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October 1, 2024 — Staunton City Schools (SCS) is pleased to announce all of Staunton's schools are fully accredited, based on the 2023-2024 SOL data just released by the Virginia Department of Education.
Over the past six years, SCS has shown significant improvement, climbing 62 places in state rankings, the highest level of improvement in SOL results compared to any other school division in Virginia from 2018 to 2023. Out of 131 Virginia school divisions, SCS is now ranked 43rd in the state based on 2023-2024 SOL data, placing it among the top one-third of divisions in the state for student achievement.
“Staunton City Schools is performing above expectations despite having a higher rate of poverty than the majority of school divisions,” said Dr. Garett Smith, SCS superintendent. “In fact, in every subject, SCS exceeds the state average for economically disadvantaged students. Our teachers and staff have worked hard to eliminate any potential barriers to learning by providing high-quality instruction for all students, and these results show that we’re making steady and consistent progress. We’re proud of all their smart work and look forward to continuing this positive momentum.”
Listed below are a few highlights by school:
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Bessie Weller Elementary exceeded reading and math benchmarks in all reporting groups with essentially no difference. Students with disabilities achieved at a rate of 100%, and English Learners at 100%. Math and science exceeded the state average.
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McSwain Elementary exceeded reading and math benchmarks in all reporting groups with essentially no difference in any race. Reading, math, and science were above the state average in every subject and grade.
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Ware Elementary exceeded math benchmarks in all reporting groups and had the highest pass rates to date. Reading, math, and science exceeded the state average, and reading exceeded the state average in every grade.
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Shelburne Middle exceeded the all-student accreditation benchmark in reading and math. Shelburne will continue to focus on increasing support for students with disabilities. All subjects—reading, math, and science—had the highest overall pass rate to date, with science exceeding the state average.
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Staunton High exceeded math benchmarks in all reporting groups and had the highest math pass rate to date. There was essentially no difference in performance among races in reading and math. Staunton High also exceeded the state average in reading, writing, Algebra II, and World History I.
Pass rates for reading, math and science increased across the division for the 2023-2024 school year with the following results:
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Reading: The overall reading pass rate has increased annually to 74% in 2023-2024, exceeding pre-pandemic results and the state average. This is the first time SCS has exceeded the state average in reading.
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Math: The overall pass rate has increased annually to 71% in 2023-2024, showing a 4% increase from the previous year and alignment with the state average. Every school in Staunton increased students' achievement in math, and all reporting groups are performing at or above the state average.
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Science: Staunton’s science pass rate is 77%, ranking 18th of 131 school divisions or in the top 15%. This rate is 9% higher than the state average and exceeds pre-pandemic results. The division-wide 5th-grade science pass rate was 90%, with SCS’ three elementary schools ranking third in the state.
Additionally, Staunton’s 2024 graduating cohort had the highest on-time graduation rate to date, at 93%, and was consistent across all reporting groups.
In 2023-2024, SCS significantly improved students' attendance rates, reducing chronic absenteeism by more than half, from 31% post-pandemic to 15% last school year, through partnerships with families.
SCS plans to maintain the positive momentum and support areas needing improvement by continuing its cycle of support for teaching and learning with classroom observations and feedback, providing targeted interventions for students needing support and maintaining a focus on strong reading foundations as described in the division literacy plan.
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