Good afternoon, PGCPS Community,

Today, the Virginia Department of Education released its latest data that highlights school and student outcomes for the 2025-26 School Year. I’m writing to share a few updates with you regarding what the data shows, what it means, and how it will guide our educational mission and objectives during the current school year.

School Accountability
First, as part of the VDOE's School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF), elementary and secondary schools are evaluated across several components, notably mastery, growth (for elementary and middle schools), readiness, and graduation (for high schools), to determine which performance category a school falls under during a given academic year. 

I'm pleased to share that all of our schools have either achieved a Distinguished designation from the VDOE or are on their way toward receiving it. A Distinguished designation means a school exceeds the state's expectations across the Framework components and serves as a model of best practices for others to learn from. This year, North Elementary, South Elementary, and Prince George High School earned the VDOE's Distinguished designation for the 2025-26 School Year. 

Additionally, L.L. Beazley Elementary, David A. Harrison Elementary, Middle Road Elementary, and J.E.J. Moore Middle School received the VDOE's Meets Expectations designation based on student achievement in last year's assessments, demonstrating meaningful progress toward state benchmarks at these campuses.

While Beazley, Harrison, and Middle Road each earned the state’s Meets Expectations designation, federal accountability requirements also consider the performance of specific student groups to help schools identify where additional support may be beneficial. In today's VDOE data release, these three campuses were federally identified based on benchmark testing outcomes in certain student populations during the previous year. This means we will strategically deploy additional resources from state and federal partnerships to these schools to ensure all our students, especially those who may need more support, have the knowledge and tools they need to thrive. 

Prince George High School Graduation
At the secondary level, the VDOE shared specific graduation data from Prince George High School, with 91.21% of the Royals' Class of 2026 earning a standard or advanced diploma. The school's continued focus on on-time graduation and supporting students through exposure to opportunities beyond high school in postsecondary education, the workforce, and the military showcases its commitment to the state's Three "E" Readiness Framework: Education, Employment, or Enlistment, and its second Distinguished designation in the SPSF. 

Closing Reflections
Every day, our teachers and staff deliver high-quality learning experiences in our schools that help our children grow, succeed, and prepare for a future that changes by the day. The results shared today highlight the tremendous progress in our schools, and for that, I am thankful to our educators, support staff, and everyone who has committed their life's work to the essential task of teaching our next generation. 

This data provides essential information to support continued investments in our students and teachers as we keep our division's mission and vision in focus: To engage, encourage, and inspire every child, every day, and prepare our students to navigate an ever-changing world.

Additional assessment data and information for schools, school divisions, and the Commonwealth are available for viewing and downloading on the VDOE website, and the School Quality Profile reports website.

I, along with our hundreds of teachers and support employees, am grateful for the trust our families place in us and for their partnership in the shared responsibility of educating our children and preparing them for the future.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Wayne Lyle
Superintendent
Prince George County Public Schools