All schools in the Williamsburg-James City County and York County school divisions are fully accredited for the 2018-19 school year, according to results released Thursday by the Virginia Department of Education.
This year’s ratings are the first under the state’s new accreditation standards, which are designed to foster continuous improvement at all schools, close achievement gaps and promote accountability beyond the Standards of Learning tests, according to the education department.
The new standards also recognize the academic growth of students making significant annual progress on meeting grade-level expectations in English and mathematics.
Under the new standards, schools are evaluated in three categories: academic achievement, achievement gaps, and student engagement and outcomes. Performance on each indicator is rated at one of the following levels:
- Level One: Meets or exceeds state standard or sufficient improvement.
- Level Two: Near state standard or sufficient improvement.
- Level Three: Below state standard.
- Too Small: Too few students in school or group to evaluate.
Most WJCC and York County schools received Level One ratings on most of the benchmarks, although some schools received Level Two or Level Three ratings on the English and mathematics achievement gap standards.
Schools earn one of the following three accreditation ratings based on performance on school quality indicators:
- Accredited: Schools with all school quality indicators at either Level One or Level Two. In addition, high-performing schools with waivers from annual accreditation authorized by the General Assembly are rated as accredited. Schools meeting the previous standard for full state accreditation are also rated as accredited for 2018-2019.
- Accredited with conditions: Schools with one or more school quality indicators at Level Three.
- Accreditation denied: Schools that fail to adopt or fully implement required corrective actions to address Level Three school-quality indicators.
Under the new system, 1,683 of Virginia’s 1,821 public schools — 92 percent — are fully accredited, compared to 86 percent last year. Of the remaining schools, 132 were accredited with conditions, seven were new schools and one had its accreditation withheld.
“I am pleased that these ratings show that — in the vast majority of our schools — most students are either meeting or exceeding Virginia’s high standards, or they are on their way toward grade-level proficiency,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said in a news release. “But the ratings also reveal that in many schools, there are achievement gaps undetected by the previous accreditation system. Every student in the commonwealth deserves a high-quality educational experience, and we hope that by shining a light on these gaps our schools will continue to develop innovative strategies that result in equitable outcomes for our children.”
How WJCC schools fared
High schools
- Jamestown: Level Two in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Lafayette: Level Two in mathematics achievement and chronic absenteeism; all other indicators Level One.
- Warhill: All indicators Level One.
Middle Schools
- Berkeley: Level Two in English achievement, Level Three in mathematics; all other indicators Level One.
- Hornsby: Level Two in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Toano: Level One on all indicators.
Elementary schools
- J. Blaine Blayton: Level Two in English achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Clara Byrd Baker: Level Two in English achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- James River: Level Three in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Laurel Lane: Level One in all indicators.
- D.J. Montague: Level Two in English and mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Norge: Level Two in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Stonehouse: All indicators Level One.
- Matthew Whaley: Level Two in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Matoaka Elementary School: All indicators Level One.
How York County schools fared
High schools
- Bruton: All indicators Level One.
- Grafton: All indicators Level One.
- Tabb: All indicators Level One.
- York: All indicators Level One.
Middle schools
- Grafton: All indicators Level One.
- Queens Lake: Level Two in English achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Tabb: All indicators Level One.
- Yorktown: All indicators Level One.
Elementary schools
- Bethel Manor: All indicators Level One.
- Coventry: All indicators Level One.
- Dare: Level Two in English achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Grafton Bethel: All indicators Level One.
- Magruder: Level Two in English and mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Mount Vernon: Level Three in mathematics achievement; all other indicators Level One.
- Seaford: All indicators Level One.
- Tabb: All indicators Level One.
- Yorktown: All indicators Level One.
- Waller Mill Road: All indicators Level One.
More information about how individual schools fared under the new standards can be found on the Virginia Department of Education’s website.
