Goochland County Public Schools says year off to 'fantastic' start; highlights programs, MCJROTC growth and test rankings

A presenter for Goochland County Public Schools said the district has had a "fantastic start to the school year," highlighting classroom intervention teams, new volunteer programs, increased extracurricular participation and improved assessment results.

The presenter said a "Teachers for Tomorrow" program at Goochland high schools lets students explore careers in education, and the district hopes some will return to teach locally. "It was inspiring to see their passion," the presenter said.

At Bird Elementary, the intervention team has developed a schedule to support teachers and students across grade levels, the presenter said, adding the team is working to implement elements of the Virginia Literacy Act and the district's new Virginia math initiatives by modeling instruction and helping teachers plan and deliver lessons.

The presenter announced the Watchdog program at Goochland Elementary has started with 17 dogs signed up and noted a well-attended "dogs and donuts" volunteer event earlier in the month. At Randolph Elementary, fourth-grade students were selected to join existing fifth-grade house leaders; the first house huddle on Friday, Sept. 13 introduced pre-K and kindergarten students to their houses through community activities.

Goochland Middle School's adaptive scheduler, the presenter said, is providing targeted intervention opportunities during the school day so students can receive extra help without losing instructional time.

The presenter reported 254 "Bulldog" students are participating in fall sports or band and cited research linking extracurricular participation to academic achievement. At Goochland High School, 140 students are enrolled in the MCJROTC program — "this is the highest number of cadets ever," the presenter said — and the district hosted the third edition of the GHS veterans project, which welcomed more than 70 military veterans for student learning.

On assessments, the presenter said spring results placed the division 14th in the state in reading and eighth in the state in mathematics out of 132 school divisions; regionally, the presenter said Goochland ranks first in reading and second in mathematics proficiency. The update closed on an optimistic note: "The Best Is Yet To Come."

The presenter did not specify funding sources, detailed research citations, or the names of individual staff leading each program. The remarks were a district update rather than an action item; no motions or formal votes were announced during the recording.