GCPS students surpassed the state pass-rate average on reading, math, science, and history Standards of Learning (SOL) tests according to results released by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) today.
VDOE will release official accreditation results in September, and based on today’s released pass rates all GCPS schools will earn accreditation. “We are one of 10 school divisions in Virginia to have 100 percent of our schools accredited for more than 10 consecutive years,” Steve Geyer, Ed.D., GCPS Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, said. Next month’s released results will be associated with the state’s new combined rate for SOL tests in grades 3-8 reading and mathematics. This new methodology for state accreditation recognizes both traditional achievement as well as individual student growth. “While the benchmarks of state accreditation in Virginia have evolved over the past decade, Goochland County Public Schools have remained a consistent leader in meeting the academic needs of students. We anticipate all of our schools meeting state accreditation again next month.”
Despite two and a half years of teaching and learning impacted to varying degrees by the global pandemic, GCPS students and teachers continued to outperform their peers:
Division Reading Results: 86% combined rate, 78% pass rate, 5% above the state average
Division Math Results: 87% combined rate, 72% pass rate, 6% above the state average
Division Science Results: 67% pass rate, 2% above the state average
Division History Results: 75% pass rate, 9% above the state average
Graduation Rate: 97%
The Virginia Department of Education's modernized state accreditation formula was developed to provide a more complete summary of school performance across the Commonwealth. “There’s no finish line in our profession, and we’re constantly analyzing our performance data with a focus on continuous improvement,” Geyer said. “I’m proud of this mindset. It keeps us sharp and striving for excellence.
Our school division is successful because of the dedication of each one of our 468 team members, the hard work of our students, the partnership of our families, and the support of our amazing Goochland community.”
“While our strong track record of state accreditation represents the excellence of our school division, we know we have more work to do to realize our mission to maximize the potential of every learner,” Division Superintendent Jeremy Raley, Ed.D., said. “We could not be more excited to continue that work when we welcome students back on Monday.”