Six more Richmond Public Schools earned full accreditation than last year, thanks to higher pass rates on the state's Standards of Learning tests. But city schools still have a ways to go before they are on par with their regional peers, according to ratings released today by the Virginia Department of Education.
In RPS, 17 of 45 schools are fully accredited. Around the region: All 23 of Hanover’s schools achieved full accreditation; 52 of Chesterfield’s 61 schools are fully accredited; 45 of Henrico’s 65 schools are fully accredited.
The state Board of Education announced earlier this month that it had revised its accreditation categories to recognize progress made by a school’s students on standardized tests. Statewide, 78 percent of schools achieved full accreditation.
- Ten RPS elementary schools are fully accredited: Broad Rock, Greene, Fairfield, Carver, Fisher, Stuart, Holton, Munford, Southampton and Fox. All others were partially accredited.
- Five of the city’s seven middle schools’ accreditation status has not yet been determined, school report cards show. Albert Hill Middle received partial accreditation. Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School, formed over the summer, received conditional accreditation because it is a new school.
- Six of the city’s eight high schools achieved full accreditation. Thomas Jefferson High is accredited with warning because of its lagging SOL pass rates. Armstrong High’s status is yet to be determined, according to its VDOE school report card.
- The Richmond Career and Education charter school also received full accreditation.
- Two RPS schools were denied accreditation: The Amelia Street Special Education and the Richmond Alternative school, both of which serve students with disabilities. According to the Department of Education website, a school is rated Accreditation Denied if it fails to meet the requirements for full accreditation four year years in a row. The two schools will have to submit a corrective plan, subject to public comment, to the state along with a timeline for implementation.
