Three Fairfax County public schools are expected not to meet progress standards set under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, potentially placing another facility in the embarrassing position of needing to permit children to opt out of attending it.
The Virginia Department of Education plans to release official data next week on the No Child Left Behind “Adequate Yearly Progress” ratings, which measure schools on a wide variety of student academic performances. Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School fell short on reading performance for a second year, based on preliminary information release by the school system.
State and local school officials are trying to work out a deal with the federal government that would allow increased tutoring rather than having Mount Vernon fall into the “school choice” category this year, said Fairfax County Public Schools spokeswoman Mary Shaw.
If they are unsuccessful, however, Mount Vernon would join two other elementary schools — Dogwood and McNair — whose students are allowed to attenddifferent schools that meet the federal standards.
“Fairfax County certainly has a well deserved reputation as a high-performing school district,” said Virginia Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle. “Like any school district, you’re going to find areas where improvement is needed.”
With the school year about to begin, the deadline for working out the deal for increased tutoring is drawing near, said Pyle. He said the department had sought to add Fairfax County to a list of systems that were allowed the option, but were denied by the U.S. Department of Education. The state is now trying to have that decision reversed.
