According to the press release, 68% of Virginia’s schools are accredited for the 2014-2015 school year, which is a decrease from 77% in the previous year. The state indicated that they believe more rigorous testing caused the decline in the number of accredited schools.
Brenda Gilliam, director of testing and instruction for Fluvanna County Schools said, “Fluvanna County Public School teachers focused on the increased rigor in the mathematics program. Teachers worked together to develop more challenging assessments that helped to better prepare students for the state test. Teachers planned together and disaggregated student data, and this hard work paid off.”
Gilliam received a phone call from Michael Bolling, mathematics specialist at the Virginia Department of Education. “Mr. Bolling wanted to know the secrets of our success in Fluvanna County. It was gratifying to know that the State recognized what our staff and students had done to increase student achievement in math,” said Gilliam.
“This is a success story epitomizing the smart and dedicated work on the part of our teachers, our administrators, and our central office curriculum and instruction team,” said Fluvanna County Schools Superintendent Gena Keller. “While this is only one measure of our progress, it is an important one. I ask that our community join us in celebrating this accomplishment – Go thank a teacher!”
