July 21, 2005
It looks like all six Charlottesville elementary schools will be accredited by the state for the first time.
Clark Elementary School in particular has underachieved in these tests--until now. This will be the first time it's been fully accredited. It's most noticeable increase was in English.
The older schools, however, did not show consistent improvement in any area. Walker Upper Elementary may only exceed accreditation in English and math, and Buford Middle School only in science and even that is uncertain. Charlottesville High School struggled in math and science. But these weren't the areas the school board focused on this year.
"I'm pleased with the results. Again, we have some work to do, but I think particularly the areas that we've focused on," said Julie Gronlund, School Board Chair. "We've showed improvement and that's important to know that when you put resources in the right place, you can make a difference."
These areas are literacy, especially in the early childhood years.
