Student achievement soars in Newport News Public Schools

Norfolk had four schools that were denied accreditation. Instead, Virginia introduced tougher standardized tests in 2011, leading more students to fail the exams and more schools to lose full accreditation.

Among the other schools that were not Fully Accredited, Dumfries and Neabsco Elementary Schools, and Beville and Godwin Middle Schools were rated as "Partially Accredited: Approaching Benchmark-Pass Rate", missing pass rate benchmarks by just a point or two in a single subject.

At 89.5 percent of schools fully accredited, Fauquier County fares better than the state's overall percentage at 78 percent fully accredited.

But for 2015-2016 year, the Board of Education has revised its Standards of Accreditation.

Among the good news for Fauquier County Public Schools in the October 27 VDOE release is that Pierce Elementary School, which missed full accreditation the last two years, is now fully accredited - with a 20-point gain in mathematics and an 18-point gain in English from last year to this year - and has met all federal benchmarks.

To be accredited, a school much have at least 75 percent of its students pass the English SOL and 70 percent must pass the math, science and history SOLs.

The goal next year for Lincoln Terrace is to be fully accredited. However, the school did post improving results since a year ago in all four content areas, including a 17-point gain in science and 16 points in math. High schools must also meet a benchmark for graduation and completion. Last year, a third of schools were "accredited with warning", up from 22 percent the previous year.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced a significant increase in the number of Virginia schools earning accreditation in 2015. "Strategies like allowing expedited Standards of Learning (SOL) retakes are helping more students and schools reach for success by measuring student achievement without pinning their futures on just one high stakes test".

Five of the city's seven middle schools' accreditation status has not yet been determined, school report cards show.

While the SOL tests are only one measure of achievement, it is important to celebrate the vast improvements being made in the school system this year.

In Greene County, Ruckersville Elementary and William Monroe High schools are fully accredited.