The Virginia Board of Education has announced that Featherstone and Kerrydale Elementary Schools are being awarded the Highest Achievement Award under the board’s Exemplar School Recognition Program. The Board of Education also awarded Charles J. Colgan Sr., Freedom, Gar-Field, Potomac, and Woodbridge High Schools the Continuous Improvement Award.
“We are incredibly proud of the schools that have earned the Highest Achievement and Continuous Improvement Awards this year. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our educators who consistently go above and beyond for their students,” shared Superintendent of Schools Dr. LaTanya D. McDade. “These accolades reflect the commitment to maintaining high standards and fostering an environment where every student can thrive.”
The Board of Education implemented this recognition program for schools in 2019. It was established to recognize schools that exceed requirements created by the board or show continuous academic improvement.
To receive the Board of Education’s Highest Achievement Award, the school must be accredited and meet all the following criteria:
- The school meets state benchmark in reading, math, and science (75% for reading and 70% for math and science) based on the current year pass rate on state assessments (not including growth or English learner progress);
- All student groups within the school meet state benchmarks in reading and math (75% for reading and 70% for math) based on the current year pass rate on state assessments (not including growth or English learner progress), and
- For schools with two student groups, there is no more than five percentage points between the lowest performing group and all other students in the school; or
- For schools with three or more student groups, there is no more than 10 percentage points between the lowest performing group and all other students in the school.
- School demonstrates a current year chronic absenteeism rate of 15 percent or lower.
To receive the Board of Education’s Continuous Improvement Award, the school must be accredited or accredited with conditions and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- The school demonstrates an increase in the combined rate for math, reading, and science for each of the past three years (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), with a total increase across the three years of 10 points or more; or
- The school demonstrates an increase in the combined rate for two or more student groups in reading and math for each of the past three years (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), with a total increase across the three years of ten points or more; or
- The school demonstrates an increase in the Graduation and Completion Index (GCI) for each of the past three years (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), with a total increase across the three years of four percent or more; and the school demonstrates a decrease in the dropout rate for each of the past three years (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), with the total reduction across three years of 15 percent or more of the first year’s dropout rate.
The Continuous Improvement Award criteria was amended for 2024-25 to remove chronic absenteeism criteria since only two years of chronic absenteeism data was available (2022-23 and 2023-24).
To learn more about the Exemplar Performance School Awards, visit the Virginia Department of Education’s website.