RPS News Details

As a division, we at Richmond Public Schools know that we have a long way to go — and that we are also, undeniably, on the rise. 

Our school ratings, released today by the Virginia Department of Education, bear out these two truths. Under the new accountability system, we’re proud to have five ‘distinguished’ schools and nine ‘on track’ schools. We also have twenty-three ‘off track’ schools and five schools in need of intensive support. 

Because this is the first year of the new system, it’s difficult to make comparisons with prior years. We will use this data as our baseline going forward. 

We’re celebrating: 

• The tremendous progress of our high schools! Almost all of them saw ten-point gains from last year under this new accountability system, and all but one high school is ‘on track’ or distinguished.’ 

• A huge shout-out to John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson, our two comprehensive high schools that earned more than 90 points. Additionally, Richmond Community, Open, and Franklin Military Academy all earned more than 100 points. 

• Our growth in Reading and Math: Growth accounts for 25 and 20 percent of elementary and middle-school scores, respectively, and our gains over the last three years led to a strong baseline. 

We also know that our accountability system shows us where we need to improve. Over the next year, we’re committed to focusing on: 

• Increasing targeted supports: Digging into our data, many of our ‘off track’ or ‘needs intensive support’ schools were designated as such based on data for just one specific subgroup: We’re committed to working with teachers, students, and families to meet every child’s needs.

• Demonstrating continued growth: We are already on track here! When a school is historically under-served, the federal government and the state understandably expect to see growth for multiple years. We have many schools that just need to show growth for one more year to exit their “identified” status. We’re excited to see their progress over the next year, and to see their successes reflected in 2026’s data. 

Based on what’s reflected in our growth and proficiency data, we know as a Division that we are on the right track, but that the road ahead is long. Our investments in early literacy, graduation supports, multilingual learners, and teacher professional development are beginning to pay off. We welcome a higher bar and greater transparency, and we believe that overall, these ratings provide more transparency into not just how RPS schools are doing, but how schools across Metro Richmond and the Commonwealth are serving children.

In return, though, we ask that the Commonwealth continue to match that higher bar with the necessary funding to fuel growth. We look forward to continuing to work with the VDOE, and to work with the new Administration, to invest in and support Richmond students.