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Goochland leaders report strong graduation and mixed test results; student engagement up, some subgroup gaps persist
Summary
Superintendent and staff presented unofficial state accountability data and division assessments showing a 98% graduation rate, increases in student engagement measures and mixed SOL and MAP results; board members flagged subgroup performance and sixth-grade test recalibration as discussion points.
Goochland County School Division leaders on Oct. 14 presented unofficial state accountability results and local assessment data that show a 98% graduation rate and gains in student engagement, alongside pockets of weaker performance on state Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and MAP growth measures.
The presentation delivered by Dr. Sean Geyer for the division summarized how the new state accountability framework assigns schools scores out of 100 using mastery (SOL achievement), growth and readiness measures; division officials said the data they reviewed were still unofficial pending the Virginia Department of Education's final release. "We feel really good about where our schools' scores are," Geyer said, noting that Goochland High School and Randolph Elementary were identified as "distinguished" in the state's preliminary materials and that several other schools were "on track." He added the numbers could change by a point or two once the state finalizes growth calculations.
Why it matters: the state framework determines school-level designations and is used to direct supports and interventions. The board discussed how the data will shape local quarterly data reviews and targeted interventions for students.
Division leaders highlighted three measurement streams: - MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) growth: the division reported high fall-to-spring growth percentages in most grades and subjects but said sixth-grade growth figures are commonly lower because the assessment transitions from a "2–5" test to a "6+" test that includes higher-level items. "MAP folks have encouraged us to use the term recalibration in sixth grade," Geyer said. - Student engagement/inclusion survey: 83% of student respondents selected a positive response for the question "I feel like I belong at my school," a 4-point increase from the previous year and the highest since the division began administering the survey. Geyer said 80% reported feeling connected to an adult at school and 90% said adults at school care about them. - SOL pass rates and subgroup performance: overall division pass rates remain above state averages in several subjects, but officials flagged a pull toward the state average in reading and math and “notable” subgroup shortfalls. Geyer said "this is the most red we have seen on this table" when showing subgroup deltas from the state average and said the results will drive student-level conversations at upcoming principals' meetings.
Board members and staff emphasized programmatic follow-up. Dr. Armstrong, the superintendent, said the division will use quarterly principal data meetings to drill to the student level and plan interventions. The presentation also noted a 1.4% dropout rate and that the class of 2025 reported post-graduation plans with 56% indicating a four-year college pathway and 21% entering the workforce.
Clarifying details from the presentation included: the division has administered MAP in elementary and middle grades for more than a decade (13 years) and seven years at the high school; the sense-of-belonging survey covers grades 4–12 with opt-outs at or below 1%; and the division's unofficial enrollment count on Sept. 30 was 2,690 students, up 47 from the prior year with 25 of those additional students recorded as students with disabilities.
Board members pressed staff on interpretation and next steps: several asked whether low subgroup outcomes are connected to attendance or other factors; staff said those relationships will be examined in the upcoming data meetings and that the division can identify individual students for targeted supports. Trustees also asked for clarity on how frequently and at what time-of-day surveys are administered; staff said buildings typically use a 30-minute administration block so late-arriving students can participate.
Ending: officials called the results a mix of reasons to celebrate and reasons to focus more attention, and they said more context will arrive when the Department of Education publishes final accountability calculations. The board scheduled continued, more granular review at the division's next data meetings with principals.
