All schools in Williamsburg-James City County and York County school divisions are fully accredited for the 2012-2013 school year.
The Virginia Department of Education announced 93 percent of the state’s 1,836 public schools met SOL accreditation standards. The state evaluates accreditation based on schools’ ability to meet standards of achievement in English, math, history, science and graduation.
That number has dropped three percentage points from last year. Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright said the decrease is, in part, due to the more rigorous math tests introduced last school year. “We can expect a similar impact next year when we see the results of schools implementing more rigorous standards and tests in English and science this school year,” she said in a press release.
The impact of the new tests on accreditation ratings were mitigated by averaging the pass rates for the past three years. The averaging of the math tests allowed 750 schools to earn full accreditation; 71 schools missed the mark based solely on mathematics performance.
“Even with three-year averaging, the board’s move to more rigorous standards will continue to present accreditation challenges for many of the commonwealth’s schools,” said Board of Education President David M. Foster.” We are confident, however, that over the long haul our graduates will be better prepared to succeed in college and the work place.”
Ninety-six percent of Virginia’s elementary schools and 88 percent of middle schools are fully accredited for the 2012-13 school year. The percentage of fully accredited high schools rose from 86 to 90 percent this year; last year was the first time a “graduation and completion index” figured into accreditation. The index system awards full credit for students who earn a Board of Education-recognized diploma and partial credit for students who earn GEDs and local credentials, as well as students expected to return for a fifth year of high school.
The number of schools accredited with warning rose to 100, compared with 30 last year. Two schools were denied accreditation due to chronically low student achievement: Peabody Middle in Petersburg and Lafayette-Wynona Middle in Norfolk. One Sussex County school, Ellen W. Chambliss Elementary, earned full accreditation for the first time in four years.
To be fully accredited in 2012-13, high schools’ students must achieve pass rates of 70 percent or more in all four content areas and attain a point value of 85 or greater on the Graduation and Completion Index. Middle schools students must achieved pass rates of 70 percent of above in all four credit areas and at the elementary level, grades 3-5 are required to achieve pass rates of at least 75 percent for English, 70 percent in math, fifth grade science and history, and at least 50 percent for third grade science and history.
Local schools performed well, rarely dipping below 80 percent pass rates for any of the SOL tests. Norge Elementary benefitted from three-year averaging on the math tests to achieve a pass rate of 70 percent; last year, Norge had a 94 percent pass rate for math. D.J. Montague Elementary continued to post improved scores, with its English pass rates rising from 92 percent to 95 percent this year. Matoaka Elementary fared best with the new math tests, with a 90 percent pass rate; the school also boasts 99 percent pass rates in grades 3-5 English and science.
In York County, only Yorktown Elementary School achieved a pass rate below 90 percent for English, but still scored well above the accreditation goal with a pass rate of 88 percent. York River Academy students had a pass rate of 73 percent for math, three percentage points higher than the accreditation cutoff. Magruder and Mount Vernon elementary schools had pass rates above 90 percent for all tests except math; Magruder achieved a 99 percent pass rate for history.
For detailed accreditation information, including the results for each school in each division, click here. Individual school report cards are here.
