Date: November 16, 2004
Contact: Irene Cromer
703-791-8720

FIFTY-EIGHT COUNTY SCHOOLS NAMED SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE

Superintendent of Schools Edward L. Kelly has named fifty-eight Prince William County schools as “Schools of Excellence” in the division’s annual school awards program. Schools that attain this designation must demonstrate high levels of performance on the SOL tests for two different groups of students, those beginning the school year on grade level and those beginning the school year below grade level.

A School of Excellence must be fully accredited by the state and achieve an overall index score of 3.5 or higher according to Prince William County Public Schools guidelines. The index score is calculated by examining how well students who are above and below grade level perform on SOL tests.

To obtain the highest rating, schools must ensure that ninety-five percent of students beginning the year on or above grade level pass the SOL tests. They must also ensure that fifty percent of students beginning the year below grade level pass the SOL tests.

Twenty schools have earned this distinction for the first time, eighteen schools are being recognized as Schools of Excellence for the second time, eight schools are third-time recipients of this honor, nine schools will be recognized as four-time Schools of Excellence recipients and three schools have achieved this distinction for the fifth consecutive year.

Henderson Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School, and Osbourn Park High School have been named Schools of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year.

Elementary schools named as Schools of Excellence for the first time are Alvey, Bel Air, Belmont, Dale City, Enterprise, Kilby, Mullen, Neabsco, Occoquan, Penn, River Oaks, Sudley, Swans Creek, and West Gate. Middle schools receiving the award for the first time are Lake Ridge, Lynn, Parkside, Rippon, and Stonewall. Gar-Field Senior High School also joins the ranks of Schools of Excellence recipients.

Schools honored for the second year include Ashland, Cedar Point, Featherstone, Loch Lomond, Minnieville, Pattie, Potomac View, Signal Hill, Tyler, and Vaughan elementary schools; Benton, Beville, Bull Run, Graham Park, and Marsteller middle schools; Pennington School; and C.D. Hylton High School and Potomac High School.

Schools of Excellence for the third time include Antietam, Coles, King, Marumsco Hills, Montclair and Westridge elementary schools; and Saunders and Woodbridge middle schools. Bennett, Bristow Run, Lake Ridge, Marshall, Nokesville, Old Bridge, Rockledge, and Springwoods elementary schools and Brentsville District High School have earned the School of Excellence distinction for the fourth year.

The annual awards will be celebrated at school sites in the near future. The celebrations will recognize the contributions of the entire school community in achieving the School of Excellence designation.

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