Accreditation Status

 

Press Release

September 11, 2023

Poquoson City Public Schools would like to announce that once again, we are fully accredited. While State Superintendent Coons has shared that learning loss is significant throughout the Commonwealth, we are pleased that our students have performed exceedingly well. PCPS attributes this high level of success to many components. Arty Tillett, Superintendent, states, “Our efforts to ‘return to school’ after the pandemic is one of the greatest decisions we could have made for our students. As the State Superintendent and Governor have publicly shared just last week, the significant learning loss seen across the state can be directly tied to extended school closures. We strongly believe that our students have done well because they returned as soon as possible. Besides efforts to return to in-person learning, our staff has persevered and has shown tremendous dedication to our students. We are grateful for their efforts in making this accomplishment possible.”

On average, Poquoson Schools has outperformed the state in every category by more than 15% and after closely evaluating surrounding divisions, we are more than pleased with our students’ outcomes. While PCPS recognizes all of the amazing accomplishments and hard work of the entire division, we find that there is always room for improvement. Amber Brown, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction shares, “We are not only steadfast in our efforts to close the achievement gaps that exist for some of our students, but also committed to ensuring academic growth for all learners through a rigorous and challenging curriculum. PCPS recently hired a K-5 literacy coach as well as a division math coach, has increased tutoring services, has added additional services for students with special needs, and has created a literacy taskforce to revise our curricula and ensure the complete implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. Student achievement is a collaborative effort and we are fortunate to have an exceptional team of administrators, teachers, counselors and staff in our school buildings, a strong and supportive partnership with our parents and community, and the most incredible students in the Commonwealth. We will continue to work together to ensure our students continue to grow and excel.” 

State Superintendent Coons and Governor Youngkin also addressed the need for strong student attendance and is conducting a campaign to reduce absenteeism throughout the Commonwealth. According to The Washington Post, the VDOE report released last week shows that students who missed at least 18 days scored 18% lower in reading and 25% lower in math than those who had regular attendance. While Poquoson Schools has a lower chronic absenteeism rate than many surrounding divisions, we also see the need to improve student attendance. “Considering the strong link of school attendance and formal assessment scores, it is imperative that our students have regular attendance,” says Director of Student Services, Heather Worthen. “As we work together with parents, we hope that we can strengthen our students’ educational experiences while within the walls of our buildings.”

We congratulate, once again, our students, staff, and families on such an amazing accomplishment. We are very proud of the work that is being done and look forward to this coming school year!