Although Henry County and Martinsville City schools performed lower than the state averages on the 2023-2024 Standards of Learning (SOLs), students are gaining ground.
In Henry County, the SOL score for reading was 68 and a writing score was not received as of August 26. The state average for reading was five points higher at 73, and writing was 76.
The division scored 58 in history, and the state average was 65. In mathematics, county schools scored 66. The state average is 71. Science received a score of 59, and the state average was almost 10 points higher at 68.
However, the 2023-2024 SOL scores are an improvement from the 2022-2023 scores. In reading the division’s score increased three points from 65 to 68.
In writing, the school system’s score was 41 for 2022-2023. There is no score for this current year, but the 2021-2022 score was 50, or a nine percent drop.
The history score in county schools dropped three points, from 61 to 58, but it improved by one point in mathematics. The division has also maintained an SOL score of 59 for the past three school years.
County Schools Superintendent Dr. Amy Blake-Lewis said the school division’s teachers, support staff and school-based leadership should be commended for their hard work and dedication to students.
“Our division staff prioritized collaboration within our schools this year, and our students have made great strides in a full return to in-person learning. We know that recovery from the pandemic is a long road, but we are continuing to focus on the foundational skills that will promote student success as we move forward,” she said.
Blake-Lewis said the 2023-2024 scores indicate that all Henry County schools are accredited, and noted Bassett High School is accredited with conditions.
She said there were also gains made regarding student attendance.
“The HCPS division’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped from 25.03 percent to 18.79 percent. In our elementary schools, chronic absenteeism dropped from 20.34 percent to 14.02 percent. In our secondary schools, chronic absenteeism dropped from 29.52 percent to 22.90 percent.
“We are continuing our Attendance Campaign because we know the value of having our students in school every day. Parents have been provided with a School Calendar Magnet this year to aid in tracking absences. This visual reminder is one more effort that we are utilizing to boost daily attendance,” she said.
In response to the Governor’s ALL In VA initiative, Blake-Lewis said the school system is adding a Saturday School option to support intensive tutoring, academic enrichment and attendance recovery. More information is expected to be made available to parents in the coming weeks.
“We had some great points and it’s a mixed bag,” Martinsville Schools Superintendent Dr. Zebedee Talley said of the city schools SOL scores. “We will have some areas where we will need some improvements.”
In city schools, the reading average was 64 compared to the state average of 73, the writing average was not listed except for the < symbol, and the mathematics scores was 61, or 10 points lower than the state average of 71.
In history, Martinsville schools scored 51 compared to the state average of 65, and 50 in science, 18 points lower than the state average.
These scores reflect a drop compared to the 2022-2023 SOL scores when history and mathematics averages were 53 and 63 respectively, and the science score was 53.
In reading, the average increased one point from 63 to 64, and the writing average was 40.
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Angilee Downing said while the division’s scores have not yet returned to its pre-pandemic levels of success, it is encouraged by student progress in key areas, particularly among economically disadvantaged students, English learners, and Black students.
“In Martinsville, these subgroups have matched or outperformed their peers statewide in” some areas. “Our rate of growth across the board mirrors that of the state, indicating that we are on the right track. Science in particular will continue to be an area of focus for us,” she said.
Talley, who has served as the superintendent since 2016, has dealt with the system both pre and post-covid. Now, he is helping tackle the lasting effects of the pandemic while pushing the city schools into a new era.
While he agrees that “we are seeing students overcome and gain ground,” and he anticipates city schools to be accredited, Talley said those, and other improvements, are “thanks to the quality of great teachers.”
The quality of teachers in Virginia has caused the state to rank as one of the best states to educate children, he said. “It’s the teachers that are turning the tide against COVID-19, and yes, we are starting to see gains,” but he also believes that student mental health is another piece of the puzzle that has been impacted by the pandemic.
Both Talley and Downing said that absenteeism remains a concern, and the school system recognizes that chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue in schools nationwide.
The current absentee numbers for school year 23-24 were 17.76 percent, with the current rate at 20.95 percent. “Kids need to be present,” Talley said. “We are missing kids throughout the nation.”
“Consistent school attendance is crucial for academic success, and we want to do all we can to support our students in getting to school every day. That’s why, this year, we have hired a Chronic Absenteeism and Dropout Prevention Specialist to support our efforts in keeping students engaged in school,” Downing said.
School Resource Officers (SROs) also are trying to help get students into classrooms, Talley said.
Incentives like Patrick Henry Elementary School’s ‘House System’ have helped to bring children back to the classroom.
“The kids are really engaged, they take a lot of pride in attendance, and they are rewarded for a myriad of things,” Talley said, adding that each school offers incentives to attract students, like free Chick-fil-a and passes.
Talley believes that students perform best when they are in an in-person setting.
“The research proves that students learn better in person than they do remotely,” he said, and COVID helped to prove that online learning isn’t as effective as a classical classroom setting.
Cell-phone use was banned during instruction hours last year, and Talley feels that the school division was “ahead of the curve,” and proposed state guidance to ban cell phone use during the school day.
Cell phone use during school hours has been shown to distract students from instruction, and can negatively impact mental health, officials said.
“Cell phone usage is a tremendous barrier to student learning,” Talley said. “We need our students focused on actual learning; what the teachers are teaching in the classroom.”
Guidance counselors are able to talk to students who are experiencing problems with cell phone use, Talley said, and he would like to see more restrictions on students’ use of social media, but that is up to parents.
“Students have suffered mentally” from using social media, Talley said, including cyber-bullying.
Outside of normal learning, Talley noted that the two student businesses – Stichify and The Kennel – “helps with the mental health of our teachers.”
An apprenticeship program gives students the opportunity to both earn credits and work experience at the same time.
Other successes include “a new robotics teacher. Our kids competed in Iowa and Maryland last year. Our kids in robotics have competed nationally and internationally,” Talley said.
Martinsville High School is home to a new student-built robotics lab. A new AI program is in development.
“There are a lot of things going on,” Talley said, and noted that some of the school division’s successes are reflected in the division’s requests for speakers, with city school staff often asked to lead presentations all over the state.
