During Monday’s regular School Board assembly, Heidi Miller, the head of assessment and accountability for the division, unveiled the forecast for the upcoming accreditation.
Each year’s accreditation is determined by evaluating data from the previous school year. Factors considered include student achievements in areas such as academic success, disparities in performance among specific groups, and overall student engagement and results.
In a division-wide perspective, eight student groups demonstrated advancement over the 2021–22 academic year, as reported by Miller. Math was the subject in which all but one of these groups showed improvements.
At Hugh Mercer Elementary, Black students boosted their math scores from level three to level one. Similar improvements were seen at James Monroe High School and Lafayette Elementary among Black students.
Students at Walker–Grant who are economically disadvantaged or Hispanic enhanced their math skills from level three to level two. Furthermore, economically disadvantaged pupils at James Monroe saw their math performance rise from level three to level one.
Special education students at Walker–Grant also made strides in English, moving from a level three to a level two.
White and Asian students, along with those learning English across all schools, achieved a level one performance in both math and English.
“Level one is where most of the groups are,” stated Miller. “Though special education students are still a main concern, followed by students who are Black, of multiple races, or economically disadvantaged.”
Miller added a note of caution that these findings are initial, with final ratings coming in September, though any changes are anticipated to be positive.
The situation at Walker–Grant, which might attain level one in English across all student groups, is being carefully monitored. There is also some uncertainty regarding student engagement and outcomes.
Chronic absenteeism was a widespread challenge in Fredericksburg schools, mirroring a national trend. Last year’s preliminary figures showed that both Hugh Mercer and James Monroe were at level three for this factor, while Lafayette and Walker–Grant were at level two.
Efforts to minimize chronic absenteeism, marked by missing 10% or more of the academic year for any reason, are being stressed by various school divisions across Virginia, as indicated by the VDOE.
Since 2018, chronic absenteeism has been part of Virginia’s school performance metrics, although it was temporarily halted during the COVID-19 crisis and resumed for the 2022–23 academic year.
Last year’s data from the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that chronic absenteeism has risen in over 70% of schools nationwide since the pandemic began.
