The governor of Virginia called the Patrick County School division Tuesday afternoon to express his thanks and congratulations on a job well done as the division continues to buck the trend for similar schools in similar circumstances, with all schools fully accredited for the second year in a row.
Citing that accomplishment and maintaining high scores on tests in a high poverty area like Patrick, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said “It’s truly outstanding all the hard work you people have done down there. This is a big deal for us,” he said, during a Tuesday telephone call to Patrick Schools Superintendent Bill Sroufe.
According to McAuliffe, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Staples, Virginia Secretary of Education Dietra Trent and basically the “whole shooting match” gathered in his Richmond office for the call.
Several staff and media representatives were on hand in Stuart when McAuliffe said “We are so proud of what you have done. Tell the students and the teachers how proud we are of them,” he said.
After the call ended, Sroufe said McAuliffe often tells his staff at the end of meetings to “go big. For the last four years, we have gone big, and we get up every day and try to go bigger.”
Apparently, the motto has met with success.
“It’s not every day the governor calls,” Sroufe said, and both thanked and congratulated his team of administrators, educators and students.
“For the last four years, we’ve put kids first and the instruction of kids first,” Sroufe said. “Not many school divisions in Virginia can say they’ve been fully accredited two years in a row, especially with our level of poverty.”
Patrick schools are among the 1,573 in Virginia that are rated as fully accredited for this school year, based on the performance of students on Standards of Learning and other state-approved assessments in English, mathematics, science and history during 2016-2017, according to a release.
The Department of Education noted that students must achieve adjusted pass rates of at least 75 percent in English and at least 70 percent on assessments in mathematics, science and history for a school to earn full accreditation. High schools must also meet a benchmark for graduation and completion. Accreditation ratings may also reflect an average of achievement over several years.
“I congratulate the teachers, principals, support staff and other educators in these schools for their hard work and dedication to helping students meet the commonwealth’s high expectations for learning and achievement,” Staples said. “I also want to thank and encourage educators in schools that are making progress as they move closer to achieving full accreditation. As we begin the transition to a new accountability system that recognizes growth and includes important outcomes such as achievement gaps and dropout rates, a commitment to continued improvement in all schools will be vital to our success.”
In June, the state Board of Education approved revisions to the Standards of Accreditation that place increased emphasis on closing achievement gaps between student groups – and continuous improvement in all schools – while providing a more comprehensive view of school quality. A final vote on the revised standards by the board is expected in November.
State and federal accountability ratings and related information for all schools are available on School Quality Profile reports and the Virginia Department of Education website.
