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Parry McCluer High School and Rockbridge County High School have been named recipients of the Virginia Board of Education’s 20242025 Continuous Improvement Award. These two local schools are among only 49 schools across the state to receive this distinction, which is part of Virginia’s Exemplar School Recognition Program.
The award recognizes schools that have demonstrated consistent improvement in academic achievement over the previous three years.
According to the Virginia Department of Education’s criteria, schools receiving this award demonstrated “a measurable increase in the combined rate for math, reading, and science for each of the past three years,” with other metrics, such as improving graduation and completion rates, and reducing dropout rates by at least 15%, considered as well.
Awards
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Todd Jones, principal of Parry McCluer High School, attributed the success to the dedication and leadership of his staff.
“Our ‘Exemplar’ award received is due largely to our many outstanding staff members,” he said, noting that their commitment to “high expectations” and “relationship- driven” instruction helped create an environment focused on student success. Jones gave special acknowledgement to Parry McCluer teachers Teri Beverly and Carlie Owen, who earned top rankings in the state through the Comprehensive Instructional Program (CIP) for Algebra and Earth Science, respectively.
Rockbridge County Schools Superintendent Phillip Thompson shared his pride in the Rockbridge County High School community. “It is truly wonderful that the VDOE has formally acknowledged the outstanding contributions of our staff, students, and the RCHS community,” Thompson said. “Our staff’s unwavering commitment to high expectations has resulted in remarkable successes for all students.”
Principal Mike Craft emphasized the collaborative effort at Rockbridge County High School, adding, “This recognition highlights the hard work and innovation our team uses to continuously improve the student experience at RCHS.”
In addition to the Exemplar awards, the Virginia Department of Education updated school accreditation information in September, revealing that all schools in the Rockbridge area are now fully accredited. This marks a notable achievement for Parry McCluer High School in particular, which was accredited “with conditions” last year, primarily due to chronic absenteeism. However, the school’s administration addressed this issue by hiring an attendance clerk, reducing the absenteeism rate from 31% last school year to just 8% this year.
In addition to the progress seen at Parry McCluer, all other area schools in Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County achieved improvements in nearly all academic areas.
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