Yesterday, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced that all Charlottesville City Schools are fully accredited. The VDOE also announced that under the state’s new “accountability” framework, all Charlottesville City Schools exceed or are approaching the state’s new accountability benchmark of 80 points. Sunrise Elementary (formerly Burnley-Moran) earned the state’s highest designation of distinguished for earning more than 90 points.

Obviously, we are pleased that all schools are fully accredited and meeting or approaching the state’s benchmarks. Even so, we are working to ensure that our schools serve all students better.  Charlottesville City Schools has one simple goal, and that is to help every student gain proficiency in the skills they need to succeed in life.

Our own review of data – and the state’s indicators – have identified student groups that need focused support to meet this goal:

• English language learners

• Black students

• Economically disadvantaged students

• Three of our schools – Walker, Tall Oaks, and Trailblazer – were identified as needing additional support for one or more of these student groups. Per the state’s new rules for the accountability system, being federally identified in one or more areas means that these schools’ accountability designations get lowered even if the school is over or approaching the 80 point benchmark.

We have work to do –  but we have seen some encouraging signs. For instance, this year, despite increased rigor of English and math content, we saw modest gains for SOL pass rates for virtually all student groups, including Black students. But our students deserve more than modest gains, so this year, we took steps such as adding staff and training to support English learners, distributing support staff such as learning specialists at schools according to need, equipping staff to improve our use of data to guide our instruction, and more. 

Bottom Line: Let’s Work Together

The state’s new accreditation and accountability framework is complicated, with many changing pieces (see below if you’d like to learn more). Our schools are working to prepare our schools and students to meet these challenges. But the bottom line is your child’s success. If you have any concerns for your child, please contact your teacher or counselor so the school can work with you and your student to address any concerns and make a plan for their success.

Dr. Royal A. Gurley, Jr.
Superintendent

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the state’s indicators for our schools’ accountability and accreditation?

Explain that chart, please?

• Accreditation means that schools provide an essential foundation of high-quality programs for all students. The state’s categories are “Fully accredited,” “Accreditation with Conditions,” and “Accreditation Denied.”

• Accountability Framework Score – This year, Virginia developed a new framework for accountability with a target of 80 points or higher.  Points are given based on items ranging from test scores to attendance, and the systems are different at the elementary, middle school, and high school level.  See a chart here to show specific school accountability criteria.

• Accountability Performance Level – Generally, the performance level mirrors the framework score (90+="Distinguished"; 80-89="On Track"; 65-79="Off Track"; 64 or less="Needs Intensive Support"). However, a school will have their category lowered one level if they have at least one group of students who need targeted support. Three of our schools were identified as needing additional support in the areas of English language learners, Black students, and students who are economically disadvantaged. These schools will also qualify to receive additional support from the Federal government.
  
  

What Recent Changes Have Been Implemented or Announced for Virginia’s Public Schools?

A lot! Meeting the state’s benchmarks is complicated by a number of recent or upcoming changes from the VDOE:

• Increasing rigor in new English and math standards (appeared in SOL tests in 2024 and 2025)

• Decreasing the time that our English language learners have before their scores impact their schools’ overall SOL pass rates from 11 semesters to 3 semesters (2025)

• Reducing the size of a student “group” that counts toward a school’s accreditation/accountability ratings (2025). To reduce fluctuations in small cohorts, formerly a group of 30 students in a racial or demographic group was the standard; now a group of as few as 15 students counts in these ratings. This change was a major reason why the state’s number of schools that were identified for one or more student groups rose from 225 last year to 346 this year.

• Changing the state’s accreditation and accountability framework (2025)

• Changing which graduation rate calculations  impact accountability (2025). The state now uses the four-year Federal graduation rate, which does not take into account accommodations for students with disabilities or the fact that some of our students – particularly recently arrived English language learners – are eligible for and benefit from staying at the high school another year or two.

• Including a student’s SOL scores in their final grade (2026-27)

• Increasing the passing (or “cut”) scores required for students to pass SOL tests (phased-in implementation to begin spring 2027)

How is Charlottesville City Schools Responding to All These Changes?

As noted above, despite all these changes, our goal remains the same:  Charlottesville City Schools has one simple goal, and that is to help every student gain proficiency in the skills they need to succeed in life.  This year, we took steps such as:

• adding staff and staff training to support English learners, 

• distributing support staff such as learning specialists at schools according to need,

• equipping staff to improve our use of data to guide our instruction, and more.

Any Other Changes in the Works?

One area that we have been focusing attention on is developing stronger course pathways for students (based on a student survey and the area job market) to help students deepen skills and develop career readiness. This includes our STEM/engineering pathways and our work with the UVA Innovation Hub at Charlottesville Middle School, but it also means a new health pathway (aside from existing classes at CATEC), marketing, and more.

What Does This Mean for Me and My Child(ren)?

The bottom line is that we want to partner with your and your child(ren) to ensure their success. If you have any concerns about your child’s learning, attendance, mental health, school relationships, or more, please contact – and stay in touch with – your child’s teacher, counselor, or other trusted adults in our schools. The state recommends this resource for families:  Readiness Roadmap » Be A Learning Hero.

Where Can I Find the State’s Full Information about Accreditation and Accountability?