Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WINDSOR

According to the Virginia Department of Education’s report released on Thursday, all four Isle of Wight schools in the southern part of the county remain accredited. These are Windsor High, Georgie D. Tyler Middle School and Windsor and Carrsville elementary schools.

These ratings are the first under the new state accreditation standards which, according to VDOE communications director Charles Pyle, were approved by the state Board of Education last November. They are intended to promote continuous achievement in all schools, close achievement gaps and expand accountability beyond overall performance on Standards of Learning tests. The new standards also now recognize the academic growth of students making significant annual progress toward meeting grade-level expectations in English and math.

Pyle had stated in a press release that schools are now evaluated on school quality indicators, including students’ performance in English, math and science; achievement gaps in English and math; and chronic absenteeism. High schools have two additional indicators: dropout rate and graduation/completion rate.

Schools are classified into one of three levels based on each indicator. Level 1 is defined as meeting or exceeding the state standard or making sufficient improvement. Level 2 is defined as being near the state standard or making sufficient improvement. Level 3 is defined as being below the state standard. A school can also be deemed too small in one or more indicators if the VDOE finds that there are too few students enrolled to effectively evaluate it.

According to the VDOE’s new school quality website, schoolquality.virginia.gov, WHS is at Level 1 for English, mathematics and science. In the category of achievement gap for English, the school is at Level 1 for all applicable categories except for students with disabilities, which is Level 2. That score in the achievement gap category is defined as two or more student demographic groups at Level 2 and no more than one at Level 3. The latter is two or more students groups performing at Level 3.

When it comes chronic absenteeism, the dropout rate and graduation, WHS is also at Level 1. The first category is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason. Fifteen point 16 percent of the students were chronically absent in 2017-2018. The dropout rate: 2.46 percent of the 2018 students dropped out before graduating. Graduation: 94.4 percent completed the necessary requirements to earn their diplomas.

Georgie D. Tyler

The middle school was at Level 1 in academic achievement, chronic absenteeism and achievement gap in math, but at Level 2 in English; more specifically at Level 3 for students with disabilities. Absenteeism: 15.93 percent of the students were chronically absent last year.

Windsor Elementary

The school was also at Level 1 in academic achievement, chronic absenteeism and achievement gap in math, but at Level 2 in English; more specifically at Level 2 for blacks, and Level 3 for students with disabilities; and Level 2 in the category for math. Absenteeism: 9.54 percent of the students were chronically absent last year.

Carrsville Elementary

The school was at Level 1 in academic achievement, student engagement and most categories where achievement gaps are addressed. In English, Level 2 for economically disadvantaged students; in math, three three for black, the disadvantaged and disabled students. Absenteeism: 10.76 percent of the students were chronically absent last year.