CONTACT Tim Bullis
Director, Community Relations
748-1433
Sept. 25, 2008

For immediate release

Chesterfield County Public Schools is the largest school division in Virginia to have all schools fully accredited

All Chesterfield County schools are fully accredited for the 2008-09 school year making the school system the largest division in Virginia to achieve this accreditation status. 

“The number one goal in Chesterfield County Public Schools’ Design for Excellence is academic excellence for all students.  The full accreditation of every Chesterfield school is a tremendous testament to the commitment of our students, teachers, parents and community to outperform Virginia’s education standards,” said Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome.

Chesterfield students made significant gains on Standards of Learning tests, outscoring state averages in every area and in some cases achieving pass rates of 100 percent:

• 92 percent of Chesterfield students passed their science SOL test, up from 91 percent last year.  Across Virginia, 88 percent of students passed their science test.
  
  
• 87 percent of Chesterfield students passed their math SOL test, up from 83 percent last year.  Across Virginia, 84 percent of students passed their math test.
  
  
• 90 percent of Chesterfield students passed their reading SOL test, maintaining last year’s level.  Across Virginia, 87 percent of students passed their reading test.
  
  
• Twelve Chesterfield schools achieved 100 percent pass rates on one or more of the tests.

Chesterfield County middle schools in particular made significant gains in math and
U.S. history over the past two years (2006-08). 

• Falling Creek Middle School        59.9 percent increase in seventh grade math scores
• Salem Church Middle School       55.4 percent increase in sixth grade math scores
• Bailey Bridge Middle School        51.4 percent increase in seventh grade math scores
• Providence Middle School           51.4 percent increase in seventh grade math scores
• Chester Middle School                46 percent increase in sixth grade U.S. history to 1877 scores
• Midlothian Middle School            45.1 percent increase in sixth grade U.S. history to 1877 scores
• Manchester Middle School          45.1 percent increase in sixth grade U.S. history to 1877 scores

The Chesterfield County school division is the largest school system in Virginia to have all students enrolled in algebra by eighth grade.  The significant gains in math come after a new math test was introduced two years ago and scores were significantly lower. 

Two new Chesterfield middle schools are conditionally accredited, which is the case with all new schools in Virginia where students have not yet taken SOL tests. Accreditation status for schools is established each year by the Virginia Department of Education based on student achievement on Standards of Learning tests in English, mathematics, history and science during the previous school year.

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