From Stafford County Schools:
The Virginia Department of Education has released new School Quality Profiles for Virginia Schools. Stafford County Public Schools continues to be a national and state leader in education. According to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) State Accreditation Report, all schools in Stafford County earned the highest accreditation rating of “Fully Accredited” for this school year.
Public schools in Virginia are designated with annual accreditation ratings by the state, which are based on Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment scores and student growth from the previous school year. SOL assessments are administered in English Reading, English Writing, History, Mathematics, and Science.
Despite this success, Stafford Schools acknowledges there is still work to be done. “There are a lot of gaps to fill. The top two priorities in our Elevate Stafford strategic plan call for improved opportunities to prepare our kids for future success and higher expectations and support for academic achievement. We recognize that there is a lot of room for improvement in these areas and we are committed to continuous improvement that leads to Stafford Schools becoming the highest performing school division in the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Thomas W. Taylor, Superintendent. “The information from this report will help to provide some direction as we continue to refine our approaches to providing quality instruction where it is most needed.”
The School Quality Profiles also indicate that Stafford Schools is facing similar challenges with regard to chronic absenteeism and student performance as many other school systems in Virginia.
“There is a direct correlation between absenteeism and proficient levels of student achievement. Our students need to be in school, and they need to be engaged every day,” continued Dr. Taylor. “Simply stated, daily attendance is critical to student success. We need our students in school and we need the support of our parents and community to make that happen.”
Virginia’s School Quality Profiles provide information about accreditation, student achievement, college and career readiness, program completion, school safety, teacher quality, and other topics of interest to parents and the general public. Detailed information regarding Stafford Schools’ performance is available on the Virginia Department of Education Website.
