Hanover County Public Schools (HCPS) is pleased to announce that all schools have achieved accreditation by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) based upon results during the 2021-22 school year. Of the 15 largest school divisions in Virginia, HCPS is one of just five to have every school achieve accreditation.
The Virginia Department of Education released accreditation ratings for schools across the Commonwealth on Thursday, about a month after the publication of Standards of Learning results for the 2021-22 school year. On those tests, HCPS students continue to perform well above the state averages in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. HCPS students continue to earn the highest pass rate in math among Virginia’s 15 largest school divisions. Additionally, HCPS pass rates on the 2021-22 SOL exams met or exceeded state pass rates in the vast majority of reporting categories, including among Black and Hispanic students, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students, among others.
“During the past two school years, our faculty and staff rose to the challenge of supporting and educating our students through an incredibly difficult and unprecedented landscape. Through years of establishing authentic relationships with our students and families and through unwavering dedication, our team of educators and support staff have built upon our school division’s longstanding Tradition of Excellence. They are heroes and this news reflects that,” said Dr. Michael Gill, Superintendent of Schools.
Gill added: “Although we are proud of the achievement of earning full accreditation, we recognize that the impact of the pandemic on our students, families, and staff is undeniable. While we believe our comprehensive instructional plans – both in 2021-22 and in 2020-21 – have been exceptionally strong and well-executed by our staff throughout the pandemic, we are clearly not immune from the realities of unfinished learning. We have important work ahead of us and that is our focus. As we have from the start, we will confront these challenges head-on by continuing to meet each child where they are – academically, socially, physically, and emotionally – and provide the necessary resources and supports to help ensure we meet their unique, complex, and ever-evolving needs. We know this will not happen overnight or in one school year, but we remain steadfast in this life-changing work.”
With the postponement of accreditation ratings in 2020 and 2021, this is the second year that school divisions have been assessed under the Virginia Board of Education’s updated accreditation standards. In 2019, the first year of accreditation ratings under the revised standards, all Hanover schools achieved accreditation as well.
To learn more about the Standards of Accreditation, visit the VDOE website at
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/accreditation/2017-school-accred.shtml. To view Virginia School Quality Profiles by school or division, visit
http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/.