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Instructional team credits redesigned attendance efforts and targeted supports for divisionwide gains
Summary
Clarke County Public Schools staff told the board Aug. 25 the division ranked among Virginia''s most improved for chronic absenteeism and posted sizable pass-rate gains in the 2024–25 year, particularly for students with disabilities. Staff outlined attendance procedures, needs assessments, and partnerships supporting those results.
Clarke County Public Schools instructional leaders presented attendance and academic results to the school board on Aug. 25, saying targeted procedural changes, curriculum supports and partnerships produced measurable improvements.
"We were excited to be on that list," said Jessica Nell, director of curriculum and instruction, describing the division's recognition as one of Virginia's top 10 most improved districts for chronic absenteeism across recent school years. Nell said the division implemented consistent attendance procedures in 2023–24, including early outreach to families, regular attendance meetings, and school-based incentives.
Nell and colleagues also pointed to academic progress. "We were the second-most improved in percentile rank in overall pass rates for the 2024–25 school year," she said, noting the report covered schools in their comprehensive instructional consortium and that students with disabilities showed strong gains.
Instructional leaders described a series of steps they said produced growth: comprehensive needs assessments in 2023–24 to inform school improvement plans; division-level monitoring meetings and pacing guides for SOL-tested subjects; professional development and partnerships with the Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at George Mason University; and a Canvas course on explicit instruction (HLP 16) used by teachers.
Frank Ward, director of student services, told the board special education staff focused on explicitly teaching vocabulary and specially designed instruction, mentoring new special education staff and holding students to high expectations with appropriate accommodations.
Harry Holloway, curriculum coordinator, described changes in mathematics instruction tied to new state standards and the division''s rollout of an evidence-based instruction (EBI) approach in middle school to expand problem-solving instruction. At the high school, staff added a data analysis course last year, which Holloway said showed promise for expanding students'' skills.
Board members pressed on how these strategies connect to career and technical education (CTE). "The annual CTE advisory report links math with CTE," Nell said, adding that the division will discuss CTE data at advisory committee meetings. Several board members emphasized practical math skills such as ratios and measurement.
On attendance, staff said they restructured outreach to identify students who were chronically absent, contact families early, and embed supports in the school (counselor touchpoints, nurse referrals, and targeted interventions). "We did completely restructure it, and I think that's why you saw the improvement," Nell said.
The presentation closed with staff offering to bring more school-level details in October after state data are finalized.
What happens next: Board members asked for principals to present school-specific data in a future meeting once the state releases final figures.
