Virginia: Comparing schools and districts based on student proficiency

The information below reflects the most recent data available to us; please contact us with questions or to request additional analyses.

School Performance in Virginia

Analysis: Comparing schools and districts on third grade proficiency in reading and math
The charts linked below allow you to compare schools and districts in Virginia with their peers. The Y (vertical) axis shows the percentage of proficient 3rd graders in a subject; the X (horizontal) axis shows the percentage of students who qualify for the free or reduced rate lunch program, a common indicator of poverty in schools.

Available charts:

 

User Alert for 2018 charts and 2019 charts:   In a small number of schools, proficiency was reported as <50% or >50%. These were changed to whole numbers for graphing purposes.

User Note for 2019 and 2021: Compared to the scores reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the proficiency percentages reported by Virginia appear to be inflated.  The independent NAEP reports 39% of the state’s 4th grade students to be proficient or above in reading.  Virginia is reporting close to 71% for 2019 and 61% for 2021.

User Note for 2017 and 2018: Compared to the scores reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the proficiency percentages reported by Virginia appear to be inflated.  The independent NAEP reports 43% of the state’s 4th grade students to be proficient or above in reading.  Virginia is reporting close to 79% for 2017 and 76% for 2018. 

User Alert for 2014 charts:  Compared to the scores reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the proficiency percentages reported by Virginia appear to be inflated.  The independent NAEP reports 45% of the state’s 4th grade students to be proficient or above in reading.  Virginia is reporting close to 69%. 

In order to provide users a chart containing more realistic estimates of local school performance, ECF has created a second chart showing the percentage of students reaching the state’s “Advanced” standard–a standard more nearly comparable to the NAEP’s “Proficient” level of performance.  

User Alert for 2013 charts:  Compared to the scores reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the proficiency percentages reported by Virginia appear to be inflated.  The independent NAEP reports 45% of the state’s 4th grade students to be proficient or above in reading.  Virginia is reporting close to 73%. 

In order to provide users a chart containing more realistic estimates of local school performance, ECF has created a second chart showing the percentage of students reaching the state’s “Advanced” standard–a standard more nearly comparable to the NAEP’s “Proficient” level of performance.  

 

naep-v-states-4th-grade-readingComparing Virginia’s Proficiency Standards to the National “Gold Standard” (NAEP) 
Each state defines for itself what “proficient” means; some states have a rigorous definition, while others are less strict in their standards. To see how states compare, ECF has published charts showing the percentage of students deemed proficient in various subjects and grade levels and compared them to percentages reported for each state by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or “The Nation’s Report Card”), considered to be the gold standard.