Division sees growth at all levels, nearly triples number of ‘Distinguished’ schools

Henrico County Public Schools saw growth and improvement across all school performance indicators for the 2025-26 school year and achieved full state accreditation across all schools, according to accountability data released today by the Virginia Department of Education.

This year:

• Every HCPS school received full state accreditation, up from 96% last year. For the 2024-25 school year, three schools were accredited with conditions.
• The division nearly tripled the number of schools receiving “Distinguished” status, the highest of the state’s four performance categories. This year, 28 schools — including the majority of high schools — achieved the status, compared to 10 schools the prior year.
• HCPS saw growth on the state’s framework across all school levels, with an average increase of 5 points. All middle schools, 98% of elementary schools and 78% of high schools saw their point score increase this year.
• Nearly half of all HCPS schools moved up at least one performance category.

“I congratulate all our schools on receiving full state accreditation!” said Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell. “I am so proud of the hard work and consistent effort that has made this achievement possible.

“Henrico Schools’ performance growth across all levels is an incredible accomplishment. Our teachers, specialists and school leaders work every day to understand each student and respond to their needs to create an environment where every student can learn and grow.”

Another highlight for the division this year was growth at Glen Lea Elementary School. According to VDOE data, the school ranked among the top elementary schools in the state for improvement, gaining more than 15 points on the performance framework score.

This is the second year of implementation of Virginia’s new accountability system, which separates the accreditation process from the school performance framework. Some of the terminology in the performance framework changed this year, but criteria remain largely unchanged.

The performance framework labels schools as “Distinguished,” “Meeting Expectations,” “Approaching Expectations” and “Needs Intensive Support.” The labels are based on a point system that weighs mastery, growth, readiness and graduation using indicators like test scores and chronic absenteeism rates. The categories also factor in whether schools have a federal identification status that indicates that specific groups of students within a school are underperforming in comparison to some of the lowest-performing schools in the state.

The accreditation system evaluates schools’ compliance with state requirements in 11 areas, including course offerings, leadership and staffing, and facilities and safety.