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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) recently published the Standards of Learning (SOL) scores for the 2023-24 school year, covering all school divisions across Virginia. The data revealed that PWCS’ SOL scores improved across all subjects, including reading and writing, math and science, and history and social sciences, surpassing the state’s scores in nearly every category.
“Prince William County Public Schools is excited and encouraged by the VDOE’s report on our students’ SOL pass rates. We are seeing notable improvements in every subject, and it’s clear that our teachers are delivering in the classroom and our students are setting a new standard of excellence,” said PWCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. LaTanya D. McDade.
In the 2023-24 school year, students scored 76% in reading. This is 3% higher than the state average and 1% better than the previous year. Students scored 79% in writing, 3% higher than the state average and an 8% increase from the 2022-23 school year. In history and social sciences, students scored 71%, 6% higher than the state average and 1% higher than the year prior. Students scored 73% in math, 2% higher than both the state average and the year prior. Lastly, students scored 68% in science, which is 2% higher than the 2022-23 school year.
“I am thrilled that our school division has improved in all categories. My number one commitment to our community has been improved academic success. We are achieving this by all metrics. We have improved test scores while improving our (preliminary) graduation rate to a record high of 94.3%, reducing chronic absenteeism, having our students win record scholarship dollars, and achieving incredible athletic and extracurricular success,” said Prince William County School Chairman At-Large Dr. Babur Lateef.
“This has been a holistic effort led by Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade and her team. It is holistic in that we have our teachers, students, families, and staff all working towards one goal. While we do have more work to do, we can take a moment to be proud of these incredible achievements.”
Prince William County Public Schools: "The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has shared the Prince William County Public Schools’ preliminary on-time graduation and dropout rates for the 2023-24 school year, citing remarkable progress throughout the division.
The preliminary on-time graduation rate for the 2023-24 school year is 94.3%, a 2.6% increase over the previous school year, and the English learners’ on-time graduation rate is 80.6%, a 9.6% increase over the year prior. The overall dropout rate decreased by 2.7% and the English learners' dropout rate decreased by 9.6%."
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Teachers will return to Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) on Monday, August 12, 2024. The second-largest school division in Virginia is gearing up for the return of its 92,000 students on August 19, 2024.
Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade shared her excitement for the upcoming school year in a recent message to the community.
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Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) will implement new guidelines restricting the use of cell phones and wireless communication devices in classrooms for the 2024-25 school year. The guidelines aim to create an environment conducive to focused learning, minimize distractions, and promote face-to-face social interactions among students.
Under the new guidelines, all wireless communication devices, including earbuds, must be silenced and stored away during the school day for students in middle, traditional, and K-8 schools. Dual-purpose watches may be worn, but wireless and cellular features must be turned off. High school students must be silent and store their devices during instructional periods. However, they may use their devices during lunchtimes and passing periods, with usage prohibited in restrooms and locker rooms.
The pilot program will be implemented in 33 schools and aims to support academic success by removing distractions caused by cell phones. Students and families will receive the guidelines via email and text message at the beginning of the school year, and acknowledgment of the guidelines will be required.
Exceptions to the guidelines may be granted for students with medical conditions or those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans. Privacy and respect are emphasized, with a strict prohibition on taking photos or videos of others without permission. Disciplinary actions will be enforced for violations of these guidelines, including confiscation of devices and progressive consequences for repeated offenses.
Students may use their cell phones on school buses, provided they do not distract the driver or violate other rules. Parents are encouraged to direct urgent messages to the school office rather than contacting students during school hours. Students can use phones in the main office to contact parents or guardians in emergencies.
The PWCS pilot program aligns with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33, which promotes cell phone-free education to enhance student health and safety. PWCS will review feedback and guidance from the Virginia Department of Education before finalizing the cell phone use guidelines.
The pilot program includes Pennington Traditional, Porter Traditional, and The Nokesville School. Additional elementary schools may be added depending on the governor’s forthcoming policy.
The school division states that students are responsible for adhering to the guidelines and securing their devices. Classes will not be interrupted to search for lost devices.
The changes come after Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order requiring public schools to ban cell phones inside classrooms by 2025.
What do you think of the new policy? Tell us below in the comments.
Participating schools:
- Middle, Traditional & K-8 SchoolsBenton
- Beville
- Bull Run
- Fred Lynn
- Gainesville
- Graham Park
- Hampton
- Lake Ridge
- Marsteller
- The Nokesville School
- Parkside
- Pennington Traditional
- Porter Traditional
- Potomac
- Potomac Shores
- Reagan
- Rippon
- Saunders
- Unity Braxton
- Woodbridge
High Schools
- Battlefield
- Brentsville District
- Colgan
- Forest Park
- Freedom
- Gainesville
- Gar-Field
- Hylton
- Osbourn Park
- Patriot
- Potomac
- Unity Reed
- Woodbridge
Stafford County teachers returned to school today, August 5, 2024, to prepare for the new school year. The morning began with volunteers from Mount Church providing backpacks to students. They donated over 300 backpacks filled with supplies and sorted through all donations from the recent Collect for Kids event.
A representative from Stafford Public Schools expressed appreciation for the volunteers' efforts, saying, "Thank you to the Mount Church Volunteers for starting the morning with a heart of service for our students coming BackToExcellence. None of this is possible without the continued support of the Stafford community." Stafford Public Schools students will return to class on Tuesday, August 13.
In Prince William County, the school division partnered with the Prince William Community Foundation for the annual Back to School Community Fair over the weekend. The back-to-school fair was held at Unity Reed High School near Manassas on Saturday, August 3, 2024. School in Prince William County begins on Monday, August 19.
The Prince William Community Foundation, partnered with the school division to host the event, and shared their gratitude on social media, stating, "Words cannot express my gratitude for an exceptional time we had! Thank you to everyone who was a part or played a part in our Back-to-School Community Event. Together, we Can Make a Difference."
Thank you to the @MtAraratorg Volunteers for starting the morning with a heart of service for our students coming #BackToExcellence. They generously donated more than 300 stuffed backpacks and sorted through all of our Collect for Kids donations from this weekend's donate and… pic.twitter.com/InCnKV2TWo
— Stafford Schools (@SCPSchools) August 5, 2024
Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) will ban personal wireless communication devices, including cell phones, during high, middle, K-8, and traditional school instructional periods starting in the upcoming school year. It joins Stafford County and Fredericksburg public schools in requiring students to turn off and store cell phones during instructional time.
Press release:
PWCS is excited to welcome students back to school on Aug. 19! To help prepare our families for the first day, below are 10 key things you need to know for a successful start to the 2024-25 school year. More details will be shared in the coming days and weeks:
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Insidenova.com: Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent LaTanya McDade has received a contract extension and 6% pay bump ahead of the upcoming school year. The extension came after the Prince William County School Board conducted its annual performance review of McDade in a late-June closed session.
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Prince William County Schools is expanding the Community Eligibility Provision from 44 schools to 68 for the 2024-2025 school year.
The CEP program is a meal service option for schools and districts in low-income areas and offers free breakfast and lunch. The program also does not require a household application from a parent or guardian to enroll in the program; instead, schools are reimbursed.
“Schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),” the USDA website states.
This expansion comes after the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to reduce the percentage of students who qualify for free meals from 40% to 25%.
PWCS media representatives said in a statement that CEP ensures all students receive nutritious meals, regardless of their family’s income.
“CEP improves meal access and promotes a more inclusive environment and equitable meal service,” the representatives said.
In the upcoming school year, PWCS can add 24 more schools — and roughly 26,516 students, according to a press release — to the program.
PWCS representatives also said they will continue to evaluate data and add qualifying schools each year.
The following schools were added for the next school year:
Elementary schools
- Antietam Elementary School
- Chris Yung Elementary School
- Coles Elementary School
- Covington-Harper Elementary School
- Kyle Wilson Elementary School
- Lake Ridge Elementary School
- Mary Williams Elementary School
- Montclair Elementary School
- Pattie Elementary School
- Penn Elementary School
- Rosa Parks Elementary School
- Signal Hill Elementary School
- Springwoods Elementary School
- Tyler Elementary School
- Victory Elementary School
- Westridge Elementary School
Middle schools
- Lake Ridge Middle School
- Parkside Middle School
- Potomac Shores Middle School
- Saunders Middle School
High schools
- C.D. Hylton High School
- Osbourn Park High School
- Potomac High School
- Woodbridge High SchoolÂ
Here is a list of all the qualifying CEP schools in PWCS.Â
The Virginia Department of Education is hosting Commonwealth Conversations to gather input from parents, educators, and community members on achieving cell phone-free education in Virginia, addressing youth mental health, and education performance. Following Governor Youngkin's Executive Order 33, which mandates cell phone-free education, school boards will implement related policies by the end of the year, with the changes taking effect in January 2025.
The Virginia Department of Education is hosting a series of Commonwealth Conversations to give parents, educators, and community members the opportunity to share their thoughts on the best ways to achieve cell phone-free education in Virginia and address the increasing evidence of the impact cell phone and social media usage has on youth mental health and education performance.
On July 9, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 to establish cell phone-free education to promote the health and safety of Virginia’s K-12 students. Executive Order 33 directs the VDOE to provide guidance to school boards on cell phone-free education policies and procedures. School boards will establish local cell phone-free education policies and procedures before the end of this year.
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