RICHMOND – New accreditation ratings show an improvement for most local school systems.
92% of Virginia schools are accredited for 2018-2019 according to new school ratings released by the Virginia Department of Education. That means 1,683 out of 1,821 schools meet the standards.
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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) reported the first school ratings under new state accreditation standards designed to promote continuous achievement in all schools, close achievement gaps and expand accountability beyond overall performance on Standards of Learning tests.
The new standards — which were approved by the state Board of Education last November — also recognize the academic growth of students making significant annual progress toward meeting grade-level expectations in English and mathematics.
Under the state board’s revised Standards of Accreditation, schools are evaluated on school quality indicators grouped in three categories: academic achievement, achievement gaps, and student engagement and outcomes. Performance on each indicator is rated at one of the following levels:
Level One: Meets or exceeds state standard or sufficient improvement
Level Two: Near state standard or sufficient improvement
Level Three: Below state standard
Too Small: Too few students in school or group to evaluate
As a consequence of the school quality indicator ratings released today, 322 schools will undergo academic reviews or implement corrective action plans. This compares with 250 schools identified for similar state-directed or state-guided interventions last year under the commonwealth’s previous accountability standards.
Every school under the new accreditation regulations — regardless of performance — must develop a multi-year plan to support continuous improvement on each school quality indicator. The revised accreditation standards also require specific local and state actions to improve performance on each indicator, as follows:
· Level One – School and division continue to monitor the indicator and the school's multi-year plan for continuous improvement.
· Level Two – School and division implement essential actions and research-based strategies to improve performance on the indicator to Level One. If at Level Two for overall performance in English, mathematics or science, school must also undergo an academic review conducted by VDOE or under department guidance.
· Level Three – School undergoes an academic review conducted by VDOE or under its guidance. School and school division – in consultation with VDOE – develop and implement a corrective action plan.
Academic Achievement Summary
| Indicator | Schools at Level One | Schools at Level Two | Schools at Level Three | Too Small |
| English | 1,700 | 62 | 50 | 1 |
| Mathematics | 1,725 | 42 | 45 | 1 |
| Science | 1,661 | 36 | 64 | 1 |
Achievement Gaps Summary
| Indicator | Schools at Level One | Schools at Level Two | Schools at Level Three | Too Small |
| English | 1,057 | 644 | 112 | 0 |
| Mathematics | 982 | 654 | 176 | 1 |
Student Engagement and Outcomes Summary
| Indicator | Schools at Level One | Schools at Level Two | Schools at Level Three | Too Small |
| Chronic Absenteeism | 1,600 | 169 | 44 | 0 |
| Dropout Rate (High Schools) | 270 | 30 | 30 | 0 |
| Graduation & Completion (High Schools) | 302 | 18 | 9 | 1 |
School divisions that do not demonstrate evidence of progress in adopting or implementing corrective action plans for a school or schools with indicators at Level Three will be required to enter into a memorandum of understanding between the local school board and the state Board of Education defining responsibilities and essential actions to improve performance.
Schools earn one of the following three accreditation ratings based on performance on school quality indicators:
Accredited – Schools with all school quality indicators at either Level One or Level Two. In addition, high-performing schools with waivers from annual accreditation authorized by the General Assembly are rated as Accredited. Schools meeting the previous standard for full state accreditation are also rated as Accredited for 2018-2019.
Accredited with Conditions – Schools with one or more school quality indicators at Level Three
Accreditation Denied – Schools that fail to adopt or fully implement required corrective actions to address Level Three school-quality indicators.
The following table summarizes overall school accreditation ratings for 2018-2019.
State School Accreditation Summary
| Accreditation Rating | Number of Schools | Percentage of Schools |
| Accredited | 1,683 | 92% |
| Accredited With Conditions | 130 | 7% |
| New School | 7 | <1% |
| Accreditation Withheld | 1 | <1% |
| Total | 1,821 | 100% |
The 1,683 schools with an overall rating of Accredited include 147 schools with waivers from annual accreditation based on previous high performance that otherwise would have been rated as Accredited with Conditions. In addition, 34 schools were awarded one-year transitional ratings of Accredited for meeting the previous standard for full state accreditation. These schools also would have been rated as Accredited with Conditions.