Staunton Schools announced today that all of Staunton‘s schools are fully accredited, based on the 2023-2024 SOL data released by the Virginia Department of Education.
In the past six years, Staunton Schools has shown significant improvement, and climbed 62 places in state rankings, the highest level of improvement in SOL results compared to any other school division in Virginia between 2018 and 2023. Out of 131 Virginia school divisions, Staunton Schools is now ranked 43rd in the state based on 2023-2024 SOL data, which places the Valley school division among the top one-third of divisions in the state for student achievement.
“Staunton City Schools is performing above expectations despite having a higher rate of poverty than the majority of school divisions,” Staunton Schools Superintendent Dr. Garett Smith said. “In fact, in every subject, SCS exceeds the state average for economically disadvantaged students. Our teachers and staff have worked hard to eliminate any potential barriers to learning by providing high-quality instruction for all students, and these results show that we’re making steady and consistent progress. We’re proud of all their smart work and look forward to continuing this positive momentum.”
Below are highlights about each Staunton school:
Bessie Weller Elementary exceeded reading and math benchmarks in all reporting groups with essentially no difference. Students with disabilities achieved at a rate of 100 percent, and English Learners at 100 percent. Math and science exceeded the state average.
McSwain Elementary exceeded reading and math benchmarks in all reporting groups with essentially no difference in any race. Reading, math and science were above the state average in every subject and grade.
Ware Elementary exceeded math benchmarks in all reporting groups and had the highest pass rates to date. Reading, math and science exceeded the state average, and reading exceeded the state average in every grade.
Shelburne Middle exceeded the all-student accreditation benchmark in reading and math. Shelburne will continue to focus on increasing support for students with disabilities. All subjects, reading, math and science, had the highest overall pass rate to date, with science exceeding the state average.
Staunton High exceeded math benchmarks in all reporting groups and had the highest math pass rate to date. Essentially no difference existed in performance among races in reading and math. Staunton High also exceeded the state average in reading, writing, Algebra II and World History I.
Pass rates for reading, math and science increased across the division for the 2023-2024 school year with the following results:
Reading: The overall reading pass rate has increased annually to 74 percent in 2023-2024, exceeding pre-pandemic results and the state average for the first time at Staunton Schools.
Math: The overall pass rate has increased annually to 71 percent in 2023-2024, showing a 4 percent increase from the previous year and alignment with the state average. Every school in Staunton increased students’ achievement in math, and all reporting groups are performing at or above the state average.
Science: Staunton’s science pass rate is 77 percent, ranking 18th of 131 school divisions or in the top 15 percent. The rate is 9 percent higher than the state average and exceeds pre-pandemic results. The division-wide 5th-grade science pass rate was 90 percent, with Staunton Schools’ three elementary schools ranking third in the state.
Staunton’s 2024 graduating cohort had the highest on-time graduation rate to date at 93 percent, and was consistent across all reporting groups.
In 2023-2024, Staunton Schools significantly improved students’ attendance rates, reduced chronic absenteeism by more than half, from 31 percent post-pandemic to 15 percent last school year, through partnerships with families.
The school system’s plan is to maintain the positive momentum and support areas needing improvement by continuing support for teaching and learning with classroom observations and feedback, providing targeted interventions for students needing support and maintaining a focus on strong reading foundations as described in the division literacy plan.
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Rebecca Barnabi
