School Board is Failing – Central High with 80% Poverty is Blowing McLean and Langley Out of the Water

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the majority of Falls Church and Justice High School students live in poverty? That seems shocking in a county as wealthy as Fairfax.

FCPS has a host of schools where 40%-60% of the kids receive free and reduced meals, which means the kids live below the poverty line. Title 1 schools are all schools where the majority of kids receive free or reduced meals. Justice, Mt. Vernon, Lewis, Herndon (ES, MS, and HS) are but a few examples of the schools with a high poverty rate. I know that many high schools have a food bank to help feed the kids at their high school, South Lakes Food Pantry is hosting its 0.5K this Sunday at Lake Anne to raise money for the pantry. They serve over 500 kids on a weekly basis.

FCPS kept busses running during the pandemic in order to bring food to local schools that families could pick up.

How are people unaware of this?

People living in bubbles.

Overall, FCPS has 38.5% of kids from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice is 96.3%
Lewis is 73.1%
Mt Vernon is 64.4%
Herndon is 57%

This information is obviously incorrect, and no one actually familiar with the county would make this assertion.

Feel free to check my numbers. I may have mistyped something:
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

No, it’s simply that you don’t understand the data or how to interpret it.

Ok. Please interpret this data for us:

38.5% of kids in FCPS come from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice 96.3%
Lewis 73.1%
Mt Vernon 64.4%
Herndon 57%

Seems pretty straightforward.

Not at all, dummy.

Check the FCPS school profiles for accurate information.

School quality is the official state numbers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the majority of Falls Church and Justice High School students live in poverty? That seems shocking in a county as wealthy as Fairfax.

FCPS has a host of schools where 40%-60% of the kids receive free and reduced meals, which means the kids live below the poverty line. Title 1 schools are all schools where the majority of kids receive free or reduced meals. Justice, Mt. Vernon, Lewis, Herndon (ES, MS, and HS) are but a few examples of the schools with a high poverty rate. I know that many high schools have a food bank to help feed the kids at their high school, South Lakes Food Pantry is hosting its 0.5K this Sunday at Lake Anne to raise money for the pantry. They serve over 500 kids on a weekly basis.

FCPS kept busses running during the pandemic in order to bring food to local schools that families could pick up.

How are people unaware of this?

People living in bubbles.

Overall, FCPS has 38.5% of kids from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice is 96.3%
Lewis is 73.1%
Mt Vernon is 64.4%
Herndon is 57%

This information is obviously incorrect, and no one actually familiar with the county would make this assertion.

Feel free to check my numbers. I may have mistyped something:
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

No, it’s simply that you don’t understand the data or how to interpret it.

Ok. Please interpret this data for us:

38.5% of kids in FCPS come from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice 96.3%
Lewis 73.1%
Mt Vernon 64.4%
Herndon 57%

Seems pretty straightforward.

Not at all, dummy.

Check the FCPS school profiles for accurate information.

Ok. VA is reporting on % “economically disadvantaged”, not FRM.

“Economically disadvantaged – A student is economically disadvantaged if the student:

is eligible for Free/Reduced Meals,
receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or
is eligible for Medicaid.”


https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Poor Asian immigrants come with a different cultural appreciation for education than poor Hispanic immigrants. There are few cultures that put as much time, energy, and money into education as Asian cultures. There are shopping malls that cater only to tutoring in Singapore. China passed legislation to shit down cram schools to try and reduce the money parents felt they had to spend on their children's education. South Korea shuts down airplane flights over schools on the day of national exams. The list of examples is long. They are coming to the US with an idea that education will help their kids get good jobs and provide more for their grandkids.

Poor Hispanic immigrants are coming from countries where there is limited to no education for kids.They are fleeing crime and corrupt governments. Education has not been a priority. They are looking for safety and a chance to make enough money to send home to family left behind.

The overall attitude towards education is different.

that is true.

The point is that poverty itself isn't the problem prohibiting educational excellence, nor are the dollars spent. If people prioritize education at home, then their kids will succeed.

Agreed, the main factor to academic success is the culture at home. There are lots of studies pointing to that. Kids who come from families were parents graduated from high school are more likely to graduate from high school. Kids who come families with college grads are more likely to attend college. Kids who come from families where the parents did not graduate from high school are unlikely to graduate from high school.

FCPS has programs geared at trying to break some of those cycles but convincing a kid whose parent doesn't care about school to attend, do homework, and graduate is a huge hill to climb. You have a different result who you have an immigrant population who is moving to the country to improve their lives and values education then when you have an immigrant population with limited educational opportunities fleeing chaos. You have a different outcome when you have a population of folks who have high school degrees but not college degrees then when you have a population without high school degrees or with college degrees. FCPS has students in all four groups and needs to try and meet all of those needs.

Wise County is working with one group. They don't have advanced classes and do much to prepare kids for college because that is not what the population focuses on. FCPS has a large group of people who expect kids to attend 4 year college as well as kids who could careless about graduating high school.

All this simply makes the point that you cannot compare just the SOL scores and say "They are doing better then we are."

As for the poverty level, the FARMs rates at the Herndon, Mt. Vernon, Justice, and Lewis are stupidly high. South Lakes HS has 35% of the kids receiving free and reduced meals.

It is not surprising that the schools with the highest level of poverty have the worst test scores in the County. When you have a large concentration of kids who come from families that do not value education, you have a higher rate of absanteeism, more kids behind academically, less parental support, and a higher rate of kids dropping out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Poor Asian immigrants come with a different cultural appreciation for education than poor Hispanic immigrants. There are few cultures that put as much time, energy, and money into education as Asian cultures. There are shopping malls that cater only to tutoring in Singapore. China passed legislation to shit down cram schools to try and reduce the money parents felt they had to spend on their children's education. South Korea shuts down airplane flights over schools on the day of national exams. The list of examples is long. They are coming to the US with an idea that education will help their kids get good jobs and provide more for their grandkids.

Poor Hispanic immigrants are coming from countries where there is limited to no education for kids.They are fleeing crime and corrupt governments. Education has not been a priority. They are looking for safety and a chance to make enough money to send home to family left behind.

The overall attitude towards education is different.

that is true.

The point is that poverty itself isn't the problem prohibiting educational excellence, nor are the dollars spent. If people prioritize education at home, then their kids will succeed.

Agreed, the main factor to academic success is the culture at home. There are lots of studies pointing to that. Kids who come from families were parents graduated from high school are more likely to graduate from high school. Kids who come families with college grads are more likely to attend college. Kids who come from families where the parents did not graduate from high school are unlikely to graduate from high school.

FCPS has programs geared at trying to break some of those cycles but convincing a kid whose parent doesn't care about school to attend, do homework, and graduate is a huge hill to climb. You have a different result who you have an immigrant population who is moving to the country to improve their lives and values education then when you have an immigrant population with limited educational opportunities fleeing chaos. You have a different outcome when you have a population of folks who have high school degrees but not college degrees then when you have a population without high school degrees or with college degrees. FCPS has students in all four groups and needs to try and meet all of those needs.

Wise County is working with one group. They don't have advanced classes and do much to prepare kids for college because that is not what the population focuses on. FCPS has a large group of people who expect kids to attend 4 year college as well as kids who could careless about graduating high school.

All this simply makes the point that you cannot compare just the SOL scores and say "They are doing better then we are."

As for the poverty level, the FARMs rates at the Herndon, Mt. Vernon, Justice, and Lewis are stupidly high. South Lakes HS has 35% of the kids receiving free and reduced meals.

It is not surprising that the schools with the highest level of poverty have the worst test scores in the County. When you have a large concentration of kids who come from families that do not value education, you have a higher rate of absanteeism, more kids behind academically, less parental support, and a higher rate of kids dropping out.

It sounds like FCPS should split into at least 2 systems, 1) To meet the needs of those who need basic daycare, food and baseline English skills and 2) To meet the needs of those seeking an education to go to college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Poor Asian immigrants come with a different cultural appreciation for education than poor Hispanic immigrants. There are few cultures that put as much time, energy, and money into education as Asian cultures. There are shopping malls that cater only to tutoring in Singapore. China passed legislation to shit down cram schools to try and reduce the money parents felt they had to spend on their children's education. South Korea shuts down airplane flights over schools on the day of national exams. The list of examples is long. They are coming to the US with an idea that education will help their kids get good jobs and provide more for their grandkids.

Poor Hispanic immigrants are coming from countries where there is limited to no education for kids.They are fleeing crime and corrupt governments. Education has not been a priority. They are looking for safety and a chance to make enough money to send home to family left behind.

The overall attitude towards education is different.

that is true.

The point is that poverty itself isn't the problem prohibiting educational excellence, nor are the dollars spent. If people prioritize education at home, then their kids will succeed.

Agreed, the main factor to academic success is the culture at home. There are lots of studies pointing to that. Kids who come from families were parents graduated from high school are more likely to graduate from high school. Kids who come families with college grads are more likely to attend college. Kids who come from families where the parents did not graduate from high school are unlikely to graduate from high school.

FCPS has programs geared at trying to break some of those cycles but convincing a kid whose parent doesn't care about school to attend, do homework, and graduate is a huge hill to climb. You have a different result who you have an immigrant population who is moving to the country to improve their lives and values education then when you have an immigrant population with limited educational opportunities fleeing chaos. You have a different outcome when you have a population of folks who have high school degrees but not college degrees then when you have a population without high school degrees or with college degrees. FCPS has students in all four groups and needs to try and meet all of those needs.

Wise County is working with one group. They don't have advanced classes and do much to prepare kids for college because that is not what the population focuses on. FCPS has a large group of people who expect kids to attend 4 year college as well as kids who could careless about graduating high school.

All this simply makes the point that you cannot compare just the SOL scores and say "They are doing better then we are."

As for the poverty level, the FARMs rates at the Herndon, Mt. Vernon, Justice, and Lewis are stupidly high. South Lakes HS has 35% of the kids receiving free and reduced meals.

It is not surprising that the schools with the highest level of poverty have the worst test scores in the County. When you have a large concentration of kids who come from families that do not value education, you have a higher rate of absanteeism, more kids behind academically, less parental support, and a higher rate of kids dropping out.

It sounds like FCPS should split into at least 2 systems, 1) To meet the needs of those who need basic daycare, food and baseline English skills and 2) To meet the needs of those seeking an education to go to college

WTF is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the majority of Falls Church and Justice High School students live in poverty? That seems shocking in a county as wealthy as Fairfax.

FCPS has a host of schools where 40%-60% of the kids receive free and reduced meals, which means the kids live below the poverty line. Title 1 schools are all schools where the majority of kids receive free or reduced meals. Justice, Mt. Vernon, Lewis, Herndon (ES, MS, and HS) are but a few examples of the schools with a high poverty rate. I know that many high schools have a food bank to help feed the kids at their high school, South Lakes Food Pantry is hosting its 0.5K this Sunday at Lake Anne to raise money for the pantry. They serve over 500 kids on a weekly basis.

FCPS kept busses running during the pandemic in order to bring food to local schools that families could pick up.

How are people unaware of this?

People living in bubbles.

Overall, FCPS has 38.5% of kids from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice is 96.3%
Lewis is 73.1%
Mt Vernon is 64.4%
Herndon is 57%

This information is obviously incorrect, and no one actually familiar with the county would make this assertion.

Feel free to check my numbers. I may have mistyped something:
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

No, it’s simply that you don’t understand the data or how to interpret it.

Ok. Please interpret this data for us:

38.5% of kids in FCPS come from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice 96.3%
Lewis 73.1%
Mt Vernon 64.4%
Herndon 57%

Seems pretty straightforward.

Not at all, dummy.

Check the FCPS school profiles for accurate information.

Ok. VA is reporting on % “economically disadvantaged”, not FRM.

“Economically disadvantaged – A student is economically disadvantaged if the student:

is eligible for Free/Reduced Meals,
receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or
is eligible for Medicaid.”


https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

What you apparently don’t understand is that at certain schools with higher poverty levels all or virtually all students are treated as FARMS-eligible to reduce administrative burdens. It does not mean, however, that over 95% of the kids at a school like Justice are actually impoverished or would otherwise qualify for free or reduced meals, TANF, or Medicaid.

https://www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-schools-providing-meals-all-students-through-cep

You need to educate yourself and stop churning out misleading posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Poor Asian immigrants come with a different cultural appreciation for education than poor Hispanic immigrants. There are few cultures that put as much time, energy, and money into education as Asian cultures. There are shopping malls that cater only to tutoring in Singapore. China passed legislation to shit down cram schools to try and reduce the money parents felt they had to spend on their children's education. South Korea shuts down airplane flights over schools on the day of national exams. The list of examples is long. They are coming to the US with an idea that education will help their kids get good jobs and provide more for their grandkids.

Poor Hispanic immigrants are coming from countries where there is limited to no education for kids.They are fleeing crime and corrupt governments. Education has not been a priority. They are looking for safety and a chance to make enough money to send home to family left behind.

The overall attitude towards education is different.

that is true.

The point is that poverty itself isn't the problem prohibiting educational excellence, nor are the dollars spent. If people prioritize education at home, then their kids will succeed.

Agreed, the main factor to academic success is the culture at home. There are lots of studies pointing to that. Kids who come from families were parents graduated from high school are more likely to graduate from high school. Kids who come families with college grads are more likely to attend college. Kids who come from families where the parents did not graduate from high school are unlikely to graduate from high school.

FCPS has programs geared at trying to break some of those cycles but convincing a kid whose parent doesn't care about school to attend, do homework, and graduate is a huge hill to climb. You have a different result who you have an immigrant population who is moving to the country to improve their lives and values education then when you have an immigrant population with limited educational opportunities fleeing chaos. You have a different outcome when you have a population of folks who have high school degrees but not college degrees then when you have a population without high school degrees or with college degrees. FCPS has students in all four groups and needs to try and meet all of those needs.

Wise County is working with one group. They don't have advanced classes and do much to prepare kids for college because that is not what the population focuses on. FCPS has a large group of people who expect kids to attend 4 year college as well as kids who could careless about graduating high school.

All this simply makes the point that you cannot compare just the SOL scores and say "They are doing better then we are."

As for the poverty level, the FARMs rates at the Herndon, Mt. Vernon, Justice, and Lewis are stupidly high. South Lakes HS has 35% of the kids receiving free and reduced meals.

It is not surprising that the schools with the highest level of poverty have the worst test scores in the County. When you have a large concentration of kids who come from families that do not value education, you have a higher rate of absanteeism, more kids behind academically, less parental support, and a higher rate of kids dropping out.

It sounds like FCPS should split into at least 2 systems, 1) To meet the needs of those who need basic daycare, food and baseline English skills and 2) To meet the needs of those seeking an education to go to college

It already does. Schools with higher FARMs and ELL rates have kids in gen ed and remedial classes and kid in the AP/IB programs. There ar schools within the schools. The kids in the AP/IB programs do very well and attend some great colleges and have higher SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the majority of Falls Church and Justice High School students live in poverty? That seems shocking in a county as wealthy as Fairfax.

FCPS has a host of schools where 40%-60% of the kids receive free and reduced meals, which means the kids live below the poverty line. Title 1 schools are all schools where the majority of kids receive free or reduced meals. Justice, Mt. Vernon, Lewis, Herndon (ES, MS, and HS) are but a few examples of the schools with a high poverty rate. I know that many high schools have a food bank to help feed the kids at their high school, South Lakes Food Pantry is hosting its 0.5K this Sunday at Lake Anne to raise money for the pantry. They serve over 500 kids on a weekly basis.

FCPS kept busses running during the pandemic in order to bring food to local schools that families could pick up.

How are people unaware of this?

People living in bubbles.

Overall, FCPS has 38.5% of kids from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice is 96.3%
Lewis is 73.1%
Mt Vernon is 64.4%
Herndon is 57%

This information is obviously incorrect, and no one actually familiar with the county would make this assertion.

Feel free to check my numbers. I may have mistyped something:
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

No, it’s simply that you don’t understand the data or how to interpret it.

Ok. Please interpret this data for us:

38.5% of kids in FCPS come from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice 96.3%
Lewis 73.1%
Mt Vernon 64.4%
Herndon 57%

Seems pretty straightforward.

Not at all, dummy.

Check the FCPS school profiles for accurate information.

Ok. VA is reporting on % “economically disadvantaged”, not FRM.

“Economically disadvantaged – A student is economically disadvantaged if the student:

is eligible for Free/Reduced Meals,
receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or
is eligible for Medicaid.”


https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

What you apparently don’t understand is that at certain schools with higher poverty levels all or virtually all students are treated as FARMS-eligible to reduce administrative burdens. It does not mean, however, that over 95% of the kids at a school like Justice are actually impoverished or would otherwise qualify for free or reduced meals, TANF, or Medicaid.

https://www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-schools-providing-meals-all-students-through-cep

You need to educate yourself and stop churning out misleading posts.

I do understand that. I posted about Wise County’s CEP earlier.

Wise county also has CEP but only reports 55% ED.
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/central-high-4#

Lewis HS also has CEP free lunches and only shows 73.1% ED.
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high

By either measure, the number of kids from low-income families is substantial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the majority of Falls Church and Justice High School students live in poverty? That seems shocking in a county as wealthy as Fairfax.

FCPS has a host of schools where 40%-60% of the kids receive free and reduced meals, which means the kids live below the poverty line. Title 1 schools are all schools where the majority of kids receive free or reduced meals. Justice, Mt. Vernon, Lewis, Herndon (ES, MS, and HS) are but a few examples of the schools with a high poverty rate. I know that many high schools have a food bank to help feed the kids at their high school, South Lakes Food Pantry is hosting its 0.5K this Sunday at Lake Anne to raise money for the pantry. They serve over 500 kids on a weekly basis.

FCPS kept busses running during the pandemic in order to bring food to local schools that families could pick up.

How are people unaware of this?

People living in bubbles.

Overall, FCPS has 38.5% of kids from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice is 96.3%
Lewis is 73.1%
Mt Vernon is 64.4%
Herndon is 57%

This information is obviously incorrect, and no one actually familiar with the county would make this assertion.

Feel free to check my numbers. I may have mistyped something:
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

No, it’s simply that you don’t understand the data or how to interpret it.

Ok. Please interpret this data for us:

38.5% of kids in FCPS come from economically disadvantaged families.

Justice 96.3%
Lewis 73.1%
Mt Vernon 64.4%
Herndon 57%

Seems pretty straightforward.

Not at all, dummy.

Check the FCPS school profiles for accurate information.

Ok. VA is reporting on % “economically disadvantaged”, not FRM.

“Economically disadvantaged – A student is economically disadvantaged if the student:

is eligible for Free/Reduced Meals,
receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or
is eligible for Medicaid.”


https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/justice-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/mount-vernon-high
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high

What you apparently don’t understand is that at certain schools with higher poverty levels all or virtually all students are treated as FARMS-eligible to reduce administrative burdens. It does not mean, however, that over 95% of the kids at a school like Justice are actually impoverished or would otherwise qualify for free or reduced meals, TANF, or Medicaid.

https://www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-schools-providing-meals-all-students-through-cep

You need to educate yourself and stop churning out misleading posts.

I do understand that. I posted about Wise County’s CEP earlier.

Wise county also has CEP but only reports 55% ED.
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/central-high-4#

Lewis HS also has CEP free lunches and only shows 73.1% ED.
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/lewis-high

By either measure, the number of kids from low-income families is substantial.

This says more about VDOE's quality control under Youngkin than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Criticism about FCPS? But look how good the rich kids do! lol

Looks like Wise county has the equity that FCPS is dreaming of at lower costs.

Equity? It's 93% white and 99.7% english speakers.

It's a tiny school system with an extremely different population than FCPS. Apples & oranges.

Yes, the demographics are different, but the SOLs and educational standards are the same across Virginia, regardless of the school. It’s not just about comparing populations—it’s about comparing how well students perform on these standardized tests.

Central High faces challenges like 80% poverty and fewer resources, yet they’re still outperforming expectations. FCPS, despite spending more per student (even adjusted for COL), isn’t getting the same results. So, it's not about "apples and oranges"—it's about how the resources are managed. Central is doing more with less, and that points to a resource management problem in FCPS, not just a demographic difference.

If you cannot understand the difference in outcomes based on English language proficiency and base level of education then none of this matters.

Central High has a vast majority of kids who are native English speakers who are passing SOLs at the base rate. Great, they are able to teach white kids who have parents who graduated from high school and are fluent in English the base Virginia curriculum. Their SOL scores show that very few of those kids pass advanced, meaning that the kids are solidly middle of the road in their academic achievment.

McLean and Langley, two two FCPS schoosl you decided to compare against, have a slightly lower pass rate. Both of those schools have a large percentage of their population who don't take a math SOL in HS because they passed it in MS. The 7th graders who passed the Algebra 1 SOL probably passed advanced, because they are the kids on the accelerated track. They probably passed the Geometry SOL advanced as well. But they are not included in the numbers you are running. Those numbers include the few kids who are taking Algebra 1, not honors, in 9th grade. We would expect those kids to struggle with the SOL because they are kids who have historically struggled with math.

Comparing FCPS high FARMs schools to Central means comparing kids with very different backgrounds. Asking a non-English speaker to take and pass the SOL while they are learning English is more then ridiculous, but that is what we do. So comparing the white English speaking kids in small HSs who are taking basic classes at Central to impoverished, non-English speakers in FCPS is comparing apple to oranges.

The other metric that people are exploring looks at what type of overall classes are available for all students. In FCPS that means Honors, AP/IB, and DE classes. We cannot compare the success rate to Central because Central doesn't offer those classes. Do you know what programs are expensive to offer? AP/IB programs, SPED programs, Autism programs, ELL programs. Guess what FCPS has in spades that Central does not? AP/IB, DE, SPED, Autism, and ELL programs.

Central provides a basic education at a basic level to a small heterogeneous population. That is not hard to do. FCPS provides a wide range of educational opportunities to a diverse population with a wide variety of needs. Simply put, FCPS meets the needs of far more students then Central does and offers a wide variety of programs. FCPS has challenges that Central does not and has to provide programs that fit the needs of accelerated learners, SPED learners, and ELL learners which is far more expensive then teaching basic Algebra, Biology, History, and English to a small group of native English speakers.

If you cannot understand that then you are a troll. Or maybe you are a Central grad who meets the basic state requirements but cannot dig deeper then the surface of an issue.

+100
YES. Thank you.

Let’s break this down with actual numbers from the middle schools that feed into Central, Langley, and McLean:

L.F. Addington Middle (Central’s feeder):
Rank: 6th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 91.74
Free/Reduced Lunch: 100.7%

Longfellow Middle (McLean’s feeder):
Rank: 45th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 81.52
Free/Reduced Lunch: 14%

Cooper Middle (Langley’s feeder):
Rank: 19th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 85.63
Free/Reduced Lunch: 4.3%

So, despite the significant differences in poverty levels, Addington is outperforming both Longfellow and Cooper in SOL scores. The argument that high SOL scores in middle school explain lower scores in high school for McLean and Langley doesn’t hold up. If this were the case, we’d expect higher middle school scores in those areas, but Addington’s students, with fewer resources, are doing better.

This data shows that economic challenges aren’t an excuse for lower scores—Central’s feeder schools are managing with far fewer resources yet still perform better. The real question is why FCPS isn’t seeing similar results given its much higher funding.

100.7%? Seems like they're double counting something in there...

Apples v. Oranges.

You continue to choose willful ignorance. Troll.

Few things are worse than a Trumpy troll on the spectrum, but that's what we've got with the OP. "If only every place in Virginia was full of LMC whites whose families have been in the US since the 1700s everything would be so fantastic!"

First off, I’m not a "Trumpy troll," and I haven’t made any arguments against public schools. My point is focused on data and performance outcomes, not politics. I'm actually supportive of public schools and looking for ways to improve them by analyzing how resources are allocated and how different counties handle the same challenges.

I haven’t suggested that every place should be homogeneous or exclusive to any particular group. Instead, I’ve been comparing SOL performance across districts to highlight the gaps in education between schools that have similar funding, especially when adjusted for cost of living. This is about public school performance, and how we can learn from different systems and apply those lessons to improve outcomes for all students.

If we’re talking facts, let’s stick to that. There’s no need to bring political labels or accusations into what should be a data driven discussion.

. Data doesn’t favor the Fairfax democrats, who have been in control for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Criticism about FCPS? But look how good the rich kids do! lol

Looks like Wise county has the equity that FCPS is dreaming of at lower costs.

Equity? It's 93% white and 99.7% english speakers.

It's a tiny school system with an extremely different population than FCPS. Apples & oranges.

Yes, the demographics are different, but the SOLs and educational standards are the same across Virginia, regardless of the school. It’s not just about comparing populations—it’s about comparing how well students perform on these standardized tests.

Central High faces challenges like 80% poverty and fewer resources, yet they’re still outperforming expectations. FCPS, despite spending more per student (even adjusted for COL), isn’t getting the same results. So, it's not about "apples and oranges"—it's about how the resources are managed. Central is doing more with less, and that points to a resource management problem in FCPS, not just a demographic difference.

If you cannot understand the difference in outcomes based on English language proficiency and base level of education then none of this matters.

Central High has a vast majority of kids who are native English speakers who are passing SOLs at the base rate. Great, they are able to teach white kids who have parents who graduated from high school and are fluent in English the base Virginia curriculum. Their SOL scores show that very few of those kids pass advanced, meaning that the kids are solidly middle of the road in their academic achievment.

McLean and Langley, two two FCPS schoosl you decided to compare against, have a slightly lower pass rate. Both of those schools have a large percentage of their population who don't take a math SOL in HS because they passed it in MS. The 7th graders who passed the Algebra 1 SOL probably passed advanced, because they are the kids on the accelerated track. They probably passed the Geometry SOL advanced as well. But they are not included in the numbers you are running. Those numbers include the few kids who are taking Algebra 1, not honors, in 9th grade. We would expect those kids to struggle with the SOL because they are kids who have historically struggled with math.

Comparing FCPS high FARMs schools to Central means comparing kids with very different backgrounds. Asking a non-English speaker to take and pass the SOL while they are learning English is more then ridiculous, but that is what we do. So comparing the white English speaking kids in small HSs who are taking basic classes at Central to impoverished, non-English speakers in FCPS is comparing apple to oranges.

The other metric that people are exploring looks at what type of overall classes are available for all students. In FCPS that means Honors, AP/IB, and DE classes. We cannot compare the success rate to Central because Central doesn't offer those classes. Do you know what programs are expensive to offer? AP/IB programs, SPED programs, Autism programs, ELL programs. Guess what FCPS has in spades that Central does not? AP/IB, DE, SPED, Autism, and ELL programs.

Central provides a basic education at a basic level to a small heterogeneous population. That is not hard to do. FCPS provides a wide range of educational opportunities to a diverse population with a wide variety of needs. Simply put, FCPS meets the needs of far more students then Central does and offers a wide variety of programs. FCPS has challenges that Central does not and has to provide programs that fit the needs of accelerated learners, SPED learners, and ELL learners which is far more expensive then teaching basic Algebra, Biology, History, and English to a small group of native English speakers.

If you cannot understand that then you are a troll. Or maybe you are a Central grad who meets the basic state requirements but cannot dig deeper then the surface of an issue.

+100
YES. Thank you.

Let’s break this down with actual numbers from the middle schools that feed into Central, Langley, and McLean:

L.F. Addington Middle (Central’s feeder):
Rank: 6th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 91.74
Free/Reduced Lunch: 100.7%

Longfellow Middle (McLean’s feeder):
Rank: 45th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 81.52
Free/Reduced Lunch: 14%

Cooper Middle (Langley’s feeder):
Rank: 19th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 85.63
Free/Reduced Lunch: 4.3%

So, despite the significant differences in poverty levels, Addington is outperforming both Longfellow and Cooper in SOL scores. The argument that high SOL scores in middle school explain lower scores in high school for McLean and Langley doesn’t hold up. If this were the case, we’d expect higher middle school scores in those areas, but Addington’s students, with fewer resources, are doing better.

This data shows that economic challenges aren’t an excuse for lower scores—Central’s feeder schools are managing with far fewer resources yet still perform better. The real question is why FCPS isn’t seeing similar results given its much higher funding.

100.7%? Seems like they're double counting something in there...

Apples v. Oranges.

You continue to choose willful ignorance. Troll.

Few things are worse than a Trumpy troll on the spectrum, but that's what we've got with the OP. "If only every place in Virginia was full of LMC whites whose families have been in the US since the 1700s everything would be so fantastic!"

First off, I’m not a "Trumpy troll," and I haven’t made any arguments against public schools. My point is focused on data and performance outcomes, not politics. I'm actually supportive of public schools and looking for ways to improve them by analyzing how resources are allocated and how different counties handle the same challenges.

I haven’t suggested that every place should be homogeneous or exclusive to any particular group. Instead, I’ve been comparing SOL performance across districts to highlight the gaps in education between schools that have similar funding, especially when adjusted for cost of living. This is about public school performance, and how we can learn from different systems and apply those lessons to improve outcomes for all students.

If we’re talking facts, let’s stick to that. There’s no need to bring political labels or accusations into what should be a data driven discussion.

. Data doesn’t favor the Fairfax democrats, who have been in control for years.

meh, if you have a high performing kid, FCPS has great opportunities for them to take advantage of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Poor Asian immigrants come with a different cultural appreciation for education than poor Hispanic immigrants. There are few cultures that put as much time, energy, and money into education as Asian cultures. There are shopping malls that cater only to tutoring in Singapore. China passed legislation to shit down cram schools to try and reduce the money parents felt they had to spend on their children's education. South Korea shuts down airplane flights over schools on the day of national exams. The list of examples is long. They are coming to the US with an idea that education will help their kids get good jobs and provide more for their grandkids.

Poor Hispanic immigrants are coming from countries where there is limited to no education for kids.They are fleeing crime and corrupt governments. Education has not been a priority. They are looking for safety and a chance to make enough money to send home to family left behind.

The overall attitude towards education is different.

that is true.

The point is that poverty itself isn't the problem prohibiting educational excellence, nor are the dollars spent. If people prioritize education at home, then their kids will succeed.

Agreed, the main factor to academic success is the culture at home. There are lots of studies pointing to that. Kids who come from families were parents graduated from high school are more likely to graduate from high school. Kids who come families with college grads are more likely to attend college. Kids who come from families where the parents did not graduate from high school are unlikely to graduate from high school.

FCPS has programs geared at trying to break some of those cycles but convincing a kid whose parent doesn't care about school to attend, do homework, and graduate is a huge hill to climb. You have a different result who you have an immigrant population who is moving to the country to improve their lives and values education then when you have an immigrant population with limited educational opportunities fleeing chaos. You have a different outcome when you have a population of folks who have high school degrees but not college degrees then when you have a population without high school degrees or with college degrees. FCPS has students in all four groups and needs to try and meet all of those needs.

Wise County is working with one group. They don't have advanced classes and do much to prepare kids for college because that is not what the population focuses on. FCPS has a large group of people who expect kids to attend 4 year college as well as kids who could careless about graduating high school.

All this simply makes the point that you cannot compare just the SOL scores and say "They are doing better then we are."

As for the poverty level, the FARMs rates at the Herndon, Mt. Vernon, Justice, and Lewis are stupidly high. South Lakes HS has 35% of the kids receiving free and reduced meals.

It is not surprising that the schools with the highest level of poverty have the worst test scores in the County. When you have a large concentration of kids who come from families that do not value education, you have a higher rate of absanteeism, more kids behind academically, less parental support, and a higher rate of kids dropping out.

It sounds like FCPS should split into at least 2 systems, 1) To meet the needs of those who need basic daycare, food and baseline English skills and 2) To meet the needs of those seeking an education to go to college

It already does. Schools with higher FARMs and ELL rates have kids in gen ed and remedial classes and kid in the AP/IB programs. There ar schools within the schools. The kids in the AP/IB programs do very well and attend some great colleges and have higher SAT scores.

I love when people defend poor performing schools cite that they just do the segregation by classes vs via school boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

It's funny to see how this plays out in NYC majority Asian schools. High levels of free and reduced lunch along with English language learners and yet top scores.

This would I dictate that something other than dollars spent or English speaking parents are providing advantages.

Now you are comparing Wise county schools and FCPSs lowest performing schools to NYs Elite public schools.

Quick answer apples and oranges as had been repeated ad nauseam.

Also repeated ad nauseam there aren’t any ELL students in NYs Elite Public schools. Regardless of whether or not they come from homes where English is the primary language or not they picked it up.

Now compare the Asian students at the local poorly performing schools as well as the other non Asian students and you’ll see that these schools fare no better than FCPS lower performing schools.

Also NY spends 30,000 per pupil… that’s a ton of money a metric ton of money which blows FCPS and Wise out of the water.

Now go away.

No, I'm not comparing the elite NYC schools. Grab a random chinatown school with FARMS in the 80% and they all have high scores.

Why does it have to be a random Chinatown school? Pick one from the Bronx or something.

I say this as someone that went to a really bad school in The Bronx. They're at least as bad as the worst performing schools here (Edward A. Reynolds, Brownsville, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Criticism about FCPS? But look how good the rich kids do! lol

Looks like Wise county has the equity that FCPS is dreaming of at lower costs.

Equity? It's 93% white and 99.7% english speakers.

It's a tiny school system with an extremely different population than FCPS. Apples & oranges.

Yes, the demographics are different, but the SOLs and educational standards are the same across Virginia, regardless of the school. It’s not just about comparing populations—it’s about comparing how well students perform on these standardized tests.

Central High faces challenges like 80% poverty and fewer resources, yet they’re still outperforming expectations. FCPS, despite spending more per student (even adjusted for COL), isn’t getting the same results. So, it's not about "apples and oranges"—it's about how the resources are managed. Central is doing more with less, and that points to a resource management problem in FCPS, not just a demographic difference.

If you cannot understand the difference in outcomes based on English language proficiency and base level of education then none of this matters.

Central High has a vast majority of kids who are native English speakers who are passing SOLs at the base rate. Great, they are able to teach white kids who have parents who graduated from high school and are fluent in English the base Virginia curriculum. Their SOL scores show that very few of those kids pass advanced, meaning that the kids are solidly middle of the road in their academic achievment.

McLean and Langley, two two FCPS schoosl you decided to compare against, have a slightly lower pass rate. Both of those schools have a large percentage of their population who don't take a math SOL in HS because they passed it in MS. The 7th graders who passed the Algebra 1 SOL probably passed advanced, because they are the kids on the accelerated track. They probably passed the Geometry SOL advanced as well. But they are not included in the numbers you are running. Those numbers include the few kids who are taking Algebra 1, not honors, in 9th grade. We would expect those kids to struggle with the SOL because they are kids who have historically struggled with math.

Comparing FCPS high FARMs schools to Central means comparing kids with very different backgrounds. Asking a non-English speaker to take and pass the SOL while they are learning English is more then ridiculous, but that is what we do. So comparing the white English speaking kids in small HSs who are taking basic classes at Central to impoverished, non-English speakers in FCPS is comparing apple to oranges.

The other metric that people are exploring looks at what type of overall classes are available for all students. In FCPS that means Honors, AP/IB, and DE classes. We cannot compare the success rate to Central because Central doesn't offer those classes. Do you know what programs are expensive to offer? AP/IB programs, SPED programs, Autism programs, ELL programs. Guess what FCPS has in spades that Central does not? AP/IB, DE, SPED, Autism, and ELL programs.

Central provides a basic education at a basic level to a small heterogeneous population. That is not hard to do. FCPS provides a wide range of educational opportunities to a diverse population with a wide variety of needs. Simply put, FCPS meets the needs of far more students then Central does and offers a wide variety of programs. FCPS has challenges that Central does not and has to provide programs that fit the needs of accelerated learners, SPED learners, and ELL learners which is far more expensive then teaching basic Algebra, Biology, History, and English to a small group of native English speakers.

If you cannot understand that then you are a troll. Or maybe you are a Central grad who meets the basic state requirements but cannot dig deeper then the surface of an issue.

+100
YES. Thank you.

Let’s break this down with actual numbers from the middle schools that feed into Central, Langley, and McLean:

L.F. Addington Middle (Central’s feeder):
Rank: 6th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 91.74
Free/Reduced Lunch: 100.7%

Longfellow Middle (McLean’s feeder):
Rank: 45th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 81.52
Free/Reduced Lunch: 14%

Cooper Middle (Langley’s feeder):
Rank: 19th in Virginia
Average Standard Score: 85.63
Free/Reduced Lunch: 4.3%

So, despite the significant differences in poverty levels, Addington is outperforming both Longfellow and Cooper in SOL scores. The argument that high SOL scores in middle school explain lower scores in high school for McLean and Langley doesn’t hold up. If this were the case, we’d expect higher middle school scores in those areas, but Addington’s students, with fewer resources, are doing better.

This data shows that economic challenges aren’t an excuse for lower scores—Central’s feeder schools are managing with far fewer resources yet still perform better. The real question is why FCPS isn’t seeing similar results given its much higher funding.

100.7%? Seems like they're double counting something in there...

Apples v. Oranges.

You continue to choose willful ignorance. Troll.

Few things are worse than a Trumpy troll on the spectrum, but that's what we've got with the OP. "If only every place in Virginia was full of LMC whites whose families have been in the US since the 1700s everything would be so fantastic!"

First off, I’m not a "Trumpy troll," and I haven’t made any arguments against public schools. My point is focused on data and performance outcomes, not politics. I'm actually supportive of public schools and looking for ways to improve them by analyzing how resources are allocated and how different counties handle the same challenges.

I haven’t suggested that every place should be homogeneous or exclusive to any particular group. Instead, I’ve been comparing SOL performance across districts to highlight the gaps in education between schools that have similar funding, especially when adjusted for cost of living. This is about public school performance, and how we can learn from different systems and apply those lessons to improve outcomes for all students.

If we’re talking facts, let’s stick to that. There’s no need to bring political labels or accusations into what should be a data driven discussion.

. Data doesn’t favor the Fairfax democrats, who have been in control for years.

FCPS is doing fine given that it is underfunded and enrolls tons of kids with higher, diverse needs (EL, low-income, SN, AAP, etc).

That POS, Youngkin, actually tried to *cut* the funding, despite the rising COL. Republicans just want to trash our schools.

[Anonymous]

Is Youngkin is trying to fix the numbers?

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/wise-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-3

Virginia School Quality Profiles

The Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profiles are offline for annual maintenance and updates which generally takes one business day.
Much of the same data from the SQPs can also be found in other reports and formats on the Statistics and Reports section on the Virginia Department of Education website.