Providence Elementary School
3616 Jermantown Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.460.4400
fcps.edu/ProvidenceES

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Reading

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Math

PROVIDENCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Providence's SOL scores for 2009 are on the rise in most categories, especially reading. Math scores are up too - especially for 5th graders who scored in the 93rd percentile, up from 83% in 2008.

Providence's new principal Jesse Kraft says the reason for the rise or fall in SOL test scores is tough to predict. So his teachers have been working for the last few years to hone in on each subgroup in the school (including ESOL students, free and reduced lunch students, and disabled students) to find ways to help each and every child succeed academically.

"Building on what former principal Joy Hanbury and her team put into place, we continue to make time for academic intervention before school with our Early Morning Learning Labs," Kraft explains. "Teachers volunteer to come in before the bell rings to work with the students that we know need additional help. This is a proven way to close the achievement gap."

After school programs

Providence also has several programs to help students who need extra time with the teacher. Still, Kraft says, the additional attention must be focused and the strategy for success needs to be clear.

"Our goal is to make sure the help we are giving each student is timely and specific to what they are currently learning," he notes. "That way, the student can apply the skills they are learning that very day or week, and eventually they'll catch up with the rest of the class."

Engaging the community with PEP

Kraft is also engaging the parents in his school community - especially those who don't speak English - through the free "Survival English" program, sponsored by the FCPS government-funded program Parents as Educational Partners (PEP), http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/family-pep.html.

The data indicate that students at all grade levels do better academic work and have more positive school attitudes, higher aspirations, and other positive behaviors if their parents are knowledgeable, encouraging, and involved in their children's education (Epstein, 1994). There is, however, a lack of appropriate curricula and materials that address both parental involvement issues and English language acquisition needs.

So Providence teachers Elena Guzman-Arevalo and Phil Spivey meet with dozens of parents two evenings per week for 10 weeks, giving them a good English tutorial, as well as a renewed connection to the school.

"This program gets those parents in the building, and helps them to feel a sense of ownership about the school," Kraft concludes. "It's just another way we are helping the families in our community succeed."

Daniels Run Elementary
3705 Old Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.279.8400
fcps.edu/DanielsRunES

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Reading

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Math

DANIELS RUN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Scores in nearly every SOL category were up in 2009 at Daniels Run Elementary School. In reading, 3rd graders scored in the 91st percentile, an increase from 89% in 2008 and 75% in 2007. Fourth graders dipped a bit, to the 85th percentile from 88% in 2008. But the 5th graders climbed to the 96th percentile in reading from 91% last year, and the 6th graders hit the 91st percentile, up from 87%.

In math, Daniels Run 3rd graders scored in the 95th percentile, up from 90%; 4th graders scored in the 84th percentile, up from 80%; 5th graders were in the impressive 97th percentile, up from 90% last year; and the 6th graders made the biggest gains by scoring in the 91st percentile in math, up from 70% in 2008.

On an upward track

Principal Kathy Mullenix says she is very proud of all of her students, and is confident they will stay on the same upward track in 2010.  

We have a variety of programs in place at Daniels Run to ensure that our students are mastering the curriculum, which is reflected in the increasingly better SOL scores, she explains. Remember that each year, the students need to score in an increasingly higher percentile for the school to make AYP. So it’s important that we are vigilant in our efforts to be sure they are staying on task, doing their homework, and getting help when they don’t understand a lesson.

Mullenix notes that with the highly diverse student population at Daniels Run, ensuring that every child has just the right amount of challenge and the best fit instructionally can at times be daunting for teachers and parents. 

“Our second language learners are learning English as they learn curriculum which is no easy task,” Mullenix admits. “How this translates in the classroom is our teachers provide differentiated instruction to meet these varied educational needs. Collaboration with resource staff and specialists is even more critical to maximize learning throughout the day. Parent involvement is also critical to a child’s success in school - and very appreciated by the staff at Daniels Run.”

Most importantly, Mullenix insists, we know that the worth of a child is not measured by test scores. 

“We also know that test scores don’t measure potential for learning,” she says. “We also know that academic progress is ongoing throughout all of their school years, and children are achieving in spite of test scores. I am extremely proud of each and every child at Daniels Run, and equally proud of every teacher who supports their learning in all areas.”

Lanier Middle School
3801 Jermantown Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tel: 703.934.2400
fcps.edu/LanierMS

SOL Results
Grades 7 and 8
2007, 2008, 2009
Reading

SOL Results
Grades 7 and 8
2007, 2008, 2009
Math

LANIER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students at Lanier Middle School made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) this year, an improvement over 2007 and 2008, explains Principal Scott Poole.

The interesting thing about AYP, Poole shares, is that there are 28 subcategories that a school must pass or the entire school fails to make it. And, the percentile by which we need to pass goes up every other year. It’s pretty daunting. But in 2008-2009 we did it. We celebrated the afternoon we got the news, and now we’re looking at how we can make the grade again.

Poole says his first line of attack is to use formative data to monitor how kids are doing throughout the year. That means, students are frequently assessed as to what they know – not just on unit tests, but on frequent common assessments to ensure they understand course content.

“If teachers detect that any of the students are having problems, they take swift action,” says Poole, noting that Lanier’s teachers are also initiating a series of afterschool programs to help students excel.

Eagles Excel

Through the newly instituted Eagles Excel program, Poole and his team of teachers have identified 100 students who are at-risk academically.

“When I spoke with the students, the message was of encouragement and also accountability,” Poole noted. “I’m confident this program will help them master the material, especially because the teachers who are working on it are the ones who have these 100 students in their classes during the day. The benefit is that they know these students already and instead of trying to figure out what the issues are, they can hit the ground running and help them improve their grades.”

Pride Time

Poole has also instituted other enrichment programs, including Pride Time, which is a 30-minute period during the day whereby students can go to a teacher’s classroom for extra help. Or they can use the time to practice an instrument or to do their homework. Students who are having trouble finishing their homework on time are required to participate in Lunch & Learn, a program designed to help students complete short assignments during lunch.

“We have pinpointed some students who habitually don’t turn in assignments,” Poole shares. “So they get a pass to go to the head of the lunch line to buy their meal before heading over to a quiet, supervised room across from the cafeteria to finish their work. They don’t like it, because it’s much more fun to be with your friends during lunch than doing the homework you failed to finish. But it works. They get the message that not doing the work is unacceptable and it doesn’t take long for them to change their behavior.”

Fairfax High School
3501 Rebel Run
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tel: 703.219.2200
fcps.edu/FairfaxHS

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Reading

SOL Results
2007, 2008, 2009
Math

SAT scores
2007, 2008, 2009

FAIRFAX HIGH SCHOOL

Fairfax High's new principal David Goldfarb says he's extremely pleased with the strong results from the Fairfax students across the entire curriculum as well as in different tests.

"These recent results are just another chapter in the story of continuous improvement that has been authored by the Fairfax High School instructional staff," he explains. "Our teachers care very much for their students and are committed to helping their students be successful. They believe that every student can be successful."

Goldfarb points to last year's SOL results among Fairfax High students with disabilities.

"I'm so proud that 100% of students with disabilities passed the English Reading SOL - up from 88% in 2007-08 and 78% in 2006-07, and 93% passed the Math SOLs - up from 87% in 2007-08 and 67% in 2006-07."

The power of PLC

He attributes this to the fact that Fairfax High teachers work together in professional learning communities (PLC) to define what all students need to know and how they will know when students have reached mastery in their knowledge and skill development.

"Teachers collaborate to share their ideas on how to best respond when some students struggle to reach the high standards. The individual efforts of teachers combined with the collaboration of PLCs are the secret to ensuring success for every student. Fairfax High School's R & R program (Rewards & Remediation) allows for students to have time built into the school day when they can receive individual attention in classes where they are currently struggling."

Fairfax High School students also scored well on Advanced Placement tests. Students took a whopping 1,600 AP tests last year, and 63% received a passing score.

"Their results are causing me to question the conventional wisdom that scores will decline when more students take more tests," Goldfarb says. "Yet two years ago, only 1264 tests were taken, with a passing rate of only 50%. This year, we anticipate our students will take over 200 more AP tests. What is most critical to continuing success in Advanced Placement courses is strengthening our vertical articulation such that students are being prepared for AP tests when they enter Fairfax High School in 9th grade."

Focusing on SOL Scores

After seeing a 20-point drop from 2007 to 2008 in the combined SAT Critical Reading and Math average scores, Fairfax High School rose 41 points in 2009.

"This increase was the largest among Fairfax County high schools last year," he says. "In 2009, Fairfax High School students scored 65 points higher than the Virginia state average and 72 points higher than the national average."

"The Fairfax City School Board very much supported this success. All Fairfax students were provided with access to an online SAT test preparation program, which they could do at their convenience, and we saw extensive usage of the program. In addition to the online support, students had access to free SAT preparation classes held at Fairfax High School."