New VDOE Rankings of High and Secondary Schools

[Anonymous]

Woodson is below Hayfield?????

Something is funky with their algorithm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, Youngkin and his VDOE should have studied up more on the law of unintended consequences before coming up with these state-developed school rankings. Oops!

It’s a little cringe that you are trying so hard on this. No one actually believes that Youngkin will take any hit whatsoever for the boundary moves.

More than a little cringe.

But that’s our local “Nah.” She always comes up with the dumbest posts on FCPS.

I suspect “Nah” is a Gatehouse employee.

[Anonymous]

Isn't there text that puts these into categories too? Does anyone know where the cutoffs are and how each group is described? It's something like "Secure", "needs observation", "needs intervention", etc. but I can't find the link. I remember I read about it in the Post.

[Anonymous]

From Reid’s weekly email:

Friday morning, the Governor of Virginia held a press conference to highlight the public release of approximate modeled school-level data based on the new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) School Performance and Support Framework. The released data purports to show how schools would have performed if the new framework had been in place this fall, based on 2023-24 student performance.Both the framework itself and this data are unclear on several levels. The modeled data looks at past assessment results and does not account for changes in assessments or cut scores for new reading and math standards that will be in effect beginning in Spring 2025. This makes it difficult to use past performance as a reliable indicator of how students might perform on the new assessments.

Team FCPS, along with division staff around Virginia, continue to work to build understanding around the new state accountability system. Unfortunately, the released data is yet another aspect of the school performance model that remains a challenge for school divisions. The framework is a work in progress as the Virginia Department of Education rolls out ongoing updates in the details of its accountability changes. Within FCPS, we will continue to focus on the goals, metrics, and equity commitments within our Strategic Plan. We will also continue to celebrate that all our schools are accredited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still a flawed methodology that rewards the good fortune of having less ELL and FARMs kids, while penalizing schools required to serve those communities. It's just another GreatSchools score. Would instead like to see details on assessing the more permanent stats of the school itself, like staff quality, state of facilities, and extracurriculars.

+1

+2

Adding to above mentioned, course options and subsequent vigor of said courses to Vdoe's magical formula and then I'll pay attention to their list....otherwise it's arbitrary just like every other superficial statistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't there text that puts these into categories too? Does anyone know where the cutoffs are and how each group is described? It's something like "Secure", "needs observation", "needs intervention", etc. but I can't find the link. I remember I read about it in the Post.

90 or above - “ Distinguished”

80-89 - “On Track”

65-79 - “Off Track”

Below 65 - “Needs Intensive Support”

The results are closer to US News rankings than Great Schools, and the “Distinguished” schools align with the schools typically identified as the most sought-after. The one glaring exception is Woodson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Reid’s weekly email:

Friday morning, the Governor of Virginia held a press conference to highlight the public release of approximate modeled school-level data based on the new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) School Performance and Support Framework. The released data purports to show how schools would have performed if the new framework had been in place this fall, based on 2023-24 student performance.Both the framework itself and this data are unclear on several levels. The modeled data looks at past assessment results and does not account for changes in assessments or cut scores for new reading and math standards that will be in effect beginning in Spring 2025. This makes it difficult to use past performance as a reliable indicator of how students might perform on the new assessments.

Team FCPS, along with division staff around Virginia, continue to work to build understanding around the new state accountability system. Unfortunately, the released data is yet another aspect of the school performance model that remains a challenge for school divisions. The framework is a work in progress as the Virginia Department of Education rolls out ongoing updates in the details of its accountability changes. Within FCPS, we will continue to focus on the goals, metrics, and equity commitments within our Strategic Plan. We will also continue to celebrate that all our schools are accredited.

After the Hayfield football fiasco Michelle Reid needs to go. As a spokesperson for FCPS she is damaged goods.

[Anonymous]

The state DOE just gave Woodson a big honor last week too: Board of Education Highest Achievement Award.

Woodson and TJ are the only FCPS high schools that got it.

Super head scratcher why they'd give them that honor on the one hand, and they'd be so lowly ranked in this other model ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The state DOE just gave Woodson a big honor last week too: Board of Education Highest Achievement Award.

Woodson and TJ are the only FCPS high schools that got it.

Super head scratcher why they'd give them that honor on the one hand, and they'd be so lowly ranked in this other model ....

I don't think the VDOE data was subject to quality control checks. You can look at the underlying Excel spreadsheet and reach your own conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woodson is below Hayfield?????

Something is funky with their algorithm.

Even in US News Report ranking (I know I know some of you hate it), Woodson has been declining for several years. On the other hand, Chantilly has been surging. This reflects also Rocky Run ranking here is first. All I can attribute this is to demographic change of student bodies, a sort of "gentrification" of Chantilly pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woodson is below Hayfield?????

Something is funky with their algorithm.

Even in US News Report ranking (I know I know some of you hate it), Woodson has been declining for several years. On the other hand, Chantilly has been surging. This reflects also Rocky Run ranking here is first. All I can attribute this is to demographic change of student bodies, a sort of "gentrification" of Chantilly pyramid.

School ratings correspond largely to demographics, and Woodson slipped a bit after the boundary change that moved Fairfax Villa ES from Fairfax to Woodson. It's a less affluent area than the rest of the areas that feed into Woodson, so the ratings dropped slightly. Even so, the issue with the VDOE ratings/rankings appears to have more to do with data integrity than Woodson's demographics.

And, yes, Chantilly has become a magnet for Asian families seeking a more affordable alternative to Langley, McLean, etc. It's one of the three high schools in FCPS that are either majority (TJ) or plurality (Centreville, Chantilly) Asian. That translates into a ratings boost.

[Anonymous]

Interesting to see Oakton so high

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woodson is below Hayfield?????

Something is funky with their algorithm.

Even in US News Report ranking (I know I know some of you hate it), Woodson has been declining for several years. On the other hand, Chantilly has been surging. This reflects also Rocky Run ranking here is first. All I can attribute this is to demographic change of student bodies, a sort of "gentrification" of Chantilly pyramid.

School ratings correspond largely to demographics, and Woodson slipped a bit after the boundary change that moved Fairfax Villa ES from Fairfax to Woodson. It's a less affluent area than the rest of the areas that feed into Woodson, so the ratings dropped slightly. Even so, the issue with the VDOE ratings/rankings appears to have more to do with data integrity than Woodson's demographics.

And, yes, Chantilly has become a magnet for Asian families seeking a more affordable alternative to Langley, McLean, etc. It's one of the three high schools in FCPS that are either majority (TJ) or plurality (Centreville, Chantilly) Asian. That translates into a ratings boost.

I lived near Woodson in the 2010s, and hasn't been following up on its boundary. Surprised to see the new Woodson boundary cut Fairfax high area in half and made them disjointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to see Oakton so high

I'm not surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From Reid’s weekly email:

Friday morning, the Governor of Virginia held a press conference to highlight the public release of approximate modeled school-level data based on the new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) School Performance and Support Framework. The released data purports to show how schools would have performed if the new framework had been in place this fall, based on 2023-24 student performance.Both the framework itself and this data are unclear on several levels. The modeled data looks at past assessment results and does not account for changes in assessments or cut scores for new reading and math standards that will be in effect beginning in Spring 2025. This makes it difficult to use past performance as a reliable indicator of how students might perform on the new assessments.

Team FCPS, along with division staff around Virginia, continue to work to build understanding around the new state accountability system. Unfortunately, the released data is yet another aspect of the school performance model that remains a challenge for school divisions. The framework is a work in progress as the Virginia Department of Education rolls out ongoing updates in the details of its accountability changes. Within FCPS, we will continue to focus on the goals, metrics, and equity commitments within our Strategic Plan. We will also continue to celebrate that all our schools are accredited.

After the Hayfield football fiasco Michelle Reid needs to go. As a spokesperson for FCPS she is damaged goods.

This isn’t the news event you think it is.