All but middle schools pass SOL muster

Published 11:24 am Thursday, September 25, 2008

All of the area’s elementary and high schools achieved full accreditation as a result of standardized testing last spring. But middle schools in Franklin, Southampton County and Isle of Wight County are on the state’s warning list.

The state Department of Education today announced that 95 percent of Virginia’s public schools are fully accredited and meeting state standards in English, math, history and science. That’s the highest percentage of schools reaching full accreditation since the commonwealth began its Standards of Learning, or SOL, statewide testing a decade ago.

Among the 5 percent not on the fully accredited list are J.P. King Middle School in Franklin, Southampton Middle School and Windsor Middle School in Isle of Wight County. Those three schools are designated by the state as “Accredited with Warning.”

The designation means that pass rates on the SOLs are below the levels required for full accreditation. Schools that are “Accredited with Warning” undergo academic reviews and are required to adopt and implement school improvement plans, according to the Department of Education.

J.P. King was warned for deficiencies in math, science and history. Southampton and Windsor middle schools were warned for deficiencies in math.

Schools that are “Accredited with Warning” in mathematics also are required to adopt instructional programs “proven by research to be effective in raising achievement.”