The Hanover County school system has been fully accredited – with a whopping 100 percent – for seven consecutive years for its Standards of Learning work in the state.
Jamelle S. Wilson, assistant superintendent of instructional leadership in the county, told the Hanover County School Board during its regular meeting last Tuesday that “all [the county schools] will be accredited and all will make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress).”
The Virginia Department of Education Web site, http://www.doe.virginia.gov, describes the state’s “expectations for student learning and achievement in grades K-12 in English, mathematics, science, history/social science, technology, the fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education, and driver education.
“These standards represent a broad consensus of what parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, academic, and business and community leaders believe schools should teach and students should learn.
“In the four core areas of English, mathematics, science, and history/social science, a curriculum framework also is provided that details the specific knowledge and skills students must possess to meet the standards for these subjects.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education Web site regarding No School Left Behind, http://www.ed.gov, for a school or district to make AYP, “each group of students meets or exceeds statewide annual objective.”
Exceptions are: “The number below proficient reduced 10 percent from prior year, and subgroup made progress on other indicators.”
And, “For each group, 95 percent of students enrolled participate in the assessments on which AYP is based.”
The local school district has been fully accredited every year since 2002. Wilson pointed out this success comes “one year ahead of a self-imposed deadline.”
Superintendent Stewart D. Roberson said Hanover County — with 19,000 students — ranks 14th among 136 school systems in Virginia.
Wilson also recognized the increase in graduation rates from 2005 to 2007. The percentage of Hanover County students receiving diplomas rose from 85 in 2004-05 to 86 in 2005-06 to 88 in 2006-07.
