Each year students participate in a variety of assessments. Some are required by the state to address state and federal accountability requirements. Some involve student preparation for post-secondary admission and education, and others give classroom teachers and parents information about academic growth during the school year.

Programs and services to support student achievement and enhance learning and teaching are guided by the 2017-2023 CCS Strategic Plan.

At Charlottesville Schools, like schools across the state and country, we find socioeconomic and racial disparities in areas such as standardized test scores. Visit our equity page to learn more about our successes and challenges, and how we work to support all of our students.

Assessment Data (paper copies available at your school)

• Find the Charlottesville City Schools Quality Profile compiled by the Virginia Department of Education. The state’s School Quality Profiles include SOL test scores, accreditation ratings, graduation rates, and more.
  • For Charlottesville City Schools’ reflections on this year’s data, see below.

Contact:

Director of Assessment and Accountability
Carolyn Swift, 245-2400 or Swiftc1@charlottesvilleschools.org

Like the state, we continue to feel the impacts of the pandemic and do not see the progress that our students deserve on Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.
 

Even so, we see some causes for celebration:

• CHS’s data is particularly strong, with an adjusted “combined achievement” rate (includes English Learner progress, substitute tests, and retakes) of 93 percent in English (well above the state’s benchmark of 75 percent). In math, CHS’s combined achievement rate (includes retakes) was 83, again, well above the 70 percent benchmark. Similarly, for the unadjusted SOL pass rate, CHS continued its strong history (81 percent) in English (vs the state’s rate of 73 percent). Their math unadjusted pass rate grew to 81 percent (vs 69 percent on the state level).
• CHS also continued to report high rates for on-time and graduation & completion rates. The on-time rate stayed at a high 93 percent, slightly higher than the state average and a very high rate among cities. The graduation and completion index rose about 3 points to 93.7. 
• All elementary schools’ adjusted “combined achievement” rates exceeded state benchmarks in reading, and most exceeded state benchmarks in all areas. Burnley-Moran and Jackson-Via emerged from periods of review and monitoring due to gains.
• A number of the division’s student groups showed small but needed gains in unadjusted pass rates. For instance, Black students were up 5 points in reading and 9 in math; students with disabilities were up 6 points in reading and 8 in math.
• All schools are accredited, though three are “accredited with conditions.”

Areas of Concern

Alongside these gains, our overall pass rates showed only modest improvements and continue to trail state averages. For instance, the division’s overall pass rate for English was 65 percent (compared to the state’s average of 73 percent). When this data is broken out into groups, we find continued troubling disparities. Charlottesville’s white students surpassed the pass rates of white students state-wide (with a local 88 percent pass rate), but for other groups in our schools, pass rates were lower than comparable state averages.  Black students’ pass rate was 42 percent; Hispanic students, 53; students with disabilities, 41; and economically disadvantaged students, 44. Additionally, the division’s overall math pass rate was 60, compared to the state’s average of 69. Again, breaking the data into groups shows similarly wide disparities among demographic groups.

These disparities in our middle grades (5-8) are a particular source of concern, reflected in the “Accredited with Conditions” status at Walker Upper Elementary and Buford Middle. Clark Elementary shares that status.

As across the state and nation, our rates of chronic absenteeism have risen significantly since the pandemic, particularly at Buford, Walker, and Clark. The data shows what we already know – that if students are late or absent, they are not learning to their full potential.
 

A Commitment to Improvement

We are committed to improvement, even where we are already exceeding state benchmarks or averages. Some recent or new examples of supports that we have added in our schools include a new secondary literacy specialist position and taking advantage of state funding to provide staffing and resources for tutoring and attendance (ALL IN VA). Dr. Shaun Woodly is doing year-long work at Walker and Buford to focus on culturally relevant teaching. More comprehensively, with the launch of our five-year strategic plan, we have built an action plan to move us forward – not to the “old normal” before the pandemic, but to a “new normal” of academic and personal growth for every student.
 

Where to Find and How to Understand the State Data

• Find the full data for these and other metrics at: https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/charlottesville-city-public-schools
• Find slides presented to the School Board on October 5, 2023 here.

For each school, the state’s School Quality Profiles contain two primary data sets.

• The division and school “assessments” tabs show the unadjusted pass rates. Unadjusted pass rates do not include growth, English Learners’ progress toward English language proficiency, and other adjustments that are made for accreditation.
• The schools’ “accreditation” tabs show the combined achievement rates that often reflect students’ growth or other adjustments. The school’s accreditation status is currently tied to these figures.