The majority of Hampton Roads schools received full accreditation for the 2024-25 school year, according to data released by the Virginia Department of Education this week. Across the state, about 85% of schools were fully accredited.
Hampton, Isle of Wight, Poquoson, Williamsburg-James City County and York County divisions received full accreditation for all their schools.
The state uses several quality indicators including overall proficiency and growth in multiple subject areas, achievement gaps in English and math among student groups, and chronic absenteeism. High schools factor in graduation and dropout rates, and college, career and civic readiness. Falling below the minimum standards for any one of these indicators can result in accreditation with conditions.
Science proficiency continued to be a problem in Hampton Roads. Most schools rated accredited with conditions fell below state standards in the subject.
Among Virginia Beach’s 82 sites, only Williams Elementary was accredited with conditions because of science scores and the math achievement gap. But Virginia Beach City Public Schools officials noted in a news release that the division improved in multiple categories, including chronic absenteeism. The division saw 80 schools meet the benchmark for chronic absenteeism compared with 38 in the last cycle, which is based on data from 2022-23. The division also saw more high schools — 9 of 11 compared with the previous 3 of 11 — meet the college, career and civic readiness benchmark.
Williams Elementary will undergo a needs assessment and follow an improvement plan.
In Chesapeake, two of 45 schools were accredited with conditions because of science scores: Rena B. Wright Primary and Truitt Intermediate. So were four of Suffolk’s 19 schools.
Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth schools had the highest number of sites accredited with conditions. Newport News saw 17 of its 38 schools receive the rating, including the majority of its middle schools and Warwick High. Warwick received the rating for chronic absenteeism. In Norfolk, 18 of 41 schools were accredited with conditions, including three three high schools. Booker T. Washington, Granby and Lake Taylor all fell below the standards for dropout rates. Booker T. Washington also was hit because of its science score.
In Portsmouth, nine of 19 schools were accredited with conditions, including its three middle schools.
Among the schools that fared the worst — missing standards in five of six indicators — were Huntington Middle School in Newport News, Douglass Park Elementary in Portsmouth, and Norfolk’s Ruffner Middle School, Jacox Elementary and P.B. Young Elementary. These schools passed only on the chronic absenteeism benchmark.
Next year, the state’s new evaluation system will kick in. The state board of education voted this summer to create two systems. One will determine accreditation on how well schools meet state requirements; the other will include a school report card that officials say will be easier for parents to understand. The new model will use four descriptors for performance: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track and Needs Intensive Support.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week touted the new system. He said this year’s results demonstrate the method had to be changed. In a news release, Youngkin’s office noted that no schools were denied accreditation and 85% received the highest rating, despite that tests showed the majority of third through eighth graders “failed or are barely proficient in reading and math.”
Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com
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