Arcadia High School recognized for continuous improvement by the Virginia Board of Education

Arcadia High School has earned the Virginia Board of Education’s 2024-2025 Board of Education Continuous Improvement Award.

The Virginia Board of Education recognized 141 schools for their high achievement and continued improvement as part of its Exemplar School Recognition Program.

“This recognition is a reflection of the hard work our staff has put in to make sure all students at Arcadia High School are successful,” said Arcadia High School Principal Shaun O’Shea.

49 schools earned the Board of Education Continuous Improvement Award and 92 schools earned the Board of Education Highest Achievement Award . The Highest Achievement Award is based on performance during the 2023-2024 school year and the Continuous Improvement Award uses 2023-2024 and prior school years.

“The Board is thrilled to recognize and celebrate the 141 schools who have earned this year’s top achievement,” said Board of Education President Grace Turner Creasey. “We applaud their commitment to excellence and high-quality education. Congratulations to all the Virginia educators, parents, and communities supporting these schools in achieving at the highest level.

“Being recognized in the Exemplar School Recognition Program is a direct reflection of a school’s commitment to high performance and increasing excellence,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “I am proud of each of the 141 schools that have been recognized today, and I commend each school’s leadership, educators, students, and community for earning this achievement.”

2024-2025 Board of Education Continuous Improvement Award

Schools recognized for continuous improvement met at least one of the following criteria based on performance from school years 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024.

The school demonstrates an increase:

• in the combined rate for math, reading, and science for each of the past three years, with a total increase across the three years of ten points or more;
• in the combined rate for two or more student groups in reading and math for each of the past three years, with a total increase across the three years of ten points or more; or
• in the GCI for each of the past three years, with a total increase across the three years of four percent or more; and the school demonstrates a decrease in the dropout rate for each of the past three years with the total reduction across three years of fifteen percent or more of the first year’s dropout rate.

For more information about the Board of Education Exemplar School Recognition Program, visit the Virginia Department of Education website.