RD407 - 2014 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia


Executive Summary:
Nearly two decades ago, the Commonwealth of Virginia led the way in establishing an education system based on rigorous standards, assessments, and transparency. The result of that statewide system is clear: By nearly every measure – the NAEP results, SAT scores, ACT scores, and Advanced Placement scores – Virginia ranks high among the states.

In these early years of the 21st century, however, Virginia faces new challenges. Among them are requirements for new and different skills from both colleges and employers, changing demographics within the teacher work force, and increasing numbers of educationally at-risk students who concomitantly increase instructional challenges. Addressing these changes will not be easy … and it will not be cheap.

The 2014 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia seeks to provide the status of public education in Virginia but, more importantly, seeks to honestly define the challenges confronting the Commonwealth if it is to remain among the top states in education and to ensure public school graduates are educated and prepared to take their places as contributing members of society. Among its observations –

Leadership in quality education:

Virginia continues to be a leader in quality education.

• The percentage of Virginia public school students meeting ACT college-readiness benchmarks was ten or more points higher than the percentages nationwide.

• The Commonwealth’s public school graduates outscored their nationwide peers on all three subsections of the SAT college-admissions test by 23 points in reading, 11 points in mathematics, and 15 points in writing.

• Virginia boasts the nation’s third-highest percentage of public high school seniors qualifying for college credit on Advanced Placement examinations, even as the number of students taking Advanced Placement exams rose to nearly 35,000.

• On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, considered the “gold standard” of educational assessments, Virginia outpaces the nation in reading, mathematics, and science.

Educational Challenges:

While the Virginia education system as a whole excels, there are some clear warning signs.

• While Virginia students outperform their peers on NAEP reading and mathematics scores, gaps between economically disadvantaged students and their wealthier peers have grown to as much as 35 percentage points.

• Among students arriving in school with fewer skills are those who are economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and identified as needing special education services. These students are harder, and more expensive, to teach, and the associated costs are straining local budgets.

• In the last five years, the number of economically disadvantaged students has grown. Today, 41 percent (more than a half million) of Virginia’s public school students meet the definition of economically disadvantaged.

• In that same period, the number of English Language Learners in Virginia has grown to 95,000 – an increase of 15 percent.

• While the number of students identified in need of special education services has declined 3.5 percent in the last five years, the number of students most expensive to serve (autism and other health impairments) has skyrocketed by 23 percent to 46,865 students.

• Even as student challenges increase, many local school systems have faced declining resources as a result of the recession. Since 2008, K-12 public education staffing has been reduced by 5,000 positions, while student enrollment has increased by 2.5 percent statewide. At the same time, on an inflation-adjusted basis, Virginia teachers saw a five percent drop in their salaries’ purchasing power over the past ten years.

• Since the General Assembly mandated the use of locally-produced authentic assessments, the state’s assessment budget was decreased by 2.9 million dollars each year, limiting the state’s ability to assist localities in developing mandated alternative assessments.

• Approximately one-third of current Virginia teachers are over the age of 50 – prime candidates for retirement. Yet, Virginia schools of education produce only about 3,800 new teachers a year.

• Despite the growing number of students with autism and the large student population requiring special education services, the number one critical shortage area among teachers is Special Education.

• Although employers increasingly want to see graduates with important “employability skills,” two of the top five critical teacher needs shortages are in related fields: Career and Technical Education and Mathematics.

Taken separately, these factors affect the delivery of public education in Virginia. When combined and concentrated in certain schools and school divisions, they can prove devastating.

Many of these factors are not of the schools’ making, but represent demographic shifts reflecting a new Virginia reality. It is, however, the responsibility of our school system to prepare and educate the children arriving at our doorstep. Addressing these factors requires new strategies, repurposed and additional resources, and a thorough review of Virginia’s assessment, accountability, and accreditation systems to ensure that they reflect the real needs of today’s Virginia.