Five Henrico schools lose full accreditation status
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Fourteen of Henrico County's public schools were marked as “accredited with conditions” by the Virginia Department of Education’s accreditation system this year, including five that were labeled "fully accredited" last year.
VDOE data released Sept. 30 designated 14% of schools statewide as accredited with conditions, compared to 21% of schools in Henrico. Virginia’s school accreditation system, which is set to change next year, rates schools on several “school quality indicators,” including academic performance, achievement gaps between student groups, and student engagement.
This year, Hermitage High, Henrico High, Hungary Creek Middle, Elko Middle, and Montrose Elementary were downgraded from “accredited” to accredited with conditions. Nine other schools – Brookland Middle, Fairfield Middle, John Rolfe Middle, L. Douglas Wilder Middle, Fair Oaks Elementary, Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary, Highland Springs Elementary, Laburnum Elementary, and Henrico Virtual Academy – remained accredited with conditions.
Varina High and Glen Lea Elementary, which were accredited with conditions last year, received full accreditation this year.
Schools marked as accredited with conditions did not meet state standards on at least one of the school quality indicators, while fully accredited schools either met or exceeded state standards or showed improvement from the previous year. Last year, Henrico had 11 schools marked as accredited with conditions.
While Hungary Creek Middle saw high ratings on academic performance and absenteeism, student achievement gaps – particularly in math – downgraded the school’s accreditation status. Achievement gaps were especially significant among Black students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.
Hermitage High saw its lowest rating for its high dropout rate, which is 13.5% for the entire school, compared to the division’s 6.6% average dropout rate. Henrico High’s downgraded status stemmed mainly from a high chronic absenteeism rate of 26%. The division’s chronic absenteeism rate is 14%.
On the other hand, several schools, including both Varina High and Glen Lea Elementary, saw a significant improvement in attendance since last year. Varina High’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped from over 30% last year down to 20% this year. Glen Lea also saw chronic absenteeism decline, from almost 40% two years ago to 27% now.
Other Central Virginia school divisions also saw more schools marked as accredited with conditions this year. Chesterfield County Public Schools went from four schools not fully accredited last year to 11 schools this year, while Hanover County Public Schools saw one school marked as accredited with conditions for the first time under the current system.
Next year, Virginia schools will have a new accreditation system, which officials finalized last month. Under the new system, schools will receive an accreditation rating based on whether they meet basic state requirements like staffing ratios and building codes. Schools will also receive an accountability rating based on academic performance and improvement with four performance categories: “distinguished,” “on track,” “off track,” and “needs intensive support.”
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Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.
