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Board hears Lab School expansion update as students and teachers describe strong early results
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Summary
Rockingham County’s Lab School leaders said Year 1 is complete and Year 2 is expanding to four sites and 300 students; administrators launched a data lab to collect baseline and comparative outcomes, and students, teachers and community partners described strong engagement and early gains.
Dr. Donica Hadley updated the board on Lab School, a partnership between James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College and Rockingham County Public Schools that uses interdisciplinary, project‑based learning. Hadley said Year 1 is finished, Year 2 is under way, and the program expanded from two sites and 100 students to four sites and 300 students.
Hadley described a new ‘data lab’ developed with JMU to collect quantitative and qualitative measures so the district and state can evaluate outcomes; she said baseline collection began mid‑year and comparative data should be available as the project matures. She said 9th‑grade sites are established in every high school and 10th‑grade offerings have launched at two sites; 11th–12th grade logistics and dual‑enrollment arrangements with JMU and Blue Ridge are in development.
Students and teachers spoke directly to the board. Ellie Kaufman and Issa Steinbach, both tenth graders in the program, said project‑based work, field explorations and collaborative portfolios increased engagement and confidence. A Broadway High School teacher called the program “the most eye‑opening experience” of his 20‑year career and said it has boosted teacher morale and retention. Community engagement liaison Xavier Greer described career‑focused field trips and partnerships that support real‑world learning.
Board members asked about how Lab School outcomes will be measured against SOLs and other benchmarks; Hadley said the data lab is designed to compare cohort progress with the broader school population and that some early, informal checks suggest higher comparative results in some areas. She committed to sharing the VDOE report and said more comparative data would be available around January after additional assessments.
The board thanked the Lab School team for the presentation and for student testimony.
