West Central Elementary staff is also working with MACAA to develop a program which will help parents of rising kindergarten students understand what kindergarten readiness looks like, and give them the tools to ensure their children are prepared to begin their education.
All of this comes on the heels of changes in testing to meet state standards, which Superintendent Gena Keller referred to as a “moving target.” While the rest of Fluvanna’s schools are fully accredited, the middle school is accredited with a warning in mathematics.
The new arrangement of schools presents its own problems: testing results are not consistent because different grades are now grouped together as at Carysbrook Elementary, which may mean that standings could appear to slip, even though educational practices and actual learning have not changed.
Keller is pleased with the plans that are in place to move the middle school closer to full accreditation, and feels confident that her administrators and teachers are capable of making the changes needed. She added that, “No one measure will ever indicate our success stories – no one measure should ever be the sole measure. I absolutely believe that we will make great gains towards that mark.”– Tricia Johnson
