In addition, several schools saw continued improvements in their reading and math scores, including Westwood, Galileo, Park Avenue Elementary, Schoolfield Elementary, and Woodberry Hills Elementary.
“Our schools have been working incredibly hard in previous years to increase student achievement,” School Board Chair Ty’Quan Graves said. “We are excited to see that our schools are improving and excelling.”
District Results As a district, pass rates for reading were 53%, a steady improvement over four years from 43% in 2020-21. DPS has not seen pass rates at this level since the 2017-18 school year. Likewise, district math pass rates were 49%, a steady improvement from 30% in 2020-21.
“While we still have work to do, we are proud of the gains we have been able to make, especially because we are seeing numbers we haven’t seen in several years,” Superintendent Dr. Angela Hairston said.
Other Improvements
DPS also continues to monitor data for students who are not yet SOL tested. Students in kindergarten through second grade receive the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener (PALS), which monitors their knowledge of literacy fundamentals, including alphabet recognition, letter sounds, and spelling.
With data from the PALS assessments, the division can tell whether students are reaching their important benchmarks. Since the 2020-21 school year, the percentage of students on or above benchmarks in grades K-2 has increased, with 75% of kindergarten students reaching benchmarks in 2023-24, along with 64% of first graders and 65% of second graders.
Tutoring Efforts
This year, in accordance with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s ALL In plan, DPS launched a rigorous tutoring program, which included before, after, and Saturday school tutoring. Through the tutoring programs, the division reclaimed approximately 12,715 instructional hours missed.
In addition, the division saw a 23% reduction in students who were chronically absent, with Forest Hills Elementary, Galileo Magnet High, the Activ8 STEM Academy, the Virtual Academy, Park Avenue Elementary, Schoolfield Elementary, O.T. Bonner Middle, and Westwood Middle demonstrated excellent attendance during the 23-24 school year.
Next Steps
Going forward, the division will continue to work on literacy, with further implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act and targeted work with Reading Specialists.
The Virginia Department of Education is expected to update division School Quality Profiles, including accreditation ratings and on-time graduation rates by the end of September.