s accountability program,” Board of Education President Eleanor B. Saslaw said. “The accreditation ratings we will announce a year from now will mark a new beginning as schools advance toward goals aligned with the latest national expectations for college and career readiness.”
