For Immediate Release: December 10, 2025
Contact: communications@doe.virginia.gov
kenita.matthews@doe.virginia.gov
RICHMOND, VA — Yesterday’s release of the results from the inaugural
School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) represents the culmination of four years of collaboration, research, planning and investment to better communicate school performance to parents and communities, to better identify where schools and students need additional support to thrive, and to elevate innovation and excellence.
“For too long, we’ve aspired to improvement and now we’re seeing it in real, measurable gains with the release of the inaugural SPSF. That upward momentum reflects the hard work of educators, the perseverance of students, and the support of families and the community,” said Virginia Board of Education President Grace Creasey. “We must build on this progress, keep raising our expectations, and maintain a relentless commitment to excellence so that every child in the Commonwealth has the opportunity to succeed.”
The early successes showcased in this first release are due to the work of parents, educators, and community members who informed the design of the SPSF.
“These results prove that excellence is possible in every community in the Commonwealth and we are committed to ensuring every student in every zip code has the support and opportunities they need to be successful,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson. “We are seeing real momentum in literacy, math, and readiness for life beyond high school, which demonstrates our historic investments in our earliest learners and K-12 including teacher compensation, high-quality instruction, and personalized learning are paying off.”
This year’s results, highlighting student learning in the 2024-2025 school year, demonstrate academic growth in elementary schools, a majority of middle schools staying on track and improving high school readiness, and high schools excelling in promoting readiness for postsecondary Education, Employment, and Enlistment through the 3E Framework.
More detailed regional highlights are available on the VDOE website.
Statewide Takeaways:
- Two-thirds of Virginia’s public schools are identified as Distinguished or On Track. Schools across the Commonwealth are exceeding or meeting state expectations to ensure students are prepared for the next grade level, course, or postsecondary experience.
- It is not uncommon to be Distinguished.
- 1 in 4 public schools are exceeding expectations with their students.
- Every Superintendent Region has Distinguished schools. There are pockets of excellence and exemplars to learn from in every region of the Commonwealth.
- High Schools are exceeding expectations. 65% of high schools are exceeding state expectations. School divisions have embraced the 3E Framework and are providing students with critical experiences and courses to improve preparedness. The 3E Framework recognizes pathways to Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment.
- Four-year graduation rates remain steady. 89.5% of high school students graduated in four years, consistent with rates reported in 2023 (88.8%) and 2024 (89.8%).
- Superintendent Region 7 (Southwest) has the highest 4-year graduation rate.
- Superintendent Region 4 (Northern Virginia) has the highest percent of students graduating with an Advanced Diploma.
- Middle Schools had the highest percentage of On Track schools. Improved performance in advanced coursework, a decline in absenteeism, and strong reading outcomes contributed to 59% of middle schools being On Track as they continue to positively respond to new learning standards and supports.
- More than half of Elementary Schools demonstrated significant student growth in reading and mathematics. Schools and educators have made the most of innovative investments like ALL In VA and the Virginia Literacy Act to strengthen educator practices, implement hiqh-quality materials and address the unique learning needs of each student with a focus on those students who need the most support.
- Making progress should continue to be the priority for resources. If we can get students to read and do math on grade level, this changes everything for their future.
Key Attributes of the New School Performance and Support Framework
- More students are seen and supported: In our new system, student groups as small as 15 are included in the SPSF. This ensures that more students are visible, and that schools receive targeted support to meet their needs.
- The SPSF focuses on those students who need the most support: Policymakers have been clear that schools with students who need the most support to grow academically are the priority for state and federal funding and Department support. The SPSF enables this focus by putting a spotlight on where additional support is needed based on the academic outcomes of specific student groups, including students with disabilities and students attending Title I schools.
- State and federal systems of accountability and support are now aligned: Before, a confusing mix of state and federal accountability requirements diluted clarity on school performance and distribution of resources. Now, state and federal priorities are aligned to produce a single performance category and promote a coordinated response to school improvement.
- Academic Accountability is clearly distinguished from Accreditation Compliance: How schools support students’ learning and readiness outcomes is more clearly reported out from how well schools meet operational Standards of Accreditation. This level of transparency and clarity is just one more way to improve school and student supports as well as to identify excellence that can be celebrated and replicated.
How does the SPSF work?
Parents can easily understand how their school is performing. Transparency and access to actionable information builds trust between schools, parents, and students through concrete and easy-to-understand reporting. We have put this information at parents’ fingertips.
The SPSF evaluates schools across four key pillars: Mastery, Growth, Readiness, and Graduation. Each component is weighted differently to meet the unique focus of elementary, middle, and high schools:
- Mastery: incorporates all student Standards of Learning test results. It awards additional credit for students who reach advanced levels and partial credit for students who do not yet meet grade-level standards.
- Growth: Measures student progress in reading and math by comparing current performance to prior years.
- Readiness: In K-8 schools, readiness points are earned by reducing chronic absenteeism. In Middle School, readiness includes advanced coursework and early high school credit. In High School, it is based on student demonstration of readiness for Employment, post-secondary Education and military Enrollment (3E Readiness Framework).
- Graduation: The graduation rate for students who earn a standard or advanced diploma. High school diplomas matter. They are evidence of effort and completion, open doors to workforce training, college enrollment and work. Virginia diplomas earned in a relevant environment are increasingly valuable.
Data collected in each pillar is used to place schools into one of four performance categories:
- Distinguished: Exceeds expectations
- On Track: Meets expectations
- Off Track: Does not meet expectations and receives extra state support
- Needs Intensive Support: Significantly below expectations and receives the strongest support from the state
A school’s performance category recognizes excellence while being clear on opportunities to improve. This informs resource allocation and prioritizes supports to improve student outcomes.
For more information, visit the 2025 School Performance and Support Framework Data Release hub.
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