School achievement ratings released

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sixty-eight percent of Virginia’s public schools and about 26 percent of districts met new annual benchmarks aimed at reducing proficiency gaps between low-performing and high-performing schools, the state Department of Education said Wednesday.

Of the state’s 1,836 schools, 1,241 met all of the standards in reading, mathematics and graduation, as did 34 of Virginia’s 132 school divisions, education officials said.

In the Fredericksburg area, school divisions in the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford and Orange and the town of Colonial Beach met all of the benchmarks.

The “annual measurable objectives” are based on the performance on state standardized tests. The objectives replace the adequate yearly progress targets created by the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2002.

In June, the state received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for certain provisions of the federal law.

In a news release about the results, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said the waiver allows education officials to “target school turnaround efforts and resources on those schools where students truly are falling behind.”

At least 85 percent of students overall were required to pass standardized reading tests for a school to be considered proficient for the 2011–12 school year. In math 61 percent were required to pass. Rates for each subgroup—including black and Hispanic students, those with disabilities, and English learners—varied.

Based on the benchmarks, education officials are directing 485 schools—or about 26 percent—to develop and implement improvement plans to raise achievement levels for certain races and other subgroups.

Additionally, 36 schools, including Colonial Beach High School, have been designated as “priority” schools, which must use state-approved partners to help design and implement reforms, another 72 “focus” schools must employ a state-approved coach to develop, implement and monitor strategies to improve student performance.

The local schools on the focus list include: Pearl Sample and Sycamore Park elementary schools in Culpeper County; Hugh Mercer and Lafayette Upper elementary schools in Fredericksburg; Sealston Elementary in King George County; Moss–Nuckols Elementary in Louisa County; and Rocky Run Elementary in Stafford County.

Seven local school divisions have 28 schools out of the 485 schools in the state that will be required to implement an improvement plan.

“Relief from unworkable federal mandates is welcome but there must be no retreat from the goal of closing the achievement gap,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a news release.

Last year, 61 percent of Virginia’s public schools and 97 percent of districts failed to meet federal annual benchmarks. As a state, Virginia failed to meet adequate yearly progress in 2010–11 because black, Hispanic, English learners, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities failed to meet targets in reading and math performance. The state also missed its goals in 2009–10.

—Staff reporter Portsia Smith contributed to this story.

Improvement plans required

Of the 485 Virginia schools that must implement improvement plans, here are the 28 area schools affected:

Caroline County—Caroline High, Caroline Middle and Madison Elementary

Culpeper County—Culpeper High and Eastern View High

King George County—King George High

Louisa County—Louisa High, Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Trevilians Elementary

Spotsylvania County—Battlefield Middle, Brock Road Elementary, Massaponax High and Riverview Elementary

Stafford County—Anne E. Moncure Elementary, Anthony Burns Elementary, Brooke Point High, Colonial Forge High, Dixon–Smith Middle, Ferry Farm Elementary, Grafton Village Elementary, Mountain View High, Park Ridge Elementary, Stafford High, Gayle Middle and Widewater Elementary

Westmoreland County—Cople Elementary, Montross Middle and Washington & Lee High

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